The Hertfordshire Business Indpendent Issue 5

THE GREEN ISSUE!

ANDREA McCLEAN An exclusive interview with the bubbly TV presenter turned builder... and how she plans to improve her carbon footprint.

photograph : Matt Leete

WAYS TO BE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

How improving your Corporate Social Responsibility can boost your business!

GUIDE TO CLOUD COMPUTING

Can it make a difference to your business?

MAKING YOUR WORKING DAY GREENER Ditch the car, take the bus!

CSR IN HERTFORDSHIRE What is your county doing?

ASK THE EXPERTS Need some tips on making your business greener?

Jusk ask!

issue July / Aug 2010

05

JCSALESAL-39-10-AD-QF A4 MA23_Layout 1 08/07/2010 14:42 Page 1

Irresistible powers of persuasion.

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Impressive benefits include: • BlueEFFICIENCY technology ∞ to reduce emissions and fuel consumption • Dynamic manual transmissions • Pioneering safety innovations such as Attention Assist, Adaptive Brake System, Active Bonnet

C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Executive SE Saloon with Metallic paint

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36 monthly payments*

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On the road price

£26,790.00

On the road price

£35,105.00

Customer deposit

£4,199.00

Customer deposit

£4,999.00

Retailer deposit contribution**

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Optional purchase payment† Acceptance fee Purchase activation

£12,950.00 £180.00

fee†

Total charge for credit

£95.00 £2,957.48

Optional purchase payment† Acceptance fee Purchase activation

£1,459.95 £17,200.00 £180.00

fee†

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Amount of credit

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Amount of credit

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Total amount payable by the customer††

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Typical 5.8% APR

Typical 5.8% APR

Contact us on 0845 124 1023 for more information or to book a test drive.

Mercedes-Benz Watford Colne Bridge Retail Park, Lower High Street, Watford WD17 2JG 0845 124 1023 www.mercedes-benzwatford.co.uk Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the C-Class Saloon range: urban 13.9(20.9)-45.6(6.2), extra urban 30.1(9.2)-70.6(4.0), combined 21.1(13.4)-58.9(4.8). CO2 emissions: 312-127 g/km. For the E-Class Saloon range: urban 15.1(18.7)-42.8(6.6), extra urban 31.0(9.1)-64.2(4.4), combined 22.4(12.6)-54.3(5.2). CO2 emissions: 295-137 g/km.

MODELS FEATURED ARE A MERCEDES-BENZ C 180 CGI BLUEEFFICIENCY EXECUTIVE SE SALOON AT £26,790.00 ON THE ROAD INCLUDING OPTIONAL METALLIC PAINT AT £630.00 AND A MERCEDES-BENZ E 250 CDI BLUEEFFICIENCY SPORT SALOON AT £35,105.00 ON THE ROAD INCLUDING OPTIONAL METALLIC PAINT AT £630.00 (ON THE ROAD PRICE INCLUDES VAT, DELIVERY, 12 MONTHS’ ROAD FUND LICENCE, NUMBER PLATES, FIRST REGISTRATION FEE AND FUEL). **THE RETAILER CONTRIBUTION IS ONLY AVAILABLE WITH THIS FINANCE OFFER. *BASED ON A MERCEDES-BENZ AGILITY AGREEMENT. †PAYABLE IF YOU EXERCISE THE OPTION TO PURCHASE THE CAR. ††INCLUDES OPTIONAL PURCHASE PAYMENT AND PURCHASE ACTIVATION FEE. ∞AVAILABLE ON ALL C-CLASS AND E-CLASS ENGINES EXCEPT C 350, C 63 AMG, E 500 AND E 63 AMG. EXAMPLE BASED ON 10,000 MILES PER ANNUM. EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGES MAY APPLY. QUOTATIONS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST FOR ALTERNATIVE CONTRACT LENGTHS AND MILEAGES. GUARANTEES AND INDEMNITIES MAY BE REQUIRED. THESE FINANCE CAMPAIGNS ARE AVAILABLE ON C-CLASS SALOON MODELS EXCLUDING SPECIAL REQUEST ENGINES AND E-CLASS SALOON MODELS EXCLUDING NEW E 350 CDI MODELS (BAUMUSTER 212223) AND SPECIAL REQUEST ENGINES. ALL VEHICLES MUST BE REGISTERED BETWEEN 1ST JULY AND 30TH SEPTEMBER 2010. OFFER CANNOT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER PUBLISHED OFFER FROM THE RETAILER AND IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS (07/10). CREDIT PROVIDED SUBJECT TO STATUS BY MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES UK LIMITED, MK7 8ND.

CONTENTS NEWS A roundup of the latest business news and stories from our region

INTERVIEW : ANDREA MCCLEAN Building her dream home the eco-friendly way!

MONEY Carphone Warehouse share their money-saving secrets

12 16

LEGAL Clare Waller at HRJ Law discusses another legal conundrum in her regular column

FOCUS Feature on Hatfield and Welwyn Garden city

17 18

DRIVE Come for a spin in the newest SEAT, designed with the environment in mind

SALES COLUMN Tips from sales expert Andy Preston

19

ASK THE EXPERTS Got a burning question? Maybe we can help?

20

TECHNOLOGY A round-up of the slightly more aspirational gadgets

24

MAKE YOUR WORKING DAY GREENER! Tips for doing your bit for the environment

30

AFTER HOURS Relax in style at one of these London hotels

35

NETWORKING & DIRECTORY Regular contributor Andy Lopata shares his thoughts on Networking

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CONTRIBUTORS

&

CONTACTS MANAGING DIRECTOR Simon George EDITOR Jenna Gould editor@businessindependent.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Becky Lewis Sandra Hart Clare Waller Andy Preston Cindy Withey Helen Cantrell Angus Middleton Henning Drager Terry Sullivan Andy Lopata DESIGNER Karen Birch www.velvetagency.com

ADVERTISING Terry Sullivan terry@businessindependent.co.uk

Sona Shah sona@businessindependent.co.uk TEL : 0844 358 5800 www.businessindependent.co.uk

Published by : Business Independent Ltd. Old Batford Mill Lower Luton Road Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 5BZ

EDITOR’S WELCOME Welcome to the summer edition of The Hertfordshire Business Independent.

This year is proving a challenging time for many businesses as they struggle to stay ahead of their competition. It’s never been more important to have a good reputation and loyal customer base and so we’ve decided to take a closer look at how Corporate Social Responsibility can impact your business. Does it really help to be greener? Is it really that easy to do? Where do you start? All this and more will be answered in this issue. We also chat to TV Presenter Andrea Mclean about her plans to reduce carbon footprint and find out how to declutter your office the smart way. I’m also pleased to announce our new business directory which you’ll find towards the end of the magazine. Wishing you a warm and sunny summer!

Happy reading as always! - Jenna

:

Jenna Gould : Editor

WATFORD LAUNCHES FIRST GREEN GYM The Harlequin Shopping Centre and Watford Borough Council have jointly co-funded with BTCV Green Gyms to launch the first ever Green Gym. The programme aims to help residents in Watford become healthier whilst improving the local environment, in particular the Colne River Park area.

The BTCV Green Gym is a unique scheme which will run until the end of January 2011, encouraging volunteers to meet up every Thursday. By working together on improving local green spaces, volunteers will become physically and mentally healthier by taking part in nature conservation activities, which will also benefit the local environment at the same time. The activities on offer include: wild flower planting; woodland management; hedge planting; traditional wildflower meadow management; riverside path creation and construction of homes for wildlife, including an otter holt. Physical activities such as tree planting help to improve your fitness while providing opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people in a friendly outdoor setting.

Recent research has shown that participation in the Green Gym increases fitness and energy levels, reduces anxiety and depressions, improves mood, self-worth and body image, plus reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, blood pressure and osteoporosis.

BTCV Green Gyms are about healthy people and healthy places. Traditional gyms and sports centres don’t appeal to everyone so the Green Gym offers a friendly alternative in an outdoor setting. In BTCV Green Gyms, local people meet up on a weekly basis to work together on improving local green spaces. Physical activities such as planting get people fit, while the teamwork and sociability help to keep up motivation. Local nature benefits too, leading to healthier people and a healthier planet.

The 2010 Hertfordshire County Show – photo ref Cow1 This year’s 124th Hertfordshire County Show proved to be another memorable and successful event, attracting over 30,000 visitors.

The innovative Hertfordshire Primary Schools recyclable Hertfordshire Countryside scene attracted a high number of quality entries from across the County.

Then there was the ever popular ‘3 mile Open Sandwich’ campaign which uses Shorthorn Beef, and Organic Wheat from Harpenden, combined with bread processed by the Redbournbury Mill. This successful new partnership of local producers was sampled by the show visitors and was extremely well received.

Family ticket sales hit a new record, a clear signal that the unique package of attractions and demonstrations combined with ‘All-Inclusive’ entertainment policy, is both appreciated and valued by visitors. Reputations as both the ‘Best Value for Money community event in the County’, and a leading UK County Show, have been enhanced this year, and it is hoped to continue for the 2011 show.

COPYRIGHT Copyright: 2010 Business Independent Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the publishers. The views expressed in any of the Business Independent series of regional magazines are not necessarily the views of the publishers Business Independent Ltd. Whilst Business Independent Ltd has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, neither they norany contributing author can accept any legal responsibility for any consequences that may arise from errors or omissions contained in this publication or from acting on any opinions or advice given.

In particular, this publication is general and not a substitute for professional advice and you should consult your own professional advisors where appropriate.

04

PEOPLE FROM THE SOUTH EAST CARE MORE ABOUT THEIR CAR THAN THEIR PENSION Research from Insurance specialists Standard Life shows that in the South East more people care about the theft of their car than their future financial security.

The survey revealed that 55% of people that were asked from the South East region of the UK, cared more about their car but only 49% admit to caring for their pension. This has been proved to show that the South East region is one of the only regions to do so, compared with other regions in the UK where up to 63% were more savvy about the future of their finance.

Alarmingly, almost a third of those from the South East, Wales and West Midlands admit that they do not care about their pension.

To support a generation of under savers, Standard Life has launched a website which includes tips and tools to help plan your financial future: www.getarealitycheck.co.uk.

DEPUTY MAYOR TAKES FIRST STEPS IN HIGHFIELD PARK The Deputy Mayor of St Albans City and District Council, Councillor Beric Read joined St Albans health walkers in putting their best feet forward on a new weekly health walk. This is a new walk dedicated to those people only able to walk short distances and hence called FIRST STEPS. Accompanying Councillor Read were walkers of all abilities, including people living with Parkinson’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Councillor Read, whose own walking challenges have benefited a number of charities, is fully aware of the health advantages of walking. He paid tribute to the commitment and dedication of the trained volunteers who have developed and lead the now four weekly and one monthly health walk in the St Albans area. The health walks have been in existence in St Albans since 2007 and are free to take part in and take place every week, whatever the weather!

The FIRST STEPS walk meandered through the ever popular Highfield Park, whilst the sun crept through the clouds. Seats sited at various intervals, allowed walkers to take short breaks if they needed them.

Councillor Read brought up the rear with some of the walk leaders, ensuring that no one was left behind.

If you want to take your FIRST STEPS come along on Tuesdays to the car park at the Charters Health Club, Hill End Lane, Opposite Spar, at 1.30pm.

THE 2010 HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY SHOW This year’s 124th Hertfordshire County Show proved to be another memorable and successful event, attracting over 30,000 visitors.

The innovative Hertfordshire Primary Schools recyclable Hertfordshire Countryside scene attracted high number of quality entries from across the County.

Then there was the ever popular ‘3 mile Open Sandwich’ campaign which uses Shorthorn Beef, and Organic Wheat from Harpenden, combined with bread processed by the Redbournbury Mill. This successful new partnership of ‘local producers’ was sampled by the Show visitors, and was extremely well received.

Family ticket sales hit a new record, a clear signal that our unique package of attractions and demonstrations combined with ‘All-Inclusive’ entertainment policy, is both appreciated and valued by visitors. Reputations as both the ‘Best Value for Money community event in the County’, and a leading UK County Show, have been enhanced this year, and it is hoped to continue for the 2011 show.

The Harris Partnership in Milton Keynes is celebrating 25 years in business. It is responsible for some of the South’s most ambitious schemes, including a new leisure scheme in Chichester, giving the town a new area for entertainment.

The practice’s directors put the company’s longevity down to good customer and staff retention, coupled with a keen sense of commercialism which has enabled the company to thrive.

Gary Humphreys, director in Milton Keynes said: “We are delighted to have reached this major milestone and to have retained several senior staff members who have shown a dedicated commitment to the company over the years. Repeat business from our key clients is a key to our success - relationships with clients have grown over the years, and are founded on trust and the confidence that our team will deliver a job on time and on budget... with a little bit of fun thrown in on the way!”

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NEWS

MILTON KEYNES’ HARRIS PARTNERSHIP MARKS 25TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY

PET FRIENDLY PROPERTIES PRODUCE HANDSOME PROFITS

The country’s leading lettings specialist Belvoir, which has offices in the South East at Bishop’s Stortford, Bedford, Hitchin and Watford, has teamed up with the UK’s largest dog welfare charity Dogs Trust to support its ‘Lets with Pets’ campaign. The campaign promotes responsible pet ownership for tenants and advises landlords and letting agencies on the financial benefits of a favourable pet-ownership policy.

RENEWABLE ENERGY EDUCATORS WIN BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARD

Ecostyle Ltd picked up the Business Innovation Award, sponsored

by The Knowledge Hub, at the inaugural FSB Bedfordshire Small Business Awards.

The awards honoured small businesses that had excelled against a range of measures and performed well under the recession of 2009. The competition was open to all businesses with fewer than 50 employees based in Bedfordshire.

The University of Bedfordshire’s Knowledge Hub was proud to sponsor the Business Innovation prize which was awarded to Luton-based Ecostyle Ltd for its educational renewable energy kits. The demonstration models are used to promote awareness and understanding of renewable energy emphasising the importance of the production of energy from sustainable sources. The runner up prize was awarded to locker storage company, Lockertek.

Innovation is a key area of activity for the University of Bedfordshire which offers businesses access to training, events, academic expertise, technology and research, to help them to innovate and achieve sustainable growth. Initiatives such as Innovation Day, at which Simon Hall, Director of Ecostyle Ltd was a workshop speaker, provide delegates with the skills they can take away and apply to their businesses.

£2.8M SUPPORTS TRANSFER OF LOW CARBON EXPERTISE TO SMEs

A unique new initiative, designed specifically to help businesses in the region reduce their carbon emissions, has been launched in the East of England with the help of over £2.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Called Low Carbon sKTP, the initiative is the first of its kind in the UK, and has been designed to support the region’s carbon reduction objectives, by offering businesses easy access to the low carbon expertise held in the region’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a national scheme designed to bring together HEIs and businesses to help them improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance. Recently a Shorter KTP (sKTP) has been designed to make them even more accessible to businesses, hence the project name Low Carbon sKTP. Universities from across the East of England will handle the delivery of the Low Carbon sKTPs, with each project having an ‘associate’ from the university who will be responsible for transferring the knowledge into the SME over a period of between 10 and 40 weeks.

Projects eligible for help from the Low Carbon sKTP will be in one of the following areas: Technology development or adoption; process improvement, for example the reduction of energy consumption; change in behaviour, such as waste reduction and recycling; and the reuse or extension of a component or products life.

To find out more information about KTPs and if your business is eligible for support from the Low Carbon sKTP visit www.ktponline.org.uk.

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Belvoir Chief Executive Mike Goddard fully supports the campaign.

He explains: “Landlords who exclude pet owners from their properties are missing out on a large chunk of the rental market as 47% of the population currently own a pet. It makes no business sense for landlords or agencies to reject this large sector. By adopting a pet-friendly approach, they can easily increase demand for their properties and attract long-term, responsible tenants.”

“Our subsequent online survey revealed that 78% of pet owners had experienced difficulties finding rental properties, and over 50% never found suitable accommodation.

“In the past, pet-owners would be forced into home-owning but, in the current economic climate, many can’t afford to buy so we’re seeing an increase in owners reluctantly handing over their dogs to us.”

To address this issue, the partnership is aiming to dramatically increase the number of rental solutions that satisfy landlords, tenants and their animals.

APPRENTICE JAMES REALISES HIS DREAM

In an Apprenticeship Week open day at North Hertfordshire College Stevenage Skills Centre, 17 year old James Eagling had his motor vehicle apprenticeship dream come true. He is now working with Top Marques Garage in Hitchin, a well-established enterprise with a list of glowing customer testimonials to its name.

The garage has agreed for James to complete his one day a week studies at NHC for a BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in IT, in addition to attending the Stevenage Skills Centre each Tuesday for his two-year Level 2 apprenticeship programme.

James was convinced that becoming a motor vehicle apprentice would be a major factor in developing a successful career and, with this objective, he visited more than 20 garages before finding a perfect match at Top Marques.

James is thriving in his new circumstances; he says: “This is giving me real experience of garage life and teaching me the importance of providing quality in everything, with the big advantage of becoming qualified and earning money at the same time. I have always adored cars, but being given the chance at the Skills Centre to discover just what a motor vehicle apprenticeship actually involved, was the clincher for me.”

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR SOUTH EAST BUSINESS HEROES

A search to find Britain’s most inspirational men and women who have beaten the odds to succeed in business gets underway this week with the launch of the fifth annual Barclays Trading Places Awards.

This year’s Barclays Trading Places Awards will invite people to nominate someone they know who deserves national recognition and in spite of facing some of life’s greatest challenges, are running their own business – for example, a member of their family or even their boss.

Previous finalists have included Bradley Stewart who was left paralysed after a car crash and went on to set-up a mobile disco business, Tracy Mackness who studied farming whilst in prison and now runs a successful pig breeding company, and husband and wife team Kevin and Nikki Sweet, who beat redundancy and long-term unemployment to start a new life in the Welsh countryside as cider makers.

Everyone entering the Awards will have access to a range of business support packages featuring specialist advice and expert mentoring.

Barclays will present the overall winner with a cheque for £10,000, and the runner-up with £5,000 for their business, at a prestigious black-tie gala dinner at The Savoy in London on Tuesday 30th November to be attended by more than 300 VIP guests.

Entry forms are available in Barclays branches, by calling the Awards Office on 020 8673 2020 or by visiting www.barclays.co.uk/tradingplaces.

In the most challenging economic period in living memory for the UK motor industry, a St Albans dealership has shown its mettle by not only improving its business performance but also investing in its workforce, which has put it in the running for three major industry awards.

Having bucked the trend experienced by national car retailers, Brayley Honda, located on Hatfield Road, has been shortlisted for the prestigious title of ‘UK Franchised Dealership of the Year’, as part of the annual automotive industry awards, organised by Motor Trader magazine. The company’s Service Advisor, Andy Doust, has also been shortlisted for ‘Service Advisor of the Year’, selected from among 5,000 dealerships in the UK. The ceremony will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London during July.

In recognition of its culture for continuing professional development and diversity, Brayley Honda is also a finalist for the East of England Business in the Community ‘Positive Work Life’ Award. This will be presented at a regional gala event at Hengrave Hall, near Bury St Edmunds, next month.

Established only seven years ago, the St Albans dealership increased sales of new cars year on year, due in part to the popularity of the Government’s ‘scrappage’ scheme, which ended in March. In a bid to maintain consumer interest in this initiative, however, Brayley Honda has introduced its very own ‘Scrap Club’, which offers a guaranteed minimum £2,000 part-exchange for buyers of a new Honda Civic.

PACKAGE OF SUPPORT FOR TRADING BUSINESSES IN THE SOUTH EAST

In response to the banking needs of businesses across the South East, Clydesdale Bank has announced a package of new financial measures under the banner ‘Investing for Growth’ as part of its £1 billion lending commitment to the region.

Customers who take up the package will be able to invest the cash back into their businesses in the form of expansion, new staff, equipment, machinery and business development. The ‘Investing for Growth’ business planning and customer support package includes: Switching loan repayments to ‘interest only’ for an agreed period rather than ‘capital and interest’ payments, extending the term of a loan over a longer time period to reduce payments, offering a ‘payment holiday’ to allow funds for debt servicing to be redirected into the business and fixed-rate business investment loan deals.

In addition, Clydesdale Bank has also promised to help new customers switch banking provider by offering support which might, for example, include legal or advisory costs.

The announcement follows Clydesdale Bank’s Interim Results which confirmed that it remains fully committed and on track to make £10 billion of new lending available to support business and personal customers by October 2011, with £1 billion earmarked for the South East. Despite subdued market demand for credit, £2.2 billion of new lending was advanced to business and mortgage customers nationally in the last six month period.

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NEWS

ST ALBANS DEALERSHIP IN THE RUNNING FOR HAT-TRICK OF AWARDS

ON THE LOOSE! ANDREA MCLEAN TELLS ALL ABOUT HER EXCITING BUILDING PROJECT AND HOW SHE IS REDUCING HER CARBON FOOTPRINT

From GMTV presenter to weather girl, and now a day time TV host.

Which job has been your favourite and why?

Every job I have ever done has been a favourite; right from my early days working in a shoe shop and my many years working behind bars as a student. I’ve always given everything 100% enthusiasm, even when it involved getting up at 3:30am and standing in the freezing rain telling the nation it was going to be a wet day. I have always taken something from every job I have done and used it in future jobs. My favourite part of any of the jobs I have done has always been dealing with people. I really enjoy listening to people; coaxing stories out of them and watching them grow in confidence and enjoy the experience of being interviewed. I also enjoy keeping cheeky interviewees in check, and my pub experience may have come in handy there!

You are also a big traveller and made an early career out of travel writing. Do you ever take your experiences from those countries and look at how we can improve the situation in the UK? I have always travelled; my first trip on a transatlantic flight was at the age of five weeks when my parents retuned to Trinidad in the Caribbean after my birth in Scotland. I have barely stopped since – we moved house, and sometimes country, every four years or so because of my father’s job with Tate and Lyle. By the time I was 21 I wanted to travel the world on my own terms, so I set off backpacking with my then boyfriend. We toured India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and America. When I got back, I started selling travel articles to anyone who would have them, and then started working for free at my local paper to gain journalism experience. Like most travellers I wanted to get back out on the road again as soon as possible but life took over and I found myself living in a London bedsit studying to be a journalist and again working for anyone who would have me. I threw myself into this and apart from one backpacking trip in Thailand a few years ago, I have become a ‘normal’ holiday maker, either going for city breaks with my husband, or family friendly holidays with the kids. Having travelled so much has definitely influenced me.

photography Matt Leete

Right now, you are busy working on a building project with your Husband, tell us a little bit about that.

In 2008 my husband Steve Toms and I knocked our house down and rebuilt it from scratch, using our own designs. It was a labour of love and took three years in total, from finding the property, redesigning it, getting planning permission and then completing the building project itself. It wasn’t for the faint-hearted especially as I fitted in having a baby and holding down two jobs during that time! Once the dust settled and we were in, I realised how much I had enjoyed myself. I had had building work done before, and between us Steve and I had worked together on four different projects, but none as big as this one. When people visit our house, they are always amazed at what we managed to achieve in terms of size, light and internal space, from a three bedroom bungalow we created a beautiful five bedroom, four bathroom home. So I came up with the idea of offering help to people who want to do what we did but don’t know where to start.

Our company 3-Synergy brings together the three main things that people need when they are contemplating any kind of building work – the design, the construction and the finishing. We have gone into partnership with a fantastic interior designer called Paul Smith who runs Intervari, and is on board right from the planning stage, to make sure that whatever ideas you have are catered for in the design and construction of your home. We help you choose everything from paint colour to plasma TV’s, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, and basically do the leg work so that you don’t have to. I still take pictures on my mobile of things that strike a chord; a beautiful door handle, or curve of a banister, so I understand how passionate people are about creating the perfect home for themselves. Steve is a brilliant project manager (he managed to get our house build done on time and on budget) and has over 20 years experience in running a building company, while Paul has worked in the corporate and private sector for clients such as Sir Philip Green and Liam Gallagher. I am very proud of our company as we all take pride in what we do and genuinely want to do the best we can for people.

Do you get to spend more time with your family while working on the project?

When I am not working on TV I work from my office at home. I get most of my work done when my children (aged 8 and 3) are at school and nursery, and I have peace and quiet (and also a deadline of a few hours until they are home again!) to get things done. I spend 90% of my time in my office, writing or planning; searching for things over the internet or on the phone. I also have help looking after the children so that when things get really busy I know they are happy and well looked after and I can crack on without feeling guilty.

Are there any measures that you took to improve your carbon footprint whilst on the project?

We try to encourage people to incorporate eco friendly energy solutions; for example solar panels for their heating and hot water.

All the windows and glass doors that we use in our designs are up to the required standards so they prevent excess heat loss; which is hugely important as so many contemporary designs call for large amounts of glass and light. We also have on board a 2010 Chelsea Gold Medal Winner Anne Marie Powell, who designs wonderful gardens that can incorporate as much or as little eco friendly gardening as people want.

I hear that recently you had an eco-den built for your children and you are helping them grow their own vegatables. Do you believe it is important to educate children about the environment early on in life to set them up for a greener future?

Yes, I have had the bottom of our garden turned into an eco play area for the kids. There is a living willow den, which will hopefully start sprouting fresh leaves soon. It is covered with solar powered fairy lights and looks brilliant at night. The kids love it.

We have also started growing our own vegetables in big bags outside our back door. It works really well as our pets (a dog and a cat) can’t trample on them (or worse), and they seem to be doing really well! We have had our first ‘home grown’ salad of the season, and every day my 3 year-old daughter Amy takes me out to hunt for ripe tomatoes to pick. I think children learn by experiencing something every day rather than just being told, so without being lectured at, my children automatically recycle, turn off taps and now know where their food comes from. They don’t necessarily eat it though, they’re not that good!

Where do you see it going from here – do you think you may take your building ambitions abroad?

Absolutely, many people have homes abroad that they would love to either rebuild or reinvigorate but they don’t know how to go about it. We have already renovated a property in France and are always keen to do more.

I see you have just completed a walk for a Breast Cancer charity. Is charity something you take very seriously?

I think it’s really important to help where and how you can. I am only involved with a few charities but, the ones I am in touch with I try to give whatever I can; I prefer to do it this way than to spread myself too thinly and be of little use to anyone. I am patron of Meningioma UK, which is a voluntary brain tumour support group and self-help organisation, and I also help Demelza House Hospice in Kent, Wellchild and Breast Cancer Care.

You recently played a joke on your husband whilst on TV, are you a bit of a practical joker?

I’m not a practical joker at all, and the stress involved in setting this one up almost killed me! Steve is a huge fan of Helen Chamberlain, and I happened to bump into her one night and told her so. Between us we conspired to get me on Soccer AM without Steve knowing, and the best way seemed to be as a Soccerette. A friend convinced him his girlfriend was going to be on the show, and I told him I was doing a radio interview that morning then rang him and said could he put the TV on and let me know how this friend had done. He said he nearly passed out when he saw it was me, it was so funny. Never again though. Oh! I also arranged a surprise 40th birthday party for him, but that was just because he was being a bit grumpy about the whole forty thing and said he didn’t want a fuss. Ha! He loved it!

Is there anything else coming up that you are busy planning for?

Yes, I am also determined to do more writing and get back to my journalism roots. I have just had my first article commissioned by Red magazine which I am really proud of.

Do you have a motto?

Just do it.

09

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INTERVIEW : ANDREA MCLEAN

I love hearing the rich twang of a Caribbean accent; it instantly transports me ‘home’. And I don’t moan as much as many people do about things in the UK, as no matter how bad things are, and how much better they could be, they are still a whole lot better than lots of other places! I think our main problem in the UK is that we don’t appreciate what we have, from something as basic as our beautiful countryside, to our transport system.

I also think if something bothers you then do something about it, don’t just moan to your friends and do nothing. Write a letter and complain rather than just bitching; it makes you feel better, and you might achieve something!

CARPHONE WAREHOUSE INCREASES EFFICIENCY WITH CENTRASTAGE TECHNOLOGY Business is all about how to make and save money and the recent recession has had a drastic impact on how this is done whilst ensuring ongoing customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Carphone Warehouse works very hard to protect its brand and vision, ensuring it is communicated consistently across its store network.

With in-store IT increasingly becoming part of the customer experience, the company needed to ensure the IT infrastructure added to the reputation of the business, as well as co-ordinating and managing all in-store digital signage from a single location. This would centrally control and manage the in-store IT infrastructure and bring continuity and protection to the Carphone Warehouse brand.

ISSUES In tougher economic times, businesses are forced to scrutinise their organisational structure to see whether they have the right tools to address the changing and emerging landscape and see if they can work more efficiently. It is important for businesses of all sizes to reappraise current ways of working in order to see if there are aspects which could be carried out better by a third party or if IT can be used to enhance the customer experience more cost effectively through increasing the productivity and efficiency of the organisation.

Typically this involves identifying areas where time can be saved through better processes and automation.

Carphone Warehouse has taken this ethos to its heart successfully. Having recently announced its merger with Best Buy Europe, and a 50% share in the company, efficiency is now more important than ever. Best Buy is different, innovative and inspiring. It pays particular attention to green issues and even provides electric charging points in all of its car parks so customers can power-up their cars for free while they shop.

With more than 7,000 in store laptops for customers in the UK to use and 1.6 million customers visiting stores every week, Carphone Warehouse needed to regain control of these laptops and ensure they were centrally managed to ensure continuity of the brand.

Demonstration laptops in stores were proving unmanageable without a visit to each site or returning the device to the warehouse, a process that took several days and numerous hours to organise. In addition to the time spent visiting stores, configuring laptops and the cost of returning faulty equipment, the Carphone Warehouse had no way of checking each laptop remained online and was being used correctly by staff and customers.

Ongoing maintenance was also a problem for Dave Newman, Channel Platform Manager, and his team, which regularly updates its IT systems for staff and customers. This was a very time consuming process as adding and updating software had to be physically carried out at each store.

There was also the potential to have more than 135,000 inches of advertising space on each laptop, which meant being able to manage the company’s digital signage from a single location was crucial. With hundreds of laptops on display for customers and screen savers promoting the latest products and services this was seen potentially as a very valuable communication platform.

SOLUTION Carphone Warehouse approached CentraStage, a specialist remote device management services company. CentraStage provides a web-based platform that improves the management of servers, PCs and laptops. The solution also includes auditing, monitoring, remote support, deployment and reporting capabilities.

There are numerous device management solutions on the market offering specific and varied solutions however, CentraStage was the only technology that could do exactly what the Carphone Warehouse wanted. The technology is specifically designed for an unstructured network, a corporate solution for a non-corporate environment. The solution is based on CentraStage’s research and development with customers and its understanding of their real requirements.

The solution also meant that in-store devices could be continuously monitored via WiFi networks across the stores, ensuring devices are online and available, as well as monitoring device usage and activity. Laptops can also be remotely managed, with new software and device content deployed automatically across thousands of devices. Now when the company releases new interactive content, such as screensavers to accompany a product launch, it can be deployed to all machines instantly.

CONCLUSION

MONEY

CentraStage has revolutionised how Carphone Warehouse manages and controls the in-store laptops and has changed the way it utilises these key assets. It is now a critical marketing tool for the Carphone Warehouse and the technology underpins the in-store demo laptops as a revenue stream by allowing it to deliver centrally managed advertising content across all demonstration devices in-store; the equivalent to 135,000 inches of interactive billboard space nationally.

There is a huge amount of value in remote device management technology, not only have Carphone Warehouse’s demo laptops become a profit centre for the company, but CentraStage has delivered huge efficiency savings to the business. The CentraStage technology paid for itself twice over within the first two years of implementation and is seen as a profit generator, rather than a cost.

It is now being rolled out to all the new Best Buy stores opening in the UK this year.

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Carphone Warehouse now has complete control over its brand via the IT devices in each UK store, and increasingly throughout Europe. It can manage all digital signage centrally and has saved thousands of man hours in visiting and updating in-store equipment.

The main area businesses should focus on is how to get better value for money from IT services to ensure organisations are managed efficiently and profitably. IT efficiency is the first step in taking control of these issues.

SMART WAYS TO BE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE GRAEME CROSSLEY

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

Don’t get caught up in the panic of printing Christmas Cards this year, simply inform your customers that you will be making a donation to a charitable cause instead. It’s a simple technique but will reduce wastage, help the environment, show your customers that you care and improve your brand reputation all at the same time.

THE ‘GREEN OFFICE’

There are many ways to help your office become ‘greener’ including energy efficiency, using cleaner technology, renting ‘green’ office space, purchasing recycled materials and using Fairtrade products. The best strategy is to find options that will complement your business.

DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) isn’t always about being ‘green’ or doing good in the wider community. It is also about what is happening within your business and extends to your employees too. Remember, being socially responsible includes embracing diversity within your workforce and this can extend to the percentage of women, disabled or ethnic workers that you employ.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Being socially responsible is also about how you can influence others around you so think of ways to encourage your suppliers and customers to take a more ethical approach. Provide regular tips as part of your e-newsletter or add them to your website. But if you are asking others to take certain actions, ensure that you are actually doing them yourself.

GET INVOLVED

Some businesses choose to support a local charity, or sponsor a local event but it makes sense to get involved with activities which are related to your service or product offering and enable you to demonstrate your expertise whilst also adding a touch of personality. If you have staff, you may want to involve them in projects, perhaps by allowing them time off work to volunteer for community activities.

Many businesses use such opportunities as team building and morale boosting exercises, which then benefit both the organisation and the charitable cause at the same time.

There are also commercial benefits to community involvement too, such as increased opportunities for publicity. Some local authorities even prefer to award contracts to businesses with a record of community involvement, so it could also open valuable doors to new business too.

Graeme Crossley is MD of Brand Reputation, a communications agency that builds trust in consumer brands by developing & implementing strategies related to corporate social responsibility & sustainability. Graeme has over 15 years experience in communications and CSR, gained through working for leading brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, Sainsbury’s, YUM! Restaurants, WHSmith and Amazon.com. For more information visit www.brandrep.co.uk.

FEATURE : SMART WAYS TO BE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

If you want your business to strive after the recession, you need to find ways to stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself in the marketplace. Building a reputation as a responsible business can set you apart from the competition, whilst also making you more attractive as a supplier. Remember it is not only consumers who choose to buy from ethical businesses, companies often favour suppliers who can demonstrate responsible behaviour as this helps them to reduce the risk of any damage to their own reputations.

A good reputation also makes it easier to recruit employees and can actually encourage them to stay longer, be more productive and stay motivated. Investors also recognise the benefits to businesses of engaging in CSR and therefore may be more willing to finance you too.

LEGAL COLUMN In each issue Clare Waller, a Director at HRJ Law, a legal firm with offices in Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City is on hand to answer your legal problems. Please email them to clare.waller@hrjlaw.co.uk. We regret that no personal correspondence can be entered into.

I run an accountancy practice, employing 10 people and have a Disciplinary Procedure in place which I may have to use fairly soon. I was recently looking at another company’s procedure and it states that it was not part of the contract of employment.

Mine does not say that – should it?

Many disciplinary procedures do state that they are non-contractual and do not form part of an employee’s contract of employment.

One of the benefits of this approach is that an employer can change the terms of the procedure without necessarily having to consult with employees over the change or obtain their consent to it.

The potential significance of getting a disciplinary procedure which does form part of the contract of employment wrong was emphasised by the Court of Appeal in a recent case. A consultant trauma and orthopedic surgeon were dismissed by a hospital Trust who admitted that the dismissal did not comply with its own disSolicitor ciplinary procedure. He was denied aBob rightFahy, to legal representation and a panel hearing, both of which the & disciplinary procedure Matthew Arnold Baldwin LLP said that he was entitled to. The Court of Appeal held that where www.mablaw.com an employee suffers loss as a result of findings of personal or

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Employment Law Commercial Litigation Property Transactions All aspects of Commercial Law

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Welwyn Garden City Office: Gate House, Fretherne Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL8 6RD

Tel: 01707 887700 www.hrjlaw.co.uk

professional misconduct, leading to dismissal and a loss of professional status during disciplinary proceedings which were conducted in breach of contract, and which would otherwise not have been made, the employee could recover damages at large. This meant that he could be compensated for the full extent of his losses caused by the breach of contract rather than just being confined to the notice period as was previously generally thought.

I would therefore tend to advise employers that it will usually be in their best interests to specify that their disciplinary procedures are non-contractual. If the procedure does not specify whether it has contractual force or not a court or tribunal will look at the surrounding evidence in order to determine whether it should be considered to form part of the contract. If it is physically included in the same document as the contract of employment this is almost certainly going to be the case.

In your situation, it may well be that you should consider whether it may be appropriate to update and amend your disciplinary procedure now to address this issue before you may have a need to use it.

For further information log onto www.hrjlaw.co.uk Please note that the answers provided are for general guidance only. If you have any legal problems you should always ensure that you obtain specific legal advice.

BANK LEVY MAY BE GOOD NEWS FOR BUSINESS, BUT BAD NEWS FOR HOUSE PRICES Last month, Chancellor George Osborne announced a levy on bank balance sheets, designed to encourage banks to rebalance towards retail funding. This comes as no surprise, but there is a risk the pressure on funding could ultimately restrict lending. It is more likely banks will look to raise rates in order to attract additional retail funding in a highly competitive market.

In an effort to maintain margins, these costs could be filtered through to consumer and small business loan rates, potentially putting additional pressure on the housing market.

Those building societies and banks with liabilities of less than £20 billion will be exempt from the levy. This is a positive break for these organisations at the same time when they’re faced with implementing a costly new liquidity regime. That said, it may restrict the growth plans of some of the larger societies and, potentially, limit their appetite for further mergers and acquisitions.

Nigel Harman, UK Head of Banking at KPMG, said: “While French and German support on banking levies provides superficial political coverage for the UK’s unilateral move, it’s a fairly insignificant factor. Most banks won’t be looking to relocate to those jurisdictions. In line with a global agenda, there may be more pain to come with further action taken on the IMF plan to introduce a financial activities tax to focus on profit and remuneration. Whilst the overall take from this annual levy is similar in scale to the recent one-off bonus tax, it is fundamentally different in nature”.

DANGERS OF NOT HAVING SOFTWARE ESCROW ARRANGEMENTS BY DR. SAM DE SILVA Given the financial difficulties facing many technology companies around the world, it is becoming increasingly important to consider mechanisms that provide protection for software users in the event a software licensor becomes insolvent or, is unable or unwilling to support its software.

One such mechanism is requiring the source code for key software to be held in escrow.

Generally if a customer has a licence to use software, it may not be given the source code for the software. Source code is the human-readable programming statements for software that must be complied with before the software can be run on a computer.

Access to the source code is required for a customer to modify, maintain or enhance (or, in other words, support) any software. Most software licences allow the customer to use the object code (the source code compiled into machine readable code) of the software but, not the source code.

Since the source code reveals exactly how the software works (being the essence of the software’s value), it is in the licensor’s best interests to keep it confidential. Restricting access to the source code also protects the licensor’s ability to control who may support and maintain the software (for a fee, obviously).

The issue and the reason for escrow, is that there are circumstances when a customer needs to have access to the source code. For example, if the licensor goes into liquidation, the customer will need to have access to the source code so that it can take care of matters that would otherwise have been dealt with by the licensor, such as fixing bugs, and making improvements.

One solution is to have a software escrow agreement in place.

A software escrow arrangement is where the licensor of a software product agrees to place the source code and certain materials relating to that software product with an independent third party (the “escrow agent”). The escrow agent agrees to hold the source code and materials for the benefit of the licensor and will only release the source code and materials to a licensee of that software product upon the occurrence of a release event.

Most escrow agents have standard terms on which they agree to hold source codes and materials. These normally provide that:

release event occurs, the source code and materials will be released to them without having to seek this release from the licensor (who may be unwilling or unable to agree to such release at that time). However, in most cases the escrow agreement will provide the licensor with an opportunity to dispute the release where the licensor believes a valid release event has not in fact occurred. With an escrow agreement, the licensor’s concerns are addressed because, with a trusted escrow agent, its valuable information/materials are safe. From a customer perspective, its concerns are also addressed in that it should be comfortable that it will have the information/materials released to it in appropriate circumstances.

The escrow arrangement will be documented by an escrow agreement, which will be a tri-partite agreement between the escrow agent, the licensor and the customer.

Escrow arrangements will be negotiated at two levels: first in the agreement with the licensor, and second in the escrow agreement itself.

The importance of software escrow agreements is often overlooked or under-estimated during negotiations of software licences or system supply agreements.

The need for a software escrow agreement will need to be assessed on a case by case basis but, will be particularly important if a customer is acquiring a high-value or business-critical software which will be maintained by the licensor for a reasonably long period. Without an appropriate escrow arrangement in place, a customer may face major operational (and subsequent financial) issues if the licensor becomes unable or unwilling to support its software.

Dr. Sam De Silva is a Technology and Outsourcing Partner at Taylor Walton LLP, which has offices in Luton, Harpenden and St Albans and provides effective legal solutions to businesses and individuals across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and the South East. He can be contacted at 01582 390544 or sam.desilva@taylorwalton.co.uk

• subject to complying with its obligations, the escrow agent has no liability in relation to the release and use of the source code and materials.

Escrow agents therefore provide a service which enables the licensee to have comfort that, when an appropriate

www.businessindependent.co.uk

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LEGAL

• the escrow agent agrees to hold the source code and materials in confidence and in a secure location; and

THE STING IN THE TAIL John Byers of Langley Byers Bennett – experts in Commercial Dilapidations gives a few tips for Tenants dealing with Dilapidations.

Occupying a building can be an expensive business with many costs involved. In addition to rent, rates, service charge, maintenance, cleaning and other costs; dilapidation costs can arise often unnoticed on unexpected occasions with expensive consequences.

What Are Dilapidations?

Most commercial leases will contain repair obligations the Tenant has to fulfill. Often this means maintaining the property in good condition and leaving it in the sort of condition that a new occupier would expect to find it in when they start a lease.

Dilapidation issues tend to raise their head at certain intervals during a lease, particularly at a rent review, at the end of a lease, during a new lease negotiation or upon the exercise of a break clause.

LANGLEY BYERS BENNETT’ S TOP TIPS FOR DEALING WITH DILAPIDATIONS 1. Prior to signing a lease, a Tenant should consider an ingoing Schedule of Condition. The purpose of such a schedule is to record the condition of the property at a particular time (i.e. at the signing of the lese). The usual purpose of the schedule, which should be agreed between both parties and then attached to a lease, is to modify or clarify the repairing obligations. The idea being that the Tenant is not obliged to put the building back into any better condition than that existing at the commencement of the lease.

2. Do not ignore the claim. Even if you feel the Landlords claim is spurious or excessive do not ignore it but treat it seriously.

3. Take good professional advice from your solicitor and an expert Chartered Building Surveyor.

PROPERTY

4. Make provisions for dilapidation costs arising in the future. Review your lease or tenancy agreement and take advice as to what your obligations and costs may be in the future.

7. Do not assume your only obligation is to repair your building to match the condition it was in when you took it. Even if the building was old and dilapidated when you started you may still have an obligation to improve it so that it is handed back to the Landlord in better condition than it was originally.

8. Keep all records. If you have asked the Landlords about repairs for which they have an obligation (perhaps on the outside of the building) and they have not done so, keep a careful record of when problems were brought to the Landlord’s attention; and of the damage that may be occurring to your accommodation as a result.

9. Plan alterations carefully. You probably have an obligation to change them back afterwards. When making alterations to your property consider how easily changes can be undone and removed afterwards so that you reduce the cost of reinstating the building at the end of your lease.

5. Carry out regular maintenance work. Deal with repairs as they arise and not allow them to accumulate. Often substantial damage can arise from relatively simple matters that are not put right when they should be. If this has not been done then a Chartered Building Surveyor should be employed to assess the building condition, prioritise repairs and prepare a planned maintenance programme.

6. Consider your lease terms carefully particularly if you are considering exercising a break clause or nearing the end of a rent review is approaching.

Tel: Email: Website:

020 7822 8850 info@lbb.org.uk www.lbb.org.uk

CHARITY JAILBREAK !!

ReachOut Plus – a charity based in St Albans which works with young and disabled people throughout Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire – hosted a charity jailbreak in the old courthouse at Berkhamsted on Wednesday 26th May. Six convicts, masquerading as local citizens were armed with nothing more sinister than their mobile phones and their address books. The prisoners could not be released from their “cell” in the old courthouse until they had each raised at least £500 for the work of the charity.

The event was highly successful, a lot of fun and has already raised a total of more than £6,000 with perhaps more to come.

Those convicted by the charity’s cause were the new Mayor of Dacorum, Councillor Roger Taylor; Mark Dawe, Principal of Oaklands College; Simon George, Managing Director of the Hertfordshire Business Independent; Victoria Hewitt of Scott and Hewitt Marketing; Mike Meldrum of Mortgage Mine; and Catherine Farrell of Midas Appeals.

They were all dressed up in convict clothes and supervised by the High Sherriff of Hertfordshire, Gerald Corbett, in full regalia and complete with sword and by Ron Overton, Director of the Charity, who was dressed as a policeman for the day.

ReachOut Plus provides a wide range of support services, including aboard its small fleet of fully accessible canal boats on the Grand Union canal, based in Nash Mills. The charity also runs a residential youth centre set in stunning countryside in Chellington North Bedfordshire.

In August this year, part-funded by Children in Need and the Childwick Trust, ReachOut Plus will launch Circles of Support, an exciting new community support service for young people with learning disabilities and associated physical disabilities. Stage 1 of the programme will work with 25 young people and over 100 young volunteers across Bedfordshire. The charity hopes to launch a second stage project to provide a similar service in Bedfordshire in 2011.

Ron Overton, Director of the Charity said “We are enormously grateful for the commitment of our distinguished prisoners for this fantastic event – which was a lot of fun and raised much needed funds to provide vital services for young people with disabilities across Hertfordshire”.

Simon George would like to give special thanks to Karen Young of HR Innovate and Kelly Molson of Rubber Cheese for their generous support.

ReachOut Plus Gala Dinner

Wednesday 29 September 2010, The Hertfordshire Golf Club, Broxbourne, Herts

Creating opportunities that change people’s lives

What do we do?

We provide a wide range of volunteer-based community support services for people whose disability or life situation all too often excludes them. This includes aboard our accessible canal boats on the Grand Union Canal in Hemel Hempstead and at our stunning residential centre in North Bedfordshire.

Support the ReachOut Plus 100 CLUB The 100 Club is mutual benefit association of Companies and trading organisations who want to partner with ReachOut Plus and support the Charity in its work to create opportunities that change people’s lives.

Contact us today to find out more about the many ways to get involved and the benefits the 100 Club will bring to your organisation.

For tickets or more information call 0845 216 0080 or email us at admin@reachoutplus.org www.reachoutplus.org Charity Number 286212

COMMUNITY

Who are ReachOut Plus?

ReachOut Plus is an exiting Charity that works across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire with children, young people and adults with special needs and disablities.

WELWYN GARDEN CITY & HATFIELD The borough of Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire consists of two towns: Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City. It was merged in 1974 as a way of creating a mix of urban and rural districts.

Welwyn Garden City was founded in 1920 after becoming one of just two garden cities in the UK. It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and exemplifies the physical, social and cultural planning ideals of the periods in which it was built.

A ‘garden city’ is defined as being a town designed for healthy living and industry of a size that makes possible a full measure of social life but not larger, surrounded by a rural belt; the whole of the land being in public ownership, or held in trust for the community. It was designed with the idea in mind of bringing town and cities together with the countryside, so that everybody could enjoy the benefits of both.

It also boasts its own environmental protection legislation, the Scheme of Management for Welwyn Garden City. The purpose of the scheme is to protect the town and its unique character. Too often thoughtless changes will damage the look of a property or a streetscape and damage associated properties and their valuations.

It is essential, therefore, to ensure that changes are made in accordance with the ethos of the place. All residents within its boundaries are bound to follow the Estate Management Scheme (EMS).

IN FOCUS : WELWYN GARDEN CITY & HATFIELD

Welwyn Hatfield is a popular area for the many commuters that live there due to its distance from London. It is sometimes known as a ‘dormitory town’ for households that worked in London.

The two towns within Welwyn Hatfield each have a rich history in transport. The first supercharged Bentley car the ‘Blower’ was built

in Welwyn Garden City, whilst the first production-line jet airliner was built in Hatfield. Other claims to fame include the well known breakfast cereal Shredded Wheat which was once made in Welwyn Garden City and The Eight Bells Inn of Hatfield mentioned in Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist. It is also thought that the Tudors spent their time in Hatfield as Elizabeth was confined for three years in what is now known as ‘The Old Palace’ in Hatfield Park.

Nowadays however, it is renowned for many of its famous residents including author Fre derick Forsythe, singer Alesha Dixon and Director General at the BBC Mark Thompson.

National Journalist and PR Consultant Laura Berrill Knows what the press want, how to get your business, services and events exposure without costly advertising.

Generated an unprecedented amount of publicity for numerous clients.

01727 836646 / 07944 555238 lauraberrill@btinternet.com

Time for change?

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Our aim is to help you focus on what you really want to achieve for your business and advise how you can motivate your staff througout the change process.

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LATEST SEAT ECOMOTIVES ARE SET TO CLEAN UP SEAT’S LATEST CLASS LEADER, THE NEW LEON ECOMOTIVE, IS MAKING ITS UK DEBUT IN FRONT OF THE NATION’S MOTORING PRESS THIS WEEK AND WITH HUNDREDS OF ORDERS ALREADY UNDER ITS BELT THANKS TO SEAT UK’S LARGEST SINGLE FLEET DEAL TO DATE - 500 NEW LEON ECOMOTIVES TO BRITISH GAS - THE OMENS ALREADY LOOK PRETTY GOOD FOR THE SUPERFRUGAL NEW SPANIARD.

All three cars are available in both S and SE specifications, and all boast a dizzying array of standard equipment to give the lie to the idea that ‘economy’ and ‘luxury’ are somehow mutually exclusive.

Air conditioning, stylish 16-inch alloys, one-shot electric windows all round, ESP, ABS, TSC, Hill Hold Control, tyre press monitoring, six-speaker stereo radio/CD with MP3 compatibility and AUX-in - these are not the hallmarks of an ‘economy’ car.

An extensive options list lets Ecomotive customers further personalise their luxurious surroundings with the likes of bi-xenon headlights with AFS, auto dimming rear view mirror, auto lights and wipers, SEAT’s Optical Parking System and DAB radio tuner all available.

Prices for the new models start at £16,840 RRP (SEAT Leon Ecomotive S) and, with the Spanish brand’s current Eco-nomics offer that drops to as little as £15,090 - subject to availability, terms and conditions apply.

DRIVE

Showcasing cutting edge engineering, including SEAT’s use for the first time of Start/Stop technology and Brake Energy Recovery, the sleek new five-seater underlines the Spanish brand’s determination to make itself a leader in the area of environmentally responsible motoring.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the latest Leon sees its CO2emissions slashed to just 99 g/km (the same as the original Ibiza Ecomotive) while its combined fuel economy figure of 74.3 mpg gives the Leon a range of almost 900 miles between fill-ups.

Even in town, with an official urban figure of 60.1 mpg, new Leon Ecomotive owners can look forward to far less frequent refuelling stops.

Among the features key to the car’s improved economy and emissions performance, compared with the already frugal outgoing Leon Ecomotive, are its use of a new 1.6-litre TDI engine with the latest common rail technology and DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter), new Start/Stop technology and SEAT’s new Brake Energy Recovery system.

A recommended gear indicator helps the driver select the optimum ratio for economical motoring, while low rolling resistance tyres on the new Leon further boost economy. Subtle but important aerodynamic tweaks to the Leon’s already slippery shape complete the Ecomotive treatment.

Despite a drop in cubic capacity, the Leon’s new EU5-compliant powerplant still offers up 105 PS - exactly the same power output as the previous 1.9-litre turbodiesel - yet thanks to its new technology the car’s emissions have plunged from 119 g/km previously to that VED-busting figure of just 99 g/km today.

Sacrificing performance in the quest for out-and-out economy has never been SEAT’s way, of course, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the new Leon Ecomotive’s 0-62 mph time remains a sprightly 11.5 seconds while the top speed is an entirely ample 118 mph.

Driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox with ratios precisely attuned to the needs of economical yet involving motoring, the Leon Ecomotive’s engine is now even more refined, too.

The Leon is, however, sharing its place in the spotlight this week with other Ecomotive-badged newcomers as both the new Altea Ecomotive and Altea XL Ecomotive make their debuts, too.

Boasting the same powertrain as their slightly less capacious cousin, the Altea models do without the aerodynamic adjustments that help the Leon to its exceptional stats. As a result their economy and emissions figures can’t quite match the Leon’s - although 119 g/km of CO2 from both cars is hardly profligate. Combined fuel economy of 62.8 mpg for both cars is not to be sniffed at, either.

LIFE IN THE COLD CALL A well-executed cold call can be one of the fastest and most cost effective routes to new business...

Andy Preston is a ...not to mention being much more carbon efficient than a direct mailer - yet most people never learn to do it properly. But, with just a few simple techniques, business owners and sales executives can make a dramatic difference to bottom-line-profits - and help score a big advantage over the competition.

leading expert on Sales and Sales Management.

You can see more about him at

www.andy-preston.com

Generally, when initiating a cold-calling exercise, going for appointments is considered less favourable than going for quotes as the process is often slower, but it is important to consider which approach consistently produces more profitable results in the long term. Going for quotes can certainly boost a salesperson’s confidence and ego as the chances of rejection is usually low – but ultimately this is because they are unlikely to close the business in the end.

Aiming for an appointment or an in-depth conversation is more likely to run into objections and the risk of being “rejected” by the prospect but is infinitely more profitable for the ones that are converted into clients. But in order to secure an initial appointment with a prospect, the cold caller must exert confidence and attitude, and I recommend a few simple techniques that are proven to increase their chances of a successful cold call outcome.

STEP 1 : ADVOCATE A 2-CALL STRATEGY

BUSINESS SUPPORT

A 2-call strategy involves a first call to get the name of the decision maker and some brief information and the second cold call directly to the decision maker. Failure to use a 2-call strategy increases the likelihood of running into challenges with getting past gatekeepers and also runs the risk of irritating the decision maker.

STEP 2: DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THE COMPETITION The first thing a salesperson must do in a competitive industry is to distance themselves from the competition as failure to do this properly runs the risk of customers perceiving them as “the same

18

as all the rest”, and that is when they will change supplier for a slightly cheaper price or when a mistake is made - as clients “perceive” the supplier can be replaced very easily.

The trick is to position yourself as different than the competition, get to know your clients and their business needs very well, so you become more than just a “supplier” to them - you become almost an extension of their business. Ultimately the golden rule of the cold call is to get commitment in the first place, and then become an extension of your client’s business so that they’ll do anything to keep you as a supplier.

STEP 3: NEVER FOCUS ON PRICE ALONE (even in a price driven market) Often many salespeople consider themselves positioned in an industry they think is competitive, in which the products or services can be hard to distinguish between and they think that customers buy solely on price – and so they mistakenly try and sell on price. There are very few companies out there that buy just on price - and if the clients do solely buy on price – the salesperson is setting themselves up for problems retaining them in the future.

Whilst a business owner or salesperson may feel reasonably satisfied from making cold calls by perceiving an agreement for a quote as a positive result, the majority of ‘leads’ end up not taking follow up calls or will announce that “they have everything they need” or “they’ll be in touch when they need some” but the order never comes through.

Getting a prospect to agree to receive a quote isn’t going to persuade them to buy so there always needs to be a stronger outcome for the call such as a meeting, or at least a more in-depth conversation about their needs and how you can help solve their problems.

ASK THE EXPERTS GREEN EDITION

Welcome to the HBI expert panel, our newest feature which brings the experts to you! If you have a question why not get in touch, and we will find the right expert for you! This month, we bring you the very best expert advice from the Hertfordshire region on how to improve Corporate Responsibility.

CINDY WITHEY How can my business work with the community to become more Corporately Responsible?

There are many opportunities to work with your local community; you just need to know where to look. Local Volunteer Bureaus always have a long list of volunteering opportunities from being a mentor or trustee at a charity, to helping redecorate a village hall.

To us, being a good neighbour means responding to the needs of local organisations and to the interests of our employees. In typical Grass Roots style, we focus on working in partnership with private and public bodies, leveraging our financial and human resources to add value to what they’re doing.

Find out from your staff what they are involved with – you may find employees already give up their own time to help with local clubs or charities. You can help by giving staff time off work to volunteer – this can be two days a year or more!!

Share your knowledge with other people by presenting at local events. Get people talking and sharing ideas, and network at your local Chamber of Commerce or find a local community networking association. Depending on your business you could offer local charities work experience placements, mentoring help, or maybe even something like office or warehouse space.

Cindy Withey is the CSR Manager at Grass Roots

HELEN CANTRELL How does CSR work to support others?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is about taking a responsible attitude, going beyond the minimum legal requirements and following straightforward principles that apply whatever the size of the business.

Organisations often favour suppliers who demonstrate responsible policies as this can have a positive impact on how they are perceived by customers.

Although the benefits are non financial they are long term and can become embedded and self sustainable.

There is evidence out there that employees are more likely to stay on and to recommend their organisation if they perceive them to be socially responsible. Employee volunteering schemes are seen as a positive, hands on, engaging way of investing in the CSR agenda and they are fundamentally likely to make staff feel proud to work there and are making a contribution to the communities they live and work in.

Helen Cantrell, Chief Executive of volunteer mentoring organisation SOVA

HENNING DRÄGER There are a number of small, simple actions which when put together, can make a big difference to a workplace’s environmental footprint. In fact, the main obstacle an organisation is likely to face in becoming greener is apathy – many people who try to save energy at home tend not to bother in the office!

It would be ideal if all buildings were well-insulated and energy-efficient. Remove waste bins from under desks and provide recycling bins instead. Buy recycled paper - each tonne produced saves 30,000 litres of water – and set printer defaults to double-sided, if you need to print at all. Turn off lights and monitors when not in use; even if you only leave your desk for ten minutes, the cumulative effect is significant. Last but not least, make sure you only boil only the water you need when making tea and coffee.

Henning Dräger, Head of Sustainability at ACCA.

ANGUS MIDDLETON What are the best ways of using renewable energy in the office?

Most offices use little hot water, but a lot of electricity, heating and cooling. The best quick fix is passive solar heating.

The sun shining in your windows can provide good heating, so let it in. You might have to move desks to avoid glare etc, but it is worth it. Try dark flooring, as it will absorb more heat and radiate it into the room. In summer, shading windows with plants gives good natural cooling.

Solar hot water is a red herring for most offices, so probably give it a miss. Solar electricity is more attractive, especially with the Feed In Tariff, but only consider this if you have a flat or south-facing roof that is not in shadow.

Forget wind turbines if you are in a built-up area. The prospect is better for rural locations, where you will need reliable winds (not necessarily strong). Planning permission is now fairly loaded in your favour and payback times can be very low, so they are worth looking into.

Ground source heat pumps are only worth considering if you are doing major construction or other ground works. Air source heat pumps can power underfloor heating systems, but are not very efficient in cold weather. Best avoided if local ponds are covered in ice for much of the winter. Heat pumps have the added benefit of providing air conditioning in summer.

Angus Middleton, Technical Director at Ecoboom (www.ecoboom.co.uk)

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INTERVIEW ASK THE EXPERTS : CLAIRE YOUNG

How can I make my workplace greener?

GREEN GADGETS

BY SANDRA HART ALEUTIA D1 MINI ATOM PC When we think of being environmentally friendly we often think it is going to be an expensive experience. This isn’t always the case.

Although the Aleutia D1 is smaller than most other Small Form Factor Personal Computers (SFF PCs) it certainly does not lack in substance. You can even make your D1 to your own specification, with many choices such as 2 or 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD/40GB Intel SSD/80GB Intel SSD. Add an Intel Dual Core 1.66GHz processor and this eco-friendly PC is perfect for any office.

Combining efficient processors with components such as the DVD-RW Drive means the power consumption is kept low – 34w, about 25% of the energy of other SFF PCs. The D1 also has a smaller fan as it produces less heat, therefore making the PC quieter too.

Prices start from £269 ex VAT. www.aleutia.com

MSI U110 ECO WIND ECO-FRIENDLY NETBOOK For computing on the go why not try one of MSI’s new eco-friendly netbooks?

The U110 Eco Wind netbook comes complete with the Intel Menlow Platform with Intel Atom Processor 1.60GHz as well speakers, memory card reader, wireless and a choice of disk storage space.

As the “world’s most power efficient netbook” it also boasts a 10” LCD screen and up to 9 hours battery time.

If you want to be able to run your company from your laptop then this netbook may not be for you. However for keeping in touch with the office and other basic uses this netbook could be just what you’re looking for. www.lowpowerpcs.co.uk 1-4 1-4Page PageJet JetAdvert Advert2_Layout 2_Layout11 17/05/2010 17/05/2010 22:39 22:39 Page Page11

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LOEWE ART SL – ECO FRIENDLY HD TV Eco-friendly televisions are something that should be encouraged but are often disappointing. But not so with Loewe’s most environmentally friendly HD Art SL. The Art SL comes with it’s own “Eco Mode” which enables you to control the energy efficiency levels of your television, saving you a possible 20% less electricity than the premium mode.

Complete with an integrated HD recorder, DVB Radio and set-top box, external material usage is vastly reduced, as well as saving you money on batteries as there will only be one remote control!!

Even the dreaded “standby” button has been made more eco-friendly using only 0.7watts.

The only downside to this television is that prices start at £2,345. www.loewe-uk.com

20

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•• Catalogues Catalogues •• Brochures Brochures •• Price Price Lists Lists

•• Signs Signs •• Labels Labels •• Copy CopyWriting Writing

•• Leaflets Leaflets && Flyer Flyer •• Adverts Adverts

•• Press Press Releases Releases •• Presentations Presentations

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BY SANDRA HART

GUIDE TO CLOUD COMPUTING

If you walk into an office today you can guarantee it will be different to an office 5 years ago, maybe even last year.With the UK struggling with one of the highest debts, we are all having to ‘tighten our belts’ and businesses are no different. Add to that the need to help the environment and global warming and many companies are wondering where to turn. This is where Cloud Computing can come in handy.

In a nutshell, Cloud Computing is having some or, all of your IT needs in a virtual location rather than in your office. Instead of clogging up your computer’s onboard memory you can use applications in the Cloud, which in turn reduces your energy costs.

Another benefit of Cloud computing is financial. Rather than paying for dedicated software, you can access your documents, emails or other data stored online (the Cloud) from any laptop, PC or mobile device, all in real-time.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

Once you have decided that you would like to move into Cloud Computing and start looking around for the best deal for your company’s needs you need to consider: • Word of mouth – the best form of advertising. If the company you are considering has had some bad press then maybe you should look further afield • Security – How will your data be stored? Who will have access to it? Are there any 3rd party security accreditations?

• Open-source – a great selection of free or cheap Cloud tools.

Many companies use open-source tools such as Wiki and Thunderbird. These can provide financial savings • Always read the small print! – In most cases you will receive an e-contract when you sign up. As with all contracts make sure you read these thoroughly as there can sometimes be loopholes that could end up costing you money, security or even loss of data/security. Beware of companies that try and lock you in for a few months or even longer. You don’t have to do this and if they insist I would recommend you look elsewhere.

ARE THERE ANY NEGATIVES?

As with anything there are always going to be negatives and, depending on your circumstances and needs, Cloud Computing is no different.

Being Cloud Computing savvy is a must although most of what you should do is general common sense.

Always know where your information is being held.

Always remember to ask for detailed security programs. If the company refuses to provide this then don’t go near them.

MY BUSINESS IS AN SME, HOW WILL CLOUD COMPUTING BENEFIT ME?

Being a small-to-medium sized business brings a smaller workforce, less cashflow and better usage of resources.

Cloud Computing can reduce the need for offices as you can do most of your work remotely. Therefore having a small work force working from their homes can reduce your business costs as well as your staffs expenses. You also save time as there is no commuting which is beneficial to the environment.

And if you get things right in the first instance, as your business grows so can your Cloud.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

Cloud Computing is still in its early stages but something we should all embrace. Think of it this way.

As I’m sitting here typing this I also have Facebook and Twitter

open. These are both Cloud environments. I’m not alone in using these – Facebook has an estimated 400 million users with 50% logging on each day.

Despite many thinking that Cloud computing is a phrase they’ve just heard somewhere and really should read up on at some point, the reality is that it is ingrained in the lives of many already, be it for personal or business use, and this trend is only set to grow in coming years.

WHY CLOUD 2 WILL HAVE A SILVER LINING FOR HERTFORDSHIRE’S SMES Comments provided by Steve Garnett, chairman EMEA, salesforce.com A recent survey from Business Link in the East of England paints a positive picture for the future of Hertfordshire’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). More than 60 per cent of respondents said they considered the recession to be a short-term hindrance and more than 70 per cent stated that they would be adjusting their business plans in order to remain focused.

The region’s SMEs will need to embrace innovation if they want to capitalise on opportunities in the wake of the downturn. One of the most effective ways they can do this is by migrating to the next generation of cloud computing, known as Cloud 2, which offers a new social and collaborative way of working and which delivers real-time access to data and information across new mobile devices.

Today, dramatic trends in the consumer web show that social networking is now more popular than email, Facebook and YouTube use have outpaced search; and mobile devices like the iPad are creating entirely new ways to interact with information. Cloud 2 harnesses the power of real-time collaboration that these applications have provided in the consumer world, and unleashes it in a business context.

As they plan positively for growth, Hertfordshire’s SMEs might want to reflect that smaller businesses are likely to benefit more from Cloud 2 than larger enterprises. In today’s competitive business world, time is at a premium for most SMEs. Historically, employees have found it difficult to keep in touch with everything happening within the organisation.

Many constantly miss out on critical internal information because existing collaboration tools are complicated and expensive and put the onus on users to do the groundwork in tracking down the information they need.

Today, the advent of Cloud 2-based solutions like Salesforce Chatter for example, provides a solution to many of the key challenges that SMEs face every day. Salesforce Chatter empowers employees to collaborate in real time through profiles, feeds and status updates. And in turn, this will enable them to obtain instant access to the key information they need to do their jobs more effectively. For Hertfordshire’s SMEs, it seems likely that Cloud 2 will have a silver lining.

TECHNOLOGY

SO WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING?

EATING YOUR FIVE A DAY WILL KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY It is never too late to change your habits.

By establishing a healthy lifestyle now you will continue to reap the rewards in the future. Usually a ‘healthy’ lifestyle connotes sweaty gyms, plates of uninspiring fruit and veg and empty stomachs – but this does not have to be the case. Simply boosting your levels of general daily activity can massively improve your health and energy.

It can be hard to get started and there are many reasons why we find it difficult to start exercising. The lives we are living now require a lot less physical activity than in our parents and grandparents’ day as more people now own cars and spend longer in front of computer screens. Demanding home and family lives can also mean there is little time left to fit in exercise.

Being physically active can bolster good mental health and help you to manage stress, anxiety and even depression. It is worth thinking about what you gain from regular exercise and making even a partial improvement to your fitness. Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight, which is important in managing many health conditions.

Different exercises help different problems. Common complaints such as digestion, poor posture, back pain and even sleeplessness can be improved by a good exercise.

Accompanied by a good diet this could mean the end of sleepless nights and indigestion.

A good diet is crucial to overall good health, but how do you know which are the best foods to include in your meals? Tips from healthy living advice states that it is important not to ban or omit any foods or food groups, but to balance what you eat by consuming a variety of foods from each food group in the right proportions.

It goes without saying that five portions of fruit and veg a day is a must. This can be difficult, but remember that frozen and canned veg and even smoothies count as one of your five a day. Cooked breakfasts can also include grilled tomatoes and mushrooms.

When selecting carbohydrates choose unrefined carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and wholegrain pasta as they will contain the whole of the grain and will be rich in fibre. Milk and dairy foods should be eaten in moderation because of their high saturated fat content but they’re an important source of calcium. Choose a low-fat or a reduced fat version. Meat, fish, eggs and beans are also important for protein; a major functional component of the body’s cells. Because of this, protein is the main ingredient to stay healthy as it rebuilds damaged cells and is needed for growth and repair.

Finally, The Food Standards Agency offers the following eight tips for maintaining a healthy balanced diet:

1. Base meals on starchy foods 2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables 3. Eat more fish 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar 5. Cut down on salt – no more than 6g a day 6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight 7. Drink plenty of water 8. Don’t skip breakfast

Most importantly enjoy food and exercise as these are the two secret ingredients to a long and healthy life!

THE ALTERNATIVE SMOKERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR Fancy having a smoke without the 4,000+ chemicals and carcinogens present in tobacco smoke?

We all know that cigarettes are bad for our health and some of us would love to give up altogether. Some of us still prefer to smoke but are mindful of the health issues surrounding the harmful effects of tobacco products. Welcome to Liberro electronic cigarettes. Now you can free yourself! E-cigarettes have been around for over 4 years and in that time have provided an alternative to normal cigarettes for hundreds of thousands of tobacco smokers worldwide. The reason to switch? There are so many! These include no tar, no ash, no smoke (produces odourless vapour) and no social exclusion. Now you can smoke anywhere!

As e-cigarettes do not burn any tobacco they are legally allowed to be used anywhere and because of this they are more socially acceptable. No more standing outside in the rain! Because Liberro e-cigarettes deliver nicotine to the body and produce vapour which can be inhaled, it provides similar tactile and physical sensations to those commonly associated with smoking a tobacco cigarette.

Liberro have been established in the market place for over 2 years and stock a wide range of e-cigarettes, cartridges (4 different strengths) and e-liquid (over 40 different flavours) to suit all tastes.

Contacting us couldn’t be easier either via our website/live chat www.Liberro.co.uk, email info@liberro.co.uk or, telephone to chat to our friendly team on 01763 272774.

The electronic cigarette has made smoking cleaner and smarter.

With no odour, ash, cancer causing chemicals, tar or carbon monoxide, it is fast becoming the smart choice for smokers who want to enjoy smoking without the health issues surrounding the harmful effects of using tobacco products.

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FEATURE : HEALTHY LIVING

The smarter way to smoke

MAKING YOUR WORKING DAY GREENER CAN YOU RISE TO THE CHALLENGE?

by Sandra Hart

EVERYWHERE WE LOOK THERE ARE ADVERTS AND MAGAZINES TELLING US HOW WE NEED TO BE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, THAT WE’RE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING AND THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. BUT WHAT? I DECIDED TO TAKE UP THE HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS INDEPENDENT’S CHALLENGE TO MAKE MY WORKING DAY GREENER – FOR A WEEK, EASY! On the Sunday evening prior to my green week, I try and work out ways I can reduce my carbon footprint and decide to leave the car at home and get the bus into work. Surely that’s a good start?

As with everything there are pros and cons to using public transport and I found that I like to start my working day relaxed and stress free, something I found difficult on the bus. After paying an extortionate fare for what is essentially a short journey, I finally get to work feeling more stressed than necessary. I bump into a colleague in the foyer and mention this.

It turns out that she lives near me so we decide on a car share – heaven!

Once at my desk I look at my diary and notice I have a few meetings during the week, one for only an hour in Birmingham.

I email the company and arrange to have the meeting via skype, saving the company money on train fares, my vital working hours and reducing my carbon footprint.

Part of my job is to research local and national news and I get about 10 papers delivered each morning for me to plough through. In keeping with being more green I’ve cancelled them this week and am reading them online. This is quite good as it’s time saving but I keep getting distracted by all the adverts.

It’s now coming to lunch time and I eat the homemade sandwich I brought in along with the instant coffee in the kitchen.

Oh for a Starbucks! I’ve even remembered to bring in my own mug rather than use one of the plastic cups that are then thrown away.

To reduce the plastic wastage I’ve encouraged everyone to drink tap water instead of the fancy bottled water we usually drink. Using the last bottle I had I’ve kept refilling it and, to be honest, it doesn’t taste any different. Another success!

I spend the rest of the day networking on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Ecademy and find more contacts and useful information than I ever thought possible. Social Media has really come along in leaps and bounds and can now be a valuable part of everyone’s working day.

I meet up with my colleague and am even happier to be car sharing, her car is far better than mine so I get to travel in comfort. I can even put up with Radio 3!

On the way into the office I notice we have a spare desk in the corner so by the afternoon I have emailed several companies, as well as the local newspaper, and advertised the desk space for hire.

I’m starting to get into the swing of things and am quietly confident that I won’t have to print anything all week, thus saving heaps of paper.

This works until Wednesday when I turn up to the staff meeting without my copy of the minutes and realise that I can’t actually remember everything! Thinking before you print is a great mantra to have but sometimes you just have to have a hard copy in front of you.

I decide I would like to work remotely and so on Thursday I work from home. Things are going brilliant. I’ve got my laptop all set up, a cafetiere of coffee and some chopped fruit to nibble on, and This Morning comes on. A few hours later I still haven’t done any work but I now know what I’m having for dinner, with ingredients bought online from Tesco delivery service. This eco-friendly lark is spilling into my home life too!

Returning back to the office on Friday I notice the pile of envelopes in the bin from today’s post. This seems a waste of resources and so buy some labels for us to print addresses on and we start reusing our envelopes. This seems to be going well and we look into getting our logo printed on some labels too. Obviously this doesn’t work with all envelopes and Jess seems amused at me rummaging through the bin. She may laugh but from tomorrow this is now her job!

I’m not really sure if there’s anything else I can do so I have a look round the office for ways we as a business can go greener, not just me.

We’ve already got energy saving light bulbs, we are now bringing in our own mugs (no need for Styrofoam cups here!) and we recycle and use recycled paper. But there must be something more we can do.

24

In our meeting our boss had mentioned that we need to buy some new laptops and so I suggest that we invest in an eco-friendly laptop. I recommend the MSI U110 Netbook (as featured on page 20) as an alternative and instantly earn myself some brownie points.

I’ve just been asked to courier a parcel over to the other side of town and so go to call our usual service provider when I stop and think. There must be an alternative? I’m pleased to find a cycle courier and even more pleased that she’s reasonably priced and just as quick as a van. We shall definitely be using her more often.

Next I spend half an hour changing all our billing to electronic billing. This not only reduces paper coming into the company but you can also get a discount with some companies. Not all companies do this at the moment but it’s worth checking out if yours does. I make a note (on my blackberry, not on a post-it – more paper saved!!) to change my personal ones when I get home too.

I now car share with a colleague and it turns out we get on really well! Something that neither of us had thought possible before. I will definitely be carrying on with this.

I’ve had to compromise on reading papers online. When they’re done right they’re brilliant. But a few of the websites made my head hurt trying to read everything with all the flash ads. I’ve come to a compromise and am now only ordering in a few newspapers and will continue with the others online.

The Skype meeting went really well although the one I had later in the week didn’t go so well. I think this definitely depends on the person. I shall assess each meeting and Skype where possible.

Working from home is a definite no for me. I’m sure it’s perfect for many people and if I could learn to turn the television off I may be able to do it. Unfortunately the lure of Philip Schofield was too much for me as I ended up going back into the office to work – after Philip had finished of course! On the plus side though, I can see why people with young children would work from home as you can stop and start as and when you like. So long as you remember to do your work!

We’ve had two responses to our desk space advertisement and should be renting it out in the next few weeks. This is by far one of the best ideas of the week as it brings in revenue as well as making use of the resources and reducing waste.

Instant coffee and homemade lunch was just too much all week so I am going to do that for 3 days a week and have my beloved Starbucks and sandwich on Thursday (pub lunch Friday – sorry it’s a must!)

Finally, it’s time to pack up and go home for the weekend and we all go for after work drinks. We usually all bundle into a taxi and go to a trendy bar downtown but tonight I convince them to try the little back street boozer round the corner instead.

What a success! It’s a lovely pub and we all stay until 11pm drinking the same drinks (but cheaper) having a decent meal (but cheaper and nicer) and, best of all, no taxis!

I’ve learnt a lot from this week and have started encouraging my colleagues to join in with me and go green too.

I’ve also introduced some company policies including only using refilled ink toner in our printers/photocopiers, so when we have to print we’re printing responsibly.

For all those who think going green is more hassle than it’s worth I disagree.

I ended this week a lot greener than I started it but there are still many more ways I could improve.

25

FEATURE : MAKING YOUR WORKING DAY GREENER

IT’S NOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND I SIT BACK AND GO THROUGH EVERYTHING I’VE DONE THIS WEEK AND SEE HOW GOING GREENER HAS AFFECTED ME.

CSR IN HERTFORDSHIRE WHAT IS YOUR COUNTY DOING? GARDEN DIVAS! Being friends of the earth can often mean being kinder to the environment, so why not encourage more outdoor activity?

Gardening is the best way to make sure that your home and business are doing their bit for the environment – and all you have to do is plant a tree!

An online boutique offering gardening gifts for ladies who like to lawn have developed a new range of gardening gloves. Garden Divas, based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, developed the gloves following backing from a Dragon’s Den style programme which went out in Canada.

They discovered a gap-in-the-market for ladies that needed to protect their nails and manicures whilst pruning hedges, and came up with a unique pillow protector that pampers hands.

But, if just planting a tree isn’t enough to save your carbon footprint, you can rest assured that even the gloves themselves are eco-friendly. Made from 100% recycled materials they are suitable for all gardening activities.

They are sure to be a bit hit for all the style conscious ladies, so start your eco-friendly duty today!

UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE OFFERS FREE SCIENCE LESSONS TO KIDS! Children are the future, so learning about the planet is crucial from the start. So, the Institute of Physics’ (IOP) Schools Lecturer, Dr Melanie Windridge, recently paid a visit to the University of Hertfordshire and gave a talk to local school children about scientists that are working on a hope – to replicate the behaviour of the Sun here on Earth and produce a plentiful and environmentally friendly energy source.

Dr Windridge, who has a PhD in plasma physics from Imperial College London, has appeared on BBC One’s Bang Goes the Theory and National Geographic Channel’s Mad Labs. Having now designed her own interactive lecture for school children aged 14–16, she has been sharing her excitement for nuclear fusion with local pupils.

She believes that communicating nuclear fusion to young people is so important because sharing knowledge is what leads to progress.

New people come in with fresh ideas. The world is facing some incredible challenges so there is plenty of stimulation and excitement for young people coming into the field.

Fusion is the ultimate energy source – clean, green and safe with almost unlimited fuels. One kg of fusion fuel releases the same amount of energy as 10 million kg of fossil fuel. Fusion has the potential to satisfy all our energy needs without resource problems, greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste.

Setting the context, Dr Windridge explained why fusion energy, which doesn’t emit greenhouse gases or create long-lived radioactive waste, could be the solution to the world’s energy crisis.

Scientists and engineers involved are making great steps forward and Dr Windridge hopes to inspire thousands of students across the UK to join her one day in the physics-based fight to overcome some of our world’s most pressing concerns.

They are sure to be a bit hit for all the style conscious ladies, so start your eco-friendly duty today!

HERTFORDSHIRE HI-TECH FIRMS SHOWCASE LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGIES Two Hertfordshire clean-technology companies, j-Net from Hoddesdon and Hemel Hempstead’s Econovate, are launching a revolutionary system to power and control LED lighting and high-performance construction materials using waste products destined for landfill. They were two of a select group of the hottest emerging clean-technology firms in the UK that exhibited and presented at the Investor Forum where they met potential investors from the UK and overseas.

The Clean Tech Investor Forum was hosted by the Carbon Trust, in association with the British Business Angels Association, the UK’s trade body for early stage investment. Both j-Net and Econovate have received support from the Carbon Trust and their attendance at the Investor Forum in London gave them a unique opportunity to brief potential investors on the merits of their respective technologies and their plans towards commercialisation.

Marga Pelli, Director of Econovate said: “Additional private sector investment in our company and indeed the UK clean-tech sector as a whole, is vital if the UK is to realise the full benefits of a low-carbon economy, especially skilled jobs and the added value of carbon emission reduction. The Carbon Trust Investor Forum was a fantastic opportunity for Econovate to highlight its achievements so far but more importantly to attract much-needed investment”.

HERTFORDSHIRE MANUFACTURER INTRODUCES REGULATOR THAT CAN CUT ELECTRICITY BILLS BY 25% Power control device manufacturer Claude Lyons has evolved to cater to organisations looking to cut carbon emissions as part of sustainability policies.

The company, based in Waltham Cross, are true experts and have always had a market in cutting down bills. They have now developed a special type of electricity regulator that achieves 25% energy savings for the environmentally-conscious business market.

The product works from the idea that the electricity voltage that comes out of the mains is higher than most equipment requires in order to operate, so their technology automatically reduces the amount of electricity the equipment receives so nothing is wasted.

It is therefore a very cost-effective way to cut carbon footprint, since businesses are cutting their electricity bills as well. With the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme now in force, their equipment is also available for purchase through Carbon Trust and Salix Finance funding.

CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE CRIME FOR A SAFER HERTFORDSHIRE The District Council has come up with its own Community Safety Team who work closely in partnership with the Police dealing with anti-social behaviour. Although they cannot respond immediately to incidents, whenever possible, they will follow up reports of anti-social behaviour with those responsible. There is more information on the website www.stalbans.gov.uk.

Both the Council and the Police seek to ensure that both residents and businesses know the facts about the low levels of local crime. All too often people’s perception of local crime and disorder is influenced by the media who sell their product by highlighting hot issues, most of which are well away from St Albans and Hertfordshire. We want to make sure people get the right information to make them feel safe and to feel happy to approach the Police or the Council if they need advice.

All the local authorities, health, fire and rescue and police, together with HertsWatch and other voluntary organisations, have been successfully working together to cut crime and reduce anti-social behaviour.

Crime went down in the county again last year, giving a total reduction of over 25% in the last five years – that’s the equivalent of 26,000 fewer victims than in 2005. Together as a community these levels can stay low.

Together they are also helping to spread the “Safer Herts” message to try and increase people’s feelings of safety.

FEATURE : CSR IN HERTFORDSHIRE

The St Albans Community Safety Partnership is pleased to be part of the Safer Herts Campaign, which aims to reassure people who live, work or visit the County that St Albans and the whole of Hertfordshire, is a safe place to live in with low crime levels.

This will act as an even more positive way in which residents and businesses in the area can help to reduce crime even further.

GOING GREEN We are all aware that times are changing and we’re not ‘out of the woods’ yet. Rather than scaring you with stories about cuts to business budgets or attempting to forecast the next wave of enterprise policy, we’d like to take the opportunity to focus on something completely different and something that’s going to be important, regardless of what else might change.

WE’RE PUTTING POLITICS ASIDE AND ‘GOING GREEN’

Growing Sustainable Businesses

Red-hot Green Advice

Environmental efficiencies and sustainability are relevant to all businesses. Rising levels of air pollution, extended journey times and congested towns are just a few of the signs that each of us is affected by – and responsible for – the environment and that it’s really important that things start to change.

Traditionally, environmental policies have fallen under Corporate Social Responsibility measures: initiatives with softer objectives around community positioning that are ‘nice-to-have’ rather than obligatory. With a changing legislative framework and the Carbon Reduction Commission coming into force, there’s been an increasing legal imperative for reviewing businesses’ impact on the environment; and it’s starting to provide some big benefits for business profits and costs.

As bids and contracts pay increasing attention to environmental policies and practices and the cost-savings resulting from energy reductions are proved, the business case for environmental efficiencies is indisputable. The only thing that’s stopping a lot of companies from taking advantage of these opportunities is the initial understanding – which is where Exemplas and programmes like EASIER, come in.

Exemplas is currently running a range of environmental programmes, designed to support SMEs to improve their environmental credentials whilst reducing their business costs. We’ve secured some funding to provide SMEs in the East of England with red-hot ‘green’ advice.

Working with experts from the University of Hertfordshire and our own consultants, we’re offering businesses a full environmental audit and carbon footprint measurement, accompanied by a personalised action plan and followed up with a re-calculation to prove how much carbon you’ve reduced. What’s more, we’ve added an innovative psychological dimension to ensure that the practical actions are underpinned by a cultural shift.

In other words, we’re proving that environmental efficiencies make a lot of short term – and longer term - business sense; and crucially, we’re helping people to see why.

If you’re interested in learning more about these programmes or, how Exemplas can help you with any environmental management systems, please call us on 0845 60 20 101 or visit www.exemplas.com/BusinessInHerts.

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EDUCATION

CITY LIGHTS ENJOY LUXURY, PERFECT SETTINGS AND SOME OF THE AWARD WINNING FOOD THAT THESE LONDON HOTELS HAVE TO OFFER

LANCASTER LONDON Located directly opposite Hyde Park, the largest of London’s Royal Parks, the Lancaster London has the perfect setting to enjoy all the activities that the park has to offer, such as boating on the Serpentine, horse riding and the many open-air concerts. It is also only a short minutes’ walk from the bustling shopping districts of Oxford and Bond Street, internationally famed West End theatres, museums and tourist attractions. For business guests, the financial district is only 15 minutes from the doorstep of the hotel.

The hotel offers two restaurants, the award-winning Nipa and superchic Island Restaurant. Lancaster London is also one of Europe’s largest and most flexible meeting and banqueting venues. Its 16 conference rooms have the ability to cater for a variety of events, from small business meetings to large receptions for up to 3,000 people. The hotel is best-known for its award-winning rooms, The Nine Kings Suite and The Westbourne Suite.

The hotel’s ethos is to “walk softly on the planet”. Holding the Silver Accreditation from Green Tourism for London, the Lancaster London is one of the most environmentally friendly hotels in London. As part of the eco-friendly outlook, the hotel also became the first in London to install beehives on the hotel roof in July 2009.

With the help of an allocated Environmental Team and Energy Task Force, the full service deluxe Lancaster London is striving to become known as a “Dark Green” hotel. The term “Dark Green” means that it takes its green credentials very seriously.

On 14 September 2010, the hotel is also hosting a Green Day to coincide with National Organic Fortnight (3-17 September) to promote the hotel’s green initiatives to its guests.

This award-winning hotel recognises the need for responsible energy management and is committed to improving energy efficiency and protecting the environment. Its team is dedicated to increasing the success of the hotel’s initiatives, which include: the recycling of waste products; reducing energy consumption; and implementing environmentally friendly practices. www.lancasterlondon.com

108 MARYLEBONE LANE 108 Marylebone Lane is a vibrant restaurant and lounge, located in the heart of Marylebone Village. The restaurant encapsulates the essence of the area by sourcing produce from local artisan suppliers. To showcase the very best of the neighbourhood, 108 features delectable ingredients from award-winning shops such as the Ginger Pig, La Fromagerie, Biggles Sausages and Rocco Chocolates. The floral displays are created by local florist, Jane Packer.

Situated on a charming corner of Marylebone Lane, adjacent to the prestigious cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu, 108 provides a back-to-basics approach, in which simplicity is favoured over fuss. Head Chef, Norman Farquharson, creates classic and simple cuisine under categories such as “From the Sea” and “From the Land”. This effortless menu concept allows local neighbourhood ingredients to make a bold statement.

Upon arrival, guests enter a large open-plan space, with an airy lounge and a more intimate restaurant area. The chic and contemporary three-tier restaurant combines varying sizes of interlinking dining spaces. The venue’s window lined walls and high ceilings with stainless-steel fans, give an industrial edge to the otherwise rich textured browns that furnish the room.

The lower tier seats 40 guests, while the middle tier accommodates 65. The 20 seat upper tier provides the perfect semi-private dining room for business meetings, while the far corner of the lower tier features a mirror panelled circular alcove. Throughout the restaurant, wooden tables are adorned with linen napkins and fine glassware.

For pre-dinner drinks, guests can relax in the lounge with cocktails from the innovative menu. The lounge offers an eclectic vibe with deep red hanging lampshades subtly illuminating the room. Leather chairs surround round marble-topped tables, and a stainless-steel bar runs along the length of the Lounge.

An innovative cocktail menu completes the picture.

As one of Marylebone’s best-loved venues, the restaurant delivers great quality food with a touch of local charm, while the lounge creates a snug spot to enjoy a morning coffee with a newspaper or a tempting cocktail from the bar. www.doylecollection.com

     

    

NEWS INTERVIEWS MONEY LEGAL IN FOCUS TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS SUPPORT PROPERTY

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The Langley

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Banqueting & Conference Suites

Situated in the heart of Watford Town Centre with ample public car parks, hotels and close links to the M1 and M25.

Quote HBI for 10% discount on all 2010 bookings.

Inclusive facilities & Services: • • • •

Up to 900 seating capacity on 2nd floor Up to 500 seating capacity on 1st floor Intelligent lighting system Fully air-conditioned

• • • •

Projector and Screen PA System Wireless internet access 42” Plasma Screens

• Rates starting from £200 • In-house vegetarian catering • Bar/Late licence • Disabled access

CALL: 01923 218 553 / 07896 272 586 OR VISIT: www.langleybanqueting.co.uk E: info@langleybanqueting.co.uk | Gade House, 38-42 The Parade, High Street, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 1AZ

• Stage/Dance floor/Catwalk • Changing rooms • Multi-storey public car park for 700 cars adjacent to venue

AFTER HOURS

At The Langley we appreciate that corporate clients require personal touches to their events – whether it be complex presentations, conferences, marketing or training events, we can provide the complete setting with multi-media functionality fully available and the right facilities at hand

DECLUTTER YOUR OFFICE OFFICE ORGANISATION CAN BE A BIG CHALLENGE. WHETHER YOUR OFFICE IS AWAY FROM YOUR HOME, IN A SHED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN OR, SIMPLY A CORNER OF YOUR HOME, MAKE SURE YOU MAKE THE BEST OF THE SPACE YOU HAVE.

WHERE DO I START?

Have you heard that question “How do you eat an elephant?” The reply is, of course, “one bite at a time”. Break it down into small chunks – one tray, one box-file, one shelf at a time – and enjoy the satisfaction each time an area is cleared.

I worked with a client who had to go through a daunting amount of paperwork, many years old, some rubbish, some confidential, some vital, some not, some sentimental. She managed it because we simply put it tidily into box files and folders, so that (a) it was less depressing to the sight of the office, and (b) she was able to cope with working through one folder at a time. Whenever she felt brave enough, she’d go through one file – no more – and when it was empty, she could either stop for that session or pick up another. The progress she made was visible, which kept her motivated; and within a couple of weeks, the whole thing was dealt with, rather than trying to do the whole lot in one go.

• • • • • •

ACTION : the things you actually must act on FILING : items that you’ll need to keep for reference, but you don’t actually have to do anything with AWAITING RESPONSE : things that you can’t do anything about until somebody else has done their bit, such as an order you’ve placed for a book which hasn’t yet arrived OUTWARD BOUND : items for the post, things you’re delegating to other people, loaned items being returned STATIONERY : yes, you may well find notebooks, spare photocopy paper, empty files – they are not work!

JUNK : the biggest pile, as a rule. My usual guideline for whether something is junk is “If you lost it by mistake, would you care?” If it would neither upset nor inconvenience you if you couldn’t find it, you know where it belongs!

A recent client of mine had a huge pile on her desk – a pile of paperwork about two feet deep. We worked through, using the categories above, and by the end of the session she was thrilled to find that her intray looked like this photograph:

The top tray contained perhaps half-a-dozen matters that she actually needed to deal with urgently. The middle tray was empty, but was ready to house projects that were less urgent. The bottom tray contained items that were awaiting response from others. Absolutely everything else had either gone in the bin, in the shredder, or in the filing cabinet.

BUT I DON’T NEED IT NOW…

HOW MUCH OF IT IS REALLY WORK?

Let’s say you have a desk that you can’t work on because of the amount of paperwork on it. It’s daunting; you are depressed by it; you can’t see the wood for the trees. However, I’m willing to bet that a large amount of that bulk isn’t, in fact, work at all.

Start by dividing. You’ll find that items fit into one of these categories:

How often do you find items of paperwork that are vital, but you have no need for them today – or even this month?

My favourite tool is, and has been for many years, a “bringforward” system (you might know it as a “tickler” system). It needs one filing cabinet drawer, forty-three drop-files, and around thirty seconds each day.

Mark up twelve files with the months of the year, and the other thirty-one files with the numbers (guess what) 1-31. This month’s papers go in the numbered files; the “month” files go at the back of the drawer.

Let’s say you have a set of paperwork for a conference you’re attending. You’ve booked in advance (well done!), you’ve received your delegate pack, containing joining instructions, agenda for the day, map and the rest. However, the conference isn’t happening for another six weeks.

What do you do with it now? You don’t want it getting in the way on your desk, but nor do you want to lose it…

If today is the 21st June, and your conference is taking place on the 30th July, you put it into the July folder. When

WASTE NOT!

When I say that I’m a declutterer, it’s amazing how many folks immediately visualise a skip. It’s all about chucking it away. Throwing it out. Aargh!

Actually, it’s far more to do with what you keep and what you recycle. In practice, very little goes into landfill, and that’s the way it should be. Here are a few ideas.

FOR MONEY EBAY : it’s certainly possible to make money, sometimes surprising amounts, on ebay. However, don’t look to make a profit from clutter. You’re looking for a way to get rid of stuff. If you paid £50 for that skirt you’ve never worn, don’t be hurt or disappointed if you only get it bid up to £5. Make sure that the time it takes (take the photo, make the listing, answer queries, parcel it up to send to buyer) isn’t more time than you can (literally) afford: if it is, move on to the “for free” suggestions. Or if the monetary value is high enough to pay somebody else to do it for you, check out companies like www.stuffusell.co.uk.

AUCTION HOUSE : especially for furniture and decorative goods. Find out what there is local to you.

AMAZON : have you noticed the third-party sellers on there?

That could be you. The fees charged are higher than those on ebay, but there are no listing charges, and the whole world knows about Amazon. Books and music are the most popular, but many other items are sold there too. No need to take photos; just list using the ISBN number. www. amazon.co.uk GREEN METROPOLIS : a beautifully simple way of selling your books at a series of flat rates. Use the credit to buy more books, or take the cash. www.greenmetropolis.com MUSIC MAGPIE : simply sell your old CDs. Find them on the website, check the value, post to MusicMagpie, get a cheque. No hassle. www.musicmagpie.co.uk FOR FREE CHARITY SHOPS : we all know about these. Find one that you know does a good job, has a high turnover of goods, supports a charity you love.

FREECYCLE & FREEGLE : Like ebay, but without money.

Advertise what you have, the offer goes out via the group, you receive replies from people needing what you have; you choose one, they come and collect. Job done. Excellent for those really weird items that you can’t imagine somebody else wanting but they do (I’ve given away a rhubarb plant, spare turf from the lawn, paving slabs, a basic wine rack, a tatty but working small fridge… you get the idea.) www.ilovefreegle.org and www.uk.freecycle.org RECYCLE : Much of the “chuck-it-out” stuff tends to be paper. Make two piles: confidential (shred it or burn it) and not. Make sure you know what your local tip can take in the non-landfill bits: glass, plastic, paper, card…

FRIENDS & FAMILY : Think outside the box. Do you know somebody who would really welcome an unwanted item? And no, I don’t mean that you dump stuff on them so they need to declutter as well! I mean remembering, when you’re getting rid of a redundant dining table, that your cousin’s

boyfriend is moving to a new flat and has nothing to eat off.

I mean realising that the Victorian engravings that were precious to your grandmother but just don’t match your style are, in fact, absolutely the taste of your retro-loving niece.

Ask them. Do they want it?

SAVING SPACE

It’s especially tricky, when working in a home environment, to find enough room. Make sure you are smart with space; the single simplest way of doing this is to use height and layers.

•

• •

Have you an area of floor that houses a low shelf with nothing above it? What’s happening to the space above? Wave your hand over it. Useless space. Could it house files or books, given a taller bookshelf?

Does your desk have space beneath it that could take a small set of drawers to house stationery?

Do you have piles going horizontally rather than vertically? Try those “post-room” style boxes for dividing up different types of paper, plastic wallets, card. Keep them separate while still using the same footprint.

ering your office Top tips for declutt

u est away. So if yo . Least used = furth by up ar it l ne fil = t n’ ed do us , t os M ation next to your workst don’t work. It’s have a drawer right at th ns pe d an s ub st ok bo ue eq with old ch prime space. nce between your head the differe in ar cle ep Ke le. ru Divide and egate them – supplies, and segr action – file – junk accordingly. r one project in one ep all paperwork fo ke to ers ld fo ic st Use pla place. der and over. k corners. Think un Think height. Thin . ve e space you ha Make the most of th nd of mess: choices with any ki ree th ve ha u Yo . gh it. Until you’ve Be thorou w it all out, (c) sort ro th ) (b it, th wi e (a) liv idea what might thing, you have no ery ev h ug ro th en be u. come out and bite yo u nish yourself if yo Conversely, don’t pu one hit. Like in don’t get it all done , in ga ht ig we g unwanted perwork is not goin pa of rth wo s’ ar ten ye wn do it k ternoon. Brea to be sorted in an af ember the elephant?) em (r ks into those chun ages. st sy ea in and take it

NEED HELP?

That’s all very well, I hear you cry; but I just don’t have the stamina for this. I’m in the problem. I can’t think up the solutions. I give up after twenty minutes and leave it looking worse than it was before.

Despair not: help is at hand. There are professionals who can help you. Declutterers, organisers, stuff managers – we go under many titles, but we all have one thing in common: we can suggest, inspire, demonstrate, keep you motivated, and most importantly, help you to get it done – and help you to establish processes that means once it’s sorted, it will stay that way. The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers (www.apdo-uk.co.uk) was established in November 2004, and we are all dedicated to making your life easier. Yours will not be the worst office, or home, that any of us has ever seen. We never judge or criticise; we inspire, suggest, help and make it happen.

We have around eighty member businesses across the UK. Your local consultant in the Hertfordshire area is Romaine Lowery.

FEATUERE : DECLUTTER YOUR OFFICE

we get to the end of June, you scoop out all the items from July, and put them in the correct folders for the different dates – so your delegate pack will go into the file marked 30. Each day – and this is the most important bit – you spend thirty seconds clearing out today’s file (either first thing in the morning, or last thing the previous evening). When you reach 30th July, there will be your delegate pack, waiting obediently for you to pick it up.

This system works brilliantly for all sorts of things – theatre tickets, birthday cards, bills to be paid – but only if you are absolutely regimented about operating it. Take that thirty seconds as regularly as you clean your teeth or check your answerphone.

NETWORKING “BUZZ OFF” TEN TIPS TO GET YOUR REFERRAL MESSAGE ACROSS (PART ONE) .....HOW TO DESTROY A BUZZ MARKETING CAMPAIGN

BY ANDY LOPATA According to the site BuzzMarketing.com, Buzz Marketing is “capturing the attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes entertaining, fascinating, and newsworthy” or, put more simply, “starting conversations”.

Buzz Marketing has become an increasingly popular route to market for many businesses both large and small.

Companies recognise that more buying decisions are made because of recommendation and referral than any other factor. The growth of review sites, such as TripAdvisor of a buzz marketing campaign that is not fully supported.

As a member of a Private Members club in London’s West End I was offered a free Palm Pre mobile phone. Intended as a competitor to Apple’s iPhone, the device had failed to get much traction in the UK market and it was thought that the members of our club mixed in the right circles to generate some positive word of mouth about the phone. We were given the handset with no contract and unlocked, so that we could use it with our existing network, and a card with details for support. I was also connected on Twitter to the independent ‘Palm Pre Guru’ for constant tips and hints on using the phone.

A few weeks later I received a short questionnaire about how well the phone was working for me, with a quick reaction to the questions I raised.

All good so far.

Then it began to unravel. First of all I lost some pictures when trying to transfer them across to my computer. I sent a tweet to the ‘Palm Pre Guru’ and an email to Palm for advice and support but received no response.

Then last week my battery, which had been performing increasingly poorly, died completely. I tried again to contact Palm through their Twitter account and by email. Again I got no response. I even tweeted my dissatisfaction with Palm to see if it would raise their interest, but they remained silent.

Palm’s aim in giving me a free phone was to get me to talk about their product. I was picked because of my membership of a Club on the basis that I would be likely to be well connected in their target communities and likely to spread the word.

In that case, doesn’t it make sense to ensure that the word I spread is a positive one, rather than negative? Palm appear to have entered into this campaign half-heartedly, thinking it is enough to simply give away phones and hope their performance speaks for itself. Not if the battery dies it doesn’t!

If you engage in Buzz Marketing and select people who will speak about you, make sure that the word you give them to spread is a positive one. Treat them as your most important customers, not as an afterthought or irrelevance. Buzz Marketing has to be backed up by superlative customer service if it’s going to make the impact you seek.

If my experience is not unique, this campaign could possibly turn out to be a complete disaster for Palm.

34

Andy Lopata is one of the UK’s leading business networking strategists and co-author of the Amazon.co.uk bestselling book ‘and Death Came Third! The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public’. For more information visit www.lopata.co.uk

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