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October/November 2014

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Undercover Boss arrives in Hale Carluccio’s - one of the UK’s fastest growing restaurant chains - opens a brand new site in the heart of Hale. Read an exclusive interview with CEO Simon Kossoff, fresh from his recent TV debut on Channel 4’s Undercover Boss.

pro-manchester sets target of £1m In his inaugural address at Manchester Central Library new Chairman John Jones sets out his targets for pro-manchester, including a turnover of £1m by 2016.

Celebrating 10 years of lending Cheadle based Auction Finance mark a decade of lending to businesses by hosting a unique chaired debate. They invite BBC’s Bill Turnbull to discuss the auction market today.

Building a national brand Full report on a presentation by Euro Garages Commercial Director, Ilyas Munshi, on how to build a successful national brand. Read about the event hosted at HSBC’s Spinningfields HQ by TiE UK North.

Insurance for everyone Feature article on Sale’s SIS Insurance and how they’re fighting the corner on non-standard risks.

Simon Kossoff, CEO of Carluccio’s, pictured outside their latest restaurant opening in the heart of Hale village

Inside this issue... Business News Carluccio’s ZipYard Non-standard risks pro-manchester Trust Development Forever Manchester Finance Social Media Web Design Wellbeing Diary Dates Places to Meet...

CONNECTING BUSINESSES ACROSS MANCHESTER

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

contents 4 news

TRAFFORD BUSINESS

connect

All the latest from around

Manchester and beyond.

20 comment Exclusive interview with Simon Kossoff, CEO of Carluccio’s and fresh from Channel 4’s Undercover Boss. pro-manchester full report on new Chairman John Jones’ inaugural

editorial

speech.

24 review TiE Networking and presentation by major brand Euro Garages.

25 focus Lancaster China Catalyst Programme Lancaster University brings China and the UK together. ZipYard Altrincham branch shortlisted for Franchise of the Year. SIS Specialists in non-standard

insurance risks. Auction Finance Celebrate a decade of lending with a chaired debate. Forever Manchester Networking in

30 social media Winning business in a competitive world.

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:

digital marketing

Looking at Google and Apple.

32 web design Getting the most from your web designer.

Paul Mirage

34 finance

• 07708 987518

Tax reliefs for your business.

36 wellbeing Business networking events over the coming months.

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

adver tise

Discounted packages are available on request for series bookings.

37diary dates

Here at Trafford Business Connect we are on the lookout for both news articles relating to business activity within Trafford, 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

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

the Northern Quarter.

How not to waste time...

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welcome

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

BUSINESS

Business Connect Publishing Ltd, 8 Eastway, Sale, M33 4DX P U B L I S H I N G Tel: 0161 969 8632 Email: enquiries@businessconnectpublishing.co.uk www.traffordbusinessconnect.co.uk

DESIGNED, EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY Jon Cheetham, Paul Mirage.

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Alex Peterson (PixelAir Web Design). Photography by Tobias Pearson, Martin Hambleton and Gareth Davies.

Jon Cheetham

• 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.

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

news

New report ranks Manchester third in UK for international conferences Manchester has significantly strengthened its reputation as an international conference destination, jumping ten places above its 2012 position in the influential International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) annual report. The city now ranks 68th in the global table and shares company with cities like Chicago, Moscow, San Francisco and The Hague, whilst at a UK level Manchester has moved into third place becoming the leading non-capital destination. ICCA rankings are used as an industry benchmark by destinations, associations and events planners across the world with a city’s position determined on how many international and conferences they held in the previous year. A city’s ICCA ranking helps confirm its status as a high quality international destination for business tourism and is one of the first considerations of associations choosing a future host city. Each city that features in the ICCA report must comply with specific conditions stating that meetings must be held on a regular basis, regularly rotate between at least three countries and that each meeting must attract a minimum of 50 delegates. Amongst the thousands of conferences held in Manchester, 34 were deemed significant international conferences and were ICCA approved - four additional meetings on 2012, representing a 13% increase. Andrew Stokes, chief executive at Marketing Manchester said: “Manchester has experienced substantial growth in the number of international conferences visiting over the past decade and is securing events with increasingly larger delegate numbers and academic prestige. “International meetings are all about intensive debate and discussion, bringing the world’s leading minds together to discuss a particular topic. We have been able to tap into those opportunities which add the most value to the city - becoming known for intellect, knowledge and innovation

whilst boosting our key sectors and solidifying our position as a global destination. “Combine this with stakeholders including Visit Manchester, our international convention centre Manchester Central and other venues - and Manchester offers a very attractive proposition for international conference organisers. “We’re extremely proud of this strategy and it has paid dividends in recent months by helping us secure a string of high profile international events such as SER2015 - the World Conference on Ecological Restoration, International Surgical Week 2015 and EuroScience Open Forum 2016.” Sarah Evans, sales manager at The University of Manchester, said: “Last year The University of Manchester hosted over 2,500 delegates at international conferences during our busiest ever summer. We have seen a huge growth in the number of international events thanks to our proactive academic community engaging with the incredibly successful Manchester Conference Ambassador Programme. We are delighted to see this recognised in Manchester’s rise in the global rankings.” Angie Robinson, chief executive of Manchester Central, said: “During the last decade Manchester has propelled itself to become one of the world’s destinations of choice for International conferences. “In 2013 we were proud to host conferences such as the World Association for Disaster & Emergency Medicine and the European Medical Writers Association 2013 at Manchester Central. We look forward to attracting some of the leading international conferences to England’s second city.”

Trafford Business Connect announce partnership with pro-manchester Trafford Business Connect are pleased to announce a partnership with pro-manchester in a move that will bring the wider business community of Manchester closer together.

and presentations, free business guides and they are also free to join: www.smeclubmanchester.com

In addition to pro-manchester’s core members we have also partnered with the SME club, which is also run by pro-manchester.

commented: “pro-manchester is pleased to be working with Trafford Business connect magazine to promote our member firms and the wider business community in what we’re certain will be a positive and mutually beneficial working relationship.”

Both organisations form the largest advisory group in the North West pro-manchester are based in the heart and have strategic partnerships with of Spinningfields, and as a not-for-profit many organisations such as Greater organisation enjoys great success Manchester Chamber of Commerce, across Greater Manchester. the Business Leadership Council, the Commission for the New Economy, They have over 300 firms currently Economic Solutions, the Business signed as members with over 5,000 Growth Hub, Marketing Manchester, individual members representing and MIDAS. financial and professional sectors. Their aim is to bring together industry Supporting pro-manchester, Trafford Business Connect will cover a range experts through events, networking, of their events that are geared to forums and sector groups. In provide valuable insight into different addition they build business through areas of business, and have started introductions, PR and Marketing that process with a full report on the promotion, plus sponsorship, and inaugural speech by new Chairman help build the profile not only of their member companies and staff but also John Jones (see p20). of the financial and Professional sector Natalie Asprey, pro-manchester in the North West. Marketing Communications Manager

SME club provides small to medium sized businesses with the tools and information needed to accelerate growth and achieve goals. They do this through twice weekly emailed newsletters, regular networking events

For further information on visit: www.pro-manchester.co.uk

Barclays connect businesses Launched at the end of 2012, Barclays Connector is a free online business networking platform open to all UK small and medium-sized businesses. It offers businesses an opportunity to interact with others in their community or sector to build relationships, exchange information and find new opportunities. There are some great advantages in joining: • Users can access valuable content from experts who’ve been there and done it. • Useful regular articles by entrepreneurs and professionals, including digital marketers, IT and legal experts. • Users can interact and share best practice business advice on the business forum. • SMEs can trade with and advertise to each other through its

marketplace and directory. • Over 40,000* registered users to network with. Mark Polley, Branch Manager at Barclays Sale commented: “Barclays Connector is a fantastic tool that you don’t even need to be a Barclays customer to use. Businesses use it not only to build useful relationships but also to support one another in the ever changing environment of business ownership.” Altrincham Manager Chris Hinchcliffe added: “A fantastic way to help put your business in touch with people who can help you succeed through an open business network. Barclays connector - a simple platform that could boost your business.” For more information visit: www.connector.barclays.co.uk Terms of use apply. *correct as at 10.2.2014

October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Metrolink drivers in the pilot’s seat as training starts on new Airport line Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) places an order for sixteen new trams to provide extra space and capacity for passengers across the network. Driver route training is an important stage in preparing the new line for passenger service as it familiarises drivers with the new route and its junctions, signals and stops. During the training period, people can use roads and pedestrian crossings as normal.

Metrolink’s new line to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport is getting ready for take-off over a year early, as tram drivers take their first training sessions on the route. While trams will become a familiar sight on the new 15-stop line, passengers are currently being reminded that they won’t be able to

catch them just yet. The 14.5km line is due to open later this year - more than 12 months ahead of schedule - but before that happens the comprehensive driver training programme will be followed by a period where out of service trams test the new timetable. The start of driver training comes as

Manchester law firm Mohindra Maini joins Slater Heelis LLP

L-R: Sunil Mohindra, Chris Bishop, Meera Maini

The teams at Slater Heelis LLP and Mohindra Maini Solicitors are delighted to have joined forces with one another with effect from the beginning of August this year. Mohindra Maini was started 18 years ago by Sunil Mohindra and his wife Meera Maini in the City of Manchester. The practice specialises in commercial work including mergers, acquisitions and sales, banking, inward and outward investment, litigation and property transactions. Sunil says, “The move to

incorporating the Mohindra Maini practice into Slater Heelis brings a well-established and respected law firm’s extensive range of services to our current clients. I am also pleased that the entire team of Mohindra Maini will be working within the new practice.” Chris Bishop, Managing Partner of Slater Heelis says, “We’re delighted to announce that Sunil, Meera and the full team have agreed to join forces with Slater Heelis. Sunil and his team have a fantastic reputation in Manchester. Their expertise, clients and contacts when added to Slater Heelis’ full service offering in Manchester and Trafford will create an even stronger practice.” Slater Heelis LLP has origins dating back as far as 1773 and the firm will now have six offices across the Northwest.

Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, said: “There’s a great deal of excitement about this new Metrolink line already and I’m sure this will only increase as driver training trams become a familiar sight along the route.

route through its paces.” The new Airport line will run through Wythenshawe town centre, where trams will link up with buses at a new state of the art interchange due to open next year. Services will initially run every 12 minutes between Manchester Airport and Cornbrook, where passengers can change for connecting services into the city centre and beyond. Services will start to run through the city centre once the new Second City Crossing is complete in 2017. The Airport line will bring the size of the Metrolink network to 92.5km (57.5 miles), serving 92 stops.

“We’re looking forward to being able to confirm a start date and welcoming customers on to the service later this year. But before we can, the crucial testing and driver training period allows us to iron out any issues as we put the 14.5km

Jerrold Holdings posts 16% increase in annual profits Jerrold Holdings Limited, parent company of Blemain Group, Auction Finance and Bridging Finance, today announces a 16 percent year-on-year increase in profit before tax to £52 million for the year ended 30 June 2014. Jerrold Holdings is the secured lender to the residential and commercial property sectors. The Group has benefited from increased demand for its services and continued improvements in credit quality. Jerrold, which recently completed an extension and expansion of its private securitisation programme, also saw its loan book grow by £50 million during the fourth financial quarter alone (an annualised rate of 20% growth) to now stand at £1.08 billion. Commenting on the results, Gary

Beckett, Jerrold Group CFO, said: “We are delighted to mark our 40th year of business with such a strong set of results. With increased funding levels and strong demand for our products, we have been able to increase loan book growth whilst also improving overall credit quality, setting the basis for a significant step up in future earnings and profitability.” Gary Jennison, Jerrold Group Deputy CEO commented: “Our continued investment in operational infrastructure, people and product development, coupled with our capability to raise new funding, an established distribution network and high demand for our products that are tailored to our customers’ needs, place the group in a strong position to take advantage of existing and future growth opportunities.”

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

news Blackstone Solicitors shortlisted for Modern Law Awards in London

Second writers’ conference at Creative Industries Trafford

Blackstone Solicitors, commercial litigation specialists in Hale, has been shortlisted for the Modern Law Awards 2014. The event will take place on 15 October at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

Creative Industries Trafford (CIT), in partnership with Manchester Literature Festival and supported by Arts Council England, is presenting the second Northern Lights Writers’ Conference.

Established in 2010, Blackstone have been shortlisted for the Team of the Year. This latest announcement comes following the news last month that Emma Nawaz, Managing Director, is a finalist in the Legal Business Woman of the Year Award at the National Law Society Excellence Awards, which also take place in October. Emma commented: “When I heard that our team had been shortlisted for this prestigious award, I just couldn’t wait to share the news with them. The team are so passionate and focused on obtaining excellent results for our clients that it is lovely for their efforts to be rewarded. Our clear vision, strategy, direction and purpose is shared by the

entire team.“ In other news Blackstone celebrated their 4th Anniversary and the launch of a new Property Department on September 18, where more than 150 guests gathered at a Marquee event held at their offices on Cecil Road. Commenting on the event, Emma said, “We were delighted to welcome so many guests. The focus for our practice is commercial litigation and the launch of our new Property section allows us to now expand the business further. “I am very proud of what our team has achieved and the genuine passion that they have for the business.” Angela Bhaseen will head the Property team at Blackstone and joins the firm from DWF.

There will be chance to hear how Orange Award for New Writers Joanna Kavenna and Canal Laureate Jo Bell make a living; get advice on fundraising from author David Gaffney; This year’s one-day event for emerging learn the secrets of marketing with Louise Rhind-Tutt (LRT Publicity), and and established writers takes place join literary agents Juliet Pickering on Saturday 25 October at Waterside Arts Centre in Sale, and features talks, (Blake Friedmann Agency) and Louise Lamont (LBA Books) for tips on workshops and panel discussions with award-winning writers, acclaimed finding representation. Northern publishers and leading literary agents. Lights closes with a networking session when delegates can meet the speakers CIT has also announced that this year’s keynote speech is by author and and writers. broadcaster Will Self. Creative Industries Trafford Following 2013’s successful Northern Lights - described by Chris HamiltonEmery of Salt Publishing as “A brilliant writers’ conference” and by The Art of Fiction blog as “A fascinating and stimulating day” - the theme of this year’s event is “making writing pay”.

Coordinator Richard Evans says: “We’re delighted to have such a great selection of speakers from the worlds of writing and publishing for this year’s conference, with support from our partners at Manchester Literature Festival.”

Daniel Thomas, who has been with Blackstone Solicitors for two years, has also now been promoted to partner.

L-R Sarah Townsend, Angela Bhaseen, Charlotte Turner, Daniel Thomas, Emma Nawaz, Amanda Houlgrave, Arif Khan

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October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Caunce O’Hara score in Trafford Chris Caunce

Leading city centre Insurance Brokers Caunce O’Hara have recently renewed their support of grass roots rugby in Sale and Bowdon. They have become first team shirt as well as main sponsors of Sale FC Rugby Club at Heywood Road in Sale, who’ve been firmly established in Cheshire for 153 years and play in the National 3 North league. As further support this season to Trafford’s grass roots clubs, they are

also shirt sponsors for Bowdon RUFC based at Clay Lane in Altrincham, who’ve been around for an equally impressive 137 years and play in the South Lancashire and Cheshire League.

junior rugby and he’s also the club’s development officer. He’s a firm believer that opportunity is given to young players creating “a pathway to the next generation of first team players at the club”.

Adrian Stewart, Business Development Manager for Caunce O’Hara, paid a visit to Heywood Road recently to meet with Mike Jefferson, Chief Executive of Sale FC. As well as discussing the finer points of Sale’s unstoppable rise in the league (at time of writing they have secured top spot), Adrian discussed the importance of corporate support for clubs like Sale, and the real impact it is making on the next generation of players.

“I’m certain Mike’s commitment and energy will pay dividends during the coming year, and there are a multitude of initiatives afoot involving the club and the local business community, and we look forward to being part of that.”

Adrian commented: “The Heywood Road pitch looked in fine condition last night and the clubhouse is well worth a visit - great food, good beer and a grandstand view of the pitch. “Mike is heavily involved with

It’s ten years since Caunce O’Hara, the Manchester city centre based chartered Insurance Broker, became sponsors of Sale FC, and the 2014 -15 season sees the firm sponsoring the 1st fifteen. The links with Sale go back even further. Chris Caunce, the firm’s founder, an old Sale Boy’s Grammar School pupil, started his insurance career in the town and today Caunce O’Hara has many clients in the south Manchester region.

This year Chris has lent his and the firm’s support to the club, in what promises to be a great season for a newly promoted Sale FC. The improved facilities at Heywood Road make for an excellent corporate headquarters for Caunce O’Hara in Sale. Chris comments: “We’ve always enjoyed the camaraderie and special relationship with Sale FC over the years and this year, in particular, are looking forward to match days. There’s a strong connection between Sale FC and the region’s business community, and here at Caunce O’Hara we wish Mike, the management and teams at the club every success in 2014-15. They’ve had a flying start already and long may they continue.” For more information on Caunce O’Hara please contact Adrian Stewart on 0161 833 2100 or email adrianstewart@caunceohara.co.uk

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

news

Altrincham secures new funding for business-led initiatives Altrincham Forward has received some exciting news. It has secured a £40,000 slice of the Department of Communities and Local Government BID Loan Fund to assist in setting up a Business Improvement District (BID) for the town centre. A BID enables businesses to work together to improve their trading environment and drive forward the area’s regeneration. It will operate for up to five years and would be key to ensuring Altrincham’s future sustainability. Businesses will be in the driving seat of their town centre, influencing the trading environment and increasing footfall, dwell time and spend. Businesses will now develop and agree a range of initiatives for a business plan and agree a levy each will pay, before putting it to a

democratic vote.

promotion of a town.

A successful vote will see an independent company, controlled by the businesses, delivering the agreed plan.

Altrincham Forward will be coordinating the development of the BID. There will be an extensive period of business consultation, running until summer 2015. This will include establishing the BID area and which businesses will be covered, issues needing to be addressed and the proposed levy. Initiatives to enable businesses to reduce their costs and work together more closely will also be looked at.

There are over 185 BIDs in the UK and in most cases businesses have voted to extend the BID beyond its initial timeframe. This reinforces the success this way of working can bring, as retailers see immediate improvements in their trading environment. Altrincham businesses will decide what they want to see delivered for the town centre and how to achieve this. Initiatives carried out by BIDs around the country have included new events and activities to entice shoppers, extra street cleaning and town rangers to improve the street scene, or more widespread

The BID loan funding will enable Altrincham Forward to enlist expert help with the consultation and support the development of the BID overall. It will ensure businesses are kept fully informed throughout the process and have ample opportunity to have their say. Martin Duff, Randalls Jewellers said

“The development of a BID will enable us, the businesses, to get fully involved and change the future of Altrincham for the better. We’re on the ground listening to shoppers’ comments and suggestions and will put these forward as part of the development process.” Executive Councillor for Economic Growth and Planning and Altrincham Forward Board member, Michael Hyman said: “This is fantastic news for Altrincham Town Centre and reinforces the hard work of all the partners within Altrincham Forward. The development of a Business Improvement District will enable local businesses to further drive Altrincham town centre’s regeneration forward. It places local businesses and tradespeople firmly in control so that they can shape the town’s future.”

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October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Manchester company breaks into the London elite A Salford Quays based business, The Hospitality Broker, is celebrating success after being one of only a handful of companies and the first ever Northern based company to secure an exclusive hospitality facility for the upcoming England Autumn Internationals at Twickenham. The company was set up by CEO Oliver Pimblett, and specialises in providing and brokering official tickets and hospitality packages for sell-out sporting events including Premiership Football, Royal Ascot, The Cheltenham Festival, International Cricket as well as England Rugby Internationals. The Hospitality Broker is going from strength to strength having had a record year and recently securing funding from the Government Growth Voucher Scheme. It has plans to take on an extra three staff

before the end of year and open a London office next year. “It’s a real honour for us.” comments Oliver, “England rugby hospitality has a long and respected history, and to have our own facility at Twickenham is something really special. “The North is brilliant for sport and business in general, with the Rugby World Cup being in England next year, and Manchester hosting a game for the first time, it’s really exciting times. “Northern sporting hospitality attracts people for all over the world, for instance we’ve got clients coming over from Australia for some up-coming events. You’ve also got the glittering star of Manchester City, an exciting new era at United plus classic events like the Grand National and International Cricket matches at

Emirates Old Trafford. “Businesswise we are based near Media City and get to see first-hand that the North is up there with the best in the country for things like the creative and technology sectors. “I aim to lead the way in the field of hospitality. “Historically most of The Hospitality Broker’s clients are based in and around London, but we are finding that more and more Northern business are looking to entertain clients and staff at these fantastic events.” The corporate hospitality market is growing. It is estimated that by 2016 total UK spend on corporate hospitality will hit £1.34bn per year, that’s £418 spent on corporate hospitality for every business in the UK. The business potential of Rugby

World Cup hospitality has been highlighted by recent research. The study, carried out by SMG/ YouGov was designed to gauge the effectiveness of sport hospitality as a business development tool by speaking to 500 regular hospitality purchasers and attendees. The results were hugely positive for hospitality and indeed the sport of rugby: 80 per cent of senior business decision-makers who buy corporate hospitality believe corporate hospitality at RWC2015 to be extremely effective at improving personal relationships between businesses and their clients. “In fact, the majority of these business decision-makers indicated that they would choose to purchase rugby hospitality over a range of sporting and entertainment options, including Football, Formula One, horse racing and concerts.

Time running out for small firms to meet auto-enrolment deadlines Businesses will be hit with fines for missing staging dates, employer support organisation warns. Pension auto-enrolment deadlines are looming for thousands of small firms across the region, with hefty fines likely for those who miss compliance deadlines, the Federation of Small Businesses has warned. Now that most large and medium sized businesses have migrated to the mandatory government scheme, which forces all employers

to provide a pension for staff, it will be the turn of firms employing fewer than 50 staff next to be drafted in to the scheme from June next year. However, due to the complex nature of the new regulations it takes a minimum of around six months for businesses to be set up and be issued with PAE compliance certificate. “This means that small firms have to act now, the time for dithering is over,” said FSB Regional Chairman for Manchester and North Cheshire, Richard Gregg. “Effectively, businesses that haven’t

started the process by December could well be hit with a fine come June, which can be as much as £500 for every day of non-compliance. It’s looking highly likely that there is going to be a capacity crunch at some point between now and 2017, and the best way to avoid getting caught out is to act now. “Well over a million businesses will have a staging date between 2016 and 2018. This tsunami could well cause havoc for those who have not prepared, so our advice is simply don’t wait, this is not something that’s going away.”

By March next year the first 100,000 UK businesses with fewer than 30 staff will be given their staging date the deadline they must be compliant by. The rest will follow over the succeeding three years. Added Gregg: “For most small firms, being told to go away and set up a pension scheme will sound a daunting and onerous task. They’ll just want someone to take the headache away, and not pay too much for it. The good news is that there are specialists out there who can help, including the FSB. So the message is don’t panic, but don’t do nothing either.”

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

news

Family tragedy inspires entrepreneur to set up crime scene cleaning service A family tragedy was the inspiration behind Craig Spencer’s new Crime Scene Cleaning Services, a business he has launched with the support of the Business Growth Hub that deals with a reality far removed from the dramatic world of television’s CSI teams.

seeds for his future business.

Craig, 29, had the idea for the business after his father tragically passed away at home when Craig was just 12. Craig had returned home from a school trip to find that his father had passed away in his bed and had tragically been there for several days.

Leaving behind a career as an internet marketing manager, Craig used his life savings to set up Crime Scene Cleaning Services to clean up some of the most devastating and unfortunate scenes in Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Lancashire, including crime scenes and scenes of unexpected death and decompositions. When the police, and in particular the CSI (Crime Scene Investigators) team have concluded their investigation of events, Craig and his team then attend the crime scene.

Without the team that was sent to clean up the scene, Craig would have had to deal with the situation himself and it was this devastating experience that first sewed the

The business also focuses on other forms of hazardous cleaning including hypodermic needle collection, emergency vehicle cleaning, decontamination in the

event of infectious diseases such as Ecoli and swine flu, social housing clearances and cleaning up the homes of excessive hoarders.

vulnerable people.

Craig began working with the Business Growth Hub Growth Start Up team earlier this year, and has gone on to work with advisor Gyles Denn, who has a background in forensics. Craig now has expansion plans in place, and is confident of securing the company’s first public sector tender.

“Being able to work with someone who understood the forensics industry was hugely helpful and the Hub has gone on to give us some of the best advice we have ever received.”

He has also identified a number of additional revenue streams, such as supplying animal rescue centres and veterinary practices with specialist cleaning product Pure Sanitise to help reduce the risk of cross contamination and reduce the outbreaks of infectious diseases. Craig said: “Crime scene cleaning and the type of decontamination services we offer often come as a surprise to people who never really have to consider how incidents are managed and made safe.

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“Programmes like CSI Miami have made the forensic side of crimes look very exciting and glamorous but they never show what happens after the evidence is gathered and the teams leave the scene. “Unfortunately I was exposed to it at a young age, but the good that came out of my family tragedy has been my determination to build a business that can manage difficult situations and support

www.traffordsurveyors.co.uk

Growth Start Up Advisor Gyles Denn said: “Crime Scene Cleaning Services is certainly one of the more unusual businesses that we have worked with and we’re delighted to have been able to give them the general start up support they needed as well as help in their specific forensics field. “We have worked with Craig to help him focus on securing the contracts that will allow the business to grow and on creating additional revenue streams that will create inroads into other potential clients.” The Business Growth Hub and its partners currently deliver products and services that include the Manufacturing Advisory Service, UKTI, Access to Finance, Digital Growth, Start Up Now, NW Business Angels, Textiles Growth Programme, ENWORKS and mentoring programmes plus a range of networking and specialist growth events. www.crimescenecleaningservices. co.uk www.businessgrowthhub.com

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TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Superfast broadband moves into Trafford Supported by Trafford Council, there are currently two initiatives in place that will bring superfast broadband connectivity to more areas across Trafford than before.

Get Digital Faster Get Digital Faster is a £15million partnership between eight Metropolitan Borough Councils in Greater Manchester and BT, to deliver high-speed fibre broadband to a further 45,000 homes and businesses across the conurbation by Spring 2016. The funding will target areas which are home to eligible SME businesses, where there is no existing fibre broadband service, including a number of large industrial areas and town centres across Trafford. The first cabinet in the programme recently ‘went live’ in Oldham, and further areas are to be announced as and when they go live over the next 18 months. Due to the

complexities of an infrastructure programme of this nature, it is impossible to give accurate forecasts as to exactly when in the roll-out programme each postcode area will receive these services. However, if you are interested in further information about the programme and which areas will be affected, please visit:

www.get-digital-faster.info

Connection Vouchers Scheme As reported in the last edition of Trafford Business Connect £100million had been set aside by Government for an Urban Broadband Fund (UBF). Both Manchester and Salford had been targeted as part of a 22 city roll-out. However, the Connection Vouchers scheme is now also available in selected parts of Trafford, including Trafford Park, Broadheath, Carrington Business

Park and Altrincham Town Centre. Eligible SMEs, charities, social enterprises and other not-forprofit organisations can apply for a grant of up to £3,000 to cover the connection costs of a faster broadband connection. The applicant just has to pay the VAT, any amount over £3,000, and the monthly subscription cost. A grant can be for an individual organisation; or several organisations can apply as a group through a landlord or agent. This scheme will be particularly beneficial to any businesses who are not covered under the Get Digital Faster programme, have an urgent need for a faster broadband connection (i.e. before a fibre connection is delivered through Get Digital Faster), or who require a business class service (typically a faster connection than 30Mbp/s). For more information or to find out if your business is eligible, please

visit www.manchester.gov.uk/ superconnected The extension of high speed broadband will bring enormous benefits and will enhance Trafford’s position as one of the best locations for business in Greater Manchester. Greatly improved infrastructure will not only support the growth of our existing businesses, but will also help to attract new business and greater job opportunities into the borough. If you have any questions about either of the programmes outlined above, or are interested in further information about any other aspect of business support available, Trafford Council’s Economic Growth Team can be contacted on: 0161 912 4923 or by email:

tom.wilde@trafford.gov.uk

Alternatively, if you need advice on bringing these schemes to your business a supplier like Metronet(UK) (see below) can help.

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

news

Local businesses support Sale FC opening home game fantastic turnout from not just local supporters but local businesses as well. “A lot of work has gone into the refurbishment of Heywood Road and attracting corporate support is a fine acknowledgement of that investment.

In keeping with Sale FC Rugby Club’s push into the business community of Sale and surrounding areas, local companies were invited to very special opening home game on Saturday 20 September, where the newly refurbished buildings and ground were enjoyed by an eager home crowd. There was a fine lunch served by Herb and Spice in a packed clubhouse where a dedication to former player and past president Richard Trickey was given, in

advance of the renaming of the main stand in honour of his 50 years of service to the club. This was followed by a fantastic win by Sale against Yorkshire rivals Cleckheaton (37 – 16) which secured their third bonus point win of the season placing them head of the National 3 North league table. Mike Jefferson, Chief Executive commented: “This was an important day for Sale FC and it was heartening to see such a

Local entrepreneur wins zero cost business accommodation through Canmoor competition Commercial property company, Canmoor, has announced the winner of its 2014 North West Entrepreneur Award. Now in its second year, the Award celebrates young and dynamic business ideas and is run in collaboration with Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Trafford Council, who co-judge the competition. Criteria for the winning business include being able to demonstrate capacity for sustainable growth, creative thinking and employment generation. The winner of this year’s Award, Ivy Bell Baking Kits, is the brainchild of owner and former professional pastry chef, Verity Gaughan, and offers ‘bake in the box’ cake kits based on traditional recipes using natural ingredients. Ivy Bell Baking Kits was selected

“We hope to build on the success enjoyed on Saturday by not just staying on top of the league but making sure the club’s profile remains highly visible in the local community and beyond.”

on the back of Verity’s clear vision for the business and the success the new venture has achieved so far, producing the baking kits from Verity’s home kitchen. In winning the award, Verity will enjoy 12 months’ complimentary business accommodation courtesy of Canmoor at the company’s Longwood Park estate in Trafford Park.

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October/November 2014

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Connecting UK SMEs with Central & Eastern Europe As part of the International UK Business Network Initiative, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce is working closely with British Chamber of Commerce and British Business Centres from 41 emerging markets; and they are pleased to announce the introduction of a new tool available to UK Exporters interested in exporting to Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). The CEE Business Platform is your go-to source of market sector, event

and business opportunity information for British business in Central and Eastern Europe. The CEE Business Portal serves as a central point of contact for the UK government, Export Britain, and the six CEE Chambers of Commerce involved in the International UK Business Network initiative. They seamlessly connect British business and investors to mid and high-value business opportunities, British Chamber of Commerce

members abroad, valuable market sector information, and integral events, news, and business resources. By working with partners in the United Kingdom and the CEE alike, they aim to provide a streamlined extra layer of support for British business looking to expand abroad. They are dedicated to assisting British companies enter the CEE market or solidify their presence therein by connecting them to key

players in the region. The CEE Business Platform aims to facilitate the distinctive roles of the UK government, Chambers of Commerce and SMEs in today’s business market. So if you are new to exporting and looking for an easy market to tap and which offers a great chance for growing your business, start by checking this online resource: www.ceebusinessportal.eu

Delivery of higher level Leavitt Walmsley Associates apprenticeships rolls out boosts growth with acquisition Delivery of Higher Level Apprenticeships is the first of two initiatives from the Apprenticeship Hub designed to support training providers to develop provision to support both employers and the needs of young people in line with Greater Manchester’s current and future skill needs. Independent forecasts suggest that by 2020, over half of job opportunities in Greater Manchester will require level 3 or more advanced skills. However, few young people currently learn at level 3 and above via an Apprenticeship. Out of 29,000 apprenticeship starts in 2010/11, 9,195 were at level 3 and only 158 were at level 4. City Deal grants are available to support providers that wish to develop their capacity to deliver Higher Apprenticeships in line with skill needs of Greater Manchester employers. Funding is available to allow providers to invest in their capacity to deliver the growing number of established Higher Apprenticeship frameworks, enabling them to put in place the required resources, staffing and materials. Proposals are sought from providers wishing to enter new markets and deliver frameworks at Level 4+. For this a grant of up to £50,000 will be available. In return a match funding (at 50%) is required and a minimum

number of Higher Apprenticeship starts. National Apprenticeship Service will work alongside the successful providers to help expand the market, making referrals to the successful providers, and holding employer events to publicise the newly available provision in conjunction with the appropriate industry body - ensuring that the investments made can be quickly realised. If you are interested in this more information is available from www.neweconomymanchester.com New Economy Manchester delivers policy, strategy and research for Greater Manchester’s economic growth and prosperity. They achieve this by providing economic intelligence and regular analysis to underpin strategic direction. As the conurbation’s economic think-tank and advisor on best policy practice, New Economy leads on idea generation and project initiation up to the point of delivery. As a wholly owned company of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority they work with all ten Greater Manchester local authorities, the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, and private and public sector partners to understand, influence, and innovate, creating a better economy for Greater Manchester.

and a major client win Sale based independent accountancy firm Leavitt Walmsley Associates Ltd (LWA), have acquired Warrington practice Moore Hill Accountants and strengthened its own book with the instruction for audit and accounts from a regional chain of restaurants. The purchase came about when Director of the Warrington based practice, Sean Moore, decided to retire and put the business up for sale. Based on Birchwood Business Park and within the local vicinity for LWA, the acquisition has come at the right time for the firm. LWA’s Managing Partner, Les Leavitt, commented: “Our turnover has been on the up in recent years and in the first six months of 2014 alone it’s grown by 12%. We’re extremely proud of our growth, mainly through client recommendations, and I’m confident we have maximised the opportunity to boost our growth through the purchase of this well-established practice.” Les, and the firm’s Technical Director, Steve Collings, will now focus on building relationships with the clients of Moore Hill, in line with their personal approach to fulfilling the financial and business advisory needs of LWA’s own client base. Since the early 1990’s, LWA have been exceeding the expectations of their clients with their commitment to go the extra mile, that has been fundamental to the firm achieving

a strong reputation locally in the North West as well as on a global scale through the success of Steve Collings’ published books and award wins. Their latest client referrals have included the regional Brazilian format restaurant chain Tropeiro. Ultimately, winning the work was down to LWA’s preparation and understanding of the client’s needs and presenting specific improvements to the business operation which the chain’s owners are already benefiting from. Jamie Doyle, Finance Director of Tropeiro, observed: “LWA were up against some larger practices at the proposal stage, but we were highly impressed by the level of expertise, confidence and genuine passion from both directors.” As if all of this wasn’t enough to celebrate, the firm has been shortlisted in two categories at this year’s British Accountancy Awards - Independent Firm of the Year (Scotland and North England), and Steve Collings for Practitioner of the Year. The winners of these prestigious industry awards will be announced on Tuesday 25 November at The Brewery in London. These developments at Leavitt Walmsley Associates are set to boost the firm’s growth significantly, with more local businesses gaining from their professional expertise.

October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Informed Solutions invited to exhibit at the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority event in Manchester Having recently become signatories to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) Supply Chain Charter, Informed Solutions are among a select group of companies that have been invited to exhibit at the industry’s leading NDA Estate Supply Chain event in Manchester. With 1,500 expected delegates, this is the largest nuclear decommissioning supply chain event in the UK. It will be held at Event City in Manchester, on Thursday 6 November and this year features UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD’s) Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Submarines Operating Centre. Keynote speakers include Baroness Verma from the Minister of Energy

and Climate Change, Rear Admiral Mike Wareham from DE&S Director of Submarines, and NDA’s Chief Executive John Clarke. Informed’s extensive experience of working in the Oil and Gas Exploration and Nuclear sectors has earned the company a reputation for delivering high performing solutions to complex business and safety critical problems, particularly where place, location and geography are important. Informed’s CEO Elizabeth Vega said; “It’s a genuine pleasure to be invited to exhibit at this prestigious national event. We have worked hard over many years to develop an excellent track record with high risk industries such as nuclear.

“Our work with Sellafield Ltd has helped raise the bar globally for how land quality and remediation data is managed. Becoming signatories to the Supply Chain Charter for Nuclear Decommissioning Sites was a logical step for Informed Solutions, particularly as it sits full square with our existing Professional Alliance Charter, which is based on best practice and the BS 11000 standard for Collaborative Business Relationships.

is that all levels within the supply chain ‘be a good client’. We are proud to be part of this prestigious supplier community and look forward to exhibiting alongside similarly minded companies at the Manchester event.”

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a nondepartmental public body established under the Energy Act 2004. Its mission is to decommission and clean up the 19 civil nuclear “The numerous challenges of sites in the public sector, handling complex and safety critical establish long term management data in high risk industries require arrangements for the UK’s higher competent governance underpinned radioactive wastes, and develop by high levels of trust and mutual UK-wide nuclear low level waste respect between all parties within the management strategy and plans. supply chain. The central principle For further details see of the NDA Supply Chain Charter www.nda.gov.uk

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Manchester officially named ‘European City of Science’ in Copenhagen handover Manchester has been officially named the European City of Science at a ceremony held at the end of June in Copenhagen, Denmark. This prestigious badge of honour will be held for two years as Manchester builds towards hosting Europe’s largest general scientific conference, ESOF - the EuroScience Open Forum - in summer 2016. ESOF is a biennial, pan-European convention that is dedicated to scientific research and innovation. It has just completed its 2014 programme in the city of Copenhagen.

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The association behind ESOF is EuroScience, a European grassroots organisation of scientists and all those taking an interest in scientific developments. ESOF is the voice of European researchers, across disciplines and countries; promoting dialogue with researchers worldwide. The 2016 event is expected to bring 4,500 delegates to Manchester, whilst generating approximately £8.3m for the economy. Attendees will include global scientific and technology leaders. Speaking at the handover ceremony held today in Copenhagen, Manchester Lord Mayor Susan Cooley, said: “We’re thrilled that Manchester is now recognised as the European City of Science and will be pulling out all stops to build on the incredible effort that has made ESOF 2014 such a huge success here in Denmark. “Manchester has a long and proud association with scientific achievement from the work of John Dalton on atomic theory to the first programmable computer and the recent discovery of the advanced material, Graphene. “And with Manchester presently making significant progress across numerous exciting areas

of discovery including artificial intelligence, smart textiles, and acoustics technology, there has never been a better time for the city to be recognised in this way.” Klaus Bock, ESOF Champion for 2014, said: “ESOF has without doubt become an event that puts the very best of science on the global agenda. One of the truly great successes of ESOF2014 was the very active involvement of so many students and young scientists through initiatives like the European Student Parliament and the Future Academy and that has contributed to a wonderful atmosphere during the event. “The quality of the scientific debates and presentations has been fantastic and Manchester has a lot to live up to; however, with such a rich scientific history we are certain that the city will deliver a brilliant event in 2016.” Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, ESOF Champion for 2016, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming Europe’s greatest scientific gathering. This will bring to Manchester outstanding scientists and technology business leaders from all over the world and will open our doors to those at the very first stages of a scientific career. “The University of Manchester is proud of it’s scientific heritage but ESOF will help us to look to the future and the ways in which breakthroughs in research can revolutionise the economy and make a real impact on the challenges facing our society.”

October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Are you leaving the right impression? Stephensons launches support package for clients’ life story Stephensons Solicitors LLP is launching an exclusive membership scheme which provides free legal support as well as a host of additional extras, for all clients of the firm to support their life journey.

media if a case reaches the news; refer a friend rewards; discounted self-storage helpful to those moving home; and many other offers which complement the range of legal services provided by the firm.

The national law firm is rolling out Constant this week in a bid to add value to existing relationships and provide more than legal support to clients. As well as being a 24-hour accessible legal helpline where people can obtain 30 minutes of free legal assistance on a range of issues, Constant includes a client hub and additional extras such as exclusive discounts and lifestyle benefits to help clients along the way, all of which are relevant to the legal issues they may be dealing with.

Andrew Welch, Stephensons’ managing partner, said: “Constant will be an added benefit of being a client of our firm. We want to encourage our clients to stay with us for all of their legal issues, whatever they may be and whenever they may occur throughout their life story.

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TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

news

Velotrove set to revolutionise bike parking A Manchester architect is set to capitalise on the growing popularity of cycling with a new venture offering a radically different range of bike storage solutions. Velotrove has been launched by Paula Butterfield of Butterfield Architecture, who spotted a gap in the market for practical and attractive bike parking solutions through her work with domestic and commercial clients.

parking with stylish street furniture and is ideal for commercial developments. Velotrove has already signed a number of business clients including Dynamic Parcel Distribution (DPD), which is about to install seven Veloslots at its Irlam depot for staff to use.

Cycling is enjoying a major renaissance in the UK, boosted by sporting events including the Olympics and the Tour de France. The mileage cycled in the UK rose Velotrove is the first range of bike storage products created with security, by 20% over the 15 years to 2012 to reach 5 billion kilometres, according style and sustainability in mind. The to Department of Transport figures. five-strong Velotrove team have already created the first three products, The 2011 Census also found that the number who cycle to work had risen all of which are made in the UK. by 17% in the previous 10 years. The Velochain is the only ground anchor with integral chain and provides Paula said: “Employers and property developers increasingly want to a simple way to secure bikes in a garden, shed, balcony or on the street. incorporate cycle parking, but as It is accredited to Cycle Gold standard an architect working on commercial schemes I realised there was a gap in by Sold Secure. The Veloslot is a space-saving storage solution that uses the market for practical and durable bike parking solutions which were individual slots to keep cycles apart. The Veloplanter combines secure cycle stylish enough to complement the

street scene or landscape. “As a cyclist myself with a family, I struggled to find any flexible and space-saving bike storage. Velotrove was started in response to my own needs and those of my clients but, having spotted the gap in the market, I recognised that there was an opportunity for it to become a business in its own right.” MAS has advised Velotrove on bringing innovative products to market and also provided funding to develop IP protection for the unique products. Paula added: “Working with MAS has really helped us to plan our product development and to be aware of protecting our brand and IP and we are continuing to work with them as our business grows.” MAS Advisor Nick Brandwood said: “Velotrove is a great example of a business that was born out of a real need to find a solution to a problem. Building on the huge market for

home based cycle security, Paula is also now working increasingly with businesses, retailers and leisure complexes that are being asked by customers and staff alike to provide secure cycle storage. By combining her years of design expertise with a local quality manufacturing process, Paula is able to deliver a gold standard in style as well as security and MAS will continue to support Velotrove as it expands into new markets and products.” www.velotrove.com

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TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

comment

The undercove

An exclusive interview with Simon Kossoff - CEO of Carluccio’s - one of the fastest growing restaurant brands in the UK On the 29th August the latest addition to the Carluccio’s restaurant chain opened in the heart of Hale village. Present were founder Antonio Carluccio and CEO Simon Kossoff, who invited Trafford Business Connect for an exclusive interview. Fresh from his appearance on Channel 4’s Undercover Boss, Simon was keen to give an insightful view of the continued success of what is now becoming a worldwide chain: Firstly, welcome to Hale. I believe this is your 88th branch of the Restaurant? “That’s correct, this is our 88th Store in the UK, and we’re very close to 100 Stores worldwide, which will be towards the end of this year.” I notice you refer to the word store rather than restaurant on Undercover Boss on Channel 4.

in the UK. Each new store varies in investment, but they tend to average about £750,000 initially. The intention is simply to grow the number of stores to approaching double the amount we currently have, accounting for an investment of approximately £50million. This is our intention over the next few years.” What did you learn from a business perspective after taking part in Undercover Boss? “The biggest issue was the lack of a general manager in Peterborough for so long. This one issue had obviously affected many aspects of the store, which were highlighted in the programme. We immediately appointed a temporary manager the next day, with a view to prioritising the appointment of a permanent manager.”

“Quite a few people picked me up on that. We called them stores from the very beginning because they weren’t just restaurants but delicatessens as well, and I was very keen that the deli’s weren’t seen as the junior partner in the relationship.” You’re looking at a next stage investment of £50million across the group. How is this being allocated? “We’re basically trying to double the size of the current business

L-R Carluccio’s CEO Simon Kossoff, Founder Antonio Carluccio, Trafford Council Leader Sean Anstee

Do you feel that by having 81 stores at the time of filming you couldn’t be expected to personally be on top of every store? “When I started the business I was proud to say that I knew every person who worked in every store personally, and that lasted until we had 8 or 10 stores I recall. “After that point it was essential that we established good lines of communication across all stores, and in a way the TV programme highlighted where this had broken down. As a TV programme it presented the problem in quite an exaggerated manner, but these were all genuine problems that were happening due to the lack of information reaching the right areas of the business that could remedy them.” What advice would you give to a business owner looking to expand? “It took us 18 months to open our second store in 2000, and this was an example of small steps initially, using the time to get the business running correctly before growing. After that, the pace increased to reach currently 10 a year. The other advice is to stick to your knitting! Don’t try changing things for the sake of change. Once we established a successful business model of the stores including both restaurant and deli as a comfortable and affordable offering, we didn’t try for instance adding wine bars or changing the style of the restaurants.” You are obviously very confident about your own business competing in a busy market place. Just taking a look around your site in Hale you have chosen an area already busy with

restaurants, including Italian ones! “We are competing not just in Hale but across the whole country. Everywhere we go there are Italian restaurants and other restaurants in abundance. But as long as we keep doing a good enough job, as long as our offer is good value, and as long as the service is great, then I think people will keep coming regardless of who’s around. Some days they’ll choose us, some days they’ll choose someone else.” What does Carluccio’s offer the people of Hale that the established restaurants don’t offer already? “We are open all day. Whether it’s a coffee and croissant at breakfast, a glass of wine and bowl of pasta for lunch, or four courses over a bottle in the evening, it’s all about being casual, relaxed and we think the quality you get for the price is really, really good.” I notice the menu is offering gluten-free options. “We started offering gluten-free choices when people started asking for them, and out of that we now have a reasonable choice of dishes available. Our gluten-free menu is actually one of our most positive areas of feedback, and we’re finding that as more and more people are suffering food allergies and intolerances nowadays we’ve got to do our very best to accommodate them. We have gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options available, plus we have what we call an ‘allergy manual’ so our staff can tell customers exactly what is in a dish, and as such help customers make an informed choice rather than taking a chance.” Going back to Undercover Boss, have you learned any lessons about putting your stores too close to each other? “Of course there’s a lesson in that, but the story presented on the TV programme didn’t really give the full details. In Leeds, where we were, there

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

er boss arrives in

How did you get into the restaurant business? “It was by accident really. As a student I organised concerts, parties, etc and got interested in hospitality. I ended up working in Pizza Express, and that gave me the taste for high street restaurants. From there I joined a big American restaurant business for 12 years starting as assistant manager and working up to director level. Around that time I had the good fortune to meet Antonio Carluccio, who along with his wife had a brilliant idea which eventually turned into the Carluccio’s brand.” How important is Antonio in the continued development of the Carluccio’s brand? “Antonio is not simply an inspirational figure but has a phenomenal ability to know exactly what a dish requires to make it a success. He is also great on camera, great with the press, but at the same time he appreciates the need for good commercial and business skills which is why we enjoy working together.” What advice would you give anyone looking to start their own restaurant business? “This business is not for the fainthearted. It’s very easy to misunderstand how difficult it is running a restaurant, especially if you’ve not done it before.

Hale

I would get some actual experience before jumping in.”

How important and what sort of training do you give your staff?

Would it be more important to have experience as a chef or a manager?

“We brought a training director into the business early on. Carluccio’s is a complex and fiddly business to run, and I felt we needed to give our staff a lot of input. Training takes place at dedicated training centres both in London and Harrogate.”

“I think you could be either. People skills are essential, and you have to have an understanding of food even if you can’t cook. “I think the real thing is to understand how difficult it is to do it, and to get experience at someone else’s expense rather than your own.”

‘‘

How about qualification requirements for your staff? “We offer opportunities for everyone. For managers, previous

Carluccio’s is about simple, authentic, honest Italian food that isn’t too fussy. It’s a place that people can come to chat and meet and feel comfy any time of the day.

‘‘

was a store on Greek Street which is a vibrant restaurant and drinking area. Then a very big developer completely transformed the centre of Leeds with a new shopping centre, and we knew we had to be there as it was such a significant development. So what happened in Leeds was not so much about two Carluccio’s being within a few minutes of each other, but a massive shopping centre springing up sucking up local business. However, nonetheless we still have to ensure we don’t have sites too close to each other.”

restaurant management experience helps, however, we also take on younger people who have a bit of restaurant experience and train them as managers. “For the staff, it’s all about attitude. We can train them in specific skills, but it’s essential they have the right attitude to both customers and fellow staff.”

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

comment

£1m target It was quite apt for the inaugural reception by recently appointed pro-manchester Chairman John Jones to take place in the newly refurbished Manchester Central Library building. John is Partner at Manchester based accountants and business advisors Beever & Struthers.

announced for pro-

importance of the core sector serviced by pro-manchester John commented: “Outside of London, Greater On Thursday 11 September in front of Manchester is the UK’s main centre a busy room, John outlined proposals for the Financial and Professional that would see pro-manchester, which Services sector, employing nearly represents financial and professional 280,000 people and generating over services in the city, look to an £14 billion of GVA annually. Around aggressive period of expansion over 20% of the working population of the next few years. Greater Manchester are employed in Amongst the stunning refurbishment this sector and it contributes nearly

‘‘

pro-manchester is heading in a great direction; we are in a fantastic position of remaining committed to our core membership and offering, whilst being able to offer new and exciting business development opportunities. Our Sector group programme offers so much opportunity for businesses to position themselves as industry specialists whilst the growth of products like The SME Club and the addition of key flagship events like The Big Social Media Conference allow us to continue to develop and expand our programme for the benefit of our members and the Manchester business community.

‘‘

John Ashcroft Chief Executive, pro-manchester

now completed on the inside of the iconic building, mixing fresh, dynamic and modern treatments with original Georgian architectural features, the proposals outlined for pro-manchester also reflected an organisation traditionally servicing a financial sector steeped in history with an eye on expansion in the ever increasing professional sectors across the region. Starting by acknowledging the

30% of the overall economic value produced in the region. That’s larger than in all other city regions in Great Britain. “I’ve spoken before about the progressive leadership shown by the City Council and the wider Manchester Family in looking to create the right environment for recovery and growth, and a key theme of my year as Chair will be how we can build on the close

strategic relationships that pro-manchester has with organisations such as the City Council, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Business Growth Hub and the Greater Manchester LEP. “Manchester has of course been performing reasonably well in the context of a relatively weak national economy. It has continued to deliver significant commercial developments, such as Airport City and MediaCity, and to attract more new investment. “In fact there has been over £2bn of investment which has seen the transformation of the city centre following the 1996 bombing. And over recent years we have seen other developments as the City positions itself to compete on a truly global level. “Conference and business events attracted nearly 5 million delegates to Manchester last year, generating over £800m of income. Hand in hand with this has been the transformation of Manchester as a destination economy, based on the success of our sporting brands, our theatres, our museums and our nightlife. There are over one million international leisure visitors to Greater Manchester every year. We are also the UK’s third most popular city for International visitors, after London and Edinburgh. “The trend of increasing passenger numbers at Manchester Airport continues, and from December

2014 there will be a direct flight to Hong Kong four times a week. This means that Manchester will be the only airport outside of London to have a non-stop service to China. “Greater Manchester continues to experience a healthy increase in the number of new business incorporations, with the number of firms registering at Companies House up by nearly 20% from last year - a larger increase than the average recorded across England. “Manchester has also been ranked as the number one growth city outside of London in a recent survey, with one of the highest levels of economic and social growth, and MediaCity is of course the seed for further investment in the creative sector, building on an existing cluster of media, cultural and games businesses. “The importance of the universities, the wider knowledge base and cultural excellence are of course important factors contributing to Manchester’s economic potential. Recent business surveys indicate increased confidence currently, and expectations of increased profitability and investment. Barriers to growth are perceived to be lower than in recent years, however access to finance and skills are still key issues for Greater Manchester businesses though.” John then went on to describe in more detail the shape of future activity with pro-manchester: “The Hot Topics programme will remain at the very core of what we do. Our reputation for the quality of events we run is richly

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

-manchester deserved. Last year we ran over 150 events attracting over 10,000 delegates. Expect more of the same over the coming year, and you can be sure we will continue to look for a diverse range of topical areas with engaging and informed speakers. You can expect a streamlined programme of informative sessions which will be closely aligned with our increasing Sector Group activity. “We will continue to provide valuable market analysis and commentary - while the Corporate Finance Lunch in February next year will as ever feature industry experts sharing their thoughts on this key barometer of growth. “Making a return will be our highly successful Greater Manchester Business Conference, again as a joint venture with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Last year’s event, attended by over 400 delegates, was a sell-out, and when the event returns on Friday 5 March 2015 the key themes will be funding for business, science and technology, plus manufacturing. “Our sector group programme will continue to forge stronger communication and relationships between financial and professional services and 11 key business sectors we have identified. These groups, which are made up of experts from within the pro-manchester membership and industry representatives, offer our members unrivalled networking opportunities, promotional activities and knowledge sharing events.

“I touched earlier on my intention to develop and strengthen wider strategic relationships for pro-manchester and in that regard we continue to work alongside the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to meet the objectives of the Greater Manchester Growth Plan. The Business Growth Hub also has a very important part to play in this, co-ordinating in one place the many sources of Government and local services, information and contacts that a business would otherwise have to discover for itself. “With the Business Growth Hub now on board as official partners of the SME Club programme our members’ visibility has been enhanced significantly in that sector, and we are now emailing 20,000 SMEs every week with free business advice and profiling our members’ services.” A round of further new initiatives were then announced: “The ‘Big Social Media Conference’ will take place on 9 and 10 July 2015 at The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club, bringing together some of the biggest names and brands in social media from the UK and North America. The conference will include a mixture of keynote speeches including a headline slot from Mari Smith - relationship marketing guru, Facebook expert and social media thought leader. “The event is being run by Social

pro-manchester Chairman John Jones

Media Experts and is part of the wider business development activity offered by pro-manchester encompassing The SME Club and Financial Director’s Forum products offering enhanced business development opportunities for our member firms. John then rounded off his address with the following summary: “pro-manchester has developed into a sophisticated business to business model, and our key success factors are our members, our events, our networking and our business development. “We will continue to be involved right in the heart of the financial and professional services sector, linking our members to business, higher education, local government and a whole range of related partners. “Our members have the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of events and services we offer, and I for my part will continue to encourage our executive team to

come up with innovative ideas to support our members. “pro-manchester will return to profit in the coming year and revenue growth over coming years will increase significantly as we commercialise the sector groups and increase key corporate member numbers. Within 2 years we have set ourselves a £1m challenge, looking to achieve £1m annual turnover, and I will be doing my best to help it in that direction. “Under past Chair Nicola Quayle the organisation was stabilised. I see my goal for the year being to build on that, taking pro-manchester forward and leaving a stronger platform for the future, based upon a strong foundation of key strategic relationships to maintain our position as the pre-eminent representative for the sector. We will also establish successful revenue-generating commercial arrangements to underpin our financial stability, and above all offer superb value as a relevant, innovative service for our members.”

pro-manchester is 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 Photography courtesy of Gareth Davies www.garethdaviesphotography.co.uk 07590 455055

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

review

The secret to Building a September 1 was a hot and sunny evening in Manchester, and located in Spinningfields can be found HSBC’s Corporate Banking Centre on Hardman Street. This evening Jason Trigg, HSBC Area Commercial Director was hosting a special networking event and presentation on behalf of TiE UK North.

higher quality customer service offer, driven by front-facing quality high street brands. Ilyas commented on his presentation: “I see the event tonight as an excellent platform for nurturing a successful entrepreneurial culture across the North West.

“As an individual who lives and works in the region, I am personally TiE is a global networking passionate about promoting organisation which was first entrepreneurship through mentoring, established in 1992 in Silicon Valley, networking and education. It is it has since grown to incorporate over important for stakeholders such 13,000 members worldwide. They as HSBC and other banks to work have offices in 62 commercial centres closely with business network across 17 countries, and each office organisations such as TiE in creating

National Brand “The next two or three years are going to be even more interesting as we look to grow the business and take it to the next level and become an established national operator. “We firmly believe that securing additional sites and investing in them, keeping abreast of consumer convenience trends, being effective brand ambassadors, leveraging our people and systems and having a positive impact in the local areas where we operate will maintain our encouragement by listening to how a company grows and how it delivers its vision. Euro Garages is a very exciting brand based in Lancashire, but operating on a national scale.

promotes entrepreneurship and supports entrepreneurs through TiE’s core programmes and busy event calendars.

events which allow entrepreneurs to give an insight into their business, the challenges faced and opportunities realised.

TiE UK North is based in Manchester, and has been established for almost a decade. Each year they work with hundreds of businesses in the area and with some of the most influential CEOs and founders.

“A journey shared, is a journey halved for others. As humans we are salient learners and are quick to absorb experiences from others. This knowledge often sits in the back of our mind and comes to life when we face a similar challenge.

As part of TiE’s programme of events, guest entrepreneurs are invited to share their business journeys to a group of TiE charter members and mentors, and this evening Ilyas Munshi, commercial director for Euro Garages, was sharing how the brand’s growth strategy was developed and how this can help map an expansion route for other businesses. Ilyas’ presentation was completely absorbing as it took us into the journey of a family run business that shrewdly developed strategy as they were expanding. Established in 2001, Euro Garages now stands as the third largest independent forecourt operator in the UK. Their business model has purposely differed from their competition through the establishment of a broader and

“A few years ago Euro Garages were in the same space as many of the entrepreneurs who were in the audience. Through firm belief and dedication in delivering an effective growth plan, and more importantly regularly sharing this with brand partners, finance providers and other key stakeholders, today, the business has grown to being the third largest independent forecourt operator in the United Kingdom, with an estate portfolio of 180 sites employing over 2,500 staff members, and with strategic brand partnership with the oil majors such as ESSO, BP and Shell, global food and drink brands like Starbucks, Subway, Greggs and Burger King and SPAR for the convenience store offer.

competitive advantage over other operators. The aim is to continually deliver a modern, world-class forecourt convenience offer which exceeds consumer expectations.” Ann Jordan, Executive Director, TiE UK North also commented: “Bringing speakers like Ilyas Munshi to address TiE members is very rewarding. Young aspiring entrepreneurs get a lot of

“Ilyas highlighted the value of working closely with leading brand partners to be able to deliver a first class fuel, convenience and food and drink offering through its Garage network. A lot of lessons were learnt from the event”. TiE also operate Founders Dock, which is their flagship state-of-the-art incubator, situated in the heart of Spinningfields at Quay House. This is where they mentor and develop the next generation of entrepreneurial success stories. For more information email: work@foundersdock.com

L-R Jason Trigg, Area Commercial Director, HSBC Bank; Ilyas Munshi, Commercial Director, Euro Garages; Tariq Marfani, Managing Director Tarameen; Rob Wardle, Tax Partner, CLB Coopers; Vikas Shah, Managing Director, Swiscot Group (Tariq and Vikas are TiE board members)

If you’d like to know more about TiE UK North please visit: www.tieuknorth.org

October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

focus Lancaster China Catalyst Programme Driving UK Business Growth through International Innovation Companies range in size from 4 to 440 employees. Examples of the joint projects include:

Although an important market for UK goods and services, China is still regarded as difficult or inaccessible to many SMEs. A new programme based at Lancaster University aims to smooth the way for SMEs to engage with China. The Lancaster China Catalyst Programme supports UK-Chinese business partnerships on a collaborative programme of R&D, leading to the development of new technology-based products and services. Part-funded by the Higher Education Funding Council, the University and Lancashire County Council, the programme will provide UK companies with a bespoke and dedicated support platform worth over £70K to plan and develop international collaborative R&D and commercialisation projects. It will enable UK companies to enhance their international innovation capacity, access a dedicated highly

skilled postgraduate team resource, and potentially unlock significant amounts of funding from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology (GDST) to deliver an R&D project. Participants in the Catalyst programme are guided through the various phases of collaboration: 1 Investigation of the market and identification of potential partners. 2 Accelerating the engagement with the selected partner.

• Development of a web-based interface that will give users full access and control of sensor based networks. • Product and market development for a new carbon fibre chassis design for a city car suitable for distributed manufacture in China. • Development of robust energy storage systems that are designed for off-grid energy storage applications using emerging technologies (i.e. Li-Po) that are rapidly reducing in cost.

in September to participate in a partnering event where they had one to one business meetings with several pre-selected companies. Some of these companies are already planning a collaborative R&D project. During the visit the great opportunities for UK companies in China became apparent through engagement with Chinese companies operating within the same business space. The expected outcomes of Catalyst are for UK companies to have collaboratively developed new products or services and commercialisation plans for the China or global market leading to new revenues and jobs created. We are now recruiting a further 45 companies to support for the next Cycle starting in spring 2015.

We would be delighted to hear from you! For further information please These companies travelled to Guangzhou contact us at:

3 Collaboration on an R&D project. The programme is supported by dedicated Catalyst teams at Lancaster University and in Guangzhou. The programme enjoys strong support from the Guangdong provincial government stimulating a high level of interest from local companies.

Mark Beresford

m.beresford@lancaster.ac.uk Tel. + 44(0)1524 510836

Jing Lu

j.lu4@lancaster.ac.uk

Tel. + 44(0)1524 510322

or visit our website: www.lancaster.ac.uk/china-catalyst

Launched in January 2014, fifteen companies have started Cycle 1.

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October/November 2014

focus

Altrincham’s ZipYard shortlisted for Franchise of the Year Richard McConnell, who runs the ZipYard’s Altrincham and Wilmslow branches, has been shortlisted for the British Franchise Association’s HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards. Nominated under the ‘Customer Service’ category, the Altrincham branch of the ZipYard will be represented at a glittering black tie ceremony at Birmingham Town Hall on 2 October. The outstanding winner will receive £10,000, with each category winner receiving £1,000.

Ferdinand, Kevin Keegan, Denise Welch and Sally Dynevor. Everton player Marouane Fellaini is one of our regulars.” Richard then went on to describe how he grows his business:“Outstanding customer service combined with delivering top quality work at all times is the key to our success. Competitors are beginning to creep into our territory but we strive hard to maintain our number one position by keeping up the highest standards and always going the extra mile to delight customers.

much trouble. We don’t charge extra for an express service and often carry out additional minor repairs for free. If one of the seamstresses notices a button needs replacing it takes very little additional time to do the complementary work - and customers are always surprised and delighted. “Frequently people come in off the street with a button that’s just come off - we’ll fix it there and then for no charge, knowing that they will regard us as a lifesaver and talk about the ZipYard to others.

them a happy holiday when they pick up the clothes and ask them about it the next time they’re in. Building relationships is paramount - and as a result the average repeat customer visits us about once a month. “We text customers to let them know their repair is ready and engage with them through social media via twitter. Our customers love dealing with us and their glowing tweets encourage others to give us a try.”

Richard summed up his approach to expanding the business by constantly Richard commented: “I’m absolutely “The sophisticated till system included moving forward with raising customer “As a former driving instructor I am service expectations even higher. thrilled to be nominated for this as part of the ZipYard package has a well accustomed to dealing with the award. It’s great to be recognised customer relationship management He is currently looking at a concept public and have known from very early amongst the country’s leading feature which tracks customers each of a ‘pop-up’ ZipYard specifically on in my career it is the way you treat franchisees for the second year time they come in and allows us to targeting parts of the community that running, and I’m really looking forward people that shapes the future of make notes. If a regular is getting find it difficult to get out to the shops any business. to the awards ceremony in October. ready to go on holiday we can input - and plans to pilot the concept in a “The biggest challenge as we become this into the system so we can wish local nursing home soon. “At both sites we aim to make each more and more successful has been to individual feel like a VIP and as a result our word of mouth business has grown sustain the level of customer service. With two shops to manage, the amount exponentially. of time I can physically spend in each “Nowadays very few people have the is more limited which is why choosing time or skill to mend their own clothes. and training up the right people to For many of our customers we have be the face of the ZipYards has been become their ‘personal’ tailors. crucial to our growth strategy.” They expect a very fast service and Trade customers are also an essential we rarely disappoint. part of Richard’s growth plans: “From opening our specialist garment “Running alongside the retail side and alterations centre in Altrincham of the ZipYard is the equally in 2011 with just one member of important service we provide staff and two seamstresses, we trade customers, including now have a second centre in boutiques and dry cleaners Wilmslow which was officially who outsource their alterations opened by the Chancellor of the and repairs to us. Exchequer George Osborne “For the dry cleaners we provide last year. a free collection and delivery “Working in Cheshire service which is unique in we are dealing this area.“ with high end “Adding value to the customers service is also key with high end to keeping on top expectations. of our game. At “It’s not both ZipYards we unusual for have introduced us to be a dedicated working on bridal fitting designer items room where we worth hundreds serve complimentary of pounds. Our champagne to the bride clientele includes and her attendants. big names in the “We want our world of football customers to believe and television that nothing is too including Rio

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

Insurance for

all

SIS have been supporting people in business for the past 12 years with insurance cover on non-standard risks. well as public liability & professional indemnity for anyone wanting to get on with their business life as well as protecting their families.

David Child has been dealing in non standard insurance for more than 30 years, the last 12 years of which has been specifically for businesses and people with IVA’s, discharged or non-discharged bankrupts as well as anyone with a criminal conviction. Dave commented: “Hardly any insurance company were providing cover for this very large group of people. Sale Insurance Services (SIS) was set up 12 years ago with a mission to change this. “So many times I was hearing about businesses and sole traders that had gone to the wall due to recession or cash flow. Often, through no fault of their own, many individuals and their families were penalised for this as no insurers were offering cover to individuals, who just wanted to build a fresh business and were looking for cover to enable them to trade. People were damned if they disclosed their past and damned if they didn’t! “Eventually we got in front of the right people and from there SIS began offering non-standard motor insurance at an affordable price. This quickly extended to cover every conceivable enquiry, and we now have underwriting authority for motor and home as

“The irony now is that we have proved over the last 12 years that so called “exoffenders” and people with adverse financial histories are less likely to make a claim, or embellish a claim on their policies, and as a result we make more profit for our panel of insurers. This is how we’ve slowly been able to earn the trust of the underwriters who have in turn extended our facilities to our customers so that we can now offer all types of insurance cover.” One of the biggest problems in arranging insurance for people with historical issues was the act of disclosure. At the end of all insurance forms a simple “catchall” statement reminding the customer to disclose “all material fact” had been the industry standard for the last 300 years. The onus was squarely on the insured party to declare any past issue or conviction at the time of taking out the policy - whether they considered it relevant or not. The sad fact being that if a claim had to be made and their insurer uncovered a previous issue, such as a financial problem or un-spent conviction, this would often result in the claim being denied. To compound the customer’s plight further, the insurer would then void their policy, which in itself is a negative factor for any prospective new insurer. The government considered this was unfair as the customer would argue that their past history had no bearing on the particular claim, or indeed their initial application.

As a result of this, a change in legislation came into effect in April 2012. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 has abolished the “duty of disclosure”. The days of “utmost good faith” is no more. Simply put: Don’t ask - don’t tell. If the insurer doesn’t ask if you have previous convictions, refusals or anything for that matter, you no longer have a duty to tell them or offer any information - to disclose anything. We welcomed this new legislation because so often we hear of people having their claims “kicked

out” on the grounds that they did not disclose a conviction or financial issue, when in fact they may not have been asked! SIS has made a big impact in this sector of the insurance marketplace. They have been voted “specialist risk” broker of the year at the “Insurance Times” awards, and continue to offer affordable cover for anyone just simply wanting to earn a living. If you’d like to chat in complete confidence to SIS they can be phoned on 0161 969 6040, or by email: enquiries@saleinsurance.co.uk

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October/November 2014

focus Celebrating 10 Years of lending Cheadle based Auction Finance host a chaired debate with BBC’s Bill Turnbull Scott Hendry speaking to Bill Turnbull at the 10th birthday event

point to a buoyant market that could potentially grow in size beyond the previous peak in 2007.

Chris Baguley speaks at the event

“Auction Finance provides a service to the industry that is well received by auctions and investors alike. “It was a pleasure to be part of the tenth birthday celebrations and discuss the merits of the property auction market.” Auction Finance director, Chris Baguley, BBC Breakfast presenter, Bill Turnbull, and Auction Finance director, Scott Hendry

In 2004 a new lending business was born, dedicated to the auction industry. A decade later, Auction Finance has marked its tenth birthday with a chaired debate on the continued success of the lender and overview of the auction market. BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull hosted the event as he interviewed Chris Baguley and Scott Hendry from Auction Finance, Roger Lake, director from national property and land auctioneer Auction House, and David Sandeman, managing director at Essential Information Group (EIG), in front of a live audience of property developers, auctioneers and industry professionals. Among the subjects discussed were the recent continued growth in the property auction market, how changing technology is key to the future of property auctions and the increasing popularity of regional auction rooms. Attendees were also treated to a special menu of food from Hollywood chef, Catherine Skates and the harmonious sounds from saxophonist Rosemary Quaye. Since its launch in 2004 Auction Finance has provided flexible and short term loans valued in excess of £150 million, enabling professional clients to purchase property for business use worth more than £320 million from auction rooms up and down the country. Chris Baguley, director of Auction Finance, said: “Over the past ten years, Auction Finance has established itself as a leading provider of short term finance for

property auctions. We partner with an extensive network of auction houses across the UK.

like Auction Finance to assist purchasers and help maintain growth in the sector.”

“Despite one of the worst recessions in history we have continued to provide our clients with fast, reliable funding to enable them to secure the properties they want when the gavel goes down.

David Sandeman, managing director at EIG, said: “We publish monthly figures on UK sales at property auction rooms and the signs all

“We’ve funded some interesting purchases from pubs, which were turned into nursing homes, to full streets of terraced houses, as well as stepping in for buy-to-let investors when agreed finance has fallen through.” Auction Finance’s tenth year is already showing signs of being a record breaker, as statistics from January to June 2014 show a 135 per cent increase in sales Auction Finance supported financially, compared to the same period the year before.

Chris added: “It’s been fantastic to support property investors over the past ten years and we are committed to continuing to work with clients and auction houses to provide even more funding over the next decade. “I’d like to thank everyone for attending the birthday event and look forward to playing a part in the growing property auction industry for many more years - we’re only just getting started.”

Craftsmanship, Quality and Style...

“It was fantastic to share the stage with Bill, Chris, Scott and David to discuss the role property auctions play in the UK housing market and look ahead to whether its impact will continue to grow at current levels,” said Auction House’s Roger Lake. “We’ve worked with Auction Finance for a number of years and they provide valuable financial support to property investors who buy from our 200+ Auction House auctions across England, Scotland and Wales. “The public now realise that auction is a mainstream route to market and it is becoming a regular first choice for many private buyers. Specialist finance is often required, so it is vital that auctioneers work with partners

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October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

Networking the Northern Quarter It’s very heartening to travel into City Centre Manchester nowadays via train and tram and quite simply sit back and enjoy the sheer variety of city centre developments that have recently been completed. Most of this is down to an increased investment into the business sector over the past few years.

across the city plus it’s immediate surrounds.

ultimately ‘doing things a little differently’.

Ancoats, and in particular the Northern Quarter, is a typical example of the increased activity, and Friday 5 September brought us to the Bay Horse on Thomas Street for the latest networking event hosted by Forever Manchester.

As a city, Manchester is one of the fastest growing business communities in the region, and this is also reflected in the number of business networking events available

Although flagged as a business networking event, Forever Manchester likes to ease into a very ‘Mancunian’ style of networking, choosing it’s venue carefully, and

So we have an early dash on a hot and sunny September afternoon to an iconic pub in the heart of the Northern Quarter, mixed with a casual, laid back atmosphere of a few drinks, and just to add to the mix a bit of live entertainment with singer/songwriter Katie O’Malley. After a genial round of friendly networking, CEO Nick Massey took to the mike and reminded us all of the ongoing projects with

Greater Manchester’s Community Foundation, which is making a huge difference to the many grass roots charities across the region – especially through the help and support of the very businesses within that region. After the introduction from Nick we were treated to a great set from Katie O’Malley, followed by a few more drinks and some easy chat to finish off the day and take us into the weekend. Networking - Manchester style! For further information please contact: Jean Mills, Business Development on 0161 214 0955 or by email jean@forevermanchester.com

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October/November 2014

social media

Winning business in a competitive world It’s a big question, but one that starts with the basics of research and marketing and is something that needs revising on a regular basis.

You have more competition that you actually realise

Here are 5 tips that can help you win more business:

Most businesses underestimate the level of competition they have, as they never look at the wider picture.

Define your customers, and importantly look where their eyes are

When writing your business plan remember your competition is not just the businesses that do exactly the same “job title” or “role” that you do - but expansive of much more than that.

When starting a business most businesses will look inwards and ask What do I offer? What do I stand for? What makes me different from my competition? When it comes to winning new business your customer needs to be at the heart of the marketing decisions and you need to define clearly your customer demographics, interests and truly understand your customers. Once you have the customer profile set in stone, this will influence the design and the language of any marketing you use regardless of the platform - but you then need to look where your actual customer’s eyes are looking. It’s common for start-up businesses to take an advert out in the local newspaper because that’s the way marketing has always been done but do your customers even bother reading the local newspaper. Sure, for some products /services the newspaper may be the best option, but for a large percentage it certainly isn’t. Similarly with social media - there are many different platforms that need researching before going all in on every platform for the sake of it. Twitter is the only platform I would say 99.9% of businesses should be using - the rest entirely depends on your target market, and you may find more value using Instagram or Snapchat than Facebook for instance.

For instance - I offer Social Media training and management services. My immediate competition are other Social Media companies. My wider competition are other marketing companies in general i.e. newspapers, flyer distributors, web designers, SEO/PPC companies, PR and so on. Taking it wider than that, in the service industry you’re also competing against any other businesses - from HR to Finance to Admin. Businesses have a set budget and often the competition for that expenditure can actually be between different industries rather than your specific skill set. You are competing for time, attention and £££s and you can never underestimate how many marketing messages your target customers are seeing each day.

When you write your business plan have a marketing budget The biggest fail for start up companies is they make no budget provision for marketing when they begin. If you have spent months or years perfecting the product or service - does it not make sense to have a budget in place to launch your business in the most effective way so that you win customers and win hearts? You can have the best business in the world, but if nobody knows

about it, the business will fold before it’s even been given a chance. Because you have spent time above defining who your customers are, your expenses should already be lower because you’re targeting exactly where your customers’ eyes are. Bring in experts to help you on graphic design, web design and if you don’t know how to use Social Media - get some 121 Social Media training that’s focused specifically on your business. First impressions do count and online marketing is as important as traditional marketing. When launching a business you should be prepared to make sacrifices in order to have great marketing plans. I’d always discourage getting huge loans when starting up a business and as preachy as it sounds you can save money on that expensive meal out for one month in order to budget for printing business cards for instance. You can get a part time job to save up money for marketing training or a website and so on. Marketing is not an expense - it’s an investment - so for every £ you spend you will be looking to get that return many times over.

businesses - but also because my direct competition only writes a 1/4 of that. Actions always speak louder than words.

Measure every single piece of marketing you do What is working? What isn’t working? Why is /isn’t it working? Those should be questions that you can back up with data at the click of a button. All it takes is a simple excel spreadsheet to track each of your marketing channels by the month and the overall success over the past year. You should also be able to track which of your services or products are generating the most income as well. By having the data to hand you can then throw more resources at what is working for you and delivering huge returns, and also look at what’s not working and the reason behind it.

And that’s how you win business in a competitive world... • Know your customers in-depth • Know you’re competing for time and attention as well as your direct competition

Take massive action

• Have a marketing budget set aside to employ experts

Plans without action are not worth the paper they’re written on.

• Take massive action on marketing plans

There’s a lot to be said for actually actioning stuff and delivering on the plans.

• Measure your marketing success

Make no mistake - to win business in a competitive world - you have to do great marketing and you have to do lots of marketing. Your name has to be synonymous with your area of business to the point where your competitors are a distant memory. The very reason I blog so often is not just that I care enough to write 30,000+ words a year of free marketing advice to help small

Alex McCann Altrincham HQ www.altrinchamhq.co.uk

October/November 2014

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

digital marketing

Online marketing will never be the same again!

Two seemingly unrelated stories have emerged which will have significant impact on the way businesses advertise across the internet. Both in their own way are great news for advertisers and when acted upon can significantly increase return on investment.

‘Holidays in Spain’. Google would normally return a selection of holidays featuring all the mainland and islands. But now, because we have been watching a travel program on the pristine beaches of Ibiza it shows more results for that particular island!

Google to detect what TV show you are viewing when searching on the web?

There is bound to be some more ground breaking technology on the way. But right now, the ‘Siri’ app on Android phones can identify television programs just by listening as the Shazam app, first released back in 2009, identified music. Add to that the Chromecast dongle which streams programs straight from your PC to your HD television and you see that Google has access to a mass of information already.

The first news item comes from the internet giant Google. They have some of the smartest developers on the planet and are constantly looking for innovative ways to maintain their dominance. They already own thousands of patents and the newest one sounds like something lifted straight from Big Brother. The patent was originally filed in June 2011 and was granted on 16th September 2014. The full title is: ‘System and method for enhancing user search results by determining a television program currently being displayed in proximity to an electronic device’. In a nutshell the patent allows for technology to monitor the television programs we watch to bring more relevant results for our search engine enquiries. The abstract for the patent gives a little clearer insight: ‘A computer implemented method for using search queries related to television programs. A server receives a user’s search query from an electronic device. The server then determines, in accordance with the search query and television program related information for television programs available at a location associated with the electronic device during a specific time window, a television program currently being displayed in proximity to the electronic device, wherein the television program related information includes program descriptions for a plurality of television programs being broadcast for the associated location’. So, how will Google know what we are watching? The implications are truly mind blowing. This technology will allow for pin point search engine results based not only on the search terms but then amplified by the programs we are watching on the same subject! Imagine entering a search term for

Moving on to the other technology giant, Apple. The iconic iPhone was first launched in June 2007. Apple has always been consistent in keeping the handset a standard size despite the various upgrades, and has been a trademark in the unique branding. That has now all changed with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Whether by popular demand or to keep pace with rival innovation, the new phones offer a choice of 4.7 or 5.5 inch screens. How does the large screen affect mobile advertising? Well in the past advertisers had only to produce ads to fit PC screens. Now, with the proliferation of smart phones, tablets, laptops and larger screen devices, particular attention has to be paid to the ad format itself. Varying devices and screen sizes call for multiple ad variations to ensure proper display. Images, text, layout and call to action buttons all have to be optimised accordingly. The better the user experience, the more likely the consumer is to engage with the advert. The attention span of the average consumer is diminishing all the time, and ads which display poorly and need to be pinched, pulled, pushed and scrolled have horrendous conversion rates. There has always been a need to continually test adverts to maximise consumer interaction but this is now amplified exponentially with the advent of so many varying screen formats. You also need to factor in the habits of the users for each device to gain the

highest possible returns against ad spend. What makes Apple different? Taking Apple as an example, each iPhone release brings an immediate sales spike from early adopters. It is not unusual to see ardent Apple fanatics queueing for days to secure the newest phone. Typically, the average iPhone user is more technically minded that users of other brands. The most technically astute are those who must have the newest handsets. In terms of mobile advertising, the market segment for new model iPhone users are least likely to respond to ads. Owners of older model iPhones however are a far better bet for productive advertising; reach and response and should be more targeted in any campaign. Here at Jungle we help our clients maximise ROI from mobile advertising campaigns by helping them to further understand the habits of their target demographic.

So, two stories which change the online advertising marketplace again but this time for the better. Google shows us that the ability to laser target prospects and receive heightened marketing returns is available already but getting more precise in time. Apple remind us that our potential audiences should be hyper targeted to the finest degree to maximise response and return.

Howard Jones Jungle Associates www.jungle-media.com

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customers!

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October/November 2014

web design

Getting the most from your

For most businesses these days, a good website is the most effective marketing tool that they have. It’s usually the first point of call for customers wanting information on products and services as well as contact details. The most effective websites will do a good job in selling you a lifestyle, a dream and make their business incredibly desirable to the user. That’s why it is so important to choose the right design agency and to create the right website for your business. It can be a huge step for a company to buy into creating a website, and often it can be an even bigger step for a company to decide to have a redesign of an existing site. To get the very best from your web design project and gain the most efficient results, here are a few tips:

Budget Websites come in at all shapes and sizes and as a general rule, and not surprisingly, we advise to spend as much as you can afford. A website costing £500 will not do the same job as a website costing £3k. The larger and more established the agency the slightly higher price tag you might expect. However - working with a more experienced agency you’ll benefit from working with a multi disciplinary team and get a full package, which might include hosting, design, development, training and continuing support, not to mention an overall effective and smooth project process. Work out a realistic budget and include some flexibility for

amendments and additions along the process.

and to be on the same wave-length from the very beginning.

Write a brief

Do you want your site to be mobile-friendly? Do you want it to be top of Google? Do you want your site to be easy to amend later?

Sounds obvious, but before you contact any agencies, make sure that you know what it is that you are aiming for. Writing a brief and having a clear idea of what you are hoping to achieve will make choosing the right agency easier. It will also give the agency a better chance of providing an accurate quote.

What do you want the website to do? Seems a daft question, but it’s one that you need to ask yourself - and an answer that you need to convey to your designer. You need your designer to want the same as you

In preparing a quote for you, an agency will need to know as much as possible about the work that they are going to carry out for you. Features that might seem like small additions to you, might be more time-consuming than you think, and omitting details might end up delaying the project finish and might start incurring additional fees that you haven’t budgeted for.

Do your research There are so many freelancers and agencies out there all hoping to work on your project. Do yourself a

October/November 2014

web designer favour and look around for the one that will work best for you. Look at other sites and don’t be afraid to get in touch with them to ask about the agencies that they employed. Look at web design portfolios and make sure that the agency that you make your enquiries to can actually do the work that you are hoping for.

Prepare your content

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

when waiting for information to come through.

Provide a deadline If you are working towards a specific launch date, let your designer know. Even if your desired launch date isn’t too important, it’s good to give yourself and your designer a time limit.

Designers love deadlines and thrive on the pressure of working towards a launch. It also means that the On deciding who you are going to agency can plan their time and work with and paying your initial make sure that they give you the deposit, it would be in your best interest to get all of your content over hours each day that your project requires. Having a project that to the designer as soon as possible. Having all of the text and images and drags on means that the designer videos ready means that the designer will no doubt take on several jobs at the same time and they won’t be can get a better idea of how the site dedicating all of their attention to should look and means they don’t your site. As a designer, it’s very easy lose enthusiasm later down the line

to become demotivated by a project that seems to go on and on. Having your designer throwing enthusiasm and dedication into a project will undoubtedly get you better results.

Give feedback One of the most frustrating things for a web designer is lack of feedback from the client. Not getting feedback in a timely manner means the designer might need to move on to other projects to fill the time and can delay projects. So be as clear and concise as possible when providing feedback or when asking for amends. Don’t be vague and avoid saying you’re not sure about something. Tell your designer specifically what you don’t like and how you would like it to be changed. A lot of agencies will ask straight up who in your business has the final say on the project. Too often, the project manager will give the thumbs-up to the designs, only for the director

to step in further down the line and decide that the website isn’t working for them. This can be a huge backstep for the designer and could leave them resenting the project. They want to be sure the feedback they receive is from the key decision maker on the project. By taking these useful guidelines into consideration before you get in touch with a prospective web designer, you’ll be giving your project the very best opportunity to develop into the site you were hoping for.

Alex Peterson Pixel Air www.pixel-air.co.uk

TRAFFORD BUSINESS connect

October/November 2014

finance

Are you missing out on valuable tax reliefs for your business?

Many company owners go about their daily business unaware, or often too busy to look at, how they could use Tax Reliefs to save money and add to the profit of their annual accounts. Although this role should fall to your accountant to highlight opportunities to you, you may benefit by pointing out whether you are undertaking any of the following activities from which you could maximise significant financial savings for your business:

Research & Development (R&D) Relief If your business is liable for corporation tax and undertakes activities classified as research and development (please see below), you can claim reliefs to reduce your company’s tax bill. Furthermore, if you are a small to medium sized business, you can claim this as a lump-sum business tax credit.

What qualifies as R&D? Your research and development project must be undertaken for your own company and trade, and should intend to achieve greater

overall knowledge or capability in a field of science or technology related to your organisation’s trade. Your business does not have to be in the field of science and technology to qualify - get in touch with a member of your accountant’s tax team to see if you could benefit from R&D relief.

How much could I get? The relief varies from 130% to 225% dependent on when the activity was carried out, whether you fall under the Large Company Scheme or SME Scheme, what the research and development costs were and what type of research and development project was carried out.

Business Premises Renovation Allowance (BPRA) Are you looking at renovating a building that has not been used for business activity for over a year? Perhaps the premises are in what is considered an Assisted Area (a region classified as a ‘disadvantaged area’)? The BPRA relief came into effect in 2007 with an applicable time frame of ten years allowing

capital expenditure incurred on conversion, renovation or repairs to the whole of or part of a commercial building or structure.

What qualifies as BPRA? As highlighted above, the premises must be in an Assisted Area. You can find out if your area falls in to this category on the HMRC website or contact your accountant who could assist you on this. The following conditions also apply: • Converting an existing building into business premises • Repairing an existing building • Renovating a building that is to become a business premises • Expenditure on extending a building, acquiring land or developing land next to a qualifying building (i.e. an unused commercial building or structure).

How much could I get? You can claim 100% of your qualifying expenditure for Business Premises Renovation Allowance. To find out what qualifies under BPRA relief, contact your

accountant who should be able to help.

Land Remediation Relief Land Remediation Relief could be very relevant at this present time with the property and construction sectors seeing an increase in new projects, however you may be a business looking to expand to new premises for which you have purchased land. The relief was introduced in 2001 to encourage the redevelopment of land that had been affected by previous industrial use.

What qualifies as Land Remediation Relief? Expenditure on the purchase and treatment of contaminated land could qualify for Land Remediation Relief, for example the latter has recently been amended to include the treatment of land contaminated by Japanese Knotweed, radon and arsenic. Other examples include land that has been contaminated by oil leaked from storage tankers. Land Remediation Relief is not available to individuals (sole traders) or partnerships and only

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October/November 2014

to those companies that qualify for Corporation Tax. If your business falls within this category and you have purchased land that is contaminated or in a derelict condition, you should be entitled to claim relief on this purchase.

submitting your annual tax return. Now is a good time to schedule an appointment allowing enough time to research and ensure you are claiming whatever you can.

How much could I get? Businesses can get a 100% deduction plus a further 50% for qualifying expenditure. Alternatively, Tax Credit can also apply here where companies can claim 16% of costs towards the remediation loss surrendered on a tax return. If you believe you could be entitled to any of the above Tax Reliefs, raise the topic with your accountant to investigate. There are a wide range of Tax Reliefs and Tax Credits available for businesses, but to ensure you are maximising on what you are entitled to, it is wise to sit down with your accountant ahead of

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October/November 2014

wellbeing Time, one thing you can’t afford to waste So many people say they have no time, that there are not enough hours in the day and yet often, when they’re really busy, are amazed, incredulous at how much they actually manage to achieve. The saying, ‘if you want something doing ask a busy person’ rings especially true.

Be constructive People

A busy person doesn’t waste time procrastinating, mulling over where to start. They simply begin and do it.

Notice how much time you fritter and waste. A five minute coffee break can take more than double that if you calculate the time spent walking to the kitchen, chatting, waiting for the kettle to boil.

With that in mind, let’s look at ways to avoid wasting time:

Prioritise It can become a habit to instantly react to other people’s emergencies and demands and, on occasion, that might be appropriate. It’s reasonable to treat an important client with respect, to let them know that they’re a top priority. After all, your quality customer service may have been a significant part of their reason for choosing to come to you in the first place. But even important clients have to appreciate that they’re not the only call on your time. They have to treat you with respect and be reasonable in their requests. Prioritising helps you to list the immediate, most pressing demands on your time. Order them in the most efficient way. Some tasks may be complex and require a lot of time, others may need to be undertaken in stages with input intermittently required from other service providers. These are important considerations to factor in. Make a comprehensive list in order to assess and prioritise the best way to proceed. Then, when any new demands are made upon you, you can modify your list and make sensible, realistic decisions. Using a list helps you organise your thoughts and prioritise your time more effectively.

typically fill their time with what needs to be done, so a simple task may take thirty minutes or half a day, depending on how much time there is available. Focus on the task in hand and commit to maximising your input. Then reward yourself with a short break.

Watching the news can absorb another 30 minutes if you become distracted by reports on topical items. Calling at the local shop several times a day can further add to the amount of time wasted. It’s important to have breaks. They help manage stress, provide a helpful interlude to reflect on problems and issues, give an opportunity to consider a different perspective and become calmer. Make the most of your breaks by including healthy food, water, fresh air, exercise. Use your time constructively.

Commit your full attention to each task in turn and avoid being distracted. Some people switch their phone to silent, only check their emails and post at specific times so that they’re able to concentrate fully. Then you’re less likely to make mistakes, repeat work you’ve already done or lose track of where you’re up to.

Delegate Some tasks may be able to be done satisfactorily by another person. Taking on a junior may initially mean having to spend time training or clarifying processes and procedures but that may be good practice in the long-term. And a fresh pair of eyes may make valuable suggestions. Sharing work or forming alliances with other associated businesses

may ease your workload by passing on tasks that are better suited to their skills. If they share some of their leads and contacts you could find that you’re able to offer an improved service to your combined clients.

you’ve completed an important task or project. Enjoy each achievement rather than simply moving from one task to the next. It’s important to value how you spend your time.

Pay attention to admin If you part-finish a piece of work make clear notes as to where you’re up to and any actions that have been taken. It saves time when you eventually return to it. A clear, visible summary saves time, effort and potential embarrassment at looking inefficient. Implement systems that help you manage work efficiently. De-clutter regularly and archive old, outdated data away from more relevant operational paperwork.

Time management also means allowing time for fun, relaxation, family and friends. Make time for your special people and nurture those relationships. Let them be a significant part of your life and support network. They are often an important part of the reason why you work so hard. Equally, allocate valuable time for yourself, just as you would a respected, valued client. Be sure to stop and give yourself credit when

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

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October/November 2014

diary dates Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce

CAFT Black Tie Fundraiser

Lowry Networking Group

Fri 7 Nov 7.30pm - late

Breakfast Matters - Networking and breakfast Thursdays - 9 Oct, 6 Nov, 4 Dec 8.30 - 10.00am Venue Cresta Court Hotel, Church Street, Altrincham WA14 4DP Cost £10 Chamber Business Awards Thursday 16 Oct 6.45 - late Venue Cresta Court Hotel, Church Street, Altrincham WA14 4DP Cost £45 Christmas Lunch Friday 12 Dec noon - 2.30pm Venue Mercure Bowdon Hotel, Langham Road, Bowdon WA14 2HT Cost £30 Contact Anne Jardine 0161 941 3250 anne@altrinchamchamber.co.uk

Venue

The Bowdon Rooms, The Firs, Bowdon,

Altrincham WA14 2TQ

Cost

£40 includes 4 course dinner

Contact 0161 926 8992

Mondays - 27 Oct, 24 Nov, 15 Dec 6.00 - 8.00pm Venue The Lowry Mill, Lees Street, Pendlebury M27 6DB Cost Free Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493 428 fsb@edmondson.eu

Carrington Business Park

Mock Employment Tribunal

Networking

Weds 5 Nov 8.30am - 12.30pm Venue Park Inn by Radisson, Manchester City Centre, 4 Cheetham Hill Road M4 4EW Cost £55 Contact Ralli Solicitors 0161 832 6131

Bizspace Networking Mondays - 6 Oct, 3 Nov, 1 Dec 6.00 - 8.00pm 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 Thursday - 16 Oct 9.00am - 11.00am Venue Café Seven, Vicarage Lane Bowdon, Cheshire WA14 3BD 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 Mark Haywood 07968 156 211

Business Breakfasts 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

Business Growth Hub Digital Thursdays - Drop-in sessions Every Thursday 12.00noon - 2.00pm Venue Manchester Central Library, 2nd Floor Business & IP Centre, Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester M2 5PD Cost Free Contact 0161 237 4478 Ursula.Stawik@businessgrowthhub.com

Mon 13 Oct, Tues 18 Nov 9.30 - 11.30am Venue

Carrington Business Park,

Carrington, Manchester, M31 4DD

Cost

Free

Contact Susan Renshaw 0161 776 4000 susan.renshaw@cbpl.co.uk

Forever Manchester First Friday Club Networking - First Friday of every month Friday 7 Nov 4.00 - 6.00pm Venue

The Bay Horse Pub, 35-37 Thomas St,

Manchester M4 1NA

Contact Jean Mills 0161 214 0955 jean@forevermanchester.com

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Action for Business Trafford Tues 14 Oct 12.00noon - 2.00pm

Women’s networking, Weds 12 Nov 6.30pm Venue Hale Kitchen, 149 Ashley Road, Hale, Altrincham WA14 2UW Cost £25 Contact Sue Weighell 07796 176817

pro-manchester Lunch with Sir Howard Bernstein Thurs 16 Oct 12.00noon - 2.30pm Venue Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester M60 2DS Cost £35 Contact Siobhan Teader 0161 833 0964

pro-manchester Conference No.8

The Point, Emirates Old Trafford LCCC, Fri 14 Nov 10.00am - 4.00pm Venue The Studio, The Hive Manchester M1 1FN Cost £15 Cost £99 Action for Business Manchester Contact Holly Forster 0161 817 3480 Weds 22 Oct, Tues 2 Dec 7.30am - 9.30am Venue

Talbot Road, Old Trafford M16 0PX

Venue

Cloud 23, Hilton Deansgate, M3 4LQ

Cost

£15

Regus Networking Group

Venue

Hilton Deansgate Manchester,

303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ

Thursdays - 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec 4.30 - 6.30pm Venue Regus, 3000 Aviator Way, Manchester M22 5TG Cost Free Contact Simon Edmondson 07766 493 428 fsb@edmondson.eu

Cost

£83.33

Rotary Club Altrincham

Property & Construction Section Dinner Thu 23 Oct 7.00pm - 11.00pm

Improving performance in apprenticeship

Salford Quays M50 SR

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

Cost

£40

Rotary Club Sale

provision Tues 25 Nov 9.30am - 3.30pm Venue

Salford College Head Office,

Frontier House, Merchant Quay,

Women in Business Lunch Thurs 27 Nov 12noon - 2.00pm Venue

Midland Hotel, Peter Street,

Manchester M60 2DS

Cost

£50

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

Technology Lunch Seminar

Slater Heelis Golf Day

Weds 3 Dec 12.00noon - 2.15pm

Golf, Meal and Pint, Weds 22 Oct 1.30pm Venue Altrincham Golf Course, Stockport Rd, Timperley, Altrincham WA15 7LP Contact chris.partington@slaterheelis.co.uk

Venue

Midland Hotel, Peter Street,

Manchester M60 2DS

Networking, plus breakfast - Fridays - 6 June, 10 Oct, 24 Oct, 7 Nov, 21 Nov, 5 Dec, 19 Dec 7.00 - 9.00am Venue La Vina, 105/107 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BQ Cost £15 Contact Tracy Heatley 07812 076946

Cost

Free

Business Development Seminar

Wednesday 29 October 9.20am - 11.50am Venue The Life Centre, 235 Washway Road, Sale M33 4BP Cost £25+VAT Contact Mark Dyble 07931 882 555 mark.dyble@sme-businesssolutions.co.uk

Mondays - 3 Nov, 1 Dec 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

Business over Breakfast

NWN North West

Quarterly Economic Breakfast Fri 12 Dec 8.00am - 10.00am Venue

HSBC, 4 Hardman Square

Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3EB

Cost

Free

Contact events@gmchamber.co.uk 0161 359 3597

Kaplan Networking Group

Spectra Business Seminar Mon 13 Oct 7.30 - 9.00am Venue Altrincham Town Hall, Market Street, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1PG Cost Free Contact 0845 224 7013 info@spectragroup.co.uk

The Business Network Manchester Business Lunch

Weds 10 Dec 10.00am - 2.00pm Venue The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Salford, Manchester M3 5LH Cost £39.95 Contact Helen Bennett 0870 751 7523

The Talk Networking and Lunch - Thursdays 30 Oct, 27 Nov, 12noon - 2.00pm Venue Avalanche Restaurant & Bar 2 Booth Street, off Albert Square Manchester M2 4AT Cost £22 Grow your Business through Networking Weds 22 Oct 1.30pm - 5.00pm Venue BDO Offices, 3 Hardman Street, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3AT Cost £97 The Talk of Manchester Business Awards 2014 Thurs 4 Dec 7.00pm - 1.00am Venue Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester M1 4PH Cost £95 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 Brad McBride 0161 973 8448 Laura Evans 07976 894419

Trafford Business Expo 2015 Tuesday 30 June 10.00am - 4.00pm Venue The Point, Emirates Old Trafford LCCC, Talbot Road, Old Trafford M16 0PX Cost Free Contact James Caldwell 0844 887 1550 james@innov8-conferences.co.uk

Urmston Networking at the Grill Second Thursday of every month 9 Oct, 13 Nov, 11 Dec 3.00 - 5.00pm Venue The Grill at 27, 29 Station Road, Urmston M41 9JG Cost £5.95 Contact Alex McCann 07806 774279 alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk

Vibrant Network Networking, plus breakfast Tues 21 Oct - every fortnight 9.30 - 11.30am Venue Chiquitos, Salford Quays, Capital Quay, Manchester M50 3WL Cost £15 Contact Rose Cleaver-Emons 07739 748978 Weds 20 Aug - every fortnight 11.30am - 1.30pm Venue Central Perks, 77 - 79 Chapel Street, Manchester M3 5BZ Cost £15 Contact Steve Crohill 07787 425125

Women’s 20/20 Women’s networking - second Wednesday each month - 8 Oct, 12 Nov, 10 Dec 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

Thurs 30 Oct 10.00am - 2.00pm Venue Macdonald Hotel, London Road, Manchester M1 2PG Thurs 20 Nov 10.00am - 2.00pm Please note: If you plan to visit any of the above events please Venue The Point, Emirates Old Trafford LCCC, ensure all details are correct in advance. Whilst every effort has been made to confirm accuracy some details may be subject to change. Talbot Road, Old Trafford M16 0PX

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 tact Facilities

Church Street, Altrincham WA14 4DP Con0161 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 Address 191 Ashley Road, Hale WA15 9SQ Contact 0161 928 7870 Facilities Deli, Coffee Shop

McGregors Address Contact Facilities

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

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

October/November 2014

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

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 Address Contact Facilities

42 Stamford Park Road, Hale WA15 9EP 07921 717548 Meeting Rooms, Café

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

Sometimes the past can catch up with you

Specialist insurance for non-standard risks Getting insurance is expensive enough without the added burden of a criminal record, bankcruptcy or voided policy to disclose. We recognise that your past is not necessarily a guide to your future whatever your circumstances. Our underwriting authority allows us to provide affordable cover for: • Liability • Commercial Combined • Professional Indemnity

• Home/Property • Shops and Offices • Motor (Including Fleets)

So whether you need business or personal cover, or both, we can arrange the right policy at the right price.

0161 969 6040 enquiries@saleinsurance.co.uk

Sale Insurance Services Limited, 15-17 Washway Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 7AD

www.saleinsurance.co.uk

Sale Insurance Services Ltd are authorised and regulated by The Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 306620