The Hertfordshire Business Independent Issue 72

COMPLIMENTARY

LEAD INTERVIEW We interview Olivia Wollenberg, founder of Livia’s Kitchen

EXECUTIVE PROFILE We catch up with Richard Perry from Action Coach

BOOK REVIEW LEAD: 50 Models for Success in Work and Life

SPECIAL FEATURE ON SMALL BUSINESS AWARENESS

ISSUE

72 Nov/Dec 2018

CONTENTS 04 NEWS A round-up of the latest business news and stories from our region

08 FINANCE The latest advice from our finance experts

10 LEGAL We’ve put together some advice from our legal experts

1 3 EDUCATION We look at what’s been happening in Education

1 6 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Some ideas for Christmas

18 EXECUTIVE PROFILE We feature Richard Perry from Action Coach

20 LEAD INTERVIEW We interview Olivia Wollenberg

23 SPECIAL Special feature on Small Business Awareness

33 DRIVE We take a look at the new Audi SQ8

and Luton and Stansted Airport across the county, with a further 35,000 being delivered directly to the inbox of our subscribers, including the CEOs of the top 200 companies in Hertfordshire.

A selection of distribution points are listed below.

DISTRIBUTION POINTS Airports : Luton Airport Media Wall, Heathrow Virgin Atlantic Lounge | Hotels : Holiday Inn Luton, Holiday Inn London Elstree, Holiday Inn Hemel Hempstead, Express by Holiday Inn Newbury Park, West Lodge Park, Waltham Abbey Marriott, Cheshunt Mariott, Hatfield Oak, St Michael’s Manor, Ramada Jarvis Hemel, Ramada Cromwell Stevenage, Ramada Jarvis Watford, Ramada Hatfield, Tewinbury Farm, Shendish Manor, Ibis Stevenage Centre, Novotel, Roebuck Stevenage, Letchworth Hall, Jester Hotel, Days Inn Baldock, Best Western Plus Epping Forest, Premier Inn, Luton Hoo Hotel, Hilton Watford, Sopwell House, Manor of Groves | Leisure : Westminster Lodge, David Lloyd Club Hatfield, David Lloyd Club Stevenage, Fitness First St Albans, Harpenden Leisure Centre, HiB Leisure Centre, Grove Theatre, Gordon Craig Theatre, Warner Bros. Studio Leavesden, Brocket Hall | Offices : Regus Potters Bar, Regus Victoria Street, Regus Watford, Regus Hatfield, Regus Rickmansworth, Regus Borehamwood, Regus Hemel Hempstead, Barclays St Albans, STANTA, Fielder Centre, Weltech Centre, Ashbourne Insurance, BTC Stevenage, Bizspace Letchworth, Devonshire Business Centre, Business Centre West Letchworth, Wenta Watford | Retail : Specialist Cars, Mercedes Stevenage, Murketts Royston The HBI is also distributed monthly at Business BUZZ venues in Aylesbury, Banbury, Bedford, Bicester, Bishop’s Stortford, Flitwick, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Hitchin, London Soho, Luton, Milton Keynes, Southend, St Albans, Stevenage, Thame & Watford. For more information please visit: www.business-buzz.org The HBI is also available to view online at www.businessindependent.co.uk If you would like to receive copies of The HBI for your business please call 0844 358 5800.

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4500 copies of The HBI are distributed to business centres, meeting and conference facilities, hotels, golf clubs, Barclays Bank branches, railway stations

03

NEWS

Editor’s Welcome Christmas is nearly here and I am delighted to welcome you to the November/December issue of The Hertfordshire Business Independent!

CONTRIBUTORS & CONTACTS 0844 358 5800

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PUBLISHER Simon George

EDITOR

Jenna Owen editor@businessindependent.co.uk

DEPUTY EDITOR Lauren Chittock

CONTRIBUTORS

Marc Hurr Eduardo Suero Glenn Jones Patricia Bacon Dave Millet Anthony Main Carol Mann Janthana Kaenprakhamroy Rachel Whitford Alex Moyle Ian Price

SALES MANAGER

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Sona Shah sona@businessindependent.co.uk

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PUBLISHED BY

The Buzzing Media Group 61 Maxted Road Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP2 7DZ

Not only will this issue feature a fantastic Christmas gift guide and Christmas trading exclusive, but we will also delve into the world of small businesses in our small business special as well as hearing from outstanding entrepreneur Olivia Wollenberg.

In our exclusive interview with the food entrepreneur and author, we find out about her own inspirations for starting her own business as well as her advice to other eager business minds.

We also catch up with Richard Perry in our executive profile piece, getting an insight into his career as a business coach as well as his own conceptions into business coaching and business growth.

You can also discover a depth of small business advice in this month’s special – giving you insight into everything from digital literacy, to Brexit, to getting through those tough times. This is certainly not the issue to miss!

We hope you enjoy!

Jenna

NEWS RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL – SHAVED OFF HER HAIR! Claire Austin was born and bred in Stevenage and for the past 20 years has run the family funeral business which was established in Stevenage more than 300 years ago. As a family company, they are very community focussed and are keen to support local charities and causes. Claire has personally taken part in a number of fundraising events including charity work in India and Vietnam and in 2014 ran the London Marathon in aid of our local hospice.

This year, Claire decided to shave her head to raise funds for the Stevenage Community Trust. The Trust was established in 1990 and provides funding and support to charitable organisations and individuals in Stevenage and the surrounding villages. The ’big shave’ took place on Saturday 25th August at the Austin’s Fairytale themed, Family Fun Day. This is an event held every year at Claire’s home for Austin’s staff and their families. Claire was dressed as Rapunzel and during the afternoon had her head shaved in front of 150 guests. The deed was carried out by hairdresser, Jo Gates, who went to Barclay School with Claire.

To date Claire has raised over £8,000 but donations can still be made at www.love2donate.co.uk/claireaustin Alternatively, cheques can be made payable to The Stevenage Community Trust and sent to Claire at Austin’s.

When you have finished with this magazine please recylcle it

COPYRIGHT

Copyright: 2018 The Buzzing Media Group. 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 consentof the publishers. The views expressed in any of the Business Independent series of regional magazines are not necessarily the views of the publishers The Buzzing Media Group. Whilst The Buzzing Media Group has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, neither they nor any contributing author can accept any legal responsibility for any consequences that may arise from errors or omissions contained in this publication or from actingon any opinions or advice given. In particular, this publication is general and not a substitute for professional advice and you should consult y. ur own professional advisors where appropriate.

Claire said ‘It was an amazing experience. I received so much support from my family, friends and the Austin’s Team. I am delighted to have been able to raise funds for our community in this way.’

TAYLOR WALTON ANNOUNCES EQUITY PARTNER AND ASSOCIATE PROMOTIONS - LEADING REGIONAL LAW FIRM MAKES UP THREE EQUITY PARTNERS AND FIVE ASSOCIATES IN LATEST PROMOTIONS ROUND

Hertfordshire businesses will be in the spotlight this month when the findings of this year’s in depth performance review are unveiled, with all eyes on whether the growth trend achieved over recent years has continued despite ongoing economic and political uncertainty.

NEWS

NEWS

REPORT TO SHOWCASE IMPACT OF BREXIT UNCERTAINTY ON HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESSES

The annual Hertfordshire Limited study, produced by financial and business advisers Grant Thornton, provides a detailed financial analysis of the county’s 200 largest companies to give a benchmark of the overall health of the local economy.

Since first launching in 2012, the reports have painted a positive picture of Hertfordshire’s business community with local firms increasing turnover and profitability year on year with just one exception in 2013 where growth remained static.

Total employment has also consistently risen with average wages increasing four out of the six years.

Now, with less than six months to go until Britain leaves the European Union, the focus for the 2018 report will be on how local businesses have responded to the challenges of turbulent times.

Leading regional law firm Taylor Walton has promoted three individuals to equity partner and five to associate, following a successful year - with women leading the way in this round of promotions.

Simon Hughes, specialist in Corporate Finance and Alex Drake, a private client law expert are both based in the firm’s St Albans office and have been promoted to Equity Partner.

Alex has built the private client business in the area with the help and support of the wider Private Client Department.

Simon joined the firm three years ago from Baker Mckenzie and has supplemented the firm’s corporate and commercial offering across the offices basing himself in the St Albans, with a focus on corporate finance work.

In addition, five of the firm’s leading solicitors have been awarded the title Associate; Nicola Smyrl, Zoe Sivelle, Helen O’Callaghan, Natalie Hughes and Saljuq Haider. The promotions recognise their continued high levels of contribution to the firm.

Dermot Carey, Managing Partner commented on the promotions, “On behalf of the firm’s Equity Partners, I would like to offer all of our new equity partners and associates our congratulations and wish them the very best as they continue their business careers within Taylor Walton.”

“The last 12 months have of course presented a number of challenges from ongoing uncertainty over Brexit negotiations and the fall in the value of sterling to new data protection legislation, so anticipation is high for the findings of this year’s report and what impact these factors have had. However, the county’s firms have created strong foundations to build on and shown their ability to adapt to a changing landscape time and time again so they have every reason to be confident.”

A strong theme that emerged in recent reports is the ongoing skills shortage although last year positive progress had been made towards overcoming the issue with businesses looking at new ways of filling talent gaps.

Jeremy added: “The lack of available skills has long been held as one of the key potential barriers to growth, not just in Hertfordshire but across the UK as a whole. However, local firms are making positive steps with many taking advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy and looking internally to upskill their workforce through training and development schemes. It will be interesting to see the result this investment has had on overall performance.”

The Hertfordshire Limited 2018 report findings will be unveiled at a breakfast briefing, hosted by Grant Thornton, on Friday 9 November at The Old Palace, Hatfield House.

To register your interest in attending or to sign up to receive a copy of the full Hertfordshire Limited report, please email lucy.c.evans@uk.gt.com.

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Stephanie Simon becomes the firm’s first non-fee earning Equity Partner, as People and Talent Partner. Stephanie qualified as a Solicitor before going on to become a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Over her 16 years dedicated service, she has made tremendous contributions to the firm’s management and transformed the firm’s HR function over that time, and is based in the firm’s Luton office.

Jeremy Read from Grant Thornton’s St Albans space who is leading Hertfordshire Limited 2018, commented: “Hertfordshire businesses have repeatedly capitalised on the opportunities available to ambitious firms looking for growth and this has been reflected in the strong performance we have seen over the past six years of our reports.

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NEWS

NEWS CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 2018 HERTFORDSHIRE BUILDING FUTURES AWARDS Cassiobury Park Hub Building in Watford, St Albans Museum & Gallery and Garden Avenue / Furzen Crescent in Hatfield are the winners at this year’s Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards.

Cassiobury Park Hub Building in Watford has won the Most Sustainable Construction and Project of the Year Award in this year’s Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards. St Albans Museum & Gallery has won the Retrofit for the Future Award, also scooping a Highly Commended Award in the Project of the Year category, and Garden Avenue / Furzen Crescent in Hatfield has won the Design Excellence Award. The Awards were held on Thursday 4th October at Knebworth House and are sponsored by Hertfordshire Building Control.

John McAslan & Partners architects worked with St Albans City & District Council to undertake an extensive refurbishment and redevelopment of the St Albans Museum & Gallery. The functionality of the building was maximised and energy usage was significantly reduced, all whilst retaining and enhancing the building’s historic features. The Grade II Listed building now boasts extra space and annual energy savings of 19,500 kWh, resulting in a world-class cultural hub. Judges were pleased with this transformative project and commented, “The rescue and restoration of this landmark Grade II building has been carried out impressively, cleverly increasing the usable space while retaining the original features.

Superb attention to detail has resulted in the sensitive refurbishment of this important historic building. The vision and energy of a highly motivated group of individuals and an outstanding contractor, has enabled the building to be resurrected as a major community asset, which the City and residents of St Albans can, justifiably, be very proud”.

Councillor Julian Daly, Portfolio Holder for Commercial and Development, comments: “The conversion of the Town Hall into a new museum and gallery is one of the boldest and most challenging projects ever undertaken by the Council.

“It is very satisfying that the efforts of everyone involved have been given recognised with this award. The judges could see that a great deal of thought and care went into ensuring we created a highly-modern museum and gallery while retaining the essential character of the building.”

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Cassiobury Park Hub Building, Watford.

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Knox Bhavan Architects worked with Watford Borough Council to create the new multi-purpose Cassiobury Park Hub Building. A single storey steel frame building which sits on a concrete podium; this elegant, central destination point has been designed to have minimal energy consumption.

The judges were highly impressed, awarding it both the Most Sustainable Construction Award and the Project of the Year Award. Judges commented: “This is an outstanding example of how modern sustainable construction can be provided simply and can fit into a classic parkland landscape, while managing to produce a significant amount of renewable energy. People love it. Good design and some clever thinking have created a distinct character for the park.”

Adrien Waite, Development Manager Section Head at Watford Borough Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Cassiobury Park Hub/Paddling Pool has won two categories at the 2018 Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards. Thank you to all involved for their hard work in creating such an innovative and elegant building which is being used and enjoyed by many residents and visitors to Watford. To be recognised on such a scale is truly wonderful and we are very proud to have created a sustainable legacy for Watford.”

St Albans Museum & Gallery.

Garden Avenue and Furzen Crescent, Hatfield.

Rock Townsend Architects worked with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council to redevelop council owned garage sites into 22 new flats and 7 new houses at Garden Avenue and Furzen Crescent, as part of the first Council Housing scheme in the borough for 25 years. Judges were highly impressed by the energy efficient housing development, commenting: “The quality of design and thought sets a precedent for Council development, showing what a pared down functional play on traditional forms can achieve.

Small is beautiful.”

Cllr Tony Kingsbury, Executive Member for Housing and Communities, said: “To receive such high praise from the judges is further recognition that we are leading the way in providing local people with quality affordable homes. The developments are simply outstanding and I’d like to thank everyone involved for their continued hard work.”

Now in its tenth year, these biennial Awards, hosted by the Building Futures Partnership, celebrate sustainability, innovation and design excellence in Hertfordshire.

St Albans Cathedral - Highly Commended Project of the year & Special Conservation Award.

ST ALBANS COMMUNITY BUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS 2018 Leading lights in the St Albans district - from business innovators and young achievers through to green champions and charity fundraisers - were given their chance to shine at this year’s Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards.

The ninth annual awards were held in a luxury marquee at The Mercure St Albans Noke Awards, and presented by Chamber director Paul Rosenthal of Amthal Fire and Security, alongside President Alastair Woodgate from Rumball Sedgwick, and sponsored by a host of local businesses including Oaklands College, University of Herts, IFPC Wealth Management, Rayner Essex, St Michael’s Manor Hotel, The Print Shop, Ember Designs, Blue Feather, Radio Verulam, Hertfordshire Business Independent and the Herts Advertiser.

Chamber Executive Director Lisa Bates-Wallis said: “So many incredible people in our city give up so much of their own time to selflessly help others for the good of St Albans and

these awards acknowledge, recognise and celebrate their contributions.

“Each year we are so impressed with the calibre of people we shortlist – proving that St Albans truly is an outstanding place to work and live! It is very humbling, inspiring and moving to hear from so many of our finalists during the judging process.”

This year’s winners were: Young Employee Award - Verity Bramwell from The OLLIE Foundation; Green Business Award - Godfrey’s Fish and Chips; Best Restaurant - Tabure; Corporate Social Responsibility - Phil Thomson from Thompsons; New Business of the Year - Fiecon; Business Leader - James Carpenter of Carpenters; Business Growth Award - Wagada; Community Champion - Emily Ketchin of Harpenden Thameslink Commuters group; and The President’s Award went to Phill Coates from St Albans City Football Club.

Best Restaurant - Tabure

Green Business Award - Godfrey’s Fish and Chips

Corporate Social Responsibility Phil Thomson from Thompsons

New Business of the Year - Fiecon

Business Leader - James Carpenter of Carpenters

Business Growth Award - Wagada

Community Champion - Emily Ketchin of Harpenden Thameslink Commuters group

The President’s Award went to Phill Coates from St Albans City Football Club

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Young Employee Award - Verity Bramwell from The OLLIE Foundation

Photos courtesy of www.bluefeather.co.uk

NEWS

NEWS

07

FINANCE

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF BANKING HOLD?

Written by Marc Hurr and Daniel Eduardo Suero, co-founders of iBAN Wallet The way we bank is changing. The global crisis of 2008 eroded consumer confidence in big banks while technology and smartphones have provided new opportunities for FinTech businesses.

For example when crowdfunding in 2016, Monzo raised £1m in just 96 seconds.1 It raised a further £21m securing itself as a challenger bank, and proving the concept of a communityowned digital bank.

Similarly, alternative banking providers, such as iBAN, use crowdfunding for the launch of new banking apps and features, like peer-to-peer lending and free international transfers.

Blockchain cuts out the middlemen, offering traditional financial services at a fraction of the cost and it can make financial transactions more transparent and secure.

Technologies built on top of blockchain, such as Etherium, are enabling the use of digital smart-contracts which make it almost impossible for financial fraud, embezzlement and dodgy trading practices to continue.

Ultimately, this technology can put users in charge of finance, rather than being at the control and whim of global financial institutions.

It is this disparity that challenger banks are capitalising on by offering improved services based on technological innovation.

We believe machine learning, data aggregation, blockchain and greater collaboration will converge to offer users a more personalised and tailored service. Banks of the future can use their privileged position to offer a personal experience and form closer relationships with their customers. We think AI assistants will be the new, personal face of these banking services.

Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning Machine learning has been around for years and will continue to develop, benefiting customers by providing proactive assistance. Challenger banks already offer balance warnings and advice, not a notification that you’re already overdrawn.

In future, these systems will become even smarter, using behavioural pattern analysis and predictive analytics to help us save money and prepare for financial situations we might find ourselves in.

Payment Systems

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Technologies like blockchain are enabling more direct and transparent transactions between users. What started as peer-to-peer trading has morphed into complex networks backed by a digital ledger.

These new banking providers promise to put customers at the centre of their business model. Interestingly a recent global PwC survey2 found that 61% of bankers thought a customer-centric business model is very important yet only 17% were very prepared for it.

Since the future of banking is likely to be very different in, ten years, what does the future of banking hold?

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Agility

We are already getting used to contactless cards and mobile payments. Yet these systems have plenty of room for improvement. The future of payment systems may lie in biometrics. There are many biological features that make us unique as individuals. These can be scanned and used to help secure our money without the need for PINs or cards.

Aggregating Data

AI Assistants

AR and VR It’s highly likely that augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will become dominant in our everyday lives. We might interact with people and businesses via VR, gain real-time information in AR, and seamlessly switch between the two.

Imagine being able to gain a real visual understanding of your finances, where they are allocated, and what you may need to save for in the future. You could almost travel through time to make highly-accurate predictions about your financial circumstances, providing unimagined confidence in your future financials.

Kick back while your virtual assistant orders your favourite cappucchino delivered to you by drone. Welcome to the future.

About the Authors

Banks know where we shop, who we work for, where we’re going on holiday etc. Banks also have access to data from multiple other sources including credit agencies, investment houses and central banks.

These data sources will increasingly be aggregated to provide a clearer picture of the world – from the micro to the macro level – allowing faster, more accurate decisions and advice.

Collaboration Banks can form partnerships with a network of individuals, businesses and service providers, and leverage their power to lower costs on behalf of customers. A stark contrast to today’s approach of building more complex solutions for a higher price in order to compete against other financial institutions.

Marc Hurr and Daniel Eduardo Suero are co-founders of iBAN Wallet, a money management App that helps you control your finances, connects lenders and borrowers and facilitates the transfer of money between you and your friends. See: https://ibanwallet.ibanonline.com/ iBAN Online Limited is an Appointed Representative of Resolution Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN. 574048).

Citations

1 https://www.crowdcube.com/explore/investor/monzo-breaks-records-in-its22m-funding-round 2 https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/financial-services/banking-capitalmarkets/banking-2020.html

Making Tax Digital for VAT (MTD-VAT) comes into force in April 2019. If your business is VAT registered, you need to take some steps now to make sure you’re ready to submit VAT returns digitally. Here are some important questions you need to ask so you can take the right actions to meet the deadline.

FINANCE

IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR MAKING TAX DIGITAL? When will the changes affect you?

MTD-VAT requires VAT registered businesses with taxable turnover above the £85,000 VAT registration threshold to keep records in a suitable digital form and file their VAT returns using software.

The new rules apply to VAT periods starting on or after 1 April 2019. The table below shows when you must start keeping MTD-VAT compliant records and when we recommend you start keeping them.

VAT quarter end

First MTD-VAT return due

Compliant records compulsory from

Compliant records recommended from *

31 March 2019

Jun 2019

1 Apr 2019

1 Jan 2019

30 April 2019

Jul 2019

1 May 2019

1 Feb 2019

31 May 2019

Aug 2019

1 Jun 2019

1 Mar 2019

* keeping MTD-VAT compliant records from this date means you will have one trial VAT return before the new rules come into force.

Is your software compliant with Making Tax Digital for VAT?

If you are already using software to maintain your bookkeeping records, you need to know if it is (or will be) MTD-VAT compliant in time. Visit our website at wmtllp.com/2018/09/making-tax-digital-for-vat for a helpful flowchart showing what action you need to take, depending on which software you are using.

Should you move to a different accounting software?

If you use Sage 50 version 23 or below, or another software that won’t be compliant with the MTD-VAT requirements, now is a good time to consider whether upgrading or switching is the best option for you.

We recommend you see MTD-VAT as an opportunity to review what you need from your accounting package. Does it do everything you need it to? Are you paying for features you don’t need? How well does it integrate with other software? What will it cost to upgrade vs switch?

The features, flexibility and pricing structures of leading accounting software vary considerably, so it is worth checking if there an option that offers you better-value in your particular circumstances.

For help and advice on choosing the right cloud accounting software for your business, or to discuss getting ready for Making Tax Digital for VAT, contact: Adrian.LeRoux@wmtllp.com or Jane.Spraggs@wmtllp.com or call 01727 838 255

If you are considering using cloud accounting software for the first time, or thinking about switching your software, why not join us for a FREE Xero demonstration. We will show you how Xero can help you make the most of your business finances and get ready for MTD-VAT. Demonstrations are held each month, with the next events scheduled for: Thursday 6th December 2018 – 10am – 11.30am Thursday 10th January 2019 - 4pm – 5:30pm Thursday 7th February 2019 - 4pm – 5:30pm To find out more please visit www.wmtllp.com/events/xero-demo/.

You can also register by emailing charlotte.read@wmtllp.com or calling 01727 808 187.

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Be prepared…

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Practical, insightful partnerships that last

Our Employment Team takes a solutions-based approach to their clients needs. To find out how our experience can help you, please visit taylorwalton.com

Because experience counts Offices at: Luton, Harpenden & St Albans Tel: 01582 731161

LEGAL

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MOVING BUSINESS PREMISES Moving business premises can be an exciting step for a company that is enjoying growth, a lifeline for a business that needs to downsize, or a fresh start for a business that is relocating. But it should never be a leap into the unknown.

Moving business premises can be an exciting step for a company that is enjoying growth, a lifeline for a business that needs to downsize, or a fresh start for a business that is relocating. But it should never be a leap into the unknown.

Whether you currently own or rent, forward planning is essential to make sure your business can continue its day-to-day trading without disruption.

For most companies there will be plenty of practical issues to deal with before the move: keeping your staff and customers informed, packing up and transporting equipment, updating your website and stationery, and transferring utilities and insurance.

There is then the substantial issue of fitting out your new premises, including IT and comms, equipment and furniture, and other essentials such as security systems.

An important question to ask yourself is, why are we moving? Do you need larger or smaller premises in the same area as your current property? Are you looking for a more prestigious address to attract clients and employees? Are you looking for better footfall in a retail environment? Are you currently in a short-term lease, looking for a longterm solution? Whatever the reasons, your goal is to satisfy those needs while also keeping any benefits you have come to rely on in your current address.

So, think carefully about what your new premises can do for your business. The potential performance of a property is often tied up in contractual obligations, and this is where legal advice can really help you build a picture of what your business will look like in its new home. Do the terms of the lease allow you to make the necessary changes to the building, to house your workforce and equipment? Can you make cosmetic and structural changes to the building, even if it is a listed or shared building? What about connections to service media to bring in utilities, especially relating to telecommunications? Whether you are planning to rent or buy, it is important to carefully check that the property can perform all you expect of it.

The entire move can take many months or even years, from initial planning to being fully up and running

in your new property. Take time at the outset to list your ‘nice to haves’ and your deal-breakers, and think about why each one is important to your business. Plan a budget that covers long-term increased monthly outgoings, if applicable, as well as the shorter-term costs associated with the move itself. It often helps to allocate specific roles to employees to ensure the smooth running of the transition; remember that you will require staff to help with movingrelated tasks as well as staff to run the business while the move goes ahead. It can be extremely beneficial to make your move at a time of year that is quiet for your business: another reason to plan well in advance and ensure that contracts are negotiated and signed promptly.

Remember, too, that you have a duty to consult and inform staff about how the move might impact them, particularly if you are moving a considerable distance or the relocation will otherwise affect any of their contractual rights. Ultimately, while taking such a big step can seem daunting, expensive and disruptive, it should be viewed as an opportunity to develop your business in a way that benefits both your employees and you customers. Take time, plan carefully and seek expert advice, and the move will be the next exciting step in the life of your business.

Should you have any questions then please feel free to contact our Commercial Real Estate team on 01582 731161 or email luton@ taylorwalton.co.uk.

*The information given in this article was, at the time of publication, believed to be a correct statement of the law. However, readers should seek specific legal advice on matters arising, and no responsibility can be accepted for action taken solely in reliance upon such information.

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Alongside the obvious practicalities, it is essential that you seek legal advice from a commercial property expert at an early stage to ensure the transition goes smoothly and your existing property is correctly disposed of. When the dust settles and the excitement of the move is over, you need to be sure that your new premises will support your business aspirations for many years to come. For a lot of businesses, moving to new premises is something that happens very rarely and can therefore be a daunting task. On the other hand, those who take too relaxed an approach may forget about important issues or fail to plan for pitfalls along the road. A trusted legal advisor will steer you through not only the legal aspects of lease agreements and acquisitions,

dilapidations and disposals, but can also help to align these tasks with the broader challenges and opportunities facing your business.

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LEGAL

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON LEGAL MISTAKES SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE AND HOW CAN THEY AVOID THEM? Not taking care of the small print It may be called ‘small’ print, but not paying attention to the exact terms and conditions can cause big problems further down the line. All agreements and contracts must be fit for purpose for short and potentially long term obligations, so it is important to for owners to understand their rights and what it is they are agreeing to. Corporate and Commercial Solicitor Rebecca Cunniffe at Hillyer McKeown Solicitors adds that having a legal expert draft or review contract terms can hugely improve owner’s business prospects and strengthen their position.

Terminating business contracts without legal advice Fiona Blakeborough, a dispute resolution specialist at Hillyer McKeown Solicitors, recommends never terminating a business contract without first seeking legal advice. If a business owner was to wrongfully terminate a contract, they could find themselves seriously compromised as the terminated party would be entitled to pursue damages. This would be an added and costly expense that could grossly impact the success of your business. A quick call to review your situation might cost hundreds of pounds compared to a potential fee of tens of thousands of pounds if a dispute arises which leads to litigation. An experienced solicitor will also advise on your dispute resolution options.

Ignoring asset protection Business owners alike put so much work into ensuring their business thrives, but all too often Hillyer McKeown Solicitors see clients with no formal asset protection plans in place. One reason for the lack of formalised protection plans is they are often misunderstood. There is a misconception amongst smaller businesses ventures that only large businesses need to consider asset protection, or that only substantial assets are worth the time and effort. This is simply not true as any threat against the business can leave owners vulnerable and financially unstable. Tailored advice will ensure the protection plan meets current business needs and gives room to grow.

If you are running a business and have questions about any of the points raised above, for a free initial assessment call 01244 318131, or visit the HM website https://www.hillyermckeown.co.uk

WATFORD LAWYERS TAKE TO THE STREETS IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL CHARITY WATFORD WORKSHOP On 6 September, lawyers from award-winning law firm VWV picked up their walking shoes and joined the crowds for the 5th ‘Watford Workshop Sponsored Walk’.

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The event was organised by Watford Workshop, a charity that provides work experience, training and employment for disabled and disadvantaged people. Each year, the Watford Workshop Sponsored Walk sees hundreds of local businesses gather in the streets of Watford, raising money for the charity.

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VWV raised £235, which will help individuals supported by the charity achieve greater independence, become more integrated into the community and where possible, move into mainstream employment.

Do You Need Legal Advice?

Gill Nightingale, Partnership Manager of Watford Workshop, commented: “The Watford Workshop Sponsored Walk is not only an opportunity to have fun and fundraise. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges faced by adults with disabilities in getting mainstream employment.”

Richard Phillips, VWV Watford Office Partner, said: “Knowing every step was helping the future of disabled and disadvantaged individuals inspired our team to join in, enjoy and be really satisfied in completing the walk.

It’s a real pleasure to see a consistent, true passion from everyone within the office when it comes to fundraising. The ongoing level of dedication really demonstrates a true sense of pride and teamwork.”

VWV is an award winning, national law firm in the heart of Hertfordshire.

300 years of expertise on your doorstep, providing legal services for businesses and individuals. vwv.co.uk | London, Watford, Bristol & Birmingham

Written by Glenn G Jones, GGJ Global Consulting Limited Human Resources in Schools, Colleges and Universities – Why education is critical to the function In my new book I have been looking at why Human Resources isn’t evolving as a 21st century function for companies around the world today. One of the key areas that my research found was that Human Resources, even now, is not considered to be one of the ‘four classic careers!’

I do love this title as even it, I believe, is now extinct and should be abolished especially given the rise of Technology and the loss of traditional craftmanship skills.

How do I know this? Well, I am really fortunate as I am also Chair of the Board of Governors at my daughters’ school and this allows me access to ask the pertinent questions. One thing that became evident to me over the course of the last year is that pupils and students really don’t know that Human Resources (HR) exists. Unless of course, their parents have had a bad run-in with someone from HR which may have been the case. Or, they had parents who worked in HR. So, straight away we have a visibility problem with the function and the work that it does. In addition, ask yourself this question, when you were at school did you want to become the best Human Resources person in the world with a view of becoming the best Chief Executive Officer (CEOs) too (that’s also in my book by the way)? The answer will probably be no; I am going to say and go out on a limb that, you didn’t even have the awareness of the discipline.

It’s at this point that I bring in why education is important to the function; without talented people coming into the profession who are aspirational and taught correctly the function will not be seen as a credible counterpart in business and boards around the world. Furthermore, to enable ‘HRness’ (1) to be brought back into the function, this must be started in school with empathic pupils and students who understand how getting the best out of people is so important. In addition, coaching employees and linemanagers is a vital skill that will be necessary in the 21st century to enable innovation and evolution on how people work and think in their daily lives.

By making these changes, employers and companies around the world will be getting people coming out of schools, colleges and universities that want to do HR and are inspired to make the change. After all, don’t we keep saying that the most important asset (I don’t really like the word but it’s the one most coined) is our people! So why then do we not grow/inspire/attract the best people in the world to back this up?

Conclusion: Education is critical to the survival of not only HR as the function but, also to how companies and employees evolve in future. No longer can this be ignored whilst other functions take the best talent and HR is seen/perceived to not be adding value. If you are reading this and you are a school Pupil/Student, Parent, Teacher, Head Teacher, Lecturer etc. then please ask yourself what difference you can make and how can you be that catalyst for change? The effect of this will be massive in the broader context and imagine the impact on your business if you had quality (my apologies to anyone from HR that is reading this as it is a sweeping comment and you may be not in this category) people in your HR function or your CEO who had come from HR? Bio Glenn is a freelance HR consultant and has worked with Bank of America, HSBC, Ecolab and Imperial Brands in multidiscipline strategic and operational roles across the world.

Prior to this he was employed Eversheds LLP, Accenture, Koorb (NZ) and EON as well as numerous other companies.

He is working his way to his PHD, becoming a future CEO and evolving his HR consultancy business to ensure that he continually adds value to his clients, now and in the future.

Glenn is passionate about coaching, emotional intelligence and company evolution. His new book ‘Human Resources Changes The World’ aims to disrupt the function of HR and change the traditional approach to who becomes a CEO. Note: This article is drawn from the book Human Resources Changes the World by Glenn G Jones. glenngjones@ ggjglobalconsulting.com

www.businessindependent.co.uk

Taking this a stage further, without the general awareness of the issue/problem, we then must look at the curriculum in schools to understand where HR would fit in. Accountants by the way make up most of the FTSE 100 CEO’s, they are already considered in subjects in school like Mathematics and Economics, but where does HR get covered and the knowledge and people/soft skills that are required get taught?

If you take this a stage further into Colleges and Universities there’s no wonder why HR isn’t given the platform and consideration that it needs, because of the number of quality people that want to do it. In my book and from my research, most people tend to fall into HR! No surprises when you consider the paragraphs above.

Colleges and Universities must look at their prospectus too to see how HR is being a) promoted b) the quality of the syllabus and c) is it fit for the 21st Century.

EDUCATION

HUMAN RESOURCES IN SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES – WHY EDUCATION IS CRITICAL TO THE FUNCTION

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EDUCATION www.businessindependent.co.uk

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SELF-EDUCATION VS FORMAL EDUCATION Written By Ryan Jackson

Self-development guru Jim Rohn once said, “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” I’ve experienced both formal education and self-education, and I believe both are necessary. I also know which suits me best! Of course, the basics of formal education are essential. And now, schools are teaching coding, so even the smallest child will be able to develop software programmes – to achieve who knows what, in future. However, I have my reservations.

One size doesn’t fit all Of course, schooling is important.

However, often formal education is inflicted on children and young people who have no choice in the subjects they study, or the ways in which they are taught.

Many children considered to be difficult students are kinaesthetic learners, who learn best through physical activity and movement or through touch and feeling comfortable. They don’t learn by being forced to sit still on a hard seat at a desk, listening to a teacher, or having to read text. Their learning preferences are often ignored, and they can’t access the information in the way that works for them. Worse, school can provoke anxiety or anger and some teachers even treat students badly. A hostile or discomforting environment for learning means that the students’ fear response – fight, flight or freeze kick in. It’s impossible to take in any information when those primal

responses shut down the parts of the brain that operate memory and rational thought processes.

Many young people become disaffected when their needs and interests are not being met, when teachers and other children bully or intimidate, or when the subjects taught bear no relation to what matters to them.

For some people, education constitutes the worst years of their lives. They drop out, or are expelled, and many lose interest in education, and even fall into criminality. Those who thrive in formal education go on to further and higher learning, gain qualifications, and better paid jobs. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to go.

Go your own way Bill Gates, possibly the richest person in the world, dropped out of Harvard and created his own billion-dollar company. Many entrepreneurs, like Richard Branson and Steve Jobs, were largely self-taught.

Of those young people who hated school, the lucky ones come to love learning in later years, when they are in control of the process. This is when education becomes self-development.

When you leave formal education the learning process doesn’t stop!

There are so many excellent books on personal development, business leadership and self-development. As well as audio books, TEDX talks and videos of motivational speakers.

Theory versus practice Perhaps some people’s issue with

education is the usefulness of what is being learnt. Much formal education is theoretical, so it can be difficult for youngsters to see its application to real life. Unless you’re engaged in vocational learning – like learning to be a mechanic, using knowledge in a very practical way, for some, it’s hard to see how certain aspects of formal education will be useful. We should encourage vocational learning within schools, for instance, a school kid might be more motivated to do well in maths if they realised how important knowing numbers is for being a carpenter, electrician or owning their own business. Learning when you actively want, or need, to know something is more effective – because you want to apply the knowledge or because you have a passion for a subject. Many people are motivated by ‘What’s in it for me?’ If they aren’t interested in gaining qualifications for qualifications’ sake, or theory leaves them cold – practical use in real life can be an incentive to learn.

Formal education promotes conformity and results in people to build a workforce. But we should be mindful of avoiding stamping out personal uniqueness, and remember to celebrate innovators, free-thinkers, natural leaders – all traits of successful entrepreneurs.

Ryan Jackson is the founder and CEO of Gemini Parking Solutions www.geminiparkingsolutions.com , the UK’s only values-based car park management company.

Join us as we: Set out the economic evidence. We have harnessed the expertise of research institutions, independent economic analysts and other key stakeholders to develop a detailed understanding of the local economy which draws out our relative strengths and weaknesses, with an emphasis on increasing productivity.

Plan for the future. Drawing on detailed economic forecasting trends for both Hertfordshire and the wider economy, we will set out a series of different ‘realities’ for what the future might hold. This scenario planning will help inform long-term collaborative strategic policy.

Focus on what next. Building on the opportunities identified in our Strategic Economic Plan, we will map out where Hertfordshire can potentially make the most significant contribution to the UK economy linked to the Industrial Strategy’s Five Foundations of Productivity.

Invite you to get involved. To enable us to develop a longterm shared vision for the future, we need to understand more fully the current and future needs of businesses. This event marks the start of a widespread consultation period up

to March 2019 and the launch of a comprehensive business survey. Throughout the process we will be engaging with local and national government, not-for-profit and other public sector groups, key sector industries, our SME base, research institutions and business membership organisations.

Strengthened Local Enterprise Partnerships The Government’s Industrial Strategy White Paper also sets out clearly defined priorities for how areas will maximise their contribution to UK productivity, co-ordinate economic policy at a local level and foster greater collaboration. Our approach will set out a strategic course, co-designed with Government, which will be underpinned by a series of actions to take it forward from 2020 onwards.

CONFERENCE DETAILS WHERE Fielder Centre, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield Avenue, Hatfield AL10 9TP WHEN 30th November 2018, 9.30am-1.30pm BOOK YOUR PLACE Call: 01707 358662; email: info@hertfordshirelep.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: @HertsLEP #HertsEconomy

We secure the investment to help our people, places and businesses flourish by: Delivering the infrastructure for growth Creating a skilled workforce for the future Growing jobs and supporting key sectors Helping our small businesses achieve their potential Find out how we are working hard with our partners to transform the local economy. www.hertfordshirelep.co.uk | info@hertfordshirelep.co.uk

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Perfectly placed for business

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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EXECUTIVE PROFILE

EXECUTIVE PROFILE: Richard Perry, ActionCOACH We had the opportunity to catch up with Richard Perry, Action Coach this month.

Richard told us why he got into get into business coaching and what inspired him to join up with ActionCOACH. How would you sum up the role of a ‘business performance coach’?

My role is to do whatever it takes to ensure the client achieves their vision and defined goals by establishing a learning environment, developing a growth mindset, creating the systems and to hold business owners to account for agreed actions.

This is to ensure my clients make a life, not make a living. I like working with successful business owners that want realise their potential and create what I call a compelling future.

Coaching is a long-term transformative process of learning, planning, action and change to achieve significant goals. I am both a challenger and a supporter for my clients.

Why did you get into business coaching?

30 years in business with my own company and various global organisations and start ups has given me a wealth of experience.

I’ve been a regional Director for AstraZeneca then moved into consultancy but my true interest is in working as a Coach. I’ve worked with mid size growth companies since 2002. It fits with my preference to have long term relationships with clients that transform them, their team and the business as opposed to short term interventions..

I wanted to focus on building close relationships with business owners whilst fostering long-term transformations of their businesses, so I moved into coaching.

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What skills did you gain in your career that support your role as a business performance coach?

I’ve been fortunate in the past 30+ years to build a unique portfolio of skills. I’ve also challenged myself throughout my career by spending time overseas. I’ve worked globally with AstraZeneca and worked as a Consultant with Bearing Point (KPMG) as well as with crowd-funded start-ups so I understand what it takes to own and run my own business.

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I studied at St Andrews University and Henley Business School and was fortunate to have spent some time in the military and 3 years as a Diplomat overseas where I also ran an insight and risk management firm in India. Additionally I also helped create the UK India Business Council.

I am a strong creative and strategic thinker and a great marketing and sales person. My extensive experience as a team leader and manager is key in developing partnerships and executing plans.

I am able to move quickly from strategy to action based on a good understanding of people. This flexibility is highly useful in a smaller yet growing company.

What inspired you to join up with ActionCOACH? ActionCOACH was founded 25 years ago by Australian entrepreneur Brad Sugars and is recognized as the No.1 business-coaching firm. We have offices in over 80 countries committed to developing businesses. The ethos of ActionCOACH really resonated with me and we are a great team of people. It holds central a positive culture and uses a proven approach to allow businesses to thrive, not just survive.

What is the key hindrance to the growth of a small business?

The willingness of the owner to learn and to set ambitious goals.

It is important to want to learn in business as those who dedicate more time to learning do better. Those who are unaware of their

mistakes can gain awareness through use of a coach.

If you have a growth mindset and are ready to take action based on learning, you will not see issues or hindrances, only challenges to overcome.

What are the key benefits for a small business of utilising a business performance coach?

The support of an experienced businessperson backed by a world-class system that has been proven to work. Similarly, the coach will provide the necessary support to implement brave decisions to becoming a better manager and leader. Our coaches will challenge their clients to help them see the truth and move forward.

Why is accountability important?

Once an owner has decided to take action based on the right learning, they need to take ownership for making sure it happens.

Coach is there to ensure they implement their newfound insights.

Successful owners take ownership and enjoy getting the results of taking tough decisions and seeing the results.

How important is an international mindset?

Very. Companies that are able to define their unique offering can have access to incredible opportunity globally. With my background I am very comfortable in the international markets and am able to support UK companies to look to global markets.

It is important to overcome this fear to access increased opportunities as good products will work globally.

What types of different coaching plans do you provide?

A range of packages including One to One, Executive, Employee Engagement as well as Digital Marketing. We are also able to provide Digital Marketing Apprenticeships that lead to membership of the CIM. In addition we run regular free workshops, seminars and quarterly planning days to educate business owners and share our knowledge.

What sets ActionCOACH apart from its competitors?

We have been established for 25 years and have a proven system with a global reach. Our experienced and committed coaches are business owners themselves, constantly learning through training and coaching. We are the UK strategic partner of NatWest and run a number of workshops for their clients across the UK. We are validated externally and have a Net Promoter Score higher than Apple, a measure of client loyalty. Other partners include Funding Circle and others who share our values of supporting business owners.

What is in the pipeline for ActionCOACH? We are always evolving! We have events every month as well as our world class Business Excellence event attended by thousands of clients and partners. Our annual event next year will include Sir Clive Woodward as a keynote speaker as well as numerous best selling authors and successful business owners. In addition we have created the ActionCoach Foundation which helps young people develop an entrepreneurial mindset and take action. www.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/richard-perry/ t: 01582935121 m: 07913092897

Written by Lyn Roseaman, Toastmasters International A fear of public speaking is something we learn – not something we are born with. Equally, we can learn to quash the debilitating nerves and harness the good nerves – the ones that give us positive energy and presence on stage. To achieve this, we need to reprogramme our mindset and our nerves work for us: 1. Don’t strive for perfection We all make mistakes, so as a perfectionist, failure lurks around every corner.

The audience is unlikely to know if you make a mistake unless you tell them; they do not know what you had planned to say and, therefore, won’t miss any bits you may forget.

Instead, give yourself permission to be less than perfect. Set yourself challenging, yet achievable, standards and give yourself a pat on the back when you’ve spoken. Focus on what you did well, savour the glory and note ways in which you can be even better next time. Great speeches do not happen overnight. They are an iterative process of crafting and honing content, practising delivery and seeking feedback.

2. List your excuses

3. Get your Human brain and Chimp brain working together According to psychiatrist Steve Peters who wrote The Chimp Paradox, we can learn to manage stress positively. He talks about the Human part of our brain that works with logic and reason and the Chimp that makes snap judgments

As public speakers who are stressed or nervous, our Chimp will always react first. To keep us safe it will go into fight, flight or freeze mode. This is normal, but it is not what you need for a strong performance and quick thinking.

One solution is to programme your brain with positive speaking associations.

This reinforces a sense of safety that does not need the intervention of the Chimp. What does this mean in practice? In any public-speaking environment, arrive early. Familiarise yourself with the speaking area so that you feel comfortable. Introduce yourself to members of the audience, so you see friendly faces from the stage. Register the applause. Give yourself a pat on the back for a speech well delivered.

Once you are more comfortable and your Chimp is no longer in control, your ability to reason and think on your feet will grow, while your Chimp will help bring energy and enthusiasm to your speech.

4. Connect with your audience There will always be someone on the phone, yawning or looking distracted.

This is not personal. Instead, focus on the majority of people in your audience who are with you, who are alert and attentive, the people who are smiling, nodding and appreciating what you have to say. Connect with these interested people by sharing relevant stories and ideas in a way that is meaningful to them and you will feel happier and more relaxed on stage.

5.Make your nerves work for you – not against you What is nervousness? It is energy; it is what we experience when the adrenaline is flowing. And adrenaline is our friend, giving us energy and presence on stage. It helps us demonstrate our enthusiasm and passion for our subject, it helps us engage with our audience and generate a real sense of fun and excitement.

Before the adrenaline kicks in, we need to be well prepared and focused on

what will go right, not what could go wrong. Give yourself the pre-match pep talk – I’m ready, this is going to be fun, etc. Once the adrenaline surges, we need to make it help us. Some people find it helpful to move, run on the spot, jump up and down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Take to the stage and pause.

Take a deep breath and start to connect with your audience with your attentiongrabbing opening. After your speech, enjoy the surge of wellbeing you get from your success.

Reprogramming your mindset won’t happen overnight, but continuous speaking practice and a permanent (post-it) ‘note to self’ about connection (not perfection), your new friends in the audience will set you on the road to more enjoyable speaking experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lyn Roseaman is from Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations.

Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organisation’s membership exceeds 352,000 in more than 16,400 clubs in 141 countries.

Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. There are more than 300 clubs in the UK and Ireland with over 7,500 members. To find your local club: www.toastmasters.org Follow @ Toastmasters on Twitter.

www.businessindependent.co.uk

What are the emotional barriers that you put up to convince yourself that you can’t speak in public? Try making a list of all your excuses. Once we know what our fears are, we’re in a position to confront them head on. Interrogate them. Deconstruct them. Render them powerless and clear our head of negative thoughts. Think about what you would say to a friend or a child presenting you with these excuses.

What would you say to them? Would it have something to do with self-belief, visualising successful outcomes or some other positive advice?

based on emotions and gut instinct.

They can work independently or together. In public speaking, we need them to work together.

FEATURE

FIVE STEPS TO MAKE SPEAKING NERVES WORK FOR YOU

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LEAD INTERVIEW

LEAD INTERVIEW Olivia Wollenberg This month we had the exclusive opportunity to speak with Olivia Wollenberg, Founder and CEO of Livia’s Kitchen - a range of traditional sweet treats with nutritional twists.

They are now stocked in some of the biggest supermarkets in the UK

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You have a degree in Neuroscience, why did you choose to come away from Neuroscience and start your own business?

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My decision to move away from Neuroscience was really driven by circumstance. I had been questioning for while whether a career in neuropsychology was right for me.

The work was very research based and for someone who enjoys a collaborative working environment it appeared that it was going to be quite a solitary career. At this time, I was diagnosed with a number of intolerances to a variety of food groups and my diet had to change dramatically. I have always been someone who has enjoyed a treat and when I had to cut out key ingredients such as wheat and dairy, I realised the options open to me were uninspiring.

I identified a gap in the market for indulgent and delicious sweet treats made from natural ingredients that avoided those food groups. I was inspired to take on this challenge, however I never foresaw just how popular the products would be or how quickly Livia’s Kitchen would take off.

You went up against 40 other candidates in 2014 and won the UCL Entrepreneurship programme. How did this benefit your business?

That was the first pot of money I ever received. The injection of funds was crucial in creating the Livia’s Kitchen brand, it allowed me to develop the brand identity and logo, as well as the all-important packaging. Not only did the funds hugely help me in getting off the ground, but the acknowledgement provided great endorsement of what I was doing. Being able to say I had won this accolade proved to be a useful hook I wasn’t afraid of using when I wanted to get someone’s attention.

You first stockist was Selfridges; did this open a lot of other doors for you when it came to stocking your product?

Absolutely. Selfridges has such a diverse customer base, and from day one our products sold so well that Selfridges gave us prime position in store. This initial exposure meant that the majority of the retailers we are now listed in approached me after having seen our range in Selfridges, which shows how powerful having your products listed in a retailer like this can be. I will forever be indebted to the buyers at Selfridges who believed in me from the first meeting, even though I had no branding or packaging

Nugglets launched back in March 2018 and you broke the record number of cases sold in the first week, how did you react when you found out how well they’d sold?

Your business has grown rapidly within the last 4 years, what advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?

I had always known they were going to fly, but had not anticipated them flying at the rate they did. It was truly remarkable, and I felt utter elation, which was quickly followed by a bit of alarm! The sales blew our forecast and we had to work very hard to produce the volume to keep up with demand. I worked through the night on the factory floor driving Nugglets production, before heading straight back to the store first thing to hand out samples and engage with our customers who had made such an effort to come for the launch.

Don’t always pretend to be the expert in everything.

Seek advice from others around you who may have more knowledge about a business facet than you. Taking everything on yourself can mean you burn out and don’t grow as fast as you should. Asking for help shows strength and should not be considered a weakness. I would also say you have to truly love your product and believe in what you are trying to achieve, without this passion you will not have the drive required to succeed.

You have had many successes, what one are you most proud of?

In terms of business milestones, it would have to be the launch of our latest and third product range, Nugglets.

Our hard work and product quality meant the reception it received blew us away, resulting in the range being the most successful product launch ever at Wholefoods. As for the business as a whole, I am incredibly proud that we are listed in some of the most reputable retailers in the UK, including Tesco, Sainsburys, Boots, Selfridges and Wholefoods, without these successes we wouldn’t be in the position we are today.

Along with success, comes challenges –what is the biggest challenge you have faced so far and how have you overcome challenges in the past?

When you launch a brand from the ground up business owners face a multitude of challenges. You have to become an efficient problem solver and learn from your early mistakes. A challenge, however daunting, can present interesting opportunities whether it’s a review of internal processes to mitigate the risk of repeating mistakes or a new innovation in a product’s development.

You are now stocked in Waitrose, Tesco, Boots, Sainsbury’s and more – how does it feel to see your own products being on the shelves of some of the biggest retailers?

It feels completely surreal. I am that founder who still buys my own products, simply because I cannot believe that the barcodes I physically generated myself on a website are now working through supermarket check outs. I feel the most immense level of pride that I am achieving what I set out to do, giving people the chance to indulge in better ways.

Do you have a role model/someone that inspires you?

My Dad was the owner of his own business and he knew that he had to give it his all every day, because the business depended on his dedication to it. He was the one who taught me that from nothing came nothing. Hard work and determination account for everything.

What do you have planned for Livia’s Kitchen in the future?

What don’t we have planned?! New flavours, new products, exporting…world domination. People are always going to want to indulge in better ways, and LK allows them to do that without ever compromising on taste.

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The biggest challenge currently facing Livia’s kitchen, as with many start-ups, is recruitment. Our growth over the last twelve months has meant hiring the right employees has been at times a little overwhelming and taxing. Not only do the candidates need to have the right experience, but crucially they need to be a good cultural fit. We are a small business, and as such job roles are a little less defined, candidates need to be flexible and want to get stuck in!

Patience is key, the gems who will help to support and drive the growth of the business are out there.

It can sometimes be all too easy to let the big wins and successes pass you by, simply due to the limited time there is to celebrate. The Nugglets were a prime example. The team and I were so preoccupied with meeting demand that we let the celebration pass us by. I have learned from this and have pledged that no matter how busy and no matter how big or small the success is, it should always be celebrated somehow.

LEAD INTERVIEW

ready. The buyer said ‘I just know this company is going to be huge’, and ever since I have felt the need to make sure she was right.

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BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

LEAD: 50 Models for Success in Work and Life written by John D H Greenway, Andy Blacknell and Andy Coombe, is hot-off-the-press, having just launched in late September.

“When the leader gets better, everyone gets better.”

Of course, we would all like “our leaders” to get better, but LEAD challenges us all to lead better. LEAD is like a coach who gives you space to reflect and provokes you to action to reach your vision and achieve your goals. It offers the very best leadership thinking and practice, enabling readers to find their purpose and thrive as they both self-coach and mentor others.

LEAD can be applied directly to any leadership situation and will make a huge, lasting impact upon how people lead themselves, their teams, and their organisations.

Filled with enduring principles, inspiring stories and practical tools, the authors bring their own fresh perspectives to help readers: • • •

Map the journeys that they want to make in work and life Navigate through life’s twists and turns to success Grow themselves and others as leaders

Here is an excerpt from the book to whet your appetite: Zigzag Leadership - Life is not a straight line.

first century environment is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. So is your journey – in whatever aspect of your life you want to focus on.

Your journey is more like sailing uncharted waters than driving along a straight road. It’s more akin to stormy seas than tree lined avenues. You are going where no-one has gone before.

At sea there are no signposts to tell you to turn right or left.

You have to use your judgement to zig or zag, otherwise you can blissfully go way off course while you think you are sailing well.

That’s the art of leading.

Leadership is taking people with you on a journey of common purpose and direction.

The journey won’t be easy. Winds blow, waves rise and currents pull. Unseen obstacles block your way and unexpected opportunities present themselves. To get to where you have been before is relatively easy. You just need a plan.

But to get to where no-one has been before, you first need to map the territory; then you can plan your course.

But static plans and strategies can’t take account of shifting seas and changing weather. In the words of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, ‘Plans are nothing; planning is everything.’

As the architect of the D-Day landings, he knew a thing or two about plans and planning. Plans are static, planning is active.

The plan is useful for as long as nothing changes. Planning is critical all the time.

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Mapping is more than just creating a plan or having a strategy.

It is a dynamic, ongoing activity that responds to the changing environment and plots the evolving journey.

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Illustration by Visual Thinkery “Previous journeys in search of treasure have taught me that a zigzag strategy is the best way to get ahead.”

Tahir Shah We live in a highly changing and dynamic world. Our twenty-

SPECIAL FEATURE ON SMALL BUSINESS AWARENESS

Page 24 - Starting a business with your other half?

Page 27 - T op tips to help your business weather tough times Page 28 - Key

digital skills required to run a small business

SPECIAL

STARTING A BUSINESS WITH YOUR OTHER HALF? How these couples overcome potential conflict We are witnessing a growth in Couplepreneur businesses – couples that live together and run a business together. It is a growing economic segment and our recent research shows that 52% of Couplepreneurs have set up their business in the last 5 years.

One of the myths that exist is just how difficult it must be to work together. That if you are a couple then you are somehow less capable of resolving arguments or that you may have more of them. Our research results also show high scores in just how fulfilled, aligned, buoyant and balanced couples feel about working together.

One of the objectives in setting up Couplepreneurs - a global community for couple owned businesses to meet, share and inspire their stories and come together to support and be supported through the Trusted Advisor Network within the community – is to support the growth and share and debate key issues. I spoke to some members of this growing global community to explore with them just how they overcome issues together. Here’s what they told us.

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You can be straight and honest with each other. You have huge respect. Laura Clacey who runs Sxollie with her husband Karol tells me, “The benefits of working with your spouse is that you do not need to mince your words like you would need to with colleagues. One is therefore able to be brutally honest and resolve issues much quicker and with less skirting around the issues. The fact that you clearly have enough respect for each other that you began a startup together means that you can talk through the issues quickly and efficiently therefore wasting less time. Time is the enemy with any small business!”

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Communication is everything. As is being open and professional. Helena Hills runs TrueStart Coffee with her husband Simon. Helena tells me, “We have to be really, really open with each other about our emotions and feelings. It’s also important to be understanding when we’re being open with one another - and remember that any emotions are coming from a desire to improve a situation rather than place blame.

This stops us jumping down each other’s throats when we’re discussing something that needs improving or went wrong.”

Sarah Biggers who runs The Courtyard Deli in Falmouth with her husband Chris also says “We try to approach each work day in a professional manner and leave any personal issues at the door when we start work. When work issues arise we make sure we carve out space and time to deal with them in private and once a decision has been made we both agree to abide by it. So far, that’s an approach that’s worked for us and it seems for our team too.”

It’s about the business. It’s not personal. Libi Pappenheim and her husband Tsvi run Over the Top Rentals and tells us just how important it is to recognise the issues are about the business and aren’t personal. Libi tells me, “If an issue comes up we need to understand it’s not personal. We aren’t attacking each other. We need to stay focussed and know it is about the business and its success. Taking a step back is important to review the situation and almost gain an outside perspective. This ensures we take the emotions and feelings out of it.”

Finding time to switch off. Helena from TrueStart sums this up when she shares with me just how important it is to step away from the business. Helena says, “We’ve found it’s critical to have “switch off” time too - we’re husband and wife above everything else, and now Mum and Dad to baby Leo. Nothing else matters as much as that, and we’ve recently found a rhythm and routine that gives us space to be all three - founders, partners and parents - every day.”

Stepping away and out of the business – literally. Cat Benger runs ABCpure with her partner Ben Webeck and they support getting away from the office to talk things through.

Cat says “Of course there will be some discussions that could get a little frosty shall we say, if I know those subjects need discussing I often suggest we head out and discuss those points over coffee in a public place.” Jonathan Shine, who runs Mini with his wife Ashley, echoes this. Jonathan adds “When we don’t see eye to eye on something, we’ve learned that the best way to deal with it is to leave the premises, go for a coffee and discuss it openly and pragmatically with each other. Sometimes you can’t help getting emotional on certain topics or issues that arise, because so much is on the line, but staying calm and stating how you feel as opposed to acting out your emotions goes a long way to helping to resolve the issue...that and being open to compromise.” Laura from Sxollie is also a great supporter of leaving the office and adds, “If all else fails, go for a walk around the block together and talk it out, nothing beats issue resolution than a brisk walk.”

It is clear that tough conversations need to be had at work from time to time that can be difficult and uncomfortable to broach. But as Chris Biggers at The Courtyard Deli tells me, “The distinct advantage of working with your partner is that you are likely to have had these during your time as a couple already and should therefore be better equipped to deal with, and ultimately, solve issues as they come up.”

Patricia Bacon is an expert business growth consultant and founder of Couplepreneurs a new global network for couples running businesses together. Find out more at www.couplepreneurs.co.uk

As outlined in a report by the Home Office Science Advisory Council in January 2018, the actual cost of cybercrime is notoriously difficult to calculate, however even conservative estimates put the cost to the UK economy at billions of pounds.

Figures produced in 2016 by Action Fraud, the UK’s dedicated service for reporting cybercrime estimate that in 2015/16 cybercrime cost the UK economy £11bn.

This is only based on reported crime however; in 2015 the Office for National Statistics (ONS) included cybercrime as a measure in the annual British Crime Survey for England and Wales. The ONS estimates that there were 2.46 million cyber incidents and 2.11 million victims of cybercrime in the UK in 2015. During this period, just 700,000 cybercrimes were reported to Action Fraud.

What nobody is disputing is that cybercriminals are capable, organised and effective and what is more: they are difficult to catch.

Most agree that the most effective strategy for managing cybercrime is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Businesses (and consumers) must take steps to prevent themselves from becoming victims.

Many SMEs feel that there is nothing they can do to protect themselves from cybercrime, that there is no point in reporting it, or even that it is ‘not a real crime’. Business owners frequently cite the difficulty in implementing cyber security measures. More than one in five small business owners responded to a Cyber Streetwise survey expressing that the ‘don’t know where to start’ in order to deal with cyber issues.

The same survey found that 66% of SMEs were either unaware of the risks or did not consider the risk to be serious and one fifth thought small businesses were not a target. Clearly, SMEs are a target; however this may suggest that those companies which have greater resources available to them are more likely to be able to effectively defend themselves.

Not all businesses have the same level of resource with which to defend themselves against the cybercrime threat. A sole trader does not have a dedicated IT team to manage risk, yet is at very low risk of the ‘insider threat’ of corporate sabotage or theft. Whilst the best action any SME could take would be to complete HM Government’s ‘Cyber Essentials’ scheme, research by the FSB showed only 2% of small businesses have completed the programme.

This could be due to a lack of awareness amongst SMEs of the scheme, a perception of completing it being too complicated or time-consuming, a reality of the scheme being too complicated or

time-consuming, or a perception that the business is not at risk, or is likely to be ‘overkill’ for a business of their size. In all likelihood, it is a combination of all of these factors.

Whilst the FSB Small Business Survey found that the vast majority of SMEs had taken some measures to defend themselves, there were significant gaps in their defences. This includes: • • • •

1 in 5 SMEs not having installed computer security software 1 in 3 SMEs not ‘backing up’ customer data regularly 3 out of 4 SMEs don’t store customer back up data offsite, or on a separate device.

Only 1 in 5 train staff in good IT security practice

It is not difficult to see the risks that these businesses are exposed to, as was dramatically demonstrated by the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware incident in 2017. Whilst the most high-profile impact was on the NHS, SMEs were heavily impacted by WannaCry, with many saying it took weeks to return to normal.

Unfortunately, SMEs in Hertfordshire and beyond often do not follow the basic steps that will help to protect them against cybercrime, or that will help them recover if they do become victims which can be summed up as follows: • • •

Install effective anti-virus software Install updates to the software that you are operating as soon as they become available Back-up data

SMEs can follow a number of simple rules to protect themselves: • • •

Protect Systems (anti-virus; software updates; physical security) Protect Data (Storage, credentials, passwords, back-ups) Educate Staff (strong passwords, alert to social engineering, secure practices)

SMEs must take responsibility for their own cyber security and prioritise it at least as highly as their security in the offline world.

They must understand that they are a target, they need to take the threat seriously, and they must take action.

SMEs can find comprehensive information, advice and support at www.getsafeonline.org/business Hertfordshire County Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire have produced a joint cybercrime strategy which aims to raise awareness amongst SMEs of the threat of cybercrime. Consultation on the strategy closes on the 31st October and the strategy will be formally launched before the end of 2018. Look out for more information over the coming weeks.

Contact Michael Nadasdy: michael.nadasdy@hertfordshire.gov.uk

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The FSB found that whilst 13% of businesses with over 50 employees reported being a victim of cybercrime in the previous two years, for those with 11-20 employees the number was 68% and for up to 10 employees it was 71%. Even for self-employed people with no other staff, the figure was 63%.

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Cybercrime is BIG business!

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NO-DEAL BREXIT – WHAT ARE THE 4 KEY IMPACTS ON SMALL BUSINESS TELECOMS? Written By Dave Millett, Equinox What would be the impact on our telecoms of a no-deal Brexit? Is it another cause for concern for small businesses or are there some potential benefits?

Here’s a look at the four main areas where there may be impacts for businesses and consumers.

Trade The UK imports far more telecoms equipment than we export.

Not many mobile phones or phone systems are made here, even most of the infrastructure is imported. A lot is made in China, Asia and the USA who are at the forefront of targets for our own trade and import deals. As the fifth largest economy, that makes us attractive to handset makers and deals could lead to lower import charges and, therefore, lower prices.

Conversely, post Brexit negotiations have seen, and continue to see, a drop in the value of the pound. This has resulted in the cost of telecoms and technology equipment going up. In turn, prices to the end user have increased quickly.

Dell announced a price rise within weeks. Should we go on WTO rules then the uncertainty could drive the pound even lower, at least in the short term. If that seems likely and your business is considering replacing your phone system and data infrastructure it may pay to order early.

Competition

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Some of the biggest decisions affecting the UK market are currently taken by the EU, such as the final say on the O2 and 3 merger. In future mergers will be down to the UK and, as such, will more closely reflect the views of the UK Government. The EU has generally been anti-merger, the UK Government less so. The EU has made decisions and threatened fines against anti-competitive behaviours.

Historically, the UK Government has been less interventionist.

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Also, it potentially leaves companies more open to overseas acquisition. As a rule, greater consolidation leads to less choice for customers and the potential for lower service levels and higher prices.

Should it come to fruition, people should check their contracts – and add roaming plans if required.

Integration As an industry, telecoms has not integrated very much across Europe. Each country issues its own licences and phone numbers. There are no minimum standards for 4G coverage or broadband speeds. Although the EU has stated it believes the minimum target speed should be 30 mbps - which is higher than the UK. The EU has set targets for 5G rollouts; each country should have one city operational by 2020. The UK has continuously lagged behind most of Europe on 4G coverage and FTTP availability. The recent announcements have targets that will not improve that, but currently being in or out of the EU won’t affect that situation. It is more a question of local priorities.

The EU Customs Union allows member states to charge higher international termination rates to non-EU members so the UK would be free to break from that and make the cost of calling here from abroad lower and therefore more attractive to businesses to have overseas offices here.

With only about eight months to go, there’s still a lot to resolve.

Small business must prepare for a no-deal scenario and should be asking key questions when signing any long term contracts that extend beyond the exit period.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave Millett has over 35 years’ experience in the Telecoms Industry. He has worked in European Director roles for several global companies. He now runs Equinox, a leading independent brokerage and consultancy firm. He works with many companies, charities and other organisations and has helped them achieve savings of up to 80%. He also regularly advises telecom suppliers on improving their products and propositions. www.equinoxcomms.co.uk

Roaming Charges previously levied by the mobile operators for roaming calls and data within the EU area were abolished by the EU in 2017. Should the UK leave the EU on a no-deal basis, this could no longer be the case. If the UK is operating on WTO arrangements, there’s nothing in there that covers roaming. I am sure the mobile operators will be pleased as it was a major revenue source for them.

The impact may be longer term, as the UK can negotiate its own trade agreements it could seek to do similar deals with countries it wants to encourage more trade with. It is to be hoped that this will be an element of any new trade agreements that are set up. Certainly, it has been discussed in the initial conversations between the UK and USA. So, there are potential implications for small businesses and people working in Europe and those with an overseas home.

Twitter: @equinoxcomms LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dave-millett/2/17b/a94

Written by Anthony Main, The Distance Signing a key client right at the last minute saved my digital agency, just two years ago. At that point, I’d been forced to let six staff go and it was down to just me and one other.

I have since built the company up from two staff and no income to 20 staff and an almost seven figure turnover.

8.Watch the economy. While the UK’s decision to Brexit had a huge impact on us, we should have been better prepared. Keep up-to-date. Don’t be ignorant to wider scale events that might have a future impact, such as a change in governments, price of raw materials, etc.

So, what advice can I offer, based on what I learnt along the way? Here are my top tips to help you ensure your business can weather tough times:

9.Team trust. Take your time to employ; we did and it has really helped us flourish. Surround yourself with trustworthy staff and give them as much autonomy as possible. Wait to employ the right people – taking on the wrong people can be time-consuming and costly, whereas the right team will help ensure the business thrives.

1.Know your niche. Before our turnaround we had an ambiguous company. This didn’t work, so we divided the business to individually focus our marketing on clear customer propositions. Find your niche and stick to it. Make sure all your marketing communicates your expertise in that niche, and don’t be tempted to try to be all things to all people.

2.Don’t let your marketing slip. We became too comfortable with the quality of our inbound leads. We had previously (Google) ranked well, and complacency set in as a result. We didn’t monitor the rankings as closely as we needed to, and so we simply slipped off the face of the web without realising. Keep marketing, even when times are bad – you can’t build a business if no one is finding it!

3.Monitor competitors. Our early impact made us naively confident in our market share and we hadn’t realised how many competitors had grown to the same degree. No longer did we have first pick of the inbound leads. Always keep an eye on the competition and ensure you’re staying ahead, not slipping behind.

10.Create your culture. As a creative agency, we are stereotyped with a certain culture and we embrace it.

Develop a company culture that suits your business and your team. Work is not just about productivity – it’s also about enjoying what you do.

Many businesses start and fail - often as fast - and it’s important to look for signs that things aren’t as they should be. Don’t be as naive as I was; having confidence in your product and service can only protect you against so many things, some you simply have no control over, so be prepared!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthony Main is Managing Director of The Distance, an app development company. Anthony has been developing apps since the first iPhone, and with his UK based team of digital natives, The Distance delivers intuitive mobile solutions for clients on both iOS and Android. From disruptive startups to global enterprises, including NHS, Bentley Motors, Virgin Trains, PGA Golf, Slimming World, and Astra Zeneca, The Distance supports solutions developed to meet all app based-challenges.

5.Market pricing. Another important aspect of your competitor analysis is to understand both their pricing and how customers will perceive yours. Make sure you align with your market, even if you expect your quote to be larger than your neighbour’s.

6.Vital Data. Track as much as you can about the operational side of your business. Ideally, create a data dashboard and update it at least monthly, so you can compare to previous months or years, looking for any trends which might raise a flag. By understanding the numbers in your own business, you can spot problems early and develop solutions.

7.Cash is King. All industries go through waves and you need to be able to brace against them as best as possible.

This often simply means supporting drops in revenue with a cache of finance for rainy days. Aim for at least three months break-even in the bank for comfort.

Web: https://thedistance.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedistancehq Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedistancehq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-distance/

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4.Learn from competitors’ mistakes (and successes).

It’s SO important to know what the competition is doing, from their inbound process, to their offering and the quality of documentation in between. Create a dummy project and subtly go through the ropes of testing them out. Find out what they do well (integrate it into your process) and discover where they are weak (ensure you don’t do the same). Learn from their mistakes.

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TOP TIPS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS WEATHER TOUGH TIMES

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KEY DIGITAL SKILLS REQUIRED TO RUN A SMALL BUSINESS Written By Carol Mann, Women on the Web Building up a small business is a difficult challenge, but always a rewarding one. Often, it is a solitary task and you are responsible for all areas of the business from ordering vital supplies to creating a loyal client base. The tests you face on this journey are substantial yet the growing digital world could hold the key to alleviating some of these pressures. Creating and keeping up with a website often causes substantial, but unnecessary, panic and concern, but its importance to a newly established business is indisputable.

sometimes less likely to pull people in. People are more than likely to connect with a company that has grown naturally and placed higher on Google because of their achievements and strong work ethic.

The digital world will become a lot less intimidating when you know how best to market your business online.

SEO is one of the most persuasive and widely used methods to ensure your website wins that top spot on search engines results pages. But what is SEO? It stands for Search Engine Optimisation and uses a range of techniques intended to inform Google etc. that your business and website is deserving of the top spot.

The Website

Above anything else, designing your business’ website is the top priority. It should be inviting, creative and engaging to your audience as this will be your core platform where customers can find further links to social media accounts. Similarly, any advertisements you choose to pay for on other sites will most likely direct customers to your landing page.

Planning the website As previously stated, the website is a top priority. It is essential that your website performs the function you want it to exactly.

Thinking thoroughly about exactly what you want the website to look like, will enable you to establish your model client or customer.

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How long it takes you to plan out the website, will be dependent on your requirements and the number of people who are involved. A client that finds the answers they’re looking for without any confusion will be much more likely to return than someone who struggled navigating the website.

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Discussing your website plan with fellow business professionals will provide you with the confidence that your new or updated website will be the best fit for your business.

Pooling expertise with others is a great way to not only further your own knowledge, but also build a great chance to widen your network.

Keywords Figuring out what specifically your target audience search for can be vital when getting your business off the ground. Putting keywords into your website will inform search engines, such as Google, that your business’ website is number one for what they are searching for.

This is crucial to ensure your business is discovered by customers that are seeking what you provide. There are a vast amount of fantastic, free tools that help you narrow down your special terminology.

Promotion of website

Your website is complete and is eye-catching, but now it is time to promote it. There are numerous ways you can do this; one way is by regularly adding content to keep it fresh and upto-date with your innovative ideas.

Another way is paying for ads on other digital platforms, such as google or facebook. This can be an expensive way and

Growing organically Organic growth can be slower process, but it is much more beneficial in the long run and more successful at securing loyal clients.

Effective SEO covers technical elements such as link building and content expansion alongside marketing fuelled tasks like posting blogs and on social media. Both are very important as they reach different audiences. Link building and content expansion will reach the robots that roam the internet and boost you onto the top pages whereas social media will reach the people you are wanting to attract.

Following these fundamental tips will help you become more knowledgeable about how best to grow your business in the digital age. For more information, tips and simple tutorials, visit www.womenontheweb.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carol Mann is the founder of Women on the Web (WOW), an organisation dedicated to raising the digital literacy of women in business. With 25+ years experience in sales and marketing, Carol is now making it her mission to share her expertise. Carol also runs the digital agency We Get Digital for Website & Digital Consultancy

Written by Janthana Kaenprakhamroy – Founder and CEO, Tapoly

Fewer than 7% of tech jobs in Europe are held by women. As a female entrepreneur in a heavily male industry, I constantly see just how few women there are in our offices and boardrooms. When it came to forging my own career path, I never felt I should be discouraged because of my gender – I simply had ambitions to make a change in the world.

I originally came to London with just a suitcase and no more than £300 in my pocket. I trained to be a chartered accountant, worked in investment banking, and after 15 years I became an internal audit director at UBS. Throughout my career prior to founding Tapoly I also worked with Deutsche bank and JPMorgan Chase, so had a great deal of experience in the fintech sector, but had not yet had the lightbulb moment for my own business. To get some experience as an entrepreneur while at UBS I invested a small sum in another startup on the side, which also led to my appointment to the board as a non-executive director.

Once I felt that I had gathered enough capital and experience to manage and grow a company of my own, I could then begin to put serious consideration into the next steps.

The concept for Tapoly came in 2016 when I decided to let my flat through Airbnb. I looked for an insurance policy that would protect my property, protect my guests, and protect me against the risks of doing business, while providing the kind of short-term flexibility the sharing economy thrives on, but I couldn’t find it.

always be better.

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BEING A FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR IN INSURTECH It had always been my dream to run my own business, so when I took the leap and began to develop my ideas I knew that with the experience I had gained from years of working in a corporate environment, I could make Tapoly a success. I built my company from the ground up and now have a team of 16 people working with me – something I could have only dreamed of years ago. As a female entrepreneur I know there are so many women out there with potentially groundbreaking business ideas, and we should be encouraging them to take every opportunity to make their dreams a reality.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Janthana Kaenprakhamroy is the founder of Tapoly, the first on-demand insurance provider for the gig economy in Europe and Top 100 European Fintech Award winner in 2017. A former investment banking professional and chartered accountant, Janthana has worked for a number of top-tier investment banks and is one of the authors of The InsurTECH Book.

This surprised me, since the InsurTech sector has brought significant disruption and innovation to many areas of the traditional insurance industry in the last few years. According to a McKinsey study, investment in InsurTech climbed from a quarter of a billion dollars in 2015 to more than $2.5 billion in 2017. Despite this growth, no-one was offering insurance technology tailored specifically to the sharing economy – for those looking to temporarily let their house like myself, to delivery drivers, freelance workers and many more.

As one of only a handful of women in the InsurTech industry, it’s important to me that more women are encouraged to take steps similar to the ones I did – to identify opportunities and to put their all into creating successes. In terms of women in the InsurTech industry things are improving, as we are seeing the number of women in the field increasing, but it can

Through her own experience of trying to purchase the right insurance easily and affordably when letting out her spare room through Airbnb, it highlighted the need for change within the insurance sector. Nothing appeared to be tailored to the sharing economy.

Tapoly was created from Janthana’s vision to make sure that everyone in the sharing economy can get access to a comprehensive insurance solution at a fair price.

For more information, visit www.tapoly.com

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I started Tapoly because I felt these were services that needed to be provided to the public. Through our online platform, freelancers, SMEs, contract workers and anyone else in the sharing economy can get on-demand cover in less than two minutes. By vertically integrating the key processes of insurance, including underwriting, brokerage and distribution, we’re able to make our services affordable to part-time and gig workers – something that was not really being offered before. Tapoly essentially provides an insurance solution that is responsive to the needs of workers in the sharing economy. Our hope is that, through this disruption, the sharing economy will become a safer environment for everyone involved – meaning freelancers and contractors aren’t put at a greater risk than a large organisation when it comes to financial or legal ramifications.

Our aim is to change the rules of the InsurTech sector for the better.

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A WORLD OF WELLBEING 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD WELLNESS INITIATIVE Written by Rachel Whitford, Area Manager City of London, Express Vending

A study from Deloitte found a staggering 2.7 million employees quit their jobs every month, with many citing a ‘lack of empowerment’ as the key reason. With the stakes so high, companies must take measures to help them keep their best and brightest.

More companies are waking up to the fact that employee engagement is about more than salaries, it’s about taking a holistic approach to staff welfare. Choose wisely and you’re on course for a harmonious work environment. Make a miscalculation and you could find yourself struggling to recruit and retain top talent.

With this in mind, here are four steps employers can take to prioritise employee wellbeing all year round.

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Be accessible and flexible

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The first step to developing your wellness strategy is to ensure it’s as inclusive and accessible as possible, so it can be fully integrated across the workplace.

To do this, you need to communicate with all levels of the business to secure company buy-in. Consider group meetings, as well as providing one-to-one sessions between senior and junior team members to fully inform them of the details and long-term goals.

You could try introducing “change champions” too. This is a group of employees who work to improve the health and culture of the workplace by socially connecting with others and helping to educate co-workers about programme offerings readily available.

Health comes first More businesses are learning to develop a culture-first mentality which looks at the ‘total quality of life’ for employees to boost their overall wellbeing and enhance productivity.

For example; At Express we worked closely with one of our clients Airwair to support its focus on wellness by helping them provide healthier food choices to their staff.

Airwair is always looking for new angles for innovative workplace wellness initiatives. As such, it now provides employees with treadmills for use during meetings, on-site massages and a designated wellness room in each office.

The company found a more health-focused approach resulted in more positive employee feedback, as many reported the investment in their health and happiness made them feel more valued.

Food, glorious food As the saying goes, ‘you are what you eat.’ Businesses are increasingly realising that healthy food choices are essential in the working environment and something that needs to be built into organisations’ wellness programmes.

Studies show employees who eat healthily are, on average, 25 percent more likely to perform better, so it’s vital to find ways to make healthier food choices more readily available in the workplace.

These offerings don’t need to be overly lavish to have a positive impact. For example, look to update refreshment facilities and provide healthier options to support employee wellbeing.

Be more responsible Increasingly, employees and consumers alike are demanding more from businesses, with research indicating 79 percent of people would prefer to work for a socially responsible company.

Research also suggests CSR and wellness initiatives that work together have been proven to ‘improve collaboration, innovation and soft skill development.’ So how can employers ensure practices stay up-to-date and fresh enough to gauge maximum interest?

Creating a calendar of CSR-related events for employees to participate in throughout the year, eliminates it being seen as ‘ad hoc’ activity and encourages maximum staff participation.

Incorporate it into everyday activities, such as cycle to work and lift share schemes. Smaller charitable initiatives such as bake sales or sponsored lunchtime sporting events, can also have a big impact on workplace morale and complement more serious, long-term corporate objectives.

Written by Alex Moyle

FEATURE

THAT AWKWARD MOMENT WHEN… YOU HAVE TO GIVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK The context of common goals: It is important everyone understands why they are here, and what common goal you are all working towards. In the event of problem behaviour occurring, this allows you to talk about “how does that impact us getting to our goal?” The person in question might not have thought about how being late or missing a deadline impacted their friends and colleagues’ ability to do their jobs, and the knock-on effect for the bigger picture of the business performance.

Set “teamship” rules: When Sir Clive Woodward led the England rugby team to World Cup glory in 2003, he famously invited his players to write their own set of rules for what behaviours are acceptable. Asking your team to do this helps make each individual more responsible for their actions, and it helps relieve the manager of the stress of having to uphold rules that are unwritten or inconsistently applied.

Whether you’re running a business, leading a team or just talking to co-workers, delivering negative feedback is the kind of horrible task that nobody likes to do.

Chances are you can think back to a situation where you’ve had to talk to a colleague about a problem. They might have been late too often, let down important clients or behaved in an unacceptable way – you knew you had to do something about it, but even the thought of confronting the issue gave you a knot of tension in your stomach. Sound familiar? You’re certainly not alone.

Part of the reason why even the most experienced business leaders still struggle with this kind of situation is that they know delivering negative feedback can have an adverse effect on the motivation of an individual and a team. They know motivation is a bit like a balloon – it takes a lot of effort to pump it up, but one careless pinprick could kill it in seconds.

Earn the right: American author Stephen Covey famously talked about the idea of an “emotional bank account.” Put simply, when you do positive things for someone it builds “emotional credit” in their mind, and this credit can then be drawn on when a favour is asked or disappointment is inflicted. If you are a leader, the more active you are in providing positive feedback throughout the day, the more “emotional credit” you will have in the bank when it comes to providing negative feedback. So, before you give negative feedback, think “how much credit do I have in the emotional bank account?” and tailor your approach accordingly.

Alex Moyle is a business development, sales expert and author of Business Development Culture – taking sales culture beyond the sales team, published by Kogan Page and available on Amazon.

Praise in public, criticise in private: You might think that addressing an issue in front of a whole team helps everyone learn, but by doing so you risk damaging the confidence of the person the feedback is aimed at, as well as affecting their status within the team. Try to address negative behaviour privately in a situation where you can open up a conversation – it will help to find and resolve the underlying cause in a much more positive way.

It works both ways: Feedback must always be a two-way street. People will be much more open to receiving negative feedback when they feel that you are also open to the same level of frankness. Have you ever been on the receiving end of criticism and your dominant thought was “like you are so perfect, you hypocrite”? Needless to say, this is not the mindset you want when you’re trying to make something change, so be humble enough to take feedback well when it comes your way too.

Find out more: https://alexmoyle.co.uk/

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Fortunately, delivering negative feedback doesn’t always have to make you the ‘bad guy.’ So, here are some handy tips to make those awkward situations easier, while also making the other individuals involved much more receptive to criticism:

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TECH REVIEW

ROCKETBOOK NOTEPAD

With the world of technology ever growing, people are finding out ways to incorporate technology within everything. From smartphone apps to smart cars, but one sector that hasn’t been introduced to technology until now is classic pen to paper note taking. That is exactly what co-founder Joe and Jake did to help people become even more organised than before.

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The Everlast Rocketbook notepad is a waterproof synthetic poly-blend book that consists of 32 pages and provides a smooth, easy writing experience with the Pilot FriXion pen that is supplied with the notepad. The reusable aspects of the product are what makes it unique and innovative. Having to be used in conjunction with the Rocketbook App, it scans and sends the notes taken from the pages to cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox or an email address. Thus, making the notepad a fantastic space saver, organiser and also sustainable for the future.

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With the easy to use features and a substantial number of pages, it is fantastic for a variety of different people from university students taking notes in lectures to executives needing to take notes within office meetings. The pages are quick to erase by simply adding water to the cloth, wiping down the pages and it is then ready to re-use time and time again. Be sure not to use too much water when removing notes as this will result in the page taking longer to dry, delaying the re-use of the page. When writing on the pages in the notepad, be careful not to go over the border as this may result in some notes being cut out from the scan. Everlast Rocketbook has a vast amount of benefits. It allows you to share your notes and ideas with colleagues, classmates and teachers; this being fantastic for collaborations within school or the workplace. Due to being able to send notes straight to your chosen place, it encourages organisation of work helping with preparation of lectures, meetings or lessons in whatever environment it is being used.

As well as being beneficial for students and people working in the office, it is convenient for busy, on the go people. As a result of not needing batteries, it has no boundaries so therefore can be used anywhere. It is a lightweight product so is able to slip into a bag and enables you to organise your life all in one place wherever you may be.

The ability to send your notes via the cloud to your chosen destination is what sets this notepad ahead of others.

Connect the symbols on the bottom of the page to either Google Drive, Evernote, OneDrive, Dropbox, OneNote, Slack, iCloud, iMessage or email as these are all options to send your notes to once complete. The App scans the documents to a high standard and automatically sends them straight to your chosen destination. Once complete, the notes are there for you to either share, print, archive or save.

Rocketbook launched their first notepad in 2015 called Rocketbook Wave which is similar to the Everlast, but is erased by going into the microwave and can only be re-used up to five times. The Wave notepad has more than double the number of pages as the Everlast with a total of 80 and only comes in one colour, a dark teal. The notepad has real paper to give people a natural writing experience and it removes all notes at once when microwaved. If you feel like the Everlast is not quite for you due to not needing a considerable number of notes taken or only needing one for a short period of time, then considering this may be a better option for your personal needs.

With a price of £34.99, the Everlast is an affordable solution to an unorganised work space or having too many notebooks and not knowing what notes are where. The Everlast comes in four different colours – infinity black, atomic red, midnight blue or Neptune teal – as well as two different sizes: Letter and Executive. Although it does give options, it is only limited so it perhaps could come with a few more colour options. Overall, Jake and Joe wanted to supply people with a notepad that will help with organisation and they have successfully done so.

Audi is disrupting the industry with its latest SUV model.

Quickly following the launch of the Q8 model in the summer, the SQ8 is set to launch at the end of the year. The launch of the Q8 range brings the total of Audi’s SUV range to 5, with a possible Q9 range in the works. This model provides a sportier edge to the Q8 whilst retaining the best features of this model to create a perfect user experience for any driver.

The SQ8 will provide the ultimate driving experience to rival the BMW X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. Coupling power and luxury, the SQ8 is going to take the market by storm.

This engine is different to what was expected by auto experts. It was thought that the SQ8 would house a hybrid V6 powertrain as this was suggested at with the Q8 Sport Concept of 2017. Diesel could be considered a declining market however this is this not the case with it retaining popularity within Europe. It is possible that this increased engine capacity could intimidate the average driver however this is not something to be feared as Audi has continued its precedence of making all its cars manageable for all drivers.

To extend the reach of this model, Audi are planning to release a petrol alternative into the US market and other petrol-preferring regions. This car will have a 3.0-litre V6 engine. By offering both fuel variations, all areas of the market will be able to experience the power of the SQ8.

There has been much speculation about the illusive interiors of the new model, but judging by the previous model, these will definitely not disappoint! With the Q8 featuring a MMI infotainment system alongside a customisable Virtual Cockpit, the audi interior system is one that is both easy to use whilst maintaining a luxe visual appeal. The customisable nature of the interior offers the driver unlimited possibilities for creating a personal experience. Similarly, driver visibility is paramount and this is something Audi caters for in abundance. Sloped roofs may impair visibility, but this is not the case for Audi with this exquisitely designed vehicle as they always place safety at the fore.

If you are searching for a powerful vehicle coupled with luxury style, look no further. The upgraded Audi SQ8 is a perfect blend of style and intensity.

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Power is the most prominent aspect of this car with it being the first performance model. The SQ8 Model is set to release into the European market as a diesel car. This model will house a powerful 429bhp 4.0-litre V8 engine, the same as the SQ7 and the Bentley Bentayga Diesel. In addition to 664 lb-ft of torque. This is in comparison to the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine featured in the Q8; the SQ8 is an undeniable upgrade from its predecessor.

The exterior of the SQ8 bares a strong resemblance to its predecessor, but with a sportier upgrade. The most noticeable difference between the two models is the quad exhaust on the upgraded SQ8. This quad exhaust exit system reflects the powerful engine that is housed within.

In addition, the wheels will be larger than the earlier model.

There is also an option for height adjustable air suspension which would enhance the control offered to the driver. A necessary addition as the engine power is raised. These differences set the SQ8 apart as an increased luxury driving experience. The SQ8 has a large, all black front grill and sleek headlights with advanced LED technology. Yet this model stands out as it also prioritises black as the colour of choice on both the mirrors and on the roof features. In addition, the chosen wheel type, five-spoke, allow you to gaze at and show off the increased capacity brake callipers.

DRIVE

Audi SQ8

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NETWORKING

BURST YOUR BUBBLE: GET OUT AND MEET PEOPLE NOT LIKE YOU Written by Andy Lopata

www.businessindependent.co.uk

Recently I was running workshops at Saïd Business School at Oxford University and speaking about the importance of diversifying your network. A key point I was making was the power of having people who are not like you to challenge your ideas and offer different perspectives. I asked the participants to write down the names of five people who they would trust the most, either for guidance or support. I then asked them to rate each person on scale of 1-10 where ten is someone most like them in terms of six areas:

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Age; Background; Education; Job; Interests and Lifestyle.

I then asked them to total up the scores and come up with an average out of 60.

circle of trust would be too much like the person at the centre, providing similar ideas, experiences and perspective.

In order to grow you need to include people in your trusted network who are going to challenge you or throw out different ideas to yours. In a paper published by Saïd Business School, ‘The CEO Report’, they state that ‘Doubts are to CEOs what nerves are to elite athletes: a source of focus and insight...One of the most important things is having people around you that tell you how wrong you are.”

Surrounding yourself with people just like you will restrict the flow of those challenging ideas and lead to complacency rather than peak performance.

The group’s scores ranged from 28-55. At the lower end of those groupings, between 28 and 35 I would say that there is a reasonable amount of diversity within that support group.

But above 40 I would start to get concerned. People in that

Labelled ‘Mr Network’ by The Sun, Andy Lopata was called one of Europe’s leading business networking strategists by The Financial Times.

Andy is the author of three books on networking, as well as a blogger for The Huffington Post and NatWest Business Sense.

Find out more at www.lopata.co.uk @AndyLopata

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