Business Cornwall Feb 22 by Business Cornwall

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

businesscornwall.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2022 | ISSUE 154 | £3.95

COFFEE CULTURE

IN CONVERSATION WITH ORIGIN FOUNDER TOM SOBEY

FINANCE & FUNDING

MONEY MATTERS

HEALTH & WELLBEING

LOOKING AFTER YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET

02 9 772514

842001

G N I H T E M O S O D 2 2 0 2 N I G N I Z A AM enge l l a h C e c mbulan A r i A l l a ifetime! l w n a r r o o f C h a s i Take on u’ll cher o y s e i r o mem and make

NEW F O R2 202

8M SUNDAY

Cornwall Air Ambulance has teamed up with Shoreline Extreme Sports to offer an exciting new adrenaline challenge for 2022. Situated just north of Crooklets Beach in Bude, enjoy a 120ft abseil down a smooth, slabby cliff face under the guidance of qualified instructors. Two parallel abseils will be in operation, so why not bring a friend and take on your challenge descent together.* Two abseils per person (time permitting).

& 19 JUNE

Experience the ultimate adrenaline rush over the best views in the UK – all for a great charity! Working with the Cornish Parachute Club in Perranporth, this is a truly thrilling opportunity not to be missed. In this Tandem Skydive, you will jump from a plane 10,000ft above the beautiful Cornish coastline, whilst securely strapped to a highly experienced instructor.

“

ABSEIL AY

DIVE Y K S M E TAND 18 SEPTEMBER

The skydive was undoubtedly a most incredible experience – one I will remember forever. – Helen 2021

naline e r d a / s t n org/eve . t s u r t e c mbulan a r i a l l a w re: corn o m t u o Find *Additional dates can be organised if you would like to book a private charity abseil with your work colleagues, or perhaps a large family group.

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Cornwall Air ambulance Trust | Registered charity 1133295

FEBRUARY 2022

INSIDE FEATURES 10 CEO INTERVIEW WE TALK TO TOM SOBEY, FOUNDER OF ORIGIN COFFEE

16 HEALTH & WELLBEING LOOKING AFTER YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET

24 DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY CORNISH BROADBAND PROVIDER WILDANET IS EXPANDING ITS NETWORK ACROSS CORNWALL

26 IMMERSIVE TECH WELCOME TO THE METAVERSE

ISSUE 154

REGULARS 4

JUST A THOUGHT

41 FSB

CONFESSIONS OF A

FEDERATION OF SMALL

RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT

BUSINESSES

6 BUSINESS NEWS CORNWALL’S LATEST B-CORP

38 CREATIVE & DIGITAL TECH NATION RISING STAR

39 EDUCATION & TRAINING NEWS 3RD BEST IN BRITAIN

40 TOURISM NEWS MBE FOR MALCOLM BELL

42 FOOD & DRINK RATTLER GOES ZERO

43 CHAMBER NEWS CORNWALL CHAMBER CEO KIM CONCHIE

44 INCOMING THE BIG QUESTION

46 CONNECTED & EVENTS DIARY WHAT’S GONE & WHAT’S ON

48 THE LAST WORD BULL & WOLF’S JOE TURNBULL

28 FINANCE & FUNDING MONEY MATTERS

PHOTO: CITY OF CULTURE BID LATEST SEE PAGE 38

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1

ISSUE 154

FEBRUARY 2022

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

businesscornwall.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2022 | ISSUE 154 | £3.95

COFFEE CULTURE

IN CONVERSATION WITH ORIGIN FOUNDER TOM SOBEY

FINANCE & FUNDING

MONEY MATTERS

HEALTH & WELLBEING

LOOKING AFTER YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET

02 9 772514

842001

9 772514

842001

ON THE COVER

FOUNDER OF ORIGIN COFFEE, TOM SOBEY. SEE PAGE 10 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Carter caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk

WELCOME

BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

Healthy, wealthy and wise In this, the first issue of 2022, we focus on the measures you can take to help ensure you have a healthy business for the year ahead. And taking an holistic approach, to have a truly ‘healthy business’, it is as equally important to look after the wellbeing of your most important asset – your staff – as well as the financial health of the business and the numbers in the books. Much has happened over the past two years to put financial strains on the business and mental strains on the workforce and this issue is packed with tips and information to help businesses in their quest to be healthy, wealthy and wise. Also in this issue of Business Cornwall, we meet the founder of Origin Coffee, Tom Sobey, and hear his fascinating story of how he has developed the company into one of the UK’s leading specialty coffee roasters.

CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research, Toby Weller 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 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.

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@biz_cornwall

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2 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

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OPINION

JUST A THOUGHT

Alex Callister, MD of specialist recruitment consultancies Trial Balance Consulting and Well Placed HR, thinks back on some of the more amusing anecdotes of running two busy recruitment businesses.

Confessions of a

Recruitment

Consultant I’d been scratching my head on what to contribute for this piece. Perhaps we could talk about the increasingly buoyant market where employment opportunities are concerned in Cornwall? Perhaps a focus on the increasingly shallow pool of candidates would be more appropriate in the current market place? Staring at my wordless notepad, an amusing conversation gathered pace amongst my team who were reminiscing on a few of the more cringeworthy moments of their recruitment careers. These probably shouldn’t be aired, but hey… it’s the New Year. Here’s a few to enjoy:

The ‘New opportunity in South Molton’ email When we were assigned to recruit a payroll administrator for a client based in north Devon, the consultant managing the assignment did what they often did; compiled a long list of appropriately experienced candidates to contact, prepared an email outlining the details and hit send. But there was a problem. The email wasn’t sent to the nine candidates in the longlist, it went to every candidate on our database – more than 15,000 people. Candidates that lived 200 miles away, chief finance officers and, worst of all, candidates that we’d recently placed. Within minutes, the consultant’s inbox was full, the company

4 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

telephone lines had gone completely berserk, and several executive candidates even took their disbelief to LinkedIn for public shaming. By the next morning, we had over 10,000 responses to tend to. It took a lot of apologising, but the good news is… our database was suitably updated… and we filled the job. The candidate who received somebody else’s job offer Having received a very generous offer of employment for one of our senior level candidates’, John, our consultant was understandably excited to deliver the good news, expecting the offer to be accepted immediately. As hoped, John called in promptly but for some reason seemed downbeat and reluctant to accept the position, complaining that he didn’t feel he’d learnt enough about the job. The frustration on our consultant’s face was unmistakeable and as the conversation went on, the tone from both sides was becoming increasingly awkward.

the consultant was in actual fact delivering this lavish offer to the wrong John. The current John was merely calling in to discuss arranging a first interview for a completely different job. Instant laughter and calm ensued. The intended John soon called in and thankfully accepted his new job offer. The Live Voicemail (an internal favourite) Half-way through a very lengthy registration call with a candidate, our consultant lost their trail of thought and out of absolutely nowhere, began to leave the recipient a live voicemail which even requested a call back “as soon as possible”. The candidate was understandably bemused, asking “is everything ok?”. What makes this even more amusing is that our consultant was too embarrassed to acknowledge their blunder and chose to continue the conversation as if nothing had happened. We didn’t hear from that candidate again.

By the next morning, we had over 10,000 responses to tend to

After three lengthy interviews, how could John deny any understanding of the role? More than five minutes of this gripping dialogue ensued before it became clear that

And finally, our all-time favourite excuse for a candidate cancelling an interview at short notice (and there have been a few): “I can’t attend the interview. I’ve had a power cut and can’t user my tumble drier. My trousers are washed but I can’t dry them”.

JUST A THOUGHT

OPINION

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

BOOK NOW! Tickets have gone on sale for the 2022 Royal Cornwall Show. This year’s event will be held at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge from June 9-11. It will be the first show held since 2019, after the cancellation of the past two years due to the Covid pandemic.

SPONSORED BY

focus-technology.co.uk

For 2022, safety procedures have been revised due to potential Government guidelines that may be in place at the time of the event. Therefore, single day tickets will be date specific, and visitors will only be able to access the show on the day they select when purchasing their ticket.

RCAA secretary, Chris Riddle, said: “In 2019, the show welcomed over 110,000 people through its gates across three days, and once again in 2022 we will have the best in live entertainment, shopping, food and drink, livestock, and much more.

Memberships can still be used across all three days, and members will not need to

“The team are currently hard at work, getting ready to welcome everyone back.”

CHOOSE B CORP Newquay-based sustainable and vegan marketplace, Choose Conscious, has become the 16th business in Cornwall to achieve B Corp certification. It joins the likes of Leap, Finisterre and Origin Coffee to be certified by B Lab, the notfor-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards, representing its commitment to goals that aren’t just about profit. Founder Rebecca Wilton said: “It was important to me to have a clear set of 6 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

confirm which days they will be attending beforehand.

achievable goals underpinning what Choose Conscious is about and how it operates, something transparent and accessible, becoming a Certified B Corp gives me the confidence that we are doing that, along with the tools to monitor performance and continually improve.”

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

focus-technology.co.uk

FUTURE OF THE HIGH STREET? New repair cafés where people can mend and modify clothing and creating “20-minute neighbourhoods” would help to revitalise Cornish high streets, a new report says. The Duchy should learn from initiatives in the USA, Australia, France and Amsterdam to create vibrant spaces for all, experts have said.

£500K INVESTMENT PACKAGE Logan Electronics has secured a £250k equity investment from the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), as part of a larger £500k funding round. The deal was led by the FSE Group, the appointed fund manager for CIOSIF, with the investment enabling Logan Electronics to continue its recent growth (sales almost doubled in the first six months of the company’s current financial year) and help fund a move to new premises in Redruth this month from its current base in Ponsanooth. Logan Electronics, which is an independent sub-contractor specialising in the manufacture of electronic and electrical cable and wiring sub-assemblies, was established in 1980 and supplies a range of Blue Chip customers. CEO, Chas Holt, said: “We have an excellent team here in Cornwall and the new purpose-built facility on a 4,000sq m site in Scorrier, Redruth, will enable growth to continue. I am thrilled to be leading the business through this exciting time when supply chain management will be key to economic prosperity in the UK.” Ralph Singleton, head of funds, Cornwall at The FSE Group, added: “We have been tracking the progress at Logan Electronics for some time, and with some like-minded co-investors who also see the longerterm trend in ‘onshoring’ sub-contract manufacture, we are pleased to be providing funding. The business now has all the tools in place to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.” 8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

High streets have declined over the past decade because of online shopping, and now the coronavirus pandemic. Researchers from the University of Exeter’s Institute for Cornish Studies have analysed initiatives around the

world to discover the support and fresh ideas which could work in Cornwall. In a new report they say repair cafés, and spaces to share expertise around making, mending, and modifying clothing would create experiences which would tempt people back to high streets. Phoebe Lawlor, who conducted the study with Dr Joanie Willett and Professor Clare Saunders, said: “The high street has to evolve and elevate itself into something more than the same few shops, the next step is paramount. “Retailers now have centre stage to change the future of real-life shopping by stepping up, buying responsibly, stimulating and engaging customers with exciting and inviting window displays and good merchandising whilst having a warm welcome and offering good customer service making it a retail experience.”

WORLD FIRST FOR CORNWALL In what is believed to be a world first, British Lithium has produced lithium at pilot scale from the mica in granite in its new pilot plant near Roche. Funded by Innovate UK, the pilot plant has taken just seven months to design and build and uses patented technology in a sustainable production process. The pilot plant design is based on four years’ intensive research and development and is the latest milestone in British Lithium’s progress towards full operational status. All UK car manufacturing will convert to electric vehicles by 2030 and lithium carbonate is a key component in the batteries required to power them. The company’s pilot plant approach incorporates all processing stages – from quarrying through to high purity lithium carbonate production. Chief executive Andrew Smith said: “New processes are normally piloted during the definitive feasibility stage but, as lithium has never been produced commercially from mica before, de-risking our proprietary technology is an important step in developing our project. “Doing it now allows us to operate in real world conditions using actual site water and locally sourced commercial reagents. We’re delighted with the rapid progress

we’ve made, but there’s still a long road ahead in terms of refining and optimising the process.” British Lithium will be manufacturing 5 kilograms of lithium carbonate per day from early this year in its pilot plant – enough to demonstrate its commercial value to customers. Once the process is fully developed, work will begin on building a full-scale plant.

Saturday, February 12, kick-off: 2.30

Cornish Pirates v London Scottish Sunday, February 27, kick-off: 2.00

Cornish Pirates v Jersey Reds Get the full match day experience with our amazing match day hospitality package. For more information email liz.mclean@cornish-pirates.com www.cornish-pirates.com

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T H E B A L A N C E

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 9

TOM

SOBEY

Tom Sobey CEO feature and cover photographs by Toby Weller

Since launching in 2004, Origin Coffee has grown into one of the UK’s leading specialty coffee roasters. Founder Tom Sobey talks us through the growth story, how he has developed the brand and his plans for the future.

10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

TOM

SOBEY

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11

TOM

SOBEY

So how did the whole Origin story begin? I didn’t do particularly well at school, one GCSE A to C. Growing up, my father was a

mechanic, but he got fed up with, as my mum describes it, lying on cold floors, fixing cars. So he bought a coffee franchise after seeing an advert in the newspaper. There were franchises across the UK, Coffee Man Plymouth, Coffee Man Bristol, Coffee Man Devon, you get the picture, so he bought Coffee Man Cornwall.

I always had a lot of enthusiasm on my side and a great belief that I could teach people how to make great coffee. One of my very first customers was Watergate Bay. I went down there and brewed them all coffee and beautiful latte art. I said, if you buy my coffee, I’ll teach your staff how to do that. And it just grew from there.

When I left school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I became the delivery driver. But after a couple of years I really wanted to do something different, so I said to my father, I’ve had enough of this, you can go back to being delivery driver, I’ll do sales! But I was awful at it. I sensed there were other coffee companies down here at the time, who have bigger vans, better brands, whatever. So I pushed for that because I guess I wanted my father’s business to be bigger and better. But actually, it was a nice little business for my parents. Probably when I came along, it just added cost into it.

At that stage I still hadn’t bought a coffee roaster because I didn’t really have enough cash to do so. But in 2008, I managed to buy a coffee roaster from a company in America, which was an absolute disaster. I spent $15k, or whatever it was, for this reconditioned machine which was supposed to work with the type of gas that I had, the type of electrics that I had, etc, etc. And it came over broken, hadn’t been serviced. But I was lucky. I played football for Helston at the time and first team manager was a gas plumber. He was quite keen for me to play, so I said, I’ll play if you come and sort this out for me! And so basically, he got it all working, and Origin grew from there.

Education is a huge part of what we do

I ended up going traveling to Australia and I learned a lot out there. Not just independence, but how to brew coffee, espresso culture and café culture. I met a few roasteries and did lots of different stuff. I learned how to make nice latte art, good espresso, and all the things you didn’t really see down here in Cornwall at the time. So, when I came back, I said to my parents, you know, I’ve decided what I want to do, I want to be the first coffee roaster in Cornwall. And so it took me a few years to sort out, I still worked for my parents at the time when I was planning it all etc. And then, yeah, I started origin in 2004.

12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

And when did the first one of your shops come along? The first shop I opened was in Porthleven, eight or nine years ago. The reason why I wanted to open a shop was at that stage I was spending quite a lot of time driving around the country, teaching people how to make coffee. While it was quite rewarding, it was also sometimes quite frustrating when people didn’t take it on board. So beyond just supplying coffee, we had almost become a consultancy within cafés. So I thought I’d open my own coffee shop and present the coffee that we’re buying in our way. I

TOM

had spoken to Trevor Osborne (Porthleven Harbour & Dock Company owner) a few times, and he was a big supporter of young local businesses. So, he moved the office of Porthleven Holiday Cottages out of their office so that we could open a café at Harbour Head, which was amazing. It was a really good spot overlooking the harbour. It was really, really cool. And I’ve always been very lucky with timing in my career, being in the right place at the right time. When I started Origin, the specialty coffee market just boomed. The same a little bit with opening the café in Porthleven. It was on the up. Sales have probably increased eight, nine times since we opened and that’s purely down to the volume of people that now come to the village. I guess it must have been around 2014 we opened the shop in Shoreditch. We were getting busier in London at the time. I was always very conscious that I can’t use my location as an excuse and if I want to sell coffee to London, I have to behave as if I’m locally in London. So if somebody rang me up and said, I’d like to use your coffee, I would get in the car and I drive to London because it’s my choice to be based in Cornwall, nobody else’s. There’s plenty of decent roasters in London to use so I would do that a lot and met some good people and won some really good accounts there. And then we had the opportunity to work with Soho House, when they were just at the very start of an expansion drive. They wanted to put specialty coffee into all of their venues across the world. We worked really closely with them. Part of the agreement with them was we had to have a space in London that was able to offer education and technical support, which kind of forced our hand which was good because it provided the volume of coffee supply that we needed. But I wanted an income against that and I wanted to open a café in London, so we

chose the location in Shoreditch and away we went. We had some great people working in that café, we opened up more and more wholesale accounts and then all of a sudden the infrastructure became bigger with four technicians, a service manager and wholesale managers. As we ran out of space we opened Southwark three years ago, just by the tube station. We have a café in the front, great food and then in the back we have offices, education, technical support. And we’ve got to the point where we obviously now sell a lot more coffee in London than we do in Cornwall. How many people do you employ now across everything? I think it’s about 84 at the moment, which is pretty much 50-50 with Porthleven and out of county. So we’ve got the cafés, we have an office in Bristol, where we have technician and a wholesale manager. We have a wholesale manager in Leeds and Edinburgh. Then we also have wholesale managers, trainers and engineers in London.

SOBEY

So what actually happened during the pandemic is all of those sales with Soho House went straight into our website. So, we currently have a balance, I would say of about 25% web, 25% retail and 50% wholesale. You have six cafés now. Has the growth of the shops helped drive the growth of the whole business? Very much. They help to showcase the brand and also give you control. Coffee is an odd product in the sense that people often judge the coffee based on where they have it. If you go to a restaurant, you have a terrible meal, you don’t look up the supplier. You would say “gosh, that chef’s not particularly good”. Whereas with coffee, you go to a café and if it’s not particularly well made, people will say that coffee is awful. But it’s not that the coffee is awful, it was how it was made.

As a brand, we have to continually evolve

Is most of your coffee sold through wholesale? We have good mix. Just before the pandemic, we lost Soho House, which was a big customer of ours, about 12% of our income. But we always managed it with the infrastructure, the cafés, and stuff like that. I always knew that for every year that we supplied Soho House, was one year that we should be grateful for doing that. We knew at any point they could move to a different roastery. In the end, they bought into a coffee roaster, which is why they changed away from us.

It was really interesting. In the early days, you’d have some really good adopters of the training and they brewed great coffee. Then all of a sudden that barista would leave and you’re almost back to square one and then perhaps they bring in somebody who wasn’t as good, the coffee wasn’t as great then that affects your reputation etc. Education is a huge part of what we do. With our own cafés, obviously we employ amazing baristas and we present coffee incredibly well. So yes, I guess the shops act as a brand experience marketing tool. They’re not particularly profitable, but then they’re not run to drive revenue, they are run as cafés to provide a brand experience.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13

TOM

SOBEY

So, there isn’t a plan to significantly expand the cafés beyond six? No. I did think if I had millions of pounds sat in the bank, I would open small specialty coffee shops, maybe in some seasonal towns across Cornwall and Devon. But we work with and supply some amazing partners who’ve supported us over a long period of time and I don’t know how comfortable I would feel in doing that. And also, I don’t have millions of pounds sat in the bank! There are so many challenges with hospitality; the challenges in staffing and all of those things. You have a very hard job to run good cafés. It’s well documented, it’s really difficult to get chefs at the moment. We reopened in Penryn last March. It’s an amazing café, the food is incredible. Since March, we’ve had one chef who’s absolutely amazing. But we still haven’t managed to recruit a second chef and so we’re still only open five days a week for food, which is a real shame. Same with the roastery in Porthleven. He just couldn’t get any more chefs. And so it’s really, really hard. And especially with the pandemic and the pinging. George last year got pinged and lost ten days of August which cost him an absolute fortune. It’s tough running cafés, it really is.

year. Growth will also come from events and we have a new events manager that’s just joined us. We were asked recently by a well-known boat manufacturer to go out to Germany for the Dusseldorf Boat Show. They realise the value in serving amazing quality coffee on their stand. So they were talking about paying us to set up bars over there, baristas over there. And actually, there’s a whole world of that that goes on. So we see good growth there. We have some pretty exciting growth plans. I guess the worry is if there’s another lockdown, and then stay stagnant for another 12 months. We have an amazing team of wholesale managers, we supply some of the best independent cafés, restaurants, hotels, specialty coffee shops in London, and there’s so many good people that we plan to work with in the next 12 months. But the fear is, you get a lockdown and all of a sudden it hits your figures for the whole 12 months, exactly the same as the prior year, people get frustrated and away you go. So it’s very difficult to manage that.

When I started Origin, the specialty coffee market just boomed

Going forward, where’s the growth in the business going to come from? Selling more into the wholesale trade? Online and wholesale. We’ve invested a lot of money in a new website and our web businesses has grown by 70% in the last

14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

What are the challenges with building a company like Origin? I’ve been very careful in how I’ve grown Origin. And I’ve always felt, as I touched on earlier, I sort of stumbled into this by accident. People have always asked what my exit strategy is. But what else would I do? I’ve got the qualifications and the job. I’m going to be in this forever, because I don’t know what I would do otherwise! Well, I always fancied being an estate agent maybe! I am the sole owner of Origin. I’ve always been very, very cautious in how I’ve grown it. It’s taken 15 years to build a really good,

sustainable, ethical brand that aspires to be Europe’s leading specialty coffee roaster. As a brand, we have to continually evolve. what we were 15 years ago is not who we are today. And we have to evolve because there’s always somebody younger, cooler, more aggressive in terms of growth than you, that will come along and want what you’ve got. So, I always try to employ people who are smarter than I am, which is pretty easy! People who can add value, who take autonomy within their role and can take pride in the work that they do. Smart people who are ambitious, who’ve got the right personality, who want to take ownership of their role. One of the most rewarding and also the one of the most challenging parts of growing a brand is people and I think at Origin we’ve had some amazing success stories with people. For instance, one fellow came to work for me as a barista in Porthleven. When he did a degree in business, we gave him a job as head of wholesale. He had a really good career with us and twice won the World Coffee in Good Spirits competition and is now a global coffee consultant. I take massive pride in things like that.

Would it have been easier if you were based up in the home counties? Have you ever considered moving Origin up country? No, because I was born in Cornwall and I love living in Cornwall. But if we were based in London, yes I think Origin would probably be a lot bigger. But do I regret not living in London? Not in the slightest. Yes, sometimes the distance between Cornwall and London is a long way away. But I have a wife and three children and I like spending time at home. I want to be here for my family, I don’t want to be in London, all week, every week and coming home at weekends.

TOM

Do you trade on Cornwall and Cornishness? That’s an interesting question, but no, not really. You see all these brands which pop up now and everything’s about Cornwall and the lifestyle. Historically, it’s people who are not particularly from the region who do that more. I’m very proud to be Cornish, proud to have grown up in Cornwall. I’m very pro Cornwall. So where we would use Cornwall as a brand experience would be maybe if someone from Soho House or of that ilk came down. We’d bring them down to Porthleven, would spend a couple of days with them, go to the Mussel Shack, to Kota Kai. Give them that brand experience. But that just reinforces the identity of Origin as a business. But I’m not a big fan of just stamping Cornwall lifestyle on everything. I think a brand should be about the product and the people as opposed to a location.

You recently became a certified B Corp business. Was that driven through personal passion? I had always wanted to be B Corp. I had spoken to a guy at Caravela, which is a coffee exporting company that we worked with in Colombia probably about four or five years ago. He was telling me about B Corp, but I’d never heard it before. And then I did some research into it. As I said to the guys at work, I want us to be B Corp. It verifies everything that we do. It’s very easy for us to stand up and say we’re sustainable, we’re doing this, we’re doing that, because that’s a message that we can put out. But I always felt there was a lack of verification.

coffee, etc. But what happens if that guy treats his coffee farmers terribly, doesn’t look after them, doesn’t do this, doesn’t do that, pollutes rivers etc? We always did face to face visits with them, did some audits, but actually part of the B Corp process was to involve third party independent auditors. So it’s not just our guy saying we’re great because we pay a national minimum wage in El Salvador. That’s awesome, but actually it’s not awesome if everybody else who works in coffee in that area is getting double that amount. So, the whole thing with B Corp was just actually verifying everything that we wanted to do. And I think with specialty coffee, certainly in the UK, it was a bit like the space race, and then everybody was trying to do it. We were one of the very first and we are really proud of that. We’re certainly the only specialty coffee roaster down here in the south west who is B Corp.

We’ve had some amazing success stories with people

Yes, you can buy direct from the farmer and pay a premium because he grows great

In recent times the growth in specialty coffee has also moved to enjoying it at home with the likes of coffee pod machines.

We had been talking about doing coffee pods for years but I was very against them, not for the environmental reasons but I was against them because I’d never had a capsule which I thought tasted pretty good. It was suggested and I said you’ve got to be joking. We’re coffee guys! I’d expect that sort of suggestion from the finance guy!

SOBEY

But there’s a lot of growth. Someone who does capsules once described it to me as costing 30p for five grams of coffee or whatever. He said for him to achieve £2 million worth of sales in capsules, he’d have to buy something like 10,000 kilos of coffee. Whereas if he was a traditional wholesale roaster, to achieve £2 million worth of sales, he’d have to buy something like 100 tons of coffee. So, I said to them at the time, if you can come back to me and give me some capsules which I enjoy, then yes, I would be keen to do it. And we discovered a company who would make the capsules as aluminium. People have talked aluminium being really bad, which they’re not if you dispose them in the right way. When you have finished with the capsule, if you separate the coffee into your compost and then the aluminium into household recycling, you actually completely recycle that product. And the coffee was brewing really well. It was delicious. But we are continually evolving and at the moment we are looking at doing a home compostable capsule.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 15

WELLBEING

16 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

CORNWALL

WELLBEING

CORNWALL

Different

strokes

Health and wellbeing are strongly linked to happiness and life satisfaction. And with the amount of time we spend at work, employers clearly have an important role to play. But what practical measures can they take?

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 17

WELLBEING

CORNWALL

KAREN OLDHAM-WARING (SUNFLOWER TRAINING)

THE IMPORTANCE OF STAFF WELFARE HAS, ARGUABLY, NEVER BEEN IN SHARPER FOCUS. Out of adversity comes opportunity they say, and after the turmoil of the past two years, employers have become increasingly aware of their staff’s (and their own) wellbeing. Karen OldhamWaring is the director of Sunflower Training, which 18 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

specialises in helping businesses improve workforce wellbeing.

investing back into your own business. Being happy and well is contagious!”

“When it comes to workplace health and wellbeing,” she says, “it’s no longer a case of wondering if it’s worth the investment because by now, most, if not all, employers will have realised that healthy, happy, valued staff repay you with their loyalty, hard work, and are prepared to go the extra mile because they know it will be appreciated and not taken for granted.”

Staff wellbeing is a policy that Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) actively promotes to its members. Steve Avenell, is CMN’s positive people programme manager.

Mental health should be regarded like physical health

She says businesses need to look beyond their legal obligations of health and safety in the workplace, and focus on mental and emotional wellbeing. “This can be seen as a ‘pink and fluffy addon’ to workplace health but look a little closer and you’ll see that by helping your staff to look after their health and wellbeing, you’re

He says healthy workplaces help people flourish and reach their potential and employers should be fully committed in making this happen.

“Having happy employees is extremely important for the survival and performance of any organisation,” he says. “Happier employees work harder, work better together in teams and are generally more productive.

WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATIONS Mental Health Matters Physical health is often a major consideration for organisations, but what about the mental health of employees? Whether you follow a remote, inoffice, or blended arrangement, a robust Employee Assistance Programme can help employees be more resilient and fulfilled, and contribute to your company thriving even better.

Services Your Sea Sanctuary Employee Assistance Programme can include: Initial one-to-one assessments for staff Regular wellbeing checks Individual Therapy Stress management and resilience-building workshops Wellbeing days Sailing days Therapeutic water-based activity days Guidance on services that may be useful Consultancy

The Benefits Improves wellbeing Encourages productivity Creates a more engaging working environment Strengthens team bonds Improves emotional resilience and responses to stressful situations Benefits your organisation through less absenteeism from mental health-related illnesses Contact us to find out more Phone: 01326 378 919 Email: kim@seasanctuary.org.uk Website: www.seasanctuary.org.uk

Sea Sanctuary is a Charitable Company, limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales with Company Number: 10671707, Charity Number: 1172246

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 19

WELLBEING

CORNWALL

STAFF MATTERS Karen Burwood, head of HR at The Family Law Company, explains how investment in staff can lead to investment in the business. It is all too easy for law firms to focus on WIP, billing targets and the client experience as the drivers for success. But ignoring your employees could be incredibly detrimental. After all, they are the core of your business, without them none of the above will be achieved. By strategically investing in your people, you not only retain and attract strong recruits, but you also have the opportunity to create a culture where employees are willing to adapt to change, innovation and failure as much as the successes. Your employees, not just the senior team, feel empowered to openly discuss issues and ideas for the good of the business. Whether it’s a new client call co-ordinator creating fact sheets for clients to free up time for lawyers, or a director developing a mentoring scheme to support employee’s personal development; each ultimately drives success for the business.

development and diversity of skills? Nurture their loyalty and as they progress so will the opportunities that brings.

beginning will not only help them to get up to speed quickly but will make them feel valued too.

INCREASE YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND

Ensuring employees know that their development matters to you early on will make them less likely to move on to another company. This gives the employer a competitive edge.

If your employees feel valued, word will get out. Your external communications may share cake bakes, virtual drinks and smiling faces but this will only be authentic if employees’ perception of the leadership and business mirrors those sentiments. Do good for them and they will do good for your business. Provide opportunities for continual learning such as buying them a book they’ve shown interest in reading or offering personalised training. Think carefully about your internal communications. Overinflated gestures might look good on social media but a simple thank you also goes a long way. Cultivating a supportive environment benefits everyone.

Empowered to openly discuss issues and ideas for the good of the business

OPPORTUNITIES FOR UPWARD MOBILITY As any HR professional knows, recruiting and training employees comes at great expense. Offering appropriate training and career progression opportunities can greatly relieve this burden. After all, who knows the business better than someone on the inside, getting to know your employees and their personal ambitions, then training and supporting them every step of the way. Succession planning has always been an area of concern for the legal sector, particularly for small or mid-sized firms. At The Family Law Company, we’ve recently launched our directorship programme, a transparent approach that encourages employees to develop the skills, qualities and sharing of aspirations that are needed to join our board. Too often recruitment to the board is addressed only when there is need to replace a retiring director. Why not instead show your employees and new hires that you are committed to career

20 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

ATTRACTING AND RETAINING HIGH CALIBRE EMPLOYEES If you grow a reputation for these key points, then you are halfway there. Any business needs to have a steady stream of talented individuals joining. On-boarding them to your business will be key. Investing in supporting them from the very

Dee Hock famously said: “An organisation, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who live and work in it.” Lack of investment in your employees - both in terms of money and time - will ultimately slow any advancement. Embrace it and the possibilities are vast. After all, who doesn’t want to work in a business where they feel valued?

WELLBEING

“Managers should become role models,” he says. “Employees are more likely to engage with health and wellbeing interventions if they see senior leaders actively participating in them. “Employers can encourage employees’ involvement by communicating how staff can access the support and benefits available to them. It’s also important that the organisation seeks employee feedback about it’s current offering so it can learn how to shape existing initiatives and plan new ones.”

the huge cost of stress and ill-health has become more and more apparent. The role of work in people’s lives has become more intertwined. I’d like to think there’s a movement towards organisations committing more to understanding and acting on their social responsibilities.”

Happier employees work harder, work better together in teams and are generally more productive

“Involve people,” echoes Adam Pearson of Newquay Hypnotherapy. “Make it consultative and collaborative. Be creative and prepare to be surprised. Don’t take the short cut by assuming you already know the answer.” Just a few years ago, staff health and wellbeing was barely on the radar for many employers. Much has changed. “This is partly because the science of positive psychology is now so clear and undisputed,” says Perason. “It’s also because

Samuel Boot is the founder of the Soul Sweats, which organises health and wellness events aimed at educating companies from all backgrounds about Holistic Health practices and how they help employees to feel in control of their own wellbeing.

He says: “Integrating a quality health and wellness programme into the workday for employees facilitates productivity by boosting engagement, satisfaction, retention, and performance long-term. “It will help employees establish a wellbeing practice to cope with the increased stresses of modern workplaces.” He says a happy workforce is a more productive one and adopting wellbeing practices will help employees cope with “the increased stresses of modern workplaces”.

CORNWALL

Much progress has been made in recent times and the subject of health and wellbeing is being taken seriously. It does not mean, however, that it’s job done. “Stresses and strains will always play a part in any workplace, but more awareness in the mental health conversation, helped by worldwide ambassadors, celebrities, social media, and people generally speaking out, has made a huge difference,” says Joseph Sabien from the mental health charity, Sea Sanctuary. “The conversation still has a long way to go though, and we need to keep candidly talking about mental wellbeing to ensure we’re able to create safe spaces for future generations to continue talking about theirs too. “Mental health should be regarded like physical health—if you have a physical illness you take the time off work that you need and seek medical help, and we need to normalise the same for the health of our minds too.”

OWNERSHIP. ACCOUNTABILITY. AUTONOMY. Karen Oldham-Waring says it’s a 50-50 deal. Employers have an obligation to look after staff, but employees also have an obligation to be fit and well for work. So how can you achieve this symbiotic state? She says, if you haven’t already done so, then give serious consideration to setting up a workplace health group. Here are her top tips. • LEAD FROM THE TOP – for this to work, it’s absolutely imperative that directors and senior management have a place on the group. This shows staff that you are interested and that it’s not an ‘us and them’ tick box exercise. Let your employees see that you take your health and wellbeing seriously too. Lead by example. • ROTATE GROUP MEMBERS – look at a quarterly rotation of group members. This ensures that everyone has a stake in the

health and wellbeing of their workplace and no one person or group gets burned out with the responsibility of always coming up with ideas and organising things. • RESPECT THE CAUSE – if you’re going to offer workplace health and wellbeing activities and forums, then support staff in being able to attend. This avoids bad feeling and again, the optic that this is just a tick-box exercise. • CHOOSE YOUR CAMPAIGNS – in order to let targeted messages sink in, while at the same time not giving the group too much extra work, look at running campaigns quarterly. You can access daily, weekly, monthly, national and international campaigns online by visiting www. nhsemployers.org or www.who.int • GET A FEEL FOR WHAT STAFF MIGHT APPRECIATE – it’s all very well offering

out things and with the best of intentions. But be smart and find out what would be the most useful or appreciated before you spend your precious budget on something that you think is a good idea but staff can’t access or make use of. • START SMALL – even if it’s just the odd bowl of fruit on offer once a week (Covid restrictions observed, naturally), it’s better to over-achieve than under-promise. Discuss budget constraints for the chosen term/quarter and be realistic in what you can offer. • FORGE PARTNERSHIPS – look at what leisure facilities/organisations can offer as a negotiated partnership. Join organised activities such as Cornwall Beach Games where you can pitch yourselves against other local organisations. There’s nothing like a bit of healthy competition to get people engaged and motivated!

For more information, support or training, please contact office@sunflowertraining.co.uk or visit www.sunflowertraining.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 21

WELLBEING

CORNWALL

Healthy

heroes

Business Cornwall are proud to present six star examples of some of the Duchy’s wellbeing specialists...

NEWQUAY ORCHARD The Kowel Gwenen Co-Workspace, nestled in the sanctuary of Newquay Orchard, has flourished into a hub of creativity and collaboration since it opened in May 2021. The office space has far stretching vistas and benefits from natural light - conducive to a calm working environment. Members of the co-workspace enjoy Canteen at the Orchard lunches together on the Cornish stone terraces and take walking phone calls outside when the weather allows. Evening yoga, sound healing and Qigong classes help end the 9 to 5 day with wellbeing at its core. Kowel Gwenen is an innovative space and work life balance is at the forefront of the building’s design and purpose. Co-workers have empathy for people and planet, working in sectors specialising in access to mental health services, increasing social economic opportunities, sustainable energy and low-carbon travel. Newquay Orchard is proud to share our greenspace with Kowel Gwenen members who are making a difference to local communities, sharing our goal to improve our environment and generate business practices that are good for people and for the future.

01637 877182 www.newquayorchard.co.uk

22 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

CORNWALL MARINE NETWORK Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) has launched a new funded Blue Health programme to support people in the local Falmouth and Penryn communities to connect to the sea, improve their health and well-being and discover the breadth of economic, volunteering and recreational opportunities available in the local marine sector. Blue Health refers to the therapeutic benefits of spending time in or by blue spaces including the sea, rivers, waterfront parks, harbours and marinas. Significantly, existing research highlights a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, including greater connectedness with nature, with greater benefits when time spent in the outdoors is combined with social interactions. CMN’s Blue Health workshops build on these findings to offer a new year-round programme of activities by the sea from coastal dog walks and seaweed foraging to wild swimming, meditation on the beach and kayaking.

01326 211382 www.cornwallmarine.net

WELLBEING

CORNWALL

NEWQUAY HYPNOTHERAPY

VIA FERATTA

Hypnotherapy is a powerful and enjoyable way to improve wellbeing, helping with anxiety, sleep, fears, habits, IBS and many symptoms related to stress.

Launched by and sharing the same ethos as charity BF Adventure, which provides vital care to Cornwall’s most vulnerable children, we’re experts in boosting wellbeing.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy takes the focus away from problems and builds on strengths, possibilities and what’s already working. This relaxes the natural fight/flight responses, opens up our creative resources and enables us to return to a natural state of calm, confidence and control.

One way we do this is through our team away days which are designed to motivate and build teams, with exhilaration and fun at the heart!

The combination of conversation and hypnosis allows the subconscious parts of our minds to become active in very positive directions. There are different techniques for hypnosis but a simple starting point is to relax – something we all know how to do. Any time we relax our brains get active, optimising mental pathways, reinforcing useful ones and letting go of others. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is an enjoyable and often surprisingly straightforward process. Problems can be complex, but the solutions don’t always need to be.

If you’re after something unique that’ll guarantee your team bonding then try our Via Ferrata, an unforgettable high wire adventure through our quarries involving scaling cliff faces, wobbling across our high wire bridge and ziplining through the air. Individuals can make their experience as challenging as they like – perfect for groups of mixed abilities! We also offer watersports, climbing, archery, coasteering and more. Finally, look out for our highly popular Business Challenge Event – it’ll be back this September and is your chance to battle it out to win our trophy. Teambuilding challenges, networking, brand promotion and CSR combine to create an epic day out!

07775 715672 www.newquayhypnotherapy.com

01326 341904 www.viaferratacornwall.co.uk

SOUL SWEATS

SEA SANCTUARY

Soul Sweats is a Cornish health & wellness venture facilitating holistic health workshops, corporate events and retreats.

Workplace wellbeing has been in the spotlight significantly since the pandemic, and local mental health charity, Sea Sanctuary, offers ways for you to boost your own, and your employees’ wellbeing at work. A happier workplace is a more effective workplace and investing in your team with Wellbeing Champion Training gives a chosen team member the skills they need to provide confidential mental health and wellbeing advice and guidance to others.

Its mission is to provide health & healing enabling people to observe their health from a holistic perspective and feel empowered to take back control of their wellbeing. They believe that everyone has the ability to live a healthy and happy life through consistent practices such as breathwork, hot & cold therapy, yoga, sound healing, and meditation; the synergy of which has a multitude of scientifically backed psychological & physiological health benefits. Sam, a qualified Wim Hof Method instructor and holistic life coach at the CHEK Institute, founded Soul Sweats with his partner Jana, a yoga teacher and psychology researcher in 2019. Both have over ten years’ experience in various yogic and holistic health disciplines and believe in teaching practices based on evidence and intuition to maximise mind and body benefits.

07413 157103 soulsweatsaunas@gmail.com www.soulsweats.com

Your employees might be suffering with anxiety, depression, bereavement, stress, or something else; we often never know completely what someone’s dealing with and if they’re struggling. Your trained Wellbeing Champion will be able to provide other employees a safe space to talk and can signpost them to the best resources and services to help them. Appointing a Wellbeing Champion promotes better mental health in your business and shows your employees you care about their welfare.

01326 378919 kim@seasanctuary.org.uk www.seasanctuary.org.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 23

DIGITAL

CONNECTIVITY

The biggest difference it’s made to my business is peace of mind

24 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

DIGITAL

CONNECTIVITY

Game changing

connectivity

Cornish broadband provider Wildanet is expanding its network bringing superfast and super-reliable broadband to communities and businesses throughout Cornwall, including transforming connectivity and bringing peace of mind for one popular holiday business. Happy campers are now enjoying ultrafast and super-reliable broadband during their stays after Wildanet stepped in to transform connectivity at a family-run Cornish holiday park.

struggling because people would get logged on and they would lose their connection. It was an absolute nuisance and I could spend an hour a day helping people get on the WiFi. But you can only get so much out of 16Mbps.

Francis Grose, owner of Kelynack Camping and Caravan Park, near St Just, turned to Wildanet for help after his guests kept losing their WiFi connection. The result is a new hyperfast broadband service and WiFi network around 40 times faster than the park was previously able to offer.

“For some of our guests it was particularly problematic as they were relying on the service for remote working while they holidayed with their family.”

Kelynack (which means holly grove in Cornish) is nestled beside a stream in the beautiful Cot Valley, west Cornwall, offering tent, caravan and motor home pitches, plus static caravans and self-catering accommodation. The remote location means the site is a huge hit with visitors but accessing high-speed and high-quality internet connection was an issue, with about 16Mbps to 18Mbps the best they could offer guests staying on the site. “One of the things our customers would ask is could we provide good WiFi and, hand on heart, before Wildanet arrived, obviously we couldn’t,” explains Francis. “We were really

Getting a physical broadband connection to the site wasn’t straightforward and Francis had contacted other internet providers in the past for help but without success. Wildanet’s team came up with an innovative hybrid solution which involved using an antenna on a nearby house send the signal to bring an ultrafast connection to Kelynack, boosting connectivity to around 1Gbps. “The biggest difference it’s made to my business is peace of mind,” says Francis.

Francis says the switch over was easy, with installation carried out within just 1 day, once the relevant surveys and assessments had been completed. “If there’s anybody else in this situation who wants more broadband, I would definitely recommend Wildanet,” said Francis. “They’ve been really good to me and nothing seems to have been too much trouble. It’s made my life a lot easier.” If you or your business need help and support with digital connectivity, Wildanet has a range of options and innovative solutions available as it accelerates its £50m rollout across Cornwall. Speak to the team on 0800 0699906 or visit www.wildanet.com/business Watch the video:

“It’s made campers a lot happier too. Mum or dad can do their work, children can play their games. And it’s taken the stress out of my job, as far as wifi’s concerned, now it’s straight on. It’s a win-win situation.”

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 25

IMMERSIVE

TECH

Welcome to the

Metaverse

Businesses are conquering virtual worlds, says Brian Waterfield, head of immersive production at Falmouth University. Is it time for your business to join the party? You may be somewhat familiar with the term ‘Meta’ if you’ve watched the news in the last couple of months. Facebook has rebranded their parent company to better align with their future goals, focusing on the possibilities of a ‘Metaverse’, a 3D internet of sorts where Zuckerberg says it will be possible to “teleport instantly as a hologram to be at the office without a commute, at a concert with friends, or in your parents’ living room to catch up...”

no longer an elective choice to create digital solutions, the market is already expecting it and it’s essential for businesses’ growth and innovation to keep improving their offer.

create efficiencies, explore new products and services, maximise resource and meet training needs.

I’ve seen some great advances from some excellent companies, start-ups and established players here in Cornwall. There is absolutely a thirst for change and progress. We’re not starting from the bottom of the ladder, but there is a lot of catching up to do. Ask a UK leader what’s happening in the south west and they may say “well, great things are happening in Bristol and Exeter...” Looking at the road ahead, we’re dedicated to providing opportunities for local businesses to get on board with it and open up new possibilities.

ACTUAL REALITY: THE METAVERSE IS ALREADY HERE

The metaverse will become as ubiquitous as ‘digital transformation’

While understanding of the metaverse and use of extended reality is growing across the UK– it’s fair to say that here in the south west we could be doing more to capitalise on these emerging fields. In the next few years, the metaverse will become as ubiquitous as ‘digital transformation’ for businesses and local authorities. It’s

Immersive technologies – augmented and virtual realities – offer new ways to save time,

The automotive and aerospace industries now use immersive technologies throughout their product development and decision-making processes. Having the ability to visualise the product early in the creation process has given designers and engineers a powerful tool, incorporating failure mode analysis and decision making into simulation and virtual, reducing costs significantly improving quality and meeting the needs of customers. The use of similar technologies is also becoming the norm in the healthcare and medical training fields, with health authorities in the UK now using simulation and immersive technology to train and maintain standards and stage simulated surgical procedures. This is resulting in a shortened passage of time to introduce drugs and medicine to the market and has vastly simplified the process of surgical procedures. The construction, architecture and civil engineering industries have immersive technology and digital process embedded into their work. Larger construction firms and architectural firms know that giving clients an immersive experience of what is possible can make the difference to winning a tender or not. The technology has filtered down to smaller construction firms, where augmented reality is now being used to layout tasks by overlaying data on site. Across the globe, big brands like Nike, Roblox, Balenciaga, Gucci, Coke and Sotheby’s are building immersive and responsive worlds to engage their customers with their brands via the metaverse – an

26 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

IMMERSIVE

TECH

ENTER THE GROWTH ZONE With our trusted team of digital experts at our Immersive lab, we’re offering free advice and support to help you elevate your products and services with digital tools and technology. Whether it’s virtual or augmented reality, sophisticated motion capture or 360° video, there’s an exciting new world that can be unlocked for your customers and clients.

exciting and bold way of virtually exploring a new world with a sense of your own presence. The Royal Shakespeare company, the Royal Theatre and Royal College of Art have all invested considerably into immersive technology and are creating a new way to engage and experience via 3D immersive sound, visuals and motion capture. IMMERSIVE TECH CAN AID PANDEMIC RECOVERY IN CORNWALL Here in Cornwall, we’re already witnessing the interface of raw creative talent with cutting edge tech. Through the university and our partners, we’re building a foundation for more competitive creative entrepreneurship and creative tech ability to service the future marketplace. Travel and hospitality have been severely impacted by the pandemic. But new technologies can be part of the recovery. It’s been great to see Cornwall Museums Partnership and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly LEP embrace the use of immersive tech through the WaVE project in partnership with Falmouth University, which fostered the use of virtual, augmented and Immersive technologies to help bring our best heritage and tourism sites to life and taking our tourism industry into the future. If social media has ‘opened up the conversation’, the metaverse opens up and democratises the entire creation and involvement process, away from a transmit and consume model and towards a deeper, more immersive and responsive interface between customers, consumers and companies.

Falmouth University’s Immersive Business Lab is also working closely with Cornish company Glass Twin, who are revolutionising the concept of immersive sound-based experiences that can aid trauma recovery, fight the epidemic of stress in our emergency services and healthcare settings and help individuals strengthen their wellbeing and overall health. There’s strong evidence demonstrating that these immersive technologies have an incredible influence over the way we respond to and cope with stress, how we process our trauma and recall our memories. We’re only just getting started and seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of ways this technology can benefit our communities, education and healthcare settings. I for one, can’t wait to see how our creative and entrepreneurial talent here in Cornwall will make it their own. There’s been a lot of noise in the media surrounding the subject of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). In many ways there’s more of a focus on NFTs than the wider umbrella of the metaverse, which is about so much more than images, songs, games and videos. By focusing too much on the latest media controversies around the latest NFT scandal or crypto boom, we risk missing out on the bigger picture – that is, the un-mined landscapes on offer for businesses through virtual metaverses. The metaverse is no passing fad. It is already happening and is here to stay. So...are you ‘meta curious’ yet?

We can help you understand the benefits of immersive tech for your business, try out the technology on offer and co-produce or connect you to custom tools to suit your unique business goals. WHO CAN APPLY? SMEs registered in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (you must not have received more than £200k of state aid in the last three years). INDUSTRIES WE WORK WITH Creative / Heritage / Retail / Property and construction / Events / Hospitality / Manufacturing / Sustainability / Agriculture / Medical BENEFITS • Engage the senses of your clients, customers and service users to ‘bring them into your world’ or take them on a new journey completely • A more interactive and impactful way of boosting engagement and participation • Removes barriers to access, addresses logistical and environmental concerns about travelling to locations (Meet them in the meta) • Enriches and elevates the experience of interacting with your business/brand • Aids collaboration and involvement in a more personal way • Multi-sensory, emotionally engaging and FUN! Find out more by contacting

immersivebusiness@falmouth.ac.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 27

FINANCE

& FUNDING

Money

matters

From tax issues arising from flexible working, through to financing your business in 2022, over the following ten pages local financial experts offer their advice and thoughts to help you plan your business for the year ahead.

28 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

FINANCE &

FUNDING

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 29

FINANCE

& FUNDING

Introducing our focus on the finance sector in Cornwall, Handelsbanken branch manager, Elizabeth Stansfield, looks at what 2022 holds in store for business and finance. Here at Handelsbanken our forecast is that 2022 is going to see a change in what is driving the UK economy: from a recovery in consumer spending to an expansion of business investment. The Covid pandemic hit the UK’s economy like nothing has in at least the last century, with the UK economy shrinking by almost 10%. But the recovery in 2021 has also been rapid, fuelled in a good part by people shifting incomes from savings, which has rocketed from their normal level of around 7% to over 20% in the depth of the lockdown, to once again spending on goods and to some extent on services.

domestic tourism is high on the list of potential behaviour changes, and one that we will be watching closely (I think there will be a bit of a rebound towards foreign holidays in 2022, which will help ease some of the overcrowding we saw last summer, but ultimately sampling the delights of Cornwall for a holiday or short break will see a longerterm step change upwards).

prices up and yields down. The QE programme has now reached its target level of purchases, £895 billion, and with inflation picking up many other central banks around the world looking to slow or even beginning to cautiously reverse QE programmess, it looks certain that so long as there is no new Covid variant, a programme of further expanding QE is not on the cards.

The Bank of England gave the markets a slight surprise in December when they raised interest rates to 0.25% (analysts had been expecting the rate rise in February), and we expect a further rise later in the year, probably August, to 0.5%. The truth is of course that even at 0.5% interest rates are remain extremely low by any historical standard and we do not see the cost of capital being a meaningful constraint on investment anytime soon.

Indeed, what we expect now is that the Bank of England will begin to very slowly unwind their asset purchases when interest rates reach 0.5%, so sometime later this year. What the impact of this will be remains to be seen, QE was an emergency measure put in place after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 – 2009 and no central bank has undertaken any serious unwinding of these asset purchases. Ultimately our view is that finance, like many aspects of our economy and society, needs to be put on a sustainable footing and that means not depending on artificial or shortterm stimulus to survive.

The bigger question is what is likely to happen to inflation? Clearly inflation is looking to be more of a problem than initially anticipated, with energy prices rising rapidly (always difficult to forecast, although there is an expectation they will fall away with warmer weather) and a tight labour market leading to wage rises. For Cornwall, with its significant tourism industry, this is particularly problematic as amongst the hardest hit sectors has been restaurants and hotels, where finding staff has been challenging and wage rates have had to move up in response.

Inflation is looking to be more of a problem than initially anticipated

What is also notable is that businesses have also saved a considerable amount of cash. Estimates are that business savings grew by an extra £240 billion over the course of the pandemic. It is this stock of business savings which are going to be critical to the outlook for finance in the coming year, with business people now having a better idea as to how consumer habits have changed as a result of Covid and therefore where investment might yield the best returns. For Cornwall, the shift we have seen towards

30 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

The other big economic stimulus that the Bank of England has been undertaking is Quantitative Easing (QE); this is the Bank buying bonds (almost always Government Gilts) in an effort to keep

FINANCE &

FUNDING

WHAT AGE CAN I RETIRE? The start of the year is a time where many Brits start reviewing and planning their finances for the year, especially those looking to retire within the next few years. Private and commercial bank Arbuthnot Latham has surveyed 300 respondents asking the question “Are you ready for retirement?” to discover the UK’s attitude towards retirement. As the topic of retirement can be confusing for many, especially as of recent, with the talk of changes to the retirement age, the survey asked how Brit’s plan to spend their time, where they will live and how they will fund their retirement. As searches for “What age can I retire”

have shot up 350% over the last three months, the topic proves to be on many minds currently. Arbuthnot Latham found that 31% of respondents felt “in control and organised”, which means they have made some future life and financial plans and have a good idea of how they will spend their time once they stop working. Just over 30% of respondents didn’t fit a straightforward attitude, with answers spread over several profiles, showing mixed attitudes towards their life after work in terms of readiness and preparation. Around 19% expressed a “cautiously optimistic” attitude. These people are less

sure about what the future holds and might benefit from considering their future wants and needs and developing a plan to help them enjoy their retirement when it comes. Of the remaining respondents, 10% would describe themselves as ‘adventurous and energetic’, and the remaining 10% were ‘open to options. Those who identify as ‘adventurous and optimistic’ plan to live life to the full, enjoying every minute of their retirement and filling their days with new experiences. Those ‘open to options’ may be further away from retirement and as yet have not given their retirement too much thought.

The survey found that Brits have 5 key attitude Brits have towards retirement, these include:

31 10 19 10 30 %

IN CONTROL & ORGANISED 31% of respondents

ADVENTUROUS & ENERGETIC 10% of respondents

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC 19% of respondents

OPEN TO OPTIONS

10% of respondents

A BIT OF EVERYTHING

30 % of respondents

YEAR-END TAX PLANNING Now is the time to get your financial affairs in order, says RRL tax advisor Steve Maggs. It is that time of year again when we reflect and make plans to review and tackle things we have been meaning to for a while. Reviewing your tax and financial position should be included in these plans. This represents an overview of some tax planning points you may wish to consider. • Income splitting – Married couples/civil partners should review their level of taxable income received in the year to make use of tax savings by structuring their affairs to ensure that both use their personal allowances and basic rate tax bands. • Pensions – Seek to make use of any unused annual allowances from the previous 3 years. It is prudent to become a member of a registered scheme (if you are not already). Pensions are incredibly useful for inheritance tax planning purposes.

• Use of a company – If you are a higher or additional-rate taxpayer, structuring your business or investments through a limited company can significantly reduce your tax liabilities. • Capital Allowances – Often an overlooked aspect when investing in new ventures. Consider when purchasing a furnished holiday let or commercial property. • Making Tax Digital - If your business is voluntarily registered for VAT, make sure you are ready for ‘Making Tax Digital’, from April 2022. • Bank the 12.5% VAT rate before it reverts to 20% from 1 April 2022 (for those making supplies at the reduced rate).

• Will – Is your Will up to date? Consider making a Will if you have not made one. • Lasting Powers of Attorney – Certainly just as vital for future assurance. This is to cover your position should you lose cognitive mental capacity during your lifetime – particularly when you have dependants. And if you do nothing else, download our new free tax app to stay up-to-date with all things tax related!

• Inheritance tax Business Property/ Agricultural Property Relief – A regular review of the availability of these valuable reliefs is essential.

Truro 01872 276116 | Penzance 01736 339322 | post@rrlcornwall.co.uk | www.rrlcornwall.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 31

FINANCE

& FUNDING

THE SOUTH WEST’S CDFI Struggling to secure a business loan? MD John Peters explains how SWIG Finance can help. financial institutions, with profits reinvested in support of our mission to empower underserved but viable businesses to realise their full potential. We take a personal approach to lending which means that our decisions are made locally by people, not computers, and we seek to support businesses by looking at the bigger picture.

SWIG Finance is the south west’s dedicated Community Development Finance Institution - or CDFI for short. This means we’re a social enterprise supporting smaller local businesses that have been excluded from mainstream lenders. As a CDFI, we operate a different business model from traditional shareholder-driven

Our business managers support our customers with their applications, and for the duration of their loans, giving them the best chance for success. Our lending is typically backed by the British Business Bank’s Recovery Loan Scheme, which means that our loans are supported by a Government guarantee rather than personal collateral.

the Government’s Start Up Loans Scheme, through which we support an average of two new entrepreneurs every working day. During 2021 we invested more than £1.5 million into 85 Cornish businesses, helping to create 86 new jobs and safeguard a further 77 jobs. We work with a broad network of partners in the region who share our ambition to create a more balanced financial ecosystem for smaller businesses. If you’d like to discuss your needs with one of our business managers, please do get in touch.

We’re also a leading delivery partner for

hello@swigfinance.co.uk | 01872 227 930 | www.swigfinance.co.uk

FINANCE THROUGH CAPITALISE Many businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to secure finance through traditional borrowing methods and COVID-19 has only compounded this. At Bishop Fleming, a UK Top 30 Chartered Accountancy and Advisory firm, we have 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.

We are also able to make Recovery Loan Scheme applications to multiple lenders until the scheme runs out at the end of June 2022. 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. Capitalise provides existing relationships with lenders, with all the legal and admin work done. Our team at Bishop Fleming carry out the heavy lifting for you, making it easier to obtain funding.

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.

We have a wealth of knowledge around

Contact Ally Allington, partner on 01872 247066 or AAllington@bishopfleming.co.uk or Luke Venner, restructuring director on 01872 275651 or at LVenner@bishopfleming.co.uk for more information. 32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

FINANCE &

FUNDING

RISING WITH FINANCIAL ADVERSITY By PETER McGAHAN

FIRST we had the B word (Brexit), then the C word (Covid). I’ve since been running away from anything or anyone that begins with D. CAN YOUR PENSIONS AND ISAS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT? The current UK climate has attracted lots of foreign investment with large institutional investors returning to the UK to take advantage of the depressed share prices and the double whammy discount of a battered currency. Subsequently, those in UK domestic stocks have performed well and this is unlikely to change soon as these stocks still represent cheaper value compared to many of the other global markets. Many pension funds are left on the side and not actively managed either at a stock level (one individual share being moved) or at geographic level. They often are invested and left to ferment. Be sure to check if this is the case with yours as the difference in performance can be very significant.

an income over 10 times the former. So, in short, be sure your money is in the right fund by asking your Independent Financial Adviser to review it. POTENTIAL REDUNDANCY? The B and C words have also had an effect on jobs, and some in our society are facing a further clobber of redundancy.

Taking your redundancy tax inefficiently could see your tax on savings jump from 0% to 40%

I covered this point before, but, within your pension, the final income you receive depends on the performance above. The fund choices are critical (where your money goes). I looked at the performance difference over just 20 years of a £100k pension fund. The worst fund, (which is a well-known pension fund) returned just £94,640 (lost money) and the best returned just over £1 million, giving

Watch out for its tax impact. Taking your redundancy tax inefficiently could see your tax on savings jump from 0 per cent to 40%, your capital gains tax jump from 10% to 20%, dividend income increase of 7.5% to 38.1% and property increase from 18% to 28%. Similarly, child benefit can easily be wiped out if the redundancy is added to the income for the year.

An employee can always make an election to reduce their taxable income via what is called a salary sacrifice. Instead of taking a £10,000 bonus, for example, the employee could elect for the employer to make the pension contribution direct to a pension, saving the national insurance and lowering the income for tax and impact on the above taxes and benefits.

On top of this, the employee can request from the employer that they redirect their national insurance contribution saving to the pension. Afterall they will be saving 13.8 per cent, so, there is no loss to them to do so. Most good employers would do that automatically. In a normal salary/bonus scenario there is a 12 per cent employee and 13.8 per cent employer National Insurance to be gained. For redundancy payments, depending on your income, you will need some advice from your accountant and your independent financial adviser as to how much you should sacrifice or pay personally as certain tax issues could be triggered.

Peter McGahan is the Chief Executive Officer of Independent Financial Adviser Worldwide Financial Planning. Worldwide Financial Planning Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 440668) ‘The FCA does not regulate Credit Cards, Will Writing and some forms of mortgage and Inheritance Tax Planning.’ Information given is for general guidance only, and specific advice should be taken before acting on any suggestions made. All information is based on our understanding of current tax practices, which are subject to change. The value of shares and investments can go down as well as up. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

If you have a financial query, please call 01872 222422 or email info@wwfp.net or visit us on www.wwfp.net Follow us on Twitter: @WorldwideFP

Become a fan of Worldwide Financial Planning on Facebook BUSINESS CORNWALL | 33

FINANCE

& FUNDING

INVESTMENT READINESS Anna Davies, a solicitor at south west law firm Stephens Scown LLP, reviews some of the key things to consider from the South West Investment Fund. Rishi Sunak announced the £200 million South West Investment Fund as part of the autumn budget. The new fund, to be delivered by the British Business Bank, builds on the success of existing funds including the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (COISIF). For businesses considering seeking a loan or equity-based investment, key considerations will include the following: • Whether loan or equity funding will better suit the business’ needs and aspirations. For equity funding, the investor has a shared interest in growing the business and unlocking value. They will often bring highly valuable expertise on strategies to achieve those shared goals. Conversely, loan funding will provide a cash investment without the need to give

equity in the business to third parties. • The preparation of a realistic business plan, which takes account of business risk and demonstrates sources of revenue. • Preservation of key business-critical assets. Assets may be tangible, such as land or property, and the basis of the businesses’ use or ownership of such assets should be clear. Assets may also be intangible, such as intellectual property. Where possible, any important intellectual property should be appropriately protected. If there are business critical arrangements in place with particular suppliers and customers, the contractual terms on which those arrangements operate should be clearly identifiable.

Stephens Scown has regularly supported businesses that have successfully accessed funds from CIOSIF. If you would like to discuss the issues raised in this article further, please contact a.davies@stephens-scown.co.uk

FLEXIBLE WORKING Azets partner Malcolm Peters has some key considerations for employers.

Many employers are currently facing challenges with recruitment and offering flexible working practices may entice new employees. But employers should be mindful of any tax and National Insurance consequences. Key considerations for employers are home working costs, employee business travel, relocation of key employees, remuneration and overseas working. HOME WORKING COSTS Where there is a genuine home working arrangement in place (not occasional or voluntary working from home), employees may seek tax relief for additional costs related to home working, (eg utilities).

There are two options to claim. HMRC’s simplified method (flat-rate exemptions), or the actual method (apportioning all expenses for their business element; evidence of costs required). Alternatively, employers can make payments of up to £6/week, tax and NI free, to cover home working costs. EMPLOYEE BUSINESS TRAVEL When an employee works from home, the position may be unclear regarding where commuting and business travel begin and end. Therefore accurate claims and employer verification could prove difficult. RELOCATION OF KEY EMPLOYEES Some employers have consolidated their locations, and, where a key employee’s commute is no longer sustainable, an employer may wish to relocate them.

Currently, HMRC allows up to £8k to be paid, tax and NI free, to cover ‘qualifying’ employee costs. REMUNERATION Home working may change what employees want from their overall remuneration package; without the need for expensive season tickets for commuting, other tax-free benefits such as increased employer pension contributions may be more attractive than cash remuneration. OVERSEAS WORKING Employees may wish to work from further afield, such as overseas. If the employee is carrying out normal duties, and not attending the overseas location for a temporary purpose, it is unlikely that any travel will be allowable.

If you wish to discuss how we could assist you, please contact Malcolm Peters, partner at Azets on 01872 271655 or email malcolm.peters@azets.co.uk 34 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

FINANCE

& FUNDING

A PERSONAL APPROACH Independent business finance broker ASC focuses on getting the right finance, so you can focus on running your business. Visited your bank lately? It’s not easy to find a human being to speak to, while getting to see a manager is nigh on impossible. It’s no different for business customers and if you need a loan or finance for your business or want to buy an existing one, or even develop a property, where do you go? The answer is quite simple, find an experienced broker. An independent, experienced local broker with a strong track record and an emphasis on personal service. Conrad Robins at ASC Finance for Business has been helping clients in Cornwall and Devon find the right finance for over 30 years. As part of a national network of experienced brokers, ASC can provide lending solutions from local and national providers, high street banks and specialist lenders. As a business owner himself, Conrad understands the issues that face independent businesses and entrepreneurs and can truly empathise with clients while presenting comprehensive and practical finance proposals to the lending market. Building good relationships with other local professionals is also important.

More recently in addition to these sectors, Conrad has assisted numerous clients with funding to purchase and develop existing properties and build new ones. This can range from a single house conversion or new build to whole developments of many homes.

An independent, experienced local broker with a strong track record and an emphasis on personal service

Supported by a dedicated, enthusiastic and experienced team, Conrad is particularly knowledgeable in those business areas that are prominent in Cornwall, including hotels, holiday parks, restaurants and care homes. Other more unusual deals have included the purchase of fishing boats, a dog training centre, and a forest school.

Many deals have also been done for clients buying investment property including single residential properties and portfolio holders, commercial investments and holiday lets.

excellent working knowledge of the area, and experience in the market, enables us to achieve the right outcomes for our clients. “Whenever possible and practical, we look to meet clients in person in the first instance, in that way we can best understand the clients’ precise needs and build a good working relationship. Thereafter we endeavour to keep up regular communication throughout the process which doesn’t end at finding the right lender, we work collaboratively with our clients’ professional team, solicitors, accountants etc throughout the transaction until the deal is finally done.”

“Our approach to business is very simple in reality,” says Conrad. “With a small team of consultants, we are able to adopt a very personal, hands-on service to our clients and this combined with an

For more information call Conrad on 01872 261888 | conrad.robins@asc.co.uk | asc.co.uk 36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

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Looking for a business loan but don't fit standard bank criteria?

Seeking a business loan from £100k? We provide secured loans for almost any business purpose.

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BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37

CREATIVE

AND DIGITAL

FRESH NEW LOOK Redruth-based design studio A-Side is undertaking a radical rebrand for the Cornish Bakery. The rebrand will “drive a cultural stepchange” for the company while targeting a younger breed of customer. The refocussed brand vision will see all elements of Cornish Bakery’s estate transformed. At least seven new bakeries and three refurbishments will open under the new styling throughout 2022 and Cornish Bakery and A-Side have jointly commissioned two Cornwall and Devon-based artists, William Luz and Sophie Harding, to create unique artworks that will hang in every bakery. A new Cornish Bakery website and reformed social media and digital platforms have also gone live Cornish Bakery founder, Steve Grocutt, said: “Bakery is the new coffee shop and our carefully crafted, disruption-driven Cornish Bakery brand evolution will surprise many as it’s a major departure from our previous, multi-award-winning brand strategy. However, this powerful internal and external ‘re-set’ will pioneer our high-end proposition, activating a younger demographic in targeted geographies, all-the-while achieving our journey towards 100+ branches.”

SPONSORED BY

A RISING STAR A Cornish company has been announced as one of Tech Nation’s Rising Stars in the south west. Gunnislake-based audiobook innovator xigxag is the first platform to offer users the audiobook and eBook in a single format, with a ‘pay-as-you-read’ model. The xigxag app offers thousands of titles from major publishers including HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin Random House and leading independent publishers including Faber, Canelo, Boldwood and Chelsea Green.

Cornish tech company Headforwards has been named as the first business sponsor of Cornwall’s City of Culture 2025 bid. Cornwall is one of just eight areas in the UK longlisted for City of Culture 2025 status from an initial 20 expressions of interest from around the UK. The bid is being led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership and the competition is run every four years by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Toby Parkins, director and co-founder of Pool-based Headforwards, said: “Digital technologies form a significant part of the creative sector and no more so than in Cornwall, where we are seeing the emergence of an exciting create-tech industry.

Founded in 2007, Radix has risen to become one of the UK’s leading specialist B2B copywriting agencies, writing marketing content for technology companies worldwide. Directors Sophie Reynolds and David McGuire have sold 100% of the company’s shares to the new trust, which will hold them for the benefit of all employees. Reynolds said: “As Radix continued to grow, it became clear that our hardworking people deserved to benefit more directly from their success. We’re one team, and this new structure feels like a good 38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

The xigxag team concluded two successful investment rounds this year, raising over £500k to power their ambitious growth. Co-founder Kelli Fairbrother said: “It is an absolute honour for xigxag to be recognised as one of the hottest tech start-ups in the UK. Audio is a massive global trend, and we’re excited to help the publishing industry realise its full potential.”

CULTURAL HEADFORWARDS “We’re delighted to be backing Cornwall’s bid for City of Culture 2025 and look forward to making the case why Cornwall should win.” The benefits of winning the title are significant. Coventry, which is UK City of Culture 2021, has attracted over £100 million in capital investment to support cultural projects, while Hull saw more than 5.3 million visits in 2017. The shortlist for City of Culture 2025 will be announced next month, with the winning area revealed in May.

NO TROUBLE PARKING

EMPLOYEES TAKE OVER Penryn-based copywriting agency Radix Communications is now owned by its employees, after setting up an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).

www.digitalpeninsula.org

A start-up which is working to become the go-to parking payment solution in the county has just seen its first partnership go live. reflection of that. Now we’re ready for the next step of the journey.” Reynolds and McGuire will stay responsible for running the day-to-day business while, as sole shareholder, the trust will give employees a powerful say in the strategic direction of the company. It will also be able to pay staff bonuses based on profits. The two directors will be joined on the board of the new trustee company by two elected employees, Nick Prescott and Ben Clarke. SouthWestFD regional director and long-time Radix advisor Jeremy Kirk completes the board.

FindParkPay, founded by Tim Macknelly and Matthew Ratsey, provides a simple no signup platform, which looks to make paying for parking quick, easy and efficient for both customers and car park operators. Their solution has just been taken for a sixmonth trial by St Austell Town Council . Macknelly explained: “St Austell Town Council has been having issues with people using the current app they have in place, including complaints about download and set up time. Our Pay2Park system is an online payment system with no app required. The user simply scans a QR code and is taken directly to the payment options for that car park.”

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk

EDUCATION &

SPONSORED BY

As the Cornish tech industry continues to grow at pace, the increasing demand for an innovative new digital apprenticeship has seen a leading training provider take on an additional cohort.

TRAINING

APPRENTICESHIP GROWTH

CCB Training, the business training arm of The Cornwall College Group, has seen the popularity of its new Digital Support Technician apprenticeship go from strengthto-strength since its launch late last year. For study programme manager, James Winnan, who heads up the apprenticeship for CCB Training, the rise in demand comes as no surprise. “Since the first wave of Covid-19 lockdown, the world pivoted through online digital technologies, making it unsurprising that the future boosting digital support technician apprenticeships have been so popular,” Winnan explained. “So much so that, in fact, we are adding an additional cohort to this academic year to meet demand.” As the only provider of the apprenticeship in the county, The Cornwall College Group is currently training apprentices for a number of leading organisations, including Frugi, Naked Solar, Southerly Point Co-operative MultiAcademy Trust and Kings Service Centre (Kings College London).

CALLYWITH ONE OF THE BEST Callywith College in Bodmin has been ranked as one of the best sixth form colleges in England. Callywith, which opened four years ago in association with Truro and Penwith College, appears in 20th position on The Sunday Times Parent Power league table. Principal Jon Grey said: “We are thrilled with

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE Falmouth University is one of the best universities in the country for producing start-up businesses.

our placing in The Sunday Times Parent Power league, a testament to all the hard work of our students and outstanding staff.

According to new research from business financial platform, Tide, only London duo, Royal College of Art (1,655 start-ups) and Kingston University (1,630), have borne more graduate start-ups than Falmouth (1,135), since 2014/15.

“Since opening the college, we have been privileged to work with hundreds of exceptional students and as a specialist 16-19 provider, it’s great to celebrate the exceptional things our staff and students achieve together.”

As with the other two most entrepreneurial universities, Falmouth is primarily a creative university and provides support via its Launchpad programme, which has a specific focus on helping students to bring their ideas into the market. BUSINESS CORNWALL | 39

TOURISM

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

www.visitcornwall.com

UNIQUE PROPOSITION agency mark 20 years in the industry, the brand is looking to build on the 90% occupancy secured in 2021.

With another bumper year predicted for the staycation industry, Unique Homestays is continuing its search for the UK’s most inspiring homes. The Cornwall-based luxury rental agency has launched a series of short films and portraits celebrating its owners, as it invites owners of the UK’s most sought-after homes to join its exclusive collection. Fresh off the back of its most successful year, which also saw the luxury home rental

Unique Homestays secured over £100k in gross revenue for 35% of its properties in 2021, with five homes achieving upwards of £300k. Head of brand, Francesca Reed, commented: “Unique Homestays hosts are amongst the most creative and inspiring homeowners across the globe and we hope that by sharing their stories, we will not only share the passion that goes into making a stay unique for guests, but also attract likeminded property owners to join a movement of homestay pioneers.”

Sarah Gaskin, who works at The Headland in Newquay, won ‘Concierge of the Year’ at the event, which was hosted at the Park Plaza in London. Veryan Palmer, a director at The Headland, said: “Sarah joined The Headland ten years ago as a new recruit into hospitality following her career in the police service. She has developed into a world class Concierge, looking after our guests, our team of staff and also many people in the Newquay community.”

Meanwhile, The Headland celebrated its staff’s dedication and achievements for 2021 with a special awards ceremony. Kai Sinkevicius won the Front of House award, while other gongs went to Nandor Szentey (Heart of House), James Stevens (Newcomer of the Year), Kayti Sargent (Assistant Manager), while Team of the Year was jointly awarded to Housekeeping and Reservations. Manager/Head of Department of the Year was awarded to Jamie Edwards.

GREEN LIGHT FOR THIRD PHASE Retallack Resort & Spa has been granted planning permission for the third phase of its development project. The scheme consists of 67 luxury boutique barns, which will be available from £295k.

“It is vitally important that we have high quality developments rather than volume low quality ones and Hillside will be of a high standard,” he said.

Head of Visit Cornwall, Malcolm Bell, said the ‘Hillside’ development is “exactly the type of holiday properties we need more of here in Cornwall”.

Comprising 23 four-beds, 17 threebeds and 27 two-beds, the first of the Hillside’s boutique barns are due to be completed in the spring.

40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Visit Cornwall chief executive Malcolm Bell was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to tourism, particularly during the pandemic. Bell has been chief executive at Visit Cornwall for over a decade, and before that led the South West Tourism Board.

WORLD CLASS CONCIERGE An employee at a leading Cornish hotel was recognised for her “world class” work by scooping a prestigious award at the recent Hotel Cateys’ Awards.

MALCOLM BELL MBE

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Visit Cornwall was instrumental in establishing a regional group bringing together business leaders from across the south west, which met weekly to share intelligence and concerns with VisitEngland and Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport representatives over the lockdown and in the run-up to reopening. Bell also played a key role in securing the Carbis Bay Hotel site for the G7 Summit and worked with the Cabinet Office G7 Taskforce to source accommodation for the delegations attending the event. Visit Cornwall has also developed a legacy plan for the event to ensure it achieves its full potential for growing international tourism to the area and delivering long-term economic and social benefits.

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

#FSBCONNECT

TAKE FIVE TO STOP FRAUD The Take Five campaign is ramping up its efforts to help make SMEs more fraud-aware, to stem millions of pounds of losses to this insidious form of crime every year. FSB is supporting the campaign urging people to stop, challenge, and protect themselves from fraudsters’ attempts to scam them out of their hard-earned cash. As many businesses continue to have people working from home, fraudsters will try to take advantage of opportunities to steal money where firms might be working outside of their normal processes. Criminals often attempt to impersonate a chief executive, senior manager, or supplier to try and convince staff to make an urgent payment or to change the existing bank account details held on file. These scams result in the victim transferring money to a criminal – UK Finance figures showed that in the first half of 2021, businesses saw £59.2 million lost to these frauds, an increase of 35%.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD In a survey conducted for the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign, 80% of SMEs said they had received an unsolicited text or email request for money and personal information and 64% had received unsolicited phone calls. The survey also found that although 62% of SMEs claim to be more aware of fraud since the start of the pandemic, a concerning one in six (16%) did not challenge an unsolicited phone call requesting money or personal information.

BUSINESS POSITIVITY FALLS SIGNIFICANTLY polled and also saw the region become one of the least optimistic in the country for their 2022 prospects. Although it is hoped the easing of Covid restrictions now on the way may help to restore some of the business sentiment, the FSB’s Cornwall based, regional policy representative, Craig Carey-Clinch, said the results of the 2021 Q4 survey were a stark reminder of the difficulties many small businesses throughout the south west face as we enter the New Year.

FSB’S SOUTH WEST POLICY UNIT REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG CAREY-CLINCH The emergence of the omicron variant and fears of further Covid restrictions contributed to small business confidence plunging in the south west at the end of 2021. A survey of FSB members revealed a fall of nearly 30% since the previous report in the autumn. Concerns of what would happen with omicron led to nervousness among both business and customers in the region and are likely to have been among the factors which markedly hit the confidence of the south west businesses

“What we hope this report will do is to serve as a reminder to stakeholders in and outside of Government that they must continue to support, incentivise and invest in our small business community as we enter 2022,” he said. “The south west’s SMEs have had so many issues to deal with over the past two years and have fought on valiantly, but they can’t do it alone and we need help and understanding

Have you ever wondered how we get our data and why Government and stakeholders are so keen to hear from us at FSB? The answer is simple, we listen to businesses. One of the ways in which we do that is with our online research community which is free to join for FSB members. By commenting or responding to our Big Voice surveys, members give us the evidence that we need to shape the insights that influence policy decisions by governments and senior politicians in the UK. It’s easy to get involved in the conversation and make your voice count. Simply sign up and wait for an email to take part in the next survey. You can even do it on your phone and make a difference on your lunch break or over a coffee. if we are to see those confidence levels rise once again.” As well as confidence levels falling, the report also revealed fears over future profit levels and concern over the current economic conditions in the UK for trading. Businesses polled also reported that getting appropriately skilled staff and reduced customer demand were also among the biggest barriers to growth. There were, however, some reasons to be more optimistic from the report. Nearly half of those polled said that their growth aspirations in the next 12 months were to grow either ‘rapidly’ or ‘moderately’ and in addition more businesses intended to increase their headcount than to decrease it in the current quarter.

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! BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41

FOOD

& DRINK

RATTLER GOES ZERO Healeys has launched its first alcohol-free Rattler. Described as “100% Rattler, 0% Alcohol”, Rattler Zero, which is also gluten free and vegan friendly, has been almost three years in the making. MD Joe Healey said: “It’s very easy to get this wrong. When choosing zero alcohol, consumers don’t want an existing product that’s simply diluted down, they want a real product in its own right, and they shouldn’t need to compromise on taste or mouth feel. “We believe we’ve developed a unique method here in Cornwall which means 97% of this product comes from fermented apples, giving the character and flavour you’d expect in a zero alcohol Rattler product. 100% Rattler, 0% alcohol.”

REVENGE BEST SERVED GOLD The Driftwood Spars Brewery in St Agnes described itself as “over the moon” to win a Gold Award at the Society of Independent Brewer’s annual awards for the south west region. Alfie’s Revenge was the judges’ choice in the competitive Strong Beer category. Mike Mason, who joined as head brewer in 2020, said: “Here at the brewery and across the road at The Driftwood Spars, Alfie’s has always been a firm favourite. I was keenly aware from the beginning that Alfie’s Revenge would be the barometer for my

success at the brewery, so this award has that little bit more meaning for me.” Louise Treseder, brewery owner and landlady, added: “Alfie’s was a pet-project of our founding brewer, Pete Martin. Of all the unique beers he made he was most proud of Alfie’s, which won Champion Winter Beer of Britain in 2012. “It’s wonderful to see it still winning awards today, and I’m grateful to Pete’s successor Mike for staying faithful to the original recipe and continuing to brew this beer with so much care and attention.”

A brand specialising in supplements for digestive health has launched in Cornwall. Trivas, whose name comes from Swedish and means ‘To Thrive’, currently offers two supplements to help alleviate gastrointestinal issues and promote overall health. Its flagship product, Probiotic Superfoods, is a daily wellness shake with organic fruits and vegetables, key vitamins and minerals plus 10 billion gut friendly bacteria per serving. Founder Tom Hanson said the inspiration for Trivas was born from personal experience: “I’ve had digestive health issues for most of my adult life,” he said.

NEW HEALTH BRAND 42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

“Over the years I’ve been prescribed a range of drugs, some of which have helped in the short term, but none of which have addressed the root cause of the problem. It was only when I started to research digestive health from a holistic viewpoint fully considering the effects of diet and lifestyle on the body - that things really started to change.”

COLWITH COLLABORATION Colwith Farm Distillery has collaborated with chef Emily Scott to launch a new limitededition vodka. The Aval Dor Citrus Vodka has “soft, clean with creamy vanilla undertones and bright, fragrant lemon sherbet notes”. Colwith Farm makes spirits distilled from Cornish potatoes grown on its fifthgeneration family farm in Lanlivery. Founder Steve Dustow said: “We’re thrilled to be working on our very first collaboration with Emily, a very talented chef who shares our sustainability ethos and commitment to creating incredible products, without compromise.”

CHAMBER

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

NEWS

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE recovery. Don’t let a screen stop you having those conversations you had planned to do over coffee - don’t let opportunities get missed.

I hope you are all feeling in the swing of things now that 2022 is underway. I didn’t get the crystal ball in my stocking which I was really hoping for, so I suppose it’s a case of pushing ahead, with a certain degree of caution! I think 2022 will be challenging for different reasons: Government support has lessened so we need to make sure we are mindful of and plan for things like the end of business rate relief, VAT reduction, CBILs and Bounce Backs needing to be repaid, inflation nudging 5% and interest rates edging up. After a brief spell in the office, Plan B means many of us will be working from home again and I think a lot of businesses and individuals are going to find this difficult. We need to keep momentum going, and I really believe collaboration is key to Cornwall’s

At the Chamber, we have drawn up four policies that are key to focusing a business and making sure everyone is on the same path to achieving Cornwall Council’s ambition of Cornwall being net zero by 2030. The policies are informed by a need to ensure there is ample opportunity for our young people, and that the tourism sector remains buoyant. The four policies are: Digital Infrastructure, Responsible Construction, Wellbeing in the Workplace, and Planet (that is conducting business with the purpose of being regenerative, progressive and sustainable); all areas that Cornwall can proudly lead on and is being recognised for. Each policy looks at short, medium and long-term priorities, and the strategy for how to get there. The Chamber has included details of its commitment to each sector to help it achieve the priorities.

for both B2B and B2C businesses. We will concentrate on Productivity, looking at how we can do more with fewer people, invest in Artificial Intelligence, and attract and house the workers we need; and Reimagining Our Towns: how can the Duchy redesign its lovely community hubs for the next century? Look out for details of a series of forums on both these important topics. Finally, you may have heard the news that Cornwall’s Festival of Business has been pushed back to June, and that means the date for Cornwall Business Fair has also changed. As much as I didn’t want to accept that plans for a more ‘normal’ 2022 were already being scuppered, it seems sensible to make sure as many people as possible attend events during the festival week, and most importantly, feel comfortable doing so. The festival will now run from June 1317. Cornwall Business Fair: The Future of Business, will take place on Wednesday June 15. Fingers Crossed for a good few months in business: stay positive and keep collaborating.

Whilst Cornwall Chamber is a B2B organisation, we have a responsibility to all of Cornwall’s businesses, including those under immense pressure in the Hospitality and Tourism sectors. Our focus over the next few months will therefore be on strategy

CORNWALL BUSINESS FAIR: ‘THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS’ JUNE 15 The 2022 Cornwall Business Fair is a special ‘Future of Business’ event, focused on how Cornwall will be doing business in the future. We’ll be showcasing lots of new technologies and green solutions and invite you to do the same.

The festival week will feature over 60 different events and we’d love to hear from any businesses that would like to host one. You’ll get lots of support from the Chamber, including help with marketing the event.

Stands are still available and there are lots of opportunities to get your brand or new product in front of the Duchy’s key decision makers via sponsorship of an event like our BIG Breakfast or the Business Fair after party.

For more information on Cornwall’s Festival of Business or the Business Fair, visit www.cornwallchamber. co.uk/cornwall-business-fair or give us a call 01209 216006.

Email: hello@cornwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk

WHY JOIN? Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is an independent not-for-profit organisation accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. We solely exist to represent businesses in Cornwall. Our events provide a platform for businesses to connect, create and make valuable business relationships. Membership to the Chamber starts from as little as £17 +VAT per month and provides you with the tools to promote your business. Get in touch today to have a chat about how we can support you and your business. BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43

INCOMING

THE CONVERSATION

The big question What measures do you take to help boost health and mental wellbeing in the workplace? Jointheconversation /businesscornwall @biz_cornwall /businesscornwall/

businesscornwall.co.uk

Cornwall’s Broadband 44 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

3 MONTHS FREE*

THE CONVERSATION

NADINE HARMER

SCOTT BENTLEY

We have always felt strongly about supporting our team’s wellbeing, be it mental or physical. Ultimately, we believe that body and mind are so entwined that if we nurture one, the other will benefit!

In recent years mental wellbeing has been more and more of a focus for us. As a professional services firm, the fact is that our staff are far more likely to be impacted mentally by the work they do than physically, barring any mishaps with the stapler! To this end, our trained volunteer mental health first aiders offer peer-to-peer support locally, and professional counselling is available for anyone who needs it via our employee assistance programme, which is provided confidentially by a third party.

Solve Web Media

Some of the best friendships start in the workplace, so we choose our team members not only for their beautiful brains but their personalities too. This is where wellbeing at work starts for us at Solve. We have created a workplace where we connect as humans, not just co-workers. Emotional intelligence is a key factor to success and we nurture this at Solve. Adventurous staff days out are a huge key to knitting our team together and getting to know each other outside of work establishes trust and a sense of belonging. The better we know our workmates, the more we can be in tune with their needs. As well as supporting each other through tough times, we can share joy and spread our spark if we feel close to our team. Having that kind of compassion and empathy makes everything better… at work and at home!

TIM HUNT

Newquay Orchard Giving staff the flexibility to look after themselves, their families and trust in their ability to get the job done around this time. Promoting people to get fresh air and natural light away from the computer screen, going for a walk with colleagues or even bringing their dog to work – this flexible style is imperative to how we work here at the Orchard. Treating staff to the odd coffee or ice cream doesn’t go amiss either!

PKF Francis Clark

We also run regular internal webinars on a wide range of issues that can impact our staff’s wellbeing, covering topics such as the menopause or tips on how to get a good night’s sleep. And we have a network of health and wellbeing champions across our offices, who organise activities like lunchtime workouts, fitness challenges or bringing in outside speakers.

DAVID MAGUIRE

Radix Communications One thing we’ve noticed over the last couple of years is that people respond very differently to home and hybrid working. Some are absolutely thriving; others (including me) have really struggled. So, we give people as much freedom as we can over where and how they work, while still delivering for our clients. The challenge is made so much bigger by the fact that, when you don’t see people all the time, it’s harder to tell exactly how they’re doing. We’ve tried some things – like building a little bit more flexibility into the working

INCOMING

day and increasing contact with line managers. We also give our people access to Cornwall’s resident workplace mental wellbeing expert, Craig Fearn. But, ultimately, I think this change in working practices will have a deeper impact than anyone has yet realised, and as employers we all have much more work ahead.

KATE PERKIN Outset

With everything that’s happened over the last two years, this has become a more prevalent issue than ever before, and it’s also something that’s close to my heart. Personally, I regularly encourage all members of the team to talk; to me, to each other, friends, family etc, as it’s so important to communicate if you’re struggling. As a team, we regularly take part in activities designed to boost our health and mental well-being; we share our positive thoughts at least once a month to start off in a more positive frame of mind, and we send “Postcards of Kindness” to care homes, just to brighten someone’s day.

VERYAN PALMER Headland Hotel

At The Headland we focus on health and wellbeing strategies that the staff suggested: free AquaClub swimming sessions, free gym sessions, food pop up treats (like ice-cream vans!) in the busy summer months, a dedicated staff outdoor dining area with sea views, free monthly surf and SUP group sessions, free access to an employee assistance helpline, and access to mental health champions with external support funded for those who require additional assistance.

BUSINESS Br adband

*New business customers only. Installation fee applies, subject to survey. This promotion is only available on Wildanet’s fixed wireless network and subject to survey. Contract duration 3 months free, followed by 24 month contract. Offer expires 31 December 2022. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Wildanet.com/business BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45

CONNECTED

CORNWALL

CORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

Sustainable packaging company Flexi Hex was named overall winner of the Cornwall Sustainability Awards, hosted at the Royal Cornwall Museum before Christmas.

MARK DUDDRIDGE (LEP) AND MILES CARDEN (FALMOUTH HARBOUR COMMISSIONERS)

CAROLINE CARTER (BUSINESS CORNWALL), WILL BOEX (FLEXI HEX), GILLIAN BURKE

46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

KEYNOTE SPEAKER GILLIAN BURKE

KATE KENNALLY (CORNWALL COUNCIL)

UPCOMING

EVENTS

FEBRUARY

EVENTS 1

FEBRUARY 2022

HEARTLANDS BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Heartlands, Pool

they all benefit from apprenticeships.

heartlandscornwall.com

ccbtraining.co.uk/ buildingapprenticeships

THE BIG LUNCH CORNWALL Penventon Hotel, Redruth

Your Partnerships expects over 100 businesses coming together for this event. Both members and non members of Your Partnerships are welcome to attend this event.

yourpartnerships.co.uk

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes

The beautiful Tresanton overlooking St Mawes Bay is the stunning location for Cornwall Chamber of Commerce’s first networking lunch of 2022.

CORNWALL CONVERSATIONS Online

SW WOMEN IN BUSINESS Foot Anstey, Truro

Excited to be back thanks to hosts Foot Anstey. Guest speaker this month is head of Spaceport Cornwall, Melissa Thorpe. eventbrite.co.uk

Join FSB Cornwall every Thursday for its weekly virtual networking Cornwall Conversations via zoom. This is your chance to chat, make new contacts, catch up with FSB Cornwall and share best practice for an hour each week.

INNOVATE LOCAL SW Online

Victoria Inn, Threemilestone

king-networking.com

YOUR PARTNERSHIPS OPEN HOUSE Victoria Inn, Roche

The original home of Your Partnerships. If you have never experienced an Open House with Your Partnerships at the birth home of Your Partnerships you are missing out.

Atlantic Hotel, Newquay

Join ATI2’s next Cornwall Innovation Club: Protecting your Innovation, where it will discuss and explore the different legal mechanisms which businesses can put in place to protect what’s unique about your business, its products, services and innovations.

KING NETWORKING The Kernow Independent Networking Group meetings alternate between meeting for breakfast at the Victoria Inn and meeting online via Zoom.

CORNWALL INNOVATION CLUB

aticornwallinnovation.co.uk

cornwallchamber.co.uk

Cornwall College Camborne

Employer networking event celebrating National Apprenticeship Week. The event will highlight the impact apprenticeships can have on communities, local businesses, and regional economies and how

Heartlands business networking breakfast is a great way to start the day with friendly, relaxed networking and good grub. Meetings on the first Tuesday of every month.

BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS WITH APPRENTICESHIPS

yourpartnerships.co.uk

CORNISH PIRATES V JERSEY REDS Mennaye Field, Penzance

Championship rugby action as the Cornish Pirates take on Jersey Reds. For the full match day experience, why not try a hospitality package – the perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike. cornish-pirates.com

fsb.org.uk

CORNISH PIRATES V LONDON SCOTTISH

Mennaye Field, Penzance

This event is relevant for all innovative businesses, with a focus on the investable growth prospects that exist across the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly industrial base.

Championship rugby action as the Cornish Pirates battle London Scottish. For the full match day experience, why not try a hospitality package – the perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike.

ktn-uk.org

cornish-pirates.com

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

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? I think that varied from week to week. At one point a builder (thanks Bob!), a director, a lawyer, an architect, even a politician. One constant was that in every case I wanted to run my own business or be in control of my own work.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB? Before my life in marketing and video I was a management consultant for a small firm in Bath working for clients across the UK. The company were amazing. The job, it was not for me.

WHAT’S IN YOUR POCKETS? Always my phone. The best camera is the one you have on you in the moment!

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX? Nothing like a good old dog walk with our chief fetching officer, Kruger, to get some headspace and explore some of Cornwall’s hidden gems. That, and eating!

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Just before Christmas we had a strategy away day and to see our growing team all together in one place made me feel so proud of how far we have come.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Not all projects go well, that’s a reality of any business. A couple of years ago we had one project where we just didn’t see eye to eye on the creative. It was difficult and while we resolved it amicably, there were a lot of lessons to be learnt.

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM? Cliché probably, but I’d invite Barak Obama simply because I think he is such an outstanding leader. The second person would probably be Edgar Wright, the man behind Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver because I love his style of filmmaking.

IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? I’m not sure where would I start in all honesty but helping to save the planet and its people would be right at the top of my miracle list.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IN LIFE? Not realising my passion for creativity earlier on. It was always there but I went down a more academic and corporate route instead before I finally found my way.

WHAT WAS YOUR LUCKIEST BREAK? Moving to Cornwall! It was never part of any plan and I have been lucky to meet so many creative and supportive people who have helped get me to where I am today.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME? Running a video production agency known across the UK for making some kick-ass content with a large team of creatives in multiple locations! I’d also love to build an exciting creative co-working space in Falmouth or Penryn.

48 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

JOE TURNBULL Founder and MD of video production company, Bull & Wolf

Cornwall Innovation Centres supporting early-stage innovative businesses and helping companies to grow. Offering flexible, managed and modern workspace combined with access to business support and academic research.

• Fantastic easily accessible locations – Penryn, Pool & Truro • On-site parking • Flexible contract terms • Friendly, welcoming team to support all your business needs • Access to business support and academic research for start-up & established companies • Free networking opportunities • On-site meeting and conference facilities • 3 levels of association • Affiliate Membership • Formation Zone – Collaborative Co-working space • Private office space

For more information: enquiries@cornwallinnovation.co.uk www.cornwallinnovation.co.uk 08000 129 500

Feritech in action

Rapid solutions – and happy customers

WITT Limited is an innovative technology business which harvests energy from the environment. One of WITT’s innovations is a subsea generator that can be used to produce power from ocean currents. WITT approached Feritech with a new design for subsea housing for their generator, to be built in time for important trials. We rapidly completed a design study including a structural assessment and a manufacturability appraisal. After reviewing our report, WITT asked us to re-design the subsea housing to include our suggested improvements. We then produced a full set of drawings for manufacture and machined a trial version of the housing. This was all completed in less than a month from start to finish.

“Thank you for getting this over the line. This was definitely ‘over and above’. It meant that we could build and test before the trial days. Everything fitted perfectly and we were able to record some good results. We really appreciate your efforts in making sure we had the parts ready in time for this important trial. It’s a massive thanks from us at WITT!” Will Boult, Project Manager, WITT Limited.

Get in touch to find out how Feritech can help your business, bringing your ideas to life.

info@feritech.com | 01326 369 444 | www.feritech.com

Business Cornwall Feb 22

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