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February/March 2015

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A look into Brother UK

Phil Jones, Managing Director of Brother UK and President of Forever Manchester, in an exclusive interview aligning his role as head of a successful business with a turnover in excess of £100m with that of President of Greater Manchester’s Community Foundation Charity.

The PM and Chancellor present their long term economic plan for Manchester On a whistle stop tour of the region, the Prime Minister and Chancellor present their long term economic plan for the region to a crowded audience at the old Granada Studios building on Quay Street, soon to become ‘The Manchester Factory’.

Trafford Business Expo 2015 Trafford’s flagship B2B event is back and we’re once again media sponsors. This time Trafford Council’s Meet the Buyer event is co-locating, so Tuesday 30 June at The Point, Emirates Old Trafford will be a date not to be missed.

Trafford Park doubles up on a networking boost 2015 will see two major networking incentives launched to give the Park a sharp B2B networking push. Tuesday 10 March will see Trafford Park Connect launched, and Trafford Park Business Network will launch on Thursday 19 March at Hotel Football. Full details inside.

Dennis Tueart scores in business Legendary Manchester City player and club director Dennis Tueart shares his passion for business in an exclusive interview.

GM Biz Expo 2015 Trafford Business Connect look to support the City Centre B2B Expo on Tuesday 9 June at the Hilton, Deansgate.

Economic Review John Ashcroft, Chief Economist for the GM Chamber reports on the healthy state of our economy in 2014 alongside his expectations for 2015.

Phil Jones, Managing Director of Brother UK and President of Forever Manchester, pictured outside Forever Manchester’s City Centre Headquarters on Hewitt Street

Inside this issue... Business News Trafford Business Expo Brother UK Dennis Tueart GM Biz Expo Trafford Park B2B Networking PM and Chancellor visit John Ashcroft Economist Finance Social Media Digital Wellbeing Diary Dates Places to Meet...

CONNECTING BUSINESSES ACROSS MANCHESTER

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February/March 2015

contents 4 news

TRAFFORD BUSINESS

All the latest from around Manchester and beyond.

connect

22 comment Brother UK Exclusive interview with Managing Director Phil Jones. Dennis Tueart Insight into the sporting view of business from the Manchester City legend.

Subscription is easy. Simply visit www.traffordbusinessconnect.co.uk and click through to subscribe, where you can register your details to receive an electronic link to the magazine as soon as it is published.

20 24

editorial

Economic Outlook John Ashcroft reviews 2014 and looks into 2015.

Here at Trafford Business Connect we are on the lookout for both news articles relating to business activity within Manchester, or educational articles that can help businesses at any level. If you regularly send out press releases, or if you are looking for press coverage of a newsworthy event, please get in touch either by phone or send an email to editorial@ traffordbusinessconnect.co.uk

26 focus

Planning Long Term The PM and Chancellor presents their pre-election view of Manchester’s future.

Trafford Park B2B Networking Two new initiatives to raise the Park’s business interconnectivity. Dragon Backs Manchester Entrepreneurs Deborah Meaden backs Manchester’s Zeven Media. Trafford Business Expo Back for 2015 - bigger, better, and co-locating with Trafford’s Meet the Buyer.

adver tise We offer a fantastic range of advertising opportunities, from full pages through to eighth pages that offer advertising at extremely reasonable rates.

Synextra Feature on VoIP options for business.

33 social media Five Twitter do’s and don’ts for 2015.

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35 finance

Minimise your tax this year.

Five tips to manage stress.

37diary dates Business networking events over the coming months.

places to meet List of venues and facilities supporting business across Manchester.

For more information please download a copy of our media pack found on our website: www.traffordbusinessconnect.co.uk or alternatively please email: advertising@traffordbusiness connect.co.uk or phone:

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36 wellbeing

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to the latest edition of Trafford Business Connect and join the fastest growing business to business forum in Manchester. Trafford Business Connect is a dynamic business to business bi-monthly magazine that is crammed full of local and regional news, articles, interviews and regular columnists.

The magazine connects businesses across Greater Manchester, and is completely free. PUBLISHED BY

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• 07971 575977 Office • 0161 969 8632 DISCLAIMER Whilst we have taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained within this magazine, we give no warranty and make no representation regarding the accuracy or the completeness of the content of this information. Consequently we accept no liability for any losses or damage (whether direct, indirect, special, consequential or otherwise) arising out of errors or omissions contained in this magazine. Views expressed in Trafford Business Connect in editorial or advertising content are not necessarily those of it’s publisher Business Connect Publishing Limited. The publisher cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies supplied to us in editorial or advertising material.

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news Skylab chosen as top Free wifi on ten future leader for Metrolink MediaTank video platform Manchester digital agency Skylab have been selected by Creative England from a field of over 500 companies, as one of the country’s top ten Future Leaders, for their innovative MediaTank video platform. MediaTank is a powerful cloudbased video platform that offers any business, brand or organisation opportunities for marketing, selling videos online, digital asset management and also has a flavour dedicated to developers. The end of January saw the launch of the Creative England Live event in London showcasing a range of creative industries demonstrating the wealth of innovation and talent emerging from across England in film, TV, digital and games. Creative England has helped to fund over 500 projects across the country and the event celebrated the launch of the Creative England 50; a list of the 50 individuals and businesses chosen from that field for their ability to turn a bright idea into a commercial success. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Creative England Future Leaders. Skylab’s MediaTank video platform was chosen as one of the top 10 out of a field of over 500, by a prestigious

judging panel including Nicola Mendelsohn, Vice President of Facebook EMEA, the BBC’s Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, entrepreneur and investor Saul Klein and Stuart Rock, Editor in Chief for the Business is GREAT campaign. Skylab’s BAFTA Award winning Managing Director Nigel Collier said, “Being selected as one of the country’s top ten Future Leaders for our MediaTank video platform is great recognition for the hard work the team have put in to create a world class product. What’s most pleasing is the recognition for MediaTank being innovative and disruptive. Those are core principles of both the platform and the Skylab philosophy.”

Front row L-R John Newbigin OBE, Chairman of Creative England, Nigel Collier, Managing Director of Skylab, Nik Powell, Director of the National Film and Television School with other event attendees in the background.

Metrolink customers will be able to make a new kind of connection in future as part of a £1.7 million deal to roll out free wifi on every tram. By spring all 94 trams will have the technology on board, as well as the 20 buses running the free city centre Metroshuttle service linking the main rail stations, car parks, shopping areas and businesses in Manchester city centre. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has joined forces with Manchester and Salford City Councils and the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) – part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – to fund the innovative scheme. Metrolink is on track to be the first light railway in England to becoming fully wifi capable. This helps Greater Manchester move a step closer to its ambition of being a top 20 worldwide digital city region by 2020. Wifi has already been trialled on

Metrolink, with positive feedback from customers who used it. It is hoped the rollout will make the trams and Metroshuttle buses a more attractive journey choice, supporting TfGM’s commitment to sustainable travel. Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee said: “Greater Manchester is leading the way in the growing provision of wifi services on public transport, which in turn takes us one step close to our aim of being a top 20 digital city region by 2020.” Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Putting digital access at the heart of the city by improving connectivity is key to achieving our ambitious target of making Manchester one of the world’s leading digital cities. “The introduction of free wifi on all Metrolink and Metroshuttle services ensures that residents and visitors to Manchester can make the most of mobile technology while they are on the go.”

70 organisations on board to support Manchester at major international property convention Manchester will be represented by 70 organisations in March when the city’s annual MIPIM partnership descends on Cannes, France at the world’s largest property market event. This year’s Manchester at MIPIM partnership is the largest to date as the city returns for its sixteenth outing at the influential property fair. The event will be used as a platform to showcase some of Manchester’s newest and upcoming initiatives including Factory Manchester and The Sir Henry Royce Institute for Materials Research and Innovation. 24 organisations are new to

Manchester at MIPIM this year and they include Russells Construction, Civic Engineers, Capita, Renaker Build and Jones Lang LaSalle. Returning partners for 2015 include Deloitte, Himor Group, Noma and Airport City. A full list of the 70 partners is available on the website www.manchesteratmipim.com Manchester stand sessions will be streamed live from www.livestream. com/manchesteratmipim and also available to watch on the homepage of www.manchesteratmipim.com Taking place at the Palais des Festivals (Cannes) at 2pm on Tuesday,

10 March, the panel discussion has been refocused as the MIPIM City Investment Forum. It will centre this year upon the leading powerhouses of the future, incorporating high profile representatives from Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, Manchester and Stockholm. Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester’s growth and transformation over recent decades has been achieved through strong private-public partnerships, world class academic institutions and the conscious support of key growth

industries underpinned by the city region’s property market. “Our activity at MIPIM is vital to the city’s development and with the sheer number of partners on board this year, we have a solid expression of the growing confidence and ambitions for Manchester. With such a variety of private sector support, this is a perfect opportunity to celebrate our achievements and also prepare for the infrastructure opportunities and challenges that will determine the city’s future.” MIPIM takes place from 10-13 March 2015 in Cannes, France.

National Football Museum nominated for European Museum of the Year The National Football Museum has been nominated for the European Museum of the Year award. The Manchester-based museum is just one of three British venues included in the shortlist representing the best in European arts and culture. From hundreds of entries, the judging panel had the arduous task of whittling them down to just 42. The panel visited the museum in August this year to be given a private guided tour around the greatest collection of footballing memorabilia in the world. Over a million people have visited the museum since moving to its new home in the summer of 2012. Kevin Moore, Director at the

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February/March 2015

National Football Museum said “We are absolutely thrilled that the museum has been shortlisted for this prestigious award. “We are just one of three museums in the UK to be nominated and it is great to hear that our collection has been recognised in such a competitive field.” The two other nominees in the UK are Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth and Titanic Belfast, Belfast. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony closing the Annual Assembly of the European Museum Forum, which will take place on 13 -16 May 2015 in Glasgow. For a full list of nominees see www.europeanmuseumforum.info/

Confidence boost

Manchester businesses are heading into election year with confidence higher than ever, according to the yearly business confidence report from Regus, the global workplace provider. Based on the views of over 200 business owners and senior managers in the city, the ninth edition of the Regus Business Confidence Index (BCI) - which is heavily based on actual performance over the last 12 months - reveals a six point rise from 121 points to 127. This reflects the national trend; UK figures show a seven point rise from 117 points to 124. The results paint a picture of positivity and growth as Manchester gears up for the 2015 general election. The report reveals that 64% of the city’s businesses saw an increase in revenues in the past year, and 63% saw profits rise. New ways of working are helping businesses to grow. Almost a quarter of Manchester businesses (23%) increased their flexible working options for staff over the past twelve months.

Manchester features in prestigious travel list The New York Times has singled out Manchester as the only UK entry in its highly-esteemed annual list of Places to Go 2015. The city ranks number 26 out of 52 destinations that the publication considers to be most worthy of travel from the United States. The list is an eclectic combination of lesser-known places as well as those that offer a new reason to visit in 2015. Citing ‘a flurry of cultural openings’ including the Whitworth, HOME and Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, the city’s listing suggests that 2015 will be the year that Manchester ‘shows off its sophisticated side’. It also acknowledges the significant number of unique hotels getting ready to

open, most notably Hotel Football. Commenting on the announcement Nick Brooks-Sykes, director of tourism at Marketing Manchester, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see Manchester being recognised in this way, in what is set to be an exceptional year for cultural tourism.” James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive, said: “This is a fantastic accolade for Manchester. The combination of sporting, cultural and historical highlights taking place this year ensures that 2015 is set to be exceptional. This is certainly reflected in the visitor figures as Manchester is the UK’s 3rd most visited city for international visitors after London and Edinburgh.”

Manchester talent pool attracts leading global law firm

Rod Harrington, Chief Administrative Officer for Europe

Latham & Watkins, one of the world’s top 5 global law firms, has announced plans to open a new business services office in Manchester, citing the city’s highly qualified talent pool as an influencing factor. The new office will be an expansion of the firm’s existing global support services, many of which are currently provided from a global services office in Los Angeles. The decision to open in Manchester follows a period of sustained global growth for the firm, particularly in Europe where the firm employs over 550 fee earners, including 300 in its award-winning London office.

Richard Morris, UK Managing Director at Regus, commented “Businesses in Manchester do not seem concerned with 2015 election uncertainty - far from it. These are some of the most robust business confidence figures we’ve ever announced.

The firm will build a small initial presence in its first year in Manchester with the majority of the roles being newly created, predominantly in finance and technology support.

“Clearly, flexible ways of working – particularly in relation to the physical workspace - are playing a significant role. Companies are managing growth carefully, with many recognising that full-time, permanent office space with its associated long-term leasing is no longer the only option. Remaining agile helps business secure and retain top talent, and keeping overheads low is vital to sustainable business growth.”

MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency, helped support the underlying business case as to why Manchester was the most effective business location to open this new office.

Commenting on the opening Rod Harrington, Chief Administrative Officer for Europe, said: “The opening of a business services office in Manchester is another key milestone in the further development of our global practice. This investment in our European infrastructure is a response to the growth of the firm outside the US, in particular in Europe. “We are excited by the prospect of opening in Manchester. For a global business, the city has a large and highly qualified talent pool and offers ease of access to and from our offices in Europe and around the world.” Tim Newns, chief executive of MIDAS said “To attract a top five global law firm such as Latham & Watkins is a significant new milestone and a real fillip for the city’s reputation in what is a burgeoning professional services sector in Manchester. It continues to prove that Manchester has the talent, expertise and connectivity to attract the World’s top brands.”

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February/March 2015

news

Trafford Business Connect partners with GM Biz Expo 2015 at the Hilton Deansgate As part of our push this year on networking Trafford Business Connect magazine are very pleased to be supporting the Greater Manchester Business Expo 2015 (known as the GM Biz Expo) on Thursday 9 June at the Hilton Hotel, Deansgate. Organised by Biz Expos Ltd, which is spearheaded by Grant Erskine from Grant Erskine Architects, the event has grown massively in popularity over the years and has found a home at the Hilton Hotel situated in iconic Beetham Tower on Deansgate. The event is expected to be action packed - with business seminars and speed networking, as well as 120 exhibitors and 1,000 visitors expected to fill the venue. Exhibitors are limited to only two of any business type and registration is free - available through Eventbrite. For any exhibitors at the event, Trafford Business Connect will be exhibiting at the Expo and a copy of our magazine will be available to every visitor and exhibitor. For your chance to promote your business please contact Paul Mirage on 07708 987518

To exhibit or register as a visitor visit www.gmbizexhibition.co.uk or email team@thebizexpos.com

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SAS Daniels awarded Manchester airport takes off in december gold standard North West law firm SAS Daniels LLP has been awarded the Investors in People Gold standard, joining the top 7% of accredited organisations across the UK who believe in realising the potential of their people. The firm which has over 70 legal advisers, including 23 partners operating out of four offices based in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester and Congleton first achieved the Investors in People award in 1999. This comes on the back of the firm winning silver for the ‘Developing Young People’ award at this year’s Stockport Business Awards and earlier this year, proudly reinforced its commitment to excellence after achieving its 10th successful Lexcel assessment, an international practice management standard only awarded to law firms who meet its rigorous criteria for business management and client care.

The firm has also recently reported success in the legal guides, Chambers UK and The Legal 500, setting another personal record and exceeding their previous results for both guides, with rankings covering all of the firm’s core practice teams. Investors in People is the UK’s leading accreditation for business improvement through people management. Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate SAS Daniels on their Gold standard. Such a high level of accreditation is the sign of great people management practice, and demonstrates a commitment to staff development and shows an organisation committed to being the very best it can be. SAS Daniels should be extremely proud of their achievement.”

Manchester Airport saw the busiest December in its 76 year history last month, as passenger numbers travelling through the North’s global gateway increased 7.45% on last year. A total of 1,435,470 people used the airport in December 2014 – beating the previous highest December of 1,386,259 passengers in December 2007.

“We now fly to over 200 destinations around the globe and continue to attract new airlines and routes.” December also saw the start of the new Cathay Pacific service, flying direct to-and-from Hong Kong four times a week, making Manchester the only UK airport outside of London with a direct service to China.

Marking the ninth consecutive month of growth, the moving annual total reached 21.97m, which is 6.15% higher than 2013.

December also saw £3.5m of investment in security at Terminal One, where four new security lanes were added, to enhance the passenger journey.

Ken O’Toole, Chief Commercial Officer for MAG, said: “Looking back, 2014 has been an outstanding year for Manchester in terms of growth and gives us the momentum to attract even more new services and increased capacity on existing routes in 2015.

Overall 2014 was a strong year for Manchester Airport as it continues to add approximately one million passengers per year. As well as the wealth of new destinations highlighted above, the airport was also voted Airport of the Year by the AOA in 2014.

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February/March 2015

news

Frazer John Recruitment set to grow after Greater Manchester Loan Fund investment The Greater Manchester Loan Fund (GMLF), managed by Maven Capital Partners, has made a £320,000 investment in fast-growing recruitment consultants Frazer John Recruitment Ltd (FJR). The deal will also see existing shareholders injecting a further £130,000 into the business. Manchester-based FJR specialises in placing managerial and executive level staff within the finance, technology, HR, and sales/marketing sectors. The business was established in 2011 by John Dyson, who has significant experience within the industry having been a Director at the international recruitment firm Robert Half. He subsequently led FJR through a period of significant growth over the past three years and it now counts a number of highly respected businesses

amongst its client list including Moneysupermarket.com, Brother UK, and Manchester Airport.

forecasted that the deal should generate an additional 25 jobs in the coming years.

As the economy improves and the demand for staff increases it has meant sourcing suitable candidates has become harder for many businesses. FJR has intentionally kept its key focus on only four key areas of staffing in order to deliver a high quality service and customer centric proposition to its client base. This approach has proved successful and has allowed the business to build stronger relationships with its clients ensuring that they put forward a small number of high-calibre candidates, rather than delivering high volume and potentially poorer quality applicants.

The deal represents another example of how the GMLF has become an established and valuable source of finance for SMEs across the Greater Manchester area. With the current economic climate making it harder for companies to borrow, the Fund was set up in 2013 to provide flexible finance solutions for promising businesses in order to encourage growth while creating and safeguarding jobs. The GMLF has since provided a number of loans ranging from £100,000 to £500,000 to eligible companies, with the potential for follow-on funding up to £750,000.

FJR, which already employs 21 staff, will use the funding to aid further expansion and it is

Andy Thomas, Investment Director at Maven, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support this ambitious

company with finance from the Greater Manchester Loan Fund. John and the team provide a high quality service to their clients which has helped them to deliver impressive growth to date. We’re looking forward to working with the company to help them expand further.” John Dyson, Founder of FJR, said: “This is a significant part of a round of funding that will inject almost £450,000 into the business so is a hugely positive step for Frazer John. The funding is key in allowing us to capitalise further on our rapid growth and market-leading position. By creating a significant number of new career opportunities within our specialist consultant teams, based in Manchester, it will allow us to further increase our service delivery to current and new clients both locally and nationally.”

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New partnership supports local businesses to claim R&D tax break Trafford Council has announced a new partnership with accountants and business advisers Beever and Struthers to provide local businesses with support in accessing and claiming Research & Development (R&D) tax credits. Beever and Struthers was appointed by the Council following a full procurement process, designed to identify a local provider which could offer the greatest experience and best value in supporting R&D tax credit applications. In 2014 Beever and Struthers won “Accountancy Firm of the Year” at the North West Finance Awards and “Best Accountancy Firm of the Year” for the second consecutive year at the City of Manchester Business Awards. The firm also secured the largest number of new clients in its 116-year history.

The R&D Tax Credit service further enhances the existing business support offer delivered by Trafford Council’s Economic Growth Team. The Economic Growth Team acts as Trafford Council’s first point of contact for businesses, assisting local businesses in accessing any relevant support and funding, and providing access to local networks and promotional opportunities. Councillor Michael Hyman, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economic Growth and Planning, said: “Trafford Council is committed to supporting local businesses to grow and prosper. The R&D tax credit scheme provides a fantastic incentive for businesses to invest in innovative activities, but many eligible businesses are not yet aware of the scheme or may not realise that what they are doing counts as R&D.

“We hope that by offering this new service and raising awareness of R&D tax credits, we will enable more Trafford businesses to access the relief to which they are entitled, thereby improving their profitability and improving Trafford’s economy as a result.” Jacquie Adams, Tax Partner, from Beever and Struthers said: “We are impressed by the support and assistance that Trafford Council gives to local businesses and are delighted to work with them as an R&D tax credit partner. “We know how much our clients appreciate the R&D tax break and how it has helped them financially and are sure that these claims will make an impact on the local economy”. To launch the new service, a free R&D Tax Relief workshop will be

held at Trafford Town Hall on 26 February 2015 where Beever and Struthers’ Tax Advisory Team will provide an overview of the HMRC’s R&D tax credit scheme, advice on how to identify any eligible business expenditure and how to make a claim. HMRC’s R&D tax credit scheme is designed to encourage greater spending on research and development to promote investment in innovation. It offers SME businesses Corporation Tax relief of up to 225% on any eligible R&D costs, meaning that for each £100 of qualifying costs, businesses could have the profit on which Corporation Tax is paid reduced by £225. For further information about the service or the launch event, please contact business@trafford.gov.uk.

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Manchester named City of the Year Manchester has been named City of the Year in the inaugural Estates Gazette/MIPIM UK Awards for its success in delivering major regeneration projects and attracting international investment. The award, which was presented at the UK version of the international property and development showcase MIPIM in London on Thursday 16 October, highlights Manchester’s thriving development scene. Damian Wild, editor of Estates Gazette, said: “Manchester was recognised for its success in attracting international investors, its pragmatism in delivering capital projects and its vibrant occupier market. Under the leadership of Sir Howard Bernstein and Sir Richard Leese it sets the standards by which all UK cities are judged.” Examples of international investment include the key role which the Beijing Construction Engineering Group is playing in the £800m Airport City project and the city’s constructive relationship with Abu Dhabi United Group, the privately-owned investment company which also owns Manchester City FC, which has this year seen the announcement of Manchester Life, a major new regeneration partnership. Manchester is Britain’s fastest-growing city and the amount of ongoing and forthcoming construction work going on around the city is unprecedented since the 1990s. This ranges from significant transport improvement work to expand the city’s Metrolink light rail system and major rail and bus improvements through the Northern Hub project and Cross City Bus Corridor respectively

to the regeneration of NOMA, First Street (including the new HOME arts complex) and St Peter’s Square and the city’s Civic Quarter. Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester has always been an ambitious, can-do city, and we are grateful that this approach has been recognised by experts within the commercial property industry. While many investors are beginning to find themselves being priced out of London they are looking elsewhere and Manchester has established itself as an attractive option. “This success is all about Manchester’s established track record of the private and public sector working together constructively and wouldn’t be possible without this pragmatic approach and partners who make things happen.

we could do.” Lynda Shillaw, Property CEO at Manchester Airports Group said: “Manchester is a major economy within the UK with a great talent pool and it is more affordable than London so it is the perfect location for foreign companies looking to test the UK market.

“We’re now embarking on the creation of St Johns - a new community distinguished by its unique cultural history and diverse mix of inhabitants. It’s ambitious projects like this that show why Manchester could be the only possible winner of this award.”

“Developments such as our five million sq ft Airport City scheme have a strong international appeal. “Manchester has a rich property offering and provides a great environment for developers, investors and occupiers to bring forward schemes. This award is testament to the great work of the City with its property and business communities.” Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive of Bruntwood, said: “Manchester remains the fastest growing city in the UK and this success to attract investment and drive development is testament to the city council’s approach of working closely and constructively with the private sector to achieve common goals.”

“We believe we are a city which understands its own strengths and has a strategy to build on assets such as our cutting edge research and creative and digital sectors as well Michael Ingall, chief executive of as continuing to attract investment Allied London, said: “Manchester in more traditional sectors such as housing and commercial development. is a city with the ambition to match its potential. “As the city devolution debate “Working together with Manchester continues, we will keep pressing the City Council we were able to deliver case that we could do even more one of the most dynamic regeneration to attract investment and jobs projects seen in the UK, the multihelping to complement London and award winning Spinningfields. strengthen the national economy - with greater freedoms to create the conditions for further growth. Greater Manchester’s economy is larger than that of Wales and yet we are hampered by a devolution deficit. While this award is hugely welcome, it does not mean there isn’t much more

“But the city is always moving forward. Last year, in one of the finest examples of public and private sector collaboration, we were able to sign a development partnership with the City Council to bring back to life ITV’s 13.5 acre Quay Street complex.

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February/March 2015

TOPdesk open new office in Manchester International service management software company TOPdesk has opened a new office in Manchester, with ambitions for significant growth. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company specialises in helping organisations to improve their services with user-friendly standardised software. With eight global branches in locations including Germany, Denmark and Brazil, and an existing UK office in London, the move to Manchester now marks the UK as the only country in which the company holds two offices. Following a stint at Manchester Science Partnerships, the company has now taken 1300 sq ft of space for their new permanent base in Barclay House on Whitworth Street West. MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency supported the company with the property search. David Cape-Brown, TOPdesk’s

Manchester Branch Manager said “We saw Manchester as the clear choice for our second UK office because as a city it really punches above its weight. With huge names including IBM, the BBC and ITV all choosing to set up here, we are assured that Manchester is a solid destination for the software industry” Cape-Brown has also revealed that it is his intention for Manchester to eventually overtake the London office as the TOPdesk growth hub, owing to Manchester’s more competitive pricing and enviable talent pool. “Manchester not only provides us the opportunity to better service our northern clients, but also produces a large pool of highly skilled graduates that we’re looking to tap into. The employment hubs at the University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester have all been really helpful and we’re looking forward to

continuing our work with them as we expand our recruitment.” Tim Newns, chief executive of MIDAS said “TOPdesk’s decision to locate here is reflective of Manchester’s position as the driver of the North’s software development economy. The city’s reputation for invention, innovation and collaboration is one I know will benefit TOPdesk greatly and help them achieve their ambitious growth plans.” “David and his team will be joining a diverse cluster of innovative tech industries, including software developers, internet service providers, web developers and ICT consultancy businesses. Manchester’s talent pool and continued investment into future-proofing our digital infrastructure means that there are some exciting opportunities for TOPdesk to explore and we look forward to seeing them thrive here.”

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Kitson Architecture win retail award Based in Altrincham, Kitson Architecture have been recognised at the British Council of Shopping Centres BCSC Gold Awards held in London. They won the Refurbishment and/or extension (under £5million) category for their contribution to the redevelopment and refurbishment of Aycliffe Town Centre in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. BCSC is the professional body and authoritative voice for UK retail-led regeneration and for the management of and investment in shopping centres. At the annual dinner, held at the Grosvenor House London, the property elite gathered to celebrate the very best in retail property. Kitson Architecture is an RIBA Chartered commercial architectural practice based in the centre of Altrincham. Established in 2012 the firm has expanded and developed working on projects that have included Retail and Sports Sectors,

Hotel & Leisure, Refurbishment, Data Centre and Master Planning. Receiving this prestigious Award clearly marks a milestone in the development of the business. Director of Kitson Architecture, Mark Kitson commented, “Several months ago we heard that we had been shortlisted at the BCSC Gold Awards and were absolutely delighted. Last week when we attended the Dinner and actually won the Award we were thrilled. We are a dynamic

L-R Gyles Brandreth (Speaker), Mark Kitson (Kitson Architecture), Andrew Thomson (The Freshwater Group Client), Thomas Meager (Immediate BCSC Past President), Mark Bourgeois (Chairman of the Awards Jury)

practice with an ethos to provide workable solutions to any brief with the focus on good design. Each of our Directors has over 20 years experience of delivering quality projects and that’s just what we achieved for Aycliffe Town Centre.” Chairman of the Awards Jury Mark Bourgeois thanked everyone who entered stating that the standard of presentations was exceptional. He said that there were some particularly innovative solutions devoted to creating the right space for occupiers. When commenting on the Kitson

Architecture scheme for Newton Aycliffe the judges highlighted the success of the project across all facets of the design and implementation stating; “This transformation has been a commercial success with short term temporary income and voids being replaced with long term tenancies, significantly enhancing net income. “However, the Jury was particularly struck by the partnership approach and the dramatic impact the refurbishment has had on the local community with the creation of a town centre of which they could be proud.”

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February/March 2015

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Route2Take highlights advertising opportunities across the region What is the best way to promote your business? Manchester based business Route2Take has just launched a website to provide the options that are out there: route2take.co.uk

Back in January 2014, local entrepreneurs, Darren Waight and Jenny West got together with an experienced team of media buyers and marketing specialists and

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Route2Take is a free simple one-stop shop that highlights the opportunities that are available across the North West. The portfolio of partners now Darren Waight explains, “Having sat advertising on our site is vast and with hundreds of business owners over growing. Route2Take are not an the years and listened to their concerns Agency, we simply provide you with it became increasingly obvious that the advertising opportunities that are businesses looking for advertising were limited in how to access the vast out there for you to make contact with your chosen media. If you are looking amount of opportunities available to to promote your business in 2015, then them, and how and what they should we encourage you to take a look.” be spending their budget on. We

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Beating the rising cost of childcare with SmartPA As highlighted on Good Morning Britain, women are struggling to manage the rising costs of childcare. Whilst the UK Government has promised a quota of free and subsidised childcare, families are still struggling to manage the costs which can equate to around £15,000 a year – the equivalent of sending a child to private school. 4Children’s recent study showed that one in five of parents now consider reducing their working hours or quitting because it is more cost efficient. SmartPA’s pledge to get 25,000 women back to work in the UK couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. Through their low-cost product SmartPA Home, SmartPA will provide thousands of homeworking opportunities enabling women to run their own PA and Administrative services business from home. Estimated to contribute around £625million to the UK economy, SmartPA’s pledge not only tackles female unemployment but the challenges faced by mothers who work full-time, including childcare. SmartPA’s innovative technology and training will provide thousands of mothers with a steady income and bypass other hurdles, such as rising travel costs and discrimination – an issue that affects around 50% of women returning to work after maternity leave. SmartPA co-founder Sarra Bejaoui

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New head of legal services delivery team appointed in Manchester International law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has announced the appointment of Richard Sawtell as Head of Centre for its Manchester Legal Services Delivery Team. The firm is also expanding its office space in King Street and making further appointments to increase its breadth of service. Richard joined BLP on a consultancy basis in April 2014 and has been both leading the Manchester team and heavily involved in managing workflow from clients into the office. Before joining the firm, he established the UK’s first direct conveyancing firm, Countrywide Property Lawyers, which became the largest national provider within two years of creation. More recently, he was at Addleshaw Goddard

where he led process mapping and managed a successful project to introduce paralegal transaction teams. BLP’s Manchester office opened in August 2014 with 21 staff making up the Legal Services Delivery Team which is a key part of the firm’s wider innovative Integrated Client Service Model (ICSM). The ICSM is designed to offer clients a suite of solutions that improve the speed and efficiency of delivering certain types of work including due diligence and document review work. The ICSM suite comprises four elements; a Legal Process Improvement (LPI) service; virtual transaction teams – a development of the firm’s Lawyers On Demand (LOD) business; the use of third party providers; and the Manchester

Legal Services Delivery Team. It is one of a number of initiatives on behalf of clients that has positioned BLP as a top five firm in the UK and Europe for innovation. Richard commented: “Having worked for BLP in Manchester for nine months now, I’ve seen a real shift in the demands made by clients and how we as a firm need to service these requirements. Our Legal Services Delivery Team can play a big role in helping to deliver on this and my new role will put me right at the heart of this exciting change.” Neville Eisenberg, Managing Partner, BLP, added: “Our Integrated Client Service Model was developed to meet the changing needs of our clients, providing innovative solutions that respond

efficiently and flexibly to their requirements. Manchester is an important element of the model and I am sure that under Richard’s leadership the Manchester team will continue to grow and expand its capability.” To further support the development of the Manchester Legal Services Delivery Team, BLP is also taking additional space in the building it currently occupies in King Street which can accommodate up to 100 people with support facilities and meeting rooms. The next imminent increase in team size and capability in Manchester comes with the arrival of five Real Estate associates, starting in March 2015. This move will allow the Legal Services Delivery Team to manage larger portions of routine work.

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February/March 2015

news 2014 delivers strong year of growth for Gorvins Award-winning Stockport law firm Gorvins Solicitors has announced a strong set of financial results for the year ending November 2014 with steady growth in fee income and increased head count. The Stockport firm confirmed a 6% increase in its turnover to almost £7 million. The three years to November 2014 have produced compound annual growth of 6% per year. Compound growth in profits has exceeded 10% in the same period. The numbers reflect the growth strategy in a number of disciplines. The firm’s Litigation department, led by senior partner Mark Deverell, recorded an excellent twelve months, increasing fee income by almost 20% to more than £1.2million. Residential Property also had an outstanding year, increasing fee income by almost 60% in a market where the number of completions in England in the six months to November grew by under 9%. Source “UK Property Transaction Statistics” HMRC 23rd December 2014 The firm retained Top tier Legal 500 rankings for Litigation and Commercial Property teams and the firm’s Corporate & Commercial and Wills, Trusts and Probate departments achieved impressive

first time rankings in law firm league table Chambers and Partners. Individuals within the Wills, Trusts and Probate team also took honours in prestigious national and regional award schemes for outstanding work in power of attorney and living with dementia education programmes. Partner Christine Thornley was Highly Commended Solicitor of the Year in The Law Society Excellence Awards and Highly Commended Lawyer of the Year at the Modern Law Awards, whilst Associate Solicitor, Tasoula Crosby won Legal Professional of the Year at the Manchester Young Talent Awards. Twenty-one new recruits took up roles across the firm, ranging from marketing support posts to key senior client-facing hires, including employment law specialist Ed Gregory, who joined from Addleshaw Goddard, and Peter Speight who was appointed to bolster the firm’s insolvency team. Residential Property saw the largest influx of recruits, nine people joining the department to continue the outstanding growth in workload. Notable deals led by Gorvins

Gorvins Solicitors Managing Partner Lorraine Lockie

Solicitors in the twelve month period included the sale of ACH Group Management Limited to Quindell PLC, a £10.8 million line of credit for bridging loan specialist Bridgebank Capital, and the 50 per cent sale of recruitment agency Matt Burton Group to SF Resourcing Limited. Commenting on the impressive performance Managing Partner Lorraine Lockie said: “Our yearon-year growth is testament to our staff and their dedication to putting clients at the heart of

everything we do. “We have been ahead of the curve in many areas, especially Conveyancing and Litigation, which is very pleasing and we will be looking to build on this throughout 2015. “We shall continue our commitment to invest in the development of our existing people and to attract high calibre individuals to the firm allowing us to continue to give our clients the service they deserve.”

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February/March 2015

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UK Distributor of the year Hirst Footwear Ltd based in Oldham are expanding their business. After opening in 1983, Mike Hirst and wife Margaret opened a retail footwear shop on the high street employing five people. Years on, the company has expanded to a significantly larger unit with over 25,000 sq ft. of retail and warehouse space, and employs 15 staff. All this is made possible by selling stock online, and in particular the Dickies workwear range, which they are now looking to expand across the region with.

L-R Maurice Morton, Sales & Marketing Director, Dickies Europe, Mike Hirst, Quentin Wilson

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Mike said “We want to expand the Dickies wholesale business across Greater Manchester; we have a proven quality workwear product that is available not only to retail but commercial customers, with a next day delivery service. I want businesses to not only

protect their staff but increase their company image by wearing personalised clothing, especially in public”. Hirst Footwear as a family business are looking to increase its staff by developing existing and gaining new customer accounts, and prides itself with their personal sales service. Mike first sealed the partnership by winning UK Distributor of the year for Dickies presented by TV Presenter Quentin Wilson. A national award set up to reward and promote excellence in the British workforce. Hirst Footwear still operates its retail outlet and sees the natural progression to offer wholesale workwear to the commercial sector. To find out more visit their retail site www.workersworkwear.co.uk

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February/March 2015

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February/March 2015

Phil Jones :At Managing Director of Brother UK, and President of Forever Manchester, Phil Jones, gave us an exclusive interview on his unique management style at one of the biggest retail brands in the world - Brother - plus how his two roles at Brother UK and Forever Manchester are mutually aligned. In previous editions of Trafford Business Connect we have covered events with Forever Manchester – one of our principal charity partners – and have featured reports on speeches by their President Phil Jones. Our last edition featured a report on the Forever Manchester initiative ‘RESET’ – a credible business model for corporate citizenship that supported the very communities enlightened businesses were located in. Phil briefly touched on the relationship forward thinking commerce had with their local communities, and its to this backdrop that Trafford Business Connect caught up with him at the Forever Manchester offices in the heart of City Centre Manchester.

‘‘

My ultimate wish is to encourage every single business within Greater Manchester to make a contribution to the community we know as Greater Manchester.

We started the interview by asking “How much autonomy

does Brother UK enjoy from Japanese parent Brother Group?” “I’m lucky I enjoy quite a lot of freedom. Brother have always had a good footprint as an International company in putting local leaders in charge of its International operations. This leads to a ‘Think Global, Act Local’ mentality. “Brother is a large International business, and there are many global strategic elements to the business that I am handed down and need to deploy locally. But of course my job as local leader is to ensure that strategy can get deployed in a local manner, specifically in a way that the UK can connect with and understand. “When I see this situation not working is where International

companies get it wrong by trying to push an International language into a domestic marketplace. People then don’t think there’s a cultural fit. So my job is to interpret that International language into the British culture and to ensure it communicates effectively and achieves all relevant expectations.”

“What is CS B2015, and how does it fit in with your ‘Global Vision 21’?” “When you are a very large International business and particularly Japanese, the bias is towards a long-term orientation covering 10 or 20 year periods. It is interesting to compare this with the equivalent UK bias towards a short-term orientation which can be as short as planning for the next quarter. “CS B2015 is as it suggests a staging cycle that forms part of a long term vision for the business known as GV21. This is ultimately about growing our business to such a size that we are a company that independently can stand on its own at all times. Fundamentally to not be a target for takeover, and also remain financially independent as a manufacturer on a global scale. This acts as a unifying cause within the global group, and ensures things are kept simple within all the diverse cultures and markets across the globe. I think this is an excellent lesson for either a start-up, fast growing or International business - keeping it simple, and have a unifying cause at all times.”

“In terms of branding, ‘At Your Side’ has been a consistent message for decades. How does this tie in with your long-term views on Brother UK?” “At Your Side is a branding message of two parts. It is perceived internally that we are supportive and ‘at the side’ of our colleagues. Two words sum this

up – Team, which stands for ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’, and the second is Pride – ‘Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence’. So, when we take pride in how our contribution works within a team, we deliver ‘At Your Side’. “That leads to the second part of the message, which is the role our product technology takes in growing our business.”

“I always thought this was just in relation to a consumer perspective?” “It’s actually a philosophy that over arches both how a product functions in relation to a customer and how we actually function as a business in service to that customer.”

“How has the Global slowdown in emerging markets, particularly China as one of your principal manufacturers, affected Brother as an International business?” “In actual fact we are doing really well. Brother is a very clever business. If you look ‘under the bonnet’ you can see it has spread its risk across multiple continents, multiple currencies, multiple manufacturing bases, and multiple product categories. So what that does is have this effect where marginal movements in any one particular area doesn’t have a major impact across the bigger group.”

“During the Forever Manchester RESET event recently, you referred to the concept of Corporate Citizenship. How does this sit with Brother UK, and also does it have relevance for the International Brother Group as a whole?” “Any large International business has a range of local officers who offer different ideologies from the more conservative to the enlightened, of which I see myself. As a Japanese company the bias is naturally conservative – observe first, then act later. Now, going back to my earlier point about the different bias between the UK and Japanese business, we tend to be short-term orientated and much more potential based, where in Japan they are risk-adverse and long-term

‘‘

February/March 2015

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

our Side orientated. This creates a cultural gap between our UK business and parent business. However, we’re very fortunate in that our European HQ has a very enlightened leader in charge of Brother Europe, and through his support we can apply the positive ideologies of UK business culture to running Brother UK.

“The current marketplace has a backdrop of radical innovation and speed to market. Previously the marketplace had incremental innovation – black and white to colour TV, video recorders to DVD players, Cable and Satellite services – all these things evolved over a period of years. We’re now in the situation where the world seems to change every week, so as a business we need to be fleet of foot. A lot of businesses refer to this as agility, however, we’re one stage further on, and we see the importance of what we call alacrity – a business in a ‘happy state of readiness’. This consists of two components. Firstly agility. Then secondly the happiness refers to employee happiness – How valued do they feel? Are they connected and engaged with the overall objectives of the business? “I think a lot of businesses are overengaged with agility, investing in a lot of systems leaving the employees disengaged. From my perspective, business culture is about tying up all these aspects – your talent and recruitment strategies, your citizenship strategies, in order to sit comfortably within this fast moving marketplace. I’ve realised the best way for Brother UK to work is to synthesize all these practices, and part of that process involved an epiphany, where I identified within employee engagement the importance of citizenship. Specifically, retaining and recruiting great people, doing and supporting amazing things in your local communities, and fitting that entirely together under the banner of alacrity.”

“As Forever Manchester President, what have you got planned over the next few years of your presidency?” “I have a grand life vision of changing the lives of people for the better. This

For further information on Forever Manchester please contact: Jean Mills, Business Development on 0161 214 0955 or by email jean@forevermanchester.com

sits well with the amazing work Forever Manchester is doing and the fantastic product they are offering businesses like Brother UK. Over the next few years my task is to firstly make sure everybody in the Greater Manchester business community understands the product offering. This is not just about charitable giving, this is about investing in the communities that can be your current or future workforce. “Secondly, this is the only charity

Phil Jones pictured outside Forever Manchester’s Headquarters on Hewitt Street

that not just covers every single one of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, but has multiple offerings within those authorities. Whether you’re passionate about disadvantaged young people, the elderly, community projects every possible aspect of charitable support are covered. “My ultimate wish is to encourage every single business within Greater Manchester to make a contribution to the community we know as Greater Manchester. Whether they

have an individual named fund, or get involved with one of our themed funds, become a ‘million’ member, or simply a supporter, the result is that profits created within Manchester stay in Manchester.”

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

comment

Dennis Tueart

scores

Trafford Business Connect were recently very pleased to meet Manchester City legend Dennis Tueart, who was more than happy to give an exclusive interview on the trials and tribulations of a career straddling sporting excellence with corporate success.

We caught up with Dennis at one of his properties, Heatley Court, just outside Lymm.

“How did you get involved with property as a business?” “As a young professional player for Sunderland, myself and two other players bought an old Victorian building in Gosforth, Newcastle. After training every day we cleared it, re-decorated and bought

SUITES AVAILABLE FROM

23.7m2 (255ft2) 2 2 TO 39m (420ft )

furniture, then rented it. That was the start of a long involvement in property. When I signed for Manchester City, I lived in Sale but kept my house back in the North East in Washington New Town. In 1978 when signing for the New York Cosmos, we sold up, and it wasn’t until re-signing for Manchester City, two years later that I returned to property with the purchase of an apartment in Bowdon. Then a year later I purchased some land in Hale Barns where we built a house.”

“From there I invested more into property, and in 1987 bought Heatley Court, which was an old coach house in Lymm. After planning consent we converted it to a small business centre containing 7 offices, and I have run my businesses from here ever since.”

“You mention other businesses?”

“I have a conference and video production business called Premier Events which has been doing very well since it started in 1985. Over the years I have developed mainly residential properties, however, in 1992 I bought a commercial property that came with an independent travel agency in Cheadle Hulme and ran Dennis Tueart Travel until 2004 but I still have ownership of the property.”

“What made you choose Lymm as a location for developing a business centre?” “When I first heard about this property it struck me as a green oasis in the middle of fantastic transport links – the M56, M6, M62, Manchester Airport. They’re all within striking distance, yet the location itself is so peaceful. We’re on the

Are you searching for the perfect

office location?

Situated on the outskirts of the leafy village of Lymm, Heatley Court offers the very latest in modern office facilities set in a stunning countryside location. The offices are only a few minutes from the M56 and M6, 10 minutes from Manchester Airport, and enjoy unrivalled access to many business hubs and major transport links. Owner managed by ex-Manchester City footballer and City Director Dennis Tueart for over 25 years, the offices are fully managed and everything is included in the costs - rent, rates, utilities, refuse collection, car parking, furnishings, post collection. Suitable as the perfect start for a small business, there are three suites available on either a short term licence or longer term lease.

HEATLEY COURT Mill Lane, Heatley, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 9SD

For further information or to arrange a viewing phone

01925 757553

February/March 2015

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

in business doorstep of Lymm village, which has a healthy café society feel, and yet the area is set in beautiful countryside.”

“In terms of being successful in business, were there any attributes you brought from your footballing career that helped you?” “Certainly, constant lines of communication and building a team. Which means developing individual skillsets that sit alongside others with different skillsets – working together making a team. Essentially surrounding yourself with the very best people that together make an effective difference.”

until 1997. I’d spent 15 years working in the conference and video production business with a high level of PLC companies. You had to understand their strategies as businesses, especially as you were helping them present those strategies, an insight I followed into the boardroom.

“Saying that, the immediate impact of an important message delivered in the context of a conference reflected an attitude I’d brought from my footballing days. Stability, unity and team spirit were essential. If you had a good product on the back of that, you had a great chance of success.”

“After you finished your playing career in 1984 you became a Director of Manchester City in 1997 until 2007, do you think your experience as a Director in such a high profile position helped you to make better business decisions in other businesses?”

“Finally, a question about your iconic goal against Newcastle United in the 1976 Cup Final. What was the reaction from your family and friends, especially the Newcastle supporters?”

“Working in the world of football is a total different mentality, and you had to learn the challenges of working within a corporate world as opposed to a sporting world. The ways of doing things, and the kinds of people around you were totally different. So whilst I understood business to a degree as a footballer, I still wanted to know more about the world of business. Prior to signing for City I was taking a Recreational and Administration Management course at Teeside Polytechnic and on my return to Manchester City from the Cosmos I took a business management course at St Helens College of Technology.

“I hoped people respected me as a professional, let’s face it, Newcastle had the chance to take me on first as a 15 year old, but they didn’t…”

“When I became a Director of Manchester City the pressure was increased as your decisions were analysed every week, and also at every board meeting each month. With that pressure to turn the club around, you had to have a good team and we did, especially led by David Bernstein. “I did learn a lot about how the corporate world works at that level. However, conversely, my conference business helped bring value to my position as City Director. Premier Events started in 1985, and I didn’t become a Manchester City Director

“There was certainly a reaction back home. My Brother, who was 6 years younger than me, couldn’t go downtown for 6 months! There was a rumour that my dear Mum had her windows put through – that was only a rumour though!

“I believe you turned down Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest and also Manchester United?” “Yes that’s correct they both agreed a deal, along with Manchester City, but I went to New York Cosmos for two years and didn’t regret a thing. “That time in my career was a fantastic learning experience that I look back on with immense satisfaction. The Cosmos won the North American Soccer League Championship in 1978 and I was voted MVP of the play offs and scored two goals in the final 3-1 win against Tampa Bay Rowdies. In essence, what we had was a team 25 years ahead of their time. In 1992 when the premiership started, it wasn’t until then that top

class players were brought in from around the world. In 1978 at the Cosmos we had 13 nationalities in the dressing room, we were owned by a multi-billion dollar organization – Warner Communications – and they had so many different facets of business. They were using the Cosmos as a leading edge to promote their brands. It was a reflection of how business and football are conducted now. As it is now, there was massive pressure to be successful, to be the best.” Dennis has an autobiography available covering not just his days as a top flight footballer and Director of Manchester City, but offers a no holds barred insight

into his personal and business life. Typically candid about his team mates, clubs and career, he reflects on a career both action packed and incredibly insightful. All his royalties from the book “My Football Journey” are going to The Christie, and it is available from all reputable book vendors.

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

comment A positive outlook Trafford Council’s consultation on their budget proposals took place at Trafford Town Hall on 28 November last year. Council Leader Sean Anstee presented the figures on behalf of the council, and John Ashcroft also gave a presentation on the health of the Greater Manchester economy. John is Chief Economist for the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Chief Executive of pro-manchester, a member of the Greater Manchester Business Leadership Council and a visiting professor at MMU Business School. He also publishes his economic analysis on website ‘The Saturday Economist’, on which can be found most of the details from his Trafford Budget presentation. John began: “Effectively, we’ve seen the impact of the recession hitting hard, followed by a strong recovery. The latest data from Q3 showed the economy growing by 3%. Along with the Greater Manchester Chamber we’ve developed our own measure we call the Manchester Index, which clearly shows the data from our region. A lot of people think that Manchester lags behind the UK, but when you review the figures it can be clearly seen this is not the case. There is better than 99% correlation in most areas of data. This means the Manchester Index can be used as a very powerful indicator for the UK in general. “So, generally, the index shows a strong recovery for 2014, with equally strong expectations for the whole of

for 2015

2015. Employment is rising with very strong figures into 2015, increased investment in Plant and Machinery going hand in hand with Growth and Employment figures.

“But when we look at Manufacturing, in terms of the home market, where there is strong growth in deliveries as there is in the order book, the problem that has been worrying a lot of the national surveys and particularly reflected in the Manchester data as well, is what is happening with the Export market, especially relating to Europe. Export deliveries and orders were particularly weak in Q3. “Apart from this, the Manufacturing sector is looking very strong, as is the Service sector, and general growth is expected to remain at 3% for the rest of 2014, dropping slightly to 2.8% for 2015. “We’re not as nervous about next year as some of the major forecasters seem to be. The Bank of England on the other hand predicts growth will be 3.5% in 2015, which seems particularly optimistic. “So, looking further afield, we’re all concerned about Global Trade growth. In Q3, Global trade figures showed only a 2% volume growth. Weak world trade prices, plus currently very low oil and commodity prices compounded the weak trade problem.

plus rate, despite the low growth in government activity. “There is also strong growth in Construction, and when you combine this with Service and Manufacturing, there’s an underlying output growth of 3.3%. It’s a very strong recovery, with little fear at the moment about what is going to happen next year. “Just coming back to employment for the moment. October 2014 saw the numbers of unemployed fall to 932,000. In fact there has been a steady fall over the last few years of 400,000 per year, which mean at this rate we’ll be closing the job centres in just over 2 years! Seriously though, we’re back to pre-recession levels of employment and vacancies. We are now starting to notice skills shortages in various industries which may begin to place pressure on wage settlements and earnings.

“Q3 saw a 2.4% growth in the US, which indicates their recovery is nicely on track. The biggest issue at the moment is Europe, which isn’t enjoying the strength of recovery that the UK is enjoying.

“Looking at Retail figures, the latest data has been very strong, which reflects the fall in employment and consumer confidence. Current figures are at 4% growth year on year. With the new car registrations running at 10% growth, we are forecasting 2.5million new registrations over the year. That’s higher than the levels recorded in 2007.

“For the UK, we’re not worrying at the moment, especially considering the strength of the UK Service sector which accounts for 80% of the economic output nationally and in Greater Manchester. This sector is currently growing at healthy 3%

“It’s not all positive news though. Borrowing is off at the moment by about £4 billion. This is not down to spending but revenue – specifically personal taxation. Although there has been an additional million people in employment over the last 15 months,

wages are low, plus, the many who have become self employed have rather different taxation regimes which affect the tax collected.” “The Chancellor will have a lot to do if the OBR forecasts are to be met in the current financial year. We are also slightly concerned about the trade deficit. The current account deficit at 5% of GDP may well present a problem for policy makers at some stage. “For the moment, all is well. The prospects of a rate rise have now receded. Most analysts now expect the first rise in UK base rates to take place after the election, possibly in June 2015.”

The Saturday Economist offers weekly updates on the UK economy and is available on free subscription: www.thesaturdayeconomist.com John is Chief Executive of pro-manchester - a corporate membership organisation representing the 240,000 employed in the financial and professional service community in and around Greater Manchester. Boasting more than 300 corporate member firms, pro-manchester engages with over 5,000 individuals. For more details call 0161 833 0964 or email: admin@pro-manchester.co.uk

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

focus

Planning for the long term West can do as well, if not better than the rest of the UK. “We do this, not by diminishing London, but by bringing up the whole of the North of England. That is the objective of our Long Term Economic Plan for the North West.” While he said previous governments had tried to rebalance the economy through initiatives such as relocating government jobs to the regions, a more coherent approach was needed, working in partnership with the private sector.

Over 200 businesses attended a unique address by both the Prime Minister and Chancellor at the Old Granada Studios building in Manchester on January 8 as part of their initial salvo for a series of regional tours in the run up to the election. Hosted by the GM Chamber of Commerce, this was a great opportunity for local business to hear in detail the current government’s plans for their future economic path for the region, and the impact it will have to our region as a whole. For keen followers of policy none of the announcements were new and much of the narrative centred around the Northern Powerhouse proposals,

however, what was different was the fact that they have now been packaged under the banner of ‘The Long Term Economic Plan for the North West’ with six specific pledges. The Prime Minister began his speech by recognising that previous economic recoveries had been too focused on the South East. He said: “The recovery is underway, but people have real concerns that it will be unbalanced with the South East doing well and areas like Manchester left behind. I’m determined that it will be different this time.” He explained that investment in infrastructure and skills, combined with the devolution of power to cities,

would provide the North West with a long-term basis for economic growth. “We need a strong London, but we need a Northern Powerhouse too. Cities and towns can have that critical mass if they pull together”, he added. The PM ended his speech by pledging to: • create 100,000 new jobs in the North West during the next parliament. • deliver the largest ever (£4.5 billion) investment in the region’s public transport system. • make the North West a global centre for science and innovation. • raise the quality of life in the North West and build 25,000 new homes. • give real power to the cities of the NorthWest through elected mayors. • make people in the region over £2,000 better off by 2030. Chancellor George Osborne followed the Prime Minister’s speech by providing more details of the Long Term Economic Plan for the North West. He said: “The economic growth of the North West has lagged behind but that is not inevitable. The North

He highlighted the North West’s strengths in the creative industries, pharmaceuticals and high value manufacturing, and pointed out that more new apprenticeships had been provided in the region than in any other part of the country. The Chancellor said Manchester was already seeing the investment in transport with the redevelopment of Victoria Station and the expansion of Metrolink. While the city’s cultural life would be boosted by an £80 million theatre complex built on the site of the old Granada Studios. Looking further into the future, he said HS2 and then HS3 would bring great economic benefits to Manchester and the wider North West. The two speeches were followed by a question and answer session. The topics covered included the terrorist attacks in France, the pressures on the NHS, support for small businesses and apprenticeships. The Prime Minister and Chancellor later mingled with the audience, giving them a unique opportunity to speak face to face.

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

focus

Networkin

Two new initiatives spearheaded to bring Trafford Park’s business community closer together.

Trafford Business Connect magazine has always championed the networking cause. With the recent agreements in place with Trafford Business Expo 2015 organisers innov8, plus the GM Business Expo organisers Biz Expos Ltd, 2015 is shaping up to be a very busy year for our magazine supporting these events.

laid out. There is very little in the way of communication between businesses currently, and it was this issue that brought Mike Bradley and James Bancroft from Trafford Park based Exclusec Security Solutions Limited to contact us here at Trafford Business Connect magazine to propose an interesting idea.

Right at the heart of our ethos is business networking, and in particular applied to business areas that are traditionally difficult to bring together.

Mike said: “As a Trafford Park based business, it is surprising how many of our clients are from out of the area.

Trafford Park is a case in point. With over 1,000 businesses trading in Europe’s oldest and largest business park, it is surprisingly difficult to get to know other businesses due largely to the size of the Park, and also the way it is

“When you consider just how many businesses that we would like to approach its surprising that it’s so difficult to make contact with businesses that are our neighbours. “It’s true that when you look at our business, if you wished to simply

pop in and say hello you’d not get any further than our gatehouse. I believe this is true for a lot of other businesses on the Park. “We thought wouldn’t it be great if we could establish a regular monthly networking event, catering for all those businesses both on and off the Park that were crying out for a way of breaching those barriers, and making contact with all the isolated businesses looking to do the same.” This is where Exclusec decided to host a regular networking event, taking place on the second Tuesday of every month between 12noon and 2pm. The venue is the Guardian Buildings on Longbridge Road, in the heart of Trafford Park, and the first event will be on Tuesday 10 March, and as well as free networking, there will be a guest speaker at every event.

Monthly Networking in Trafford Park Open to all businesses, a new monthly networking event is starting on Tuesday 10 March at the Guardian Buildings on Longbridge Road in the heart of Trafford Park. Each event, taking place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, will provide a relaxed networking opportunity to meet businesses not just from Trafford Park but beyond, and is open to all businesses to attend. There will be a keynote speaker at each event, featuring a great range of respected names from many different businesses. For more information contact Mike Bradley on 0161 711 0084 or mike@traffordparkconnect.co.uk If you would like to attend please register at Eventbrite through: www.traffordparkconnect.co.uk Trafford Park Connect is a brand new networking initiative hosted by Exclusec Security Solutions Limited and supported by Trafford Business Connect Magazine.

FREE to attend FREE parking FREE literature table QUALITY speakers FREE refreshments and a bite to eat

LA U N C H E V E N T

12noon - 2pm

Tuesday 10 March Trafford Park Connect, The Guardian Buildings, Longbridge Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1SN

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

ng the Park Entry is completely free of charge, including free car parking, with complimentary beverages and a bite to eat laid on. Registration is through Eventbrite via www.traffordparkconnect.co.uk and the event is called Trafford Park Connect. Literally the next day we were approached by Trafford Council’s Economic Growth Team, who explained that the Trafford Economic Growth Board (consisting of members from Trafford Council, GM Chamber of Commerce, local business representatives and other key stakeholders) has been working on a similar idea for a Trafford Park networking group for a number of months. A member of the team explained:

“There are well over 1,000 businesses with 35,000 employees in Trafford Park. The team are aware that many of these businesses are confident that they can buy or sell many of the products or services their businesses need within Trafford Park itself.

Trafford Council and GM Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Trafford Economic Growth Board

Trafford Park Business Network • • • •

Don’t miss this inaugural free breakfast networking event that offers the opportunity for businesses located in Trafford Park to: Meet and build relationships with your neighbours Develop local inter-trading and supply chain opportunities with other Trafford Park businesses Access information about the latest business support and funding opportunities Hear about key projects or developments affecting Trafford Park

DATE March 19 th 2015

TIME 8am -10am

VENUE Hotel Football, 99 Sir Matt Busby Way, Trafford Park M16 0SZ Speakers will include: Chris Fletcher Chair of Trafford Economic Growth Board and Director of Policy at GM Chamber of Commerce - a brief summary of the work of Trafford Economic Growth Board Michael Falla Director of Operations at Hotel Football - an introduction to Hotel Football and unfilled gaps in their supply chain Buyer’s slot Hear from a medium/large sized business who already has suppliers on Trafford Park and has further products/services that they would like to purchase locally Supplier’s slot A brief presentation from a local supplier, offering a new and exciting product or service to local businesses

BOOK YOUR PLACE email business@trafford.gov.uk Please note this event is only open to businesses located on Trafford Park

“The issue is that they don’t currently have an effective way to engage with other businesses in the immediate area. This means we have the opportunity to create the Trafford Park Business Network. The ultimate aim is to support more inter-trading within Trafford Park, and this means it is only open exclusively to Trafford Park based businesses. “As such, we are effectively encouraging a ‘think local first’ approach to procurement, and are encouraging businesses not just to come along trying to sell their products and services, but to also think about what their organisation could be purchasing from other businesses within Trafford Park. “Hopefully a big draw will be that every event will feature a number of speakers who have immediate purchasing requirements. There will also be a selection of information stands from our key business support partners, showcasing the range of business support and/ or funding available to Trafford businesses.” The Trafford Park Business Network is due to meet for the first time at 8am on March 19 at the brand new Hotel Football, and is scheduled to take place quarterly. It is open to Trafford Park based businesses only. Businesses can register or find out more by e-mailing business@trafford.gov.uk When considering both events, Trafford Business Connect is more than happy supporting both in what are rather different approaches to networking with

the same intention – to connect businesses across Trafford Park – one of the key elements driving our ‘Northern Powerhouse’ into 2015 and beyond.

Dates to remember: Tuesday 10 March (noon)

Trafford Park Connect Guardian Buildings

Thursday 19 March (8am)

Trafford Park Business Network Hotel Football

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

focus

Dragon backs young Manchester entrepreneurs Josh (24) and Hyrum (22) Cook run Zeven Media, which provides digital photo booths for commercial events all over the UK.

L-R Josh Cook, Deborah Meaden, Hyrum Cook

Their company has just secured £50,000 of funding from Deborah Meaden of Dragon’s Den in return for a 30% stake in the business on the 25 January show. They will use the investment to expand their business and launch the UK’s first free-standing contactless payment photo booth. Zeven Media’s booths allow users to pose for a photo and share it immediately via text message, Facebook, Twitter or email, as well keep as a branded printout. Fans who have used the booths include Alexa Chung, Henry Holland and Olly Murs. Hyrum looks after the creation and design of the photobooths, while his older brother Josh has the role of MD and heads up the sales. Having worked with some of the world’s most well-known brands including Ferrari, Harvey Nichols, Diesel, Reiss, L’Oreal, Christian Louboutin, Nike, V Festival, Brit Awards and many more, they are now launching contactless payment booths which they will install long-term in the UK’s party hotspots, hotels and retail stores, sharing the revenue with customers*. The youngest siblings in a family of seven brothers and two sisters, the two were entrepreneurs from a young age. They had a paper round together but had to stop when Hyrum was hit by a car. It was then that they started selling confectionery at school, purchased from Costco and marked up in the playground. Josh was 13 and Hyrum was 11. Although they both left school with few qualifications and hardly a pass, Josh was voted most likely to be a millionaire at his school prom. Having left school at 16 with three GCSEs he started working in sales immediately, while Hyrum studied

photography and graphic design at sixth form college. Neither has a higher education as both were keen to get into the world of work - and work for themselves.

immediately. Josh and Hyrum ran Zeven Media as a two-some for the first year and by the start of their second year the company was turning over more than £400,000.

Says Josh; “We’re thrilled that Deborah saw the potential in our company and will be helping us in our growth. Nobody else is doing contactless payment photobooths yet - we have the designs ready and know there will be a huge appetite for them.”

With a 12-strong workforce, Josh and Hyrum are aiming to exceed a £1.3m turnover in Zeven’s third year, moving into new 2,000 sq foot offices in Manchester and increasing the team to at least 20.

On Zeven, Deborah comments: “It was refreshing to hear Josh and Hyrum’s fresh take on a pretty traditional market and it was that vision combined with clearly two smart, motivated and focused individuals that convinced me to invest.”

History and development Having spotted the growing popularity of ‘selfies’ and photo booths in the USA more than two years ago, Josh and Hyrum set up Zeven Media from Hyrum’s kitchen in March 2013. They managed to source a local manufacturer just a few miles from their home to design and produce their first photobooth, borrowed vans from relatives, and used their parents’ garage as a storeroom for their equipment. The company’s first meeting was with Selfridges, who Josh coldcalled. The retailer placed an order

“The booths are not just for entertainment at events or launches, although they do add hugely to the experience,” says Hyrum. “They go on working for clients long afterwards, as they create marketing materials and boost consumer engagement. Our booths have helped brands increase their social media reach by massive amounts as people share their images.” *As well as being used at events, the contactless booths will be provided long-term to clients. Installed for free, the profits will then be shared between Zeven and the client as Josh explains: “The event side of the business is now established and we’ve built up an amazing client base from a standing start. Long-term loan contactless booths are the next step. They’ll harness people’s appetite for capturing the moment and sharing it on social media immediately.” The brothers will be targeting the retail, on-trade, events and

marketing sectors with the contactless payment booths. Concludes Josh: “We aim to place over 100 booths over the next 12 months and expand into Europe soon after. Winning investment from Deborah is fantastic, as it gives us the scope to take the company to the next level and we are very ambitious for its growth. “I am really happy Deborah managed to see the same vision as us in this huge project. We are very excited to work with her and learn from her depth of experience.” The photobooths are all created in Manchester, with 100% British materials. Clients provide visuals and the wraps and backdrops are all created by the Zeven team at their Old Trafford base. Clients include Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Revolution, Movember, L’Oreal, The Shard, The Guardian, Diesel, Juicy Couture, Vans, Claire’s Accessories, Adidas, Harrods, Reiss, Longchamp, Virgin Media and the Commonwealth Games, Topman, Ferrari, REISS, Givenchy, Harrods, Boots, Adidas, Christian Louboutin, Nike, UGGs, Virgin Media, Diesel, DKNY, Clinique, V Festival, the BRIT Awards and many more.

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

The Trafford Business Expo is back, alongside Trafford Council’s Meet the Buyer around 30% of the Expo stands already sold. The Expo is completely free for Visitors as it was last year, which includes free parking, free lunch, free Tea and Coffee, and includes over 60 Exhibitors expected to attend. Delegates will also enjoy a great programme of speakers soon to be announced. One of the moments that stood out in 2014 for Trafford Business Connect was the Trafford Business Expo that took place on a rather hot July day at The Point, Emirates Old Trafford. The exhibition stands were a complete sell-out weeks before, and there were people already queuing when the doors opened. We are pleased to confirm that

the Trafford Business Expo will be back on 30 June 2015. As last year’s event was so successful Trafford Business Connect are once again partnering the Expo as its media sponsor. We have teamed up with conference organisers innov8 Conference Services and the 2015 event is looking to be bigger and better this time around with

One of the big draws this year is the announcement that Trafford Council is co-locating their Meet the Buyer event adjacent to the Expo, taking place at the same time. Registration for Meet the Buyer also gives automatic registration to the Expo, which ensures all visitors to Meet the Buyer will be able to visit the Expo as well.

There are more exhibitors this year, with a total of 65 stands available. There are also dedicated networking zones at either end of the exhibition areas, and for those wishing to take a stand, early bird exhibitor discounts are still available, along with a great discounted exhibitor advertising package with Trafford Business Connect.

TRAFFORD - FIRST FOR BUSINESS

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITORS AT THE

TRAFFORD BUSINESS EXPO 2015 Following the incredible success in 2014, Trafford Business Expo is shaping up to be one of the unmissable business events of 2015.

Trafford Council’s

Meet the Buyer 2015 is pleased to co-locate with the

Trafford Business Expo at Emirates Old Trafford, on 30th June 2015

Organised by innov8 Conference Services, available stands are still subject to an early bird discount. Running alongside Trafford Council’s Meet the Buyer event, footfall is expected to be dramaitically increased this year, and stands are being booked quickly. To find out more about exhibiting or to book your free delegate place visit:

www.trafford-business-expo.co.uk or call: Liz Sinclair on 0844 887 1550 Tuesday 30 June 2015 10am - 4pm The Point, Emirates Old Trafford, Talbot Road, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 0PX

Sponsored by

TRAFFORD BUSINESS

connect CONNECTING

33,000 BUSINESSES

Meet the Buyer is designed to give Trafford’s businesses the opportunity to meet buying teams from some of the borough’s largest organisations (both public and private), with a view to achieving new contracts.

Buyers To register your interest in attending as one of the selected buying organisations, e-mail business@trafford.gov.uk.

ACROSS MANCHESTER

Suppliers Further information about registering as a supplier will be released in March 2015. Keep an eye on trafford.gov.uk/business or follow @TraffordBiz on Twitter for further updates.

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

focus

Saving money on your business telephony costs We like Skype and its free or low-cost telephone calls over the Internet, but it is primarily for consumers. The commercial-grade version, “Voice over IP” (VoIP), is now readily available. This has been shown to reduce your BT phone bills by up to 60%. It also offers amazing features and takes advantage of the great connectivity available throughout Manchester. VoIP uses your superfast broadband to make and receive calls, instead of separate BT etc. phone lines. Here are some reasons to seriously consider it:

It is robust and mature VoIP has been around for 10 years and is now the method of choice for delivering phone calls between

businesses. Adoption of VoIP has been gradual due to poor Internet connectivity but recent improvements to bring superfast Internet connectivity to Manchester make VoIP an attractive option to SME’s in the area.

Slash telephone costs On average, VoIP users save 60% of local, national and international call charges. What’s more, you don’t need costly line rental or maintenance as all calls go over the Internet. If your broadband needs upgrading for VoIP, the Government’s “Connection Voucher” scheme gives you up to £3,000 to do so.

Unified communications Traditional phones just offer voice.

VoIP phones can integrate email, browsers, instant messaging and call recording. It is a great boost for productivity and collaboration, especially for employees that typically work remotely. For disaster recovery, you can divert calls instantly to alternative locations.

Improve service to your customers, partners and suppliers VoIP lets you really help your callers; you can play marketing messages, move calls seamlessly between users and offices and patch in specialist advisers. Mobile staff can use apps to connect back to their office phone. It is also simple to divert calls to mobiles or colleagues – or both. VoIP can also deliver voicemail as a

playable email attachment. Find out what these additional features and savings can do for your business… For more information and contact details go to www.synextra.co.uk or call Chris Piggott at Synextra on 0161 883 1383.

Chris Piggott

February/March 2015

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

social media

5 Do’s and Don’ts for It’s reported that the prime lifespan (i.e when people RT or engage with a tweet) is just 18 minutes - so businesses have a limited window to reach their potential customers

and when to post them.

With the majority of small businesses using Twitter to market themselves, how do you break through the noise?

Shareable content is absolutely key.

For us Twitter has always been about one thing (yes, even in 2009 when Twitter was a lot quieter) and that is: “Add Value - Not Noise” Here we present the DO’s and DON’TS of Twitter In 2015 so that you break through the noise, add value and win customers.

DO... ...use images in your tweets

In the last 12 months Twitter has driven 60% of our Social Media Traffic and it’s all because we have a plan from the outset.

...strategise your content distribution For Twitter to work it needs to be linked in to your overarching online marketing strategy.

Just imagine if the 30-50 people attending each group helped and supported others in the group with Retweets, shares and general For the majority of small businesses we meet in Trafford the local business support outside of the networking is their bread and butter, so hyper local meeting itself. The success of individual B2B social media is their playing field. businesses comes from working However, despite the local town together as a collective and showing hashtag being our key mantra since that same intense level of support as 2009 many B2B businesses have still the market traders give each other not cottoned on to how valuable using #altrincham #saletown #urmston, etc can be.

to track the success of your website, Twitter analytics offer insights as to how you have performed on twitter over the past three months in terms of impressions, engagement rate, link clicks, retweets, favourites and replies.

Why would you spend 30 minutes to an hour on Twitter every day without The secret to our success at Altrincham measuring it, benchmarking and trying HQ is that we are present every day on to improve month on month? Social Media, we have 100+ LinkedIn Small increments of 10% improvement Recommendations and we blog every month on month will bring huge single week on our website. dividends by the end of the year. The latter is not to be underestimated ...think of your collective network and we actually spend as much If you’ve witnesses the regeneration time working out our Social Media of Altrincham you will have noticed distribution plan of said blogs as we that Altrincham Market features do writing them. prominently in all coverage. Before we’ve even written a blog we have a clear idea of who the audience is, which hashtags we can utilise, how we can jump into twitter chats (not twitter hours) and have the structure of how often, which lead in tweets

How does this compare to your local business networking group?

...use the local town social media hashtag

The local town hashtag is at the centre Twitter report that tweets with of everything on twitter and is one of images generate twice the level of the most viewed areas of twitter - it’s engagement than tweets with just text. just as key for B2B as B2C! It makes sense - simply have a scroll Your customers and potential referrers down your twitter stream for one are all using it for search even if they’re minute and see which tweets stand not including it in their tweets - so why out (especially on mobile). not drop into the conversations rather For those using Hootsuite as a than being a silent observer. scheduling tool we recently did some ...benchmark your twitter analytics A/B testing on posting via ow.ly on Twitter analytics only used to be hootsuite and posting natively via available to those paying for pic.twitter.com on Hootsuite pro and Twitter Ads, but now they’re open found out that the tweets posted in to every user. Twitter’s native form generated 4 x the amount of impressions. Just as you use Google Analytics Images on Tweets are a must for Twitter in 2015.

Twitter in 2015

When you see how Altrincham Market works on twitter it’s clear that all traders and stakeholders involved come together as one voice for the collective success of Altrincham Market.

DON’T...

...expect results without hard work Social Media has always been cost effective in comparison to traditional marketing, but don’t mistake this with being easy. Results won’t come through Twitter without putting the time and effort in, and we recommend that companies spend 4 hours per week (about 30 minutes a day) really working their social media and engaging with their target audience as well as broadcasting. It’s the engagement where the true value of Social Media comes in and having those two-way conversations that strengthen relationships. ...go straight for the sale Do you know what the biggest turn off on twitter for business is? “THE HARD SELL” That moment where you follow a twitter account because you have a genuine interest in and their first tweet or DM to you is a hard sell of “if you need XYZ, give us a call”

based twitter hours that appear to be the twitter equivalent of that person that runs around networking groups thrusting business cards into each person’s hands without caring who and then moving onto the next person. If you do the hard sell tweets during these hours too frequently then you can be sure the unfollow, mute and block buttons will be used by your followers. ...be too formal Twitter is naturally informal and often compared to a dinner party or halfway between the office and the pub. Even in “serious” business areas such as finance and law it’s acceptable to loosen the tie, be a little more informal while still being informative Steve Kuncewicz is allegedly Manchester’s “Most Followed Lawyer” on twitter - have a look @SteveKuncewicz to see how he blends super serious legal tweets with tweets about his passions (Batman and superheroes in the main). ...treat social media like a newsletter, business card or flyer Social Media should not be treated like a newsletter that you jump into once a week. Social Media isn’t just a business card - an opportunity to broadcast your job title or service you offer and a phone number - people want and they definitely deserve more than that! Social Media is not a flyer - Twitter followers need to be treated with respect and treated as individuals rather than as a passer-by that you hand exactly the same leaflet to.

Say hello, talk about their interests and let the relationship develop before you try and sell - just like traditional networking! ...over use twitter hours On twitter there are three buttons that you need to think about when tweeting - Unfollow, Mute and Block. Whilst there are many helpful topic based twitter chats available #bufferchat and #bloghour being just two - there are a number of location

Alex McCann Altrincham HQ www.altrinchamhq.co.uk

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

digital marketing

Secure websites to receive extra Google ranking Although the impact of secure sites on search engine ranking is small at present, it will gain increasing preference as time goes by. This will be accelerated as more and more compromised sites hit the headlines and consumers look for the HTTPS prefix for peace of mind when browsing the internet.

Websites with the “HTTPS” prefix are to receive greater ranking from the search engine giant. Google has announced that websites which offer greater security for its users will receive preference in search engine ranking in the future. Although not as important a factor as say unique and relevant content at present, Google will be adding extra emphasis to secure sites as time passes. Those sites which adopt the added security now will surely be rewarded in future search positions.

in July 2013 and Yahoo followed suit in March 2014. This has all been prompted by an increasing number of data theft cases and illegal access to online communication. There was a massive outcry after the Edward Snowden revelations of NSA and GCHQ intelligence agencies listening in and watching the online activity of everyday citizens and the whole issue has reared its ugly head again after the alleged hacking of the Sony International site by North Korea.

“HTTPS” Digital encryption offers peace of mind for both webmasters and browsers.

Google sees site encryption as the quickest and most effective way to restore consumer confidence when using the internet.

The HTTPS prefix, which denotes an encrypted site, shows that a website has the extra security layer in place.

“HTTPS” Digital encryption has become far cheaper and less time consuming.

These sites normally show a small padlock in the address bar for the user to be aware that the site has been secured by digitally scrambling communication between the user device and the website.

The obvious barrier to making sites secure has long been the cost and the labour intensive transition process.

These measures stop online eavesdropping and unauthorised data collection for the user and is an effective security barrier against hackers for the website owner. Google’s attempt to restore consumer confidence. Google moved the immensely popular Gmail service to HTTPS way back in 2011 and there has been a recent surge in internet leaders offering secure sites to their users despite initial apathy. Facebook committed to secure browsing back

In effect to transfer a site from a standard HTTP to an encoded HTTPS has meant the whole rebuild and resubmission of the existing site to the new format. Slow loading and longer website response times have also been a major concern. New high speed encryption technology means that loading and response concerns have been addressed and costs have tumbled. Add to that the fact that there are high speed processes in place to complete the switch and secure sites are surely the way forward. “HTTPS” offers an ongoing aid for search dominance.

To gain first mover advantage and steal a march on your competitors it makes sense to explore securing your site now. Costs and implementation times are dropping all the time and the effect on website performance is negligible. The extra ranking preference may be just what you need to dominate your specific keywords. Here at Jungle we can perform a

full website audit to assess your website security. You will be advised on making the full switch to a secure HTTPS site and its impact for you. This Manchester digital agency specialise in all forms of website performance with an outstanding record in local search domination.

Howard Jones Jungle Associates www.jungle-media.com

Want your website ? at the TOP of Google ABOVE YOUR COMPETITORS! Let our expert team run a deep analysis of your website to identify quick fixes you can make now to boost your Google ranking. We will also reveal your competitor Google strategies. Contact us today and we will run a deep analysis of your website, and of three of your main competitors for you to compare! Simply call:

JUNGLE ASSOCIATES FOR

• GOOGLE SEARCH MARKETING • PPC ADVERTISING • SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING • MOBILE ADVERTISING • WEBSITE DESIGN AND BUILD • WEB HOSTING • VIDEO ANIMATION

0333 300 1299 or drop me a line howard@jungle-media.co.uk today!

s Make those searcher become finders... and those finders Jungle Associates Ltd, Eaton Place Business Centre, ur yo e m beco

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114 Washway Road, Sale M33 7RF

www.jungle-media.com

February/March 2015

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

finance

Minimise your tax whilst maximising your profits this tax year There are huge financial savings to be made by taking the time (or ensuring your accountant takes the time) to understand where your business or personal financial situation can benefit from tax reliefs, and applying them to your annual tax return or self-assessment. Having the financial know-how can help ensure your year-end accounts look impressive to your all-important stakeholders with increased profits, whilst allowing you to keep as much of your hard-earned money, as opposed to handing it over to the tax man. As we approach the end of the financial year, in this issue, we share some of the methods we continually apply to our clients’ affairs at LWA, with some tax-planning tips to help you optimise your overall tax position.

Capital Gains Tax You should aim to utilise your annual exemption for 2014/15 of £11,000 per person on Capital disposals (£11,100 for 2015/16). Furthermore, jointly owned assets attract an annual exemption of £22,000 for 2014/15. Don’t forget any Capital Losses can also be carried forward and offset against future gains or utilised in the current year against gains on other assets.

£31.25 on a gross donation of £125 including the gift aid (45%-20% x £125).

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) CGT exemption may be given on disposal of the shares if held for three years or alternatively, any gain can be deferred if reinvested into other EIS shares. Income Tax Relief is at 30% on new equity investment into qualifying unquoted trading companies, up to a subscription limit of £1 million.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCT’S) Investments made into the shares of unquoted trading companies are exempt from any tax on dividends received and on any capital gain arising on disposal of the shares. A maximum investment of £200,000 attracts income tax relief of 30% of the investment, on the condition the shares are held for at least five years.

Pension Contributions

Charitable Donations

This is one of the most tax efficient forms of saving as contributions made personally are paid net of basic rate tax, as the pension provider recovers the basic rate tax from HMRC. Tax Relief is given on the higher of 100% net relevant earnings or £3,600 gross.

If you or your employees have donated to charity, you will know that tax relief on the net amount of contributions are reclaimed from HMRC as Gift Aid. The gross contribution will extend the basic rate band attracting relief at basic rate. Gift aid contributions attract tax relief for Higher Rate Tax payers, for example, if you have donated £100 and are a 45% taxpayer, this amount will be

Higher Rate Tax payers have their basic rate band extended by their gross contribution, however, beware of the controls in place which limit the amount of contributions (£40,000 for 2014/15). It is also important to know that any unused limits from the previous three years can also be considered. You should always consult with your IFA over the amount you can contribute.

Making a pension contribution can also assist in the High Income Child Benefit Charge (for every £100 of income in excess of £50,000, there will be £1 tax charge on the recoverable child benefit). You can avoid the charge if you make pension contributions that bring your gross income level to £50,000.

SEIS Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes attract an Income tax relief that reduces tax liability at 50% in qualifying companies, however, a maximum subscription of £100,000 is allowed. The investment is also CGT exempt if held for more than 3 years.

ISA /NISA Although interest rates aren’t the greatest, use your ISA allowance to hold some or all of your savings, as all interest earned and dividends received on these funds are free from both income tax and capital gains tax. The overall investment limit being £15,000 which increased from 1st July 2014 from £11,880.

PPI Reclaims With many PPI claims investigations reaching conclusions, if you have successfully received compensation, it would be advisable to have the tax deducted from the interest from the source, as, you would need to declare any funds gained from a PPI claim on your self-assessment, and therefore pay tax on the interest. If you are a Higher Rate Tax payer there may be additional tax to pay on this interest.

Inheritance Tax As individual tax payers, we have an annual allowance of £3,000 and

any unused gift from the previous years can be included. For example, if you and your spouse wish to gift some money to your children and didn’t make any gifts in the previous tax year, you can both gift £6,000 each with no tax implications in this financial year. Marital gifts also play a big part of inheritance tax with a maximum of £5,000 from a parent to a child; from a grandparent to a grandchild a maximum of £2,500 is allowed; and marital gifts from others can be a maximum of £1,000. Small gifts can also be made with a maximum of £250 per year per donor. Lifetime gifts known as PET’s will be tax free if the donor survives 7 years from the date of gift. Should the donor pass away within that time, there will still be a tax saving so ensure you maximise on this. As the current tax year comes to an end, ensure you obtain the best advice to maximise your financial position, retaining as much as your income as possible. So many of us unfortunately give the taxman more of what should in fact be ours, make sure you’re not one of them!

Les Leavitt Leavitt Walmsley Associates Chartered Certified Accountants www.lwaltd.com

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

wellbeing

5 effective tips to manage stress Issues with stress can be experienced by any of us at any age. Children may experience stressful peer pressure, worry about their exams, their body image, popularity. Adults often have work, family or relationship worries to contend with. Older people may stress about health, finances, their quality of life. Each age brings its own stresses and concerns. Let’s look at five effective tips to help you manage stress:

Acknowledge that at times, stress can be an effective motivator; it helps you perform at a higher level, get more done each day, tap into unexpected resources and think outside the box. But a constant stressful state can cause issues with health, affect your quality of life and impact on your happiness and contentment. There are recognised as being over 350 physical symptoms of stress, from

problems with sleeping, irritability, and cross out tasks once completed. lack of libido, headaches through to It can be good practice to list individual palpitations, gut-related problems and worries and stresses, move them from heightened sensitivity to pain. inside your head to outside where they Sometimes it can be helpful to engage can be dealt with systematically and effectively, one at a time. Congratulate professional support as an effective yourself each day at what you’ve way to identify and manage the accomplished and relax knowing different kinds of stress - the ‘bad’ that any outstanding items won’t be stress that can become a draining, forgotten, just simply carried through habitual pattern and response to situations or the ‘good’ stress that can to the following day. help us to ‘up’ our game whenever we Delegate. At home let others need to. help even if the result is not to your

Many people find that listing their worries or stresses helps them to manage their lives better, as they itemise

personal standards.

the things that are preying on their mind.

Giving positive feedback and encouragement helps others to feel included in your team, more responsible, happy to volunteer and receptive to new skills.

Sometimes spending thirty minutes on a Sunday can be a useful way to focus on the week ahead and clarify key tasks. You can add to the list as required, prioritise items, make notes,

Some people struggle to delegate; they may feel guilt at not doing everything themselves, be concerned at the prospect of losing control, like the idea of being indispensable.

Are you leaving the right impression? Corporate Clothing Promotional Products Business Gifts Plaques and Awards Trophies Name Badges Litho and Digital Print

um No Minim nge a R ty Quanti ts of Produc ! le b a il Ava

Become aware if you recognise yourself behaving in this way. Why do you feel the need to manage everything yourself? Identify what this is about and commit to letting that behaviour go. At work delegating to staff encourages them to grow in confidence as they become more adept in their tasks. Your trust in them may even encourage them to offer suggestions or come up with new ideas that ultimately improve the business.

By doing this you provide a regular space to de-stress, improve your relationships and have relaxing time together where you chat and maybe even engage in a little exercise.

Have quality personal time. It can be all too easy to put ourselves last on our list, but committing to regular time for yourself to go to the gym, spend in your garden or enjoy an important hobby or interest makes all the difference to your stress levels, your mindset and your quality of life. Treating yourself well is important; taking time to eat healthily, sleep properly, exercise and wind down in an evening all help you to look after yourself well and manage stress. Professional help, like hypnotherapy, can help you to feel more confident about saying what you need in a respectful, effective way. Adopting a positive approach often improves the dynamics of all your relationships. Having time for yourself, whether to spend alone or with others, is important in demonstrating that you and your personal interests are important. Personal time is another valid and effective way to help you manage stress.

You may find that you’re able to let go of the more mundane tasks, are able to focus on taking your business to the next level, or can enjoy a little free time for yourself.

Managing stress includes improving your personal relationships and allowing them to become an important part of your support network. Take time to establish regular, open and honest communications. Share conversations about your thoughts, feelings, experiences rather than simply exchanging impersonal instructions and factual updates.

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Why not prepare your evening meal and as it cooks enjoy going for an early evening walk or play a game together as a family.

Susan Leigh MNCH (ACC)

Susan runs Altrincham based Lifestyle Therapy offering a tailor made combination of counselling and hypnotherapy on a one-to-one or group basis. For more articles, information or to make contact please call 0161 928 7880 or visit

www.lifestyletherapy.net

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

February/March 2015

diary dates 4 Networking City Centre

Carrington Business Park

Kaplan Networking Group

Fridays - 20 Feb, 6 Mar, 20 Mar, 17 Apr, 1 May, 15 May 12noon - 2.00pm Venue Red Hot World Buffet, 48 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2EG Cost £15 Contact Alexandra Platt 07515 506640 www.4networking.biz

Networking Tuesdays - 10 Feb, 10 Mar, 14 Apr, 12 May 9.30am - 11.30am Venue Carrington Business Park, Carrington, Manchester, M31 4DD Cost Free Contact Susan Renshaw 0161 776 4000 susan.renshaw@cbpl.co.uk

Mondays - 9 Feb, 9 Mar, 13 Apr, 18 May 5.00 - 7.00pm Venue 6th Floor, St James Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M1 6FQ Cost Free Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493 428 fsb@edmondson.eu

GM Biz Expo 2015

Mondays - 23 Feb, 30 Mar, 27 Apr 5.00pm - 7.00pm Venue The Lowry Mill, Lees Street, Pendlebury M27 6DB Cost Free Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493 428 fsb@edmondson.eu

4 Networking Manchester Airport Wednesdays - 18 Feb, 4 Mar, 18 Mar, 1 Apr, 15 Apr, 29 Apr, 13 May 8.00am - 10.00am Venue Wilmslow Road, Ringway, Altrincham WA15 8XJ Cost £12 Contact Damian Holland 07415 881489 www.4networking.biz

Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Matters Networking and breakfast Thursdays 12 Feb, 5 Mar 8.30 - 10.00am Venue Cresta Court Hotel, Church Street, Altrincham WA14 4DP Cost £10 Contact Anne Jardine 0161 941 3250 anne@altrinchamchamber.co.uk

Bizspace Networking Mondays - 2 Feb, 2 Mar, 11 May 5.00 - 7.00pm Venue Bizspace, Empress Business Centre, 380 Chester Road, Old Trafford M16 9EA Cost Free Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493 428 fsb@edmondson.eu

Bowdon Business Group Third Thurs every month - 19 Feb, 19 Mar, 16 Apr, 21 May 4.00pm - 6.00pm Venue Bowdon Club, South Downs Road, Bowdon WA14 3DT Cost £5 Contact David Bellin 0161 883 0308

Bowdon Business Club Weekly every Friday - early networking includes full breakfast 6.45am - 8.30am Venue Mercure Bowdon Hotel, Langham Road, Bowdon WA14 2HT Cost £10 Contact @BowdonBusinessC

Business Breakfasts

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6 Greater Manchester Busines Expo Thursday 9 June 10.00am - 4.00pm Venue Hilton Hotel Deansgate, 303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ Free (pre-registration required) Cost Contact team@thebixexpos.com www.gmbizexhibition.co.uk

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Action for Business Manchester Weds 18 Feb 7.30am - 9.30am Venue Chairman’s Suite, Etihad Campus Manchester M11 3FF Weds 15 Apr 7.30am - 9.30am Venue Cloud 23, Hilton Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ Cost £15 (members free) Action for Business Salford Weds 18 Mar 7.30am - 9.30am Venue The Lowry Theatre, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ Cost £15 (members free) Action for Business Stockport Mon 25 Mar 12noon - 2.00pm Venue De Vere Venues Cheadle Hotel, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Stockport SK8 3FS Cost £15 (members free) Action for Business Trafford Thurs 14 May 12noon - 2.00pm Venue Emirates Old Trafford LCCC, Talbot Road, Old Trafford M16 0PX Cost £15 (members free) Stockport Breakfast Club Thurs 12 Feb, 9 Apr 7.15am - 9.30am Venue Alma Lodge Hotel, 149 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6EL Cost £30 (£15 members) The Great Manchester Business Conference Fri 6 Mar 8.30am - 4.00pm Venue The Point, Emirates Old Trafford Manchester M16 OPXB Cost £125 (£95 pro-mc or chamber)

First Tuesday of the month Breakfast and Networking 8.00am - 9.30am Venue 47 King Street West, Manchester M3 2PW Cost £10 Contact Barry 0161 839 1929 info@47kingstreetwest.com

Women in Business Lunch Tues 17 Mar 12noon - 2.00pm Venue Alberts Chop House, Albert Square Manchester M2 5PF Cost £50 (£25 members) Contact events@gmchamber.co.uk 0161 359 3597

Business over Breakfast

Handbags & Briefcases

Networking, plus breakfast - Fridays 13 Feb, 27 Feb, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 10 Apr, 24 Apr, 8 May, 22 May 7.00 - 9.00am Venue La Vina, 105/107 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BQ Cost £15 Contact Tracy Heatley 07973 663020

Google+ for small businesses Women’s networking Weds 11 Feb 10.00am - 12noon Venue The Enterprise Centre, 34 Benchill Road Wythenshawe M22 8LF Cost £5.95 Contact Jenny Matthews 07984 872325 chair@handbagsandbriefcases.co.uk

Lowry Networking Group

Regus Networking Group Thursdays - 19 Feb, 26 Mar, 23 Apr, 28 May 4.30 - 6.30pm Venue Regus, 3000 Aviator Way, Manchester M22 5TG Cost Free Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493 428 fsb@edmondson.eu

Rotary Club Altrincham Networking, Dinner - Every Monday 7.00pm Venue Cresta Court Hotel, Church Street, Altrincham WA14 4DP Cost £12 Contact Ken Garrity 0161 929 0142 kengarrity@hotmail.com

Rotary Club Sale Networking, Dinner - Every Tuesday 7.00pm Venue The Belmore, Brooklands Road, Sale M33 3QN Contact Peter Munday 0161 969 1391 Mari Griffin 0161 962 6078

Sale Biz Group First Weds every month - 4 Mar, 1 Apr, 6 May 4.00pm - 5.30pm Venue Bianco’s, 1 Hereford Street, Sale, M33 7XN Cost £5 Contact Alex McCann 07806 774279 alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk

The Business Network Manchester Business Lunch Thurs 26 Feb, 26 Mar 10.00am - 2.00pm Venue The Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA Thurs 30 Apr 10.00am - 2.00pm Venue The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Salford, Manchester M3 5LHCost Cost £39.95 Contact Helen Bennett 0870 751 7523 helen@business-network.co.uk

The Talk Working Lunch Networking Thursdays - 19 Feb, 26 Mar, Apr 30 12noon - 2.00pm Venue Gusto Manchester, 4 Lloyd Street (off Deansgate), Manchester M2 5AB Cost £22+VAT Social Media Success Workshop Tues 24 Feb 12.30pm - 5.00pm Venue The Offices, 53 King Street Manchester M2 4LQ Cost £97 Contact 0845 689 0226 office@thetalkofmanchester.co.uk

Timperley & Sale Business Club Weekly Networking every Friday - early networking includes breakfast 6.30 - 8.30am Venue Bean and Brush Café, The Old Sorting Office, 12 Hayfield Walk, Sale M33 7XW Cost £5 for guests Contact Jon Cheetham 07971 575977 Laura Evans 07976 894419

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Trafford Business

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Trafford Park Business

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Trafford Park Connect

31 Expo 2015 Co-locating with Trafford’s Meet the Buyer Tuesday 30 June 10.00am - 4.00pm Venue The Point, Emirates Old Trafford LCCC, Talbot Road, Old Trafford M16 0PX Cost Free (pre-registration required) Contact James Caldwell 0844 887 1550 james@innov8-conferences.co.uk

29 Network Trafford Park businesses only Thursday 19 Mar 8.00am - 10.00am Venue Hotel Football, 99 Sir Matt Busby Way, Trafford Park M16 0SZ Cost Free (pre-registration required) Contact To register email business@trafford.gov.uk 28 B2B Networking - Open to all businesses Tuesday 10 Mar 12noon - 2.00pm Venue The Guardian Buildings, Longbridge Road, Trafford Park M17 1SN Free (pre-registration required) Cost Contact To register visit: www.traffordparkconnect.co.uk

Vibrant Network Networking, plus breakfast Tuesdays - every fortnight 10 Feb, 24 Feb, 9.30 - 11.30am Venue Chiquitos, Salford Quays, Capital Quay, Manchester M50 3WL Cost £15 Contact Rose Cleaver-Emons 07739 748978

Women’s 20/20 Women’s networking - second Wednesday each month - 11 Feb, 11 Mar, 8 Apr, 13 May 12.15 - 2.30pm Venue Mercure Bowdon Hotel, Langham Road, Bowdon WA14 2HT Cost £15 for non-members Contact Julie Gray enquiries@2020network.co.uk

Wythenshawe Business Gateway Networking Thursday 26 Mar 5.30pm - 7.30pm Venue Wythenshawe Forum, Simonsway, Manchester M22 5RX Cost Free (book using details below) Contact 0161 945 6015 business@bw3.org.uk www.bw3.org.uk

Don’t forget your Business Cards! Please note If you plan to visit any of the above events please ensure all details are correct in advance. Whilst every effort has been made to confirm accuracy some details may be subject to change.

places to meet 24 The Downs Address 24 The Downs, Altrincham WA14 2PU Contact 0161 926 9552 Facilities Function Room, Music, Cocktails

Bean and Brush Art Café Address 12 Hayfield Walk, Sale M33 7XW Contact 0161 973 2140 Facilities Café, Food, Drink

Bizspace Address Contact Facilities

Atlantic Business Centre

Atlantic Street, Altrincham WA14 5NQ 0161 926 3600 Conference Rooms, Café Empress Business Centre

380 Chester Road, Manchester M16 9EA 0161 877 5579 Meeting Rooms, Offices

Bowdon Rooms The Cinnamon Club Address Contact Facilities

The Firs, Bowdon, Altrincham WA14 2TQ 0161 926 8992 Conferences, Boardroom, Live Music

Café Gourmand Address 221 Ashley Road, Hale WA15 9SZ Contact 0161 929 6050 Facilities Coffee and Patisserie Shop

Carrington Business Park Address Contact Facilities

Carrington Lane, Carrington, Manchester M31 4DD 0161 776 4000 Café, Conference Rooms

Costa Coffee Address 75 School Road, Sale M33 7YF Contact 0161 973 2259 Address 33-35 George Street, Altrincham WA14 1RN Contact 0161 929 0382 Address Century House, Ashley Road, Hale WA15 9SF Contact 0161 926 9913 Address Golden Way, Urmston, Manchester M41 0NA Contact 0161 926 7707 Facilities Coffee, Snacks

Cresta Court Hotel Address Contact Facilities

Church Street, Altrincham WA14 4DP 0161 927 7272 Snack, Rest, Hotel, Free Parking

DeVere Venues Address Contact Facilities

Cheadle House, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3FS 0161 492 100 Conference, Leisure, Restaurant

Eaton Place Business Park Address 114 Washway Road, Sale M33 7RF Contact 0161 905 1424 Facilities Meeting Rooms, Offices

Friends’ Meeting House Address 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS Contact 0161 834 5797 Facilities Meeting Rooms, Conference Venue

Gastronomy

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel Address Contact Facilities

Hale Road, Hale Barns, Cheshire WA15 8XW 0161 904 0301 Leisure Club, Spa, Conference Centre, Restaurant

Mercure Bowdon Hotel

Mersey Farm Address Contact Facilities

Carrington Lane, Ashton On Mersey, Sale M33 5BL 0161 962 8113 Restaurant, Hotel, Free Parking

On The 7th The Landing Address Contact Facilities

The Blue Tower, MediaCityUK, Salford Quays M50 2ST 0161 686 5500 Bar, Restaurant, Conference Rooms

Red Rooms Meeting rooms for hire across a range of Bruntwood properties Address Station House, Stamford New Road, Altrincham WA14 1EP

111 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2HY

Centurion House, 129 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WR

City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester M1 4BT

Lowry House, 17 Marble Street, Manchester, M2 3AW

Manchester One, 53 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 3LD

St James, 61-95 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6FQ

For a FREE review of your marketing and promotional activity CALL NOW on

0161 291 0224

Contact 0843 504 4753 Facilities Offices, Meeting Rooms

Runway Visitor Park Address Contact Facilities

Sunbank Lane, Altrincham WA15 8XQ 0161 489 3932 Conference Room, Conference area underneath Concorde, Restaurant, Concorde Experience and Tours, Meeting Rooms

St Anthony’s Centre Address Contact Facilities

Eleventh Street, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1JF 0161 848 9173 Conference Rooms

San Carlo Fiorentina Address Contact Facilities

Manchester Airport, Marriott Hotel, Hale Road, Hale Barns, Cheshire WA15 8XW 0161 904 5043 Bar & Restaurant

The Life Centre Address 235 Washway Road, Sale M33 4BP Contact 0161 850 0770 Facilities Meeting Rooms, Café

JON CHEETHAM DESIGN DESIGN AND MARKETING SERVICES

DESIGN • ADVERTISING • BRANDING PACKAGING • PRINT • NEWSLETTERS CATALOGUES • POS • WEBSITES CORPORATE IDENTITY • DIRECT MAIL

The Little Deli Company 42 Stamford Park Road, Hale WA15 9EP 07921 717548 Meeting Rooms, Café

Address Contact Facilities

McGregors

The Mere Golf Resort & Spa

29 Stamford New Road, Altrincham WA14 1EB 0161 928 1487 Natural Organic Food Served

Are you squeezing the most from your advertising budget?

Address Langham Road, Bowdon WA14 2HT Contact 0161 928 7121 Facilities Hotel and Leisure, Free Parking

Address 191 Ashley Road, Hale WA15 9SQ Contact 0161 928 7870 Facilities Deli, Coffee Shop Address Contact Facilities

February/March 2015

Address Contact Facilities

Chester Road, Mere, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6LJ 01565 830 155 Meeting Rooms, Conferences

www.joncdesign.co.uk 42 Highcrest Avenue, Gatley, Cheadle SK8 4HD e. jon@joncdesign.co.uk

Leavitt Walmsley Associates YOUR LOCAL AWARD-WINNING ACCOUNTANTS AND BUSINESS ADVISORS

Leavitt Walmsley Associates Ltd is an award-winning independent firm of chartered certified accountants based in Sale, headed up by directors Les Leavitt and Steve Collings. The firm provides a range of business solutions to a national client base including: • Audit and accountancy • Business support and networked services

“

I have had the pleasure of having LWA as both our company accountants and personal

advisors for the last 10 years. I have always found the

• Company secretarial and payroll • Corporate and personal taxation • Non-executive Finance Director solution • Specialist audit and compliance expertise for Academies

practice very helpful and most importantly very practical. Our business has grown dramatically during the last decade and LWA have proved very diligent advisors. In short I cannot recommend LWA highly enough.

”

Richard Dears, Managing Director, Remstone Group

For a no-obligation opportunity to find out how LWA can help you with a FREE business review illustrating your business’ growth potential, please get in touch and simply quote ‘TBCM review’ to book your appointment.

Leavitt Walmsley Associates Limited, 8 Eastway, Sale, Cheshire M33 4DX T 0161 905 1801 E mail@lwaltd.com www.lwaltd.com

Business Connect Magazine - February/March 2015

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