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Members of the BID steering group pictured with Chair Martin Duff and Councillor Sean Antsee, Leader of Trafford Council

On 9 November, following a fourweek postal ballot, businesses in Altrincham have voted yes to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in the town centre. This will create a fund of over £1.4 million over the next 5 years raised by the 540 businesses situated within the BID zone. This will be invested on a range of exciting projects designed to improve the town centre, increase footfall and enhance business performance over that period. Businesses voted with a 68% majority and 74% by rateable value. The turnout of 44% was above the national average for a BID ballot. Councillor Sean Anstee, Chair of Altrincham Forward and Leader of Trafford Council said: “This is a brilliant result that will help to continue the momentum in Altrincham town centre, building on the work and investment that has gone into the town over the past few years.” Martin Duff, Chair of the BID

Altrincham businesses vote yes to BID

Steering Group and Owner of Randalls Jewellers said: “Altrincham is on the way up. Visitor numbers are increasing and businesses are coming back and filling empty units and offices. “The next step is to keep this momentum going without destroying the spark. I believe the BID will take us even further towards a brighter, more inclusive, thriving Town. “The BID will be run by a not for profit company, with board members from all the business sectors in the town. Although many of the businesses voted yes, I feel its my job as chair of the steering group to make sure that those businesses that voted against the BID, but will still have to pay into the fund, are visited to see how the BID can work for them. “We have seen the start of companies and community groups working together, with the Healthy High Street programme, and Business in the Community. All these forums have started to bring a pride back to Altrincham, and by all the businesses working together over the next five years we can once again make Altrincham the place to work, shop and live.” Global IT consultancy Informed Solutions, which is headquartered in the iconic Grade II listed Old Bank Building within the BID zone, saw the success of the BID as being in everyone’s interests. Global CEO Elizabeth Vega commented; “I feel quite passionately that all businesses, regardless of whether they are retail, leisure or B2B, will benefit from the BID. It is very much in everyone’s interests that Altrincham gets the recognition that it deserves as an exciting, vibrant, modern market town.” The new BID company will be formally launched on 1 April 2016 at which point activities will commence. Projects include marketing campaigns, safety and security initiatives, events and negotiating joint procurement deals designed to save businesses money. For more information and to view the 5-year BID business plan visit www.altrinchambid.co.uk or call the BID Team on 0161 912 1599.

Dr Now opens new development and technology department in Manchester

Liverpool-born telehealth company Now Healthcare Group will be relocating its Development & Technology division for mobile app ‘Dr Now’ to new office space at MediaCityUK’s Digital World Centre. As part of the company’s continued expansion, the team will be occupying prime office space in The Digital World Centre at the heart of MediaCityUK, making the move from Liverpool’s Albert Dock. The business has enjoyed phenomenal success since the launch of its innovative mobile app in June earlier this year. Founder of Now Healthcare Group and Dr Now, Lee Dentith, made the following statement: “We’re delighted to be in a position to expand the business at Dr Now and we’re thrilled to announce a new office for our development and tech teams in one of the most vibrant, progressive and exciting areas of the North West. “Although we’re extremely proud of our Liverpool roots, we feel that this move will allow us to make the most of the growing digital opportunities in Manchester.”

Record tram numbers getting on board 31 million for the first time, following on from the opening of the 15 stop Manchester Airport line on 3 November 2014. More people than ever are getting on board with Metrolink. October More than 33 million passenger journeys are expected to be made in 2015. saw record passenger numbers use Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) Metrolink Director, Peter Greater Manchester’s iconic tram Cushing, said: “I am delighted that record numbers are continuing to get network, with 3.1 million passenger journeys made across the 31 days. on board with Metrolink. The previous record was 2.9 million passenger journeys made in “October was quite unusual in that we saw capacity crowds attend both November 2014. Old Trafford and the Etihad simultaneously on two occasions for some October saw a number of major sporting spectacles come to the region, major sporting spectacles. and as with all other major events held throughout the year, Metrolink “Our record passenger journeys will, in part, have been influenced was on hand to help people get around. by this, but more importantly it demonstrated how Metrolink is set On 10 October 2015, the Rugby World Cup came to the Etihad Stadium up to support Manchester as a city capable of hosting major while Old Trafford played host to Super League Grand Final at Old international events. Trafford and helped move more than 20,000 people to and from both “With the Christmas Markets – a major visitor attraction for the city venues alone. – now open, the opening of the new Exchange Square stop just around And on 28 October 2015, both Manchester City and United clubs played the corner and the Second City Crossing on the horizon, I look forward to home matches simultaneously for the first time since 2009 with similar welcoming even more people to our growing network and beating this numbers once again using the tram network to get around. record sooner rather than later.” Metrolink continues to go from strength to strength: earlier this year it Metrolink now runs to 92 stops across Greater Manchester, with more was announced that the number of annual passenger journeys exceeded than 3,000 free parking spaces for customers.

Lonely Planet selects city as top travel destination for 2016

City tourism bosses have reacted with delight to the news that Manchester has been named as one of the top ten cities in the world for travellers to visit according to Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2016. Alongside Rome in Italy, Nashville in the United States and Mumbai in India, the cities’ arts and culture have been identified as a key draw for visitors. The much anticipated and highly influential guide to the top travel trends, destinations and experiences for the upcoming year has placed Manchester in the Top 10 Cities category alongside destinations such as Rome in Italy, Nashville in the United States and Mumbai in India. The city’s significant investment in the arts – through projects such as

Morson International, headquartered adjacent to Salford Quays, has announced its new partnership with Northwest based nuclear new build developer, NuGen. The partnership will see Morson, the UK’s foremost Technical Recruiter as the prime supplier of labour to NuGen’s Moorside Project in West Cumbria. NuGen, which is a joint venture company between Toshiba and ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez), is taking forward plans to build the UK’s largest new nuclear power station at Moorside on the West Cumbrian Coast near the Sellafield site. The project aims to build a nuclear power station of up to 3.6GW capacity. Once completed, the Moorside project will be the biggest nuclear development in Europe and could supply up to 7 percent of the UK’s future electricity for decades to come. NuGen will not only create jobs in Cumbria, but also in Manchester, as the organisation has chosen Piccadilly Place in Manchester city centre as an

the Whitworth, HOME, Manchester International Festival and upcoming arts centre The Factory – is given as one of the key reasons for Manchester’s inclusion in the list. The guide states that “the one-time engine room of the Industrial Revolution has found a new groove for the 21st century as a dynamo of culture and the arts”. The entry goes on to namecheck a number of key places – both old and new – that visitors should make sure they incorporate into their itinerary to experience the best of the city. These include the reopened Manchester Central Library; real life escape room game Breakout; Old Trafford and Etihad stadium tours; Levenshulme Market; Islington Mill; Manchester House restaurant; and Manchester Craft and Design Centre. South King Street, Spinningfields, the Arndale and the Northern Quarter all get a mention for shopping; Great John Street Hotel is suggested as the place to stay; whilst unmissable events include Manchester’s upcoming European City of Science celebrations, Manchester Pride and Manchester Food and Drink Festival. Commenting on the inclusion, Nick Brooks-Sykes, director of tourism at Marketing Manchester, part of the Manchester Growth Company, said: “We are delighted that Lonely Planet has recognised Manchester as one of the top cities in the world to visit in 2016. This year has been filled with milestone moments for Manchester – from world-class cultural openings at the Whitworth and HOME to outstanding events in the form of Manchester International Festival and Manchester Pride’s 25th year” James Smart, Lonely Planet’s Destination Editor for the UK and Ireland, said: “We included Manchester in this year’s top ten cities list because it deserves to be recognised as one of the UK’s most important destinations for travellers. Manchester has been transformed in recent years, with inspirational new openings, the reinvention of existing spaces and vast investment. Whatever experience travellers are after – culture, sport, shopping, nightlife – they won’t come away from Manchester disappointed. The city has something to offer everyone.”

Morson in Partnership with NuGen on Moorside Project

operations base for the development phase of the Project. Morson’s partnership is a part of NuGen’s approach to localisation, helping to develop strong industrial relationships with local companies, both in Manchester and in Cumbria. David Lynchehaun, Head of Client Development at Morson, commented: “This is an exciting partnership for Morson and NuGen. The impact and benefit of the Moorside Project to the local communities, supply chains and labour markets in Cumbria and Lancashire will positively affect the economy, whilst also helping to meet the UK’s considerable energy needs for generations to come.” NuGen’s Head of Human Resources, Karen Campbell, said: “The agreement with Morson is a positive step forward for NuGen and this framework will be extremely valuable in supporting the Moorside Project as we power forward over the coming months and years.”

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Clothes2order invests £250,000 as online stores venture takes off

Soul/Funk group Shalamar sporting their personal range of designer gear

Clothing supplier Clothes2order has invested £250,000 in a venture which enables clubs, online communities, charities, trade associations and designers to sell their own branded merchandise via the Trafford Park firm’s own website.

The initiative has got off to a flying start with more than 1,500 online merchandise stores created so far, selling t-shirts, hoodies, caps, bags, vests and sweatshirts.

They include soul/funk group Shalamar, bloggers, sports teams and Facebook communities of witches and gaming ‘clans’. Orders have come from across the globe. Michael Conway, managing director of Clothes2order, said: “The stores are proving very popular, as organisations with limited funds and little storage space no longer have to estimate demand and lay out large sums on stock. “All items are produced on demand, and it’s a way for groups and individuals to monetise their brands as they can set their own prices. “For example, if a sports team gets to a cup final and wants to sell t-shirts, all they have to do is set up a store and share the link with their supporters. “Similarly, the same is true for organisers of pop festivals and campaigns.” One of the most successful merchandise stores to date was for the second annual National Women in Engineering Day in June. The event was established in 2014 by the Women’s Engineering Society to encourage more females to consider the profession as a career.

Supporters bought nearly 200 t-shirts through Clothes2order to promote the campaign, including companies and organisations in sectors such as Science, Engineering and Manufacturing, plus Technologies Alliance and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Michael added: “We are delighted with the response so far to our initiative, which helps us to improve our service to a growing customer base.

“We have done it to solve the problems of someone in a group or organisation having to gather sizes and payments from individuals, wait for there to be sufficient demand, and then place a bulk order. “The merchandise stores are free to set up and easy to use. They are mobile and tablet-friendly, and orders can be placed at any time and for just a single item if people wish. “The stores can offer designs on up to 400 different items of clothing. It’s quick and easy and provides a 24-hour service.” is based in Hazel Grove and is best-known for operating the UK’s largest Recommerce website musicMagpie.co.uk. Group chief executive Steve Oliver said: “We hope to raise valuable funds from the sale of hundreds of thousands of bags across our chain of stores. “Challenge 4 Change is a fantastic local charity that forges links between diverse groups in our communities and, in particular, works with those less privileged to demonstrate the benefits of teamwork and community spirit using its indoor urban experiential learning facility. “We have worked with Challenge 4 Change for three years and we are happy to continue our support of its outstanding activities. “Our other chosen charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust, is a national one and needs little explanation. Its work in providing physical and emotional support to people affected by cancer is simply invaluable.” Dave Djordjevic, chief executive of Challenge 4 Change, said: “This is a fantastic gesture from That’s Entertainment. We really value their support, which will mean that more people will benefit from our programmes and be better equipped to contribute to the local economy and community as a result.”

Retailer’s pledge on plastic bag charges boosts Challenge 4 Change

A Trafford Park charity is set for a windfall after being chosen by retailer That’s Entertainment to receive half of its proceeds from the new 5p charge for plastic bags. The Stockport-based chain will divide the proceeds between Challenge 4 Change and the Teenage Cancer Trust for the year to May 31. Challenge 4 Change runs a 19,000 sq ft indoor activity centre which includes an arena with aerial and ground-level assault courses, a climbing wall and a mock jail. It also operates a mobile training centre in the form of a converted double-decker bus equipped with a zip wire and a climbing wall. Challenge 4 Change is used by schools and colleges, housing associations, businesses, sports clubs, charities and community organisations. The charity aims to help people build their confidence, improve their problem-solving and communication skills and encourage team working. Shoppers are being charged 5p for every plastic bag they buy from retailers in England with 250 or more full-time employees. Retailers can choose what to do with the proceeds, but they are expected to donate it to charity. That’s Entertainment has 24 stores selling new and used CDs, DVDs and computer games. It is part of the Entertainment Magpie group, which

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Skills Shop Celebrates Second Birthday

Trafford College’s Skills Shop has celebrated its second birthday at the Intu Trafford Centre. The Skills Shop, which opened its doors in October 2013, has seen a number of businesses at the region’s famous shopping centre benefit from access to world class skills solutions for their industry, and has rapidly become a one-stop shop for independent retailers and larger chains looking to enhance the skills of their employees. Programmes include pre-employment training, apprenticeships and masterclasses. Since its opening, the centre has welcomed thousands of visitors through its doors for advice and guidance, and has seen hundreds of students complete qualifications and progress onto full-time employment, as well as further qualifications. The College has enjoyed a strong working relationship with Intu Trafford Centre since its launch in 1998 when the College helped deliver training to staff recruited for the opening, and has continued to deliver a huge range of qualifications to the centre’s workforce. The Skills Shop works with a large number of employers from the centre including Debenhams, Sketchers, Hotel Chocolat and EAT, to name but a few, helping in the recruitment and training of staff. Retail Coordinator & Skills Shop Manager, Jemma Lees, commented, “It has been a wonderful two years for the Skills Shop and we are proud to be supporting so many businesses at Intu Trafford Centre with their recruitment needs. We look forward to continuing to deliver a high quality range of programmes alongside our partners here at the centre, that will help train local individuals to develop the skills needed to progress into employment.” Joining in with the birthday celebrations was one of the Skills Shop’s current students, Kenneth Miller from Eccles. He commented, “Before I came to the Skills Shop, I had been unemployed since Christmas and it had really knocked my confidence in many ways. “Since coming here my confidence has really grown and my people and communication skills have really improved. The Skills Shop provides a calming and comfortable environment to train in, and I would highly recommend it to anybody looking for a job.”

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Devolution supported by Manchester businesses in new Centre for Cities report

Business leaders in Greater Manchester have backed the city’s devolution deal to boost local firms across the region, according to new research published today by the think tank Centre for Cities in association with TLT Solicitors. In a survey of nearly 400 local business leaders conducted by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Centre for Cities, more than half said that their business would benefit from local government in the city-region having the power to vary and retain local taxes, which would enable them to unlock investment in the local economy. The findings are published in a new Centre for Cities report, ‘The Business Case for Devolution’, offering the first in-depth insight into the views of business leaders in Greater Manchester towards the city-region’s devolution deal. As well as backing local leaders to take on more powers over taxes, transport and housing, most local business leaders also support the introduction of an elected mayor and combined authority in Greater Manchester, which will take place in 2017 – with 52% saying it would be a positive development, compared to just 6% who were not in favour. The majority of businesses also welcomed the prospect of local government taking control over local public services budgets (52%), with the city-region’s health and social care budgets due to be devolved in April 2016. However, the research also suggests that local business leaders would like more opportunity to shape the devolution agenda locally – with 52% of respondents saying that they have not had the chance to voice their views on the city-region’s devolution deal. The report argues that, as local government leaders in Manchester prepare to take on more powers over the next few years, it is vital that they channel the enthusiasm of the city’s business community by ensuring that local firms are at the heart of discussions about key economic priorities such as transport, infrastructure and local tax rates. Commenting on the findings, Alexandra Jones, Chief Executive of the think tank Centre for Cities, said: “We often hear that the private sector is sceptical about the benefits of devolution but this report shows that businesses leaders in Greater Manchester back the devolution agenda and believe it could offer them real opportunities in the years to come. “For local leaders to make the most of the opportunities that devolution will bring, it’s vital that they continue to work with Manchester’s business community to ensure that they have a shared understanding of local economic priorities and that local government can use their new powers to meet the needs of local firms. This will be crucial in making sure that places and businesses across Greater Manchester are in the best possible position to capitalise on the benefits that devolution will offer.” Chris Fletcher, Policy and Marketing Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “For many businesses devolution plans offer a great way of not just getting more control and influence in the decision making process, but also put a level of accountability that has been missing for too long back into local politics. “In Greater Manchester the history and legacy of close working between the public and private sector is there for all to see and it is important that future plans are developed and delivered to continue this.”

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Together scoops six industry award nominations

Cheadle-based specialist lender Together has scooped six nominations for the industry’s acclaimed Loan Talk awards including: Best Industry Portal, Best Secured Loans Product Range and Secured Loans Lender of the Year. In addition, sales director Gary Bailey and national sales manager Nick Jones were both nominated for Secured Loans Lender Personality of the Year, whilst Nick was also nominated for Secured Loans Relationship Manager of the Year. Board director Marc Goldberg commented: “It’s been a fantastic year for Together, with new lending more than doubling to nearly £725 million and both loan book and profits up by a third, so it’s great to receive this recognition from our peers. “Our common sense approach to each lending decision means we can provide fast and flexible finance solutions to customers, via our extensive broker network, and I’m proud to see two of our dedicated sales team acknowledged for the energy and enthusiasm they bring to developing and maintaining mutually supportive partnerships with our brokers. “It’s also great to see our broker portal nominated, as this is an area we have invested in heavily. The platform was designed for brokers, using their input, following research we conducted and we’ve been very pleased with the feedback, with 91% of brokers surveyed rating it good or excellent.” In other news from the group, students from across Greater Manchester have won a total of £7,500 in a local community art competition run by Together. The winning artists came from Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester High School for Girls, South Trafford College, Bridgewater High School, Lady Barn House School and Cale Green Primary School. All the winning artwork will be displayed in a professional exhibition next year. The competition was open to children, teenagers and students across the region, with five entry categories covering all the school key stages, plus college and university level. Entrants had to create an original piece of Quartey, who all attended university here in the North West before joining Together in 2014 on a two-year training programme. The judges included acclaimed local artist Pietra Castellani, Katherine Rosati from Stockport Art Gallery and Together’s HR director Kevin Fisher, who said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response and the quality of entries from a wide variety of schools, colleges and universities. It’s great to see our company values represented in so many different ways.”

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity (RMCH Charity) recently ran a competition in conjunction with Brodericks Love Coffee which asked patients to design a festive Christmas cup. The winning design will be used in all Brodericks vending machines for the duration of December. Patients from across all wards in the children’s hospital enthusiastically got designing the ultimate Christmas scene to feature on the cups. The only criteria was that the design was as colourful as possible and featured charity mascot, Humphrey bear.

Manchester business uses coffee cups designed by patients from the Royal Manchester Children’s hospital

The Charity received a wide range of designs from snowy scenes to Humphrey on the wards at Christmas. After careful consideration the charity sent the shortlisted designs to John Broderick, Managing Director of Brodericks Love Coffee, and Mike Gardiner, Director at cup manufacturers F Benders. The lucky winner who depicted Humphrey visiting patients on Ward 84, the children’s cancer ward was patient Charming Seyi-Abiodun from Gorton in Manchester. The 10 year old chose to draw the mascot spreading festive cheer and delivering presents to patients. Charming’s design will be featured on all cups in Broderick Love Coffee’s 900 vending machines across the region, reaching as far south as Stanstead. The coffee company are encouraging each person who buys one of their coffees over the festive period to donate £1 to the charity. The cups feature a bespoke text to donate code making it quick and easy to artwork that represented Together’s core values of being passionate, accountable, customer-focused and exceptional. As well as receiving prize money, the winners’ artwork will be exhibited at Stockport Art Gallery for four weeks from 18 February 2016, before moving to Together’s head office at Cheadle Royal Business Park for permanent display. ArtTastic was set up by four graduate trainees at Together: Clarissa Slinger, Cristina Dominte, Greg Scott and Gyan

support the hospital this Christmas. Brodericks Love Coffee is a family firm established 45 years ago by founder John Broderick and is now run by sons Johnny and Peter. With a turnover in excess of £14m and employing around 130 people, the company was known as Manchester Vending Services Ltd., but was officially rebranded as The Broderick’s Group in November 2014. Joel Oxberry, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are delighted that Brodericks have given our patients the chance to be involved in such an exciting competition. Drawing and arts and crafts are encouraged within the hospital as they act as distractions for patients who are often in hospital for a long time. We are really looking forward to seeing our Charity’s logo on the cups in every one of Broderick’s coffee machines; it really does help to spread awareness of the hospital across the region and beyond.” Johnny Broderick, Managing Director of Broderick’s Love Coffee, added: “They say that ‘charity begins at home’ and this Christmas, for the first time, we’re going to use, in all our machines, a specially commissioned festive cup that focuses on a charity that’s touched a lot of lives locally. The design will be featured on 300,000 cups in Broderick Love Coffee’s 1,000 hot beverage machines across the country.”

Danielle Carney from the RMCH, Humphrey Bear, Winner Charming Seyi-Abiodun from Gorton and Johnny Broderick, Managing Director of Broderick’s Love Coffee

VST Enterprises look to create ‘the future of retail’ at Web Summit

At the beginning of November Manchester-based VST Enterprises unveiled a revolutionary unique identifier VCode at Web Summit. Web Summit is an annual technology conference which has been held in Dublin, Ireland since 2010. The topic of the conference is centred on internet technology and attendees range from Fortune 500 companies to the world’s most exciting tech businesses. The summit contains a mix of CEOs and founders of tech start-ups together with a range of people from across the global technology industry, as well as related industries. VST’s code has been dubbed ‘the future of retail’ by Microsoft. The ground-breaking innovation is set to replace bar codes across the UK in line with EU commission legislation which will come in to effect from 2017. The completely secure identifier has gone live from 26 November and has broad applications for ticketing, instant purchasing, banking, rewards and loyalty schemes and fraud prevention. Louis-James Davis, CEO of VST Enterprises commented: “VCode has been years in development and has already had incredibly positive feedback from the select blue chip organisations we have presented it to, including KPMG, Santander and Microsoft. “The VCode app will not only allow users to pay for goods securely, but will deliver a personalised experience from the same code, based on the user’s demographics and location.” Unlike traditional bar codes and QR codes, VCode can be scanned from any screened media, from a distance of over 100m. The code is recognised instantaneously and as every code is truly unique, the new technology eliminates the problem of mainstream counterfeiting. The app is compatible with all smart devices with a camera and refers users to a bespoke branded experience, resulting in further opportunities for companies to interact with consumers. From 2016 VCodes will also be scannable from all electronic point of sale machines. Louis-James concluded: “This technology is going to have huge applications across a wide range of industries. We are already in partnership with the three main sponsors of Web Summit and therefore this is the ideal forum for us to unveil VCode.” The innovative work of VST Enterprises, based in MediaCityUK, is yet another success story for Greater Manchester’s thriving financial technology sector. The region is home to a strong collection of FinTech companies from well-established businesses supporting the financial services sector to smaller firms developing novel solutions disrupting current business models. VCode has applications in almost all industries including, retail, rail, banking, and hospitality, as well as public sector organisations such as the NHS, the police, and government bodies With 32x72 quadrillion secure variations, VCode is set to revolutionise online sales, offer unrivalled fraud protection and increase traceability of products to eliminate counterfeit sales worldwide.

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Entrepreneurial Manchester students win grand final of Aldermore business challenge

A team of students from Manchester have won the national final of the SKILL! programme, an enterprise initiative created by Patrick Philpott from Visionpath Education and run in conjunction with SME-focused Aldermore Bank. On Friday 20 November, a team from Harrop Fold School in Little Hulton battled students from elsewhere in the UK at the London Stock Exchange to be crowned 2015 SKILL! champions. SKILL! is designed to help students aged between 14 and 16 to develop work-related skills such as collaboration, communication, clear thinking and creativity. The SKILL! national final coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) – the world’s largest campaign to promote entrepreneurship. Each year, it plays a role in encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs to consider starting up their own business. Teams from Harrop Fold School and Loreto High School in Manchester, Nene Park Academy in Peterborough and Reading Girls’ School, travelled to London to pitch their ideas to a panel of business experts in the ‘Tiger’s Cage’. The winning team from Harrop Fold School came up with the inventive Ecoheart fashion range idea which sees used plastic bags being combined with other materials to create a fabric to produce comfortable and ecofriendly clothing. The team won a £1,000 enterprise fund to promote business skills in their school. Kerry Winter, Whole School Lead for Student Progress at Harrop Fold School, said: “We are extremely proud of our students for winning here today. All of our pupils who have been involved in SKILL!, both in the original workshop and today’s national final, have gained a great deal from the experience and really enjoyed the opportunity to test their entrepreneurial flair.” Judge Aden Levin, Director at Mainstage Travel, said: “We have seen some fantastic ideas here today. I was really inspired by the pupils who participated in the final and hope that they have picked up some essential skills that will prove valuable after they have completed their education. “The SKILL! programme is an excellent way to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and I feel very proud to have been a part of it.” Phillip Monks, Chief Executive Officer at Aldermore, said: “I would like to thank all of the students who took part in today’s final and congratulate them on their efforts. We were very impressed with the calibre of the ideas pitched to us and it was difficult to choose just one winner. Many of Aldermore’s customers are entrepreneurs and by supporting the SKILL! programme, we hope to encourage the entrepreneurs of the future.” Aldermore has partnered with SKILL! for the past three years. The programme offers an opportunity for young people to learn first-hand from experienced business mentors, gaining confidence and practical skills such as presentation techniques and teamwork.

Company Shop create 50 New Jobs with new Middleton store

Company Shop, the UK’s largest redistributor of surplus food, has opened a brand new store in Middleton, Greater Manchester, creating 50 jobs. The 8,000 square foot store is located on the Stakehill Industrial Estate and was opened by special guest the Deputy Mayor of Rochdale Councillor Ray Dutton, together with the Founder of Company Shop, John Marren, new store manager Vijay Patel and the first shopper through the door, Bill Andrews. Company Shop works with the biggest retailers, manufacturers and brands across the country, taking their surplus products and selling them on to the members of their stores at discount prices. Products may have reached Company Shop due to such things as forecasting errors, promotions on packaging that might have ended, or short shelf-life remaining. Whatever the products’ journey, everything the company sells is always wholesome and in date. To become a member of Company Shop you need to work in the food manufacturing sector, for example at local businesses like Park Cakes, Robert McBride, Heinz, Princes or 2 Sisters Food Group. The new site represents a seven figure investment by the business, supported by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, and is Company Shop’s fourth full scale store in the UK, alongside nearly twenty staff shops it runs within manufacturing sites. The opening has also been championed by MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency and Rochdale Development Agency, and the team have been supported to recruit new staff by The Skills Company, who also support local people that are unemployed and in receipt of a work related benefit, to get back into work.

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Keep your eye on cashflow, especially as your business grows

Cashflow remains a serious problem for small businesses, Michael Jayson, managing partner in the Manchester office of the national audit, tax and advisory firm Crowe Clark Whitehill, has emphasised. His comments follow recent figures suggesting that the issue of late payment is worsening: “Given steady economic growth and improved order books it is easy for SMEs to take their eye off the cashflow ball, but they need to remember that a successful stream of contracts is no good if the money isn’t coming in on time. Overextending themselves is a sure way of getting into financial difficulty.” The value of unpaid invoices owed to small businesses is £67.4 billion, ahead eight per cent on last year, according to recent figures from the Asset Based Finance Association. The average number of days that an SME has to wait for an invoice to be paid has also grown to 72 days, up from 61 days in 2009. Manufacturing and construction are some of the worst affected. The deterioration comes despite Small Business Minister Anna Soubry declaring that late payment was “unacceptable” and the Government introducing the new Enterprise Bill which contains a number of measures aimed at helping firms, including the introduction of a small business commissioner to assist SMEs in disputes over late payments with larger companies, estimated to be currently costing them £26.8 billion. Mr Jayson said: “Hopefully these measures will help towards combating what sometimes seems to be an intractable problem. “Of course every business already has the statutory right to charge interest at the Bank of England base rate plus eight per cent once a payment has not been made within the agreed credit period. But SMEs are most reluctant to go down that route for fear it would lose them important customers. “Businesses need to be highly proactive in chasing up invoices – their survival depends on it – and we can advise them on how best to manage cashflow and working capital.”

Michael Jayson, Crowe Clark Whitehill

Hale accountants look to the future through apprenticeships

Hale accountants Alexander Knight & Co have added two new colleagues to its growing team. Alexander Patt and Nick Bennett join as assistant accountants and will provide bookkeeping, management accounting and back office support. Nick has already achieved Level 2 of the AAT qualification and has joined the practice through the Government backed Apprenticeship scheme. Alexander has joined part-time as he continues to study A-levels at Manchester Grammar School. The firm aims to create more jobs for youngsters over the next three years. Alison Spier, head of marketing, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Nick and Alexander to the team and we’re committed to investing in the next generation of accountants. We’ve got a three year plan to recruit more apprentices into our team as well as continuing to attract experienced accountants from other practices. “The development and progression of talented apprentices is the lifeblood of many entrepreneurial businesses within our client base. We’re excited about developing our apprentices into skilled and fully qualified professionals.”