Issue 3 by Business Breaks

STEPS TO

SELLING YOUR

BUSINESS Jonnie Whittle, financial planner at wealth management specialist Clarion, takes a closer look at the process of selling your company.

Stop Managing & Start Leading Are HR Teams ‘Weinstein-Ready’?

bmi Puzzel INTUIT CPA Global

The Facilities Management Industry’s Role in Health & Wellbeing

Inside this Issue... 10

Six Steps to Selling Your Business Jonnie Whittle, financial planner at wealth management specialist Clarion, takes a closer look at the process of selling your business.

How to Stop Managing and Start Leading Having a team is all about getting them to help you achieve your goal or mission. But what is the best way of going about that? MD of Quarterdeck, Laura Boutell explains.

Are HR Teams â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weinstein-Readyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? The flood of accusations of sexual harassment against senior figures - everyone from film producer Harvey Weinstein to Government ministers - is making organisations of all kinds very nervous: people with long-standing reputations reduced in days to a target for ridicule. Here we talk to Tim Kingsbury, Head of Investigations, CMP Resolutions about best conduct and practices when investigating claims of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

bmi

Bennett Hay

Altovita

Puzzel

AirPortr

Intuit Inc

Hello & Welcome

ou might have noticed that there have been a few changes here at Business & Breaks. For a start, there's the new name - and what a difference an ampersand can make! The decision to slightly rebrand reflects feedback from our readers, who told us they wanted to see a more even split between the corporate world and the travel and leisure industries. So, with this in mind, in the first of our new-look issues, we hear from Jonnie Whittle, financial planner at wealth management specialist Clarion, who takes a closer look at the process of selling a business, Quarterdeck MD, Laura Boutell who shares with us her secrets to successfully leading a team, and Tim Kingsbury, Head of Investigations at CMP Resolutions, who outlines best conduct and practices when investigating claims of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. We also catch up with Laterooms.com Business, who fill us in on why they are truly leading the way in corporate travel in 2017, and Travelbag put to good use 40 years of experience in creating tailor made holidays to give us their top seven travel tips for the coming year. We hope you enjoy the new look and our best content yet and look forward to sharing more with you over the coming months. Hugh Editor

NEWS

UK SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS ARE OPEN FOR ENTRIES The BusinessesForSale.com Small Business Big Heart Awards 2018 are open for entries. The awards, which recognise the amazing work the UK’s small businesses undertake for their communities and good causes, are now in their second year. The winner will receive £1,000 to donate to a charity of its choice.

The launch follows a successful first year in which the winner, Chevening Financial of Kent, was recognised for its on-going support for local pensioners and its active role with the events committee of EB charity DEBRA. Chevening Financial was presented with a £1,000 prize which it donated to DEBRA. As well as being a chance to recognise the great efforts the 5.1 million strong community of small businesses in the UK makes to help the not for profit sector, the BusinessesForSale.com Small Business Big Heart Awards give charities the opportunity to say thank you as they can nominate those small businesses that support them.

search demonstrates the incredible good will of the small business community in the UK. With 72% of the UK’s small businesses giving time, raising money or sharing resources with charities we’re expecting a high volume of entries along with some incredibly moving stories.” The BusinessesForSale.com Small Business Big Heart Awards are FREE and easy to enter. The deadline for entries is 15 December 2017. For more information on the Small Business Big Heart Awards click HERE.

Rufus Bazley, Marketing Director at BusinessesForSale.com says, “The success of Small Business Big Heart last year and our own re-

Buddy Loans, one of the UK’s leaders in Guarantor Loans, has recently received full accreditation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), giving consumers more access to credit. The company which is based in Cheadle, Cheshire, was set up to provide consumers, who have been refused loans by mainstream lenders, with affordable and accessible credit. Borrowers with bad or no credit, can now get approved for the loans they need. And they can get that approval fast, usually within the same day. Recently Buddy Loans has secured an investment of £10m, which now allows the company to increase its lending. Co-Founder, Nicholas Zapolski said, “Our ambition was to plug the gap that mainstream lenders have failed to fill, by offering a large selection of the population, especially those who may have been rejected for a loan in the past, or have bad credit, access to the finance they need to live their everyday lives”.

NEWS

ANDERSEN NAME DEBUTS IN TURKEY Andersen Global is proud to announce the debut of the Andersen name in Turkey as member firm, NAZALI Tax & Legal, will officially adopt the Andersen name in January 2018. The tax and legal firm has locations in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bursa and will now operate as a full-fledged member firm of Andersen Global.

“The adoption of the Andersen name demonstrates the next step to further extending our boundaries and integrating our team globally. We are excited to continue strengthening our practice and capabilities, and together we will strive to find the best solutions for our clients,” stated Managing Partners of Andersen Tax in Turkey, Ersin Nazali and Cagdas Guren. “Incorporating additional offerings internationally and extending our support will help us build on our foundation and further provide seamless coverage in key markets.” Global Chairman and Andersen Tax LLC CEO, Mark Vorsatz, added, “The team in

Turkey is dedicated, passionate, and have shown outstanding commitment to client service. They are an excellent fit for our firm, our clients, and our core principles.” Under the name Andersen Tax, the firm will continue to provide tax and legal consultancy services in a wide range of industries to many national and international clients including tax compliance, accounting, corporate and commercial law, corporate restructuring, tax litigation, social security and employment law, customs and foreign trade law, intellectual property law, and litigation-enforcement and bankruptcy law.

NEWS

TITUS WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADDS NEW ADVISOR Technology and ability to maintain independence draws 25-year industry veteran Scot Lance to the growing firm.

Titus Wealth Management, an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) specializing in holistic wealth management, has welcomed Scot Lance to its growing team of wealth managers. Lance will serve as Managing Director and will drive the investment planning decisions for clients to help meet their long-term financial objectives. “We remain dedicated to growing our team of independent advisors and are proactively seeking out seasoned veterans like Scot,” said Eric Aanes, President and Founder of Titus. “Scot is a great fit for the firm. He brings a strong investment philosophy that is focused on his clients’ unique needs, as well as a strong work ethic that drives him to go the extra mile.” Lance has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, with a focus on investment strategy and asset allocation. Prior to joining Titus, he served as a senior vice president specializing in investments at Wells Fargo Advisors in San Rafael, CA. Lance started his career

in the financial services industry at Merrill Lynch and also held positions with Lehman Brothers, UBS and Bank of America. In the past year, Titus has added five new advisors and a Chief Compliance Officer. The firm continues to expand its breadth of financial services expertise, internal resources and technological capabilities to provide customized investment management and financial planning. With the addition of Lance, Titus is administering approximately $550 million in assets for high net worth individuals and business owners. “Joining Eric and the Titus team offers me the opportunity to be a part of a growth-minded practice while keeping my independence as a financial advisor,” said Lance. “The firm offers the support and technology tools I need to create successful client outcomes, and I immediately recognized Titus’ dedication to implementing the best solutions available. I am looking forward to incorporating my expertise into their team approach.”

On a mission to create a more sustainable world, HEC Paris has launched a new scholarship for applicants to its Online Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OMIE) programme. Theprogrammewaslaunched earlierthisyearbyHECParisin partnershipwithCourseratoequip currentandaspiringentrepreneurs,consultantsanddecision makerswiththenecessaryskills tostriveforsustainability,gender equalityandsocialbetterment. The OMIE Impact Fellowship will award a maximum of €5,000 to applicants who can clearly demonstrate the positive impact the OMIE program will have on their future careers, their communities and their organisations, in one or more of the following areas; • Fostering Social Innovation or Social Business • Contributing toward Sustainable Development • Improving innovation and/or entrepreneurship opportunities in developing countries or impoverished communities • Contributing to gender equality in society and business

NEWS

RIGHT NETWORKS KICKS OFF #GIVINGTUESDAY CAMPAIGN Application Cloud, Business Cloud, and QuickBooks Desktop Cloud Offer Nonprofits Expanded Capabilities and Flexibility to Manage and Grow Their Organisations.

As #GivingTuesday kicked off the charitable holiday season, Right Networks, a leading provider of cloud-based accounting and business solutions, marked the occasion by launching an exclusive 20% discount offering for nonprofits and their CPAs. The all-new Right Networks Cloud includes three solution bundles designed to give nonprofit accountants, financial officers, and CPAs broader flexibility and scale to focus on their causes, empower their teams, and streamline tracking and review with cloud-enabled accounting. These three new cloud offerings include the Application Cloud, Business Cloud, and QuickBooks Desktop Cloud. “Right Networks understands that nonprofits are generally better able to perform their missions when they are supported by the right technology platforms that help minimize costs, increase productivity and mod-

ernize their workflows,” said John Farrer, Right Networks’ CEO. “Our three new cloud offerings give our nonprofit customers a broad and powerful blend of cloud applications at a discounted price, as they start and continue their cloud journey.” In the case of nonprofits, implementing new technology is often met with the pinch of a shoestring budget. But, cloud services can help minimize costs and are a great way for nonprofits to eliminate operational inefficiencies, cut costs, and integrate all day-today accounting software and business applications into one consolidated location. This drastically improves workflows – resulting in streamlined project and donor tracking, budgeting, and contact management. And, nonprofit financial officers can easily share data with their auditors or board members, cutting out the need to transfer large files insecurely over email or direct mail.

FEATURE

Name: Jonnie Whittle Company: Clarion Wealth Planning Web: www.clarionwealth. co.uk Email: enquiries@clarionwealth.co.uk Phone: +44 1625 466 360 Address: Clarion Wealth Planning Limited, Overbank, 52 London Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, SK9 7DZ

SIX STEPS TO SELLING YOUR BUSINESS Jonnie Whittle, financial planner at wealth management specialist Clarion, takes a closer look at the process of selling your business.

uilding a successful business demands total dedication. A sale may result in a financial windfall, but it can often leave a business owner facing big questions and hard decisions, while also feeling a loss of purpose.

this process on their own. One of the keys to achieving a smooth transition is to engage early with a financial planner, who will examine their business and family circumstances in great detail and help establish their plans for life after the sale.

The most successful transitions require the owners to orchestrate finely tuned exits in order to reap the rewards and enjoy a lifestyle that is thoroughly deserved.

They ask questions, agree a strategy and ensure the plan is followed, working closely with the other professionals making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible in this potentially stressful period.

Taking the time to initiate the planning process early is often neglected, a situation that can greatly affect the choices available and, ultimately, the value of a life’s work. Without detailed planning business owners are often forced to exit on the other people’s terms, and a transaction that should de-risk the seller’s position becomes fraught with dangers. Fortunately, business owners do not have to carry out

Achieving a successful exit involves six key stages: 1. Identify personal goals People sell their businesses for many different reasons. Those seeking to exit and capitalise on their success should start by identifying these and begin to plan accordingly. What will life look like after the sale? Does it have to be a

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taking

the time to initiate the planning process early is often neglected, a situation that can greatly affect the choices available.â&#x20AC;?

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“clean break” on day one or will an earn-out period be acceptable? Will the seller start another business in the future, “go plural” with a handful of choice non-exec positions or head straight for the golf course?

management team, solid repeat customer base, forward contracts and/or favourable leases. All businesses also own intellectual property – this should be identified and, wherever possible, protected.

Business owners have heavier responsibilities than most people but also more choices. A sale is not usually forced upon them, so they should only exit if and when it works for them and their families.

Intangible assets (“goodwill”) can considerably increase the value of a business and should be documented thoroughly. Specialist lawyers and accountants can help at this stage.

2. Optimise business and personal affairs Occasionally one hears of a buyer coming out of the blue with an offer that nobody in their right mind would turn down, and contracts of sale are wrapped up in a matter of weeks. More often than not, however, the sale process is a lengthy one: a prospective seller should allow at least two years from the point at which their business is first actively marketed, and probably considerably longer.

4. Make the right impression Image may not be everything, but it counts for a lot. A business that is being offered for sale needs to look its best, both financially and non-financially.

It is during this early, planning stage that they should make sure they are in the best possible tax position. This could, for example, include transferring shares to their spouse in order to maximise Entrepreneurs’ Relief from Capital Gains Tax. Most business owners’ affairs are complex and eligibility for some tax allowances is not immediate so the longer their advisers can be given to optimise their position the better. On the business front, all outstanding contentious issues, contract disputes and litigation should be dealt with. “Gentlemen’s agreements” should be replaced with watertight contractual obligations.

The owner should take a hard look at the company’s external image, looking objectively at its website, head office, facilities, marketing and publicity materials. Does the outward appearance match the company’s inner strengths? Unless the company has amazing yet under-exploited intellectual property, its financial track record will be pivotal to the price it achieves. The accounts provided to potential buyers should not usually be identical to those supplied to the Inland Revenue – a corporate finance specialist will be able to prepare adjusted “valuation” accounts that take out one-off items and cut through the “noise” to provide a more accurate picture of the potential value of a business to a purchaser. 5. Cast the net Consider who would have the most to gain from acquiring the business, and why. The owner should be prepared to widen their list of candidates, and to engage a corporate finance specialist with a strong track record in their sector who can market their company to buyers they might never have thought of.

3. Identify the best assets Every business has different facets that will be uniquely attractive to buyers. It may have a strong brand, experienced

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The best bid might not come from the most obvious trade sale. The business might have a geographical footprint that offers access to attractive new markets for a foreign buyer. Perhaps the company’s skills, products or services would complement a potential buyer’s current offering in a different field. Or the business may have characteristics that would make a private equity house want to back a management buy-out or buy-in. There is no point limiting the market of potential buyers. 6. The sale During the period leading up to an initial offer being agreed the seller’s team control the information available to a potential buyer. Once heads of terms have been signed, however, the boot is on the other foot and the purchaser’s due diligence team will start picking their way through the company’s deepest secrets. This is the most dangerous period, when the price is “chipped” away and guarantees are demanded. It pays, therefore, to keep the interval between signing heads of terms and completing the deal as brief as possible. There are two main ways to achieve this. The first is to ensure that the company’s house is in order and there is nothing untoward for the buyer’s due diligence team to unearth. The other is to have another buyer or two in reserve, to keep the pressure on. It is, anyway, sensible to have an “insurance” offer in case the most favoured buyer pulls out for reasons beyond the seller’s control. Life after the sale Without a clear financial and lifelong cashflow plan the period after a sale can be difficult and uncertain. Many business owners wait until this point before consulting a financial planner and embarking

on the process of working out what they want to do with the rest of their lives and whether they can afford it. Financial planners can help at this stage – especially if they provide access to a specialist cash management service which will provide secure breathing space before any decisions are made regarding investments. Contrast this scenario, however, with a business owner who has been working toward this moment for years with the support of an expert financial planner. In this situation the seller already has a clear picture of the future and the confidence that comes from having a detailed plan to achieve a whole new set of goals. Completing the deal marks, in this case, not an uncertain ending but a purposeful, exciting beginning.

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Company: bmi Web: www.flybmi.com Phone:0330 333 7998

FIVE YEARS AFTER BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT AIRLINE, BMI LOOKS TO A ROSY FUTURE IN EUROPE November 2017 saw airline bmi celebrating its fifth anniversary as an independent airline, after having been sold by British Airways’ parent group IAG in 2012. Over the past five years, it has grown into a unique pan-European airline, devoted to linking secondary business communities throughout Europe to major hubs and connecting key emerging regions in Europe directly. However, with Brexit looming, what does the future hold for a British airline in Europe?

ith a fleet of small 20 Embraer Jet 135 and 145 aircraft, seating 37 and 49 customers respectively, the airline has carved out its own bespoke niche and now flies well over half a million passengers across Europe each year. With signs of consolidation in the European market on the horizon, and the recent demise of several carriers including Monarch, Air Berlin and Alitalia, the niche opportunity bmi is seeking to exploit has grown. The scale of this opportunity can be easily seen in a number

of bmi’s recently launched routes. Prior to the launch of bmi’s service from London Stansted to Derry in spring 2017, the route was operated once a day mid-day by a lowcost airline and was cancelled due to being unsustainable. Seeing this as an opportunity, bmi introduced double daily flights at convenient times for business travellers, and it became the airline’s fastest selling new route. Equally, bmi took on the Rostock – Munich route, which had been operated thrice weekly previously, and created a new daily service, which has since grown to become a double daily flight.

“We are constantly striving to understand the real needs of our customers. Our key focuses as a business are when we fly, where we fly and how we can make this travel experience as hassle-free as possible.”

The airline’s strategy to offer much needed services on commuter routes such as these has become a key point of differentiation for bmi, and is a big factor in the airline’s progress over the past five years. With smaller jets, more nimble and tailored product solutions, and the freedom enjoyed by being independent, the airline is better able to read niche markets and serve them accordingly. Around 50% of the airline’s flights now operate outside of the UK, and the airline will not let Brexit stand in

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the way of further European expansion, believing that there are far more commercial opportunities outside of the UK than within it. Whilst bmi has one competitor in the UK, Europe does not offer up any strong small aircraft (up to 100-seater) regional airline competitors. It therefore simply doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make sense for bmi to compete in a small UK market of 60 million people, when it could have free rein of an EU market with 500 million potential passengers. The airline identifies key areas for expansion as industrialised

parts of German-speaking Europe, Scandinavia, central and eastern Europe where connections between industrial hubs are required. As a British airline, to continue operating around the continent following Brexit, bmi will need an EU operating licence from a member state. This is an expensive venture so it has been reported that the airline is looking into alternatives, such as a merger or acquisition, joint venture or equity event, enabling bmi to use the flying licence of an existing EU operator.

Jochen Schnadt, chief commercial officer of bmi regional, explains, “Our aim at bmi is to become the leader in pan-European aviation. Let’s face it, travelling today isn’t exactly hassle-free, so we are keen to create a more seamless door to door product that offers the kind of convenience that travellers will seek out again and again.” “We are constantly striving to understand the real needs of our customers. Our key focuses as a business are when we fly, where we fly and how we can make this travel experience as hassle-free as

possible. After five years, the opportunity for our business has never been greater. The niche is growing and we plan to grow with it.” “My belief is that Brexit will only serve to increase the niche demand. If the government wants to recreate Britain as a pre-eminent global trading nation, there will be a demand for even more connectivity between Britain and Europe.” For more information or to book a flight with bmi, visit www.flybmi.com or call 0330 333 7998.

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NEW ONLINE BOOKING PLATFORM TAKES THE UNCERTAINTY OUT OF HOME SHARING THROUGH STANDARDISED VETTING AND RATING SYSTEM Altovita is a newly launched booking platform that promises something different to those already in the vacation rental and home sharing sectors. It personally inspects and rates affordable quality homes and apartments across Europe, and is dedicated to promoting greater quality standards by vetting all of its listings. It has also introduced its own pioneering rating system, the Altos, which awards those homes that meet the required benchmark of quality. Company: Altovita Web: www.altovita.com Email: info@altovita.com Phone: +420 727 876 152 Address: 2 More London Riverside, London SE1 2JP

his customer centric strategy isn’t something that is offered by all. Some competing brands have only just begun to think about implementing a vetting system for their hosts and homes - and this can be seen to be part of a limited trial, targeting a specific and restrictive demographic. While a positive step - for both leisure and business travellers - this has been a long time coming. Commenting, Altovita’s co-founder, Karolina Saviova, says: “We are pleased brands are finally working towards eradicating the growing problem of mismatched expectations and

uncertainties that have long been associated with home sharing platforms. We pride ourselves on operating a standardised vetting process across our entire collection of homes.” On working with other brands in the short-term accommodation space, Karolina adds; “Customer expectations are evolving and as the vacation rental market is fast growing, we believe there is plenty of room for multiple players to strive together and create universal quality standards similar to the 5-star rating system that already prevalently exists within the hotel sector.”

ALTOVITA Altovita was born as a remedy to help solve the hit and miss nature of other wellknown online booking platforms. The co-founders, four friends who have a combined love for travel and passion to share truly unique experi-

ences with the world, often stayed in short-term rental accommodations and identified a lack of standardised quality across this space. Two of the co-founders have personally managed and have helped curate a beautiful portfolio of short-term rentals. Altovita was created to showcase and recognise creative and passionate hosts who go above and beyond in their hospitality to welcome their guests.

THE VETTING PROCESS Altovitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of home curators and hospitality experts manage inbound host requests, whilst also conducting their own desktop research of homes with minimum 5 star ratings from across multiple platforms. They carefully assess each home and host to ensure they meet the required benchmark of quality. The team inspects each home and takes meticulous notes that are then systematically

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organised into eight different categories ultimately determining whether the home can be listed on its platform or not. All of the properties on the booking platform have attained at least one Alto. This means they received at least 5 star guest reviews from across multiple platforms and can provide all basic amenities travellers desire. Additionally, the listings are conveniently located with good transport links, boast a beautiful interior and are managed by helpful and responsive hosts. Two or three Altos are awarded to those homes and hosts who offer impeccable experiential value, special facilities, services and beyond. Altovita reviews its hosts on a regularly basis and measures their reliability and responsiveness. With other platforms, guests have to rely on crowdsourced reviews from other guests who may be swayed by their desires to receive good reviews from the hosts. Anyone can set up a listing on these sites, with no checks on the accuracy of the listing details. ALTOVITA, ITS CITY DESTINATIONS AND LISTINGS Altovita started its journey in the magnificent city of Prague. Since launching this summer, it has further expanded into Central and Eastern Europe and offer homes and apartments in Vienna, Budapest and Warsaw. Altovita has recently launched in Marbella, its first location in Western Europe - this was closely followed by Lisbon. Altovitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of home curators and hospitality experts personally visit each of its city destinations and take time to learn about the area, its community and what it can offer our customers. This is something that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t common with other booking platforms. Explore all of Altovitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city destinations by visiting www.altovita.com or by visiting its Instagram and Facebook.

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Name: Randel Darby Company: AirPortr Web: www.airportr.com Phone: +44 203 384 6677

CHECKING IN WITH AIRPORTR Following recent £2m investment, travel tech company, AirPortr is set to go from strength to strength. We caught up with CEO and founder, Randel Darby who explains how the world’s first mobile luggage check-in and delivery service is set to revolutionise how we travel for business and pleasure.

hat exactly is AirPortr and how does it work?

AirPortr is a travel tech company. We work with airlines and airports to develop and deliver digital and operational services that help passengers and their luggage move more freely between global cities. In 2016 we launched the world’s first mobile luggage check-in and delivery service to be integrated into airline booking systems with British Airways. Essentially bringing the airport bag drop to any London address. With Bag Check-In, customers can check-in their luggage at any London address that is most convenient for them - whether it’s at the office, at home, or in their hotel lobby. Bookings are made online, there’s a choice of one-hour pick-up slots to suit the customer, either the night before 22

or on the morning they fly. We verify their boarding passes and passport on the doorstep and seal their bags for delivery to the airline. Passengers are then free to travel to the airport on public transport and head straight to security when they arrive. They simply collect their bags from baggage reclaim when they land. Since launch we’ve since delivered over 50,000 bags. Where can I use the AirPortr luggage check-in and delivery service? The AirPortr service is currently exclusively available in London. Our coverage area is mostly within the M25 but we also deliver to some postcodes around Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Our Bag Check-In service is currently available with British Airways, with several major airline partners due to be announced in the coming

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of businesses restrict their employees to hand baggage only but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always suitable for those travelling for longer periods of time. AirPortr allows employees to travel with checked luggage but with the same efficiency as hand baggage.â&#x20AC;?

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months. Passengers can book for all international flights out of Gatwick and Heathrow airports. Where did you get the idea for AirPortr? What was the development process and challenges faced in bringing AirPortr to the market? AirPortr was founded in 2012 borne out of a combination of my fascination with aviation, frustration with the outdated luggage system in airports, and the impracticality of transporting luggage through London. Before AirPortr, I was working as an investment director and it was during this time that I began to fly frequently as I was based in the Channel Islands and had regular meetings in London. Mixing work with leisure, I would use my time away for business as an opportunity to kite surf, meaning I often faced the chore of transporting equipment into the office and then on to the airport, much to the anguish of rush hour commuters. It seemed strange to me that travel had changed so much over the years but that no one had spent time looking to improve how we travel with luggage. There’s a lot of stopping and starting for passengers with luggage in the current system. I thought how easy it would be for people to move to, through airport and around the world if this wasn’t a barrier. I wanted to create a solution that combined aviation, transportation and smart cities in one business model. Our launch last year was a result of two years of development with regulators, airports and airlines.

don we bring the bag drop to any London address, which means you’re able to continue your day of work ahead of your flight without luggage in tow. Perfect if you’re flying out later in the day and need to go to meetings beforehand. Taking luggage out of the equation also makes it easier to travel by public transport which is often the quickest route with London’s busy roads. Flying into London, passengers drop their bags after customs for delivery into London. Leaving staff free to head straight to the office or appointments, meeting their bags later that day. A lot of businesses restrict their employees to hand baggage only but that’s not always suitable for those travelling for longer periods of time. AirPortr allows employees to travel with checked luggage but with the same efficiency as hand baggage. What security measures is AirPortr taking to ensure passengers luggage is safely delivered and returned? Sadly, we’re living in an age of heightened risk so we always knew security would need to be at the heart of all service development. We worked with our partner airlines, airports and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure our processes meet aviation security regulations.

A significant proportion of our readers are frequent business travellers. How does AirPortr make travel easier and more efficient for the corporate traveller?

We seal all bags with tamper aware technology when we collect them and they remain sealed until they are handed to the airline for the flight so the passenger and airline are confident no one has interfered with the contents. We pre-screen each bag before they are delivered to the airport, where they are screened again to HBS standard. So essentially we’re adding an extra level of security.

AirPortr removes a lot of logistical hassle for business travellers. Flying out of Lon-

We’ve also developed services features to ensure passengers feel at ease with us

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handling their belongings. For example, we send travellers email and SMS notifications throughout their bags journey and they can also track their bags in real-time on our website. What are the biggest issues facing the aviation industry and where do you see AirPortr’s role in helping to address some of these issues? London airports are at peak capacity and this is having a major knock-on effect on customer experience. The UK government’s call for evidence to create a new aviation strategy, including city check-ins for luggage, demonstrates the need for improved accessibility, customer experience and security throughout the aviation supply chain. By providing an innovative luggage transport solution we are helping to free up the capacity constraints on airports, reducing check-in queues and increasing efficiency in peak times. We’re also decongesting access roads by enabling people to travel more easily via public transport. AirPortr recently received a £2m investment from Stobart Group. How do you plan to use the investment and how will the unique partnership with Stobart Aviation benefit the business traveller? The investment from our partner Stobart has been used to fast track development of a scalable operating platform and new standard for secure delivery of Bag Check In services for airlines across their networks, as we look to expand the business rapidly next year. The investment forms part of a larger funding round that will support our plans to add 10 new airline partners and expand our services to new cities around the world. Our aim is to handle luggage for over a million passengers within the next three years.

For the business traveller, this will mean the ability to check-in their bags for their flight from any city in the world. As services like AirPortr become more common place how do you expect them to impact and shape the travel industry and what do you see as the new norm for air travel? At AirPortr we envision a future where seamless travel is the norm, where air travel is as simple and stress free as road or train travel. Innovations like ours will allow airlines and airports to re-address the balance between customer experience and security. By moving baggage processing out of the airport, the space limited infrastructure can be utilized for retail and restaurants. Airports will gradually become destinations in their own right. Passengers turning up ‘security ready’ can head airside when they reach the airport. Urban luggage handling will also have many security benefits, if luggage is screened offsite it will reduce risks to other passengers. Incidents like that in Brussels last year can be mitigated with passengers and baggage checked-in and screened away from passenger terminals. AirPortr CEO, Randel Darby

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Name: Laura Boutell Company: Quarterdeck Web: www.quarterdeck.co.uk Email: info@quarterdeck. co.uk

HOW TO STOP MANAGING AND START LEADING Having a team is all about getting them to help you achieve your goal or mission. But what is the best way of going about that? Laura Bouttell, MD at Quarterdeck explains.

s the saying goes there is more than one way to skin a cat. This rings true with getting your team to perform. Most people only know one way to skin a cat. As another saying goes: when all you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail. (Don’t worry this article won’t be entirely made up of folk wisdom).

is defined by several concepts: 1. A person gets hired to do a ‘job’ for a certain ‘salary’. 2. If a person does that job well they can expect praise (maybe if they’re lucky, but we’ll come back to this in the leadership section) a salary increase in time and maybe promotion. 3. If a person underperforms that job then they can expect various punishThe most popular cat skinning ments. For example; “quick technique in business today words”, warnings, formal is called “management”, but warnings, salary decrease, what does management mean? demotion and, finally, People know they should be being fired. leading rather than managing but what does “leadership” So the basic tools in a manageven mean? Is leadership a er’s tool box are: type of management? Or is management a type of leader1. Monetary reward or punship? Or are they completely ishment separate concepts? 2. Promotion/demotion (status and monetary reward/ Let’s skip dictionary definitions punishment) and go directly to the re3. Telling off (for want of a al-world usage of these words. better phrase) in various mediums What is Management? 4. Firing Management in business today

“Although praise is one of the traditional tools

in a manager’s toolbox, it rarely ever gets used. Like a wrench, it often gets neglected in favour of the hammer, the drill and the screwdriver.”

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We’re left with this matrix of reward/punishment which I’m going to call: The Management Toolbox Matrix: TOOL Job Status Feedback Status Money

REWARD Hiring Praise Promotion Raise

PUNISHMENT Firing Telling Off Demotion Salary Decrease

So traditional management is all about various rewards or punishments. Management is concerned with the process of getting things done; turning up on time, filling out forms, ticking boxes, doing what you’re told. Preventing things going wrong with the threat of punishment. Encouraging better performance with the promise of future rewards. Basically, it comes down to carrots and sticks. But mostly sticks. What is Leadership? Leadership is a totally different animal. There is a word used a lot in leadership. So much in fact, that it is quite clichéd: inspire. Where management is about punishing and rewarding people. Leadership is about inspiring them.

Leadership doesn’t fit into a nice matrix or table because it’s complicated, difficult and constantly changes based on the context. A leader needs to behave differently based on the person they’re dealing with, the situation, the state of mind that person is in and a million other variables. A manager just does what the rulebook tells them to do. Praise As I mentioned earlier, although praise is one of the traditional tools in a manager’s toolbox, it rarely ever gets used. Like a wrench, it often gets neglected in favour of the hammer, the drill and the screwdriver. Most people find it extremely awkward receiving and giving praise. And, being human beings, we’re extremely good at avoiding uncomfortable situations. So, most people just avoid giving praise. We also avoid giving uncomfortable negative feedback. But at some point, a manager is unable to avoid giving negative feedback anymore, so it must be dealt with. Unfortunately, the same pressures to give positive feedback don’t exist, so it often goes unsaid. Being a leader is difficult and awkward and uncomfortable. But let me ask you:

Leadership is really about emotion (which is extremely difficult for most people) as opposed to being about process. • A leader won’t give someone a job description, they’ll give them a cause. • A leader is quick to give praise. • A leader won’t tell someone off unless it’s absolutely necessary (sometimes it definitely is). • A leader shares the credit even when they deserve it themselves. A manager takes credit even when it belongs to one of their team. • A leader trusts their team because they have built a team they can trust. A manager threatens their team with punishment if things go wrong. 28

• Are human beings cold, emotionless, process driven robots? Or are we emotional creatures with unique complicated personalities? • Who gets the best results? A manager or a leader? At the end of the day, it’s up to you, management or leadership? We’re not saying you have to be a leader. If you want to be a manager that’s fine. After all, if everyone was a great leader no-one would have a competitive advantage.

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Name: Tim Kingsbury Company: CMP Resolutions Web: www.cmpresolutions. com Email: richard.peachey@ cmpresolutions.com

ARE HR TEAMS ‘WEINSTEIN READY’? The flood of accusations of sexual harassment against senior figures - everyone from film producer Harvey Weinstein to Government ministers - is making organisations of all kinds very nervous: people with long-standing reputations reduced in days to a target for ridicule. Here we talk to Tim Kingsbury, Head of Investigations, CMP Resolutions about best conduct and practices when investigating claims of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

e’re in a new place when it comes to allegations of inappropriate behaviour at work. Confusion over what might have been flirting, what was a joke or an awkward attempt at starting a relationship is now looking and feeling very different. Employees have the models, precedents and language to speak up about what has happened or is now happening to them. No organisation is safe from allegations relating to current or historic behaviour, and the resulting problems for credibility, staff relationships, worsening grievances and tribunal cases. HR professionals need to look again at the risks involved to the organisation and their people and how they would cope with an escalation of rumours and gossip into formal claims against staff, managers and leaders.

Getting an investigation right, in particular, is central to establishing a basis of trust. The Football Association is just one recent example of a high-profile employer whose handling of an investigation into misconduct - in this case, the behaviour of England Women’s football team Mark Sampson - has led to serious questions over the credibility of the organisation’s leadership in general. • Be pro-active in encouraging openness and communication. As a starting point, departments need to ask whether their systems and approach are fair and just, do they lead to the kind of confidence that encourages a victim to come forward. Having a ‘Clear Air’ culture in the workplace is important for supporting good

“Watertight investigations are critical. There are many risks associated with mishandled investigations and there are basic principles that need to underpin the response and demonstrate a house that’s in order.”

working practices as well as helping minor issues come to the surface and be resolved early. It also acts as a fundamental way to discourage inappropriate behaviour, pressures and secrecy. • Ensure there are clear policies in place to respond to a sexual harassment case. A knee-jerk response isn’t going to help. It’s important to consider the system to be followed, who’s responsible and what expertise is on hand. Who’s going have the initial conversation with the employee making an accusation - is that HR or the line manager - and do they have the skills to cope? Mediation can be useful in preventing an escalation of situations but are there trained staff to do this? Or is there an

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external partner you can rely on? A first principle for any employer should be that there is never a justification for secrecy or fudge in these cases. Staff have to be able to trust in the professionalism and integrity of their organisation, and increasingly sexual harassment claims will be key moments in terms of proving strong and effective management. • Watertight investigations are critical. There are many risks associated with mishandled investigations. The potential for investigation conclusions being challenged, claims of bias leading to employment tribunals, collapsing cases and humiliation; the cost of extensive management time up to senior levels; cases that keep running over long periods; the effects on staff morale, relationships and the work environment for the long-term. There are basic principles that need to underpin the response and demonstrate a house that’s in order: any allegation needs to be treated seriously in the first instance - there should, for example, be an onus on the person facing an accusation to engage in the process, and not have the option to refuse any participation. Investigations need to be formal in terms of how they are organised, carried out and reported on; they need to be proportionate with the alleged offence (so the more serious the allegation, the more evidence should be gathered, more witnesses called and paths of inquiry followed to their logical end). There should never be an onus on the ‘victim’ to be accommodating in terms of reaching a settlement (for the sake of the reputation of their employer or the name of the individuals involved). Investigations need to be undertaken as quickly as possible in the interests of both sides. • Be aware of the risks involved with using internal staff for investigations.

Even if senior managers are brought in from a different department, with no association with the member of staff involved, there are always going to be loyalties and sympathies that cloud decision-making. Investigations run with internal resources tend to be slow, relying on the availability of senior staff, which can prolong anxieties and act as a barrier to victims (not wanting to extend the experience or after a time, even participate). A typical danger in investigations is an assumption that a panel involving senior leaders, used to a high level of control over their world and for their team to be submissive, will be fair-minded. Training in fair decision-making can be needed among panel members involved in the investigations and resolving situations. A panel may well include HR and a staff representative, but the assumed power will usually lie with the senior leader or manager when there needs to be equality in terms of how views and perspectives are treated. • Build a reputation, a sense of confidence and resilience: making use of external expertise to run investigations into complex cases is invaluable in resolving situations, and to ensure that the employer is known and respected for its professional handling of difficult, sometimes ugly situations - it’s open, fair and reasonable in all its dealings. There also needs to be seen to be an even-handed response. If an alleged perpetrator of sexual harassment is found guilty, it’s important a department can ensure that sanctions are consistent. If one staff member is only given a rap over the knuckles while another at a different department is dismissed from their post for a similar offence then it only weakens the position in and creating suspicion and confusion and undermining confidence.

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Name: Anthony Bennett Company: Bennett Hay Web: www.bennetthay.co.uk Email: info@bennetthay. co.uk Phone: +44 20 3585 4601 Address: Bennett Hay Limited, 83 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0HW

THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY’S ROLE IN HEALTH AND WELLBEING Employee health awareness, wellbeing and stress reduction are all hot topics in the people management world. It is widely acknowledged that stress is the largest factor in absenteeism, as such businesses are placing a larger importance on developing strong wellness practices in the workplace.

he latest thinking and research in biophilic design, changing ways of working, psychology in the workplace and productivity, show a strong focus on creating and operating workspaces with people in mind. The aim is to support the broader wellness objectives of leading organisations in the hope that a more fulfilled workforce equals a more productive one. So where does this leave the facilities management industry and what role should we be playing in the implementation of health and wellbeing practices? For starters it creates an unprecedented opportunity for the industry to embrace a key role in ensuring that people’s health and wellbeing in the workplace underpins everything that happens in an

office building environment. This means flexible working practices, open and transparent channels of communication and a focus on healthy bodies and minds. With many companies looking to the WELL Building Standard™ framework for guidance and best practice in supporting wellbeing and productivity, (through encouraging healthy eating, noise control, optimising lighting or improving air and water quality) it is clear that the FM industry is uniquely placed to help deliver employee health and wellbeing strategies. This is achieved, not only by looking after the complex needs of diverse workforces, but also by actively championing conditions and experiences that support people at work,

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including fostering a sense of community and trust to promote mental wellbeing. This will continue to be best delivered through a partnership approach where service providers are seen as an extension of an organisation, as opposed to a separate entity. A positive experience for all is vital when creating and maintaining the highest levels of physical, functional and psychosocial wellbeing, impacting great performance and overall success in the workplace. Our role is to begin implementing the foundations of a nurturing environment while company managers focus on day to day business activities. This not only frees up time for them to concentrate their efforts, but also means they are able to utilise external industry expertise to remain at the forefront of personal development and wellness. Interventions should be geared towards enhancing wellness, rather than preventing negative impact, and will continue to be the future of influencing health and wellbeing by the FM sector. With working hours increasing and the lines between personal and professional lives blending, it is clear that such initiatives will become central to closing the UK productivity gap and excelling at future business performances.

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Company: Puzzel Web: www.puzzel.com Phone: +44 333 300 0066 Address: Puzzel Ltd, 2-6 Boundary Row, London, SE1 8HP

HOW AI COULD TRANSFORM YOUR CONTACT CENTRE Thomas Rødseth at Puzzel looks at how, why and where to start with AI.

he roar has become louder over the last 12 months. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming and it will change everything. It’s been a gift to editors, bloggers, Ted talk speakers and conference organisers. Especially for the easy headlines it generates amongst an audience which wants to know if bots are really ready to take jobs or will technology just help make form filling slightly less boring. Everyone is at it. Amazon and Google are racing to fill consumer homes with devices that offer voice access to getting stuff done. The billion+ user sized messaging platforms are touting the promise of solutions using real people blended with bot power when times are busy or needs are simple enough to fulfil using automation. Meanwhile virtual assistants sit on web sites help-

ing users find answers and avoid live voice queues, by offering a better user experience than the average on-site search box. Some have been at it for over a decade. Way before it became fashionable to get excited about bots. How does AI work? Underneath the bonnet of AI is a pretty impressive set of technologies. Machine learning looks for patterns. These can be in the questions asked by customers, or in the outcomes generated by individual advisors. The use of machine learning will play an increasingly important role in helping to spot knowledge gaps and act as a useful tool in self service knowledge collection. Natural language processing is another relevant technology that helps identify a customer’s intent and steer the process of matching questions with answers. Of course natural

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As consumer confidence and habit grows, your intelligent assistance will need to appear on all platforms, devices and modalities to meet expectations.â&#x20AC;?

language has been used for some time to transform the way customers engage with IVRs by removing the often complex menu based interface that can frustrate customers. That same technology is now being used to steer self service conversations within defined topic boundaries with the same level of success. Why do we need AI? Automation using AI plays well into the ever rising expectations of customers. Always on access has become a core experience of the mobile consumer who instinctively wants to self manage on their own terms. That said, it has to be easy, which means it needs to be fast, well designed and navigate the user to their desired outcome in the least possible number of steps. AI, via intelligent assistance, plugs the gap between this level of expectation and previous generations of self service in

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which discoverability and answer quality undermined to desire to self serve. As a benchmark for this type of functionality, Google transformed access to the vast repository of services we call the internet with an incredibly simple yet satisfyingly smart interface. Simple because it is just a search box, smart because it learns your behaviour and applies behavioural insight from the billions of other times users have requested a service similar to the one you currently need. The net result is a fast, relevant outcome. This level of service is how it should be in terms of functionality for any form of intelligent assistant. As consumer confidence and habit grows, your intelligent assistance will need to appear on all platforms, devices and modalities to meet expectations. Where to start? However, all that is in the future. At least in terms of where most organisations currently find themselves. So where is the right place to start? What is an appropriate level of ambition? AI is here to stay and it will change customer service. This is certain. Therefore it matters that you are successful and develop a firm foundation upon which to evolve your AI customer service strategy. It also matters that you win the agreement of colleagues and budget owners that the benefits for ongoing investment are clear and compelling. Therefore start with an easy win. If you are in a high volume, voice based service business then maybe it is time to look at refreshing the IVR experience with a natural language interface. If you provide services that impact peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives like travel or utilities, then maybe extending

your alert system to include a home assistant such as Google Assistant or Alexa makes increasing sense as they become part of smart home lifestyles for certain customer segments. Alternatively start with a safer option and look at your online service portal and the current value offered by your FAQs. This is where many organisations are starting their AI journey and building out from there. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next? We have written a whitepaper on AI and contact centres which can be downloaded HERE. Meanwhile keep listening to the roar to discover how AI could change your contact centre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are exciting times.

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Company: Yack.net Web: www. yack.net Email: support@yack.net Address: Yack.net, 1 Oxford Road, Newbury, RG14 1PD

YACK.NET LAUNCHES NEW CALL TRANSCRIPTION COLLABORATION TOOL A UK start-up is adding an extra dimension to teamwork with the launch of a new platform that ‘captures all forms of conversation’. Yack.net is the first collaboration tool that combines instant messaging with technology that records and transcribes video and voice calls.

he technology, which has taken more than a year to develop, lets up to six people talk on a call. It will identify who said what, then store the verbal recording and the voice-totext transcript in the history of that ‘Yack’ chat room.

enterprises that use project management systems, particularly those with distributed teams. Having accurate and easily accessible records of conversations is also expected to appeal to HR departments, financial services professionals, lawyers and journalists.

Having a paper trail linked to the voice record allows team members to easily search for specific information shared verbally, and read a transcript or replay the appropriate part of the call. This improves team collaboration providing greater efficiency, accuracy and accountability.

“Yack.net was built following the realisation that in every business, people understand things differently or sometimes miss the point. These misunderstandings waste time and create fractured projects and relationships, a problem which is compounded by evermore geographically dispersed teams,” explains Alan Mortis, founder and CEO of Yack.net.

Primary targets for the new platform are small to medium

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“Yack.net is the first collaboration tool that combines instant messaging with technology that records and transcribes video and voice calls.”

“We believe Yack.net will bring huge added benefits, enabling increased transparency and a more equal distribution of knowledge within SMEs. It makes it easier to keep people in the loop and for others to catch up on discussions. Being able to have cloud-based evidence of who said what means people can be more accountable, avoiding doubts or misunderstandings. “Our mission is to make businesses more effective by providing simple, searchable access to all data generated by a team,” he adds.

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Company: Intuit Web: www.intuit.com Phone: +44 808 168 9533 Address: Intuit Limited, 1 Cathedral Piazza, Victoria, London, SW1E 5BP

QUICKBOOKS SET TO REINVENT SMALL BUSINESS LENDING Intuit Inc has launched QuickBooks Capital, an innovative lending product that helps small businesses get the capital they need to succeed.

ntuit Inc is launching QuickBooks Capital, an innovative lending product that helps small businesses get the capital they need to succeed. Building on Intuit’s long history of using leading edge data science and machine learning, QuickBooks Capital has developed a breakthrough credit model to help young small businesses overcome the barriers they have traditionally faced in accessing small dollar loans. QuickBooks Capital delivers: • The ability for small businesses to use their own QuickBooks data to get full credit for their business performance, historical and ongoing. • A streamlined and transparent application process that is embedded within QuickBooks so that small businesses can access funding right inside their daily workflow, just as they need it. 42

• New opportunities for small business growth -60% of QuickBooks Capital customers would likely not get a loan elsewhere, and 46% have never even applied for a loan before. “The QuickBooks Capital credit model is delivering powerful results for small businesses -- getting capital into the hands of so many credit-worthy small businesses that otherwise felt stuck,” said Rania Succar, head of QuickBooks Capital at Intuit. “We are particularly proud to be innovating for young businesses because they are critical to the future success of the economy, but very underserved by the options available in today’s credit market.” Taking The Friction Out Of Small Business Lending According to a recent Federal Reserve study, 70% of businesses younger than five years

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need funding to grow, but only 23% of them get the funds they need. Even among those who are able to access credit, more than half are dissatisfied with the experience according to the same Federal Reserve study. Although new young businesses are the growth engine of the economy, generating twice as many jobs as more established businesses, lack of funding is a top reason that about 50% of them fail within the first five years. The average QuickBooks customer needs a $25,000 working capital loan in order to take advantage of growth opportunities, such as buying inventory, paying for packaging so they can get their product into a retail store or hiring an additional employee to accept new jobs. QuickBooks Capital is tailor-made for these businesses.

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Giving Businesses Credit For Their Past, Capital For Their Future Powered by more than 26 billion QuickBooks data points and third party data sources, the QuickBooks Capital credit model provides a powerful view of a small business’ borrowing capacity. Small businesses are empowered to use their own QuickBooks data to provide an automated, comprehensive view of what’s happening with their business, including: • Free cash flow: QuickBooks provides a comprehensive picture of cash flow because in addition to the core accounting app including payroll and payments, small businesses also connect their bank accounts and credit cards, as well as other third party apps to get a full picture of their business. • Future income: QuickBooks data allows small businesses to get credit for open invoices, work in progress, total inventory, and ongoing projects. • Relative performance: Because there are more than 2.3M QuickBooks users, QuickBooks makes it easy to understand how a small business stacks up against others like them. • Trends: QuickBooks makes it easy to understand a small business within the context of individual business trends (seasonality and growth), as well as market trends. In addition to delivering loans directly, Intuit is evaluating other potential applications for the QuickBooks Capital credit model, including enabling customers to share these data attributes with other lenders to transform the small business lending experience more broadly. Fast, Transparent and Integrated Borrowing Experience The traditional process of applying for credit today is full of friction. It sometimes

requires multiple years of tax returns, business plans and other documents and often takes several days or weeks to hear back with a final decision. In the case of some online lenders, it can result in very high interest rates with low transparency. QuickBooks Capital removes all of the friction from the application process. Small businesses that qualify for the offering can access funds from a new “Capital” tab right inside QuickBooks, where they can always see how much they are eligible to apply for based on the latest developments in their business. The working capital loans currently offered range up to $35,000, with a term between three and six months. The product also emphasizes transparency by always displaying annual%age rates (APRs) to borrowers. Other than interest cost, there are no origination fees or prepayment penalties. Meeting the Needs of New Small Businesses QuickBooks Capital is already making a difference for hundreds of small businesses that were invited to use the product through a private beta. • Underserved businesses are now able to access capital: 60% of QuickBooks Capital customers would likely not get a loan elsewhere. • Borrowing is no longer intimidating: 46% of QuickBooks Capital customers had never even applied for a loan before. • New businesses are using the capital to invest in growth opportunities: 90% of QuickBooks Capital customers say the loan helped their business grow. The top five uses are: (1) opportunity for additional profit, (2) inventory or raw material purchase, (3) making payroll, (4) equipment purchase, and (5) marketing. • There is near universal satisfaction with the product: 99% of borrowers were satisfied with the QuickBooks Capital experience.

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ABERDEEN STANDARD LAUNCHES LOGISTICS INVESTMENT COMPANY Global asset manager Aberdeen Standard Investments plans to launch a new UK investment trust in December 2017, Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income PLC.

he new company will tap into the rapid growth of e-commerce across Europe by investing in European logistic properties such as large ‘big box’ ultra-modern warehouses and local ‘last mile’ distribution centres. Occupier demand is strengthening and, typically, these properties benefit from long-term continuous leases which are annually inflation linked, thereby providing solid rental income alongside the potential for capital growth. Whilst the company will invest directly in property, it will qualify as a closed-ended investment trust listed on the London Stock Exchange, therefore offering investors liquidity through the secondary market. The lead manager of the company will be Evert Castelein, based in Aberdeen Standard Investments’ Amsterdam office. Evert has 15 years of experience within the direct real estate market. He will be supported by two assistant fund managers – Ross Braithwaite and Attila Molnar - and by Andrew Allen, global head of real estate investment research. The company will target a distribution yield of 5.5% per annum, predominantly in the form of dividends, and a total return for investors of 7.5% per annum (both in Euro terms). The target equity issue is £250 million, and the proceeds are expected to be fully invested within 12 months. It is expected that some modest

leverage will be used, taking advantage of the competitive cost of finance in Europe. The company will be raising equity by way of an Initial Placing and Offer for Subscription (including an Intermediaries Offer), with admission to the Premium segment of the Official List of the UKLA and to dealings on the London Stock Exchange, which are expected to commence in the second week of December. Andrew Allen, global head of real estate investment research, Aberdeen Standard Investments added: “The European logistics market is already sizable but developing fast as e-commerce expands over the next three years, outpacing the UK and creating demand for new large distribution warehouses across the region. At the same time, as population growth rates rise in key European cities, competition for land intensifies – prompting a ‘race for space’, particularly for ‘last mile’ delivery on the outskirts of towns and cities. The new trust will exploit this supply-demand imbalance in the sector, as we believe this will support rental income and fuel growth.” “Europe will also benefit from on-going progress in global trade and an evolution in the way goods are manufactured, sold and distributed in a more integrated way, driven by the major players such as Amazon, and couriers like DHL and Fedex.”

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Company: Etch Web: www. etch.work Address: Etch, 40 Islington High St, London, N1 8XB

WHAT EVERY ACCOUNTANT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT BLOCKCHAIN CEO of blockchain-based payroll system, Etch, Euros Evans, explains the impact that blockchain will have on business and how it has the power to change how payments are made forever.

lockchain is often described as one of the most significant recent developments in computing technology, with applications that have the potential to change the way we do business, consume goods and store our data. But while the term is widely used, it is not always totally understood.

the ‘double spend’ issue of digital currencies by gaining the ‘consensus’ of multiple computers which solve a cryptographic puzzle to validate transactions. Cryptography ensures tamper-proof security, authentication, and integrity of transactions.

Transactions are recorded on a single ledger (the blockchain), A blockchain is a digital which can’t be edited, is secure ledger in which transactions and provides a clear audit trail made in bitcoin or another based on transaction addresscryptocurrency are recorded es. Blockchain technology chronologically and publicly. is based on a concept called triple-entry accounting, which When digital currencies were removes the need for transfirst imagined, they could never actions to be processed by a work because of the ‘double financial institution. spend’ problem. Programmers couldn’t figure out how to reliEuros Evans, CEO of Etch, ably prevent digital currencies a new blockchain-based being spent more than once payroll system that allows without relying on a centralised employers to pay workers service to validate transactions. second by second, believes that blockchain has the A blockchain is an innopower to change the way vation which helps solve payments are made forever.

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He says, “The whole world requires trust to function. People and businesses simply don’t trade with others they cannot trust. In centralised models, we rely on third parties to create trust around transactions. We trust financial institutions to make sure our transactions happen safely and securely without anything going wrong. “This, however, has a cost. Using middlemen to ensure trust incurs fees and transactions are slowed down to the speed at which they are able to operate. The middlemen who we trust are still prone to errors and sometimes things still go wrong. “Using a blockchain means you don’t need a trusted middleman to prove that a transaction has taken place and currency has changed hands. A blockchain enables a cryptographically signed receipt which verifies the transaction has taken place and stores it on the immutable, secure blockchain. “Blockchains are creating the possibility to have faster transactions at a lower cost, without needing to trust a third party. Blockchain technology is making micropayments possible and even enabling smart contracts to be created which can transact other assets types, in addition to currency.” Euros Evans continues, “Businesses are becoming more efficient and profitable due to this technological progress. New business models are emerging around transacting different types of value. “Organisations who take advantage of blockchain technology can improve visibility across their operations, providing additional information to them which would improve their access to, and reduce the cost of credit lines.

“It will become possible for businesses to integrate blockchain technology into their accounting and payroll systems to reduce administration burden for tax and compliance activities while ensuring these activities have a much better audit trail to protect them in the case of any legal disputes.” Etch’s technology is based on the Ethereum blockchain, which allows for ‘smart contracts’, which are essentially programmable money. They allow the user to take a unit of value and program conditions into it so that, upon those conditions being met, the programme will transact that unit of value automatically. Employees of firms using Etch’s platform will be paid in the currency of their choice and can arrange for part payment to a family member at home or abroad. It uses an innovative payroll card that will be accepted at millions of locations worldwide. Additionally, the system allows those who do not have bank accounts to be paid securely. Etch is currently hosting an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) in order to raise £5million. Etch is the first approved decentralised app (dapp) created with the support of the London-based Construction Blockchain Consortium, a group of leading UK champions of disruptive technology who are transforming the building environment. The Etch platform is particularly applicable to the construction industry where the payment system can be complex and late payments can cripple otherwise successful businesses. Euros Evans said, “Billions of the world’s population live paycheque to paycheque, a situation that can lead to mounting

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debt, stress and poor health. The Etch solution enables employers to pay their employees in real time. If, for example, they don’t have any money at the beginning of the day, their morning’s work will mean they have enough money for lunch and other purchases.

who are well placed to deliver long term growth plans.” The Etch system will use its own token, called th e Etch Token (symbol: ETCH).

“When people are being paid as soon as they’ve earned it, we can reduce the need for payday loans and other such instruments to plug spending gaps, as well as improving employees’ peace of mind. “We use Ethereum blockchain technology to unify payroll and remittance services to create a platform that not only benefits employees, but reduces business inefficiencies, saving them time and cost in payroll.” KPMG is also advising on the best business practice for the current ICO phase, encompassing valuations, tax implications, risk framework, governance and controls. Chris Mills, head of Blockchain for KPMG UK said, “Etch is a superb initiative because it provides guaranteed payments in real-time for all work completed, something that no other platform is currently known to achieve. “There are clear and immediate benefits, particularly for low and average income workers, who make up the clear majority of the population. “Etch stands out as it leverages blockchain, mobile and digital technologies in a customer-friendly way. It uses smart technology to power intuitive apps that deliver exactly what’s needed in a simple and neat format for those most in need of cash flow. “What’s also noteworthy is that Etch has an exceptionally strong delivery team

Etch comprises a team of highly-skilled innovators including Etch CTO Tomasz Mloduchowski, a former MIT student of computational physics and supercomputing. Tomasz has been involved in blockchain since 2010, has worked on a number of technology projects and is also a technology consultant for a number of financial institutions. As well as Euros and Tomasz, Etch has a talented technical team including engineers Joshua Richardson and Denis Lukianov, and digital entrepreneur Ben Whyte. Joshua is a blockchain engineer and programmer who deployed his first commercial software at the age of 13. Denis created a prototype for Bitcoin future’s exchange and invented Compact Confidential Contracts in 2015. Etch Community Manager, Ben Whyte ran his first business at the age of 14 and later became a blockchain consultant and business developer.

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Company: CPA Global Web: www.cpaglobal.com Phone: +44 1534 888711 Address: CPA Global Limited, Liberation House, Castle Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE1 1BL

CPA GLOBAL DELIVERS SIGNIFICANT EFFICIENCIES WITH LATEST RELEASE IP technology leader, CPA Global has announced the next generation of Ipendo in its IP One software suite. The upgrade delivers efficiencies in managing complex IP portfolios, improves the user experience and ensures data within the software is consistently verified for accuracy.

pendo is a cloud-based service that delivers secure connectivity to all aspects of IP activity, from inventor disclosure or trademark requests, through to large-scale renewals payments. The new version enables customers to work faster by delivering significant efficiencies; data can be viewed and edited in the same screen reducing time taken to edit cases and administrative burdens by up to 50%. In this latest release, customers can now verify records in their IP management system with the integrated public data delivered by CPA Global’s ground-breaking global patent database and matching engine - IP One Data. In our 2016 proprietary Future of IP Technology survey, 95%

of users selected “automated validation of IP data against patent office data” as one of their top requirements from IP technology. “Up to now most data input into IP software has been done manually, which is time-consuming and error prone,” comments Marc Karlsson, Product Manager at CPA Global. “The new version of Ipendo benefits from our investment in IP One Data to deliver improved data accuracy. Combined with an enhanced user interface this delivers great efficiency gains in data entry - the more complex the edit, the more time is saved. Customers can update hundreds of records with just a few clicks.” Further enhancements to the software include a new

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docketing overview that highlights the most important data and outlines actions via a traffic light system. A new visual dashboard also provides a simple summary of overdue, due and upcoming tasks, enhancing workload management. “CPA Global is investing in technology that enables customers to work significantly faster, improves their experience and gives them seamless access to verified data,” Toni Nijm, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at CPA Global comments. “This new release of Ipendo is all about that. The future of IP is about deploying technology in a smart way so IP professionals can focus their time on making the right IP decisions.”

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Company: EASY Software Web: www.easysoftware. co.uk Email: Info@EasySoftware. co.uk Phone: +44 1284 727870 Address: EASY Software (UK) PLC, Reflection House, Olding Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3TA

EASY SOFTWARE TO LAUNCH NEW GDPR SOLUTION Europe’s foremost provider of integrated document management technologies explains to Business & Breaks how its team-up with Fujitsu is set to deliver a market-leading data tracking tool for GDPR preparation.

ASY Software UK, Europe’s foremost supplier of document management solutions, has a new solution to help UK organisations prepare for imminent data privacy changes in the shape of local implementation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The solution is from EASY’s German sister company Otris Software AG and allows the content management leader to resell fully-featured data compliance management software Otris privacy ®. The longstanding co-operation will be further aligned with key EASY channel partner Fujitsu, a market leader in the document and data capture solutions arena. Otris privacy for GDPR software solution has been enhanced for over a decade to address the stringent requirements of the incumbent German data protection law

BDSG (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz Federal Data Protection Act), and has been successfully deployed by over 500 organisations within this area of jurisdiction. This web-based software tool is used by many European Data Privacy Officers to collate, manage and assess data privacy usage in their organisations so as to lower risk plus provide auditable process documentation to meet the toughest data privacy legal requirements. Welcoming the announcement, EASY Sales and Marketing Director, Howard Frear notes the strong relationship built over many years with Fujitsu, which has been providing many joint customers with reliable document and content management solutions. “This relationship now enters a new era of information regulation and compliance where trust meets opportunity,” he adds.

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Frear also welcomes the chance to work on GDPR preparation with colleagues at Otris, who “clearly live and breathe the considerable complexities of information legal compliance”. “Otris privacy® will be highly useful to GDPR Data Protection Officers, as it will allow them to simultaneously unlock and protect the value of their data.”

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Company: The Sethi Partnership Web: www.sethi.co.uk Email: info@sethi.co.uk Phone: +44 20 8866 6464 Address: The Barn House, 38 Meadow Way, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 8TB

MORE AWARD RECOGNITION FOR SETHI West London-based Law Firm, The Sethi Partnership Solicitors recently announced that it had received six awards nominations in as many months, across multiple areas of law and business.

he latest award nomination comes at individual level for the firm’s senior partner and solicitor, Ritu Sethi, who was shortlisted in the prestigious ‘Woman of the Year’ category at the British Asian Achievers Awards (BAA) earlier this month. The BAA programme has received the backing of UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, and was launched in 2014 by the Jagatwani News Group to honour and acknowledge the outstanding work going on in the UK amongst the Asian community. Speaking about the acknowledgment, Mrs. Sethi highlighted the continuing need particularly for strong female role-models in the legal sector: “I am delighted to have been nominated for a British Asian Achievers Award,” said Ritu Sethi, Senior Partner and Solicitor for The Sethi

Partnership Solicitors. “This represents the sixth awards nomination that the firm has received this year, across a range of different sectors, and demonstrates the success of the team. The other awards shortlists the firm has made in the last year include: • Property Team of the Year, Modern Conveyancing Awards 2017 • Conveyancing Firm of the Year, South, Modern Conveyancing Awards 2017 • Best in Legal Services at The British Indian Awards (BIA) 2017 • Ritu Sethi, HSBC Forward Ladies Awards 2017 • Jem Gova, Rising Star of the Year, Society of Asian Lawyers Annual Awards 2017 • Ritu Sethi, Woman of the Year, British Asian Achievers Awards 2017

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In addition to these nominations, The Sethi Partnership Solicitors has also witnessed a strong amount of internal success this year. Trainees, Jem Gova and Farah Naz, have graduated to become fully-qualified Solicitors, while Inderdeep Johal, has been promoted to Junior Partner. The Firm’s conveyancing team has significantly expanded, and the overall number of monthly cases across all areas of law has also increased. This month the has also received full Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, bringing it up to the level of Government-endorsed standard for cyber security.

standing service to our clients. I am particularly passionate about shining a torch on women working in business, including both today’s leaders and the stars of the future. Having seen the amount of recognition coming into the firm, I am happy that we are at least beginning, more generally, to see a greater acknowledgement of female talent in law and wider business.”

“We have taken a conscious decision to provide an out-

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Company: Priava Web: www.priava.com Email: support.AU@priava. com Phone: +61 2 8383 4333 Address: 31 Fennell Street, Parramatta, NSW, 2150, Australia

PRIAVA: INVESTMENT IN CLOUD TECH SET TO BOOST PRESTIGIOUS CULTURAL CENTRES According to Priava, the leading cloud-based venue management software company, museums, galleries and other cultural centres around the globe are looking beyond their general admission sales and ticketed exhibitions to boost their overall incomes, by taking advantage of their impressive facilities to host meetings and events.

ead of Sales for EMEA at Priava, Michael Jeanes commented, “The physical buildings that house some of the world’s greatest art collections and exhibits are also incredibly impressive in their own right and are perfect venues for hosting meetings and events. With increasing pressure on funding and indeed with some cultural institutions offering free admittance, it is becoming more common for museums and galleries to seriously explore the opportunities of hiring out their spaces.” Events and educational tours can be managed centrally. In turn, the introduction of cloud-based technology that can be accessed from any 56

location is helping in-house events coordinators to more efficiently run a busy events calendar throughout the year as well as being used for booking and managing educational tours. As a centralised system that can be accessed by the whole organisations cloud-based venue management software offers significant time-savings in day to day administration and management of bookings and is capable of supporting the delivery of a high volume of lucrative functions and tours. Michael Jeanes adds, “The number and type of functions that cultural organisations are hosting is really expanding with hundreds of events being held every year from weddings and conventions through to parties, dinners and business

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meetings. The appeal of such venues is that they can offer something a bit different and out of the ordinary which is ideal for those that want to enjoy an event in a unique setting.” Hosting meetings or events is an obvious way of creating additional monies from existing facilities that can be re-invested to fund new collections, artefacts or refurbishments. How museums, galleries and cultural centres benefit from deploying cloud-based technology to manage events Some of the key reasons why cultural organisations are investing in technology to help book and run events are: • Saves administrative time so time can be re-focused on event sales • Better tracking of space and availability leading to greater occupancy and revenues throughout the year • In built-CRM and marketing tools encourages repeat bookings year on year • Centralised on-line system means staff can work anywhere e.g. on-site or • at home • Boosts staff motivation and morale as system reduces mundane activities such as inputting of data • Supports cultural institutions’ growing demand for hospitality • Intelligent reporting reveals trends that help future planning, focus and investment • Ability to support additional revenues from supplier commissions e.g. outside caterers etc. • Enables up-selling packages • Reduced IT costs as all software updates and maintenance are managed by • the provider • Customise event packages to include venue hire, catering items and tickets to exhibitions etc.

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Company: Mayflex Web: www.mayflex.com Email: sales@mayflex.com Phone: +44 121 326 7557 Address: Head Office & Trade Counter, Excel House, Junction Six Industrial Park, Electric Avenue, Birmingham, B6 7JJ

MAYFLEX DELIVERS FOR AVIGILON Distributor of Converged IP Solutions, Mayflex, has gained a qualification from Avigilon Corporation to deliver Avigilon Control Center™ (ACC) video management software certification courses to Mayflex’s customers.

he qualification was awarded to James Vian, Training and Vendor Manager at Mayflex. Training was monitored and assessed by an Avigilon senior technical instructor who was present throughout the duration of the course to ensure the necessary high standards were achieved. ACC™ 6 is Avigilon’s newest and most advanced video management software, featuring award-winning Avigilon Appearance Search™ technology. Avigilon Appearance Search is a sophisticated deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) search engine that sorts through hours of footage with ease, allowing users to quickly locate a specific person or vehicle of interest across all cameras on an entire site. It can save time and effort during critical investigations as it intelligently analyses video data helping to track a person’s or vehicle’s

route and identify previous and last-known locations. Steve Proctor, Director of Sales Security at Mayflex comments, “This latest qualification from Avigilon is a great achievement for Mayflex and James Vian, as it enhances our ability to support our customers using Aviglon’s trusted security solutions. The ACC qualification teaches physical installation best practices, common system configurations as well as optimising the ACC 6 system to ensure a successful implementation, all of which are prerequisites for successful project installations.” Steve continued, “The Mayflex Academy continues to go from strength to strength, providing customers with access to certified vendor training courses in a professional training environment. Well done once again to James for continuing to develop and enhance the courses on offer.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Mayflex Academy continues to go from strength to strength, providing customers with access to certified vendor training courses in a professional training environment.â&#x20AC;?

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Company: LateRooms.com Business Web: www.laterooms.com/ business Email: corporate@laterooms. com Phone: +44 333 0143 705

LATEROOMS.COM IS IN THE DRIVING SEAT FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL New research has revealed that, when it comes to business travel, 41% of employees want to get away from the office more, while nearly a quarter of employees (23%) request an extra night’s stay when travelling for business. Here, LateRooms.com Business fill us in on the rest of their findings.

tions for employees to visit in 2017, and LateRooms.com Business predicts this trend to continue through to 2018.

Commissioned by LateRooms.com Business, the survey supports the continued boom in bleisure travel in 2017, where people use business travel as an opportunity to explore and experience new locations.

The survey also looked at the different hotel preferences when booking for business travel. Whilst WiFi and connectivity continue to be a priority for business bookers, LateRooms.com Business also identified that 73% of employees seek leisure facilities (gym, pool, sauna) when travelling, and 39% search for a hotel with an on-site bar or restaurant.

The research, commissioned by the UK’s leading hotel booking specialist, also highlighted that UK locations within an easy drive or train ride were 10 times more popular choices for business travel than flights overseas. London, the Lake District, Edinburgh and Manchester came out as the top destina-

Graeme Descoteaux, Head of LateRooms for Business, said: “The demand for staycations within both the consumer and business travel markets shows no signs of abating, and it’s interesting to see employees are now being savvy with their business bookings, using them as an opportunity to

new survey has revealed that 41% of employees want to travel more for business, and just under a quarter of employees (23%*) now request an additional night’s stay so they can explore their location.

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take a night away and enjoy cost-effective access to the best of the UK.

“The demand for staycations within both the consumer and business travel markets shows no signs of abating, and it’s interesting to see employees are now being savvy with their business bookings.”

“With great savings and free VAT reconciliations, a service which saves the average business £14,000, it means that both the booker and traveller get to experience the wide array of hotels LateRooms.com has to offer. Whether embarking on a road trip to the beautiful Lake District or planning a city centre stopover in the likes of Manchester, our improved service is designed to ensure business travel in 2018 is even more cost efficient.” LateRooms.com Business is building on its strength as a provider of bespoke solutions to businesses and UK-based expertise. Its vast array of business solutions and added value products and services include dedicated one to one account management, access to bespoke reports via the Business Portal, Corporate Rates, automated hotel VAT receipt reconciliation and consolidated monthly billing.

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TRAVELBAG REVEALS TOP TRAVEL TRENDS FOR 2018 With nearly 40 years of experience creating tailor made holidays to long haul destinations worldwide, the experts at Travelbag always have their finger on the pulse of what’s next in travel. From blockbuster breaks, party pilgrimages and ‘skip-gen’ holidays, here are Travelbag’s top seven predictions for 2018 travel:

Into the Blue (Planet II) David Attenborough’s masterpiece Blue Planet II is doing anything but floundering. Travelbag is seeing an increase in bookings to Borneo to encounter gentle green turtles and to Tanzania for a jaws-dropping look at whalesharks in their natural habitat. Since the programme aired, Travelbag experienced a zing in website traffic to its Australia packages from holidaymakers keen to explore Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef on the planet. Travelbag is offering three nights in Sydney and five nights at Port Douglas, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef from £1,499pp including flights from London Heathrow, all accommodation and an Outer Barrier Reef daytrip cruise. Based on selected October and November 2018 departure dates, book by 15th January 2018. Foodies Go Four Wheels Travelbag reports a growing interest in tailor made self-drive tours to South Africa, Australia and the USA, especially for the more discerning foodie looking to travel to all ends to taste the next culinary craze. These travellers know exactly where they want to travel, and what they want to eat, but they want the expertise of a Travel Expert to handle the logistics, such as flights, car hire and multiple hotel bookings, and to also provide the all-important support and booking protections.

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2018 is set to be another blockbuster year in film and will once again motivate holidaymakers to walk in the footsteps of their favourite on-screen characters.

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Company: Travelbag Web: www.travelbag.co.uk Phone: +44 207 001 5243

Travelbag recommends America’s Deep South where the culinary curious can hit the open road to sample all sorts of delights, such as fried okra, honey baked ham, pecan pie and seasoned fried chicken. Travelbag is offering a 15day Deep South & Carolina Explorer tour to discover the culinary delights of the Southern States from £1,799pp including flights from London Heathrow, 4* hotel accommodation and 15-day car hire. Based on selected March 2018 departure dates, book by 15th January 2018. Blockbuster Breaks 2018 is set to be another blockbuster year in film and will once again motivate holidaymakers to walk in the footsteps of their favourite on-screen characters. Travelbag predicts the Tomb Raider reboot, starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, will see cinema buffs booking a ticket to South Africa where the film was shot. The spotlight shines on India’s tangled jungles for a second year in a row with the new live-action remake of The Jungle Book, directed by Andy Serkis and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Rohand Chan, Matthew Rhys, Christian Bale and Tom Hollander. 64

Travelbag is offering three nights in Cape Town, two nights on the Garden Route and two nights at the Shamwari game reserve from £1,599pp including flights from London Heathrow, 4* and 5* accommodation and six-day car hire. Based on selected May and June 2018 departure dates, book by 15th January 2018. Skip-gen Travel Marcel Proust said, ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.’ Active and adventurous grandparents with extra cash and endless free time are taking the grandkids along for the ride in 2018. Travelbag predicts that Vancouver, South Africa and Queensland will be the top long-haul destinations for skipgen holidays because they are easy to explore independently, there is no language barrier and they offer abundant wildlife viewing to make memories that last a lifetime. Travelbag is offering a 10-day Whales, Bears & Vancouver Island package to spot the amazing wildlife in the region from £2,259pp including flights from London Gatwick, 4* hotel stays and 10-day car hire. Based on selected May and June 2018 departure dates, book by 15th January 2018.

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Party Pilgrimages With Chile’s 200th year of independence, New Orleans' tricentennial, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and Mauritius’s 50-year anniversary, 2018 will be the year of epic world parties. Voted the best place to go in 2018 by Lonely Planet, Chile has so much to offer intrepid adventurers. After experiencing Santiago’s roaring food and arts scene, Travelbag recommends a night in the Atacama Desert, famed as a stargazing mecca, a winery tour to taste some of the world’s best Cabernet Sauvignon, and an outdoor adventure in remote Torres del Paine National Park. Travelbag is offering a 12-day tour of Chile, including a revelry filled stay in Santiago to celebrate the 200th anniversary throughout September 2018. Prices start from £1,999pp including flights from London Heathrow and 4* accommodation. Based on selected September 2018 departure dates, book by 15th January 2018. Long Haul City Breaks

New York, get their art fix at the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town and shop ‘till they drop in Toronto’s trendy Queen West neighbourhood. Travelbag is offering three nights at the 4* Chelsea Hotel, in downtown Toronto and within walking distance of the CN tower, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Eaton Centre Shopping Mall. Prices start from £539pp including flights from London Gatwick. Based on selected January to March 2018 departures dates, book by 15th January 2018. Cheap Thrills With never ending changes to exchange rates across the globe, money saving, savvy travellers want to find a destination where they will be guaranteed the most bang for their buck. In a surprise take-over, Tokyo was voted the cheapest destination in this year’s Post Office Long-Haul Holiday Report, in partnership with Travelbag. There has never been a better time to visit the Japanese capital. Travelbag is offering seven nights staying in central Tokyo from £989pp including flights from London Heathrow and accommodation. Based on selected March 2018 departure dates, book by 15th January 2018.

Culture vultures are avoiding Europe’s overcrowded and frenzied capitals in the summer months and heading further afield. Travelbag’s Travel Experts say larger and newer planes have made the longer journey more comfortable for travellers, while new low-cost airlines are making long haul city breaks more affordable than ever. World wanderers can coffee-shop crawl in

Travelbag packages can be tailored to suit a variety of interests, budgets, dates and length of stay. For more information, visit: www. travelbag.co.uk.

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