Business Cornwall Feb 2019 by Business Cornwall

CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION

businesscornwall.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2019 | ISSUE 127 | £3.95

UNDER 30 OF CORNWALL’S BEST BUSINESS TALENT

FINANCE & FUNDING

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2019?

ON THE FRONTLINE GLENN CAPLIN LEP CEO

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FEBRUARY 2019

ISSUE 127

INSIDE FEATURES 10 CORNWALL BUSINESS AWARDS CORNWALL’S PREMIER BUSINESS AWARDS NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES

13 30 UNDER 30 CELEBRATING CORNWALL’S BRIGHT YOUNG BUSINESS TALENT

20 BUSINESS GROWTH WE LOOK AT HOW THE SMARTLINE PROJECT IS USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PEOPLE LEAD HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER LIVES

22 CEO INTERVIEW IN CONVERSATION WITH CORNWALL & ISLES OF SCILLY LEP CEO GLENN CAPLIN

29 FINANCE & FUNDING IS ACCESS TO FINANCE A BARRIER TO GROWTH?

37 START-UPS

REGULARS 4 INCOMING FIRST IMPRESSIONS

6 BUSINESS NEWS BUSY AT THE DOCKS

36 ON THE MOVE APPOINTMENTS NEWS

38 FOOD & DRINK CORNISH PASTY WEEK RETURNS

40 CREATIVE

43 TOURISM NEW CHAIRMAN AT ISLANDS’ PARTNERSHIP

45 EVENTS DIARY WHAT’S ON

46 CONNECTED WHAT’S GONE

48 THE LAST WORD PKF FRANCIS CLARK’S DUNCAN LESLIE

BLUEFRUIT BOARD CHANGES

41 FSB LATEST FROM FSB

42 EDUCATION APPRENTICESHIP GAMES

PHOTO: CORNISH PASTY WEEK SEE PAGE 38 FOR FULL STORY

THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1

FEBRUARY 2019

CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION

businesscornwall.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2019 | ISSUE 127 | £3.95

The complex timesheeting cess has gained ciencies of around % as well as improving nularity of information.”

UNDER 30 OF CORNWALL’S BEST BUSINESS TALENT

FINANCE & FUNDING

WELCOME

BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

ISSUE 127

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2019?

ON THE FRONTLINE GLENN CAPLIN LEP CEO

Software for Automation

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ON THE COVER EMILY STEVENSON BEACH GUARDIAN CIC

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Hill caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research DESIGN & PRINT Design by Business Cornwall Printed in Cornwall by Deltor BUSINESS CORNWALL is published 10 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing Pool Innovation Centre Trevenson Road Redruth TR15 3PL Tel: 01209 718688

THE FUTURE STARTS NOW Welcome to the first issue of 2019. As we move ahead into the new year, the economic picture has never looked more uncertain. Britain is due to be leaving Europe on March 29, but at time of writing, with Theresa May’s Brexit deal having just been kicked into the long grass, every possible eventuality is still on the table, or off it, depending on whether you are a glass half full, or half empty kind of person. Despite all this uncertainty, our colleagues at PFA Research explain what we can expect in 2019 as part of our annual look at the finance and funding picture in Cornwall. Access to finance is typically seen as vital to growth, but the findings from an FSB survey in 2017 reported only 62% of companies were looking to grow sales over the next three years. How is this panning out? Read on. The theme is continued in this month’s CEO interview, where we meet LEP chief executive Glenn Caplin. Glenn is very much in the front line of Cornwall’s economic development and very much a glass half-full kind of guy. With emerging industries and technologies, like agritech, renewables and space, he is confident Cornwall has a bright, bright future. And he is probably right, especially when considering some of the bright young business talent we have working here in the Duhcy, which we focus on page 13, in the third annual listing which is Cornwall’s 30 under 30.

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@businesscornwall.co.uk

Registered under the Data Protection Act. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Business Cornwall magazine to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Business Cornwall magazine can not accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Business Cornwall magazine accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend.

Business Cornwall Magazine is proud to be associated with

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INCOMING

THE CONVERSATION

The big question How important are first impressions when meeting someone at a business meeting or networking event? When forming business relationships, is it more important that you like them as a person or the business they work for? Join the conversation @biz_cornwall

/businesscornwall

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4 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

THE CONVERSATION

JIM GRANT

ANN VANDERMEULEN

We all gravitate to people who we perceive are ‘like us’ and this is what we look for in first impressions. But through practical experience, I know we don’t often meet people which fall into that subset and we have to manage our expectations accordingly. The key is to be able to work with all kinds of businesses and the individuals therein regardless of first impression. Ultimately it comes down to our ability to persuade and influence in our favour and to respond positively and constructively.

Even with modern technology and our increasingly virtual worlds, small businesses are humans that trade with humans. Some may get away with being a faceless entity. However, one of the fantastic things about small businesses is that “human touch”. They provide that personal, bespoke customer interface so qualities of professionalism, trustworthiness, expertise, attention to detail and just simply being likeable are their main ammunition when competing with the big corporates. So yes, for a small business it is vital to make the right impression from the initial handshake as it is as much a part of the buying decision as product and price.

University of Exeter

KAREN BARNETT

FSB

Parc Signs

The first person I met in my flat at university was someone who I thought I would never get on with based on first impressions. OK that wasn’t a business relationship but it goes to show that first impressions, whether good or bad, can cause prejudice. However, it’s substance that you end up being judged on. You can be social and look professional but if you don’t deliver on what you say or promise then that positive first impression has been ruined by those actions. Ultimately, we do business with people we like and respect for their values and integrity which you can only display over time. I think it pays to think about first impressions and if there’s anything that is causing you to prejudice your initial response to someone.

The strange irony of today’s turbulent climate is that far from causing funding opportunities to disappear, lending and investment is more varied and accessible than ever. This has created great opportunities for business growth: 1. Traditional Banks: ‘Open for business’, actively seeking opportunities, low interest rates, years of experience, business knowhow and intelligence. 2. Challenger Banks: Hungry to enter new markets and grow their books. Look out for targeted offers for preferred clients. 3. Alternative Finance: Niche finance specialists, e.g. asset-backed lending & Invoice

TREVOR LEE

Trevor Lee Media We live in a fast-paced world and as such we make rapid judgements, whether that be about ideas, products or people, so first impressions are important. At my recent masterclasses delegates suggested we have 20 seconds to make a good first impression. Even though we live in a digital world people buy from people and as we rarely buy from people we don’t like, liking a person is much more important in the majority of cases than liking the business they work for.

Discounting. Potentially a way to dilute credit risk for the company and its lenders. 4. Growth Supporters: Investment funds and lending opportunities, backed by government/EU and others offering initial finance to early-stage businesses. 5. Peer-to-peer Lenders: Disgruntled savers are seeking better returns in the business market. Can have fast authorisation and bring risk appetite unavailable elsewhere. 6. Angel Investment: Serious individuals with cash to invest can inject significant funds into early-stage companies. Great opportunity for funding and to add business knowledge and connections.

INCOMING NE BUSINW OF THESS MON E TH

MISTER MODULAR Mister Modular is an independent consultancy/project management specialist based in Truro, providing offsite construction solutions for businesses and individuals in Cornwall and throughout the South West. With over 50 years’ experience in modular construction, Mister Modular provides clients with extensive industry insight and a reliable and resourceful network of specialists. It can assist with the concept design and identify a detailed scope of works, along with all associated costs. If the scheme goes live, it can project manage and support your project from conception to completion. To find out more about how you can benefit from Mister Modular’s services please visit: www.mistermodular.co.uk, call 01872 222 323 or email info@mistermodular.co.uk

TO SEE YOU NEW BUSINESS FEATURED HERE, EMAIL CAROLINE@BUSINESSCORNWALL.CO.UK

7. Crowd Investment: Equity investment from small (and large) investors. Great early stage ideas can find investment and a whole bunch of free marketers! All of these are on the ground in Cornwall – if you don’t know them, just ask! Christian Wilson is partner and head of the corporate team at Stephens Scown. The team has top rankings in legal guides Chambers and Legal 500. For more information please call Christian on 01872 265100, email corporate.cornwall@ stephens-scown.co.uk or via www. stephens-scown.co.uk.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

ALL HANDS ON DECK A&P Falmouth has been busy over the autumn and winter months. Ferry operators Condor Ferries, Red Funnel, Torpoint, Sandbanks Ferry, and Wightlink have all called on A&P Falmouth for annual repairs and maintenance. In addition, Norwegian roll-on/roll-off shipping line United European Car Carriers appointed A&P Falmouth to provide a major refit, including tail shaft, rudder, steering vein and gear box overhauls, for its vessel Autosun. The Falmouth team has also commenced a six to eight-week life extension project for Aggregate Industries’ hopper dredger Karissa. Commercial director, Ian Douglas, said: “Falmouth has been especially busy over the last few months and the dry dock has been in continual use since June. “This looks set to continue well into 2019 as the changes we made to the business earlier in the year continue to bear fruit and help us win new clients.” Meanwhile, executive assistant Penny Phillips was awarded the prestigious

British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List. Phillips has worked at A&P Falmouth for 42 years and received the award in recognition of her meritorious work with The Mission to Seafarers, a charity for which she has been the chairman and

centre manager since 2004. “To be recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours is very special indeed,” she said, “and it shines a light on the important work of The Mission to Seafarers, which I’ve been supporting for the last 15 years.”

£1M CORNISH LITHIUM FUNDING Cornish Lithium has successfully raised a further £1 million from its existing investors. These funds will enable the company to continue its exploration activities in Cornwall and to drill exploratory boreholes to extract samples of lithium. CEO Jeremy Wrathall said: “We are delighted to have secured additional funding for our exploration activities in Cornwall from our

6 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

existing investors. We believe that Cornwall has significant potential as a ‘lithium province’ given the widespread presence of lithium-enriched granites and believe that our large portfolio of mineral rights agreements gives us excellent access to key areas of interest. “Cornwall also offers great potential to source many of the metals required for batteries that are becoming crucial in modern technologies. Deposits of such metals in Cornwall could become vital sources of key battery metals for the UK economy.”

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

CORNWALL

sapc.co.uk

GROWTH IN TINY SIZES A partnership of three Cornish companies has secured funding of £148k to develop state-ofthe-art technology to enable faster and more accurate communication with satellites. Flann Microwave, Teddington Systems and Goonhilly Earth Station will be working together to create miniaturised components for the next generation of tiny communications satellites, known as nanosatellites and CubeSats. Bristol-based Thales Alenia Space will support the project with advice on end-user acceptance aspects and environmental aspects. The project is expected to create 14 new jobs and is a further boost to Cornwall’s ambitions to develop space sector manufacturing, servicing and launch capabilities. Awarded by the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF), the R&D grant is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by AeroSpace Cornwall.

in Cornwall there are huge advantages for the Cornish economy. It puts us at the forefront of a growing sector with the initial expectation that it will create 14 new jobs and the potential for further growth, including for the many suppliers already working with the partners.” The project is due for completion in July 2019, with a view to the switches being used in space flight from 2021.

RADIX MBO

Flann CEO, Professor James Watts, said: “With all of the funded partners being based

SHOWING SUSTAINABILITY

The Boardmasters Festival was named overall winner at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards. Organised by Cornwall Council and The Environment Agency, the awards recognise the people and organisations that are protecting and growing the natural environment of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Boardmasters was selected due to its commitment to make the festival one of the most environmentally conscious and lowimpact festivals on the market. Other winners at the ceremony, which was held at The Headland Hotel in Newquay, included organic childrenswear company Frugi, which was named Best Managed Large Business, and St Austell Printing Company, which took the Best Managed Medium Business category. Hayle-based seafood supplier, Wild Harbour, received the award for Best Contribution to a Sustainable Food Economy, while Rodda’s was recognised for its Contribution to Cornwall’s Brand through Sustainability. For a full list of winners, go to www.cornwallsustainabilityawards.org

DAVID MCGUIRE AND SOPHIE REYNOLDS Penryn-based copywriting agency Radix Communications has completed a management buyout. Founded in 2007 by Fiona Campbell-Howes, Radix has become one of the UK’s leading B2B writing agencies, averaging 20% annual turnover growth since 2014. Campbell-Howes will remain as CEO until the end of November 2020, during which time she will oversee the transition to a new management structure under the joint ownership of operations director Sophie Reynolds and creative director David McGuire.

NEWS IN BRIEF One of the pioneers behind the development of geothermal energy has received an international award. Roy Baria, who was a director of the Hot Rocks project in Penryn during the 1980s and then chief scientist at the first major European project in France, received a coveted Special Achievement Award at the annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) in Nevada, USA. Baria is now technical director of Penzance-based EGS Energy, which is working on development of a deep geothermal system at the Eden Project. ____________________ A Truro-based accountant was named Small Business Mentor of the Year at the IAB UK & International Business and Skills Awards recently. Over the past two years, Whyfield MD Laura Whyte has committed over 200 hours of time to an Unlocking Potential programme to help local people to develop ideas and grow businesses. ____________________ European Springs & Pressings has invested €1 million in a new spring coiling machine. The Wafios FUL166 is said to be one of the largest high-end spring coiling machines available and the Redruth-based company is believed to be one of only two manufacturers in the world to have one. ____________________ Oxford Innovation parent company, SQW Group, has been acquired by its management in a deal led by CEO David Crichton-Miller. The business support specialist has offices across the country, including Redruth. Financial terms were not disclosed. ____________________

She said: “Building a world-class copywriting agency here in Penryn is the most rewarding thing I’ve done, professionally speaking. I’m hugely proud to have created 16 high-quality jobs to date and helped to put Cornwall on the map as a centre of writing excellence.

Cornwall Airport Newquay’s operator is set to become the latest Cornish employer to implement the Living Wage. From April 1, Cornwall Airport Ltd will pay all staff directly employed by the airport, at least £9 per hour. “It will help boost staff morale and hopefully give our staff a real incentive to stay with the airport and develop their skill set,” said airport MD Al Titterington. ____________________

“I’m confident that Sophie and David will build on those foundations to ensure Radix fulfils its vision of being the go-to copywriting agency for the global B2B technology industry. I couldn’t wish for a more talented or committed team to take the business forwards.”

Independent commercial waste management firm DCW has launched its Zero to Landfill waste and recycling services to businesses across Cornwall. The company has secured a new depot for Cornwall, situated just outside St Austell, which it expects to open in the summer.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 7

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

£7.5K PRIZE PACKAGE UP FOR GRABS The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Hub has launched a prize draw to win an exclusive package of start-up business support worth £7.5k. The campaign aims to give people who plan to launch a new business in 2019 the best possible start. Start-up businesses can access help for everything from business planning, research and marketing to sales and finance to help make their idea happen.

IT’S A YES FROM FALMOUTH Falmouth businesses have overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ to a third five-year term as a Business Improvement District (BID).

projects and services to support Falmouth as prioritised by the businesses and outlined in Falmouth’s BID business plan.

Following a turnout of 63%, which is 14% higher than the national average, 87% of businesses that voted were in favour. The new five-year term will follow on from the current term and begin on April 1. Around £160K each year will be spent on delivering

Richard Thomas of RTP Surveyors and chair of the Falmouth BID said: “The yes vote is fantastic news for Falmouth and it’s great that businesses have recognised the worth of the BID in delivering vital town schemes.”

8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Business connections manager, Matt Borne, said: “Over the last two years we have seen over 1,000 people with a business idea with many now seeing fantastic success. Being able to sit down with business experts and plan your ideas properly to avoid any costly mistakes is really essential. The prize draw for an impressive collection of prizes that will benefit their new business is just a bonus.” The prize package includes, just to name a few, design time from Design 79, special feature in Business Cornwall magazine, digital marketing strategy from Hedgehog Digital, and airtime on Pirate FM. The campaign runs until March 31, when the winner of the start-up support package will be drawn at random. For full details, go to www.ciosgrowthhub.com

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BUSINESS CORNWALL | 9 Outset_advertorial.indd 1

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From innovation and excellence in best practice to inspirational stories of success and growth; the Cornwall Business Awards recognise companies that demonstrate why Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is such a great place to do business. Now in their 14th year, the awards are organised and delivered by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub, which provides an independent and impartial service to help businesses grow through specialist support and training. The application process has been revamped this year, as well as a number of new categories introduced. The team at the Growth and Skills Hub have been using their expertise and knowledge from working with local business to re-write all new questions for every category. Taking out the jargon and having a clear guide on what the judges are looking for should take the mystery out of applying as well as providing a robust test for demonstrating success. To really drill down and find the best businesses, for the first-time judges will get the chance to quiz the finalists face to face before picking their final winners. All shortlisted businesses will be invited to the “Showdown Day”, where they can make their final pitch for the big trophy. And to find the best of the local economy the awards have introduced new categories, so every business has a chance at recognition.

10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

· Best Customer Service

Sponsored by Unlocking Potential

· Ambassador of the Year Sponsored by CORSERV

· Circular Economy Award Sponsored by Tevi

· Business of the Year People’s Choice

CURTAIN RAISER The wait is nearly over for next month’s Cornwall Business Show 2019 The excitement is growing for the first B2B trade exhibition on the calendar. Cornwall Business Show 2019 will be held at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, on Thursday, March 14. The show’s managing director, Andrew Weaver, says: “With more than 100 companies on board to date, we are already ahead of previous years. I hope this will give other businesses who are considering taking a stand a boost in confidence, particularly those firms who want to expand their networks and their horizons. In anticipation of this we’ve increased the potential size of the show.” This year, up to 140 stands will be available. This has increased every year since the very first Cornwall Business Show was held at Kingsley Village in 2012.

resources – with people making connections that bring in significant levels of new business. The Cornwall Business Show clearly has a proven track record for our customers.” Stu Anderson, operations director of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub, says: “We are pleased to be supporting the Cornwall Business Show as headline sponsor.

Those who run a business, or who are thinking about starting or scaling up, should be going to events like the Cornwall Business Show

“We had 125 exhibitors last year,” says Andrew, “and the event seems to have grown fairly organically each year. For many companies, exhibiting at the show has proved to be a shrewd investment of their precious

“Those who run a business, or who are thinking about starting or scaling up, should be going to events like the Cornwall Business Show. It is a really good opportunity to get out and talk to people, meet new connections and suppliers. There is no better way of maintaining and developing your customer base than seeing people in person. “More importantly you can get out of the routine of working ‘in’ your business and work ‘on’ the business, finding some new ideas from the seminars and catching up with what is happening in the local business community.

Anderson adds: “Our team are looking forward to meeting the hundreds of people that come along to the show to talk to them about how taking a bit of time out from their business can really help them see the big picture and where they can get help to grow.” So far, a wide range of businesses from different sectors have booked for this year’s show - from motor dealers to IT firms, from education to telecoms, from wealth management, book-keeping and accountancy, to printing and marketing merchandise, creative agencies – and many more. Those who would like to know more about the show can request an information pack via the website, at cornwallbusinessshow.co.uk. Visitor registration for free entry is now open. A programme of seminars thoughout the day will be announced closer to the time. Cornwall Business Show, on Thursday, March 14, 2019, is sponsored by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub. Its media partners are Cornwall Live and Business Cornwall magazine. The event is also supported by JH Audio Visual.

“The Growth and Skills Hub is a free service to see what support is on offer to help businesses become more efficient, make improvements and develop their team. Since we started in 2016, we have helped over 2,000 businesses do just that.” BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11

ADVERTORIAL

CONNECTED TO THE WORLD

From March 31, Flybe will operate four flights a day, seven days a week from Cornwall Airport Newquay to London Heathrow. With better connections into central London, and a world of possibility in onward travel, where will your journey take you and your business? Better access to London London Gatwick has served Cornwall well for a number of years; however, the new Heathrow route brings with it an extra nine flights a week which wasn’t possible at London Gatwick. The crucial mid-afternoon service will offer an enhanced product to Cornwall Airport’s business customers who want to be home in time for dinner. Connectivity into central London will also be a lot faster from Heathrow, with options such as the Heathrow Express, which takes you straight from terminal two to Paddington in just 15 minutes. If Paddington doesn’t suit, you can jump straight on the London Underground Piccadilly line, allowing seamless travel to the whole of the London tube network, and with Cross Rail in the near future access into the heart of the city’s financial district will be as quick as it can be. Worldwide Connectivity Whilst connection to the capital will now be more frequent and faster, the benefits don’t stop there. Direct flights to Heathrow mean true worldwide connectivity options, straight from Newquay. With Flybe’s codeshare partners, you can buy one ticket from Newquay to your chosen destination. 12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Dubai, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Boston are just a handful of the most popular destinations served on Flybe’s codeshare network. If you have business nearer to home, Heathrow has regular European flights to business hubs including Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Stockholm. Opening Cornwall to the World As well as being a fantastic link for business travellers, it is estimated that the increased service will see more international passengers visiting Cornwall for leisure. This benefit, as we have already seen with the German market, presents new opportunities for businesses at the centre of the Cornish tourist trade and opens up the possibility of Cornwall as a destination for tourists worldwide. With connectivity from the USA, Middle East, Asia and the rest of Europe, it is hoped that some of the 78 million passengers that passthrough Heathrow each year may soon be experiencing Cornwall in all its glory. The future is bright for exporters Whilst the connectivity to London and beyond has wide appeal for any burgeoning business, there are also possibilities in the future for exporting and importing goods via air. Heathrow’s Inverness service, launched in 2016, has proved popular with UK exporters and has boosted the Scottish economy. Now that Newquay is connected to the UK’s largest port, similar opportunities may soon be possible for Cornwall.

Flights to London Heathrow commence March 31, book now at flybe.com

30 UNDER

Bright Presenting Cornwall’s 30 under 30, the annual listing and celebration of the best of Cornwall’s burgeoning young business talent Foreword by Cornwall Chamber CEO, Kim Conchie Cornwall is set for a bright and prosperous future and, at the beginning of a new year, there is no better time to celebrate the world-class talent leading Cornwall’s businesses forward at this crucial time. The ideas, innovation and inspiration young people bring to the Duchy continues to push its business landscape forward. Welcome to the 30 Under 30 class of 2018 for Cornwall. Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and its judges have had confidence in selecting a 30 under 30 class, which reflects the diversity of the business landscape and the positive contribution that these

passionate and talented entrepreneurs are adding to the county as ambassadors for Cornwall as a place to live and work and thrive. The energy, optimism and enthusiasm of young people started me on my career to becoming CEO of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, in some ways, when I set up my first company aged 29. It is with great pride and honour that I am personally involved in the 30 Under 30 judging every year, and I am fortunate enough to connect with businesses of all sectors, shapes and sizes and hear the fascinating stories of the young people who start them up, drive them forward and orchestrate their agility.

Chamber of Commerce seeks young business people who are fantastic representatives of Cornwall. Aside from doing business in this great county, what unifies them? They are all under 30!

The Class of 2018 is every bit as dynamic, disruptive and diverse as in previous years

Sponsored by Cornwall College Business and in partnership with The Hub and Business Cornwall Magazine, Cornwall

The Class of 2018 is every bit as dynamic, disruptive and diverse as in previous years, and long may the tradition continue. Cornwall Chamber of Commerce will always be at the helm of discovering and promoting Cornwall’s young people, and with a fresh and energetic team, I look forward to seeing some of our apprentices appear on the list in years to come. A special celebration will take place at the Penventon in early March, sponsored by Cornwall College Business. Keep your eyes on Cornwall Chamber’s events page to find out more: BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13

UNDER 30

DANIEL MALTWOOD PAREUSI

BRAD SNOWDEN ATTA STREET FOOD

A cut above the rest, Daniel Maltwood is displaying razor-sharp business acumen and a keen desire to succeed in building his St Agnes-based bespoke knife manufacturing business, Pareusi. A chef by trade, Dan became frustrated by the quality and craftsmanship of many of the kitchen knives available on the market, so decided along with business partner Justin Sinclair, to forge his own. All the chef knives are created by hand, using the highest-quality raw materials. And demand has been so great for Dan’s knives that there is now a two-month waiting list!

An entrepreneur with a strong sense of social and environmental conscience. Not only has Brad Snowden developed a successful plastic-free vegan Indian street food stall with a strong following across Cornwall, he also helps the homeless by sharing food with those most in need. Having recently secured a weekly slot on both university campuses, Brad’s community-centric attitude looks set to see him achieve even greater heights in 2019.

MEGAN HOCKING ST AUSTELL BREWERY Megan Hocking has proven herself to be an invaluable member to St Austell Brewery’s marketing team since joining a year ago. As national PR lead for the St Austell Brewery and Bath Ales beer portfolios, as well as the 178-strong pub estate, Megan has secured coverage across the national, regional and trade press. Recently, Megan supported the brewery’s biggest-ever marketing campaign for Proper Job IPA and was also responsible for planning and executing two cookery events hosted by Cornish chef and Proper Job ambassador, Jack Stein.

WILLIAM GRIFFIN LINDORES GRIFFIN William Griffin co-founded his company while studying for a Business Entrepreneurship degree at Falmouth University. And less than a year after graduating, he has grown it into a successful digital marketing business, specialising in automotive and luxury goods, with clients such as Porsche and Coys of Kensington. William’s achievements show you are never too young to have big ambitions, and is already targeting new markets to pentrate, including marine and aviation.

ANNA CLARK A CORNISH LIFE Something of a creative tour-de-force, Cornish entrepreneur Anna Clark started her own website and branding company aged just 21. As well as creating three strong and growing brands in three years, across digital media (By Rosanna), lifestyle blogging (The Cornish Life) and clothing (South Coast Lifestyle), Anna shares her knowledge to help others with her website design and digital marketing blog and Cornish Creatives Facebook group.

SAM HARDING HARDING & WAKEFIELD Sam Harding is the co-founder of two successful local businesses – independent Falmouth estate agency Harding & Wakefield, and Ardent Construction, which builds new homes throughout west Cornwall. Prior to starting these businesses, Sam attained a degree in Environmental Health from the University of West England before being employed in the finance sector for GE and then as a development officer for Ocean Housing. 14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

HANNAH GOODALL CROSSFIT NEWQUAY Since taking over the running of Crossfit Newquay with her partner, Hannah Goodall has helped increase membership numbers to in excess of 100, helped by the innovative work in developing relationships with Cornwall Council to create a referral pathway. As the exercise market in Cornwall is getting more active, it takes a strong personality to succeed in this space. Hannah has taken bold steps in this field, creating a thriving business and supporting her community in the process.

JOSH COLLETT WHYFIELD “A top guy...I still can’t believe he’s an accountant,” exclaimed one of Josh Collett’s start-up clients in his nomination. Atypical or not, Josh has rapidly established himself at Truro firm Whyfield, where he is now seen as the go-to digital accountant. He became fully qualified this year after passing his AAT level four exams and has also gained Xero and Quickbooks certified accountant status. He has just signed up for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) accreditation.

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JESSICA HODGES ST PETROCS

STEPHEN EDWARDS SEA SPRAY FISTRAL Upon completing his business studies course at Truro College in 2017, rather than go to university, Stephen Edwards chose to instead put his classroom knowledge to the test and take on the running of a failing Newquay café. And while the journey has not been without its bumps, he has navigated them superbly, with turnover rising by 30% last year and the Trip Advisor rating lifting from 174th to second in Newquay. Stephen is responsible for most of the day to day operations of the business as well as being the primary front of house contact. He is already planning further developments at Sea Spray to drive up profitability as well as additional business ventures.

Jessica Hodges has played a lead role in the charity’s ‘Let’s End Street Homelessness in Cornwall’ campaign, and helped bridge the gap from its work being well-meaning to being professionally well-meaning. She led the organisation of the St Petrocs Inspiring Cornwall Conference 2017 at the Eden Project and has been instrumental in implementing the charity’s rebrand.

KATHERINE GEORGE OH SO SOCIAL The third successive year that Katherine George has appeared on Cornwall’s 30 under 30 list, and once again very-much deserved for the social media ‘guru’. Katherine launched Cornwall’s first social media agency, Oh So Social, back in 2014 and hasn’t looked back. The business now has a team of social media experts working for clients across the world, on such projects as The Man Engine’s first tour, the National Lottery Award, and The Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Not one to rest on her laurels, Katherine is constantly coming up with new ideas and is now launching a sister company, Oh So Savvy, to provide start-ups and SMEs with affordable online social media training.

ABI RULE INVEST IN CORNWALL CLOJO BEDINGHAM CLOJO RUTH DESIGN Clojo Bedingham originally had a career in the police force in mind but had a change of heart after discovering the delights of digital embroidery. And she hasn’t looked back. Since setting up her online design business after leaving university in 2016, Clojo Ruth Design has enjoyed rapid growth. Clojo designs and embroiders a wide range of textile products which as well as online, are now sold in outlets across the UK. With plans to further upgrade the business with the purchase of a significantly larger embroidery machine, Clojo has the potential to follow in the footsteps of other Cornish design-led success stories like Willow and Stone and Cream Cornwall.

Abi Rule has a number of strings to her bow. As trade and investment manager at Cornwall Development Company’s inward investment service, Abi could be in California one moment, putting Cornwall’s case forward as a business destination; to covering a major international horse event the next for her hugely successful equestrian/country lifestyle blog – A Country Lady. On top of that, Abi has built a property business with her partner, which encompasses development and holiday letting. Through the letting they have hosted over 500 guests from around the globe. A hardworking and ambitious Cornish person, Abi is always looking for the next project. BUSINESS CORNWALL | 15

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SHANNON SMITH iSIGHT CORNWALL Shannon Smith has been with the iSight Cornwall charity for less than a year, but in that short time has made an instant impact. For example, she created a unique sight loss framework tool to work with blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers to identify what services best meet their needs. She also championed the case of an elderly man whose eye surgery had been cancelled three times due to the lack of post-surgery home care. Shannon was responsible for securing funding for private healthcare and the man has had surgery and is recovering at home.

CONNOR SMITH HIVE BUSINESS Described by his nominator as “a brilliant manager and exceptional thinker”, Connor Smith has played a key role in the development of a marketleading reporting dashboard for UK dentists, which transforms how Hive clients look at their business data. The initiative has already increased revenue in his division by 10% in its first three months from internal sales alone. Connor is also currently studying for his chartered accountancy qualification at Reed Business School and excelling in his exams often coming in among the top of his class.

LUCY CRANE CORNISH LITHIUM Cornwall, of course, has a rich mining heritage. And it also has a future, with Lucy Crane fully playing her part at Cornish Lithium, which seeks to establish a lithium extraction industry in Cornwall. Lucy is as an inspirational leader in geoscience in Cornwall. She actively promotes extractive industries in schools, universities and other local interest groups. She also actively works to develop partnerships with other mineral exploration groups in Cornwall and beyond, such as the Camborne School of Mines, the British Geological Society and Plymouth University. 16 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

FLORENCE BATE WILD WEST COMMUNICATIONS Florence Bate has been with Truro-based PR agency for a little over two years and was recently promoted to account manager. “Results driven” and a “brilliant networker”, Florence works tirelessly at media relationships - an integral part of being a successful PR - both regionally and nationally - and secures impressive coverage results. Notable achievements include a national launch strategy for the blooming of the Agave Americana at The Nare Hotel; she revealed the world’s first Cone-ish Pasty on London’s Southbank for Kelly’s of Cornwall and launched the first hotel of the Another Place collection in the Lake District.

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NINA CONSTABLE NINA CONSTABLE MEDIA

EMILY STEVENSON BEACH GUARDIAN CIC If you enjoyed some fantastic days out on Cornwall’s pristine beaches last summer, then chances are that you have Emily Stevenson to thank. Emily has spent ten years picking up plastics from beaches in Cornwall and through her community interest company, Beach Guardian, organises voluntary beach cleans in Cornwall which in the first year will have had 1,000 volunteers join in. Emily has set up a ‘Beach Guardian Lab’ to engage with the wider community and has taken her plastics into schools in Cornwall to provide education sessions to raise awareness about the problem of marine plastics. In addition to this, Emily has put pressure on organisations such as PepsiCo who have now adopted Emily’s recommendation to adopt a take back and recycling scheme for Walkers crisp packets while they work on a solution to find an alternative packet.

KATIE ROWE SMILE TOGETHER DENTAL CIC Katie Rowe is a qualified dental nurse with the Smile Together Dental CIC, an employeeowned social enterprise investing its profits back into the local community. She played a key role as dental nurse lead in its Smiles At Sea initiative last year, which saw a mobile dental unit travel to harboursides across Cornwall, reaching into the community to treat fishermen and their families where 70% of those she saw hadn’t been to a dentist for over five years. Katie essentially made Smiles At Sea happen – being involved in every aspect of the initiative from liaising with harbour masters through to engaging patients and ensuring clinical compliance.

Nina Constable is an award-winning film maker, focusing on producing outstanding people, conservation and commercial documentaries on subjects from Cornwall and around the world. Recent achievements include The Cornish Fish Producers Organisation documentaries and Cornwall Beaver Trail films. Nina represents Cornwall wherever she travels to make documentaries and is seen as a true ambassador for her own business and the Duchy.

MARIE HURWORTH THE MODERN MIDWIFE A Cornish midwife turned entrepreneur, Marie Hurworth launched her ‘grab and go’ maternity bag in 2017 after seeing the results of conflicting advice on what to pack when heading off to hospital or preparing for a home birth. With Spice Girl Emma Bunton as one of her business partners. Marie “is removing the noise and confusion new parents face” as she looks to bring new innovative products and education to market.

SIMON JULIAN BSPOKE IT Bspoke IT founding director Simon Julian has been a key player in the company securing a number of projects with the likes of NHS England and Visit Cornwall, which has helped ensure the success of the businesses. The NHS project ‘Models of Care’ has given GP practices across the south west and soon to be the UK, the ability to share best practice in a secure environment that has not been available before now. He has also developed Showing Scene, a show management system for managing equine systems.

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MEGAN VANSTONE THE PIER FALMOUTH Armed with tireless drive, boundless enthusiasm and a good old-fashioned ‘cando’ attitude, Megan Vanstone successfully transformed a run-down ‘greasy spoon’ into a popular café/restaurant serving delicious locally-sourced dishes. Megan submerses herself into all aspects of the café, from cooking and clearing to ordering and front of house. She has also introduced innovative marketing initiatives including Facebook competitions, vip evenings and social media marketing. The Pier Falmouth is already scoring high on Trip Advisor.

BETHANY ALLEN CORNWALL MARINE NETWORK In the nine years that Bethany Allen has been with Cornwall Marine Network (CMN), she has worked her way up from administrator to claims and operations manager. She has developed a deep knowledge of the complex world of training funding and combined with her focus on customer service and creative approach, has truly made herself an indispensable member of the CMN team, reinforcing the organisation’s reputation among marine members. In the past year she has overseen the delivery of four Europeanfunded projects worth £567k.

JAMES GRIFFIN WARD WILLIAMS ASSOCIATES James Griffin’s first taste of construction came from working abroad as a labourer and trades supervisor. He knew that construction was his calling and subsequently joined Truro consultancy Ward Williams in 2016 as an assistant project manager. He has proceeded to take on more responsibility, working across a diverse range of challenging projects for the private/public sectors and was recently promoted to project manager, managing multidisciplinary teams and ensuring that projects deliver successful outcomes. He recently become a committee member of the ‘Generation for Change’ network and organised the Cornwall Launch event, creating a valuable network for young people working in construction.

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SAMANTHA CHARLES FLOAT DIGITAL

KATE MCBURNIE CORNISH WINE TOURS It takes courage and commitment to follow through with a new business idea and Kate McBurnie certainly has that. Capitalising on Cornwall’s growing reputation for its wine, Kate quit her job, bought a minibus and from March 2018 began running vineyard and wine tasting tours by herself. Her business, Cornish Wine Tours, certainly brings a refreshing change and new concept to Cornwall’s tourism market, which was recognised when it was awarded Gold at last year’s Cornwall Tourism Awards.

STACIE CLARK QUIET CONNECTIONS An award winning knitwear designer, Stacie Clark is a graduate from the Lloyds School for Social Entrepreneurs programme. She founded her own community interest company, New Day Knitwear, before realising greater social impact through a merger with Quiet Connections CIC last April. Stacie has a passion for starting conversations about mental health and encouraging self expression in a creative way, and as director and community coordinator at Quiet Connections, she develops community activities and helps bring people together to connect and grow confidence through creativity.

Google certified digital marketing expert Samantha Charles founded her search marketing agency, Float Digital, in 2016 and her extensive portfolio includes working with over 150 brands both locally and internationally. She is also an international speaker and delivered a presentation to 3,500 delegates at Europe’s largest search marketing conference and before Christmas delivered two talks at the Marketing Business Summit in Milan. And on top of all this, she still has time to write her award-winning blog Strawberry Squeeze, which has been shortlisted for best European lifestyle blog.

JESS CROOK WHYFIELD Jess Crook has been with Truro-based accountancy Whyfield since day one in 2014 and her growth has matched that of the firm - rapid! She has risen through the ranks to become a fully qualified accountant and is now looking to further enhance her tax expertise by enrolling on her Association of Tax Technicians exams and gaining chartered tax advisor status. Whyfield MD Laura Whyte calls her a “credit to both the firm and the profession”, while she is said to be “famous” among clients for “making numbers look easy”.

MARC JONES HYDROCK With a first class degree from the University of Plymouth, Marc Jones joined engineering consultancy Hydrock in Camborne in 2014. His university research focussed on sustainability – a key topic for development locally and beyond – in particular, sustainable access to large events and visitor attractions. He has developed his transport engineering expertise and his work contributed to the successful planning submission to develop the 2,000 bed Penvose Student Village in Penryn and an improved visitor experience at the Minack Theatre.

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GROWTH

PROGRAMME

SMARTLINE, Using technology to help people lead healthier and happier lives From a mobile app enabling those with a visual impairment to plan their journeys, to a digital guide for new fathers, funding from the European Regional Development Fund is supporting research into ways in which technology can improve quality of life. Led by the University of Exeter in partnership with Coastline Housing Ltd, Cornwall Council and Volunteer Cornwall, the Smartline project is exploring how local people, researchers and businesses can collaboratively develop new ideas to improve health and wellbeing. Since the launch of Smartline in 2017, environmental sensors have been fitted in the homes of 300 Coastline Housing customers in Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth to collect information such as air quality, humidity and temperature. Interviews have also been conducted with tenants.

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“As well as improving efficiency and making our lives easier, technology can play a major part in bringing communities together,” says Cathy Read from the University of Exeter. “We will be using the information from the sensors, together with the feedback from local residents and businesses, to help design better systems for managing homes in the future, and for inventing new products and services to help people live happier and healthier lives.” Smartline is also helping small and medium sized businesses turn their innovative ideas into reality. The team has engaged with over 100 businesses, with 52 currently receiving active support. 17 of these businesses are receiving Idea Generation Grants to explore their initial concept, 20 are participating in the In Residence Scheme and three are

further developing their product or service with a Follow-on Research Project, which can include a grant of up to £20k. “We know that there are lots of small businesses with great ideas in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly but often they do not have the time to develop them,” says Emma Seymour, the University of Exeter’s Smartline knowledge exchange officer. “The In Residence funding means they can take time out to work with our researchers to develop their proposals and apply for other grant funding.” One beneficiary is Inspire Cornwall, the community interest company behind the DadPad, a practical guide designed to enable fathers of newborn children to gain confidence and skills.

GROWTH

As a result of working with Smartline, Inspire Cornwall has introduced new features to enhance the DadPad and are developing a complimentary app. Julian Bose from Inspire Cornwall says: “The knowledge and research that Smartline has enabled us to access has meant we have learnt so much about our DadPad product and its audience. Crucially too, it has helped us expand and test our ideas extending our reach across the county and the UK.” Another company working with Smartline is ADi Access, the developer of the groundbreaking RoomMate®. RoomMate® provides an audio description and virtual map of the listener’s surroundings, bringing independence to people with sight loss, dementia and learning difficulties.

Bose adds: “Through the In Residence scheme, our researchers will work with ADi Access to develop tools to provide robust evidence about the different requirements of those who are affected by sight loss and dementia which will in turn inform targeted product development for the next generations of RoomMate®, and a marketing strategy that will support sustainability and growth.” Director of operations, Spencer Hassell, says: “We often find that facilities managers simply don’t realise the scale of the issue so when they hear RoomMate® in action you can literally hear the penny drop at how simple and cost effective the solution is.

PROGRAMME

RoomMate®’ app gives the users themselves an opportunity to voice their opinions and, importantly, to vote with their feet.” Smartline is keen to hear from other local businesses with exciting ideas for using technology to help improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. To contact the team, email Smartline@exeter.ac.uk or visit the website at www.smartline.org.uk

“Working with Smartline is not only helping us to gather the user data we need to spotlight the issue for the facilities managers but also, with the help of the grant, our ‘Find a

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Caplin Through his joint role as CEO of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and service director (economic development and enterprise) for Cornwall Council, Glenn Caplin is at the frontline of Cornwallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth

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GLENN

CAPLIN

You were appointed CEO at the LEP last July, what were you up to before that? Prior to that I was at Falmouth University working as director of innovation, an interface between the academic world and the business world, working with the Launchpad spinout programme, working with some of their academic departments, the film school, games academy, looking for those opportunities where we can really drive new innovative, disruptive businesses out with the academic knowledge the university holds. And before that I was at Cornwall Council as head of economic development.

When the post at the LEP became available, did you need much time to think about it? From a personal point of view what I really like doing is delivering projects and investments that are going to benefit Cornwall and Scilly, so it was quite a straightforward response. With the role LEPs have in terms of writing strategy for economic growth, influencing how Government money is spent to support businesses and then working with local partners such as the universities, council and most importantly the private sector, it felt like a really good opportunity to put myself in that place where you can make things happen.

The majority of businesses in Cornwall are small businesses, would you say it’s a fragmented landscape? Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have a higher proportion of SMEs than most other places in the country. That is part of the economic landscape and in terms of a LEP, we have to design programmes and services that reflect that. We’ve invested funding into the Growth and Skills Hub, spent a lot of time getting the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment fund up and running and so what we do and how we do it reflects the small and micro business nature of the economy, but I wouldn’t say that’s the same as being fragmented.

I find businesses very supportive of the regional agenda and they speak with a joined-up voice about the opportunity and ambition

I think there is a very strong ambition among businesses here. There’s been a very good reaction to our 10 Opportunities document, which is trying to bring some of those opportunities together in a coherent way. And pulling together in the same direction and making the case for investment in Cornwall and Scilly. I find no fragmentation there; I find businesses very supportive of the regional agenda and they speak with a joined-up voice about the opportunity and ambition.

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How do you gauge the current mood out there at the moment? I think it’s positive in terms of ambition and what can be achieved but inevitably there is uncertainty about Brexit. And what we’ve been trying to do as a LEP is be very clear about our advice which is to be prepared for anything. Understand the risks to your business. We have a lot of businesses that export to European markets, and we have a lot of sectors, particularly agriculture, tourism and the care sector, which access migrant labour. So, our message has been one of preparedness and understanding the impact.

And, of course, no European funding after 2020. Does that crop up in discussions? That comes up a lot and something that has been occupying the minds of private sector members of the LEP board in particular. Cornwall and Scilly have had £600M of European funding in this programme, that has shaped a lot of the investments that have been made and there are some real flagship projects that have been delivered.

Overall, would you say this money has been well spent? If you look at the evidence and the growth of the economy, it has been well spent by and large. It has made long-term strategic 24 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

investments which have been to the benefit of the region. Some of the benefits of those investments have not fully been felt yet; I don’t think we’ve yet seen the full benefit of investment into higher education or superfast broadband, they can take a long time to return full value. In this programme we have used that money to invest in innovative things. The geothermal drilling at St Day is an example of taking some investment risk the private sector wouldn’t take on its own, and that’s where it has been invested well. But what I would also say is that perhaps there are communities that haven’t felt the benefit of the investment, the ones that have consistently been listed in multiple deprivation. If you speak to organisations working with those communities, there is definitely a feeling that money hasn’t trickled down and we need to reflect that in the Local Industrial Strategy we’re currently working on, which will be about the business and investment opportunities we have across a range of sectors but it will also be about shared prosperity and how we make sure the communities benefit from that as well. And that’s where we are worried about what comes next in terms of European money.

European money was probably going to come to an end anyway wasn’t it, this being the third programme since 2000? Yes, we’ve had three - Objective One, Convergence and the Growth Programme. Whether there would have been a fourth programme depends on the stats. That money is awarded on a basis of need - those regions with GDP below 75%.

What’s it like now? It’s hovering around that number. Over the past couple of years, sometimes it has gone up, sometimes it has dipped just below.

Is it a negative reflection on the previous programmes that it isn’t doing better? The economy has grown, it’s not a case of the money making no impact. Those investments have seen the economy grow and grow significantly but other regions, particularly big cities like London, have grown at a faster rate. Two issues will be important as to what comes next; one is social inclusion and making sure people in communities don’t fall further behind; and second while some of the bureaucracy around the European programme has been frustrating for the private sector, there is a concern how UK Government will structure funding post Brexit. But for all the difficulties with process, the European Union does understand rural areas. Historically, UK Government of any political persuasion has been very urban centric. So, one of the things we’re making the case for as a LEP with Government is investment in rural areas and making sure some of those statements around Brexit that no area will be worse off, are true. So, we’re having conversations with Government about what Cornwall would see post Brexit and making the case for investment programmes which reflect need but also our aspiration.

You touched upon the 10 Opportunities document, what has feedback from the business community been like? They like the focus, they like the way we have matched up global markets and the big opportunities of the future with the assets we have. The space port is a great example of that; we have the airport, Goonhilly, we have assets here that allow us to access these emerging markets and that’s really the philosophy behind 10 Opportunities. It is a very forward-looking approach to global markets rather than just what are the big industries now.

GLENN

CAPLIN

The space port proposition could create around 150 jobs in the short term, but in the long term Spaceport Cornwall could easily create 400 jobs...

At times, do you have to take a bit of a punt? LEPs have been created to set a strategy, one that is deliverable, yet challenging, and operates in that area of emerging markets and high value growth. We shouldn’t shy away from making those calls which may be a little more risky than the private sector on its own would want to invest in. The space port is a good example; we have a great partnership with Cornwall Council as infrastructure provider, Virgin Orbit as a potential launch solution and Goonhilly to manage mission communications. Virgin are testing their technology in the US at the moment and it’s going really well. We held a reception at Westminster recently which (Transport Secretary) Chris Grayling was at, making the case for two things really; one was for the legislation to be brought forward as quickly as possible that allows you to create a space port and understand the legislation and framework regime around space port. We want that to be done quickly so we can react to it and make sure we capture the market. And then secondly making sure the investment is there in the sector. We think this is going to be a huge sector and we want to be early adopters into that market so we can drive the supply chain and create an industry.

we’re focusing on horizontal and the Virgin opportunity. Another big opportunity you’ve identified is renewable energy and in particular offshore wind Cornwall and Scilly now produce over 30% of renewable energy and we think that is only going to get bigger. We’ve invested in the Smart Islands project on the Isles of Scilly. We very much see the islands as a test bed, where we can test these technologies and look to scale them up. Hitachi are involed in the project, so they obviously see the value and commercial opportunity. It is about offshore wind and some of the big energy opportunities, but it is also about how you use that energy and how do you connect it to the digital revolution and prove that technology in our region and then scale it up. Much like the space port, floating offshore wind is a really big opportunity; there’s a big patch off the coast in Cornwall which matches Scotland in terms of opportunity. We’re really keen to create the infrastructure and build a supply chain. For example, when

you talk to A&P, they are very keen to diversify into offshore renewables. That’s part of the thinking of linking the Hayle Marine Enterprise Zone with Falmouth.

With all these things there is an element risk. Wave Hub for example hasn’t gone quite according to plan has it? I think it’s a mix of two or three things. The South West RDA was probably over optimistic about how close wave energy was to being commercial. Then there is the change of policy. Wave hasn’t had such favourable renewable energy subsidies as other renewable technologies. But certainly, in terms of the future of Wave Hub, we will be looking to make sure it is positioned to be part of our floating offshore wind offer. There are planning applications and consents in at the moment to do that.

It’s not dead in the water, so to speak? No, certainly not.

What could this mean to Cornwall economically? The space port proposition could create around 150 jobs in the short term, but in the long term Spaceport Cornwall could easily create 400 jobs, £200M worth of GVA in Cornwall and the related sectors. So, this is a very big play. We’re looking at the first launch in 2020. And in terms of Government policy, they’ve obviously made the investment in Scotland in vertical launch, we think it makes much more sense as a UK strategy to have a portfolio of opportunities, which is why

Credit - Statoil - Hywind wind farm illustration

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And I think part of our message now is that you don’t have to leave Cornwall to have a great career

Creative, space, energy, agri-food, tourism, marine, mining, aerospace, eHealth and location are listed as the 10 Opportunities but not digital. Why is that? That was part of the feedback from the private sector. There was a feeling that digital is pervasive in all technologies. We felt that digital should be seen as a cross cutting issue across all sectors rather than standalone. You’d be hard pressed today to find a sector that isn’t heavily reliant on digital and the roll out of superfast broadband has put us in a really good position. There are two issues we’ve already touched upon. One what can the LEP do to articulate the key opportunities, the link between what we have, our assets and global markets, and then the more general support for businesses to make sure no one is left behind. And that’s much more about the Growth Hub business support diagnostic and sign posting programme, much more about the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund and much more about things like transport infrastructure. And much more around social inclusion which we hope that will be part of the Shared Prosperity fund. One of things where we need to have more focus on is ‘place’. We’ve seen what’s been happening in St Austell. The St Austell Bay Economic Forum led by (St Austell Brewery CEO) James Staughton has done a lot of good work in articulating the vision for St Austell which has led to

some great investment through the Coastal Communities programme and in terms of what come next in terms of post-Brexit funding, we need to make sure that we’re addressing the issue of place, both as Cornwall as a whole, but also places within Cornwall.

Can there sometimes be too much focus on how Cornwall is perceived outside? We need to be careful we don’t over simplify the message. Cornwall’s brand is fantastic and that is reflected in the food & drink sector and the tourism sector but also increasingly other sectors as well. For example, Triangular Pixels up in Bude was named as a Bafta breakthrough artist in the games sector, Engine House FX similarly named as one of the 50 most innovative and disruptive companies. We need to balance the message of Cornwall being a great place to visit for tourism with the message that Cornwall and Scilly is a great place to do business as well. There are synergies about the quality of life and the environment, but we have to make sure the brand isn’t too focused either way.

Is more of our talent staying in Cornwall now? Is brain drain still an issue? It is not so much of an issue as it was. Before I went to university, I was very keen to leave Cornwall. I went to school in Cornwall, did my A-levels in Cornwall but then really wanted to go to London for a bit. I then spent the next three years realising I wanted to come back to Cornwall as quickly as possible! But people now have options. We’ve done a lot of work in schools over the past 12 months. And I think part of our message now is that you don’t have to leave Cornwall to have a great career. Falmouth University has been part of that, Exeter University has been part of that, the infrastructure we’ve put in place around transport and connectivity to London and superfast broadband is also part of that. And if you look at some of the businesses coming out of Falmouth University and Exeter University, they’re choosing to stay here. Hertzian has, for example, been named as one of the industrial strategy trailblazer companies in AI, and that spun out of Falmouth University.

You touched upon it earlier, but much has been made about the £40M Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund One of the biggest achievements of the LEP over the past 12 months has been getting that fund set up and the first investments will be made in early 2019. If you look at 26 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

GLENN

where those types of funds exist in the UK, it’s the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and Cornwall. The CIOS Investment Fund is an example how the LEP has put Cornwall on a national footing and attracted investment through the British business Bank. And again, that was a result of listening to the private sector. They told us we have ambition, we have ideas, we need the money, be that loan or equity, to make that happen. The team is in place now, Finance South East and SWIG have been getting the capacity in place across Cornwall and we’re hopeful of those first investments.

It it a simple process to apply? You always have to convince people, loan or equity, that it’s a good investment. There is process, but the website is very clear about what types of investment, what scale we’re looking to make. The investment fund managers are very clear and promise to have detailed feedback with businesses if they’re not successful. And there has been a lot of interest.

The possibilities of a Great Southwest Partnership have greatly been touted recently, what is your view on this? The LEP board as a whole and me personally are supportive of the Great South West but only where it can add value to what we are trying to achieve as Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. What we’re already seeing is Midlands Engine and Northern Powerhouse having a very strong voice with Government and some of those more rural voices being a bit dissipated. The Great South West Partnership is a partnership with Dorset LEP and Heart of the South West LEP about very specific issues - connectivity both in terms of 5G and superfast broadband and to make our case to Government for investment in rail and transport infrastructure. The Great South West is about amplifying those three LEP areas. So, yes supportive of the Great South West as an amplification of private sector business voice in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, but we haven’t got our eyes closed to other partnerships across the country. The LEP’s positioning is we will work with anyone it makes sense to work with.

I really don’t buy this idea that Cornwall is an inward looking, parochial place

CAPLIN

Traditionally, has Cornwall been too inward looking? I think the history of Cornwall has always been outward looking. We’re very clear as a place as to what’s good for Cornwall and have a pride in the region that I don’t think you see in many other regions in the UK. We have a very strong environmental heritage, cultural heritage, strong sense of identity which is great for the brand, but I think that culture is about being outward looking. If you go to some of mining businesses at Wheal Jane and see the map of where they’re doing business, it’s right across the world. The same with marine businesses. I really don’t buy this idea that Cornwall is an inward looking, parochial place. I see no evidence of that.

You must be pleased about the Heathrow link? Delighted. Businesses have been telling us for some time that switching from Gatwick to Heathrow because of the greater connectivity is something they would really like to see. We have been working with the Council and Cornwall Airport Ltd in making the case for that over the last six months. A big win for Cornwall and Scilly.

It happened sooner than many expected That is an example of what can be achieved when Cornwall and Isles of Scilly pulls together. What I was saying about voices not being fragmented but joined up; Council, the chamber, the airport, private sector have all been making the case for that switch quietly but strongly for some months. I would suggest it’s an example of Cornwall punching above its weight and making things happen when it stands shoulder to shoulder. As a LEP we are really pleased to see the airport being so well used and it also reflects the success we’ve been having with the Enterprise Zone. There are now well over 30 jobs on the Enterprise Zone and the new Aerohub building will be finished in New year and we’re close to signing some agreements with businesses to move in there. There is a real buzz around the airport as the moment. People can often be confused by having a Council economic department, the CDC and a LEP. How does it all fit together? There are many sectors and businesses, so

the answer is what works for business. LEPs have been created by Government as partnerships to drive economic strategy, be the interface with Government on private sector issues and economic development issues. And the future is very much about having a greater role in distributing Government funding having a much bigger role in setting the strategy. So LEPs operate at that strategic level. Cornwall Council’s economic development department has a range of functions about turning that strategy into reality. You would have seen the Kresen Kernow building in Redruth going up, the ESAM building. The Council has a role in turning that strategy into reality and CDC is part of that family of organisations. So I think while people think why do you need so many organisations, they have a very clear remit and through my role as chief executive of the LEP and service director for economic development and enterprise at the Council, my role is to bring all those things together in a way which is complimentary and delivers a broad range of services and programmes to businesses from strategy to delivery. Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly Council are on the LEP board, but we are very dominated by the private sector. The benefit of my joint role isn’t so much to see that the LEP is driven by the public sector, but the other way around. The private sector uses the LEP as a voice to make sure the public sector is creating the environment for businesses to thrive. That’s certainly how I see my job, not as a public sector officer, but as a very strong voice of the private sector. CEO Feature photographs by Toby Weller

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 27

ADVERTORIAL

GETTING OFF THE GROUND AeroSpace Cornwall is helping local businesses to accelerate growth Cornwall’s digital technology and manufacturing businesses are benefitting from new opportunities in the space and aerospace sectors. AeroSpace Cornwall is harnessing Cornwall’s big names in these sectors – including Cornwall Airport Newquay, Spaceport Cornwall and Goonhilly Earth Station – to build momentum in one of the largest aerospace clusters in the world. Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the AeroSpace Cornwall programme offers various finance and support, including £1.285 million in R&D grant funding and sales support and training for trade shows. AeroSpace Cornwall is also connecting businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with research, development and innovation partners to create new employment opportunities for the region. The growth of an impressive high-tech business cluster is well underway, and includes forward-thinking companies from the Cornwall Manufacturing Group (such as Hirst Magnetic Instruments, Flann Microwave, RAM Gaskets Solutions, Logan Electronics and DP Engineering) as well as Bluefruit, Packet Ship and Goonhilly Earth Station. 28 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

One local manufacturing company that has been supported by AeroSpace Cornwall is RAM Gaskets Solutions. The company manufactures gaskets and seals for various markets including Aerospace and Defence. They received supply chain competitiveness support from the programme’s experts, and as a direct result RAM Gaskets Solutions received a bronze award from the UK’s Supply Chains for the 21st Century (SC21) programme at the Farnborough International Airshow last year. Aerospace industry expert, Peter Munro-Lott FRAeS, explains: “AeroSpace Cornwall offers bespoke funding and support to businesses that will equip Cornwall with the required skill set to be at the forefront of the space and aerospace industry in the UK.” The AeroSpace Cornwall programme is led by Cornwall Development Company and delivered in partnership with the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF). Their combined aim is to support and promote business innovation in Cornwall which adds value to the aerospace and space sectors and to encourage investment in research and development. If you’re interested in more information, or want to take advantage of the unique opportunities which AeroSpace Cornwall offers, visit us at aerospacecornwall.co.uk

HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM AEROSPACE CORNWALL: • £5,000 grant funding to expand a product idea with Universities or Research Centres • Grant funding for R&D projects • Up to 100 hours supply chain support (including exhibition support and funding) to increase the competitiveness of your business

FINANCE

FUNDING

Funding and finance for growth: What’s happening in 2019? PFA Research explains all

Money, Money, High growth firms are invaluable to the economy. Despite making up just 6% of SMEs, they have a disproportionate impact on job creation and account for around half of all employment growth. The OECD defines a high growth firm as one with over ten employees, three years old and achieving an average growth in sales or employment of 20% per year for the last three years. There were 11,000 high growth firms in the UK during 2017 and a relatively similar number in 2016. If you’re aspiring to grow your business, you’re not alone – research from the highly regarded

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that up to 62% of SME employers are looking to expand. For many of us, growth is inextricably linked with finance and funding. In order to grow, we find ourselves looking to external sources, including venture capital, loans and equity-based crowdfunding. This means that many of us find ourselves highly dependent upon the global economy. With this in mind, we consider what’s going on in the world of finance and what this means for your business.

For many of us, growth is inextricably linked with finance and funding

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 29

FINANCE

FUNDING

Is access to finance perceived to be a barrier to growth? A 2017 FSB survey indicated that only 18% of UK SMEs perceive access to finance to be an obstacle to success. This figure has increased slightly from 15% in 2016. Interestingly, access to finance was only the tenth most commonly cited barrier, falling behind a top three of competition, regulation and taxation.

Furthermore, 58% of respondents to the survey perceive that their business is experiencing external pressures. Competition was the most widely cited pressure, with 46% of respondents reporting that this is the case. However, 36% felt that they are experiencing external pressure due to interest rates.

Did you know that craft beer brand, BrewDog, holds the world record for crowdfunding?

Following the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a decrease in the number of businesses seeking external finance. This is largely the result of a reduction in trust of the banking sector. Last year, the British Business Bank reported that 70% of businesses would prefer to grow at a slower rate than attempt to access external finance. According to the FSB, the vast majority of small businesses perceive that access to finance is particularly scarce. They note that 42% of businesses perceived that access to credit was either poor or very poor in 2017. Despite this, only 13% of small businesses have actually applied for credit within this timeframe, which suggests that it is instead this widely held perception that is reducing demand for traditional forms of finance.

Looking more closely at the local picture, the Cornwall Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey for the final quarter of 2018 indicated that 50% of businesses are experiencing pressure to raise prices. It also showed that 10% of those experiencing pressure to do so attribute this to the cost of finance.

30 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Is there a benefit to the recent Brexit uncertainty?

In the increasingly unlikely scenario of a smooth Brexit, the Bank of England would actually need to increase the pace of its recent interest rate rises. This is because a prolonged period of good economic growth can cause the economy to overheat, as increased consumer wealth leads to an increase in demand and thus, inflation. Despite this, Mark Carney did note that he did not expect interest rates to reach more than 5% within the next two decades – thus, reassuring those that remember that the Bank of England base rate reached 15% during the summer of 1990.

Will you consider alternative finance, such as crowdfunding? Interest rates are expected to increase over the next two years – Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, anticipates two further increases to the base rate. With this in mind, SMEs and prospective entrepreneurs may wish to explore alternative forms of finance and funding, including equity-based crowdfunding.

This emerging source of funding is steadily growing in popularity across the UK. An LSE study showed that the UK is the largest ECF marketplace in Europe, with almost £500 million raised between 2011 and 2016. In 2017, £217.7 million was invested in firms via UK crowdfunding platforms. The three most commonly used platforms include Crowdcube, Seedrs and Indiegogo. Did you know that craft beer brand, BrewDog, holds the world record for crowdfunding? It raised a total of £25 million online. Capital isn’t the only benefit of crowdfunding – it can offer business owners more control over projects. After all, there’s no need to submit to the demands of a bank or venture capitalist. An additional benefit lies with its ability to reduce financial risk and in some instances, decrease the cost of obtaining funding. Now is the time to consider crowdfunding, however, as the EU is currently considering the benefits of regulating the sector. This is likely to impact upon the popularity of this form of finance, as its relatively low-key regulation is a commonly cited reason for its success.

Are businesses still seeking growth? There has been a gradual decline in the number of UK businesses seeking growth. An FSB study from 2017 showed that just 62% of SME

FINANCE

How do Cornish businesses compare to firms across the UK?

employers are planning to grow their business turnover within the next three years. They note that this is the lowest figure to date. The British Business Bank noted that this is likely to be associated with an unwillingness to seek external finance, which stems from lower levels of trust in the banking sector. They argue that the industry needs to do more to rebuild trust and also, to encourage demand for credit. The Longitudinal Small Business Survey offers more nuanced findings – it found that 36% of SME employers reported turnover growth between 2016 and 2017. This is relatively similar to their findings from the previous year. Related to this, ONS statistics indicate that there were almost 2.7 million VAT and PAYE registered businesses in the UK during March 2017. This figure grew by 4.5% between 2016 and 2017. The previous year saw growth of 4.3%, which is very similar. Looking to the future, the LSBS study showed that 47% of SME employers were anticipating growth during 2018. It could be argued that this is positive news, given the ongoing political and economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

Cornwall is known for its high proportion of microbusinesses. These small firms tend to employ fewer than ten people and have a turnover or balance sheet of less than €2 million. Figures from the Enterprise Research Centre show that the mean turnover of a south west micro-business in 2017 was £534k. The region sits near the bottom of the league table, with only the North East and Scotland scoring less favourably – the former with £494,000 and the latter with £482,000. The ERC found that around two-thirds of businesses relied entirely upon internal funding in 2017. Interestingly, the south west region has the second highest proportion of micro-businesses in receipt of external funding, with 45.9% reporting that this is the case. The only region to score more highly was Northern Ireland, with 46.1% of micro-firms in receipt of external funds. In comparison, 33.5% of microbusinesses in London and 32.6% in Yorkshire and the Humber reported that they received external funds.

FUNDING

Something to mull over… Finally, the ERC study indicated that microbusinesses in the south west are less likely to seek a national or international presence than micro-businesses in many other parts of the country. Just 17.4% of micro-business respondents in the south west said that they plan to build a national or international presence. The only regions to have a lower proportion seeking to expand nationally or internationally were East England and Scotland. In comparison, the micro-business owners of London are far more ambitious, with 33.5% planning countrywide or global expansion. What does this tell us about the microbusiness owners in Cornwall? Is the stereotype of the Cornish lifestyle business true and is it that elusive work-life balance that motivates the SME owners of Cornwall? Over to you…

WHEN YOUR BANK SAYS NO, WHO DO YOU CALL? 01736 797593

www.cornwallbusinessfinance.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 31

FINANCE

FUNDING

INVESTMENT & INNOVATION Businesses based at Cornwall’s Innovation Centres discovered how the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) could benefit them at a breakfast briefing, held last month at Tremough Innovation Centre, Penryn. The £40 million CIOSIF provides debt and equity finance from £25k to £2 million to help

Cornwall Innovation organised the event with

“The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment

the FSE Group, fund manager appointed by

Fund is a great opportunity for Cornwall and

the British Business Bank.

could help many of our businesses break into

At the briefing, equity fund manager Ralph Singleton introduced the CIOSIF and

new markets, so this was an important event for us.”

attendees heard from companies that have

FSE business development manager Brent

benefited from equity finance.

Treloar said: “The Innovation Centres are a

Head of Cornwall Innovation Centres, Matt Harrington says the briefing was part of an Innovation Centres’ events programme, giving businesses access to the latest knowledge and insights. “Businesses based at our

hot spot of ambitious businesses, creating innovative products and services. They are a natural fit for the CIOSIF, but we know that many are not yet familiar with how equity finance works.

Innovation Centres get much more than office

“The event was aimed at entrepreneurs and

space,” he explains. “We collaborate with

business owners that have built the first

The University of Plymouth’s Cornwall

organisations that offer services and support

phase of a business and are now looking to

Innovation team manages Pool Innovation

that will benefit our businesses. We regularly

raise venture capital, crowd-funding, angel

Centre, Tremough Innovation Centre and

invite experts in to run events and workshops,

investment, or other external equity.”

the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre.

sharing insights and giving advice.

growing small businesses across the region.

R&D TAX CREDITS

Companies in the south west may be missing out on Research & Development (R&D) Tax Credits. Marketa Pasova from Bishop Fleming highlights this valuable alternative funding source for innovative companies In the 2018 Budget, the UK government reiterated its vision of an economy driven by research and innovation aiming to raise investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and to make the UK the most competitive tax jurisdiction in the G20. R&D tax credits are a key part of these ambitions. R&D tax credits are tax reliefs available to companies of any size which allow them to

32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

recover up to a third of their investment in innovation. There are different rates of R&D relief depending on the company’s size, the nature of other funding such as grants and who owns the IP. The relief is granted either as a reduction in corporation tax or as a cash payment. Recent statistics show a sharp increase in R&D tax credit claims made by SMEs but out of 39,475 claims in 2016-17, resulting in £3.4 billion of tax savings, only 3,100 claims, worth just £180 million, were made by south west businesses. Many businesses simply do not realise that they are eligible to claim. The credits are not just for work done in labs by people in white coats but any company investing in developing and improving their products,

services or processes should consider whether they can benefit from this valuable funding source. Bishop Fleming is one of the UK’s leading R&D tax credit advisors, not only claiming substantial sums for our clients but also engaging with and advising HMRC and the Treasury on tax policy in this area. For more information contact Marketa Pasova, corporate tax manager at Bishop Fleming, on 01872 275651, mpasova@bishopfleming.co.uk or visit www.bishopfleming.co.uk.

FINANCE

FUNDING

YEAR OF THE PKF Francis Clark business services assistant manager Andrew James explains the changing ways an accountant can aid your business It is maybe a bit paradoxical to be talking bullishly about the role of the accountant at a time where technology (including automation and AI) are making inroads into aspects of the work we have historically done. But I am excited about the prospects for us working with our clients in a number of areas and specifically in terms of this article in the area of Finance and Funding – and I am not the only one! Late last year saw me in receipt of a number of emails signalling the end of the bank manager as the trusted advisor to SMEs looking for funding and putting me (the accountant) in their place. While I feel that any news of the death of the bank relationship manager is greatly exaggerated, there is definitely an argument that there are less of them / they are less accessible to the smaller business. And, since the financial crash of a decade ago there has been an explosion in the number of ‘alternative lenders’ that have revolutionised the finance market for SMEs; so, while the bank maybe still in some cases the best source of funding, they are definitely not the only one. The fact there is a bank (apologies for the pun) of ‘alternative lenders’ has been recognised by the UK government in the introduction of the Bank Referral Scheme and Open Banking and arguably is one of the drivers behind the introduction of the Growth Hubs at a Local Enterprise Partnership level. We stay up to date with

developments in the alternative lending market both directly, through meetings with the lenders, and indirectly through the use of the platform Capitalise. Capitalise is a software platform that hosts around 100 lenders including banks.

this year including: Debt (Cornwall Lenders Forum) and Innovation Funding (Plymouth University). Our final session is provisionally entitled ‘Cornwall and Isles of Scilly a great place to do business’ and this will be cohosted by the Invest in Cornwall team.

We look to stay abreast of funding at local level as well; engaging on a regular basis with the likes of South West Investment Group and The FSE Group administrators on the different elements of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) and other funds and Cornwall Development Company.

The above is a reflection that in the world of Finance and Funding in 2019 it is perhaps more important than ever not to work in silos but to work with others to mine the increasing number of funding and business support options available. This is a role that, I (the accountant) look forward to fulfilling for growing businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in the year ahead.

Every two months or so we produce a Finance in Cornwall factsheet that summarises our understanding of the funding sources potentially available to businesses in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. Whilst it is true to say that the list of sources of grant funding have been getting shorter – I am anticipating some new schemes coming on stream this year potentially through the last of the devolved EU funding schemes. Keep an eye on our blog for details should my anticipation pan out... ‘Equity to the fore’ is the working title behind the first session at this year’s Finance in Cornwall event. I am hoping that I can co-host this session with the British Business Bank – one of the forces behind CIOSIF and other initiatives aimed at making equity more accessible to the SME. I am also hoping that other sessions will be co-hosted at Finance in Cornwall

www.pkf-francisclark.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 33

70.37%

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18.52%

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Are completely ready for Making Tax Digital.

Check out our research in full, view our Making Tax Digital videos, and get 50% off your cloud software licence at www.whyfield.co.uk/making-tax-digital

01872 267 267 | contact@ whyfield.co.uk www.whyfield.co.uk

Funding to support smaller businesses. The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides commercially focussed finance through Debt and Equity Funds. It aims to transform the finance landscape for smaller businesses in the area and to realise the region’s potential to achieve economic growth through enterprise. Equity finance £50k - £2m For start-ups or more established businesses with high growth potential

Debt finance £25k - £1m For early stage or more established businesses that can demonstrate growth potential

www.ciosif.co.uk @ciosifbbb British Business Bank plc (BBB) is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. British Business Financial Services Limited (BBFSL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBB. Neither BBB nor BBFSL is authorised or regulated by the PRA or FCA. BBB and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. A complete legal structure chart for the BBB group can be found at www.british-business-bank.co.uk.

34 | BUSINESS CORNWALL 434 CIOSIF Landscape Print Advert_194x136mm.indd 1

15/11/2018 16:03

FINANCE

GRANTS FOR BUSINESSES

RRL grants specialist, Alison Elvey, explains what to expect in 2019 Further new grants for businesses are expected throughout 2019, despite Britain’s ongoing EU withdrawal. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIoS) EU Growth Programme will finish commissioning projects by December 2020. However, business support, hopefully, and grant schemes, announced this year, should be available until 2023. Over the last few months, there have only been grant opportunities for businesses if they are either based in a targeted geographical area or operate in specific sectors. However, this is set to change. Currently, Community Led Local Development (CLLD) grants aim to provide economic opportunities for people and

businesses in Cornwall’s most deprived areas, so businesses can access grants if operating in these geographical areas. Specific sectors which mirror the CIoS Economic Development strategy also offer grants. For the health sector, there is EPIC (eHealth Productivity and Innovation in CIoS) and Smartline. Tevi supports environmental growth with grants to drive business innovation and resource efficiency. For the Marine sector, Marine-i offers a Rapid Innovation Grant, and Propel Cornwall, a consultancy grant scheme. Aerospace Cornwall provides R&D funding and up to £5k Innovation Vouchers whilst Acceleration Through Innovation offer grants up to £10k.

FUNDING

AgriTech operates a Collaborative Research Fund and Innovation Grants, and farmers are waiting on further funding through the Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme. Fishing sector grants are still available and don’t forget funding for training which businesses might need continues. Over the last two months, the CIoS EU Growth Programme has released calls for business support projects which should lead to future grants schemes. It’s hoped the grants will address three specific strategic gaps: raising productivity; supporting SME’s which are neither ‘startups’ or ‘high growth’ and helping businesses to extend their UK trade rather than focusing on exports. So, if you’re not based in a CLLD area, or operate in a specified sector, watch this space and keep an eye on social media (Twitter/LinkedIn) for regular updates.

www.rrlcornwall.co.uk

FUND MAKES FIRST INVESTMENT The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) has completed its first [equity] investment with a £750k equity stake in wireless internet service provider Wildanet, based at Goonhilly Earth Station through appointed fund managers The FSE Group. The investment is being match-funded by the FSE Angel network, private investors and Crowdcube as part of a £1.5 million package. It will support Wildanet’s continued expansion across Cornwall and into Devon, targetting

12,000 new customers and creating an estimated 39 jobs over the next three years. Wildanet uses state of the art wireless radio technology to provide superfast broadband in hard to reach rural areas, with a guaranteed minimum speed of 30Mb/s, up to lightningfast 1Gb/s. Ian Calvert, CEO and founder of Wildanet, which was set up in January 2017, says: “There is a real opportunity for us to radically improve connection speeds for homes and businesses across Cornwall currently experiencing low bandwidths. The funding from CIOSIF and our match funders will allow us to expedite our growth strategy and bring reliable superfast broadband to hard to reach areas.”

Ken Cooper, MD at the British Business Bank, adds: “We are delighted that the fund’s first investment will not only create jobs but will also bring improved connectivity for homes and businesses, which is good news for productivity and growth. This deal is a great example of how the CIOSIF can leverage other investment to help growth-minded businesses realise their potential.” The £40 million Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides debt and equity finance from £25k to £2 million to help growing small businesses across the region. It has been established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and is operated by appointed fund managers FSE Group.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 35

PEOPLE

ON THE MOVE

SPONSORED BY

www.sapiencehr.co.uk

AYRES NAMED HEAD OF MARINE NEW TRUSTEES AT SAS The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group has announced changes to its marine and freight team.

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has appointed two new high-profile trustees.

The marine team will be led by Kevin Ayres, as head of marine services. Ayres worked for the company between 1999 and 2015 before leaving to take up a new opportunity with Hanson Marine and then head of ship operations for the Jubilee Sailing Trust. He re-joined the group in December 2017.

Richard Walker is a surfer, mountaineer, runner and a committed environmentalist and also the MD of The Iceland Foods Group. Since November 2017, he has taken the board lead on sustainability issues across the group, pioneering a range of world-leading sustainability initiatives.

He will be working alongside new technical superintendent Ian Hobbs, Tony Baker (marine superintendent) and latest recruit, Eldred Banfield (freight services manager).

Lucy Siegle, meanwhile, is a writer and TV presenter specialising in environmental issues and ethical shopping and lifestyles. She is an authority on the environmental and social footprint of the global fashion industry and for over 14 years she honed her expertise as the Observer and Guardian’s eco agony aunt. She is also a well-known reporter on BBC1’s The One Show.

Acting MD, Stuart Reid, said: “The appointment of the new marine team along with the existing master’s Dave Redgrave and Paul Stevens form an exciting prospect. The blend of new skills and experience will drive the company forward through its next strategic objectives and marine operational activity.”

IT’S MILLER TIME

LOUISE SQUIRES

Miller Commercial has recruited two new faces to its property management team. Louise Squires has joined as facilities manager, working alongside senior facilities manager Stephen Peckham, while Jane Perrin has joined the property management support team having recently moved to Cornwall from the Midlands. Nick Maffey, head of property management at Miller Commercial, commented: “I am really pleased that we have been able to attract Louise and Jane to Miller Commercial. Our growing list of property management clients will undoubtably benefit from the experience, expertise and enthusiasm Louise and Jane bring to their respective roles.”

Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “I’m delighted that Lucy and Richard are joining the board of Surfers Against Sewage and very much look forward to working together on our growing projects to protect oceans, beaches, rivers and wildlife for the future. They are powerhouses of environmental action in their respective sectors and we are hugely grateful for their commitment to the cause.”

LUCY SIEGLE

ALL CHANGE AT DM ORTHOTICS Redruth-based manufacturer DM Orthotics has announced a number of changes to its senior management structure. Company founder and owner, Martin Matthews, has become chairman and will work alongside newly-promoted CEO, Dan Severn, who originally joined DMO’s clinical team in 2010 as a chartered physiotherapist in paediatrics.

MARTIN MATTHEWS AND DAN SEVERN 36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

“Dan will lead the day-to-day running of the company whilst I focus on

research, new products and our future vision,” said Matthews. Completing the changes, Emma Northover, a qualified chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser, has joined the company as chief financial officer. DMO designs and manufactures made-to-measure dynamic movement orthoses to manage the physical effects of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.

BUSINESS

START UPs

INTRODUCING A NEW FEATURE TO BUSINESS CORNWALL, HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE NEW BUSINESSES ON THE SCENE In association with Unlocking Potential

Praise and Paw Praise and Paw creates high-end coaching programmes for dog owners to teach solutions to their goals. Kayleigh Stangroom is a canine practitioner and works side by side continuing to adapt and modify to help her clients and their pets reach their results. “The Breakthrough programme taught me how to handle the early stage challenges of running a business, but also how to control my creativity- as I tend to go from one idea to 57 and want to make every one happen!”

Down by the River Florals Lisa Marie Grigsby runs Down by the River Florals as well as providing lifestyle photography and styling services under her own name. With Down by the River Florals she holds seasonal workshops and creates beautiful floral installations for weddings and events. Lisa’s style has been described as elegantly wild yet delicate. Attending the Breakthrough workshops helped Lisa to realise her skills can be fluid and interwoven in a complimentary way that can work well together in order to create a viable business model, out of her creative flair and passion for floristry and lifestyle photography.

Kayleigh recalls her greatest achievement in the start-up of her business was when she started working with other businesses to help influence and teach more people about dog etiquette or making places dog friendly. Her plan for the coming year includes setting up a podcast and YouTube channel to further educate and support people.

The Cornish Laser Cutting Co. Based near Penzance, Mike and Molly Banks’ combined backgrounds in carpentry, art, photography and design led them to found the company which artfully uses laser cutting technology to create beautiful, original and bespoke products. Since the launch of their young business in 2017 they have excelled in building strong relationships with many local brands. The Cornish Laser Cutting Co. has worked with key companies, including The National Trust, Sharp’s Brewery, St Ives Brewery and Moomaid Of Zennor Ice Cream, helping their brands come to life with their exciting, artisan laser cutting service.

“Photography, to me is how I can create memories through storytelling and three of my favourite words to my work are candid, authentic and quirky.” “So far on my journey, I have attended the Breakthrough workshop, it has given me the courage to speak about my business openly and feel empowered by it. The programme has also helped me attend various networking events and meet fellow business owners who are all on the same journey as myself.” Plans for 2019 are well underway for Kasha who will broadening her offer to include weddings, themed studio shoots and to further collaborate with creatives and businesses.

Following on from the original workshops, she began making changes and left her job to pursue her own start-up business. This has included holding seasonal workshops, and creating floral installations for weddings and events, alongside providing creative headshots for local businesses and creating and styling content for Cornish brands. “As a small business owner you are not only the florist/photographer, but also the marketing manager, CEO, financier etc. There are so many wonderful businesses in Cornwall and it’s great to know you’re not alone as you start out.” Lisa has had some great successes with her latest collaborations involving creating content with Cornish brand Nomads clothing and furniture designer Tom Raffield, something Lisa plans to develop in 2019.

Snapsha-Photography Snapsha-Photography is owned and run by self-proclaimed adventurer, Kasha Miller, who started the business as a portfolio website of her own creative works and has since grown her passion into a successful start-up business. BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37

FOOD

& DRINK

PASTY WEEK RETURNS

Following its inaugural success last year, Cornish Pasty Week will be returning with another week-long celebration dedicated to Cornwall’s hero food this month. With opportunities for Cornish Pasty lovers everywhere to get involved, Cornish Pasty Week will run from Sunday February 24, culminating on Saturday March 2 at the World Pasty Championships at the Eden Project. Cornish Pasty Week is devised and run by the Cornish Pasty Association, a not-forprofit collective of some of the top names in Cornish Pasty making. Cornish Pasty Association chairman, Jason Jobling, said: “We dipped our toe in the water with Cornish Pasty Week last year and were blown away by the response, with people picking up on it as far away as the Falklands.”

AINSWORTH HELI BOOST Restaurateurs Angela Hartnett, Neil Borthwick and Paul Ainsworth joined forces just before Christmas to raise money for the Cornwall Air Ambulance New Heli Appeal. The three cooked up a Michelin-starred feast at Rojano’s In The Square in Padstow. The event, which was driven by Paul’s wife, Emma Ainsworth, who is director of Paul Ainsworth restaurants and is an ambassador for the charity, was sponsored by Enotria wine and Planeta.

The 3,000-mile journey saw them living and sleeping in a VW campervan as they toured the stores across four countries and destinations from Northern Ireland all the way down to Penzance. The brand was launched by university friends Tom Jordan and Jesse Wilson in 2017 and has been making waves on

38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

The seven-course dinner featured seasonal dishes including Pumpkin Tortellini with parmesan and walnut pesto as well as Short Rib with carrot, mushroom and clotted cream potato. Guests were greeted with a custom cocktail created with Wrecking Coast’s special edition New Heli Gin which has a hint of Sycamore bark (from the helicopter tree) and nine botanicals to give a light, citrus gin with juniper notes. All ticket sales for the evening were donated to the New Heli Appeal, totalling £25,526 raised for the charity.

FURTHER EXPANSION FOR HUBBOX

JAN IN A VAN To mark the New Year and its newly-won national supermarket listing, the founders of Cornish start-up beer brand, Jubel, took to the road last month on a ‘Vanuary’ mission to visit each of the 250 Sainsbury’s supermarkets they are stocked in across the country.

BBC Radio Cornwall’s Daphne Skinnard held a Q&A with the three chefs throughout the dinner, who all met while working under Gordon Ramsay and have since remained good friends.

Cornish burger chain Hubbox has opened up a new larger restaurant in Exeter.

the UK beer scene ever since. They are pioneering a new style of beer to “uniquely deliver the refreshment of a fruit cider with the sessionability of a crisp lager”.

Born out of the Hub, situated on the harbourside of St Ives, Hubbox originally launched serving burgers from a shipping container in Truro in 2012, before moving into Exeter a year later. Last October saw its latest restaurant open in Taunton and now it starts 2019 with this redevelopment.

Crafted in Cornwall, both naturally infused peach or elderflower beers are also brewed to be vegan and gluten-free.

Its original Exeter site was a modest 36-cover restaurant, while the new venue can serve up to 170.

Jordan said: “It’s been a complete whirlwind of a year - 300 accounts in our first three months, a sell-out London launch in Selfridges, a couple of World Beer Awards and a national Sainsbury’s launch. We thought we’d continue the mayhem by spending Jan in a Van and doing a trailblazing UK store tour.”

CEO Richard Boon said: “To say we’re excited about our move is an understatement.” Cornish suppliers Phillip Warren Butchers, Baker Tom Bread, Colwith Farm Potatoes, Matthew Stephen’s Fish, The Cornish Cheese Company, Origin Coffee Roasters, Cornish Sea Salt, and West Country Fruit will all be supplying the new restaurant.

ADVERTORIAL

BE DISABILITY CONFIDENT The Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the ‘Beacon Project’ is working with businesses to help them think differently about disability and long-term health conditions, and to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop their staff. Disabled people have amazing skills and experience and have valuable qualities that could give your business a competitive edge. The costs to your business of not holding on to staff can be considerable – for example, loss of productivity when an employee

leaves, and admin costs associated with recruitment and training of new staff. Replacing a single member of staff can cost more than £30k through loss of productivity in getting a new recruit up to speed. That’s why the LEP is working with the business community on the Cornwall Work & Health Beacon Project. This aims to identify and tackle barriers to recruitment and retention and is the first project of its kind in the UK. The Beacon Project is still in its early stages, but other help is available. For example, over 10,000 businesses in the UK are signed up to the Disability Confident scheme. This helps businesses think differently about disability and it’s free to sign up, with immediate access to resources, guidance and best practice.

For more information about becoming Disability Confident visit https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/ or get involved in the Beacon Project by visiting the Growth Hub www.ciosgrowthhub.com/cornwall-work-and-health-beacon-project/

5 - 7 March 2019, Wadebridge

You can start your journey as a Disability Confident ‘Committed’ employer by signing up to the five commitments below: • Ensuring your recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible • Communicating and promoting vacancies via a range of channels • Offering an interview to a disabled person if they meet the minimum criteria • Anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required • Supporting any existing employee who acquires a disability or long-term health condition and committing to offering a disabled person an opportunity such as work experience, job shadowing or paid employment (among other opportunities).

SPONSORED BY

Barefoot Media was crowned the region’s Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy by the industry’s governing body. The St Wenn-based agency won four awards in total at the South of England and Channel Islands PRide Awards. Along with Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy, the company won silver for Best Travel, Leisure or Tourism Campaign

NEW DIRECTORS AT BLUEFRUIT NEW VOICE FOR CORNWALL An established south east PR and marketing agency has expanded into Cornwall. Originally set up 12 years ago by MD Nichola Cain, Colchester-based Voice Communications has now opened an office in Newquay. She said: “This venture comes after an exciting year for Voice. It is great to see our business plan in action and Voice’s expansion taking shape. We are looking forward to working with like-minded and exciting businesses who share our values. We are thrilled to be starting this chapter of Voice’s journey and can’t wait to see where it takes us.”

40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

www.digitalpeninsula.org

for work with hotel The Beach at Bude; and two awards for the 1,000 Mouth Festival at Nancarrow Farm, Gold for Best Low Budget Campaign and Silver for Best Event. CIPS south west chair, Rachel Picken, said: “We are very proud of all the shortlisted candidates and winners this year and applaud their amazingly creative campaigns and dedication.”

START UP AWARD

FOR MAPPIX Bluefruit Software has appointed two new executive directors. Steve Forth, who has been with the Redruthbased company for nearly ten years as general manager, steps up to financial director, while business development director Caitlin Gould originally joined Bluefruit 2016, and oversees sales, marketing and growth strategy. The pair join company owner and MD, Paul Massey, and non-executive director Robert Salvoni. Massey said: “This is an exciting time for Bluefruit Software. We’ve more than doubled our revenue in the past 24 months and we’ve just hired our 52nd employee. With new projects and continued hiring planned for 2019, it’s a critical time for the business and I know Steve and Caitlin will work with myself and Robert to ensure long-term sustainable growth.”

Mappix has been named Business of the Year by the Start Up Loans Company. Penzance-based Mappix was launched in 2015 by former teacher Charity Wilson. It is a cloud-based assessment software platform designed to help reduce teachers’ workload and support children’s learning. Wilson was successful in accessing a Start Up Loan from SWIG Finance last April and also secured £94k investment through CrowdCube. Wilson said: “We are just about to launch our new interfaces, including a file upload facility, making it easy for teachers to store the necessary evidence of pupil progress in one secure place. We have also responded to user requests for an alternative way of marking. Being awarded Business of the Year from Start Up Loans was a great way to end a fantastic year.”

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

#FSBCONNECT

FSB AWARDS FINALISTS Cornish businesses feature heavily among the nominations in this year’s FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2019.

Float Digital and Mother Ivey’s Holiday Park both lead the way with three nominations each, while other Cornish businesses on the shortlist include ARC02 Architecture, Cornwall Marine Network, Leap, NSN Electrical, Oh So Social, RRL and The Vine – An Gwinbrenn.

won the Ethical - Green Business of the Year category. MD Amanda Winwood said: “Winning an FSB Small Business Award was a highlight of 2018, we’ve had such great things happen off the back of it. Well done to all the 2019 area finalists in the South West – they’re going to enjoy this so much.”

Last year Truro-based Made for Life Organics

For full details go to www.fsbawards.co.uk

The south west awards will take place in Somerset on February 7 with the category winners going through to the UK final in London this May.

DATA WEIGHS HEAVILY The current uncertainties surrounding the future of the economy are being blamed for UK productivity growth dipping to a two-year low. FSB national chairman Mike Cherry said: “This productivity data demonstrates exactly what a prolonged period of uncertainty does to an economy. “Small business confidence has dropped to its lowest point since the financial crash, with four in ten firms expecting their performance to worsen in the months ahead. “More than two thirds are not planning to increase capital investment next quarter.

Without investment in productivityenhancing tech, machinery and skills, we’re unlikely to see these figures improve any time soon. But naturally small business owners are holding fire on investing for the future because – less than 80 days from Brexit – they simply don’t know what the future holds. “Equally, with net migration from the EU plummeting over the past couple of years, and employment levels at record highs, it’s proving harder and harder to bring in the right employees with the skills and drive to boost output per hour.”

FSB ELECTIONS VOLUNTEER TEAM ELECTED TO LEAD FSB’S LOBBYING IN CORNWALL the two FSB area leads for Cornwall and am looking forward to helping represent the amazing number and diversity of small business member’s in Cornwall.”

The FSB has elected its volunteer team to lead its lobbying activities in Cornwall. Edward Chapman has been re-elected as area leader and will be joined by Zoe Howard of Caxton Communications. Chapman said: “I am delighted to be one of

Howard added: “After working with the FSB on various projects over the past couple of years, I’m delighted to be appointed as one of the area leads for Cornwall. I’m keen to do more on health and wellbeing for entrepreneurs like me and I’d like to get the FSB more closely linked with the colleges and university.”

FSB/CORNISH PARTNERSHIPS NETWORKING EVENTS FEBRUARY 13 Bespoke CRM Truro Golf Club Can a bespoke CRM system help your business? This overview will give insight into what tool is best for your business. FEBRUARY 26 Sell Without Selling Portbyhan Hotel, Looe Empower your salesforce to deliver the correct message for your business. Terry Mullins will show you how to sell without selling. This talk will help in all areas of your business. MARCH 13 Exit Plan Falcon Hotel, Bude Learn how to make your business worth more by removing yourself from the process and sell/pass on your business when the time is right. MARCH 26 Business Image Waterside, Lanivet Does your image reflect your product? Learn the tricks and common sense elements of making sure your business is being seen in the right light. Book all events via eventbrite.co.uk & search “FSB Cornwall”

In the south west region, Bodmin businessman Roger Tarrant has been re-elected as regional chairman for a second term.

Online voting for all local volunteers closed on December 3 and they are now starting to action their new area plans. Online elections for the national volunteer opportunities open on /join rg.uk March 1. o . b s .f e www eas As well as area leaders, volunteers have also rs at n pl 0! e e d h t a e 3 e been elected locally to be representatives on ve £ ine R pag agaz this and sa M g l n l the FSB National Council and as i d oin rnwa r rea ou j egional chairmen. s s Co afte e en y n h i B s S w u F for B M30 join t to ote BC Offer n B a S F qu uw If yo

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41

EDUCATION

AND TRAINING

SPONSORED BY

INDUSTRY DAY SUCCESS Falmouth Marine School students have been praised for their skills, knowledge and expertise by companies attending their annual Industry Day event. 58 Industry professionals from local, national and international businesses attended the event at the main campus on Killigrew Street

ANNE CARLISLE OBE Falmouth University vice chancellor, Anne Carlisle, was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk

DEVELOPING LEADERS in Falmouth. They were joined by the Mayor, Grenville Chapple, and Falmouth town manager Richard Gates. A total of 22 careers talks were delivered, split by sector - marine science, watersports and marine technology, and boatbuilding and marine engineering. Industry Day has been running for over 15 years and brings employers together with skilled young people, to help fulfil industry needs and demonstrates Falmouth Marine School’s dedication to being a career college. Head of Falmouth Marine School, Bob Harris, said Industry Day “epitomises the ethos of The Cornwall College Group”.

Aspiring and existing leaders from across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being given an opportunity to develop their careers and enhance their skills as part of a new £1.5 million European-funded project. Delivered by Truro and Penwith College Business, ‘Developing Leaders’ will offer tailored training in leadership, management and coaching for both private and public sector employees. Project coordinator Madeline Richardson said: “We are delighted to build on our success in this area; Developing Leaders will be able to offer guidance and financial support to individuals with leadership training, skills and qualifications.”

Carlisle was awarded the recognition for her services to higher education and the regional economy.

“We are preparing all of our learners for industry by giving them all the relevant skills and experiences they need to be successful in their chosen career,” he said.

Courses available range from the ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills, through middle management and up to strategic leadership programmes for senior managers.

She was appointed vice chancellor and chief executive of what was then University College Falmouth ten years ago and has transformed the establishment into one of the leading arts universities in the UK.

“I would like to congratulate those that have been offered jobs and to thank those businesses that have attended the event, because our links to industry will help us to shape and grow our curriculum for the future.”

To find out how to get involved with the Developing Leaders project or for eligibility, visit the website www.truropenwith.ac.uk/developingleaders

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

After a successful inaugural event last year, The Apprenticeship Games for apprentices and their employers returns next month. Taking place at Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, on March 6, the games pitch companies against each other in a bid to find the region’s ‘Apprentice Team of the Year’, who will be handed the games’ specially designed torch. Last year Pendennis scooped the torch to be named ‘Apprentice Team of the Year’,

42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

beating off stiff competition from Whyfield, Wales and West Ultilies, Pendennis, Ocean Housing Group, Imerys, Eden Project, Cornwall Council, Pall Corporation, Exeter University and Parnall Engineering Advanced. Head of employer engagement at CCB Training, Gareth Kenward said last year was “a great success”. “Apprentices really battled it out to win whilst demonstrated great team work and

communications skills,” he said. “The games are about different businesses and apprentices representing a wealth of vital sectors for the region’s economy coming together to celebrate the thing they all have in common, an understanding of the value of apprenticeships.” To find out more about The Apprenticeship Games 2019, email hello@ccbtraining.co.uk

www.visitcornwall.com

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

TOURISM

A new service is launching for busy property owners wanting to be part of the growing tourism industry in Cornwall. listassisters.com helps owners list their property on booking platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com and HomeAway - providing a solution for those who are too busy, or don’t know where to start, get listed and start generating bookings as a holiday let.

TOP OF THE LIST SELLS SOLD ON SCILLY

Clare Rutt from List Assisters said: “With the increasing popularity of various short-let booking platforms, List Assisters offers a custom-fit listing management solution on a flexible, as-needed basis without taking a percentage of earnings. We can’t wait to help more clients make the most of their property’s earning potential.”

GEMS SHINES FOR RNLI

The Islands’ Partnership, the official destination management organisation and business lead for the Isles of Scilly, has appointed Andrew Sells as its new independent non-executive chairman.

Luxury holiday-lettings company Cornish Gems raised over £3k for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) through fundraising activities in 2018. Fundraising activities included a 44-mile coastal endurance race as well as inviting guests to include a donation to the charity when booking a holiday.

Sells is currently chairman of Natural England, the national body responsible for advising the Government on the natural environment – a position he is due to step down from later this month after five years in the role. He will then take up his new position at the Islands’ Partnership in February, serving an initial threeyear term. Working alongside the Islands’ Partnership Board and executive team, Sells succeeds former chairman James Berresford, who stepped down at the end of last year after a three-year tenure. “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to chair the Islands’ Partnership Board,” Sells said. “The Isles of Scilly hold a special place in the hearts of my family. All generations have been visiting this tranquil haven for many years and I regard it as a great privilege to be asked to help shape the future of the islands.”

HUNGRY FOR THE WOLF Visit Cornwall has engaged the services of Truro-based marketing agency Wolf Rock for 2019. Visit Cornwall chief executive, Malcolm Bell, said: “Given the challenges facing the UK with regard to Brexit and faltering consumer confidence, 2019 is set to be an exciting year and Wolf Rock will assist us with mitigating these threats whilst seizing opportunities.

“They are a first-class agency that know Cornwall inside out, understand the tourism industry in depth as proven by their successful work with other tourism businesses and destinations.” Visit Cornwall presented its 2019 marketing plan at the Cornwall Tourism Summit on January 29.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43

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UPCOMING

FEBRUARY EVENTS FEBRUARY

KING NETWORKING

FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB

8 13

The Kernow Independent Networking Group gathers at 7.15am on Wednesdays, fortnightly, at the Victoria Inn, Threemilestone, near Truro. king-networking.co.uk

The Falmouth Business Club meets over breakfast every two weeks at the Carnon Inn, where a friendly group of businesses await. All welcome! falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH Mullion Cove Hotel

Join the Chamber for a networking lunch at this new venue on the Lizard Peninsula with the most spectacular views. cornwallchamber.co.uk

FSB/CORNISH PARTNERSHIPS Truro Golf Club

FSB Connect Cornwall has partnered with Cornish Partnerships to offer you great networking opportunities for 2019. These events will take place twice a month in various venues across the county and will be run by Cornish Partnerships on behalf of FSB. Today’s subject, can bespoke CRM help your business? eventbrite.co.uk

FUNDING MASTERCLASS MOR Workspace, Newquay

Whether you’re a start-up business or a growing SME, investment to launch new and innovative projects is vital. If you’re unsure about what funding options are available to support your business growth, then why not join ATI at its funding masterclass? aticornwallinnovation.co.uk

Waterside Café, Falmouth

FSB/CORNISH PARTNERSHIPS

CORNWALL CHAMBER BREAKFAST

If you could ask a social media expert any question at all, what would it be? Award-winning social media marketing agency Oh So Social are giving you the opportunity to do just that with an ‘Ask the Expert’ day. ohsosocialmarketing.co.uk

Victoria Inn, Truro

Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

SOCIAL MEDIA – ASK THE EXPERT DAY

CORNISH PIRATES vs EALING TRAILFINDERS

Mennaye Field, Penzance

For a truly memorable occasion, match day hospitality is the perfect way to entertain colleagues and clients. E: robyn.ashurst@cornish-pirates.com

Victoria Inn, Truro

FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB

CORNISH PARTNERSHIPS OPEN HOUSE Victoria Inn, Roche

Open house networking meeting, all welcome. Breakfast buffet available. Coffee and Tea will be provided. cornishpartnerships.co.uk

FSB Connect Cornwall has partnered with Cornish Partnerships to offer you great networking opportunities for 2019. These events will take place twice a month in various venues across the county and will be run by Cornish Partnerships on behalf of FSB. Today Terry Mullins will talk about the Art of Selling. eventbrite.co.uk

Jamaica Inn, Launceston

MARCH

5-7

EXPOWEST CORNWALL

MURRELL ASSOCIATES BREAKFAST SEMINAR

Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

The Falmouth Business Club meets over breakfast every two weeks at the Carnon Inn, where a friendly group of businesses await. All welcome! falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk

Portbyhan Hotel, Looe

The February Big Breakfast will be held at the newly refurbished Jamaica Inn with guest speaker Nigel Barker from the Department of International Trade. cornwallchamber.co.uk

KING NETWORKING The Kernow Independent Networking Group gathers at 7.15am on Wednesdays, fortnightly, at the Victoria Inn, Threemilestone, near Truro. king-networking.co.uk

EVENTS

Royal Cornwall Showground

Expowest Cornwall is a crucial event on the business and social calendar. If you want to get straight to the heart of the Cornish business community then this is one show you cannot afford to miss. expowestcornwall.co.uk

Epiphany House, Truro

A complimentary seminar from specialists at Murrell Associates covering some key aspects of employment law, intellectual property law and share incentives for employees E: becky.olds@murrellassociates.co.uk

For further details of these and more networking events visit businesscornwall.co.uk To publicise your event for free, email news@businesscornwall.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45

CONNECTED

CORNWALL

SPONSORED BY

www.cioslep.co.uk

FSB CONNECT

Health and Wellbeing was the theme for FSB Cornwall’s Connect networking meeting at St Austell Conference Centre last month

PRESENTER LUCY BROWN OF CORNWALL COUNCIL’S HEALTHY WORKPLACE PROGRAMME

DELEGATES AT THE LATEST FSB CONNECT EVENT

NATASHA GLASGOW, TRACEY MOYS (HOUSE OF COLOUR) AND JAMES ROWBERRY (UNIVERSITY OF EXETER)

JANET REED (MICROCOMMS) AND STEVE FENNY (OPTIADAPT)

THE AWARDS RECEIVED A RECORD NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AND THE CEREMONY EVENING WAS A SELL OUT

CORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS THE OCEAN THEMED ECO-TROPHIES WERE DESIGNED BY RENOWNED CORNISH ARTIST KURT JACKSON

The annual Cornwall Sustainability Awards were held at the Headland Hotel in Newquay

CERENETY ECO CAMPSITE, WINNERS OF THE BEST MANAGED MICRO BUSINESS AWARD

BOARDMASTERS: WINNER OF THE BEST ESTABLISHED INITIATIVE FOR REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE IN THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS OVERALL WINNER

46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

THE BUILD SOLAR TEAM, WINNER OF THE BEST INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AWARD

CORNWALL

CONNECTED

SHARP’S BEER SOMMELIER ED HUGHES AND SHARP’S COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER RACHEL WILLIAMS WITH A NUMBER OF THE CHEFS AND PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THE BOOK LAUNCH

CHEF HENK DE VILLIERS FERREIRA (TREVISKER’S KITCHEN AND DINING) AND GUY HARROP (JUST ADD BEER PHOTOGRAPHER)

ED HUGHES (SHARP’S BEER SOMMELIER), ZACK HAWKE (HEAD CHEF AT THE MARINERS), AND BEN PRIOR (HEAD CHEF AT BEN’S CORNISH KITCHEN)

PADSTOW CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL THE JUBILEE QUEEN

Sharp’s Brewery launched its Just Add Beer book aboard the Jubilee Queen at the Padstow Christmas Festival

SENIOR EXECUTIVES’ FORUM

The Alverton in Truro provided an inspirational backdrop for the Senior Executives’ Forum (SEF) hosted by CCB Training lunch. SEF members and guests heard from Cornwall Care, Midas and Worldwide Financial Planning

KATHRYN HEATH (STEPHENS SCOWN), CLARE RUTT (FRIDAY GIRL), SUE HOOK (SAPIENCE HR) AND SARA PUGH (8 WIRE)

STEVE ROSEWELL (MIDAS), GARETH KENWARD (CCB TRAINING), ANNE THOMAS (CORNWALL CARE) AND SIMON FUNGE (WORLDWIDE FINANCIAL PLANNING)

MATT BARTON (CORNWALL COUNCIL), SONYA BASSETT (COODES) AND LEWIS TOLPUTT (CLASSIC BUILDERS)

ALI CARNEGIE (TOTAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS), IAN DOBLE (ROYAL CORNWALL MUSEUM), PAUL RAGLAN (MINING SEARCHES UK) AND SAM LOCKYER (CLASSIC BUILDERS)

ALLISTER YOUNG (COASTLINE HOUSING), SIMON FUNGE AND PETER MCGAHAN (WORLDWIDE FINANCIAL PLANNING)

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 47

THE LAST

WORD

DUNCAN LESLIE PKF Francis Clark partner Duncan Leslie has the first Last Word of 2019 WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? A cricket journalist.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB? Flint quarry digger driver.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX? Golf. IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE? Margaret River, Western Australia.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Joining PKF Francis Clark as a partner.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Nothing that hasn’t helped me later.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT CORNWALL? Being near extended family.

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM? Ian Hislop and Paul Merton, for the stories, gossip and laughs.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Greece.

IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? Ability to teleport. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IN LIFE? Playing rugby.

WHAT WAS YOUR LUCKIEST BREAK? At the age of 12, my future wife joined my class at school when her family moved to the area. We all have that special person out there somewhere, it was really quite fortunate that I didn’t have to look very far to find mine.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME? Anything with my family.

48 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Work Smarter Staff development has the power to boost efficiency and make your people shine. We can help you nuture your talent and make your business thrive.

Without the Skills Hub I think we would have tried to find the training that we needed but we would have fumbled in the dark. They really helped us to identify the right places to go and were essential in uncovering areas of the business which could benefit from upskilling. Steve Cox Castle Veterinary Group

Upskill your tea m and take your business to new places!

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Amanda Winwood Made for Life Organics

Tony Sampson Naked Solar

Amran and Lucy Jones The Cornish Food Box

We would have invested quite a bit of time in training but being able to instantly access courses that were readily available and suited our needs has been invaluable. Having an affiliation with the Skills Hub fast tracked us to get moving.

If I were to research all the training options myself it would have taken days, if not weeks. They quickly and expertly pointed me in the right direction which was invaluable and reduced the time pressures that had previously caused training to fall by the wayside.

The support they have provided has been invaluable. Without their input, we would still be talking about training. By investing just a few hours of our time we have saved countless others and the positive effect on staff morale has been instant.

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