Topicuk Leeds sept17

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LEEDS EDITION NO6

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B U 2017 SINESS SEPTEMBER

- WWW.TOPICUK.CO.UK

MONA & RICHARD Welcome you to the 8th Brand Yorkshire Business Conference

Free Registration on www.brandyorkshire.com

FROM BALLET TO BAGS: Claire Shakespeare explains

THE RENDEZVOUS: Gateway to the Dales

Creating Inclusive Cultures (CIC) is a collaboration of established businesses in our major cities who understand the benefits of investing in diversity and inclusion.

In our changing and competitive world CIC enables them to share insight and experience that will help everyone attract and retain the talent for the future success of their firms and their cities.

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Call us to find out how a live action video can benefit your business : 07711 539047 www.topicuk.co.uk

editor@.topicuk.co.uk

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TopicUK 18

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TopicUK is a free publication and available from a number of outlets across the city.

G R O U P

E D I T O R

Gill Laidler

C R E AT I V E

D I R E C T O R

Rob Blackwell

S P E C I A L

F E AT U R E

New Trustee for Rhinos Foundation

From ballet to bags Claire’s got a brand new...

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Special Feature: 8th Brand Yorkshire Conference

Get away Gateway to the Dales

Brand Yorkshire

L E G A L

M AT T E R S

Chadwick Lawrence B U S I N E S S

Gary King, Tendo Limited B A N K I N G

Barclays Bank I T

Dean Spencer Eitex T H E

A R T S

Zeina Hehme

Cover: Mona Alani & Richard Norman

For Partnership opportunities

Tel: 07711 539047 Printed By: Charlesworth Press Wakefield

Contents &Comments D E TA I LS O F THI S M O NTH‘S TO PI CUK, YO UR LOC AL B USI NE S S CO M M UNI T Y M AG A ZI NE

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe contact 07711 539047 or email editor@topicuk.co.uk. Published by Ghost Publishing Limited, Paragon Point, Paragon Business Village, Red Hall Crescent, Wakefield WF1 2DF. TopicUK is also not responsible for any advice given by contributors.

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Editor’s Notes

event at Aspire. The Price spoke about the need for more support for mental

by Gill Laidler health charities and the work they do and you can read the full story on P6.

We get to meet lots of lovely people here at TopicUK, that is one of the best things about my job, getting to know people, their businesses and hopefully help them by making introductions.

Cover Story Mona and Richard Norman, the joint founders of Brand Yorkshire, have 30 years’ experience of developing successful businesses, together with a real passion to help Yorkshire SMEs to grow, whilst also helping to develop community projects for young disadvantaged people around the region.

This issue they have teamed up with TopicUK as official media partnersfor this years conference 6 October, to bring you a four page special section, showcasing the keynote speakers and a floor plan of where you can find exhibitors.

TopicUK will be exhibiting on the day, come along and say hello and pick up the latest copy.

For Partnership opportunities

Tel: 07711 539047

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couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to meet young entrepreneurs based at Entrepreneurial Spark in Leeds and was amazed at the number of businesses based there, all with a fantastic story to share. So next issue we will be featuring some of the businesses. One such business features in this edition, handbag designer Claire Shakespeare. You can read about Claire’s journey so far on page 34.

Although we never actually met, it was great to listen to HRH Prince Harry speak when he visited Leeds last month, at the Leeds Community Foundation

One famous face I did get to meet though was ex Spandau Ballet guitarist and EastEnders actor Martin Kemp. Martin was appearing at Aspire for a dinner with a guest meet and greet, before the audience was treated to stories of his life and career.

Martin spent time chatting and having his picture taken with us whilst enjoying a glass of bubbly. TopicUK also ran a competition with two tickets up for grabs, to join us at the event and the first name to be drawn after the closing date was Jane Heseltine, who came along with her mum.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome new TopicUK partners Key Commercial and Scriba PR, we are very much looking forward to working with you. Our thanks also go to CityFibre who have renewed their partnership with us again this year in both Leeds and Kirklees/Calderdale editions.

This year TopicUK are delighted to be official media partners of the Brand Yorkshire Conference, taking place at the Harrogate Pavilions on 5 October.

There are more than 1500 delegates registered to attend and over 90 exhibitors. As well as superb networking opportunities, there are 12 high quality speakers taking to the stage throughout the day.

TopicUK will be there and as

we are the official supporting media, you will find details of speakers with times and a floor map of the exhibition hall on P36 of this edition.

Make sure you keep hold of your copy.

Following this prestigious event, TopicUK will be heading to Bradford to partner YEN Expo 17 on 6 November at the University of Bradford, where we are also a media partners. Now in its 6th year, the conference brings together businesses and organisations from across the county, the share ideas, develop new opportunities and showcase their products and services. The event grows year on year so make sure you book your place Finally, its not often I get a break, but I was lucky enough to head over to Skipton recently for a stay at the privately owned Rendevous Hotel, situated just outside the town, at the foot of the dales next to the Leeds Liverpool canal. View for yourself in our feature on P40. It’s a beautiful hotel, very friendly and within easy commute to the centre of Skipton. For the more energetic, a pleasant one mile walk along the canal.

Thank you to all our lovely partners and contributors without whom we couldn’t produce TopicUK.If you want to find out how we can help promote your business more affordable than any other media, or if you’re a PR company, find out how we can help you to get guaranteed coverage for your clients, do give me a call.

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NEWS UPDATE Prince Harry calls for support for mental health charities

TOPICUK LEEDS BRINGS YOU A FULL ROUND-UP OF BUSINESS NEWS AND EVENTS AND WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN LEEDS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.

HRH Prince Henry of Wales has called for Leeds’s business community to increase its investment in mental health charities in the region, at the Leeds Leads: Encouraging Happy Young Minds event, which took place in Leeds city centre in July.

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eeds Community Foundation’s (LCF), hosted the event which addressed the mental wellbeing of the city’s young people and brought together various mental health projects, charities and beneficiaries of The Leeds Fund (LCF’s latest initiative) which included: Carers Leeds, Getaway Girls, Health for All, LS14 Trust, Leeds Mind, Leeds Women’s Aid, Space2, The Market Place, Touchstone and Women’s Counselling and Therapy Services.

During the event Prince Harry addressed the Leeds business community to express how grateful he is to those that have already contributed to ending stigmas around mental health. However, he stressed that there is still work to be done.

Prince Harry commented: “I have been so impressed by the commitment of this City and the Leeds Community Foundation in focusing on mental health. You have been leading the way in bringing funding and expertise together in support of local community solutions.

I cannot tell you how pleased William,

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Catherine and I are that the dial seems to have shifted and that there is now greater understanding, compassion and kindness for anyone who opens up about their struggles.”

It’s organisations, such as Carers Leeds, which are reliant on funding from the business community in order to keep mental health programmes up and running. Successful programmes can run for six months but unfortunately can be derailed due to lack of finance. The Prince continued: “But let’s not kid ourselves that the job is done –

there is much more that we can do to make conversations about mental health as commonplace as those about physical health.”

An interactive panel discussion took place which included speakers Tom Riordan – CEO of Leeds City Council, Stevie Ward – Leeds Rhinos Rugby Player and Founder of ‘Mantality’, Emma Holmes – CEO of the Market Place, and Kate Hainsworth – Deputy CEO of Leeds Community Foundation, as well as some young people who shared their stories around mental health.

LeedsEdition Tom Riordan, Chief Executive, Leeds City Council, said: “Leeds is most certainly blessed to have such a strong third sector and I am delighted to have been a part of the Leeds Leads: Encouraging Happy Young Minds event. Leeds continues to do well economically but not enough people benefit from that. Employers can help us become a more compassionate city by signing up to the Mindful Employer standard.”

Yorkshire Directors to benefit from new IoD headquarters

By Natalie Sykes, Regional Director, Institute of Directors

Sally-Anne Greenfield, CEO of Leeds Community Foundation, said: “We are extremely grateful to Prince Harry for coming to the event and meeting some of the inspiring individuals that have benefited from the amazing work that is being delivered across Leeds.

“LCF is the fifth largest grant maker of the 46 Community Foundation’s in the UK, who combined managed to issue £65 million in grants last year. Events like this highlight how crucial the business community is to ensuring these charities have the funds to run the incredible initiatives and programmes helping to eliminate stigmas around mental health and support wellbeing in the city”.

“I have been so impressed by the commitment of this City and the Leeds Community Foundation in focusing on mental health.”

 TO SUPPORT THE LEEDS FUND OR FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED, VISIT WWW. THE LEEDSFUND.ORG.UK TO DONATE, OR SEND A CHEQUE MADE PAYABLE TO ‘THE LEEDS FUND’ TO LEEDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, 51A ST PAUL’S STREET, LEEDS, LS1 2TE.

It’s been a busy month for the IoD, as we launched our fantastic new Leeds headquarters at Cloth Hall Court and held our prestigious Director of the Year Awards in York.

Brexit and HS2 may be dominating the headlines but I’m happy to report that the mood among business leaders remains upbeat. Directors are aware of the challenges that lie ahead and would like more clarity, particularly over Brexit, but they are focused on exploring the opportunities that lie ahead.

The launch of the IoD’s new HQ at Cloth Hall Court on Quebec Street, part of Leeds Beckett University, means our members now have stateof-the-art meeting and conference facilities just two minutes from the railway station.

This is an exciting move that places us right at the heart of the business community in Leeds.

Watch this space for news about IoD hubs in Halifax and Wakefield.

First up was our big awards night at The Principal York hotel, where I was delighted to see Herwig Vennekens of Haribo UK crowned overall Director of the Year for Yorkshire and the North East. A well-deserved award!

This year’s winners go forward to the national IoD Director of the Year awards, where they will compete against winners from across the UK. I’ll be rooting for our Yorkshire and North East winners!

Guest speakers at the awards were Stephen Martin, director general of the IoD and Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and the evening was expertly compered

by BBC Look North’s Danni Hewson.

We’re already looking ahead to our 2018 awards, for which we will have a new chairman of the judges, Simon Walton of Berwick Partners.

 ARE YOU IN YOUR FIRST STEPS OF STARTING OUT IN BUSINESS OR WITHIN YOUR FIRST FIVE YEARS? THE IOD’S 99 CLUB IS THE PERFECT MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE FOR YOU, FROM JUST £8.95 PER MONTH. FIND OUT MORE AT HTTPS://WWW.IOD.COM/MEMBERSHIP/IOD-99

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Programmatic agency launches in Leeds Cadreon, the ad technology unit of media agency IPG Mediabrands, a New York Stock Exchange listed business and owners of Leeds agency Stickyeyes, based on Wellington Street, is launching in Leeds.

Hesco launch Civilian Defence Leeds based HESCO® has launched a range of defensive barriers specifically to combat threats to civilians at high profile entertainment and social events.

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The team will be housed at Stickyeyes Group HQ. Staff are initially being drawn from within the Stickyeyes Group staff but it says it has “ambitious” plans for rapid expansion and development.

The Cadreon team consists of over 450 programmatic specialists working from 20 offices and servicing 68 markets worldwide for local and global clients including Johnson and Johnson, Amazon, Continental, GoPro and Zurich.

Two businesses sign up to Leeds Dock Two businesses have signed up to Leeds Dock just a month after Allied London announced a sale of the site for £32m.

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pioneer of military defensive barriers to countries across Europe, the US, Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Far East TERRABLOCK® has been designed to mitigate hostile vehicle and unauthorised access attack. Created by HESCO®’s own team of engineers TERRABLOCK® can be rapidly installed across diverse environments enhancing existing security measures as well as enabling institutions, events and businesses to maintain operations in response to an ever changing threat.

Having successfully deployed HESCO® security barriers at the London 2012 Olympics, the five-year development has seen TERRABLOCK® evolve in response to security challenges now faced, creating a unique security barrier, integrating earth-filled vehicle barriers and climb resistant weldmesh panels.

Adam Wilding-Webb, Director of High The waterside digital and creative community to the east of the proposed South Bank development houses 650 Sky staff at their Leeds hub, as well as being home to the Royal Armouries museum.

Global consulting, engineering and construction company MWH, now part of Stantec, is relocating its 45-strong Yorkshire office from Wakefield to Leeds.

They are joined by digital agency Pinpoint Designs, which is moving its team of 12 from Harrogate.

Security, said: “This next generation of HESCO® security barriers build on our extensive experience in protection and a deep understanding of how to respond to changing threats. The modular design of TERRABLOCK® provides the ability to easily and effectively upgrade site and event security in response to changing threat levels, whilst minimising the installation impact on the workforce and environment. The importance of having the right solution is paramount.”

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Top Team at Annual Awards Well Met, the conferencing office at Leeds Beckett University, top off an exciting year by winning the Top Team Award at the Leeds Hotels and Venues Association’s (LHVA) 10th Awards ceremony.

The award follows a year of big changes for Well Met as it builds up to the launch of Cloth Hall Court, its new Conferencing Centre for up to 300 delegates. Well Met were praised by the independent panel of judges for their ability to rival corporate conferencing facilities in the city, whilst working within an academic operating environment. The conference team impressed judges with their range of skills and experience.

HESCO TERRABLOCK® has already been used to protect oil and gas infrastructure, and most recently, event space and public arenas such as the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds.

The TERRABLOCK® product range includes five designs ranging from a low barrier for crowded public events, engineered to stop attacks using vehicles as a weapon, to an anticlimb M50P1 crash rated barrier that can stop a 7.5 tonne truck travelling at 50mph.

The LHVA Awards, which took place at The Queens Hotel, saw 275 attendees from hotels and venues across Leeds; the largest ceremony in the history of the association. The Top Team Award was highly contested with 10 internationally renowned hotels joining Well Met in the final shortlist, as the only dedicated conferencing venue, the team proved their mettle when they were crowned the deserved winners.

Clare Vidler, Conference Manager at Well Met commented:“We were absolutely delighted to receive the award, I had every faith that the team would impress the judges, there were

a lot of strong contenders in the shortlist including some of the city’s biggest hotels.

We are a really close-knit team and it’s fantastic that we’ve been recognised by judges and our fellow association members on the 10th anniversary of the awards. We are now spurred on to ensure that Cloth Hall Court becomes one of the seminal conferencing venues in Leeds!”

Michelin star restaurant for Victoria Gate The Man Behind the Curtain, Leeds’ only Michelin-starred restaurant, is set to move into new premises in the Victoria Gate area of the city.

The restaurant, with 60 covers, will open in the autumn. The original restaurant opened in 2014 and went on to win a Michelin star in 2015.

Edward Ziff, chairman and chief executive of Town Centre Securities, said: “We are delighted to have finalised this deal to secure new premises for this exceptional Leeds restaurant, which has just been voted in the top 50 restaurants in the UK by the Good Restaurant Guide

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Now, the official launch partner of CityFibre’s Leeds Gigabit City network, Diva Telecom, has been shortlisted in the Connected Britain category at the prestigious NextGen Digital Challenge Awards 2017 for its part in helping rural businesses in Eltofts, North of Leeds, to safeguard their futures by securing reliable broadband services.

Last year, the business community in Eltofts took matters into their own hands to tackle the painfully slow internet connectivity the village had struggled with for years as a result of its aging, capacity-constrained telecoms network. Despite the installation of an expensive dual line setup, poor connectivity remained a critical issue for local businesses.

After hearing that Leeds had become a Gigabit City and that full-fibre digital infrastructure was being built in the city by CityFibre, Eltofts business owners approached specialist business telecoms provider, Diva Telecom, to enquire about securing their own full-fibre connection.

Diva Telecom were able to provide ultrafast gigabit speeds over a 24km length of full-fibre to Wetherby Road in Eltofts, from which residents dug the trenches required for the fibre to be laid directly to their home offices. As a result, they now benefit from reliable internet connectivity with

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Local business shortlisted for prestigious award 1000Mgbps up and download speeds.

Erica Lewis, Managing Director at Diva Telecom, said: “Connectivity is no longer simply about internet access – it now underpins many businesses’ sales platforms, systems and processes too. That’s why we committed ourselves to helping the Eltofts community resolve their connectivity woes – as quickly as possible. We are proud to be in the running for this year’s Connected Britain Award and see this as an opportunity to raise awareness of full-fibre connectivity and the solution it can offer businesses throughout Leeds and beyond.”

NextGen made the shortlist announcement at the Connected Britain 2017 Conference which

comes shortly after Leeds celebrated its first ‘Giga-versary’ in April.

Now extending to 117Km of full-fibre infrastructure, Leeds’ Gigabit City network has

transformed the city into one of the best connected locations in the UK. Alongside its partners, CityFibre has made world-class internet services both accessible and affordable to thousands of businesses, supporting Leeds’ growing digital industry and the benefits it brings in terms of skills, jobs and investment.

The winner of the Connected Britain Award will be announced at the NextGen Digital Challenge Awards 2017 which will take place in October in London.

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Leeds firm named ‘Best Tech Place to Work’ Blue Logic recently celebrated awards success picking up the Best Tech Place to Work award at the National Technology Awards.

The award recognises leading technology companies in the UK and is in recognition of Blue Logic’s commitment to its staff.

built a successful environment that encourages our staff to grow and develop in the workplace.”

Mark Ambler, Managing Director said: ‘‘The award is fantastic recognition for all staff. We have

The National Technology Awards are the most comprehensive celebration of technology in the

year. The awards celebrate the pioneers of new technology and help drive standards and encourage excellence.

The event was hosted by comedian Holly Walsh held at the Millennium

Hotel London Mayfair.

This award win follows other success, including shortlisted for a CRN Sales and Marketing Award and named in the Northern Tech Top 100 companies list.

Leeds teacher collaborates with school to innovate behaviour management A Leeds-based teacher has created an interactive whiteboard app to help a local primary school innovate its classroom behaviour.

Former teacher and special educational needs support worker, Oliver Brandon-Davies, has teamed up with Little London Community Primary School to successfully trial his interactive technology, Trackit Lights.

Oliver, who has worked in teaching for six years, created the pioneering whiteboard app with the goal to help schools reduce disruption to learning by up to 50%, meet Ofsted requirements and cut the average school’s behaviour admin down from 20 hours a week to 1 hour a week.

Trackit Lights, dubbed the ‘free behaviour boosting teaching tool’, has been fundamental in improving pupil behaviour in every

classroom across Little London Primary School for the last nine months. It has now been released for other schools across the country to use.

In just a few weeks, hundreds of teachers nationwide have downloaded the app, taking the education sector by storm.

Oliver comments: “Our vision was to take the pain out of behaviour management for staff and pupils. We wanted to make an app that is fun and engaging for the pupils whilst providing teachers with a really effective tool”.

In the largest study of its kind, Ofsted estimated that up to an hour of learning could be lost a day due to low level behaviour with two thirds of teachers saying that it is a major problem.

Head Teacher Jill Wood comments: “We’ve always been proud of our high standards in behaviour management, and working with

Trackit Lights has been a great opportunity to explore how current technology can be used to enhance what we do.

“At last we have access to an easy to use, very visual tool which helps children take ownership of their own behaviour. Our staff love it, our children have better self-regulation and everyone is smiling.”

Oliver now has plans to roll the app out to 2000 schools across the country.

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Firm launches fragrance infused jewellery A Leeds-based designer and manufacturer of men’s jewellery has launched a Kickstarter campaign for an innovative range of fragrance-infused accessories, inspired by the lunar calendar.

Vanacci is the highestgrossing Kickstarter firm, in the Yorkshire design category, having already run six successful crowdfunding campaigns, raising an impressive £150,000 accumulatively.

The new Nightfall range, launched in July, is designed to feature phases of the moon and will incorporate Vanacci’s patented Lockstone material;

Cash solutions for your business Most businesses are at some point in their life faced with a deficiency of cash to fund their operations. This can arise for many reasons, including recent seasonality in the business, rapid growth, large projects and important fixed asset purchases.

In the last few years, an absolute myriad of funding solutions have sprung up, there are many peer to peer lenders and other small businesses offering short term loans that are both secured and unsecured, including spot invoice discounting,

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an advanced technology that allows the wearer to spray their favourite scent onto the product, which will then be diffused throughout the day.

Renowned for their British craftmanship and Italian design flair, Vanacci creates unique pendants, bracelets, wallets, cufflinks and watches at their headquarters in Lower Wortley, Leeds.

trade facilities and plain loans. We often see businesses going for the first solution they come across instead of trying to consider the best of many options available and often, as a result end up paying more than they should.

As well as traditional Bank finance, other solutions include:• Invoice Finance- releasing cash against unpaid invoices • Supply Chain Finance- Payments made directly to suppliers using the credit insurance limits available on your business.

• Peer to Peer LendingUnsecured and part secured finance and loans accessed via specialist web based platforms.

• On going credit lines- Similar to a bank overdraft, allowing

Commenting on the launch of the new range, managing director, James Whitfield said: “We’re incredibly excited to launch our new range, which has been a natural progression from our original Lockstone products. The new Nightfall range, which has come as a result of lots of market research into consumer demand, combines aesthetics with functionality. We’ve created a range of fragranceinfused jewellery that is unlike anything else available in the world and we’re looking forward to seeing the reaction of our existing and future customers”. a business to draw and repay amounts as and when they require.

• Short Term Loans- Can be re paid over terms from a few weeks to a few years.

• Asset Finance Funders- Lend against specific assets including ‘soft’ assets and fixtures and fittings, which carry negligible or no resale value.

It’s always a good idea to speak to a whole of market broker who can advise on the various options available and help you decide which fits your business the best.

VICKI WALKER, COMMERCIAL FINANCE CONSULTANT MOBILE: 07718 302493 EMAIL: VICKI@ KEYCOMMERCIALFINANCE.CO.UK OFFICE: 0345 193 0666 WWW.KEYCOMMERCIALFINANCE.CO.UK

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Partnership pays off Two entrepreneurs are celebrating record growth in their businesses following their successful partnership.

Sowerby Bridge-based Mellor Financial Management has worked with Leeds-based PR agency MacComms since January 2017.

Managing Director of Mellor Financial Management, Martin Mellor supports the fast-growing PR firm acting as outsourced Finance Director, while MacComms is responsible for increasing the profile of the Mellor firm by managing the public

relations of the local business.

In just five months working together, both firms have experienced record revenue growth marking June each

organisation’s most successful month to date. Both are now on track to exceed their respective targets for the current year.

The Yorkshire entrepreneurs

met on business accelerator programme, Entrepreneurial Spark. The scheme is the largest of its kind in the world, funded

by NatWest.

1500 WITH

BUSINESS LEADERS

Please join us at our 8th

BRAND YORKSHIRE Business Conference

See 13 inspirational speakers, visit 97 stand holders, whilst gaining top quality networking opportunities with the 1500 business leaders who are attending

For more information on the speakers list and details on how to book your FREE place, please see www.brandyorkshire.com or call our team on :

0113 234 6609 September 2017

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BANKING UPDATE

• Bank offers further support for UK farmers during market volatility • Loan Fund is for farmers to invest in business efficiency, agri-tech and/or diversify into new revenue streams making a difference completion”, with repayments spread over 1 to 25 years.

The £200million Fund is designed to boost the UK agriculture sector, to help future-proof the industry for the next generation, improve efficiency and create additional revenue streams to limit effects of market volatility.

Barclays extends its UK Farming Loan Fund to £200million

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arclays is ploughing a further £100million into its UK Farming Loan Fund to support UK agriculture, CEO Jes Staley announced this afternoon at The Great Yorkshire Show.

The bank launched its first £100million Fund in July 2016, to support farmers in the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum, and one year on, Barclays has doubled the Fund to £200million in response to strong take-up and to help the sector to navigate uncertain times ahead.

Barclays Agriculture has also introduced

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new flexible cashflow finance for UK farmers.

Barclays’ Input Finance offers both shortterm and long-term cashflow support and will help crop and livestock farming businesses that are expanding rapidly to plan ahead without the worries of cashflow, and to purchase essentials such as seed, fertilizer or livestock when they need it. The loan periods are between 1 to 12 months and 12 to 24 months. Barclays’ Rural Project Loan is designed to help farmers with additional income streams to support diversification or to restructure existing agriculture business, repayable in two phases: “project phase”, over a flexible interest-only period, and “project

Announcing the fund at The Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, Jes Staley, Barclays CEO said: “It’s at times like these that UK Agriculture needs a crucial boost from banks to weather any uncertainty. We want to help farmers thrive over the short-term and also to plan for a strong future. We are pleased to extend our dedicated UK Farming Loan Fund, responding to demand from farmers. Barclays has been supporting UK agriculture for almost 300 years – one of our constituent banks in Yorkshire, the York Union Banking Company, was commonly known as ‘The Farmers’ Bank’ – and the sector is critical to fuelling the UK’s economy and households.”

NFU Deputy President Minette Batters said:“We welcome this announcement from Barclays, which recognises its willingness to invest in farming, that will improve business efficiency, the take-up of new technology or to diversify to generate new revenue streams.

This comes at a time where despite the tentative signs of price recovery, the sector is still far from seeing levels which will sustain a long-term and profitable farming industry.

On June 29th, the NFU met with the key players from the Bank of England and the banking industry and laid out the need for investment on farms. It was reassuring to see that the banks recognised the importance of investment and that farming can look forward to continued future financial support.”

Roar-some dinosaur tour will bring giant Rex-hibits to Leeds A roar-some national animatronic dinosaur tour is coming to Leeds this year, including around 30 creature features.

As the UK’s first ever national outdoor animatronic dino-tour, families can expect to see snarling jaws, moving eyes, swaying tails and roaring sound effects at the event.

life size animatronic dinosaurs and installations set to be on offer which will not only be great fun but also educational, this really does promise to be a familyfriendly event not to be missed.”

Visitors will follow a trail around the site at Temple Newsam Park and encounter the giant dinosaurs as part of the walking tour which lasts around 60 minutes – depending on how fast you walk or run. An early bird discount of 20% is available now by using code LEEDS20 via the official website for a limited time.

Jurassic Kingdom has also received support from Doncasterborn internationally recognised and multi award-winning palaeontologist, Dean Lomax, for the educational side of the attraction. Dean has provided all of the facts and figures about each of the dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptile models.

Visitors at the Great Yorkshire Show also had a rex-ellent surprise when the Jurassic Kingdom team stopped by the Welcome to Yorkshire stand with one of their dinosaurs in tow.

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “We were extremely lucky to get a preview of these fantastic creatures at our stand. If the huge excitement they created from our younger visitors is anything to go by the full scale tour will be dino-mite.”

He said: “What we’ve been able to do is add the very latest information on the interpretation boards with regards to these particular dinosaurs based on recent research and statistics. That means when families come to visit, children can enjoy learning something new and exciting based on the latest research around these magnificent creatures from the past. The worksheets add another layer to their experience – you never know, we might help inspire the next generation of palaeontologists.”

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and sustainability, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming the Jurassic Kingdom to the atmospheric surroundings of Temple Newsam Park.

“With around 30 awe-inspiring

The dinosaurs cover three key periods including the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous period.

The full-scale models have been built by experts in China and the tour is being run by Weli Creative – the team behind the popular Magical Lantern Festival tour in 2016, which saw hundreds

of thousands of people through the gates in Leeds, London and Birmingham.

and that’s what Jurassic Kingdom is all about – fun, adventure, excitement and education.

Naz Kabir, Weli Creative’s Event Director, said: “I think almost everyone loves dinosaurs to varying degrees and you just have to look at everything from kids’ books to Hollywood films to see how popular they are. They are one of the great mysteries of history and while we may never be able to bring any back to life, we can do the next best thing

The event runs from October 13 until October 29 daily from 10am to 6pm with last entry at 5pm.

Tickets are now on sale at www. jurassickingdom.uk with online booking prices from £11.50 adults, £10.50 concessions, £9.50 children and £38 for a family ticket plus standard booking fees.

© 2017 Richard Walker/ ImageNorth

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T-Rex standing 18m from head to tail, a battle between Deinonychus and Tenontosaurus, and a 16 metre long Diplodocus are all in store as visitors travel back over 65 millions of years at Jurassic Kingdom.

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DinoJurassic Kingdom dinosaur with Sir Gary Verity on the WTY stand at GYS.

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transformed the former 18th century cloth trading site by drawing inspiration from its history with a range of comfortable, modern furnishings which reference the site’s industrial and textile heritage.

These include the use of natural and recycled materials in the design, assigning room identities such as the Denim Room, Tweed Suite and Bobbin Gallery as well as the commissioning of a Leeds Beckett University Art project to produce works that capture the both venue and the city’s connection to the cloth industry.

Well Met Conferencing, the conference office at Leeds Beckett University, have officially opened for business with their new dedicated conferencing venue, Cloth Hall Court.

The city centre venue, sited just two minutes’ walk from Leeds Train Station, has undergone a £4.5m refurbishment to transform it into a state-of-theart facility in the heart of the city.

Cloth Hall Court is a response to growing demand for Well Met’s offering, which has seen a revenue increase of 250% over the past five years.

Its opening is also a timely reminder of Leeds recent promotion to fifth best

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2017 September

Cloth Hall Court New venue opens its doors to dedicated conferencing

conferencing city in the UK (BMEIS), with the growth of academic venues being cited as a key factor.

Chosen as the ideal location due to its close proximity to Leeds Train Station and the surrounding Leeds Business community, Cloth Hall Court is set to become a hub for business and enterprise in the city with four floors for conferencing space. The site also houses Leeds Beckett Enterprise Services, the Yorkshire division of the Institute of Directors and the newly formed Unity Partnership.

The refurbishment, which was commissioned to Sheppard Robson Architects and contracted to Overbury,

Commenting on the opening, Clare Vidler, Conferencing Manager for Well Met, said: “We’re delighted with the finished article and especially proud of the work that the Well Met team put into the finishing details, which are an integral part of the overall feel of Cloth Hall Court. Investing in fantastic facilities for our customers is something we’re constantly working to provide to a high level, and we feel that we’ve achieved this with Cloth Hall Court.

Moving into the dedicated conferencing environment with a brand new facility was initially daunting, so it’s with great pride that I can say that the transition over here from the University has been made all the smoother due to our fabulous team. We’re now looking forward to a busy few months welcoming visitors and guests and hosting some fabulous conferences.”

LeedsEdition

Leeds jewellery entrepreneur expands

New manager for vehicle hire firm Independently owned vehicle-hire firm Arrow Self Drive, has recruited a new manager to support business growth and development.

Russell Taylor joins the business as sales and rental manager at the Leeds depot, which recently changed to larger premises to accommodate an increase in demand of the hire of company vehicles.

Having undertaken senior roles in the vehicle-hire sector for the last twentytwo years at GE Capital, Northgate PLC and Burntree Enterprise, Russell has a wealth of industry knowledge to offer the family-run firm.

A

Leeds-based private jeweller specialising in sourcing and creating jewellery for some of the country’s wealthiest individuals is set to expand his service with the opening of a jewellery boutique in Boston Spa.

Commenting on his new role, Russell said: “I am so pleased to have joined a local family-run business firmly embedded in the local community. My aim is to make the Leeds depot Arrow Self Drive’s largest depot in terms of clients and we have strategies in place to make this happen.”

Neil Geddes, founder of NJ Geddes Fine Jewellery and one of only a handful of private jewellers in the UK, will open a 650 square foot boutique in the North Yorkshire town in early September.

Arrow Self Drive’s managing director, James Hill said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Russell on board and I’m confident his knowledge and expertise will add significant value to the growing team.

The expansion into retail premises follows a record year for the businessman, whose company has experienced 30% growth in the last 12 months as demand for his service has rocketed.

Commenting on the expansion and his decision to open his first retail premises, Neil said: “The ongoing success of the business has generated a demand for a physical store that will allow me to showcase our unique, bespoke jewellery design offering to a wider audience.

“Opening in Boston Spa will place the business at the very heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ between Leeds, York and Harrogate, allowing us to benefit from the commercial opportunities that come with such a prestigious location.”

The boutique is being designed by award winning York-based interior designer, Carolyn Parker, and is set to feature an extravagant gallery of

jewellery, bespoke furnishings and a show-stopping window display.

Neil added: “I started the business in Leeds back in 2010 to deliver a jewellery buying experience with service levels akin to that of Saville Row tailors’.

“London is fantastic and I spend a lot of time there with clients, however the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ cities have character, charm and beautiful villages on their doorsteps.

Boston Spa provides the perfect location for this phase of expansion and the boutique will really enable us to show off the skills and craftsmanship we offer.”

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F

ollowing a decade long partnership with both Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club and the Leeds Rhinos Foundation as official legal partner, Neil was invited to become a trustee of the rugby club’s official charity this year.

Trustees of the Foundation have a governance function, and are required to attend regular board meetings and events. They also provide support and guidance to dedicated Foundation employees.

The foundation follows the mantra of ‘Changing lives through Sport’, and that sport can help bridge gaps that exist within communities. With support from local businesses, trustees and the rugby club itself, they organise and run a number of events to encourage young people from the

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2017 September

Leeds Rhinos foundation appoint new trustee

Neil Wilson, Managing Partner of Chadwick Lawrence, has been named an official trustee of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.

local community to engage with sport, such as sport taster sessions for all abilities.

In addition to providing access to sport for young people, they also contribute towards a safer community by aiming to reduce health inequalities, supporting victims of domestic abuse, and

helping to rehabilitate ex-offenders and help with the return to employment.

Neil commented: “Following a lengthy partnership with the club as their legal partner, I have seen the great work the Foundation does for the community, and it is

an honor to be asked to help in a small way.

“I am looking forward to being able to provide support and guidance to the foundation employees, the other trustees, and of course the children and community members that we will be supporting.”

“We are delighted that Neil is coming on board as a trustee for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation,” commented Bob Bowman QPM, Chief Operating Officer of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation. “We have worked with Chadwick Lawrence for a number of years and they already have a great understanding of how the Foundation fits in with the rest of the club. We are looking forward to growing this partnership with Neil and his firm.”

LeedsEdition

Trio launch new marketing agency Three marketing experts have teamed up to launch a new marketing agency ‘with over 80 years’ experience’ behind it.

Business mentor Gary King, former managing director of Wrights Marketing, Mike Hall, and marketing consultant ClareMarie Taylor, have combined their experience across branding and marketing strategy to launch ThinkSMART Marketing.

The trio have worked within manufacturing, retail and leisure sectors, for multinational companies SMEs alike, with experience in both agency and

client side environments.

Clare-Marie, marketing director, said: “Our experience tells us that marketing can be a jump into the unknown or a huge leap of faith for most business owners, with the outcome determined by the marketing talent they have working with them.

“Understanding the customer is always central to our strategy, but ultimately knowing how to connect with them and convert them is what makes marketing successful.

We believe in creating a smart marketing plan with clients and then helping them deliver it.”

Gary King, manging director, added: “As a business mentor I’ve

supported hundreds of businesses to transform, grow and deliver results. ThinkSmart Marketing has been founded to deliver just that results.”

Mel leads the way in financial services role

a position to contribute towards bringing more women into frontend finance roles.”

Mel added: “I’m excited to be taking the next big step on the ladder and joining a vibrant team like ABL Business. I look forward to supporting SMEs in my local area, taking the time to understand their businesses to take the hassle out of finding competitive well-structured deals.

Mel Harris has joined ABL Business as an Appointed Representative and is the first woman they have taken on in the role.

She will cover the Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, and Wakefield areas, offering a full mix of commercial finance services and helping SMEs to raise the funds they need to trade, grow or stabilise their business.

Mel, from Wortley, Leeds, joins the company from Yorkshire Bank where she was most recently a Payment Solutions Manager,

helping businesses to set up systems which enable them to take card payments from customers.

Alex Beardsley, a Director of Cleckheaton-based ABL Business, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming someone of Mel’s calibre and experience to the team. There are actually very few female finance brokers out there

ThinkSMART Marketing has already supported over 25 clients with a wide range of marketing after officially launching in June this year.

at all, and I am personally very pleased to be supporting Mel on her career journey and to be in

“Having the back-up of the funding lines and capabilities of ABL Business will enable me to save clients precious time and money. If I can help businesses to succeed and fly the flag for women in financial services a little at the same time, that will be certainly be an added bonus for me.”

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The Leeds International Piano Competition: Exciting, New Developments Coming Our Way

By Zeina HECHME

T

he Leeds International Piano Competition, known as ‘the Leeds,’ has grown from its establishment in 1961 to become one of the most prominent piano competitions in the world. The triennial event attracts the young, gifted and nimble-fingered from around the globe, who seek recognition in the world of pianistic talent.

20 2017 September

In the run up to the next Leeds International Piano Competition, which will take place in September 2018, a series of special announcements have been made. At a time when the northern city is looking to secure the 2023 European Capital of Culture title, these developments demonstrate that Leeds is indeed a hotbed of arts and culture.

Just last month, internationally acclaimed concert pianist Murray Perahia KBE became the new patron of ‘the Leeds.’ This development is an immense advert for the competition, as well as for the city of Leeds: Perahia is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th/21st century. Renowned for his crystalline touch, and

unpretentious virtuosity, Perahia has been called the ‘poet of the piano.’ He is recognized as one of the finest interpreters of the piano works of Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven.

Yet Perahia is certainly no stranger to ‘the Leeds’ stage.

In fact, Perahia won the Fourth Leeds International Piano

LeedsEdition

Competition in 1972, which jumpstarted his illustrious career.

As patron, Perahia will provide vital support to the applicants and winners of the 2018 Competition.

In addition, as ‘the Leeds’ gears up for its 2018 competition, it has also announced a major partnership with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation.

Chinese piano phenom Lang Lang, is known for his infallible technique, and emotive exuberance.

As a top classical music soloist with a modern spikey haircut, Lang Lang inspires many young piano enthusiasts. His delivery of whatever the repertoire - whether a Chopin Etude, a Mozart Concerto, or a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody – is played with shimmering effortlessness and fluidity. Lang Lang is also Global Ambassador for ‘the Leeds,’ and his foundation aims to foster the next generation of pianistic talent and classical music lovers.

As a result of the partnership between ‘the Leeds’ and the foundation, three Lang Lang Young Scholars will give a recital at the Howard Assembly Room as part of the Leeds Piano Festival in May 2018. In addition, the scholars will participate in education work in Leeds in collaboration with Wigmore

Hall’s acclaimed Learning Programme.

A New Look for ‘the Leeds’: It was during a sleepless, summer night in 1961 that Dame Fanny Waterman came up with the idea for ‘the Leeds.’ With a mission to nurture young talent, and make the city of Leeds a center of classical music, Waterman founded the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition with her late husband Dr. Geoffrey de Keyser, and the late Marion Thorpe, the then Countess of Harewood.

Since its establishment, ‘the Leeds’ has launched the glittering careers of many celebrated pianists, including Murray Perahia, Andras Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida, Artur Pizarro, Sunwook Kim, Lars Vogt, and Radu Lupu. Dame Fanny Waterman continued to guide the competition as chairwoman and artistic director until 2015, when she stepped down from the positions at 95 years old, leaving behind a tremendous legacy.

As a result, the new joint artistic directors, pianist Paul Lewis, and BBC Radio 3 senior editor Adam Gatehouse, have some big shoes to fill. However, they have wasted no time doing so. Lewis and Gatehouse have set out to fine-tune the competition by

incorporating some interesting changes, which will expand the scope of ‘the Leeds.’

In 2018, ‘the Leeds’ will make greater sound waves, reaching a larger international audience than ever before. Enhancements to the competition will include the hosting of first rounds in Berlin, New York and Singapore in April 2018, with the semi-final and final rounds to take place in Leeds in September 2018. In addition, Medici TV, the world’s leading online classical music channel, will live-stream the competition internationally. There will also be an audience prize, determined by online voting.

Other notable changes include the introduction of a new chamber music element in the semi-final. In addition, the concerto round will be whittled down to five finalists, and the jury will be performer-led. The firstever Leeds Piano Festival will be held in May 2018, and activities such as master-classes, talks, and educational events will take place throughout the city of Leeds leading up to the competition.

The 2018 Leeds International Piano Competition will give participants, audience members and online listeners much to look forward to. In addition, the new developments will serve to strengthen Leeds’

competitive position as a finelycut gem of culture. Clearly, Dame Waterman’s legacy is in good hands.

Applications for the competition are now open. Entries close on Thursday 31 October 2017 23:59 GMT. Full details regarding application, repertoire and prizes can be found here: https://www. leedspiano.com/wp-content/ uploads/2017/06/LIPC-2018application-information-1.pdf

Zeina M. Hechme is a freelance writer and translator, and a Senior Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Barbuda.

She holds a First Class Honours Bachelors in Creative Writing from the University of Leeds, a Masters in Latin American Area Studies from the University of London, and a post- graduate degree in Diplomacy from the graduate degree in Diplomacy from the Rio Branco Institute of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Zeina has lived in different countries,including Antigua and Barbuda, Lebanon, the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil. Her interests include literature, spirituality, and piano.

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MK PR shortlisted for two awards

MK Public Relations has been shortlisted for two major PR awards in recognition of its innovative work for its ever-expanding client portfolio.

The Yorkshire-based PR agency has been shortlisted in two categories in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations PRide Awards 2017 for its work for Telematics Company The Floow and retail giant Meadowhall.

MK has placed in the Corporate and Business Communications Campaign category for its ‘Spotlight on the Floow’ campaign, which saw MK raise

the profile of the firm, scoring national coverage and comment from Prime Minister Theresa May, and in the Consumer Relations Campaign category for its ‘Oona the Elephant’ campaign, which brought Sheffield Theatre’s production Running Wild to Meadowhall in the form of a life-size elephant puppet.

Caroline Woffenden, MK Director (pictured) said: “We

Expansion for bathroom and tile firm

are delighted to have been recognised for our creative approach and the execution of the ‘Spotlight on the Floow’ and ‘Oona the Elephant’ campaigns.

“It is a great example of how innovation and creativity can capture the imagination of the public, while increasing the profile and safeguarding the excellent reputation of our clients.

“This award is testament to the hard work, vision and result driven focus that we employ at MK PR; we are proud to be nominated.”

The CIPR Pride Awards recognise outstanding public relations work in nine regions in the UK. This year’s Yorkshire ceremony takes place at Leeds Town Hall on 30 November.

The 10,000 sq ft retail premises in Chester opened in July and is the company’s 13th base nationwide. The launch will add 6 full-time employees to its 70-strong workforce Six months of planning and renovations have gone into creating the showroom, which has over 100 tile and bathroom displays on offer.

The new store is the latest in a string of recent expansions, with the firm opening a 12,000 sq ft flagship showroom and 110,000 sq ft warehouse in Birstall, Leeds, just three months ago.

Neil Bell, head of retail for Easy Bathrooms said: “We have ambitious growth plans to become a truly national brand. Our other stores are predominantly based in Yorkshire

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and the West Midlands, so Chester is a key location for us.

“We are confident that with the trusted management team in place, we can uphold our great service levels for new customers within this area.”

Clients will be able to work with staff to design their own bathroom, for free, using the

firm’s award-winning ArtiCAD 3D system.

“We are continually looking at new ways to improve the customer experience and our design service helps us to achieve that,” continued Bell.

The company is also planning further growth across the UK in the next six months, with two more retail spaces in the pipeline.

LeedsEdition

Why Your Company should use SharePoint

By Dean Spencer MD Eitex Limited

Because SharePoint can be used in so many different ways, it’s hard to pin it down exactly.

It’s one centralised space for collaboration and document sharing, plus it’s used for workflow processes and communications.

In many cases, SharePoint can remove the need for servers in your business altogether, plus allow you to work from anywhere!

If you’re using Office 365, you may already have SharePoint accessible to you as part of your subscription!

The Power of SharePoint Sites Sites are areas within SharePoint. Using Sites, people can find specific information, work together and share documents.

people is accessible by everyone.

SharePoint Sites give you the ability to grant or restrict user access rights by geographical location for example, or maybe by department.

SharePoint Searches All the content is searchable, documents, pictures, reports and everything in between is instantly accessible. It’s like a search engine, just for your business!

Sites keep project notes all in one place, easy to find and always up to date with the latest versions. One of the difficulties when trying to work collaborate with colleagues is repeating already completed work, or working with out-of-date documents!

SharePoint Lists and Libraries Lists form the basic building blocks within SharePoint. Offering views of headings and data, they present information in rows and columns as in Excel. Lists may contain different types of information, such as clients, calendars, project tasks, or email contacts.

SharePoint Sites minimise the chances of either of these happening. Documents available are the latest versions. Everything that’s pertinent to a project or group of

This quick post is by no means a comprehensive list of all that using SharePoint can do for your business. If it’s new to you get in touch, we’re more than happy to help.

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Legal Matters

Each issue Chadwick Lawrence Yorkshire’s Legal People, share with our readers information to keep us all within the law. If you have a legal question, or need to know about a particular subject, email editor@topicuk.co.uk

Introduction to Corporate Insolvency and Administration

Corporate Insolvency arises when a company does not have enough assets to settle its debts and/or cannot settle the debts on the date they fall due. There are a number of options available to assist a company and settle the claims of the company’s creditors.

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What is Administration?

• Administration is the procedure by which a company The Corporate Recovery and that is, or is likely to become, Insolvency team at Chadwick insolvent can be reorganised Lawrence offer a realistic or have its assets sold for commercial solution to all your the benefit of creditors. business and personal financial When a company goes into affairs. administration, an insolvency practitioner takes over the With varied experience and control of the company’s expertise in all aspects of affairs from its directors. both corporate and personal insolvency our team, who work • The main aim of very closely with Licensed administration is to rescue Insolvency Practitioners, can the company so that it can offer you a strategic answer to continue trading as a going solving and re-structuring your concern. If this cannot be financial affairs in a reliable achieved, there are two other and cost effective manner. reasons why a company may Administration, Company Voluntary arrangements (CVAs) and Administrative relationships are available to assist with the continuation of trading for the company.

Compulsory liquidations and Creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs) do not.

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go into administration:

- to achieve a better result for the company’s creditors as a whole than would be likely if the company was put into liquidation; or - to sell the company’s property to make a distribution to the company’s secured or preferential creditors.

• A secured creditor is, in general terms, entitled to be repaid from the proceeds of the secured assets. Preferential creditors are creditors who are owed preferential debts. These debts include certain employee claims and contributions to occupational pension schemes.

• The administration of a company must be completed within one calendar year unless the creditors or the court agree to an extension.

In practice, many companies remain in administration for more than one year and administrations can last several years.

• In the majority of cases, the administration of a company leads to the sale of its assets.

Administration may achieve a better result for the company’s creditors than immediate liquidation, because, for example, the company may be able to continue trading allowing greater value to be achieved for its assets when sold as part of a sale of the business on a going concern basis.

• When the purposes of the administration have been achieved, the company may come out of administration and continue normal trading, although this is unusual in practice. More commonly, the net proceeds of the company’s assets are distributed to the company’s creditors, often by a subsequently appointed liquidator.

• Pre-pack administration is the process in which the sale of the company’s business and assets is agreed before the company goes into administration, and is then completed immediately after the start of the administration.

• When the net proceeds are distributed, creditors whose debts are not secured or preferential may receive a percentage of their debt by way of dividend. This may be as little as one or two pence in the pound and can be nothing at all.

LeedsEdition What does administration mean for a creditor business?

• As soon as a company is placed in administration, creditors are prevented from bringing or pursuing legal proceedings against the company or its assets.

• It is possible to ask the permission of the administrator or the court to bring proceedings against a company that is in administration. However, a creditor who has a monetary claim is unlikely to be granted permission as it is generally only claims that relate to the ownership of property that are allowed to continue.

• If a creditor business is owed money by the company that has gone into administration, often the best option is to submit details of the claim to the administrator (known as a proof of debt) and wait for the administrator to assess it.

• A creditor may be able to join a creditor’s committee to help the administrator fulfil their functions. Administrators have a duty to report to the company’s creditors on their progress. Becoming a member of the creditors’ committee may provide the business with an opportunity to access more detailed information and enable it to comment on the way the administrators are conducting the administration.

Limitation periods • When a company is in

The Administrator

• Voluntary - By resolution of the company.

The administrator must be a qualified insolvency practitioner.

Often more than one administrator is appointed to act jointly.

Starting up after Insolvency

The administrator acts as an agent of the company and an officer of the court and therefore has a duty to act in good faith.

Administrators must also be, and be seen to be, independent and impartial in their management of the company and its property.

Once appointed, the administrator must take all the company’s property into custody or control.

As the company’s agent, the administrator can cause the company to contract with third parties. Sums due under such contracts are paid in priority to the administrator’s fees and expenses and in priority to distributions to floating charge holders and unsecured creditors.

Administrators have a duty to perform their functions as quickly and efficiently as possible and in the interests of the creditors as a whole.

administration, creditors are blocked from bringing an action against the company.

However, time will continue to run for the limitation period of the claim. The limitation period for a simple contract claim is six years.

Where time is running out, the creditor can protect its position by: • Obtaining the administrator’s acknowledgement of the claim. Note that this restarts the applicable limitation period and does not stop time running.

• Applying to the administrator of the court for permission to issue proceedings against the company.

Winding up or liquidation The final resort (though, from an unsecured creditor’s perspective, this may be the simplest and

most effective way of applying pressure or forcing matters to a head) is to liquidate or wind up the company. This involves the appointment of a liquidator (who must be an insolvency practitioner) who collects in and sells the company’s assets and distributes the resulting cash (or sometimes, in solvent situations, may distribute assets without selling them) and, at the end of the process, dissolves the company (see Practice note, Liquidation). The company can also be put into provisional liquidation before a final winding up order is granted.

There are two types of liquidation: • Compulsory - By order of the court. This is commenced by petition, often by a creditor on the grounds that the company is unable to pay its debts.

A director of a failed company can become a director of a new company unless he is subject to a disqualification order or personally adjudged bankrupt. A disqualified person or bankrupt may obtain leave of the court to be a director.

There are restrictions on the use of a failed company’s name or trading name. The directors and/ or shadow directors appointed within 12 month prior to the liquidation are prohibited from being a director or otherwise affiliated with the company with the same or similar name as the liquidated company for a period of five years from the liquidation (section 216, IA 1986). This is intended to outlaw what came to be known as the “phoenix phenomenon” or “phoenix trading”.

What next?

This article provides an overview of the law in this particular area. If you or your business are experiencing difficulties with any kind of dispute, our Dispute Resolution team at Chadwick Lawrence would be delighted to hear from you with a view to discussing how they could assist you further.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ZOE ALLEN ON ZOEALLEN@CHADLAW.CO.UK.

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Fifth appointment for fast-growing firm and managing director, Ellie MacDonald, comments: “From the moment I interviewed Emily I knew she would be the perfect addition to my growing team. She represents the values I am proud to have built MacComms upon and Emily has made a great start. I’m sure she has a long and bright future ahead of her with us.”

A Leeds based PR agency has appointed an account executive to support the company’s fast expansion since its inception in April 2015.

MacComms has appointed Emily Docherty to support the business’s growing client base. The appointment comes after the firm secured two new contract wins, including vehiclehire company, Arrow Self-Drive and men’s fashion brand, Vanacci.

Emily joins the team after graduating with a first in advertising and marketing

communications at The University of Huddersfield.

She also received the white rose award for outstanding

performance from the course leader, alongside being named on the ‘Dean’s list’ for excellence. Founder

Emily adds: “I’m incredibly excited to join such a passionate and hardworking team. I’m looking forward to being part of the business’s growth plans and being able to support their expanding client base.”

Meeting rooms, conference rooms, event and office space Whether you’re looking for a large meeting room to seat 30, a smaller informal meeting space for two or simply an office to work from - head to West Yorkshire Business Hive.

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Are you building the right business?

We all start out in business with the hope that it will be successful, delivering us the flexibility to spend time more with family and friends, as well as providing that the dream lifestyle. So how’s it going for you?

I

see and hear many that are making the money but working too many hours to enjoy it and feel guilty for not spending time with their loved ones. Or I see those not working long hours but are struggling to make money.

By Gary King Managing Director Give Gary a call on 0113 897 0900 to discuss how he could help with your strategy.

I remember when I first started my business; the guilt I felt at not having time to watch my son play football or collect him from school.

The feeling that I had no choice but to keep on working all the hours, because that’s how I would be successful right? That is what is expected as a business owner?

Always being the last one to be paid. Losing sleep about whether there would be enough money at the end of the month – I needed help but couldn’t afford it.

You will have felt some (if not all) of these emotions. Speaking from my own hard-won experience, if you still feel that way, you’re building the wrong business.

As a business mentor I meet a lot of business owners from all different sizes of business and sectors. And in my experience what is important to most business owners is having the freedom to choose.

Freedom to choose when to spend time with friends and family, and to choose how to spend your money regardless of where you are now, it is possible to achieve.

Want to know how I have turned around my business and my life – it was just four simple steps.

1. The right business – step one is making sure that the business you’re growing is the right one for you. Will it deliver you the time and freedom to do what you want, or will it tie you down even more?

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2017 September

3. The right team – you will never be totally free to choose if you have to do everything yourself.

Figuring out what tasks you can hand over to a trusted team and then finding the right people to deliver creates you the time and head space to grow your business.

4. Choice – once you have the first three elements in place you get to choose what happens next. Do you want to grow your business?

Franchise it? Sell it? Or are you happy with incremental growth?

What’s important is that you have the power to make those choices.  WANT TO FIND OUT MORE? WHY NOT JOIN MY FACEBOOK COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE WITH MANY OTHERS JUST LIKE

2. Financial freedom – if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? Defining an exact number for

Home interiors specialist Thomas Sanderson has launched a new digital marketing strategy powered by Leeds-based Force24.

Tech firm powers new digital marketing strategy

what financial freedom looks like for you is a critical step to success.

With a 25 year heritage manufacturing handcrafted window and conservatory blinds and shutters, the brand has invested in marketing automation technology to deliver a better quality retail experience. The aim is to develop a greater understanding of customers’ positioning within the buying cycle, and roll out relevant communications

YOU @TENDOFREEDOMTOCHOOSE

throughout the design consultation, survey, manufacture, installation and after care stages.

Force24 was selected as the partner of choice from a competitive tender process that has spanned several years of market research.

Commenting on what is a new direction for 2017, Thomas Sanderson’s senior media executive Sydney Smith said: “Customers are increasingly expecting more from brands. It’s therefore crucial that we talk to them in a personalised, meaningful manner – at key stages

W

hat business needs now, is honesty and transparency from the government to help directors of every business plan ahead.

June’s cynical ‘land-grab’ election, called by the Conservative Party based on their own self-interest, has failed to achieve their claimed objective of ‘stability’, resulting rather in an even more uncertain position for both companies and individuals.

The Government now has an opportunity to adopt a more honest and constructive agenda in support of our vibrant, economy-boosting region, by providing more transparency over the direction it plans to pursue in relation to Brexit.

One of the key things it must do is set out the parameters for what is legally and realistically achievable.

Dine’s business relies on largely discretionary spend and the hospitality sector is one of the most dynamic and innovative industries in the UK. It creates more than one in seven new jobs and has grown by more within their journey – whilst making more intelligent use of the vast data we now hold.”

With Force24’s team already on board, the first task is a data cleansing assignment. A small marketing automation project will then be implemented as an initial benchmark exercise before the marketing cloud is then rolled out across the entire business.

Sydney continues: “The new strategy will see us better embrace a variety of marketing

Our Kingdom for an Honest Broker

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Daniel Gill is the Creative Director and Founder at Dine. Established in 1998, Dine caters for more than 100 corporate events and 200 weddings each year as well as providing exclusive private dining. The company provides event services for organisations ranging from English Heritage and the National Trust to the owners of some of the UK’s most notable private houses. than 7% since 2010 (source: Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers ALMR). However, the current climate is challenging.

The impact of Brexit is already being felt – with an increase in food prices because of the falling pound and uncertainty as to the employment status of employees from EU member states post Brexit.

Despite the sector’s ongoing commitment to upskilling local talent, there is still a massive need for a fluid labour market, including overseas staff, who comprise 11% of the hospitality channels including email, SMS, direct mail and search integration. It will support the evolution of our brand during what looks set to be an incredibly exciting 12 months.

“We chose Force24 because of their proven experience within this area of retail, and as a result of the advice-led approach they offered during the sales process.

We didn’t just receive a software pitch – it was indicative of the marketing consultancy we’ll receive as this exciting project unfolds.”

sector workforce in the UK. Put simply, without overseas workers the skills gap will simply widen.

The government must rapidly clarify their commitment to the continued right to work for existing employees; particularly for those who have lived and worked in the UK for less than 5 years.

www.dine.co.uk 0345 450 4545

As it is, and even in advance of the anticipated constriction of the labour market, we are currently experiencing an increase in wage costs. This, combined with significant food inflation and following a period of price stagnation over the course of the recession, will mean that businesses are no longer able to absorb these central cost pressures and crucially that consumers will experience a significant increase in prices when using hospitality services.

The Yorkshire region has the potential to play a major role in driving the country’s economy forward but to do that we need government support and a willingness from our political leaders to be honest about the likely and achievable outcomes of Brexit negotiations.”

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Thousands of charities and voluntary groups across the city work tirelessly to address inequalities and help their communities. Leeds Community Foundation invests in these groups to support Leeds, now and in the future.

With your support, The Leeds Fund will help to build a city of opportunity for all.

The Leeds Fund

www.theleedsfund.org.uk

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LeedsEdition back in recent years, althought this could be short lived with the announcement recently that Tony Hadley, lead vocalist who we interviewed this summer whilst he was at Leeds Rock, has announced his departure from the band.

Martin happily chatted with guests in the room, posing for photographs with everyone before everyone was ushered out and seated for dinner.

After a very enjoyable two-course dinner, Martin returned and began to tell us about his career.

To cut a long story short...

Aspire is attracting big names to Leeds.

R

ecently TopicUK paid a visit to listen to Prince Harry speak about mental health as a guest of Leeds Community Foundation and in early August, group editor Gill Laidler was back at Aspire, this time to enjoy a meet& greet dinner with ex Spandau Ballet guitarist, Martin Kemp.

TopicUK partner Rachel Rowling from Yorkshire Telecommunications.

As a music fan, particularly of the 1970s and 80s era, I remember Spandau Ballet well, although I appreciate many of our younger readers will not. Martin kemp was back then, the heartthrob of the band and judging by the ladies attending this event, it seems he still is today.

Once inside, we were ushered into an elegantly furnished room where we enjoyed a glass of prosecco whilst waiting for the guest of honour to arrive.

Although he was late due to the traffic, he was in good spirits and I was surprised that he recognised many ladies in the room, it seems they still follow Spandau Ballet, who made somewhat of a come

Joining me for the event was

We arrived a little early but I wanted to meet Jane Heseltine, who won two tickets to be at the event, courtesy of TopicUK and Aspire. Jane had brought along her mum, a massive Martin fan.

He grew up in Islington and lived with his parents and brother Gary, also of Spandau Ballet fame. His childhood was idylic he said, but he was very shy and only came out of his shell when he attended drama school. He believed he was destined to work in a factory, a job he acquired when he left school aged 16, until an opportunity arose for him to join his brother’s band, the rest as they say is history.

Martin met his wife whilst performing with Spandau Ballet, singer Shirlie Holliman, who together with her friend Pepsi, were also backing vocalists for Wham and later George Michael.

Martin and Shirley were very good friends with George, so much so, he accompanied Shirley on her first date with Martin, just to make sure she was looked after!

“George was the most amazing person, kind and generous,” Martin told the audience. “When I was diagnosed with a brain tumour and the surgeon told me he wanted to slice into my brain to remove the tumour, but couldn’t guarantee it would leave no damage, it was George and Shirlie who said no, they wanted

a second opinion, and George rang just about every doctor in the world to find an alternative” he laughed. “This resulted in a phone call one evening from a doctor to tell me there was a machine that he thought could blast the tumour and as luck would have it, it was 10 minutes from my house. To cut a long story short , it worked and the tumour disappeared!”

After Spandau Ballet split in the early 1990’s Martin turned to acting and alongside his brother Gary, starred in the film The Krays. “I loved making that film and even visited Broadmoor to meet them.”

Following a short three years in America where he starred in a number of films, Martin and Shirlie, with their two children son Roman and daughter Harley Moon, returned to the UK and Martin found himself a new acting role, this time as Steve Owen in EastEnders. “That was an amazing role,” he told the audience, “I had some brilliant storylines in the four years I was there. If you ever hear a soap actor moaning it’s hard work, don’t believe them for a minute, it’s a fantastic job,” he laughed.

At the end of Martin’s interview and a short break, the audience were invited to ask questions, a brave move on his part as some of the questions from the ladies in the audience left him rather red faced!

Aspire is an amazing venue and host a number of comedy nights, as well as An Audience With...

TO FIND OUT WHATS COMING SOON, CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.ASPIRE-LEEDS.CO.UK

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Artisan Baking Stars Rise to Growth Challenge with Grant Funding Award-winning Leeds based artisan bakery Tarte and Berry have shown commitment to the company’s continued growth by harnessing the support of a regional business programme and accessing a £15,000 grant towards costs of relocating to a new premises suited to their ambitious growth plans.

Named as one of Yorkshire Business Insider’s ’42 under 42’ rising stars of business, Tarte & Berry is owned and managed by sisters Jane and Lucy Batham and has seen a rapid rate of growth since it was founded in 2014, more than doubling turnover to £150,000.

The business started from home and soon gathered pace due to its philosophy of quality, professionalism and integrity.

The company bakes and supplies artisan cakes, flapjacks and brownies to coffee shops and restaurants with their awardwinning treats available online, at food festivals and to trade supply.

Jane is a Cordon Bleu pastry chef, having trained at the Tante Marie Culinary Academy and Lucy’s background is in PR and marketing, giving the sisters the perfect skillsets needed to set up their new company.

Being savvy enough to investigate what support was available

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to help make the most out of their investment, Jane and Lucy attended a pop up business café delivered by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership in November 2016 and have since accessed a range of services aimed at growing SME businesses in the region, including support from the Manufacturing Growth

Programme for SALSA food safety accreditation.

The event also introduced them to AD:VENTURE, a business support programme backed by the European Regional Development Fund, which delivers grants and support for new start businesses and existing businesses in their first three years of trading. The

programme offers one-to-one mentoring, help to develop business plans, support to access finance, peer to peer mentoring, academic expertise, workshops and events and even incubator space.

The business was operating from a 650 sq. ft. unit, which included

LeedsEdition manufacturing, storage and office space. With plans to grow all three arms of their business – selling at food festivals and popups, selling via their e-commerce site and wholesale over the next two years, bigger premises were clearly needed to capitalise on growth potential.

Lucy said: “The move to our bigger bakery unit is fundamental to the growth of our business.

The new premises have been designed to meet SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) accreditation, which we should achieve by October 2017. This accreditation means that we, as a small food manufacturer, are able to target larger retailers and launch our products into a much wider marketplace.”

In addition to rapidly increasing turnover and growing the workforce by recruiting two more staff members, future plans also included a new website to enable trade businesses to order and pay online. A client management and invoicing system was also needed to create the infrastructure to manage operations more effectively, allowing Jane and Lucy to focus on growing their business.

Jane and Lucy learned they could access grant funding worth up to 50% of project costs through AD:VENTURE and have received £15,000 over two phases.

Jane adds “The grant support has been so beneficial to our business and has allowed us to capitalise on our growth plans much faster than we ever expected. The refurbishment of our new unit to meet SALSA standards ensures that we can target those high-end independents and retailers; which suit our products perfectly.

From L-R : Will Rose (Apprentice 18 From Huddersfield) Jane Batham, Cllr Mohammed Rafique, Lucy Batham, Brooke Crabtree (Apprentice 17 from Roundhay) “Investment in our mechanical cutting machine will improve efficiencies in our bakery considerably, improving workflow and also freeing up time to focus on driving new contracts. The new trade website will allow us to expose ourselves to the wider UK coffee shop and café market and be seen as a key player and supplier to those independents.

“The AD:VENTURE team have been so helpful and supportive throughout the process of the application and continue to support us. We are also very grateful for the help of the wider team, including our LEP Growth Manager, who introduced us to AD:VENTURE at the networking event last November. Leeds really is an amazing city to grow our business in and we could not be more proud to live and work here and gain this support through Leeds City Council.”

undertaking a range of work both as a council and through the Leeds City Region to provide a package of support to existing and new-start businesses.

“The AD:VENTURE project which is funded through the ERDF is one of the programmes that is helping us to achieve these aims, and it is fantastic to see a business like Tarte and Berry, receive support to develop their plans for expansion.

“Leeds has a proud and rich tradition of innovation and enterprise, and this is another great example of how as a city, we are committed to helping especially young business owners

and entrepreneurs grow their companies.”

With sales forecast’s showing demonstrating potential for a very fruitful turnover, these sisters are not about to stop here!

Over the next 3 – 5 years they are planning to grow their sales in their current market, increase their presence across the UK, and take their products into a range of independent and boutique retailers.

TO CONTACT AD:VENTURE AND FIND OUT WHETHER YOU WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT, YOU CAN VISIT WWW. AD-VENTURE.ORG.UK EMAIL SUPPORT@ AD_VENTURE.ORG.UK OR TELEPHONE 0845 524 0210

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for employment, skills and opportunity said: “We are

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How it's made

In this issue, TopicUK Leeds catches up with designer Claire Shakespeare

From Ballet to Bags It all started with a knitting bag, Claire Shakespeare told us when we met at Entrepreneurial Spark in Leeds.

By TopicUK Group Editor Gill Laidler Once settled in Leeds, Claire found herself at a bit of a loose end, but her new career was to begin when her Mother In Law complained that she couldn’t find a knitting bag to suit her needs.

“My Mother In Law does lots of knitting,” explained Claire, “but likes to keep her patterns, needles, wools and work in progress garments all in one bag, but couldn’t find one large enough to fit them all in, so I decided to make one for her, presenting it to her at Christmas. She was absolutely delighted and suggested that I start and make some more as she thought her friends would want them and believed I could sell them.”

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fter working all over the world, Claire and her husband initially settled in Bath when they returned to the UK, where, as a qualified ballet teacher, Claire owned her own school.

A cottage industry began from Claire’s kitchen table and Butterfly Tree was born.

“I sourced the fabric and materials and began making the knitting bags, which sold very well, so I decided to have a look at producing other types of bags, choosing just six fabrics and six designs.”

“Everything was great,” she explained, but we didn’t really have work life balance. My husband worked away a lot and was doing lots of travelling, so when he found a job in Leeds, it made sense to move again as this was where he grew up, so it meant we had family nearby.

Claire chose Abraham Moon in Guiseley for her fabrics, who now also stock her bags in their retail outlets in Guiseley and in Settle. “They have been fantastically supportive and I really can’t thank them enough.”

2017 September

LeedsEdition From the time Abimelech William Hainsworth started manufacturing woollen cloth in Yorkshire in 1783, investing in their people and maintaining strong partnerships with customers and suppliers have been the cornerstones of their success.

Claire also joined the Great British Exchange, based in Harrogate who are a hub for trade buyers and sellers of British made products.

They help British producers and manufacturers sell into more retail locations in the UK and internationally.

“The seamstress will make up the bags from my patterns then return them to me so I can do the finishing touches,” explained Claire. “However, with the recent sudden growth of the business, I will be looking to take on another seamstress alongside Faye with two more finishers to help me.”

“The Great British Exchange have been brilliant and actually helped me get my bags into John Lewis Leeds store!” And as we went to press, Claire had just learned that this contract had expanded into other John Lewis stores around the country. “To see my bags on sale in John Lewis is amazing, they really do support British businesses.”

Claire still pops into Entrepreneurial Spark Hub in Leeds, an initiative for start ups run

by Nat West, one day a week. “The team there have been incredible, they have made introductions for me and helped nurture my business every step of the way.”

Claire is very much hands on and as well as designing the collections, she also cuts the patterns before sending them to her seamstress who is based at A W Hainsworth.

Claire has also now moved into an office at their prestigious mill.

A specialist textile company, AW Hainsworth has been an unrivalled market leader for over 230 years.

Claire offers a range of different styles from small clutch bags to large work bags, all produced in high quality fabric and in some cases made with part leather. “I change my bag not only to suit my outfit, but to suit my lifestyle, so I base my designs around what I would use myself. There is something for everyone’s taste and budget within my growing collection,” she concluded.

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Conference 2017 With a fantastic line up of inspirational speakers sharing practical advice and business strategies, combined with 98 exhibition stands, this year’s conference promises to be the best year ever.

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With over 1500 delegates attending, the conference provides a great networking opportunity to make new contacts and find new customers as well as the opportunity to develop new skills and business strategies.

Brand Yorkshire helps people and businesses develop personal and business development strategies, whilst delivering top quality marketing activities. We have a contact database of over 60k people and if you haven’t

already done so, please join our LinkedIn group and group discussions on Twitter where we have over 41k followers.

Brand Yorkshire’s main goals are to help disadvantaged young people around our region and to support local charities. If you are looking for a partner for your CSR policy and would like to make a real difference to people’s lives, please see one of our team.

Enjoy the day Richard & Mona Norman

LeedsEdition COMPANY NAME

SECTOR

COMPANY NAME

SECTOR

1

SIGNAL TELECOMS

Telecom

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RUSSELL RICHARDSON

Secure Document shredding

2 3 4

BMW STRATSTONE

Car Dealership Car Dealership Exhibition Displays

51 52 53

ORIGOS

Executive Coaching Marketing SMS Messaging

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

SOVEREIGN WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Finance Hypnotherapy Training Architecture Business Coaching Sales/ Business Coaching Finance Bid Consultancy Printing Therapy

54 55 56 57 58 59

JUICE PERSONNEL

BMW STRATSTONE WARRENS DISPLAY THE HYPNOTHERAPY GUY FUN TRAINING FOR RESULTS BOND BRYAN ARCHITECTS DEBORAH OGDEN IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE R & E FINANCE ON TO THE PAGE FASPRINT SUBCONSCIOUS SURGERY (MIND EXPANSION ACADEMY)

15 16 16a 17 18 19

RRADAR LIMITED

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

EAGLE SAFETY ASSOCIATES LTD

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

FLUID DESIGNS

IMPACT SALES TRAINING LAMONT JONES ELITE EDGE TRAINING ANNEX SOLUTIONS LINKED TO SUCCESS QUARTERDECK EMMA WEBB/ONE 360 CHRYSOS HR LUMILOW LIGHTING EXA NETWORK LEXUS YORKSHIRE PAYMENTS UP & UP (BREATHING SPACE HR) COMPLETE OFFICE SOLUTIONS COMPLETE OFFICE SOLUTIONS CAMP HILL ESTATE FORCE 24 ROSSE SYSTEMS LTD NORTHERN MEDIA TRAVELWISE GROUP WATERMARK BETTYS SPA PROFESSIONAL ACADEMY YORKSHIRE TV/RADIO JUMPSTART ELCONS NORTHGATE NORTHGATE BIRCHENALL HOWDEN BIRCHENALL HOWDEN COFACE PAPI PROJECT APPT APP DESIGN

Law/Legal Sales Management HR Training Energy Broker Social Media Health & Safety Training Marketing HR Lighting Suppliers Business & Education Internet solutions Car Dealership Merchant Services HR Integrated Supplies & services provider Integrated Supplies & servicesprovider Event Venue Marketing Automation Fire & Security Architecture Marketing Agency Travel Data Catering CIM Marketing TV/Radio Tax Specialists Employment Law Van Leasing Van Leasing IT Support IT Support Insurance Education App Development

BML CREATIVE VOODOO SMART PA SUPPORT THE TECHNOLOGY GROUP THE TECHNOLOGY GROUP VALUE EXCHANGE DEBT COLLECTION SERVICES UK / C W

Recruitment Business Suppo t Technology Technology Linked in Finance

HARRISON & CO

60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

NAPOLEONS CASINO NORTH AMERICA TRAVEL FIRST NET SOLUTIONS FIRST NET SOLUTIONS IMAGE CO IMAGE CO TIME COMMUNICATIONS WEBSITE WAREHOUSE CLARO COMMUNICATIONS AB PRINT GROUP UNIVERSITY OF YORK EMPACT VIDA ARCHITECTURE DISPLAY WIZARD DISPLAY WIZARD ANDISA VITAL VITAL SELECT HOMEWARE WORLDPAY EULER HERMES YORK SCIENCE PARK LUCAS MEDIA PACKETTS INSURANCE ALTODIGITAL NETWORKS LIMITED CCS 2000 LTD ABS UK KULAHUB AURORA TECH SUPPORT SIGNATURE FLOORING BE GROUP MICHAEL LEWIN PREMIUM COLLECTIONS DIGITAL PLUS ONE STOP BUSINESS FINANCE ALL MY SYSTEMS PRO- DEVELOPMENT UK LTD CLOUD PHONE COMPANY

Entertainment Travel IT IT Wide Format Print Specialists Wide Format Print Specialists Telecoms Web Design Telecommunications Print Media Education HR Architects Exhibition Stands Exhibition Stands IT IT & Technology IT & Technology Homeware Finance Credit insurance Science park Videos/Media Insurance Technology Information Technology Managed print CRM Email Marketing IT Support Flooring Business Training Solicitors Debt Recovery Graphics Finance Business Systems Training Telecoms

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Keynote Speakers Richard Norman RICHARD NORMAN – SMALL CHANGES - BIG RESULTS Richard will illustrate how making small changes to your mind set can deliver huge benefits to your business. Richard has developed numerous successful businesses in the past thirty years, whilst also coaching disadvantaged young people and offenders inside local prisons. He has proved that by developing emotional intelligence, it can help make you more successful in business and also change the lives of disadvantaged young people together with creating a safer community.

09.30 - 09.50

Adrian Taffinder

Sally Roberts

Experiential subconscious workshop

Sally’s approach Why is 'selling' a Are you a good to Customer dirty word networker?

Service can Make Money Instantly

Simply Marketing How to make a positive impact for SMEs

Adrian will share with you how he found mastery over his own self-awareness. He will also explain lifes biggest questions, and challenges in a simple and easy way, whilst also satisfying the ardent academic critic, who wants to understand the evidence and science, which proves his findings.

In this amazingly powerful deep dive 'Experiential Mini Workshop' into the subconscious mind, you will participate and learn mind blowing techniques, which you can immediately apply to your daily life.

Listen to Sally of Fun Training For Results and learn how to create customer relationships and have customers calling YOU! This seminar will make you money!

If you feel like you don’t have enough time to market your business and don’t know where to start!

Worry not with a ‘Simple Strategy’ and a well mapped out activity plan you and your business can achieve your goals.

Emma is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and became a Chartered Marketeer in 2012.

With over 15 years’ experience working with SMEs in the construction sector and sports industry and also working with global and FTSE companies in the professional services sector.

Steve Potiphar

Caroline Johnstone

09.30 - 09.50 10.30 - 10.50 11.00 - 11.20 11.30 - 11.50

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Steve runs Impact on Performance, focusing on delivering sales performance for individuals and organisations. He has had a successful career leading the sales function in a number of businesses Many sales people and is first and get it wrong. Does the foremost a sales client ever become a person! Come and nuisance - the call you explore with him whether you have don’t want to take?

The thrill of the chase an effective sales happens little when the process to grow your business and have chase is over. BUT the the blend of skills to rewards of looking after deliver it, and begin you’re existing clients by acknowledging that are greater, bigger, it is selling can't be a dirty efficient selling, over word if you want to be looked by many and successful. enjoyed by few.

Caroline has built a very successful printing business, predominantly through networking.

As Managing Director-Owner of Fasprint Ltd and Regional Leader of 4Networking Yorkshire she has met the very best and very worst networkers over the past 6 years.

Her straight-talking approach will definitely leave you with something to think about.

Emma Webb

Deborah Ogden

12.00 - 12.20 12.40 - 13.00

Deborah Ogden is a nationally respected speaker on personal branding and making a positive impact. Whether it’s building profile, winning more contracts or pitching and presenting with confidence, Deborah’s expertise has delivered breakthrough results time after time for businesses and individuals across the UK. She has 20 years of experience working on the PR and image of some high profile names including Andrew (Freddie) Flintoff. services sector.

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Our speakers will share their positive stories, skills and knowledge, helping you develop both personal and business strategies, these sessions are a great opportunity to listen to and learn from some of the most interesting and brightest business minds.

Pete Lowe

Gary Gallen

Gary Lumby

For more information on the speakers list and details on how to book your FREE place, please see www.brandyorkshire.com or call our team on :

0113 234 6609

Darren Housley

Laura Bouttell

Phil Heath

13.10 - 13.30 13.40 - 14.00 14.10 - 14.30 14.40 - 15.00 15.40 - 16.00 16.10 - 16.30 Leadership Consultant and Professional Speaker As a professional speaker Pete draws on his experience of Premier League football to help businesses to create and sustain a culture of success. He proves that there are startling similarities between the pitch and the boardroom.

Pete’s track record includes a senior role at Manchester City where he was responsible for helping to develop an unrivalled talent pipeline that created 39 first team footballers and 25 full international players.

Business Today Rradar’s service has its roots in Gary’s own experience. During his years as a lawyer, he was able to rescue clients when they had encountered problems with enforcement agencies but they repeatedly asked for advice on how to ensure that they would not have to go through such an experience again. Gary’s initiatives included training and risk management programmes, e-learning, webinars, telephone advice lines and an online resource of articles, templates and guidance, as well as designing artificial intelligence/machine learning and virtual reality training tools.

Dealing with How to win new What do you clients at no cost want to be when Feedback and very little you grow up? effort Gary Lumby MBE who is Managing Director of Focus on Success Ltd and acts as Non Executive Director to many SMEs across the North will share with you how you can devise and implement a simple yet effective strategy to get client referrals more often with very little additional cost or time. If you want more business then this is a presentation you must see!

Darren will use the art of storytelling and his passion for life, as he takes us on a journey, starting with our earliest childhood memories, through those early days at school, right up to the present day and beyond. Along the way, helping you further boost your self-belief and mindset. You will be left smiling at the end of this presentation, which will be filled with fun and humour, whilst delivering an important message.

Feedback is an incredible skill.

When used wisely it can enrich your relationships and transform you into the person you always wanted to be. In the face of ‘constructive’ feedback, however, we become defensive and try to justify ourselves.

Laura’s presentation will give you the necessary tools to overcome these challenging conversations. We will look at feedback timing, wording, how we can improve our attitude towards change, as well as the positive effects of quality feedback.

Are you presenting you and your products in the best light?

Do you ever get nervous when it comes to presenting your business at networking meetings?

Come along to this workshop and learn how some of the top business people: get more business, create more referrals, deliver presentations that engage and excite the audience. Phil Heath is a Professional Speaker and a twice Distinguished Toastmaster he coaches and mentors people from all walks of life to improve their speaking and presentation skills enabling them to get more referrals and more business.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Summer is the time to get away relax and recharge batteries. What better place to do that than in the foothills of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

Group Editor Gill Laidler visited the Rendezvous Hotel just outside Skipton and shares her experience.

Rendezvous, the gateway to the Dales WRITTEN BY - Gill Laidler

L

eaving the office on a busy Friday afternoon and battling traffic through central Bradford is not the best end to the week, but arriving to the peace and tranquillity on the outskirts of Skipton, changed all that, with our arrival at The Rendezvous Hotel.

The Rendezvous is situated just one mile from the centre of Skipton on the Keighley road and is nestled beside the picturesque Leeds Liverpool canal.

The hotel has its own large car park and we had no trouble finding a space. We were welcomed into the bright modern reception and our reservation was dealt with swiftly and efficiently as we were directed to our room on the second floor.

The hotel has 96 ensuite bedrooms set over five floors and ours was a canal facing double, with views of not just the canal but sweeping hills that lead onto the Yorkshire Dales. The room was fairly large, modern and had all the facilities you would expect from a hotel of this standard such as iron and ironing board, hairdryer and

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tea/coffee making facilities.

As it was the end of the working week, we decided to check out the bar, well it would have been rude not to! This was situated a few steps from our room and was large with lots of large comfortable sofas.

Nicely settled in with a drink, it wasn’t long before we were joined

by Malcolm Weaving the prioprietor.

Malcolm joined us for a drink and was happy to tell us about his experience of owning this delightful hotel.

Malcolm was originally from Huddersfield and had owned his own textile dying firm. Sadly with fast growing modern technology, the firm didn’t survive and as he’d reached the age of 52 having lost his house and business, he barrowed 80K to buy a guest house in the Isle or Arran. Five years later he bought a inn north of Perth with a large restaurant business for 7 years, then a Country House Hotel in Lancashire from 1996-2002 until retirement which lasted 2 years.

He then bought the Rendezvous Hotel in 2004 and 13 years later still here and going well.”

The Leeds and Liverpool canal is a superb backdrop to the hotel.

This large hotel has five conference rooms suitable for two to 4oo delegates with a dedicated conference care manager and competitive day or 24 hour delegate rates. The hotel is perfect for functions and events and caters for weddings, family celebrations, private dining and ballroom dancing in several function suites catering for 12 up to 400 guests theatre style, up to 240 for celebrations/dinner dance including New Year’s Eve and ballroom dancing to 120 people.

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stayed the night, dining with Malcolm and his wife.

Another regular visitor is actress June Whitfield, who has become friends with the couple.

We were shown to our table in the restaurant, overlooking the canal and famous Yorkshire Dales. Both the drinks and food menu were extensive, but we ordered a good red Malbec which was brought to the table promptly whilst we chose our first course.

We both ordered the same starter of chicken goujons served with a garlic mayonnaise. The quantity was plentiful and they were served piping hot.

If you’re looking to relax and unwind, the hotel boasts a fantastic leisure suite with swimming pool, steam room, sauna and whirlpool spa. For the more energetic, guests can let of steam in the newly refurbished gymnasium, all of which are complimentary for hotel guests.

Soon it was time for dinner and we were booked to dine in the Baby Swan restaurant, situated on the canalside and with sweeping views over the hills and dales.

Just a short walk from the bar to the dining room, we passed the hotels gallery where rows of photographs adourn the walls of celebrities and actors who have stayed at the hotel.

Some of you may have seen Channel Four’s documentary Great Canal Journey’s featuring husband and wife Prunella Scales and Timothy West. In one episode where they sailed the Leeds Liverpool canal, the couple moored at the hotel and

For main course I chose a traditional toad in the hole, served with a mash potato with my partner selecting the scampi with a generous portion of chips.

Both were equally as delicious.

We had arranged to meet Malcolm and Vanessa the following morning after breakfast which was served up to 10am in the Baby Swan Restaurant. Our host quickly established we had not had

breakfast at the hotel before, so explained that there were two areas, one for Continental and the other a hot traditional full English, which of course we opted for. All produce is sourced locally and I have to admit, it was an excellent full English!

Following my meeting, we had a very smooth check out and were told we were able to leave our car onsite and advised to jump in a taxi to go the short distance into Skipton centre and visit the extensive market. This was very reasonable in cost, perhaps the same cost as parking, if we could have found a space in this bustling market town.

So, final verdict? We couldn’t really fault the hotel. From the friendly staff, cleanliness of the room, extensive menu and well stocked bar, I could highly recommend the hotel for a break in the Dales or to arrange a party or business conference if you want something with the WOW factor!

KEIGHLEY ROAD, SKIPTON NORTH YORKSHIRE BD23 2TA E-MAIL: RESERVATIONS @RENDEZVOUS-SKIPTON.COM TELEPHONE: 01756 700100

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Image: Martin Beaumont

Victoria added: “ISAAC AVA has had unprecedented success in some of the key fashion capitals around the world, yet London is still a notoriously hard territory for us and for most Northern-based brands to gain a foothold in. The majority of major UK buyers are based in London, so events such as ‘Breakthrough In Fashion’ 2017 are vitally important to allow the necessary exposure that designers need to flourish.”

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un by George Taylor, Founder and Director of Leeds-based event company, Creative Industry Hub, and Chairman of Leeds-based event planning agency, LS4 Events, BTIF was first launched in March 2016 as an answer to one of the biggest challenges that fashion designers in Leeds (and nationwide) face in today’s industry: getting their designs and collections in front of the right buyers.

George said: ‘There is something inherently wrong with the way that fashion designers are educated and introduced to the workplace after University. Every year, roughly 4000 designers graduate from University, but only a small handful of them secure in-house design roles. As a result, the rest are forced to either change careers, or become independent designers, and enter a highly competitive marketplace where they often find it difficult to break through,” he continued. “This initiative will create a fair playing ground for all, by improving fashion designers’ skills and knowledge, helping them to boost their businesses, and connect them with the leading buyers.”

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‘Breakthrough In Fashion’ 2017 takes place in London on October 26th 2017 at the London Irish Centre in Camden.

Leeds fashion talent to take over London

(BTIF) 2017 is an initiative which will take Leeds’ best independent talent to the front door of major high-street fashion buyers in London and equip them with the skills they need to be successful - taught by the UK’s leading fashion experts including Touker Suleyman and Bianca Miller.

One Leeds-based designer attending the event, Victoria Reddington (Creative Director of fashion brand, ISAAC AVA) hopes that the project will help to shine a spotlight on Leeds and the talent within the city.

Victoria said: “This is a opportunity to put the talent in Leeds on the fashion map. Leeds is renowned for its pioneering fashion heritage from our industrial manufacturing strength in the 20th century through to the innovation and eclectic spirit that has characterised the Leeds fashion scene in the 21st. The city is bursting with amazing talent that struggles to find a spotlight simply

by virtue of being ‘up North.’

“By taking a range of amazing designers to London, representing our city, we are able to send a positive message about Leeds.”

ISAAC AVA is no stranger to international success, having showcased at New York Fashion Week last year and will be one of the select few UK designers on schedule at Paris Fashion Week in February 2018, as well as being invited by the British Fashion council to take part in London Fashion Week. Despite this critical success, the label has still struggled to get in front of key UK buyers on their home turf.

Fashion designers will be connected with renowned buyers in the most established fashion brands in the UK through ‘Meet The Buyer’ sessions, where the buyers will meet each one of the 300 designers in short 1-2-1 sessions. Plus, helpful talks and seminars will be taking place throughout the day from key experts in the industry to help educate and inspire the fashion designers in attendance.

Creative Industry Hub is offering a limited number of Leeds-based independent fashion designers FREE tickets. All they have to do is email info@creativeindustryhub. co.uk with proof that they’re a genuine independent Leeds fashion designer to claim one of the limited free tickets (this offer ONLY applies to Leeds-based designers that own their own brand and collection).

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ‘BREAKTHROUGH IN FASHION’ AND CLAIM ONE OF THE LIMITED FREE TICKETS IF YOU’RE A LEEDSBASED DESIGNER HERE: HTTP:// CREATIVEINDUSTRYHUB.CO.UK/ BREAKTHROUGH-IN-FASHION-2017, OR EMAIL INFO@CREATIVEINDUSTRYHUB. CO.UK

LeedsEdition

A Yorkshire solar power company has partnered with the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of offgrid and renewable energy products.

Established in 2009 by Leedsbased entrepreneur Ian Emberton, Xerogrid will deliver USA-based OutBack Power Technologies’ comprehensive installer training programme to a network of OutBack customers in the UK. As OutBack Power’s official UK service partner and supplier since 2016, Xerogrid will offer technical and sales support to installers of OutBack Power products.

ask questions about the specialist equipment.

A partnership set to have a bright future

With eight years industry experience in the renewable energy sector, Xerogrid supply off-grid power solutions to

commercial and domestic customers across the UK, Spain and Africa.

The new initiative will see the recently declining solar industry, following Government cuts to feed-in-tariffs, soar again, as traditional solar installers are

trained in specialist off-grid solutions.

The training days, which are scheduled to take place in Autumn 2017, will incorporate OutBack Power’s range of renewable energy products, providing attendees with the opportunity to view and

Commenting on the partnership, Ian Emberton, founder and managing director of Xerogrid said: “We’re proud to be able to offer a new cohort of installers the opportunity to gain essential knowledge about off-grid solar installations. Our passion lies with giving the power back to the people and we’re working hard to ensure natural fuel sources become much more accessible to the general population.

Juan Antonio Espada, Europe Sales Manager at OutBack Power added: “We are very happy to collaborate with Xerogrid. Ian and his team are providing an excellent customer support with full engineering services including project management and after sales service, as part of his efforts to support our customers in UK.”

Become a Wakefield Hospice Trustee Wakefield Hospice is about to embark on another exciing chapter of development, with a changing healthcare environment and many challenges ahead. The hospice has been fortunate to have benefified from years of robust and forward-looking leadership and are currently seeking new trustees to join their well-established Board.

Registered Charity No 518392

Those successfully appointed will be involved in seeng strategic direccon, governance and decision-making, and should be able to demonstrate empathy with the aims and objeccves of the hospice. They will be supported by a skilled and enthusiassc senior leade leadership team who are commiied to improving quality of life for those in the community who may need end of life care.

We are parrcularly looking for candidates with a financial/investment or legal background, those with experience of pastoral care, or those with a construccon/property background.

However, no specific professional experrse or experience is actually required: applicaaons are welcomed from those who can offer flexibility and commitment, and sound common sense! impor It is important to be aware that these are voluntary, non-remunerated roles, and only necessary expenses are able to be supported.

If you are in a posiion to support your local community in this way, and feel able to help the hospice with its important work, then we’d really like to hear from you – please phone or email the Chief Execuuve, Tina Turner, to discuss the opportunity: 01924 331400

na.turner@wakefieldhospice.co.uk

September 2017

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YORKSHIRE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED

YTL SYSTEMS

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INTERNET

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t: 0844 847 0080 e: info@ytl.uk.com 11 Appleton Court, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 7AR

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LeedsEdition

Innovative App Designed to Tackle the Workplace Culture Gap The impact of creating more diverse and inclusive work environments on a company’s performance has been a hotly debated topic for over two decades.

Changing workforce demographics, globalization, government policy and increasing employee expectations all play a part, but many companies struggle to make any meaningful progress or to increase employee awareness and commitment.

The business forum Creating Inclusive Cultures (CIC) has responded to this challenge by launching the first of its kind app focused on workplace inclusion and diversity.

Charlotte Sweeney OBE, founder of CIC said ‘The app is an innovative way to raise awareness and increase knowledge on creating workplaces that work for everyone.

By using the app companies are giving their employees access to a range materials from industry leaders, right at their fingertips and accessible at any time’.

As with any culture change one of the big challenges is raising the awareness of all employees. The CIC app has been designed with video’s, podcasts, research papers, quizzes and infographics for people at all levels of an organisation to understand inclusion and diversity as well as how they can play a part in creating a more inclusive workplace.

The app is unique in that companies can tailor the content, and notifications, to ensure this is an effective awareness and communications tool to compliment, and accelerate the work they are already doing. A generic version is also available for anyone to download on Apple and Android devices Companies such as EY, Direct Line, DWF and Northern are already testing the app and

looking at how they can use this to enhance their own work.

Jennifer Thomas, Direct Line Group said ‘At Direct Line Group, Diversity and Inclusion is an important business priority. We relaunched our diversity and inclusion focus and initiatives in the summer, aided by use of the CIC app. In addition to the resources already available, we added videos, photographs and further content so that all our employees could feel part of it. The CIC app is a great addition to be able to give to our employees to increase their engagement’ Gail Taylor, Diversity and Community Engagement Manager at DWF, said: “Here at DWF, we see diversity and inclusion as some of our main brand values and integral in creating high performing teams and individuals. It has been central to our on-going growth of the business. This app will help leverage these initiatives and help engage staff further to benefit them not only on a personal level but also the business as a whole.”

If you would like further information about the business forum or the CIC app please contact Fiona Triller, Programme Director at Fiona@creatinginclusivecultures.c Website: www.creatinginclusivecultures.com

September 2017

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LeedsEdition

Finn becomes the latest member of the 100 Club Finn, the Leeds and London based integrated PR agency, has announced it is the latest business to sign up to Leeds’s prestigious 100 Club.

The 100 Club welcomes like-minded individuals and businesses to demonstrate their commitment to Leeds and ensure we are able to continue our vital work as community leaders and support charities and community groups that are working at the frontline of the City. Finn has joined the 100 Club and as part of

its membership will help LCF look for new additions to the club and promote the positive benefits of this important patronage scheme.

Ian Briggs, Associate Director at Finn, said: “We have long admired the work the Leeds Community Foundation does and are delighted to have the opportunity to work together. We’ve been a part of the Leeds community for more than 11 years and have the good fortune to work with some of the biggest businesses in the region.

“It’s very important to us that we find a way to use our expertise in communications and our

Your business needs a video but don’t get fancy!

By Danny Lacey CEO & Founder Stada Video

I spend a lot of time talking to people who are looking to create a video marketing campaign for their business. Some approach me with a blank slate, others have a plethora of ideas.

Either way, I encourage everyone to put video vanity to the side and really think about what they want to achieve with their video content.

Flashy graphics

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relationships to help spread the work about the invaluable contribution LCF makes to those that need it the most in our city.”

All members of the 100 Club also regularly get together, meeting at different venues throughout Leeds to discuss challenges and how they can work together.

Sally-Anne Greenfield, CEO of Leeds Community Foundation, said: “We are keen to work with as many different individuals and

businesses as possible across the region as only by coming together can we tackle the biggest issues facing our city. Finn will be bringing their communications knowledge to the Club but we’re grateful to all those who sign up and help us distribute money where it is needed the most.”

ANYBODY INTERESTED IN JOINING THE 100 CLUB CAN EMAIL 100CLUB@ LEEDSCF.ORG.UK OR CALL 0113 242 2426.

and spectacle might seem appealing but, if you want a decent return on your investment, the main aim of your video should be providing viewers with value and clear direction.

with their lifestyle and interests. Investigating their online preferences — their favourite social media platforms and when they are most active online — will also help you to distribute your video for maximum impact.

Developing a video concept that successfully achieves that aim requires some reverse engineering. Here are three simple steps to get you started.

Point viewers in the right direction Incorporating a clear call-to-action in your video will let viewers know exactly what they should do after watching your video. Where you direct your viewers — your website or newsletter signup page, for example — depends entirely on your top level goal.

Define your top level goal Choosing a key objective is incredibly important and will allow you to develop a clear message for your video. Of course, you want to make a sale, but a more specific goal will help narrow your focus — whether it be building awareness for your latest product, increasing your social media following or boosting website traffic.

If you’re looking for more free video marketing advice, please feel free to get in touch with me directly.

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Get to know your target audience Keep a well-defined target audience in mind and aim to develop a concept that resonates

STADAVIDEO.CO.UK 0113 403 2037 DANNYLACEY@STADAVIDEO.CO.UK

LeedsEdition

Based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Biscuit provides a complete IT service and flexible office IT solutions for businesses and organisations throughout the UK.

Our IT Solutions services support your team in thinking about the bigger picture when it comes to your IT systems.

hello@biscuit.uk.com 01924 241281 September 2017

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LeedsEdition

The Interactive YEN Expo2017 business conference

Innovation and technology in the spotlight YEN Expo2017, one of Yorkshire’s biggest and most innovative business events, takes place this year on Monday, November 6.

For the third year running, the conference returns to Bradford College’s impressive David Hockney building.

YEN Expo, run by Yorkshire Enterprise Network, is expected to attract more than 1,500 delegates, with ÂŁ1 billion worth of industry and services on show.

Now in its sixth year, the conference

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brings together businesses and organisations from across the county to share ideas, develop new opportunities and showcase their products and services to a broadranging business audience.

Attendance continues to grow year-onyear. More than 1,000 delegates visited the 2016 event - a fourfold increase on the 250 turnout recorded before YEN took over the running.

LeedsEdition Analysis of the 2016 Expo has found that: • 70% of delegates were senior decision-makers in their organisation • 60% were SMEs • Over 150 were directors or senior managers from large corporations • 15% were from public sector organisations • 10% were from NGOs (Notfor-profit organisations).

Building on some of last year’s innovations, the 2017 event will be even more interactive.

The day’s activities will be live-streamed via YouTube and Facebook and live Twitter feeds onscreen will enable delegates to engage and interact in real time.

It will also include a Tech Expo, covering everything from BIG Data (tracking and analytics of your business’s online users and gathering detailed marketing information) to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), with participants including Google Digital Garage, the multimillion pound initiative to help businesses develop their digital and online skills.

An Innovation Showcase, will feature exhibits include 3D printing, textiles, film and television.

There will be a broad mix of exhibition stands alongside informative events including a rolling programme of panel sessions, seminars, business clinics, international-calibre speakers and networking sessions.

Speakers and panellists will include Bradford Council Chief Executive Kersten England;

Bradford College Chief Executive Andy Welsh; former Bradford South MP and Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, (now Director of Sutcliffe Swales Consultants and a YEN Patron); and General Manager of Bradford’s The Broadway Shopping Centre, Ian Ward, who is Chairing the recently-launched Bradford BID initiative YEN has recently announced new strategic partnerships with Smarter Business Tech LIVE conference in Manchester and The Business Show, London’s biggest business exhibition and the fastest-growing business show in Europe.

Expo Partners also include: Bradford College, Malik House Business Centres, Bradford Council, The Yorkshire Society, Galaxy Comms, The Broadway Shopping Centre, Google Digital Garage, JCI Bradford (Junior Chamber International), 4Networking, and an extensive range of media partners.

the wider world about what our great city is achieving.

Sheraz Malik YEN Director Sheraz Malik said: “We’re really excited about all the activities lined up for YEN Expo which is going from strengthto-strength every year. Building on previous achievements, the 2017 event will be even more innovative and more interactive.

“Bradford is the sixth largest city in the UK and is Yorkshire’s third biggest economic powerhouse, generating around £9 billion a year. As well as providing a platform for businesses and organisations to showcase their own brand, the conference gives us an opportunity to shout out to

“An extensive network of media partners for this year’s event will enable us to get that message out loud and clear to a direct audience of around 150,000 though print and digital media – with an even greater reach through our broadcast media partners.

Conference activities will also be promoted via the Bradford Big Screen in City Park.

The event goes on from 10am to 4pm in the David Hockney Building, off Great Horton Road, Bradford, and is free to attend for delegates.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE, DETAILS OF THE SPONSORSHIP AND EXHIBITION PACKAGES, OR TO REGISTER AS A DELEGATE PLEASE VISIT WWW.YENEXPO.UK

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LeedsEdition

Leeds to host inaugural Northern tech event Hundreds of business tech enthusiasts are expected to descend on Leeds in October, when the city hosts the country’s first Innovation & Disruption event.

T

Above: Ant Middleton

he four-hour showcase will shine the spotlight on some of the most cutting edge innovations set to rock the technology sector over the next 12 months. And the premier venue Aspire has been chosen to accommodate the inaugural gathering.

Innovation & Disruption is the brainchild of Tim Mercer, CEO of Yorkshire-headquartered cloud tech firm Vapour and someone with almost 20 years’ industry experience under his belt.

Whilst Tim himself is set to take to the stage for the 19 October event, all eyes will in fact be on special guest and lead speaker for the day Ant Middleton. The former Special Forces hero is now a familiar face on British television, most notably as Chief Instructor on Channel 4’s SAS Who Dares Wins.

He will therefore offer delegates an uplifting insight into his own career, not to mention the toughest military selection process in the world.

pressures that the human body can be placed under, so what better person to inspire some of the commercial environment’s most aspirational business and tech professionals?”

Commenting on the reasons Ant was invited to speak, Tim explained: “This is a man with real gravitas and an unrivalled insight into the importance of leadership, specifically during incredibly hostile circumstances.

He knows about the gruelling physical and psychological

Aside from Tim’s keynote speech, IT directors and decision makers will also have the chance to try out a number of industry-firsts when it comes to voice and video communications, virtual reality and cloud security. More speakers are due to be unveiled as the event draws closer.

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High profile sponsors are already on board in support of the event, including IT solutions providers Pure Technology and Alphadigital, investment banking enterprise Seneca Capital, and national law firm Freeths Solicitors.

Elaborating on the interest so far, Tim continued: “Our quarterly tech events at Leeds’ White Cloth Gallery are always a sell-out.

Doing something bigger and better was therefore the next logical step, but we have been

careful to develop a format that doesn’t yet exist in the UK. “The focus is to showcase both emerging and proven technologies, under one roof, in what we believe is the most standout example of innovation and disruption for British businesses.”

The event is free to attend and pre-registration via Eventbrite is essential. Running from 16:0020:00 on Thursday 19 October, food and drink will be provided throughout.

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