Business Cornwall magazine Feb 20

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

businesscornwall.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2020 | ISSUE 137 | £3.95

IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN CONVERSATION WITH KATY BARNES OF SW1 PRODUCTIONS

FINANCE & FUNDING

ADVICE AND TIPS FOR BUSINESSES

SUN RISES ON OUTSET START-UP PROGRAMME RETURNS

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02 9 772514

842001

Your business can help save lives.

Become a Tourism Business Supporter And help save the lives of residents and visitors in Cornwall No one expects to take a flight in an air ambulance while they are on holiday.

Yet in 2019, more than 15% of airlifted patients were visitors to Cornwall.

Despite this, less than 5% of donations to the charity came from the tourism sector – with your help we can change this.

‘The team at Tregenna are extremely proud to partner and work with Cornwall Air Ambulance to raise funds for their New Heli Appeal. The charity works tirelessly to get care to the areas needed quickly and we are over the moon to help them achieve that.’ – Paul Hugill, Tregenna Castle

If you have a business in the tourism sector, we need you to become a Tourism Business Supporter to help fund these vital missions. There are many ways you can support us, so get in touch today to find out what you can do.

cornwallairambulancetrust.org/corporate Cornwall Air Ambulance | Registered charity 1133295 Trevithick Downs, Newquay TR8 4DY | 01637 889926 corporate@cornwallairambulancetrust.org | @cornwallairamb

FEBRUARY 2020

INSIDE FEATURES 12 CEO INTERVIEW WE MEET KATY BARNES, FOUNDER OF LIVE MUSIC EVENT COMPANY SW1 PRODUCTIONS

18 BUSINESS GROWTH THE FUTURE FACE OF FARMING

20 FINANCE & FUNDING FINANCING YOUR BUSINESS IN 2020

31 OUTSET CORNWALL WELCOME RETURN FOR START-UP SUPPORT PROGRAMME

ISSUE 137

REGULARS 4 INCOMING DO YOU HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY?

6 BUSINESS NEWS HELLO AMSTERDAM, GOODBYE HEATHROW

35 ON THE MOVE MOVERS & SHAKERS

36 CREATIVE & DIGITAL BLUEFRUIT OWNERSHIP

37 FSB LATEST FROM FSB

38 FOOD & DRINK NEW LOOK FOR AINSWORTH’S ROJANO’S

40 EDUCATION NEWS POLWHELE GOES SECONDARY

41 TOURISM CORNWALL BACK ON TOP

42 JUST A THOUGHT TRURO & PENWITH COLLEGE PRINCIPAL DAVID WALROND

44 CONNECTED WHAT’S GONE

47 EVENTS DIARY WHAT’S ON

48 THE LAST WORD BEN HALL OF QUICK PANDA PRODUCTIONS

39 CHAMBER NEWS CHAMBER UPDATE

FAKE NEWS: KIM AND DONALD ADDRESS BRITISH TRAVEL AWARDS SEE PAGE 41 FOR FULL STORY

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1

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

businesscornwall.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2020 | ISSUE 137 | £3.95

IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN CONVERSATION WITH KATY BARNES OF SW1 PRODUCTIONS

FINANCE & FUNDING

ADVICE AND TIPS FOR BUSINESSES

SUN RISES ON OUTSET

THE IMPORTANCE OF FLYBE

START-UP PROGRAMME RETURNS

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02 9 772514

842001

9 772514

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WELCOME

BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

FEBRUARY 2020

ISSUE 137

ON THE COVER KATY BARNES, SW1 PRODUCTIONS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk

Flying and Flybe have been dominating the local headlines in the past few weeks.

There has been much controversy over the Government stepping in to rescue the struggling regional airline.

The deferment of a tax bill is, at the moment, a short-term solution to Flybe’s woes, while the Government investigates longer-term remedies.

One possibility is the scrapping of the £26 air passenger duty (APD) that is levied on domestic UK return flights, which has added to the airline’s losses. But if the Government waives this for Flybe, it would have to do so for the rest of the airline industry or risk a barrage of law suits.

This would not go down well with environmentalists, however. APD is primarily viewed as a green tax - the polluter pays. It would also be problematic for the Government’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Hill caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research DESIGN Ade Taylor design@businesscornwall.co.uk PRINT 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

As the environment becomes an increasingly sensitive topic, domestic flying in particular is condemned in many circles, but for many of the UK regional economies, including Cornwall, it is a necessary evil and the prospect of Flybe going under would have a significant impact.

Meanwhile, news that the London link is moving back from Heathrow to Gatwick has been met with dismay from many within the business community. When the Heathrow route launched last April, linking to Europe’s busiest hub was met with much fanfare and proclamation.

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.

However, on the flip side, news of a new international route to Amsterdam should be cheered as should extra frequency to Manchester and Edinburgh becoming a yearround route. These routes are good news for Cornwall and the airport, but, of course, provisional on Flybe being around to operate them.

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THE CONVERSATION

The big question According to a new survey, only 10% of businesses in Cornwall have a social media strategy (compared to 16% nationally), with a lack of time cited as the most common reason for not using it. What are your views on using social media in your business? Is it an important part of your marketing mix to engage with your customers?

Join the conversation @biz_cornwall

/businesscornwall

businesscornwall.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL

DIVORCE: A RISKY BUSINESS? For business owners the stressful experience of divorce can be even more worrying, with concerns over what will happen to their business adding to the strain. Stephens Scown recently won Family Law Team of the Year South at the Family Law Awards and Sarah Atkinson, partner and head of the family team in Truro, discusses the issues

4 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

THE CONVERSATION

PENNY McCLYMONT Evocative Cornwall

Feedback from our customers is at the heart of all we do, and social media is a critical part of that. We do our best to plan ahead, particularly for busy times, while keeping it reasonably personal and ready to reflect what’s happening around us, so inevitably as a small business sometimes events overtake us! We love Instagram as a place to share photos, but Facebook and Twitter provide more interaction.

SUE HOOK Sapience HR

10% for a social media strategy is low but I am guessing it wouldn’t be much higher for an overall marketing strategy. I do think using ‘strategy’ is a helpful term.

If the question was around social media activity there is likely to me much more happening there. Most business have some sort of social media presence with regular activity on Facebook, Twitter etc. and there is a definite expectation for any business that the company would have a social media presence of some sort. The bit that is potentially missing is linking all activity together in a strategic and cohesive way so that all bits of the marketing plan work together.

VICKY CHURCH

integral part of my business. I think to have a successful business you must be present on social media and you need to be active and interesting! This doesn’t mean I like social media or agree with where it is taking business culture. It basically means you are accessible 24/7 and if you don’t respond quickly enough, people worry and simply try the next business.

I often find myself sat in bed replying at 11pm so I don’t miss out on business.

So, I have a love hate relationship with social media. I love that if you know what you’re doing you can reach the whole world, but I hate that it dictates to me how to do business.

JOANNA WILLIAMS NCI Technologies

Social media is an essential part of our in-house marketing strategy here at NCI Technologies. It offers us an inexpensive way of engaging with both potential and current customers, allowing us to inform them instantly on the latest IT news updates and developments.

After experimenting with various social platforms, we have found both Linkedin and Twitter have produced the most positive outcomes.

STUART BEVERIDGE Cornwall Air Ambulance

INCOMING

different platforms. While channels like Facebook and Twitter are used to strengthen and develop supporter relationships, as well as market events through paid advertising, Instagram is proving to be a fantastic way to reach a new, younger audience.

DAVID MCGUIRE

Radix Communications As a B2B writing agency, we reach our market by creating relevant content that B2B technology marketers will find useful.

It’s a really niche audience, so social media is an excellent way to help the right people see what we write. LinkedIn is particularly important for us, because when people respond to our content, we tend to reach their networks too.

PERRY HUGHES Ice Cold Gorilla

Social media plays a key part in today’s marketing mix…at the very least, it’s free!

Personally (and professionally) I believe there is a platform out there for every business type to utilise…it’s just a case of finding what works best.

ODETTE DREYER St Michaels Resort

Social media is probably 80% of my marketing proposition! I absolutely have a strategy and I see social media as an

Social media is an integral part of our communication strategy, allowing us to reach new audiences and encourage engagement with the charity across

We definitely have a social media strategy and very much rely on it to reach our customers and engage with new ones. We use Facebook and Instagram and have people that utilise these platforms as part of their jobs.

The starting point for dividing assets on

The nature of the business dictates the

Business valuations are needed but are only

divorce is generally a 50/50 division between

extent of the risk associated with its value:

ever a snapshot. Detailed evidence will be

the spouses. However, the inherently risk-

whilst a farm valuation is considered stable

needed about future plans for the business

laden nature of some business assets can

so its valuation can be taken at face value,

and whether it is likely to be sold in the near

be a reason for departing from an even split,

shares in a private company are much more

future, especially if third parties co-own the

with the spouse who continues to own the

volatile. A court recently factored that in

business. It is the nature of a business and

business after divorce retaining more than

by giving the business owner time to raise

the proportion of the total pot it represents

50% of the total pot to acknowledge the risk

funds to buy out their spouse’s share.

that will impact on the outcome.

Vfit

they take on.

Sarah Atkinson is a partner in the family team at Stephens Scown. The team has

top tier ranking in Legal 500 and Chambers UK and Sarah’s expertise is recognised with Band 1 ranking in Chambers UK. To contact Sarah, please call 01872 265100, email solicitors@stephens-scown.co.uk or visit www.stephens-scown.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

FLYBE RESCUE WELCOMED The business community has broadly welcomed the Government’s rescue package for troubled airline Flybe.

The Government has agreed to work with Flybe to figure out a repayment plan for its tax debt, while the firm’s owners have agreed to pump more money into the loss-making airline.

While the intervention has not gone down at all well with other airlines, there has been a wider recognition of the important role Flybe plays in keeping communities connected in the UK.

SPONSORED BY

focus-technology.co.uk

general Josh Hardie “In the package is an important step to review regional connectivity. This is something that the CBI is keen to support, as better transport links outside the southeast is fundamental to the Government’s ambitions to ‘levelling up’ the country’s economic performance.”

While Flybe is not the biggest airline and passenger numbers are dwarfed by the likes of Ryanair and Easyjet, it does reach many smaller airports around the regions other airlines won’t touch. For instance, around 66% of all flights in and out of Newquay are operated by Flybe.

Cornwall Chamber chief executive, Kim Conchie, said in general while he is not in favour of such Government involvement, in this instance, it was doing the right thing.

“The news about the Flybe rescue plan is welcome and will be a massive relief to all the staff who work at the company and communities who rely on the vital links Flybe provides,” said CBI deputy director

“Regional air connectivity across the UK is absolutely vital to the economic wellbeing of the nation. The Government has acknowledged that the economies of regions need rebalancing. There is no

While local businesses are relieved Flybe lives to fly another day, the news has been tempered by the scrapping of the London Heathrow link.

at Cornwall Airport Newquay from the start of the summer season.

The final Flybe flight from Cornwall Airport Newquay to Heathrow will operate on March 28, with a four-times a day service to Gatwick recommencing on March 29.

Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, Geoff Brown, said: “Following an approach from Flybe and discussions over the added benefits of the new deal to Cornwall, it has been mutually agreed to revert Newquay’s London connection from Heathrow to Gatwick.

While the end of the Heathrow link will disappoint many – it only began last April – there was good news in the announcement of up to five extra flights to Manchester a week, the Edinburgh route will operate yearround, and a brand new route – Amsterdam.

The Amsterdam link will also start on March 29 and will operate year-round.

To further improve reliability across the new routes, Flybe will be basing a second aircraft

6 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

thriving economy in the world that doesn’t have a functioning airport.

“The connectivity and confidence that the link to the world’s busiest hub airport has given Cornwall’s business community is immeasurable; and some businesses would simply not be here without an air link to London.”

He implored all those involved to come up with a long-term solution for Flybe.

“I urge the Flybe shareholders and the civil servants and politicians representing the three Government departments pertinent to this issue to work out a long-term, fair and legal solution with all haste,” he told Business Cornwall.

“Areas like Cornwall will suffer the most at a time when the new Government has said they want to raise their economies.

Successive Governments have run a twospeed UK for too long. Securing a long-term and sustainable agreement for Cornwall Airport and the business airlines servicing it, is fundamental.”

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

“There will be a new link to Amsterdam which will open up an important two-way route to that part of Europe for business and leisure travellers.

“Some will miss the current direct route into London Heathrow but I know that the reinstatement of the direct route into London

Gatwick will be popular with many travellers who have missed the connectivity it offers to some other international destinations.”

Local MP, Steve Double, said: “Whilst I am disappointed that Flybe has confirmed its decision to switch its London route from Newquay back to Gatwick, I do accept the reasons for this.

“I appreciate many will be disappointed at losing the link to Heathrow and I share their disappointment. However, the priority has to be securing the viability of the airline for the future whilst securing the best arrangements possible for Cornwall.”

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

CORNWALL

sapc.co.uk

CORNISH FIRM GOES DUTCH A Cornish business has unveiled details of a new joint venture in marine renewables.

Penryn-based HydroWing has teamed with QED Naval in Scotland to acquire Holland’s leading tidal turbine business, Tocardo.

Tocardo will continue to deliver its state-ofthe-art turbines and after-sales support, but will now also be investing in additional turbine development.

Richard Parkinson, CEO of HydroWing, explained: “This bigger, long-term, end-toend vision is quite unique in that it brings an unrivalled pool of expertise and collaboration across European tidal energy.

“The new joint venture is committed to expand and will be introducing their combined technologies in new projects starting in 2020.”

TOUR ROUTE CONFIRMED

NEWS IN BRIEF Details of a major new music event in Cornwall have been announced.

Live at Scorrier House comes from the creator of The Great Estate - Quick Panda Productions - and will take place on Saturday, August 29, featuring headline act The Libertines. Event Director, Ben Hall, said: “It has been a big ambition to host a one-day concert featuring a string of incredible live acts and a big headliner.

Scorrier House is a brilliant venue and is perfect for an event of this style.” ____________________ Falmouth University has been identified as one of the best university’s in the UK for starting and running a business.

According to research commissioned by Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance, nearly one in five (19.77%) of Falmouth University students would create a start-up or run a business, putting it second overall in the UK behind University of Arts London (19.88%). ____________________ Cornish Lithium geologist, Lucy Crane, was crowned the Rising Star in Mining at the 17th Annual Mines & Money Awards in London. ____________________

It is predicted that the race will give a massive boost to Cornwall’s economy. Independent economic reports estimate that it will generate over £3 million of extra spending within Cornwall over the stage.

The announcement of the official route for the start of the Tour of Britain bike race has been hailed a great moment for cycling and for Cornwall.

It is hoped that around 180,000 people will line the roads to watch. The event is shown live on ITV4 and Eurosport as well as being broadcast in 190 countries worldwide.

For the first time, British Cycling’s premier challenge is coming to Cornwall for what promises to be the biggest sporting event ever staged in the Duchy.

Cornwall Council’s head of economic growth, Emily Kent, said: “Hosting the Grand Depart Stage of the Tour of Britain will bring visitors into Cornwall, not only along the stage route, but across the rest of the county and it will also help to enhance our profile both at home and abroad.

The Grand Depart takes place on Sunday September 6 when 120 elite riders compete along a 170-kilometre route from Penzance to Bodmin, racing around Eden in the later stages.

“We will also work to ensure we create a long-lasting legacy from the event by raising the profile of cycling in Cornwall and motivating more people to cycle and lead healthier, more active lives.”

Acorn’s Cornwall office, Acorn Blue, will be developing the long-redundant former Fistral Bay Hotel in Pentire, Newquay. A prominent regeneration opportunity, the site which already has planning approval, will feature bespoke residential properties and a commercial unit. ____________________ Trevena Cross garden centre raised more than £10k for a number of local good causes over the run-up to Christmas.

More than 3,600 children visited the garden centre’s winter wonderland to meet Father Christmas, contributing £10,150 for The Cove Macmillan Support Centre, Cornwall Air Ambulance, and other local community causes. ____________________ Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, a new wellbeing centre dedicated to women’s health has opened in Penzance. Leif Olsen, a yoga practitioner with 20 years’ experience, launched the Garbo House project at her yoga studio on Bread Street, after witnessing first-hand the lack of support for women at key times during their lives.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 7

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

focus-technology.co.uk

SEABRIGHT LEAVES EDEN Gordon Seabright has stepped down as chief executive of Eden Project Limited.

plans, both in the UK and internationally. I

“It has been an enormous privilege to lead the Eden Project, but after five and a half years I feel the time is now right for me to pass the baton on to my successor,” he said.

of the Eden team to tackling the world’s

“We have built a resilient platform from which Eden can now deliver on its ambitious

Sanjeev Gandhi, chair of Eden Project Ltd,

am immensely proud of the commitment environmental, educational and social challenges, and I look forward to the Project’s continuing success.” added: “We thank Gordon for his consid-

erable contribution to Eden’s success over the last five and a half years. During Gordon’s time as CEO he has brought stability and financial resilience to the Eden Project.

“We have seen annual visitor numbers return to beyond the million mark, grown the Big Lunch to over six million participants annually, signed landmark agreements to drill geothermal energy wells at Eden and created a new partnership with AEG Presents to run the Eden Sessions.

“Additionally, Gordon has managed the establishment of Eden Project Learning and the acquisition of the National Wildflower Centre. Gordon has set the organisation on the path to its next stage of development.

His calm and assured leadership will be greatly missed and we wish him every success in his future endeavours. He will remain a lifelong friend of the Eden Project.”

AIRPORT MD QUITS

Al Titterington has resigned from his position as MD of Cornwall Airport Limited and will leave at the end of the month.

Titterington, who is leaving to take on a director role at Birmingham Airport, joined the airport in 2006 as operations director, before becoming MD in January 2010.

He enjoyed considerable success during his tenure at Cornwall Airport Newquay, with the airport becoming the fast growing in the UK.

ROSELAND RECOGNITION

CLIMBING TO THE TOP

A Cornish businessman has been identified on a list of 80 rural entrepreneurs to have reached annual sales of over £1 million.

Joey Foster is a former Formula 3 racing driver and started Roseland Furniture following a major injury and in six years has grown the business to a team of 30, including his brother in-law and father in-law.

“Cornwall might not strike most people as the best spot to start a national business,” he said, “but it’s easy to underestimate the power of the Internet, especially with the improving digital infrastructure.

“The goal has always been to balance a successful, high growth business with the coastal lifestyle and Amazon has helped us achieve this.”

8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

The largest climbing centre in Cornwall has officially opened its doors in Wadebridge, creating 11 new jobs.

The Tide Climbing Centre has opened on Barnfields Business Park, with 600sq m of climbable boulders and 22 rope line climbing walls.

Founded by avid climber Sam Rearden and business partner Sophie Reynard, the climbing centre will also benefit tourism in the area as one of few indoor activities in the winter months. The pair will run the

centre alongside a team of 11 staff and plans are underway to hire an additional four employees over the next 12 months as a national living wage employer.

Rearden said: “I have been a keen climber for many years, and I felt like a state-of-the-art centre was something that Cornwall was missing.

“Climbing is the fastest growing sport in England, and it will be included for the first time in the summer 2020 Olympics so there is no better time for people to give it a go.”

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CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY sapc.co.uk

MINING SEARCHES ACQUIRED Mining Searches UK is under new ownership.

The Redruth-based business, which specialises in historical mining risk, has been acquired by leading environmental search specialist, Groundsure.

Mining Searches UK MD, Paul Raglan, said: “Following our recent and successful collaborations, Mining Searches UK is thrilled to have been acquired by Groundsure.

“We have strong synergy in our outlook to business and how we look after customers and our people. We believe this will create opportunities for a wide range of new products and services bringing benefits for our existing clients as well as developing new business relationships.”

SAPC ON CHANNEL 4 St Austell Printing Company (SAPC) featured in a special documentary on Channel 4 this Christmas.

‘The Secret World of Toys at Christmas’ lifted the lid on three iconic toy, crafts and games manufacturers – including the card game Top Trumps which is manufactured in SAPC’s factory here in Cornwall.

Top Trumps owner Winning Moves shared the history of the iconic card game and revealed how its teams come up with the content and design for the packs.

The show then followed the manufacturing process of the packs and the specialist

ALLIANCE TARGETS £45BN BOOST A powerful coalition of south west businesses, education leaders and local authorities has pledged to work in partnership with Government to make the Great South West the latest growth alliance to rebalance the UK economy.

10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

machinery involved. The company produces around two million packs a year, with one pack coming off the production line every two seconds.

Beth Mayman, SAPC’s operations manager, said: “We’re very proud to work with Winning Moves to manufacture Top Trumps here in Cornwall and pleased to be given the opportunity to demonstrate our team’s contribution in creating cards for such an iconic brand.”

The one-off special also featured other famous brands such as Crayola in the USA and Steiff teddy bears in Germany.

VICKERY HOLMAN DEAL

Property consultancy, Vickery Holman, has acquired a long-established professional firm of chartered surveyors based in Exeter.

Vickery Holman, which has offices in Truro, Plymouth, Exeter and Bristol, has acquired King Wilkinson & Company following an approach by its directors.

“We are delighted that the directors at KW&C approached us about a possible acquisition,” said Vickery Holman MD, Mark Pellow.

“This is a very positive step for both of our businesses. King Wilkinson have an excellent reputation in the commercial property sector, and we feel confident that our clients across both companies will benefit from our combined services.”

The Great South West partners have published a local growth prospectus that aims to deliver £45 billion of economic benefit and 190,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.

At the heart of the growth prospectus is the ambition to make the Great South West the cleanest economy in England and the first to be net zero carbon.

The Great South West spans the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas of Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly, the Heart of the South West (which includes Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset), and Dorset.

Mark Duddridge, chair of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly LEP, commented: “The Government has committed to changing the economic geography of the UK and to putting the environment at the heart of its economic policy, and that’s a great opportunity for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Its ambition is to sit alongside the Government-backed Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and Western Gateway economic areas, and includes businesses, LEPs, universities, colleges and local government as a mechanism to attract additional investment into the area.

“And by tackling shared agendas like transport and productivity at scale, we can reap the benefits of working together for all our communities.”

BUSINESS

SHOW

Expand your network

– join us at The Place to B2B.

The excitement is growing for one of the region’s leading business trade shows next month.

Cornwall Business Show 2020 will be held at the Royal Cornwall Events Centre, Wadebridge, on Thursday March 12.

The show’s MD, Andrew Weaver, says: “We are pleased to see the regional business community pulling together to make the most of every opportunity. With more than 100 companies already booked onto the event we hope that this will encourage other businesses who are considering taking a stand to get involved and stand out from the crowd.”

Weaver adds: “To get so many people from the Cornish and wider regional business community under one roof on one day represents a remarkable opportunity for networking. There’s nothing else of this scale, and certainly not at this time of year.”

This year, up to 140 stands are available. This has increased every year since the very first Cornwall Business Show was held at Kingsley Village in 2012.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub has taken on the headline sponsorship of the event this year. Operations director Stu Anderson says: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Cornwall Business Show again this year. It’s a great way for our team to meet hundreds of new and existing local businesses and we’ll be there to talk about how we can help them find the right support and training opportunities to make their business work smarter and thrive.”

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 throughout the day will be announced closer to the time.

Cornwall Business Show, on Thursday March 12 is sponsored by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub. Its media partners are Business Cornwall Magazine. The event is also supported by JH Audio Visual.

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, wealth management, bookkeeping and accountancy, to printing and marketing merchandise, creative agencies – and many more.

The show will be a fantastic opportunity for businesses hoping to explore the business support options available to them. And with uncertainty over international markets and how that might affect the national picture, making the most of the local economy is more important than ever.

Sponsored By BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11

Katy

Barnes

You moved to Cornwall in the 90s after working in London with Arista Records.

How did that come about?

I had the connection with Cornwall through my grandparents who lived in Perranporth. I was born and grew up in London but spent most of my childhood coming here every summer. My parents retired here, so as a family there has always been that very strong pull.

I worked in A&R with Arista from around 1986 and Ioved working in the record industry.

They were exciting times but there was a shift in the early 90s and live music kind of died a death. Acid House appeared and no one went to see live gigs anymore and it became a very frustrating time. The music industry changed, there was very little artist development anymore.

So that forced me to reconsider what I wanted to do so I took some time off and came to Cornwall. And when I returned to London, I quickly realised I didn’t really want to be in London anymore.

My intention was to come to Cornwall for a couple of years and then go back again but I ended up staying!

But in its final couple of years it came to the point where people were coming to the event but didn’t necessarily know who Surfers Against Sewage were. They were just coming because they heard it was an amazing party on a cliff top. And that was disheartening, to be honest. We’d created something that turned into something that it wasn’t supposed to be and it became a distraction to the campaign and that’s why it came to a conclusion. SAS has of course continued, and are still strong today, but they are very much more campaign focused.

I worked in A&R with Arista from around 1986 and Ioved working in the record industry

When I first moved to Cornwall in 1993, after some time working in cafes and surf shops I then went to work with Surfers 12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Against Sewage and started working on the SAS Ball. ‘The Ball’ was so successful partly because there wasn’t much else like that in Cornwall at the time (pre Boardmasters/Eden etc), but mostly because the campaign was doing such incredible things.

A&R and promotion are completely different, not worlds that ever met in my London days.

I didn’t come to Cornwall thinking I’m going to be a music promoter, it just kind of happened through the SAS Ball. I started to talk to a lot of agents who were interested in the event. A couple would ask if we had any other venues in Cornwall, and that is how it started really. My colleague Susie Moore, who still works with me now, was also at SAS, and we both felt there could be something in this. So we took the decision to leave SAS and start SW1. Our first client was SAS so we had one more SAS Ball which we did with them. And we’ve just built it from there.

Cornwall must be a difficult place to run this sort of business?

It is, it has its own frustrations. But I do still spend quite a bit of time in London; the industry is largely based there, so I do regular work trips for meetings.

When we first started SW1 the name in itself was a bit of a play on words. We knew when we started if we were to phone up London-based music agents they would be a little reluctant to engage in an idea of bringing a band down to Cornwall with a company they had never heard of before. So, a little bit of a play on words to sound as if we were based in London helped. But now obviously they know we are based here and with the growth of the live/festival scene in the region, Cornwall is well established.

I assume one of the biggest challenges must be the number of suitable indoor venues?

You need a Plymouth Pavilions type venue here, but one that is adaptable. We do a range of sizes of shows, ranging from 80 people in a little bar in St Agnes to 4,000 at the Plymouth Pavilions.

When you start working with a new act, say Ben Howard, when we started working with him it was a gig with 30 or 40 people. Then we try to take them through to a 100-cap venue, then 200, 500 and the goal is to go up to the Plymouth Pavilion level.

KATY

BARNES

From the SAS Ball through to Boardmasters, SW1 Productions founder Katy Barnes has played a key role in developing the live music scene in Cornwall and the south west Katy Barnes photographs by Toby Weller

We do have a lot of great venues, The Acorn in Penzance, which is small at 200 cap but a really lovely venue. A similar size is the Old Bakery in Truro, which we have started using quite a lot; it has a great vibe, feels like you could be in some trendy east London venue.

At 600 cap the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth which we used to use a lot more than we do these days, but at the end of 2019 we did a couple of sold out shows there with Sunset Sons and Gentlemen’s Dub Club. But beyond that, there isn’t much. It feels like we are missing a 1,000 – 2,000 venue.

We work with a lot of Devon based venues as well, because we are limited in Cornwall venue wise, we needed to find venues nearby that could work for us, so we will do regular shows in The Cavern (200 cap), The Phoenix (500

cap) and the Great Hall in Exeter (1,800 cap).

The Hall for Cornwall?

Hall for Cornwall is going to be fully seated when it comes back which is not ideal for us. The type of acts we promote mostly mainstream, contemporary artists. Artists you would hear on Radio 1, Radio 6 Music, mainly for younger audiences or audiences that prefer to stand. That’s not to say there would never be any shows we could do seated in there, but it would definitely affect the amount.

How does that work? When you approach venues do you have to say who’s it for etc?

It begins either with us approaching an agent about a particular artist that we would like

to work with, who we think would go down well in Cornwall/south west or an agent approaching us. The agent would be putting together a tour for X Artist during a certain tour period and they want to include a date in the south west at a certain capacity.

We would then go the venue and ask them for their ‘avails’ within that period. We would send the dates to the agent, who would then try and ‘route’ the tour to include a date in the south west. We would then send those avails to the agent and they would try to route it with the whole tour. If there is a date that works, we then go through the ‘offer’ process and once that is agreed, the artist is guaranteed a fee for our show, and the show is then confirmed, we will then put it up on sale/ announce etc.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13

KATY

BARNES So, if sales go badly, it’s not them that loses out but you?

That’s right. Once we have agreed the artist’s guarantee, we then work out the show costs versus the ticket

income and the artist earns the greater share of the profit, with the agent taking their share from them. We do take all the risk, which is why some people say it’s a mug’s game being a promoter!

We wouldn’t put on a show with someone if we didn’t think it would do well, as a small regional promoter we need to remain calculated in our risks. Most of the artists we work with at the higher level there has already been a history. For example, we did Sam Fender recently at the Plymouth Pavilions.

The first show we did with Sam was with George Ezra, on a little pub/café circuit tour we did five years ago called ‘The Introducing Tour’. The dream for us is to work with someone from the very beginning so that we can build the fanbase in the south west and be a part of their journey.

Does an agent sometimes come to you with an artist you’re not aware of?

The ‘Introducing Tour’ was created for this very reason, for new emerging acts that wanted to tour in the south west but had no fanbase. We have had some real gems that have come through the circuit including, Sam Fender, George Ezra, Ed Sheeran, Newton Faulker, Tom Walker.

Ben Howard lived in Cornwall at the time, so that was a really wonderful journey with him, we literally met him at another one of our shows in Falmouth and he asked if we had some supports, he ended up supporting a US act, Brett Dennen and the story went from there.

When I think of what SW1 has achieved over the years I think working with Ben Howard is probably for me the very best bit and really captures the very reason behind what it is that we do. He’s an incredible artist, someone who just keeps giving us

exceptional music. I am his biggest fan, which makes it all the more rewarding. We still do these tours but there are fewer now as we struggle to find the right venues that are willing to put on an act that no one has ever heard of, but we are always looking for the next act that we can work with.

Do you sometimes go and listen to them first?

We do. We go to the Great Escape in May in Brighton, which is an absolute must forum for showcasing new talent. It used to be that we’d go there and look for acts to book for summer festivals but the booking timelines are so different now with bookings done so much earlier. We do try and get out to see gigs when we can, but we really have to rely on agents to bring us new acts, which goes back to showing how important these relationships are – we didn’t see Ed Sheeran before we booked him, and that turned out ok!

The Great Escape…not to be confused with the Great Estate in Scorrier?

It happens all the time! The Great Estate is a brilliant Cornish festival, but totally different…

Have you seen some people who you thought were going to be great, but it just didn’t happen?

Unfortunately, yes, there are a lot of examples of that, too many. To understand why is not easy, I think Radio 1 play a massive part, if you don’t get on Radio 1, then it’s a huge challenge.

I don’t know how it works now, but back in my day at Arista there used to be a plugger whose only job was to take copies of 7 inch singles into radio stations and get them played!

Much has changed I assume?

In my time at Arista in the A&R department, we would go to loads of gigs/showcases each week and sign an artist for a much longer deal than I think happens nowadays.

We wouldn’t even be thinking about actual releases until perhaps a year down the line.

So much time would be spent in the album process, we’d be putting them in studios, working with different producers, they’d go into residential studios which would cost an absolute fortune for months at a time.

Now artists can make music in their bedrooms! That’s great, I’m all for that, but it has changed the way the industry works.

When I worked in the 80s and early 90s you developed artists and got them in a very raw state and worked with them. Now when you get signed, it seems to me you almost have to have your fan base ready-made and career ready to go.

14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

KATY Moving onto the Boardmasters festival, how did you first become involved with that?

at least one local act opening our main stage, which has become a very prestigious slot.

While at SAS, I worked with James Hendy who went on to work with Rip Curl UK. Ripcurl were the title sponsors for Boardmasters, which at that time was just a surf competition, there was no live music element to it.

When does the process for booking start?

The people that were producing Boardmasters, Vision Nine, wanted to do a music festival alongside the Surf comp, so James introduced us to them and we’ve worked together ever since.

Now we have 10+ stages and over 400 acts and a 50,000 capacity

In 2005, the organisers rented some land, where we are now at Watergate Bay, and put on a 5,000 capacity music festival.

I think it was two days back then, just the Friday and Saturday. We had Razorlight and James Blunt booked with surfer/musician legend Donavon Frankenreiter and it went really well. We had just one stage back then, something like 20 acts. Now we have 10+ stages and over 400 acts and a 50,000 capacity.

I assume it’s easier attracting the acts now?

There are a lot of bands who want to play Boardmasters. But, again this is where the agent relationship comes in, we work very closely with them to programme the right acts. We also have over 50 local acts each year, it’s very important to us that the local scene is represented, most years we will have

Boardmasters photo

by Lee Kirby

A lot earlier than people probably think. We are already programming for 2021. The timelines for the whole process have changed because there are so many festivals now in the UK, something like 800, maybe more. There are a lot of festivals but only a small pool of headliners, key acts, so we’re all fighting to get the strongest names we can get. As we’ve got bigger, the amount of acts that can headline a festival of our size gets smaller.

It must be great fun sorting out who’s going to play?

It really is, it can be stressful as you feel overwhelmed with submissions some days, and we don’t like letting people down when we know how keen they are to play the festival. The enjoyment can often come from programming the smaller stages, one of my favourite days in the office is listening to my colleague Liam programming the Keg and Pasty, that’s our Cornish pub at Boardmasters. They basically build a facade of a pub and inside you could be in any pub in Cornwall and there’s a little stage in the corner. That can range from a Burlesque performer to an 80s rapper or a comedian Kernow King has been there many times, it’s

BARNES

good fun. It allows us to me much more creative beyond what is in the mainstream.

As well as programming the main stage I programme the View Stage which is there for emerging acts, a bit like our Introducing tours. I love listening to all those submissions.

When I started programming I was drawn to what some people call ‘surf music’, Xavier Rudd, Donavon Frankenreiter, Jack Johnson etc, it was a whole new world to me and my love of that continues.

Vision Nine, who produce the festival and employ SW1, have a music division within their base in London. We present to them options we feel would work and have lots of meetings and phone calls with their music director to get the shape into the line- up. The key areas being the headliners, penultimate slots, once they are in place we work on programming the remaining slots to give a broad line up that appeals to a young and older audience. Our aim is to balance our line ups so there is someone for everyone but the core Boardmasters audience does tend to be young and so the mainstream contemporary acts are a hugely important element.

SW1 also deliver the artist liaison side for the festival, which is basically once the artist is confirmed we advance what is needed for their performance and run the backstage areas at the festival. It’s a huge part of what we do and means we are involved in the process from the start to the end.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 15

KATY

BARNES

Can some demands be a little prima donna-ish?

We haven’t had much of that. It’s the way you approach it. I’m quite OCD and I don’t like surprises, so I like to go through everything with a fine toothcomb!

The higher up the bill you go there will be more needs to be met, but it’s a very professionally run side of the business as touring/festivals have become so important. So each band of a certain level will have a tour manager who we liaise with.

The smaller and local bands we walk them through the process, it’s basically very admin heavy but it runs very well.

Last year must have been an absolute nightmare having to cancel at the last moment. How does it work, because the bands still want to be paid?

Is it insured?

An absolute nightmare. The acts are still paid and we can’t 16 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

put on a festival of this size without having insurance.

That must be expensive!

It’s not something I deal with, that’s for the promoter, but yes it would have cost a lot, but because it was insured it means the festival has a future. We insure all the shows we do down here, even if it’s a small 200/300 cap show. If something happens like the band doesn’t turn up because the bus has broken down, or they are ill, then we have to refund the ticket buyers and still pay out on some of the show costs. So, we have to insure against that happening, so it is common practice within the music industry.

It’s not only about the music, it’s the whole experience

This wasn’t the first time the weather forced a cancellation was it?

We had to cancel one of the days in 2014 because of Hurricane Bertha. But this was the first time the whole festival had to be cancelled.

Boardmasters starts on the Wednesday, the decision was made on Tuesday evening due to the changing weather reports, unfortunately, that was how it was.

We/the promoters have taken a lot of criticism from people who feel it was the wrong decision to make, but we are 100% behind the decision that was made. It was not taken lightly, it was excruciating to do it. It was our best year for sales, the site looked incredible.

I don’t want to have to justify the decision that was made, the music industry and local authorities were 100% behind us and the majority of ticket holders, but there were some people who thought they knew better and the fact is they did not. When they hold an event the size of Boardmasters and are responsible for the welfare and safety of 50,000 people, let them then tell us it was the wrong thing to do…you can probably sense my frustration at this question!

Perched on the cliffs above Watergate Bay, there must always be a risk with the weather?

Sure, but Boardmasters wouldn’t be Boardmasters if we moved it off that site. We were very unlucky with the weather, and there is a chance it could happen again of course, look at what’s happening to our weather patterns everywhere. But we are going ahead with the hope that we will not have any weather issues. If we do, then we obviously have to reassess the situation for future years.

We are really positive about this year, the lineup is amazing, our biggest ever! It’s the 40th year anniversary of Boardmasters the surf comp, so that gives us another reason to be positive and excited about this year.

KATY

BARNES

Boardmasters photo by Sam Neill

Weather aside, Cornwall is a wonderful county to have festivals It absolutely is. The Great Estate at Scorrier House is such a wonderful new festival, very family-orientated and a real gem down here now. I don’t go to many festivals to be honest, but I do go to that one. It’s a lovely size; it’s not all about the music, it’s the atmosphere.

Then you have other festivals like The Masked Ball, which is very much a festival for people who like dance music. There’s Leopallooza up in Bude. They’ve been challenged by the weather as well, but they deliver solid line-ups. You’ve got Eden doing their thing and that’s become a staple of the Cornish live music scene. If that was the final Port Eliot festival last year, that would be sad because that was a really lovely festival.

There are so many festivals now, and all bring something unique, to use this beautiful county to host festivals, or gigs big or small seems like the perfect way to show it off to everyone else who doesn’t live here.

All the festivals are vital to the local economy, Boardmasters like I say is only one of a number of festivals in Cornwall but I believe it generates the most for the local economy, something like £48 million a year, which is pretty staggering.

Why are festivals so popular at the moment?

As I have said before it’s a very lucrative part of the industry, it’s big business and because

of this the festival organisers are being much more creative with what they offer, it’s not only about the music, it’s the whole experience.

Do they all owe a debt of thanks to Glastonbury?

Definitely. To me Glastonbury is the pinnacle of festivals in the world. It’s an incredible festival - I don’t get to go much these days as it’s so busy around that time but when you look at that Stormzy headline performance they produced last year, you realise how they are at the very top of the game and that other festivals must be inspired by that.

So, what is the future for SW1?

I want to continue to grow our regional shows, to uncover more venues and work with more emerging artists. 2020 looks like being one of our busiest years for programming as we have taken on a new festival, so we are now programming three UK festivals, Boardmasters, Nass and Scorrier House Presents, a new one-day music event in August).

The autumn looks like being very busy with some announcements coming soon of some big names coming to the south west.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 17

GROWTH

PROGRAMME

ERDF GRANT ACCELERATES PIONEERING AGRI-TECH SECTOR

50 businesses and developing proposals with over 20 more.

From forest to field and from moor to shore – that’s the far-reaching scope of an initiative accelerating agri-tech research, development and innovation across the south west.

The themes cluster around such important topics as dairy cattle health and welfare; maximising soil, water and nutrient use efficiency; speciality crop production; and using technology to drive productivity.

The £11.8 million Agri-tech Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Project (ACP) is a unique programme which runs to June 2021, designed to fast track the creation of new products, processes and services in the agri-tech sector.

Harnessing such varied disciplines as science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine, it’s working across areas as diverse as robotics, software, big data, genetic screening, nutrition and disease control.

Specific activities range from building robots to help with harvesting vegetables and creating an app offering farmers advice on making the most of their manure to developing ‘Future Farm’, a research platform for a healthy, green ‘hoof print’ approach to dairying Supported by Cornwall College, Cornwall Development Company, the universities of Exeter and Plymouth and Rothamsted Research – and with match-funding from Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly – ACP is already partnering with over

Backed by an £8.9 million ERDF grant, it offers free participation in larger research, development and innovation projects; innovation grants from £2.5k to £25k for smaller initiatives (including feasibility studies, consultancy costs and equipment purchases); plus salary subsidies for some graduate placements.

“It’s a hugely broad spectrum driving efficiency, profitability and resilience in the agricultural sector, plus helping it enhance and protect the natural environment,” says ACP director Robin Jackson of Duchy College’s Rural Business School.

“We’re already backing a range of exciting work that could change the way we farm in the south west and potentially have national or even global benefits – helping farmers use phosphorus fertiliser in a more profitable and

environmentally friendly way, harvesting sea and coastal plants, and ‘making’ soil, to name just three,” says Robin.

“ACP is utilising the pioneering thinking of the region’s scientists, academics, business community and rural entrepreneurs, kickstarting new ventures and supply chains, the legacy of which will bring economic and social benefits long into the future,” he says.

“The initiative is set to bring a real boost to the individuals and families who live and work in the south west by boosting productivity, growth and employment, while helping the region – and the UK more generally – become a global leader in agricultural technology and sustainability.

“In addition to playing its part in feeding the world’s growing population in a sustainable way, the initiative will help cement the reputation of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as places where cutting-edge technology is put to use in a host of real-world applications in the agricultural, horticultural and food sectors.”

The project is still on the lookout for more proposals to support, with ambitious small

Future face of

farming

18 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

GROWTH

PROGRAMME

and medium-sized businesses in the land-based sector, along with the ancillary industries, food firms, educational establishments and research centres all potentially eligible for research and financial support and help recruiting new research talent into their businesses.

“The proposal does not have to be directly targeted at farmers – it can add value to farm suppliers or consultants, processors, distributors and even retailers and consumers, so long as the innovation helps in sustainable production and getting produce to market.

“This fund is a once-in-alifetime opportunity for applicants – and we look forward to hearing from them.”

For more information about ACP’s work and how you might be able to benefit, see agritechcornwall.co.uk

PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH THE ‘GUMMIARM’ ROBOT, PART OF THE AUTOMATED BRASSICA HARVEST IN CORNWALL PROJECT

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 19

FINANCE

& FUNDING

To introduce this month’s finance and funding focus, we take a look at the business landscape with market research company, PFA Research. Through the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, we examine Cornwall business activity, size and location in the local and national context

State of the

nation

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on UK Business activity, size and location annually. As of March 2019, there were 2,718,435 businesses registered in the UK for VAT and/or PAYE (Pay As You Earn), a rise of 1.84% from the 2,669,440 businesses registered in March 2018, and a larger increase than the 0.02% rise from 2017-2018.

Following steady increases in the number of VAT and/or PAYE businesses between 2015 and 2018 across all regions, the South West saw the total number of businesses increasing by 2,680 in the year 2018-19. Since 2015 the South West has grown just 6.2% in terms of number of businesses, the second least of all the English regions. By comparison, London which has the largest number of VAT and/or

PAYE-based businesses of all UK regions, has grown the most, by 17.4%, followed by the North West on 13.1%.

Greatest rates of growth in the year 20182019 are currently being seen in London (3.17%), the East (2.96%), and the South East (2.57%), which is completely different from the 2017-2018 year where the greatest rates of growth were seen in Northern Ireland, the North West, and Wales.

The number of Cornwall & Isles of Scilly VAT/PAYE businesses has risen by 5.65% since 2015, now ranked eighth of the South West counties and unitary authorities compared to tenth in 2015-18. A growth of 450 (1.88%) for the most recent year 201819 puts it fourth in the South West region, only behind Bournemouth (3.04%), Poole (2.49%), and Bath and North East Somerset (2.43%), going up from fifth in 2017-18.

20 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

FINANCE &

FUNDING

FINDING THE RIGHT FINANCE Paul Caunter is MD at Ignition, a leading UK provider of vehicle and asset finance for SMEs, based in Truro. He explains how the right finance can help businesses achieve their goals: Most SMEs reach a point where they could do with some extra funds, whether to kick-start a new venture, to help with growth and expansion, to explore new opportunities, or to navigate through lean periods when the going gets tough.

Asset finance is a sensible solution for acquiring new vehicles or equipment.

Whilst Hire Purchase plans provide immediate use of new equipment, spreading payment over a number of months, Finance Lease plans offer a rental solution, whereby the equipment is rented over an agreed period of time.

However, there are many other financial solutions available to SMEs wanting to boost funds.

Refinancing is a means of selling existing valuable equipment for a lump sum and buying it back over an agreed period to meet your budget, whilst retaining use of it throughout.

Invoice Financing releases capital tied up in outstanding invoices, helping to improve cash flow.

Commercial loans are available for a host of business needs, such as launching a marketing campaign or refurbishing premises.

BUSINESS TYPE - LEGAL STATUS UK wide, the number of companies and public corporations continues to rise and now represents 72.5% of total businesses (increased from 71.4% for 2017-18). The number of sole proprietors and partnerships continues to decline and now represents 16.3% of total businesses, down from the 24.8% in 2018.

In the South West, companies make up a smaller proportion of businesses, at 64.1% (a slight increase from 63.1% in 2018) and sole proprietors and partnerships make up a correspondingly higher proportion, at 31.7% (decreased from 32.7% in 2018 and 33.1% for 2017). Non-profit bodies or mutual associations still make up 3.5% of businesses in the South West which remains broadly in line with the UK average at 3.2%.

Industry sectors In 2019, agriculture, forestry & fishing

remains the largest industry group in Cornwall and Scilly with 15.4% of all registered businesses. Construction (12.4%)

is still next largest, followed by retail (10.5%), and accommodation & food services (10.3%).

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 21

FINANCE

& FUNDING

There is still no conclusive evidence to suggest that Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has a significantly higher proportion of micro entities than the UK as a whole

has a significantly higher proportion of micro entities than the UK as a whole: • 88.4% of VAT/PAYE registered businesses in Cornwall & Scilly have a turnover less than £500,000 compared to 83.6% in the UK as a whole • 88.4% have less than ten employees, more than one percentage point below the UK average of 89.5%

Business Size The ONS 2019 data shows that Cornwall & Isles of Scilly still has a higher proportion of businesses in the lowest turnover band (less than £50k), with 18.3% compared to the UK average of 15.6%.

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly also has fewer of the larger businesses with a turnover of £1 million and over – 7% (marginally up from 6.8%) compared to 9.3% (up from 9.1%) across the UK as a whole.

22 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

In terms of employment size, the 2019 statistics are similar to previous years; Cornwall & Scilly is still representative of the UK average, except: • It has a lower proportion of businesses with four or less employees (74.8% compared to the UK average of 78.2%), and • It has a greater proportion of businesses with 5-9 employees than the UK average (13.6% compared to 11.3%).

Also, there is still no conclusive evidence to suggest that Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Business dynamics by Parliamentary Constituency area North Cornwall, the largest area geographically, still has the greatest number of VAT/PAYE registered businesses with 5,185 in total (up from 5,075). Truro and Falmouth come next with 4,680 businesses and it is still the area showing the largest growth with 3% more enterprises than 2018 (up from 4,545). St Austell & Newquay has 3,865 registered businesses (up from 3,765) followed by St Ives with 3,840 (slightly up from 3,830), South East Cornwall has 3,835 registered businesses (up from 3,820) and Camborne & Redruth has the fewest businesses, with 3,045 but an increase from the 2,965 in 2018.

FINANCE &

BY INDUSTRY: • Agriculture, forestry & fishing is still the largest industry overall in Cornwall with 4,295 businesses, a slight increase from 4,280 in 2018. Construction is the second largest with 3,475 businesses (up from 3,280 in 2018) and third is the professional, scientific & technical industry with 2,485 businesses (up from 2,415 in 2018).

• North Cornwall is in the lead when it comes to agricultural businesses with 26% of its total 5,185 businesses operating in the industries of agriculture, forestry & fishing; and 31.4% of all Cornwall’s agriculture businesses are in North Cornwall. South East Cornwall comes second with 21% of businesses operating in the agricultural industry. Truro & Falmouth has the least with just 11.2%.

• St Austell & Newquay and Camborne & Redruth equally have the greatest proportion of construction sector businesses, with 17.2% of all their businesses operating in the industry.

the least number of businesses, has the highest proportion of businesses employing over ten people (13.3%).

• Truro & Falmouth has the greatest proportion of professional, scientific & technical businesses which, with 14.3%, is also the biggest industry overall for the area followed by construction (13%).

It is also the area with the highest proportion of businesses turning over £1 million or more (8.2%).

In terms of business size, about three quarters (74.8%) of businesses in Cornwall have less than five employees. Businesses with 5-9 employees represent the second largest group with 13.6% across Cornwall.

North Cornwall has the highest proportion of businesses (20.6%) within the lowest turnover band of less than £50k.

Camborne and Redruth, as the area with

FUNDING

In terms of absolute numbers however, Truro & Falmouth has the greatest number of businesses with ten or more employees (585), followed by North Cornwall (525).

Similarly, Truro & Falmouth has the greatest absolute number of businesses turning over £1 million or more (350) followed by North Cornwall (330).

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 23

FINANCE

& FUNDING

THE TIME IS NOW Don’t allow uncertainty to stop you from making plans and taking action, says Folk2Folk MD Roy Warren

Are you waiting for the right time to grow your business?

Were you waiting for the election to be done and dusted? Then, thought you’d wait until after Christmas? And now you’re just waiting to see what happens with Brexit?

If that sounds like you, we don’t blame you for being cautious - being measured and assessing the lay of the land is an admirable and prudent approach in

business.

But, be honest, are you really being prudent or are you just procrastinating?

Could it be that these are simply convenient excuses to delay taking that next step in your business?

In times of uncertainty, opportunity may be found. By hanging back and waiting to see how the chips fall, you may actually miss out on seizing a competitive advantage or getting a step ahead.

Now is the time to reflect on what you want from your business in the decade ahead.

What you want it to be and what it could achieve if you invested in its growth and development or perhaps diversified.

Don’t allow uncertainty to stop you from making plans and taking action. Whatever your sector, we can help you fund the next step in your business. We’re a Cornish born, bred and based business and exist to support local businesses, like yours, to take that next step in their journey by providing the funding they need to grow.

Over seven years, we’ve injected more than £336 million into local businesses, many within Cornwall. We lend from £50k and recently funded a £10 million loan.

All loans must be secured against land or property (but not your home).

If you’re ready to take that first step of investing in your business, call us today: 01566 773296.

IMPACT OF TAX ON COMPANY FUNDING Steve Maggs, is RRL’s tax partner and a chartered tax adviser, here are some of his key tax issues to consider when financing a company the withholding tax requirements for the company been considered?

Type of finance

• Income tax share loss relief

The first question to be asked is “what form should the finance take?” – Acquisition of shares or by way of a loan?

• Enterprise investment scheme tax reliefs

Funding from existing shareholders and/ or employees

Business Investors

With offices based in Truro and in Penzance, RRL are the only firm of chartered accountants and chartered tax advisors to offer exceptional expert tax advice.

Many of these tax reliefs can also be a significant incentive to attract investors or new shareholders. Understanding the relevant tax reliefs available and the impact they can have on your business is crucial when looking to attract serious investors who can help to finance your business.

As an independent Cornish firm, RRL understand what it is like to grow a business in Cornwall. RRL’s services range from high-level tax advisory, business accounts and business consultancy, through to audit, estate planning and probate.

With small to medium businesses, shareholders (or potential shareholders) are often employees (including directors).

There are complex rules regarding employee share acquisitions, which could result in unexpected income tax charges. However, employee share ownership can have huge commercial benefits through incentivising key elements of a workforce tax efficiently.

If existing shareholders are injecting funds by subscription for further share capital, tax reliefs to consider include: • Capital gains investors’ relief • Capital gains entrepreneurs’ relief 24 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

• Seed enterprise investment scheme reliefs • Inheritance tax business relief

Business loans When financing the business by way of a loan, has tax been considered? If interest is being incurred on a loan, has income tax relief for this cost been considered? From a practical perspective, will the loan be secured? What will the repayment terms be? Will it be interest bearing? If so, has

For more information, or to arrange a no-obligation free initial metting, visit www.rrlcornwall.co.uk or call 01872 276116 or 01736 339322

FINANCE &

FUNDING

A BIG OPPORTUNITY £3.1 million grant funding to boost small business productivity in Cornwall A new £3.1 million grant fund has been launched to help small and medium sized businesses in Cornwall to boost their productivity and grow.

BIG (Business Investment for Growth) Productivity offers grants from £2.5k up to £150k to qualifying businesses and can meet up to 45% of project costs for small businesses, and up to 35% for mediumsized businesses.

The fund aims to support 175 local businesses and create 175 jobs over the next two and a half years. It is part of a wider drive to highlight productivity as a key issue in Cornwall and promote the opportunities for local businesses looking to invest in improving their efficiency.

BIG Productivity’s programme manager, Anna Staevska, says: “Higher productivity means a business produces more output for each worker it employs, and that can lead to higher profits, better wages and more economic prosperity overall.

“We want businesses to look closely at what they do and how, with support, they can be more efficient. We’re a friendly and approachable fund and our aim is to make the application process as simple as possible and not a bureaucratic burden for busy business owners.

“So, if you’ve got an idea to boost the productivity of your business then come and talk to us about how the BIG Productivity fund might help.”

ST DAY-BASED LASER CUTTING AND METAL BENDING BUSINESS LASERMASTER SECURED PREVIOUS BIG INVESTMENT FUND SUPPORT TO HELP PURCHASE STATE-OF-THE-ART MACHINERY TO MEET GROWING DEMAND. Cornwall Development Company.

Previous rounds of the BIG fund have created over 700 jobs in Cornish businesses since 2012 and leveraged millions of pounds of private investment.

BIG Productivity grant funding can be used towards nearly all types of expenditure (except business as usual activities or salaries), providing it supports the company’s growth and improves productivity. An applicant must be able to cash flow the project before the grant can be paid.

Previous rounds of the BIG fund have created over 700 jobs in Cornish businesses since 2012 and leveraged millions of pounds of private investment

BIG Productivity is the third round of BIG funding in Cornwall. It is supported by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme and is delivered by

Examples of projects for funding could be capital investment in new premises, relocation costs, refurbishment and fitting out of premises, machinery and equipment to improve efficiency, new IT systems, or developing an e-commerce platform to access new markets. Projects will be accepted from start-ups/ early stage businesses and social enterprises in addition to more established businesses.

The fund’s emphasis on a more focused investment approach aims to improve the level of productivity in the

supported enterprises and reduce future subsidy dependence among the local business community.

BIG Productivity will also be offering 30 non-financial advisory support opportunities to businesses where advice on how to access new markets, identify new product developments and improve their processes will achieve a step change in their productivity and growth. This part of the project is expected to be launched in the Spring.

According to the Office of National Statistics, Cornwall’s productivity is the lowest in the UK, at 32% below the UK average. The BIG Productivity fund is part of a suite of EU-funded projects in Cornwall that have been co-designed to address this productivity gap.

Applications for funding to BIG Productivity will be invited via a website that will go live in the next few weeks at www.businessinvestmentforgrowth.co.uk In the meantime businesses can ask for more information and register their interest now by e-mailing BIGTeam@ cornwalldevelopmentcompany.co.uk or follow the fund on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for latest updates.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 25

FINANCE

& FUNDING

FINANCING YOUR BUSINESS Whether you are starting up, looking to move premises, expand or diversify, your first question is likely to be around how you finance your activity. Members of the business services team at Coodes Solicitors share their insights on the issue WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

SONYA BASSETT “There is no doubt about it - the finance landscape is changing and, while the banks are still lending, many of our business clients are looking at alternative sources of funding,” says partner and head of business services Helen Willett.

“The most appropriate source of funding depends on what stage the business is at.

The high street banks look for security and business experience, so if your business is in its early years, or if you are diversifying into a new area, you may need to consider other funding options.”

THE BIG BANKS Since the last recession, reports suggest that businesses, and SMEs in particular, are no longer relying solely on banks for finance. However, the team at Coodes says many of its clients still secure funding from these lenders.

Partner and head of corporate and commercial, Sonya Bassett, says: “The banks are still lending but are looking for strong security including personal guarantees.

The best alternative source of funding is likely to depend on what stage your business is at and the sector you are in.

Pam Johns says: “Many of our farming and rural business clients look to peer-to-peer lenders, such as Folk2Folk, who will often step in when the banks can’t help. This is especially useful for diversification. Others look to specialist lenders, such as AMC, as they offer a fixed rate over the life of the loan, compared to banks who generally review terms every few years.”

Head of commercial property, Jo Morgan, says that many of her property developer clients are still successfully securing funding through the banks: “They may not be as flexible as other lenders though, which is why many of our clients look to private funding where available, as there is more scope for re-negotiating terms and interest as the development progresses.”

Helen Willett emphasises the importance of adapting to your changing needs, when it comes to finance. “Some businesses get their development funded by a niche funder, then go back to a high street bank to benefit from better rates when they have completed and let the project. Having a trusted advisor is crucial to ensure you make the right decision for your business.”

Other businesses may seek investment from outside of Cornwall and even overseas. “We have handled some large acquisitions over the last few months involving overseas corporates investing in companies here,” says Sonya Bassett.

THE LANDSCAPE IN CORNWALL Cornwall has a number of business support organisations to help SMEs looking for funding. “Increasingly, we are working with third party funders, such as ATI, Access to Finance and the Cornwall Development Company,” says Sonya Bassett.

“They are funding expert fees for clients to assist them to grow and seek investors and paying legal fees in some cases.”

Having good advisors when you apply for funding is crucial

“The big banks still have an appetite to lend to good businesses, and we continue to deal with the likes of HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest particularly for re-financing,” adds partner and rural services team leader Pam Johns.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A TRUSTED ADVISOR

The region benefits from a range of grants, available through the EU, and specific funds, such as the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund, which provides loans and equity funding to businesses that are looking to grow.

“Many businesses in Cornwall believe that grant funding is declining,” says Sonya Bassett, “but there are some large new funds, including CLLD and BIG3, being launched in 2020, while the RDPE Growth Programme is open for expressions of interest until February 16. These funds are primarily for capital spend and revenue projects. They all have specific criteria, so businesses should seek advice to see if they are eligible.”

JO MORGAN Jo Morgan explains why this is important if you are investing in commercial property: “Coodes is on the majority of banks’ lending panels, and in many cases, is the only law firm in Cornwall on the panel of niche and specialist banks and building societies.

“Having good advisors when you apply for funding is crucial,” adds Pam Johns, “to ensure you have the necessary evidence, such as cash flow projections and business plans, to support your case.”

The team at Coodes says the range of options available means that many clients are securing the finance they need. “This is a difficult time, but most of our clients are managing to finance their activity because there are so many options,” explains Sonya Bassett.

Helen Willett adds: “Here in Cornwall, there is very good relationship between business advisors and the lenders, which is helpful to anyone doing business here.”

For advice from a member of Coodes Solicitors’ Business Services team, please call 0800 328 3282 or visit www.coodes.co.uk 26 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

FINANCE &

FUNDING

2020 VISION FOR FINANCE IN CORNWALL

By Andrew James, business services assistant manager at PKF Francis Clark market” portals increase in prominence and accountants being referred to as the people to speak to in the first instance!

4 A FIGHT STARTS FOR CORNWALL TO SHARE IN UK SHARED PROSPERITY FUND?

It is the time of year I pause to think about the shape of funding for businesses in Cornwall for the year ahead – in part to plan for the annual Finance in Cornwall event.

After much musing, I set out four themes for 2020: 1 GRANTS TO THE FORE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR As most readers will no doubt be aware, 2020 has started with two familiar grant schemes – Business Investment for Growth and RDPE Growth Programme – being open. As a gauge of the level of interest in grant funding amongst the Cornish business community, our breakfast briefings on each of the two aforementioned schemes were so popular we had to move the events to a venue with greater capacity. I anticipate other grant schemes being launched in the next six months as delegated schemes administer the last elements of the EU monies allocated to Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

2 EQUITY ON THE RISE I know my colleagues have commented for about a decade that the conditions are right for equity funding to be more prevalent in SMEs in Cornwall. Adding to the mix of favourable conditions on the supply and demand side in 2020 is

the increased awareness of and sharing of intellectual capital by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF).

I am aware that personnel from FSE, the administrators of CIOSIF are planning to engage in even more business facing events in 2020, some of which we will be involved with. This coupled with the continuing activities of Chamber Innovation Investment Network should stimulate thought of and confidence in equity funding – it will be interesting to see what role the British Business Bank plans here, as I understand one of their key objectives is to increase demand for equity in SMEs.

3 MORE DEBT FOR SMES FROM MORE OF LESS DEBT PROVIDERS?

The UK Government’s much heralded replacement for EU funding, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, was launched last year, but based on commentary at the time, there was little in terms of detail.

My concern is that Cornwall & Isles of Scilly miss out on a “fair share” of this funding due to the political landscape – and this fear has to a degree been supported by comments that monies are being earmarked for the “north”.

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership therefore has a real battle on its hands and key will be its Local Industrial Strategy and, maybe increasingly, a coordinated approach with other South West LEPs to match the bargaining power of the “Northern Powerhouse”.

As I said at outset, I am at the planning stage of our annual ‘Finance in Cornwall’ 2020 event which will be taking place on 12 May 2020 at Newquay Cinema.

More details of this event will be available in due course, as will more details on a week of supplementary finance related events…

I am not intelligent enough to second guess how the debt market will evolve over the course of 2020, but based on recent history, we may see more entrants into the alternative lenders; increasing specialism from existing alternative lenders and continued evolution from the high street banks in response. It will be interesting to see how a lower bank base rate, as proposed by exiting Governor of Bank of England will influence availability and/ or demand for debt. Given the breath of debt funding potentially available to SMEs, it may not be surprising to see “compare the

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FINANCE &

FUNDING

FUNDING TO BANK UPON The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) has established itself as a firm fixture in the local funding landscape since going live in 2018 In that time the fund has supported 15 local businesses with £3.65 million of investment, attracting a further £2.4m million of private sector investment, and celebrated its first anniversary at an event last October.

The fund, which is managed by The FSE group alongside a partnership with SWIG Finance, who support the smaller business loans element of CIOSIF, has backed a wide range of sectors, from digital technology and communications to boatbuilding, manufacturing and events.

CIOSIF’s first investment was a £750k equity deal with Wildanet, an independent superfast Internet provider, which will create around 40 jobs over three years.

The most recently announced deal was a £750k equity investment in Truro-based Clinical Design Technologies as part of £1.57 million package. The business has pioneered a new way for healthcare professionals to carry out urine testing.

The funding will support rollout of the product and allow the business to take on six new staff initially, with further hires planned.

PHOTO LEFT TO RIGHT: RALPH SINGLETON (HEAD OF FUNDS CORNWALL FOR FSE GROUP); SARAH NEWBOULD (SENIOR INVESTMENT MANAGER, BRITISH BUSINESS BANK); KEN COOPER, MD, VENTURE SOLUTIONS, BRITISH BUSINESS BANK); PROFESSOR ANNE CARLISLE OBE (VICE-CHANCELLOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY), AND JOHN ACORNLEY (LEP BOARD MEMBER AND CHAIR OF THE CIOSIF ADVISORY BOARD) CELEBRATING THE FUND’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY IN TRURO IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR Ken Cooper, MD, Venture Solutions, at the British Business Bank, said: “Helping to create a more diverse finance market and addressing regional imbalances is a key objective of the British Business Bank and we’re delighted to see such a diverse range of businesses taking advantage of the availability of this investment in the first year of the fund.

“These investments also show that the fund can unlock other sources of finance to support growth, and it’s important that businesses are aware that there are more funding options available than traditional bank lending.”

It’s great to see local businesses benefitting from the fund, growing and creating jobs

The £40 million Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) was launched by the British Business Bank last year in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the European Regional Development Fund and UK Government to provide local businesses with more funding options to help them grow and create jobs.

LEP non-executive director John Acornley, who chairs the CIOSIF Advisory Board, said: “The LEP worked hard with its partners to get this fund over the line because there was an identified gap in debt and equity finance in our region. It’s great to see local businesses benefitting from the fund, growing and creating jobs.”

For Ian Calvert, CEO and founder of Wildanet, the CIOSIF equity deal has enabled rapid growth of the start-up business which will shortly locate to Liskeard and aims to employ 50 staff by

the end of 2021: “Without the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund we wouldn’t be here. They understood what a young start-up company needed and that for us was really refreshing, talking to very experienced people. I can highly recommend them – it’s a unique asset for Cornwall, it really is.”

Oliver Blackwell, clinical design founder and CEO, said: “Securing funding at such a pivotal point can be tricky for early-stage med-tech companies like ours. We’re delighted to receive this backing which will be used to continue our UK rollout alongside entering overseas markets in Europe and preparing for expansion into the US in 2020.”

The CIOSIF provides commercial debt and equity finance from £25k to £2 million to help growing small businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. CIOSIF is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

For more information about the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund including how to apply, please visit www.ciosif.co.uk or follow the fund on Twitter at @CIOSIFBBB2

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 29

FINANCE

& FUNDING

RAISING FINANCE THROUGH CAPITALISE With economic and transformational digital changes, many businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to secure finance through traditional borrowing methods, says Bishop Fleming senior restructuring manager Luke Venner At Bishop Fleming, a UK Top 30 chartered accountancy and advisory firm, we have recently partnered with Capitalise, a business funding platform, to help plug this finance gap by providing access to over 100 different lenders. We have direct access to the wider funding market, helping them to source and secure the best lenders and the best rates for our clients.

Typically, 80% of businesses only apply to one lender to raise finance, resulting in them missing out on alternative funding products, which are often cheaper

and better suited to their business.

Bishop Fleming’s specialist Capitalise team can assist in several different situations depending on the needs of the business, including funding to resolve a specific situation such as a short-term cash flow problem, to working capital or business growth.

WHY USE CAPITALISE? Capitalise is an interactive, accessible and proven platform that focuses the search on securing the right kind of funding for you and your business.

The flexibility of the platform allows Bishop Fleming to work together with you to appraise the options available, increasing the likelihood of receiving the right finance to grow your business and achieve your ambitions.

carry out the heavy lifting for you, making it easier to obtain funding.

We have a wealth of knowledge around when, and why, lenders say yes to a funding request and we understand what needs to be done to source the ideal funding.

As professional advisers with specialisms covering Restructuring, Corporate Finance and Corporate and Business Services, we are well placed to provide the wider advice that businesses need.

Bishop Fleming’s Capitalise team will support you through all stages of the funding process. Contact Luke Venner, senior restructuring manager on 01872 275651 or at LVenner@bishopfleming.co.uk for more information.

Capitalise provides existing relationships with lenders, with all the legal and admin work done. Our team at Bishop Fleming

TIME TO OUTSOURCE YOUR PAYROLL? Cornwall Payroll Bureau director, Tim Wilkins, highlights some of the benefits of outsourcing Payroll has become an increasingly specialist field in recent years, largely due to the introduction of Real Time Information (RTI) and Automatic Enrolment, or Workplace Pensions.

Using a specialist also helps to ensure correct calculation of wages. When there are errors due to miscalculation you can end up with dissatisfied, unmotivated employees.

SAVING YOU TIME AND MONEY One of the major challenges when processing Payroll in-house is the amount of time it takes to complete. The need to have a specialist payroll processor is not often cost effective for most small to medium sized businesses. There is also the issue of what to do when that employee is on holiday or off sick.

For small businesses, outsourcing Payroll gives you more time to run your business.

30 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

For larger companies, it means saving valuable time and resources.

Another benefit is the savings made from having no more payroll software fees, which have become increasingly expensive.

KEEPING YOU COMPLIANT Outsourcing Payroll takes away the worry of staying compliant with HMRC, The Pension Regulator and other third parties. It also saves you having to keep up to date with ever changing legislation.

WHY CHOOSE CORNWALL PAYROLL BUREAU? We are a local company, based in Truro, offering a cost effective, professional and personal service. We are one of only two Accountants or Payroll Bureaux in Cornwall to achieve Accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. The Payroll Assurance Scheme is the gold standard in the Payroll profession.

See what our clients have to say about us- www.cornwallpayrollbureau.co.uk/ testimonials For more information, contact Tim on 01872 306412 or Tim@cornwallpayroll.co.uk

OUTSET

CORNWALL

A Lasting

Legacy

The return of the Outset Cornwall programme is great news for start-ups across the Duchy. We look back at some past successes and forward to what we can expect over the next couple of years

If you live and work in Cornwall, then there’s a high chance you’ve bought the products or used the services of an Outset business.

Don’t believe that could be the case?

Well, let’s just see.

Since its very first launch back in 2009, Outset Cornwall has helped over 840 businesses get off the ground across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. That’s an average of around 100 businesses per year.

Not convinced?

OK, so have you ever eaten the incredibly tasty bread from Da Bara Bakery? Ben Hawkins first contacted Outset in 2011,

looking for help with starting a business.

Nine years later, their bakery at Indian Queens now supplies award-winning baked goods to wholesale customers across Cornwall, and they’ve recently opened a second bakery and café on The Roseland near Truro.

Or how about the delicious Coconuts Naturally ice cream you can buy in Tesco?

Founder Cecily Mills launched her business in 2015, after receiving support from Outset Cornwall. In the last four years she’s won several awards, got her products stocked in the freezers of Tesco and Ocado stores across the UK, and started exporting to Dubai.

She’s even impressed the notoriously hardto-please dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, which, as we all know, is no mean feat.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 31

OUTSET

CORNWALL

Still unsure?

What about in the business world: ever needed the expertise of Sekoya Specialist Employment Services? Donna Negus approached Outset with her business idea back in 2010, because despite being excellent at HR and employment law, she felt she lacked the technical knowledge and skills she needed to successfully run a business.

Thanks to Outset’s support, she now employs a team of seven, works for clients both nationally and internationally, and has several multi-million-pound contracts under her belt.

In virtually every industry sector in the county it’s likely you’ll come across a business that has been supported

by Outset Cornwall, so there’s no denying the immense impact the project has had.

The project has exceeded nearly every target it’s been set by at least 50%, and in some cases by as much as 150%.

So when it was announced in 2018 that Outset Cornwall hadn’t secured a countywide, three-year contract to continue and therefore wouldn’t be refunded, the loss of the programme was felt very keenly, particularly by those it was set up to help the most.

We’re committed to making a positive difference in our clients’ lives by helping, supporting and encouraging them to believe in themselves and achieve their goals

Now a multi-awardwinning programme, recognised both nationally and in Europe, Outset Cornwall has provided a social, financial and economic return of over £27 million for the Cornish economy, helping over 2,000 people explore self-employment and

32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

creating over 1,000 jobs during the last 10 years.

“Unfortunately, the national agenda at that time was looking at supporting growth businesses, rather than the end of the market that we’d been supporting for the last decade,” says Kate Perkin, programme director for Outset Cornwall.

“Outset was set up to support underrepresented groups in enterprise to register as selfemployed or start a business at a time when the UK was heading into a recession. There was a lot of economic uncertainty and many

people were being excluded from mainstream support, a situation that was particularly prevalent in Cornwall.”

“Fast-forward to today, and the UK still faces economic and political uncertainty, exacerbated by growing fears over the outcome and long-term effects of Brexit, so it’s extremely good news that we are now able to offer the Outset programme to the people of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.”

Demonstrating there was still a clear need to provide such support, Outset Cornwall has been awarded European Structural Investment Funds until 2022, meaning that Outset can get back to doing what it’s always done best: helping and supporting people.

Covering the whole county, including the Isles of Scilly, Outset’s ‘Focus, Start, Run, Grow’ programme will help people retrain, return to work or start their own business, resulting in a slightly wider target audience this time around than on previous projects.

OUTSET

“While we’ll continue to support underrepresented groups as we’ve always done, this time our remit extends to those even further removed from the job market, through a strand of the project we’ve named Focus, which targets specific geographic areas of the county,” says Kate.

“Outset has always been unique; we offer individuals the opportunity to explore different business ideas and see whether their skills and expertise make them suitable to run their own business, thereby building the person as well as their idea.”

“Now, our additional Focus project strand gives us more capacity to “focus” on the person and their personal development even further. By building their confidence, and growing and developing their knowledge and skills, our whole programme helps break down the often-self-perceived barriers that are stopping them from retraining, getting back to work or starting a business.”

With the new project in place and funding secured, no time has been wasted in getting the team together to organise, coordinate and deliver the first sessions, which started at the beginning of January in various locations across Cornwall.

“I’ve always been immensely proud of the Outset Cornwall team, not only for what we’ve achieved together over the years, but also for the individuals they are, what they

stand for and what they bring to the project,” reflects Kate.

“Having been at the helm of Outset Cornwall for the last 10 years, I know that the team you have around you is crucially important to the success of the programme, whether they work directly with our clients or not. I can honestly say I’m very happy to see the return of some old faces, as well as welcome some new ones into the Outset fold!

“We’ve definitely hit the ground running, with the team working incredibly hard to get started by promoting Outset, delivering sessions and supporting a number of clients already since our launch in January.”

What does the future hold for Outset Cornwall and the team behind it? Only time will tell, but it’s safe to say the plan is to keep building on the lasting legacy.

“It’s possible that this will be the last time we’ll be able to secure funding, so I want to make it the best version of Outset yet,” says Kate.

CORNWALL

“As a team, we’re committed to reaching and supporting as many clients as we can over the next two and half years. We’re also committed to having a positive impact on the Cornish economy, by helping people start, run and grow robust, sustainable businesses that put money back into it.

“Most of all, we’re committed to making a positive difference in our clients’ lives by helping, supporting and encouraging them to believe in themselves and achieve their goals; that will be our legacy.”

More information and details of upcoming sessions can be found at www.outset.org/cornwall or emailing cornwall@outset.org

Outset Cornwall 4 project is funded by European Regional Development Fund and will run until July 2022. It is being delivered by YTKO Ltd and Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 33

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JACK FLIES IN The C-Bay bar and bistro overlooking Crantock Bay has a new head chef.

Jack Stephens has joined after three years at the helm of the Flying Boat on Tresco.

DORIAN ROCKS ST MAWES The Idle Rocks in St Mawes has appointed a new head chef.

Dorian Janmaat is returning to Cornwall after eight years away honing his skills at Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat‘Saisons, the past three as head chef.

Originating from Penzance, Janmaat said: “I am really looking forward to bringing all that I have learnt from Gary Jones, executive head chef and Raymond, one of the industry’s greatest mentors, back to the county I grew up in.

“My ambition is to capture the local surroundings with each plate simple, pure

and straight from the source. I’ll be building a new brigade in St Mawes and welcome interest from passionate and enthusiastic chefs interested in joining me.”

The hotel owner, David Richards, added: “We believe that there is a real appetite for food produced from the finest local ingredients, and in Cornwall we have the finest produce anywhere.

“We are excited to have the brilliance of Dorian in our kitchen who can turn them into incredible dishes for our guests.”

Janmaat will take over as head chef when the hotel re-opens this month, following a winter refurbishment.

Parnall Group Ltd has welcomed the arrival of Nick Buckland OBE as its new chairman.

Buckland is an experienced chair, trustee and director of a wide range of organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

He brings a wealth of experience in governance, innovation and technology across a variety of industrial and commercial sectors.

Matt Belcher, meanwhile, who has been working with Parnall Group Ltd in a consultant capacity, has been named chief commercial officer, which follows the recent

BUCKLAND TAKES PARNALL CHAIR

ON THE MOVE

Since opening an extension earlier last year, C-Bay has increased its table covers and been granted a wedding licence.

“We’re really pleased with the way our business grew in 2019 and are delighted that Jack has now joined to add some extra culinary flair,” said director Nina Eyles. “These are exciting times for us and we look forward to increasing our opening hours.”

A COODES WELCOME

Coodes Solicitors has expanded its wills, probate and trusts team in Penzance.

Alan Gates is a chartered legal executive with 17 years’ experience. He has lived in Penzance for 25 years and joins Coodes from Redruth firm Thurstan Hoskin, where he was head of the private client department.

Sarah Cornish, partner and head of the wills, probate and trusts department at Coodes Solicitors, said: “Alan’s appointment is part of our expansion as a result of growing demand from clients in west Cornwall and it is fantastic to welcome him to our team.”

appointment of Adam Parnall as Trelonk director, managing operations at the 130-acre farm and estate on the Roseland with specific responsibility for the Parnall Bio Engineering Ltd project.

Mark Parnall, founder of Parnall Group Ltd and co-founder of local peer-to-peer lender Folk2Folk, said: “We are at a pivotal point in the development of the company and we are delighted to welcome Nick as our chairman to take us forward with our ambitions.”

Parnall Group is a diverse range of companies operating in the innovation, legal and financial service sectors. In its portfolio, it includes: Parnall Bio Engineering, Smart Alternative Reality Area (SARA Project), Trelonk, Parnall Marine, Parnall Foundation, and Parnall Aircraft Company.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 35

CREATIVE

AND DIGITAL

SPONSORED BY

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EMPLOYEES OWN BLUEFRUIT Bluefruit Software has become the first tech company in Cornwall to adopt an employee ownership model.

The Redruth-based business has formed an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) and employees are now the principal shareholders in the company, with a 51% stake and a say in governance.

The EOT’s board of trustees has two nondirector employees on it, who will be working on decisions that affect all their colleagues.

Bluefruit Software founder and director, Paul

Massey, said: “We’ve found time and time again, that by empowering our people to make the right decisions for themselves and their work that we get a better result for our clients than if we didn’t.

“It was important that we found a way to preserve this and ensure the business would be around ten, 20 or even 30 years from now. Something that your typical Silicon Valley or London-based tech start-up doesn’t care about.”

STUDIO MUTINY WIN VISIONS OF THE HOLY GRAIL A Cornish business has donated a 1.5m high print of an old cartoon of the memorial stained-glass window to the late Lieutenant William Bolitho.

Lt Bolitho died on the fields of Ypres during the First World War with the window being donated to the Luesden Church in Devon, in his memory.

The original designs of the window were presented by Mrs Bolitho to the Mousehole branch of the Royal British Legion in 1931.

The cartoons were coloured by Thomas Gotch of Paul, a leading figure among the core Newlyn School painters and it is believed to be the only stained-glass window cartoon connected to him.

The old painting was found in the boiler room at the Mousehole British Legion and had decayed over the years, but a highquality print, produced by Roche-based PH Media, has brought the original cartoon painting back to life.

Ralph Wills, founder of PH Media, said: “We are honoured that our print represents a true reflection of this historic original cartoon that has decayed over time but can now continue to tell the story of the Holy Grail.”

36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

It’s an innovative project which uses gaming to raise awareness of environmental issues and the climate emergency.

A team of Falmouth University Games Academy graduates has won a major competition and scooped £25k from the UK Games Fund.

Transfuzer is a UK-wide competition designed to seek out and support the next generation games development talent.

The prize money will allow Studio Mutiny to continue to develop its game, Sai, which was started as a third-year student project.

Jonny Lee, Studio Mutiny company director, explained: “The game and the studio are all centred around ecology and conservation. Essentially, the game is about deforestation. You play as a Celtic warrior trying to protect the forest.”

“We all love making games together, but I think the most important thing for us is making a game that tackles the things we’re interested in, outside of game development, like conservation.”

LEAP INTO 2020 Cornish sustainable design agency, Leap, is looking forward to 2020 with a new team and a new home.

Leap, which obtained B Corp status four years ago, recently moved into The Old Bakery Studios in Truro.

And Simon Thomason, who joined the business last year as a consultant, has been made its new MD, while Ian Farrell has joined as full stack web developer and digital lead.

Thomason has extensive experience, including five years at a leading advertising agency in Manchester working on brands such as Hilton, First Direct and Asda. He

moved to Cornwall in 2004 where he joined a leading Cornish agency and worked on brands including Watergate Bay, Frugi and St Moritz.

Founder and creative director, Matt Hocking, said: “This is a major changepoint for us, taking on an MD. We were embarking on a national hunt when we found Simon right here on our doorstep in Cornwall.”

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

SIGN UP IN CONFIDENCE In the last issue we told you about our FSB Women ‘In Confidence’ Conference at the Falmouth Hotel on Friday March 6 at the Falmouth Hotel. A day full of wonderful, inspirational speakers, motivational workshops and networking.

So now, here is the programme…. We think it speaks for itself and says “Be there!” but there are only 150 places and it’s getting full.

In the morning we have inspirational speakers talking about what they do and how they got there Julie Lilley (CEO of the Federation of Small Businesses), Karina Rickards (Cornishware), Sandra Garlick (Women in Enterprise

Taskforce & Women Who Awards), Jenny Evans (FSB Young Entrepreneur), Laura Whyte (Whyfield Accountants) and Frances Brennan (Strategic Stakeholder Lead Pluss and LEP board member) After lunch, there will be a number of workshops to choose from Access to Funding and Marketing in the Mind, through to Chair Yoga and Being Agile in Business.

To book your place at the event, go to the events page on the website www.fsb.org.uk For any queries or difficulty with our new booking system, please contact Vanessa Gale, operational support coordinator - 07976 425130, vanessa.gale@fsb.org.uk

SCOURGE OF FAKE REVIEWS New research from the Federation of Small Businesses has revealed the scale of problems that firms are facing when it comes to using online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Facebook.

After the busy festive period, small firms are reliant on these online platforms to succeed but are dealing with a number of barriers to growth and trading around the world.

Small businesses use online platforms for cross-border trade because they help to promote their products in untapped markets at a reduced risk, raise brand awareness, foster consumer trust, and reduce the associated costs with internationalisation.

One in five small firms who digitally trade (20%), do so using online marketplaces such as Amazon and Facebook.

Small businesses’ experiences using online

platforms is not without problems, with the most commonly reported problems being fake reviews (21%) and sudden changes to terms and conditions (19%).

More than a third (38%) of small firms say that local delivery problems for tangible goods is their top problem affecting their exports.

Non-tariff barriers, such as local taxes and regulations, are the top barrier for exports when it comes to intangible goods and services.

Germany, France, Ireland and the US are the priority markets for exporting small firms.

FSB national chairman, Mike Cherry, said: “Digital trade is taking the UK small business community by storm. Businesses are using the online opportunities being offered to them to grow and expand their firms. But huge difficulties lie ahead so this can only work if the markets and tools available are welcoming to them.”

FSB Offer for Business Cornwall Magazine Readers at www.fsb.org.uk/join If you want to join FSB after reading this page then please quote BCM30 when you join and save £30!

#FSBCONNECT

CALL FOR RATES REFORM We all know that business rates hikes are a major contributor to the numbers of closures on our high streets.

These numbers are also increasing and with this being worrying enough, FSB is further concerned about proposals that would add insult to injury, to then remove a relief for empty units. Without the current business rates system, there would be far fewer empty shops on our high streets – and less of a need for empty premises relief in the first place.

It’s all together a broken system.

The BBC Data Unit has recently released figures which show that £1 billion in empty premises business rates relief is applied in England and Wales each year.

Local authorities are set to rake in £25 billion from business rates this year and it is a figure which has grown substantially of late and is set to keep growing.

FSB says that Government should concentrate on scaling back a tax that has materially damaged firms all over the country and recalibrate business rates to encourage a mixture of thriving independent small businesses.

The Government has promised a wholesale review, and FSB say that it can’t come soon enough. Simplifying this outdated system and taking more of the small firms that need support most out of it, must be the priority. Policymakers need to remember that it’s these businesses that inject competition and diversity into our business landscape.

There is some encouraging news from the incoming administration which has seen them double down on their commitment to increase the Retail Discount on rates to 50%, and make it available to more types of businesses.

Targeted relief like this should be the focus, rather than driving small firms out of communities they want to serve.

FSB is campaigning hard for more of this and for total reform and they won’t stop until a satisfactory result is achieved!

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37

FOOD

& DRINK

NEW LOOK FOR ROJANO’S Paul Ainsworth has relaunched his Rojano’s in the Square restaurant in Padstow as Caffè Rojano by Paul Ainsworth.

After being the leaseholder of Mediterraneaninspired Rojano’s in the Square for the past nine years, along with wife Emma he has purchased the freehold and relaunches this

ETHICUREAN COMES TO CORNWALL Trevibban Mill has announced a new restaurant partner set to open at the vineyard next month.

Award-winning Somerset-based restaurant, The Ethicurean, will celebrate its tenth anniversary by launching its second venture on the site near Padstow.

Founded by brothers Matthew and Iain Pennington, The Ethicurean has a reputation for “innovative, ethically conscious, modern cuisine, guided by the seasons and an overriding sense of place”.

Liz Mumcuoglu, who owns Trevibban Mill along with husband Engin, explained: “Back in August we compiled a wish list of our favourite chefs and restaurants which we felt would enhance our offering here at the vineyard.

“The Ethicurean was top of that list and by pure coincidence Iain Pennington phoned me to say he’d just tried our 2014 Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine and was interested in stocking it. The rest, as they say, is history.”

38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

month with a brand-new interior and menu to match.

Ainsworth, who also has the Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at No 6 in the town, said: “This has been a huge decision for us, but we’re confident that we can create a new family-dining experience here in Padstow. I’m incredibly excited to reveal the new interiors and menu inspired by the incredible Italian food scene in New York.”

Caffè Rojano by Paul Ainsworth opens to the public on Monday February 10.

TARQUIN’S ON THE FAST TRACK Tarquin’s Cornish Gin has been identified as one of Britain’s fastest-growing companies.

The recently published 23rd annual Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table, ranked Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales.

Tarquin’s is a new entrant on the list – and the only one in Cornwall – appearing in 29th place.

Scarlet Wines of Lelant and Antoninis of Hayle are combining forces for a new collaboration which will bring the two businesses together under one roof at The Old Forge.

In addition to Antoninis Italian restaurant in Hayle, which will stay open as usual, Becky and Mike Antonini are taking over the café and deli at The Old Forge – home of Scarlet Wines - which they will run alongside a wine and spirits store operated by the Scarlet team.

Founded in 2012 by Tarquin Leadbetter, it claims to have been the first gin distillery established in the south west in over a century and grew sales by 85% on average over three years to £5.1 million in 2019.

Owner of Scarlet Wines, Jon Keast, explained: “We have been fortunate enough to grow Scarlet Wines as a café, deli, retail and trade business over the last ten years to such an extent that the business now warrants separating into its constituent parts.

“Having set up a wine merchant a decade ago with a passion for bringing fantastic wines to our customers, we are now refocusing on that original vision. We’ll be doing this via a new retail space at The Old Forge, while continuing to expand our bespoke wholesale services to pubs and restaurants across West Cornwall.”

ANTONINIS TEAMS WITH SCARLET

CHAMBER

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

NEWS

MADE IN CORNWALL WELCOMES FIRST APP-BASED MEMBER A new web app will soon be out that encourages its users to “Make Moments Matter” with the goal of encouraging people to get off their screens and engage with the activities on their doorsteps.

Roamey will launch as a web app with an exciting feature that will appeal to groups, families and couples: a decision-making tool, that takes the boring and annoying out of planning what to do and where to do it.

Founded by Tom Weston, Georgie Harrison and Devin Botes, Roamey was born at the

Falmouth Launchpad building.

Launchpad is an innovative, post-graduate incubation and acceleration programme developed

by Falmouth University that has the goal of attracting and keeping talent and creating jobs in Cornwall, which is steadily becoming a new UK tech hub.

Roamey is all about experiences, encouraging its audience to take opportunities to engage with activities, be it a surf lesson or art class, learn new skills such as jewellery making or foraging, and experience new things such volunteering, trying a new cuisine or taking a romantic weekend break. The team have much bigger plans and will soon be looking for investment for full roll out to a native app, which will include more useful and exciting features.

Harrison explained: “You can discover what’s going on near you, where to stay and where to eat, and then use our exciting feature to make easy decisions amongst your group. One of our ambitions is to help local entrepreneurs and we’re proud to be members of Made in Cornwall who share this vision. We will soon be able to provide discoverability for the amazing workshops and experiences they offer in Cornwall. Roamey will do this by providing a platform that attracts a whole new audience.

Tony Goodman, general manager of Made in Cornwall, said “Roamey represents one aspect of the next generation of Made in Cornwall businesses and with its ethos to enable more micro and small businesses to reach mass market, it is a real asset to the scheme and the County.”

CHAMBER AT TRESANTON THE YEAR AHEAD 2020 is shaping up to be another fantastic year for the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce.

Last year saw the inaugural Festival of Business week which incorporated its biggest and most successful Business Fair to date. And this year is set to be every bit as memorable.

Judging is currently underway for Cornwall’s 30 under 30, The Class of 2020, with the winners set to be announced next month.

This is just part of a drive by Cornwall Chamber to engage the thriving young business community in Cornwall. Kim Conchie, chief executive of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, said: “As we continue to drive the importance of connectivity amongst younger business people in Cornwall, we are looking at a new series of events and venues that will appeal to the people who will shape the future of Cornish Business. Follow us on social media for the latest updates.”

We are also pleased to have confirmed Hotel Tresanton at St Mawes, as our venue for the Chamber Lunch on Friday October 2.

Always a special lunch in a beautiful location, this is a highlight of the lunch calendar year.

Hotel Tresanton is a cluster of beautiful houses owned by Olga Polizzi on the waterfront in St Mawes and with its casual yet elegant atmosphere, provides a stunning backdrop for meetings, events and team building days with wow factor. The Hotel has a range of different spaces in the hotel, catering for up to 50 guests for a meeting.

Alternatively, located directly below the hotel, Tresanton’s new Beach Club consists of three terraces set just above the waterline. Now available for exclusive use for up to 50 guests between 10am and 6pm, with stunning views and a Mediterranean feel, this is so much

more than a meeting space! Why not book the Beach Club for a client party to show guests something really special?

For a team-building event with a difference, Pinuccia, Hotel Tresanton’s magnificent 8 metre classic racing yacht is also available for hire for up to six guests, hosted by an inhouse skipper, for either half or full day trips.

For further information about meetings and events at Hotel Tresanton, please contact Leila Heppell at leila@tresanton.com or telephone the hotel on 01326 270055. www.thepolizzicollection.com

Email: hello@corwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 39

EDUCATION

AND TRAINING

SPONSORED BY

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk

TRURO COLLEGE PRINCIPAL HEAD STEPPING DOWN NAMED Andy Johnson has been named as the new of Truro School.

Johnson joins from St Dunstan’s College in south London and will take up his new position from current head Andrew GordonBrown in September.

He has been deputy head at St Dunstan’s since 2015 and prior to that was the founding deputy head of the London Academy of Excellence, a Sixth Form Free School in Newham, east London, and also spent 11 years as a housemaster at Westminster School.

“It is a delight and a privilege to have the opportunity to join and lead this successful and happy community and to build on Andrew’s fantastic legacy,” he said.

The principal of Truro and Penwith College, David Walrond, has announced he will be stepping down at the end of the current academic year.

During his 17 years at the college (ten as principal), Walrond has overseen major growth in its 16-19 and apprenticeship numbers, completed the redevelopment of the new Penwith campus, and in 2017 created a major new campus at Callywith, Bodmin.

He said: “It’s not an easy decision to leave something that has been such a part of your life for 17 years, but as the college enters the next exciting phase of growth and development, I feel the time is right to hand over to a new principal.

“I’m going to keep my involvement in education and training in various

governance roles, and I look forward to seeing Truro and Penwith College go from strength to strength in the years ahead.”

Truro and Penwith College’s chair of governors, Bob Crossland, praised what he called David Walrond’s “inspirational leadership”.

“David’s time as principal has been one of incredible success and growth for the college,” he said.

“His leadership has been inspirational in driving that success and as a governing body we thank him. We will miss his drive, energy and commitment to staff and especially students.”

NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL Cornish preparatory school Polwhele House is expanding to offer secondary school education up to GCSE level.

THE SKILLS OLYMPICS A painting and decorating apprentice from Truro and Penwith College is has been selected to take part in an international competition in China next year.

Thomas Nowell will represent the UK in the International Worldskills competition – the ‘Skills Olympics’ – in Shanghai.

The 18-year old from Penzance has been working up to the international World Skills competition since 2017 when he entered the Johnstone’s Paints south west regional heats and won silver, which led to a place in the Johnstone’s Paints national 40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

final at Coventry Ricoh Arena.

This in turn led Nowell to the WorldSkills regional heats where he won gold before heading to the WorldSkills UK Live national final at the NEC in Birmingham.

The WorldSkills Competition, which will next be held in Shanghai, China in 2021, takes place every two years and is known as the ‘Skills Olympics’.

“We are immensely proud of Thomas and the hard work he has put into securing this opportunity,” said Steve Piff, head of construction at Truro and Penwith College.

The co-educational school set in 32 acres of countryside and woodlands just outside Truro has grown steadily since it was founded in 1981 by Richard and Rosemary White, and today offers a nursery, prepreparatory and preparatory school for 105 pupils aged between three and 13.

Following numerous requests from parents to extend the age range to 16 and offer secondary school education, Polwhele House will open a new senior school in September to accommodate children up to the age of 16.

Richard White, chairman of the managing council of Polwhele House, said: “After much deliberation and planning over the past year, the managing council has decided the time is right for this development to happen.

“We feel there is a call for a more specialised and intimate type of educational provision in our part of Cornwall, and the recent introduction of our performing arts and equestrian provision adds strength to our offering.”

www.visitcornwall.com

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

TOURISM

NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM

Watergate Bay Hotel has announced a new senior management team.

formerly with Soho House Group, the newlyappointed finance director.

The freshly-formed team which leads Watergate Bay Hotel, the Another Place hotel collection and Beach Retreats, sees Will Ashworth move to chief executive officer.

The new senior team will be actively seeking opportunities for growth across all three businesses in 2020.

Ashworth said: “As we look to the future, it’s vital we have the best people in place to take our businesses forward. I’m excited by the senior team we’ve created and the potential that together we see for the future.

Watergate Bay Hotel employs 250 full-time employees, turning over £11 million and has occupancy rates of 92%.

“It’s been an incredible journey so far and we’re set to build on what’s been achieved to make the next few years more incredible still.”

Ben Harper is managing director; Judi Blakeburn brand director, and Natalie Poole,

CORNWALL BACK ON TOP GOING GREEN IN 2020 Tourism businesses have begun the new year by ramping up their environmental initiatives.

it now uses only RSPO-approved palm oil products – from cleaning products to kitchen ingredients.

Cornwall’s biggest distributor of tourism promotional material, Seymac, has introduced a new scheme to offset its carbon emissions. For every client, it is having one tree planted to offset 1,000 kilograms of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), equating to one ton of literature.

MD, Dan Trotter, said: “We stand behind the Newquay Supports Sustainable Palm Oil (NSSPO) group in its bid to make the town more sustainable and aware of the issues surrounding palm oil production.”

For its 2020 information packs, the company will be using paper envelopes approved by the Forest Stewardship Council instead of single-use plastic bags.

Additionally, the company will hold a beach cleaning day in collaboration with Cornish Seal Sanctuary and other partners.

“Given the nature of our business, we are acutely aware of the threat to the planet and our obligation to ensure that we do all in our power to counterbalance the effects of our operations,” said MD Tina Seymour.

Meanwhile, wherever possible, Lewinnick Lodge in Newquay has eliminated the use of all palm oil, but where not possible,

Palm oil and its demand is said to cause deforestation and loss of habitats in the tropical countries where it is cultivated.

Over in Falmouth, The Greenbank Hotel is aiming to become the first plastic-free hotel in Cornwall.

The hotel has teamed up with Penryn potter Natalie Bonney and Helston-based luxury beauty brand Living Sea Therapy to eliminate all plastic toiletry bottles in its 61 rooms.

The Greenbank says the new ceramic bottles will save throwing away tens of thousands of single-use plastic bottles a year. This follows on from its refillable glass water bottles that replaced plastic earlier in 2019, as well as the elimination of plastic straws and pens.

Cornwall regained its title as Best UK Holiday County/Region at the British Travel Awards.

Cornwall missed out in 2018 on winning Gold for a tenth successive year, but exacted revenge pushing the previous year’s surprise winner, Northumberland, back to Silver.

Cornish Gems won Gold for Best (southern) UK Holiday Cottage Company.

The awards were presented at Battersea Evolution in London to an audience of 900 senior travel executives and representatives from consumer and trade media.

Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall, was delighted to have regained the accolade.

“It’s great news that Cornwall has won Best UK Holiday Region for ten out of the last 11 years,” he said. “This is not only an accolade for Cornwall but more importantly the 50,000 people who work in the Cornish tourism industry and the thousands of businesses that strive so hard to deliver an excellent experience.”

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41

OPINION

JUST A THOUGHT

When it comes to post-16 education and skills training, businesses need to be heard , says Truro & Penwith College principal, David Walrond Writing for a business audience you can be confident your readership has a good understanding of the difference between three terms in common use when the conversation turns to money. Those terms are “investment”, “spend” and “hand-outs”.

In recent times Government and its agencies have used all three expressions to describe the funding of colleges.

Businesses, however, generally accept the evidence-based positions of the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and the OECD (The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) and concur that money committed to delivering more and better skills is, unequivocally, “investment” for returns.

After a decade of disinvestment in post-16 education and skills training, it has never been more important that businesses, individually and collectively, keep speaking up and sharing their informed understanding with Government. The Association of Colleges confirms the following: Overall college funding was cut by 30% between 2009 and 2019; the drop in education funding at age 16 has grown to 24%; funding for adult skills has fallen by half in a decade (with 50% fewer adults in learning); our UK post-16 learners are funded for 15 hours a week less on average than counterparts globally. Cuts of this magnitude mean that pay for college teachers now lags 20% behind secondary schools. Businesses need skills; colleges cannot teach those skills if they cannot recruit the skilled individuals to teach them.

42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF Their growing understanding of the sheer scale of the college funding crisis last year saw many businesses and their representative organisations become much more vocal on issues so crucial to them. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, was admirably direct: “Our colleges aren’t given the consideration they deserve. As a national resource, they’ve been underestimated.

Historically, they’ve been underfunded.

Politically, they’ve been neglected”.

On this issue, as on so many others, businesses do need to keep speaking for themselves. It has become very evident during the long, on-going national and local Brexit conversations that many others are very ready to claim that they speak for them.

Readers of Business Cornwall will often hear politicians, local and national, preface arguments with phrases such as “what businesses want” and “what employers need”, in the expectation that what they then proceed to say goes unchallenged.

Sometimes what they then proceed to say is sensible and true; often it isn’t.

treat all businesses and all employers as a homogeneous whole, just do not match the reality which emerges in the thousands of conversations my college and others have, week in week out, with businesses and employers, large and small, across all sectors.

Based on those conversations, the closest we can get to a generalisation is: “Not all businesses and employers want the same thing and, in the dynamic and volatile world in which they have to operate, many individual businesses find that they do not want or need the same thing two years running.”

One constant common strand does however run through college dialogues with employers, an acute awareness among businesspeople of the economic and social damage caused, the potential wasted, the productivity hampered, by our widening skills gaps and shortages.

Businesses refer to job-specific skills and wider transferrable creative skills, both of which the best Further Education provides.

Businesses need skills; colleges cannot teach those skills if they cannot recruit the skilled individuals to teach them

Moreover, sweeping generalisations of that kind about business, claims which

Colleges do not claim to speak for business, but they do speak to them, a lot, and listen carefully.

That rich dialogue now means that businesses are increasingly speaking, in the best sense, for colleges by demanding adequate investment in training for the skills they need. I would urge businesses to keep speaking for themselves. When they do, they are so often speaking for their colleagues and partners in colleges too.

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LOIS WILD ST PETROCS Business Cornwall is a fantastic publication which keeps us informed of all the news of the Cornish business community while celebrating this vibrant and diverse sector.

It provides us with a place to connect and engage with other businesses in the county in a meaningful way.

The professional and personable team actively seek further engagement opportunities and connect people and ideas, which is greatly appreciated.

Business Cornwall has a range of effective platforms to communicate your business marketing objectives effectively.

For more information, please contact Caroline Hill on 01209 718688 or caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43

CONNECTED

CORNWALL

SPONSORED BY

www.cioslep.co.uk

CORNWALL FILM FESTIVAL The Cornwall Film Festival hosted The Actors Reception, an event to celebrate those working in the film and tv industry in Cornwall and further afield RIVER OWSLEY-BROWN, ACTOR

BRUNA MATSIN, ACTOR

FALMOUTH MAYOR, COUNCILLER STEVE EVA & MAYORESS VICKY EVA

CHARLOTTE LODEY (THE PALM TREE CLUB) & PAUL WRIGHT

COODES CELEBRATION

Coodes Solicitors celebrated the holiday season with a networking event for clients and contacts at its head office in Truro

DAVID HOLLAND (MULBERRY CHARTERED), KATHRYN SHAW (COODES SOLICITORS) & KATE HOLLAND (MULBERRY CHARTERED)

KATHRYN SHAW (COODES SOLICITORS), SIMON GILL (PSG), ABI LUTEY (COODES SOLICITORS) & JAMES OLIVER (PSG)

ALISTAIR WHYTE, PETER LAMBLE, HELEN WILLETT & ABI LUTEY (ALL COODES)

JENI LUKE (COODES SOLICITORS), KAREN BARNETT (PARC SIGNS) & ABI LUTEY (COODES SOLICITORS)

PETER LAMBLE (COODES SOLICITORS), RACHEL BRIDGER (CREATION HAIR), DARREN GUNN (EVOLUTION) & CARLOS ROCHE (EVOLUTION)

CONDRAD ROBBIN (ASC), CLARE DUNCAN (COODES SOLICITORS) & JEANNIE CAIN (ASC)

44 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

CORNWALL

CONNECTED

CHARITY DINNER

Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth hosted a Cornish-themed charity dinner in London last month, raising £125k for Cornwall Air Ambulance

WILL YOUNG PERFORMED FOR GUESTS

PAUL AINSWORTH AND HIS TEAM PREPARED THE FOOD

CORNWALL AIR AMBULANCE CHAIR OF TRUSTEES SARAH PRYCE, CEO PAULA MARTIN & DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING JACKIE SOUTHON

GUESTS ENJOYED A CORNISH MEAL IN LONDON

NEW HELI APPEAL CHAIR BARBARA SHARPLES, CRITICAL CARE PARAMEDIC STEVE GARVEY WITH NEW HELI AMBASSADORS RICHARD & JUDY MADELEY

RESTAURANT FOUR

Food fans in Falmouth have reason to celebrate with the opening of a new restaurant adding weight to the port’s unofficial standing as Cornwall’s “restaurant district”.

Run by Matthew and Ceri Unwin-Springett, Restaurant Four is now open for lunches and dinners

CERI UNWIN-SPRINGETT

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45

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Expowest Cornwall: March 3-5, Royal Cornwall Showground

Hospitality

showcase

If food hospitality and catering help drive your business, this is the one event you must mark in your calendar.

Expowest Cornwall is where suppliers and buyers get to see and sample what trends and tastes will be on the menu for the coming year: from craft bakeries, vegan pasties, artisan cheese and organic vegetables through to kitchen equipment, furnishing, training and online booking systems… not forgetting the latest in beers and other beverages. It’s all here, all in one place, over three days between March 3-5.

Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, Expowest Cornwall is the event that the whole Cornish business community makes a point of attending. It’s strategically timed just before the summer season gets into full swing, and while the show’s home is at The Royal Cornwall Showground, the event draws exhibitors and buyers from the whole region.

46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Making those all-important buying decisions is so much easier when competing offerings are shown side by side. And as well as ensuring you’re really getting the best products at the keenest prices for 2020, you’ll be able to see what new ideas are coming through that will whet customers’ appetites… and make your business more profitable.

A key feature of each year’s exhibition is “The Knowledge Hub”, brought to you by Cornwall Business Forum. With almost 11,000 members, the Forum is uniquely placed to understand the very special nature of the local business community and provide solutions to a wide array of challenges.

Over the three days, Knowledge Hub will deliver topical and invaluable presentations geared to making your business the best it can be, as well as equipping you for the challenges ahead.

For more information about the show, to book a stand, or register to attend, please call 01934 733433, visit expowestcornwall.co.uk or follow @Expowest_UK

UPCOMING

EVENTS

FEBRUARY

EVENTS 4

FEBRUARY

CORNWALL HOSPITALITY MASTERCLASS

FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB

13

The Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

The Falmouth Business Club meets every other Thursday over at the Carnon Inn. Enjoy breakfast and coffee and look for ways to help one another enhance their businesses.

This morning’s guest speaker is Samantha Perkin from Zamu. falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk

9 11

Old Bakery Studios, Truro

Do you work in or own a business in the construction industry? Do you need some assistance growing your social media following? Then this workshop is for you. eventbrite.co.uk

Brewers Fayre, Hayle

Get the full matchday experience with Cornish Pirates’ amazing matchday hospitality package, a perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike. robyn.ashurst@cornish-pirates.com

PIRAN BUSINESS GROUP Carnon Inn, Carnon Downs

Networking with an emphasis on passing referrals and creating lasting business relationships. Visitors welcome. eventbrite.co.uk

YOUR PARTNERSHIPS CORNWALL

Join the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce for a networking lunch with spectacular views across Mounts Bay. Tickets £25+vat for members, £30 non members. cornwallchamber.co.uk

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YOUR PARTNERSHIPS CORNWALL

Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights

Godolphin Arms, Marazion

20

18

YOUR PARTNERSHIPS POWER LUNCH

Fowey Harbour Hotel, Fowey

Power Lunches always have an amazing mix of business owners from Devon and Cornwall. You will meet so many great new contacts. cornishpartnerships.co.uk

GOOGLE DIGITAL GARAGE Truro College, Truro

Get new skills for a digital world! Truro & Penwith College Business is excited to be partnering with Google Digital Garage to offer free training to help you to grow your career or business online. eventbrite.co.uk

Victoria Inn, Threemilestone

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

Victoria Inn, Roche

This is the original Open House.

Always has 40 plus businesses in attendance. Book early to ensure a seat. cornishpartnerships.co.uk

BARCLAYS CYBER CRIME EVENT Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre, Truro

This cyber security event will discuss a range of different topics including; why should cybercrime matter to you; social engineering and what do you need to know; the common cyber threats you may face as a business. eventbrite.co.uk

Join Acceleration Through Innovation (ATI) for an evening of celebrating business innovation in Cornwall. eventbrite.co.uk

Cornwall Chamber’s annual charity ball which this year is looking to raise money for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. cornwallchamber.co.uk

GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH

KING BUSINESS NETWORKING

Atlantic Hotel, Newquay

Waterside Cornwall, Lanivet

Cornish Partnerships has had great success holding a monthly Open House in the St. Austell area. Now bringing that same networking to the West of Cornwall. cornishpartnerships.co.uk

Merchants Manor, Falmouth

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CELEBRATING INNOVATION

MASQUERADE BALL

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LAND OF SAINTS INFO EVENT

Info evening for young business people to learn how they can become involved on the foundation board of new gin company, Land of Saints. cornwallchamber.co.uk

Headland Hotel, Newquay

Rethink and fine-tune your business strategy and create an achievable plan to keep you on course and focused on the future. eventbrite.co.uk

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CHAMPIONSHIP CUP RUGBY Cornish Pirates v Coventry

Get the full matchday experience with Cornish Pirates’ amazing matchday hospitality package, a perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike. robyn.ashurst@cornish-pirates.com

CORNWALL CHAMBER BREAKFAST

Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor

Cornwall Chamber’s February BIG Breakfast will be held at Jamaica Inn with views across the beautiful Bodmin Moor. Don’t miss out on a great networking opportunity in the historic coaching house full of tales! cornwallchamber.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 | 47

THE LAST

WORD

SPONSORED BY

www.paddleandcocks.co.uk 01872 672072

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? I always wanted to be a musician and to follow in my dad’s footsteps of being in a band.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB? I guess I’ve never really had a full-time job as such. I started out washing cars in my neighbourhood with my best friend when I was 11 and following that, I then got a part-time job washing dishes at a local restaurant. That is when I started getting into music.

WHAT’S IN YOUR POCKETS? At the moment, sand! I’ve just been to the beach!

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX? Surfing and exploring in the wintertime is definitely the key to ultimate relaxation. I have also got geekily into fishing in recent years which I find to be very therapeutic.

IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE? On a tropical Hawaiian island overlooking an amazing beach.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Probably the first big concert we ever put on with the John Butler Trio at Lusty Glaze beach in Newquay. It was the most incredible sunset and just the best gig I have ever witnessed. To have pulled that off as our first official event was just mind-blowing.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Being very close to having to cancel an event and then being stuck in a portacabin trying to coordinate buses to relocate people from a nearby airfield after festival parking became too waterlogged to use - Very stressful!

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM? The Dalai Lama and Russel Brand. I think that would make for a very interesting conversation over dinner and one where you could possibly get to the bottom of the meaning of life.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Cornwall... It’s true! Every day is a holiday here!

IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? I would perform a miracle to allow myself to make miracles every day!

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IN LIFE? Once I accidentally put cream first before jam on my scone.

I’ve never ever lived it down. Still scarred to this day.

WHAT WAS YOUR LUCKIEST BREAK? Being born is pretty darn lucky! It’s about 400 trillion to one chance!!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME? Exactly the same as right now :-)

48 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

BEN HALL

Quick Panda Productions Director

What’s the vision for your hospitality business?

Is it to deliver an outstanding customer experience? To be a more confident leader that inspires your team? Or is it to grow and achieve strong company performance?

We know these and other challenges are being faced by businesses in Cornwall and the rest of the UK. Our Cornwall Hospitality Masterclass Series, led by sector experts and Be the Business, present an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with local businesses, as well as learn from industry leaders and their success stories.

Tickets are limited and cost ÂŁ25 each with a partial refund on attendance* To book your place and find out more visit bethebusiness.com/masterclass

Cornwall Hospitality Masterclass Series Each interactive masterclass will focus on one of our identified levers of productivity: Business Planning Tuesday 4 February, The Headland Hotel, Newquay Rethink and fine-tune your business strategy and create an achievable plan to keep you on course and focused on the future.

People and Team Wednesday 18 March, Harbour Hotel, Padstow Manage performance and better motivate people by sharing common challenges and finding solutions.

Digital Readiness Tuesday 5 May, The Alverton, Truro Learn how to assess, buy and integrate the digital technology that will make your business more efficient and competitive.

Sales and Growth Tuesday 2 June, Heartlands, Pool Improve your sales pipeline, connect with customers and maintain your presence in the market with advice from others who do it well.

Supported by

* For more information, please see the ticketing T&Cs at bethebusiness.com/masterclass

FIND THE BEST OF THE BEST WITH A2F If you’re looking to hire a senior finance role, the Significant Financial Employee grant from Access to Finance could help you offer a competitive salary.

Eligible businesses can receive up to £10,000 for up to 20% of full salary costs for a role that meets the following criteria: · · · ·

Specific finance related project Up to a 12 month period Minimum salary level equivalent to £30K per annum Employee with degree or equivalent level

01872 300 386

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WWW.A2FCORNWALL.CO.UK