The Hertfordshire Business Independent July August Issue

COMPLIMENTARY

SUMMER READING The list of must-read business books for the holidays

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL! INTERVIEW WITH THE LEMON CLUB Founder Sally Hindmarch talks of her success with online personal development business A-Z OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT The HBI explores the best ways owners can boost their professional CVs STAY MOTIVATED! It’s national motivation day in July so we give top tips on how to stay motivated over the summer

NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES Launches her brand new anti-ageing portal www.lookandfeelyounger.tv

issue July / August 2011

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NEWS INTERVIEWS MONEY LEGAL BUSINESS SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY AFTER HOURS FEATURES TRAINING & EDUCATION SPECIALS NETWORKING & EVENTS SALES COLUMN EXECUTIVE PROFILES DRIVE ......

Read every issue on-line Check out the latest news Find local networking events Register for The HBI events Promote your business FREE with our on-line Business Directory

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

INTERVIEW : NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES

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Speaks to The HBI about her new business venture LookAndFeelYounger.tv.

LEGAL The Bribary Act – A Threat to SMEs?

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EDUCATION Succeding without a degree by local entrepreneur Simon Dolan

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SALES COLUMN Featuring The HBI’s regular sales expert Steve Clarke

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TECHNOLOGY The all-new Nokia N9

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AFTER HOURS The HBI goes fishing

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DRIVE Introducing the new Chevrolet Cruz

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EXECUTIVE PROFILE Nigel Mercer at Deloitte

DISTRIBUTION POINTS Ayot Green : The Waggonners I Cole Green : Panshanger Flying Club Baldock : Jester Hotel, Baldock Station, Ashwell Station Harpenden : Harpenden House Hotel, Gleneagles Hotel, Harpenden Station Hatfield : Ramada Jarvis, Hatfield Oak Hotel, Porsche Centre, Fielder Centre Hertford : Hertford North Railway Station I Hertingfordbury : Whitehorse Hotel Hitchin : Hitchin Railway Station I Knebworth : Knebworth Station Letchworth : Letchworth Hall Hotel, Goldsmith Centre, Bizspace Letchworth, Business Centre West Little Wymondley : Redcoats Farm House Potters Bar : Wenta Potters Bar, Regus Potters Bar, Wyllyotts Centre Radwell : Days Inn Baldock I Redbourn : Ramada Jarvis Royston : Royston Station, Banyers Hotel, Jester Hotel I St Albans : Quality Hotel Stevenage : Roebuck Hotel, Specialist Cars, Merc Stevenage, Premeir Inn Stevenage, BTC Centre, Cromwell Hotel, Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage Station Tewin : Tewinbury Farm I Turnford : Cheshunt Mariott The Business Club : West Herts Ware : Hanbury Manor I Watford : Ramada Jarvis I Welwyn : Welwyn North Station Welwyn Garden City : Weltech Centre

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CONTRIBUTORS

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

CONTRIBUTORS Becky Lewis Andy Lopata Jade Stoner Katie Richardson Michelle Amos Simon Dolan Megan Davies Sally Hindmarch Teejay Dowe Judith Germain Dean Williams Hans Van Hegge David Taylor David Miles Clare Waller Steve Clarke DESIGNER Karen Birch www.velvetagency.com

ADVERTISING Terry Sullivan

EDITOR’S WELCOME Welcome to the July/August issue of The Hertfordshire Business Independent. As we are approaching the summer, we have lined up some great features for you! As a business owner myself, I know how easy it can be to focus on your team’s development and give little thought for your own career progression, which is why our special this month focuses on Personal Development. We find out more from personal development expert Sally Hindmarch, we learn how to stay motivated and why all business owners should invest in a mentor. We visit Scripture Union and find out how two men are still adding to their careers even after retiring and get a pep talk from Teejay Dowe who lets us know that as a business owner, it is ok to make mistakes! Our lead interview this month is with Nicky Hambleton-Jones and The HBI team have been delving into the secrets of the new Nokia N9 and the Chevrolet Cruz. If you are planning a summer get away, be sure to check out our summer reading recommendations too!

Have a great summer! - Best wishes, Jenna

‘NEW BREED’ UK TURNAROUND INVESTORS SPLASH £1BN RESCUE CASH IN LAST YEAR A unique community of UK turnaround investors has emerged since the dawn of the recession and has invested nearly £1bn in distressed companies in the UK in the last 12 months, according to research

by KPMG. Rob Croxen, restructuring director at KPMG in London North and Hertfordshire, commented: “We have seen a new breed of investor come to the distressed acquisition market since the beginning of the downturn. Historically, distressed investors acquired companies out of administration to salvage what remained. While the traditional model still exists, we have seen small investors in the UK looking to step into businesses while they are still solvent. This change in approach is driven by a need to step into a distressed situation before it unravels into insolvency and precious value is destroyed.”

“The UK turnaround investor community, which has emerged in the past few years, differentiates itself from the traditional distressed investor model by rescuing companies earlier; 76 per cent of firms surveyed have completed a solvent acquisition in the last year. There are also key differences with the typical private equity investment model where rather than suffer possible delays created by due diligence and committee decision-making, which could prevent a solvent business rescue, many UK distressed investors can write a cheque on the spot.”

Commenting on the characteristics of the people behind the funds, Rob Croxen went on to say: “The funds themselves are typically set up by small groups of high net worth individuals, often with a background in restructuring, who understand that timing is crucial in business rescue. There will always be an inherent block in identifying acquisitions targets, in that directors find it difficult to admit to the severity of their problems until it is too late but 80 per cent of the investors we surveyed said they were seeing more opportunities in the next year.

terry@businessindependent.co.uk

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

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

BUSINESS CRIME REDUCTION PARTNERSHIPS EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2011 Following on from their recent success in receiving a Safer Business Award, Dacorum Businesses Against Crime Ltd have now won an award for excellence from the Association of Business Crime Partnerships for their innovative Modular Training Program.

The award was presented at the national conference for Business Crime Partnerships by Lord Dear and received

by John Briffett the business Coordinator at the national conference held in Borehamwood on Thursday 19 May. The Modular Training Program covers a range of subjects including Basic Law, statement writing, personal safety and incident management with other subjects being developed. It is free to all members of the partnership with attendees receiving a certificate for each module they complete.

Roy Aldwin, Crime Manager for DBAC Ltd commented: “We are delighted to have won this award. There was a lot of competition from some of the larger crime partnerships around the country and I believe this demonstrates our commitment to becoming one of the top performing partnerships working with our members to make Dacorum a safer place to work, live and socialise in .”

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

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

Small businesses see training in sales and marketing as critical for their growth, latest survey figures from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) show.

At a time when small firms are really driving the economy forward into recovery, they need to be able to promote their businesses in new and foreign markets and use social media and new technology to advertise their services and products.

In a new report, ‘Raising the standards: an FSB skills survey’, the FSB argues that in order to be competitive, businesses need these skills to take advantage of new and emerging markets, and as a result, they need training to be made available and accessible so they can make the most of it.

The FSB is calling on the Government to help incentivise small businesses to take on more apprentices and graduate interns by co-funding harder to reach businesses, rather than bigger firms that have greater training budgets at their disposal.

FSB Hertfordshire Chairman Pam Charman said, “It is vital not to lose a generation of young people to unemployment and a lack of skills training, so the Government must provide incentives for small businesses to take on apprentices and graduate interns which will provide businesses with key skills to sell their services and products in new and emerging markets - especially for exports overseas.”

MARK PRISK MP APPLAUDS NEW FSB HERTS BRANCH AND PLEDGES ONGOING COMMITMENT TO FSB HERTS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS Members of the Herts Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) were given the opportunity of hearing first hand from Mark Prisk MP Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills, about how he is championing their cause.

The keynote speech from Mr Prisk at the FSB Herts launch event on Friday 1 July, outlined a range of initiatives he is championing on behalf of small business owners to help their bottom line, including making it simpler to set up a business, supporting growth of businesses through improved access to finance, improvement of employment law for the employer, reduction in red tape and business mentoring.

FSB Question Time followed, skilfully facilitated by Stephen Rhodes, former political interviewer for BBC Radio East. Member questions were fired at the distinguished panel which included Mark Prisk, Andrew Cave FSB Head of External Affairs UK; FSB national vice Chair Sandra Dexter and T/Superintendent David Rhodes from Herts Constabulary. Amongst the wide range of subjects discussed were that reduction in high levels of business crime (which local business owners can support) could provide necessary funding to further improve Herts businesses.

FSB Herts Chair, Pam Charman said “I’m delighted with the event, and having been able to give our members such a fantastic opportunity of not only hearing directly from Whitehall, but also to voice their questions.” Maree Atkinson, FSB business adviser for Herts said “It’s vitally important that Herts small business owners know that they are being represented with many initiatives which will make running their business easier. The FSB does this at a local, practical level as well as ensuring that the Government truly understands the issues small business owners face.”

For a video of Mark Prisk’s presentation, please visit The HBI website www.businessindependent.co.uk

TRADE DELEGATION TO MAINZ, GERMANY, HELPS BOOST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WATFORD Watford and West Herts Chamber Of Commerce teamed up with its German sister chamber, IHK Mainz, to organise a trade delegation of local businesses to the Frankfurt Rhine- Mainz region.

The two day trip on the 24 & 25 May 2011, gave businesses the opportunity to meet with their German counterparts and develop trading partnerships. Firms also attended an “Economy Event” at IHK Mainz, which attracted more than 35 German companies as well as prominent dignitaries, including The head of Economic Development for Mainz, Chrisopher Sitte. Delegates from Watford, included Larry Rach, MD of Twin Technology, Rupert Lee, Director at Blue Print Talent and MP for Watford, Richard Harrington.

The Mainz region is within easy reach both to Watford and the rest of Europe, making it an ideal location to do business with. Importantly, as a result of this visit there have been formed contacts with IHK Mainz, that have access to over 41,000 member companies. The region has a critical mass of Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, Environmental and Innovation/Technology sector companies. Mainz is also blessed with a renowned University, a Technology College as well as an excellent infrastructure of learning and apprentice centres. In particular, this region of Germany is very closely aligned with the business community in Watford. Gill Worgan, Principal of West Herts College, who also formed part of the delegation said, “I’m sure the link with Mainz will continue to develop and become something that is respected and valued by many. We are already thinking about the different ways the College may be able to build and sustain a relationship with our educational colleagues there.”

Sanjay Purohit, Inward Investment Manager for Watford, said: “Germany remains an extremely important country to the UK in terms of trading, so this was a valuable opportunity for Watford companies to visit the region and discover what opportunities are on offer. We were delighted to have organised this initiative with our German partners, and this is an excellent start for us to initiate inward investment projects to Watford, from Mainz and make important contacts. With diligent follow up and progress, this visit can only lead to improved jobs, skills, and continued economic vibrancy for Watford.”

Watford and West Herts Chamber of Commerce and IHK Mainz

Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, based in Halls Green near Weston, has been shortlisted in the prestigious UK Jewellery Awards 2011.

The bespoke jeweller is amongst three companies to be shortlisted in the Business Initiative of the Year category as a result of innovation in its newly re-designed studio in the centre of Cambridge.

The studio represents a step forward for the jewellery industry making bespoke jewellery accessible via a High Street retail outlet.

Talking about the company’s achievement, Harriet Kelsall, Managing Director of Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design said: “We are so pleased that our innovative approach in bringing bespoke jewellery to the High Street has been recognised by such a respected body.”

The winners will be announced on 14 July at London’s Grosvenor House.

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NEWS

HERTFORDSHIRE JEWELLERY COMPANY SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL JEWELLERY AWARD

ENTREPRENEURIAL COLLEGES CONCEPT LAUNCHED TO ADDRESS BRITAIN’S EMPLOYMENT CRISIS Entrepreneurial Colleges, a pioneering concept in Further Education, launched last week with the goal of inspiring many of the 3.4 million people that go through the UK’s Further Education Colleges each year to consider starting their own business and improve their employment prospects.

With 2.46 million people currently unemployed in the UK and 1 in 5 young people out of work, the new Entrepreneurial Colleges initiative will focus on wealth creation, business formation and growth, and employment outcomes.

The new ambition has been developed by a group of college leaders, led by: Fintan Donohue, Principal of North Hertfordshire College; Dick Palmer, Principal of City College Norwich; and Richard Thorold, Principal of Gateshead College.

Together they are working in collaboration with other progressive principals across the Further Education sector on a transformation programme to foster a more enterprising approach to Further Education that will radically enhance the career prospects of students entering the workforce.

Fintan Donohue, one of the lead architects of the Entrepreneurial Colleges initiative, said: “The Further Education sector has a vital role to play in transforming the employment prospects of the many thousands that pass through the system each year. Arguably it has never been more important for us to equip people with the entrepreneurial mindset required to succeed in the 21st century economy.”

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is supportive of the new initiative.

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said: “It is vital to help young people develop their entrepreneurial spirit, and give them the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge of what it means to start and run a business. Striking out on your own is a real career option and we need to inspire students to seriously consider this.”

FUNDING FROM THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS CUSTOMERS KEY TO SUCCESS

Funding from the European Social Fund drives the take-up of renewables

Clydesdale Bank has underlined its commitment to UK corporates by advancing £2.1 billion of new lending to business customers in just six months – a 62 per cent increase on the same period last year.

New funding from the European Social Fund is cutting the price of renewable technology training by up to 70 per cent, encouraging eligible businesses in Hertfordshire to help reduce the county’s carbon footprint.

The scheme has been put in place to encourage related trades people - such as plumbers, electricians and heating engineers - to get into the green energy sector and help reduce the CO2 emissions of the East of England, stimulating the low carbon economy in the region. This fantastic opportunity is available for qualifying courses, including Logic4training’s solar thermal hot water, heat pumps and solar photovoltaics (PV) domestic installer training.

Mark Krull from Logic4training said: “The green energy sector is booming, thanks to CO2 reduction targets and cash-back initiatives from Government encouraging the take-up of renewable technologies. With Feed in Tariffs (FiTs) for electricity generating equipment, such as solar PV, and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) soon to bought in or heat-based systems, including solar thermal, homeowners are eligible to money for renewable energy, payable over a 20 year period and offering a return on investment of up to 12 per cent. The market is out there, what we need now is installers with the correct skills to fit this equipment.”

Consistent support for strong trading businesses, the provision of real choice in the market and a range of business-friendly initiatives have contributed to the Bank remaining firmly on-track to deliver its promise of £10 billion of new lending to UK business and mortgage customers by October 2011. Overall the Bank has advanced £8 billion of new lending in the last 18 months – a strong illustration of the Bank’s commitment to growth.

Business lending has been boosted by the Bank’s Investing for Growth initiative, launched last spring across its 73-strong network of Financial Solutions Centres (FSCs) 20 of which are in the South region including Hertford, St Albans and Watford, and which is designed to help successful businesses grow and develop.

The Investing for Growth support package offers both new and existing business customers a dedicated planning service and a more flexible approach to lending. Loan repayment holidays, interest-only repayments and extended loan and credit facilities are just some of the flexible support options available under the Investing for Growth initiative which also includes a dedicated financial planning service. And earlier this year, the Bank expanded its small business support network with increased high street presence, expanded 24hour telephone and online services, and the appointment of more than 100 small business managers across the UK.

HERTFORDSHIRE COMPANY HONOURED BY SILVER-GILT MEDAL FOR GARDEN BUILT AT WORLD FAMOUS FLOWER SHOW DRIVES THE TAKE-UP OF RENEWABLES Hertfordshire-based landscape contractors Bowles & Wyer Contracts were honoured at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show in May as Judges awarded the Show Garden built by the company a prestigious Silver-Gilt medal.

The Homebase Cornish Memories Garden was built by Bowles & Wyer Contracts at the Chelsea Flower Show for landscape and garden designer Tom Hoblyn. It was one of the 17 major Show Gardens at this year’s Show of which five gardens received a coveted Silver-Gilt medal.

The medal is a huge achievement for Bowles & Wyer Contacts as it was the first time the company had been involved in the leading horticultural event.

The company, who are based near Tring in Hertfordshire, are no strangers to awards having been recognised for their superior craftsmanship and attention to detail on many residential and commercial projects over the years.

Company Director, Dan Riddleston, who led the project and had extensive experience of building medal-winning Chelsea gardens before he joined the company in 2006, believes it was the co-ordination and handling of the build logistics that helped achieve the medal.

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Riddleston said: “It was great to be back at RHS Chelsea and we are thrilled the garden achieved a Silver-Gilt medal. We take great pleasure in working with and realising the ideas of talented garden designers and it is a testimony to the hard work of our staff and suppliers that we have been acknowledged for this.”

Bowles & Wyer Contracts have been working in Herts for over 15 years. They have built many successful residential projects in the region, most recently, a residential garden near Little Missenden and a large country garden in Bledlow Ridge.

NEWS IN BRIEF

TV GARDENER CELEBRATES RE-OPENING OF HISTORIC CONSERVATORY TV gardener Christine Walkden was the guest of honour at the re-opening of the newly restored Victorian Conservatory at Cedars Village in Chorleywood – and she was full of praise for the ‘Cathedral of Glass’.

The One Show’s resident gardening expert and Radio 4’s Gardeners Question Time panellist, revealed she hadn’t seen anything like the retirement village’s two storey Conservatory – which has links with Crystal Palace – outside of famous botanical gardens such as Kew and Edinburgh.

More than 150 residents and invited guests listened as Christine said: “I am delighted to see the commitment that Retirement Villages as an organisation has made to this wonderful Conservatory. The substantial amount of money spent on restoring it is tribute to both its past as a Victorian Glass House and to its future as a place for residents of Cedars Village to enjoy.

It really is a gem to be treasured.”

THE GUILD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HERTS BASED LAW FIRM The Guild of Professional Estate Agents has worked with Q&A Law solicitors since 2005 and they have provided them with an invaluable business support helpline for their members - ensuring that they receive timely and practical guidance on a range of topics including, employment law, health and safety commercial disputes, and commercial law.

The most successful businesses almost always demonstrate a clear and robust commitment to their staff, and have a well-defined HR strategy. The Guild is therefore delighted to partner with Q&A Law in offering its members an enhanced employment law advice service to now cater for all their business needs. This includes a range of services from an online HR service to a fully managed outsourced service for individual Estate Agencies.

A GIANT PIANO TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT RIVERSIDE On Thursday 28 July, Riverside Shopping Centre will be providing a shopping experience with a difference as a Giant Piano will be taking centre stage on the mall.

For those that have seen the film BIG with Tom Hanks and are fans of Strictly Come Dancing, this is a great opportunity to bring back some memories and have a great day out shopping with all the family. It will certainly be a unique and fun way to amuse the children during the summer holidays.

Jump on the giant keys and bring your own musical tune to life.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SPONSORS Two friends from Hemel Hempstead are looking for sponsorship from local companies after undertaking a 365 mile cycle from Stoke Mandeville hospital in Aylesbury to Paris, France in June 2011. The duo, Clive Todd and Lee Snailham are aiming to raise money to help adapt the home of their school friend, Lewis Pluck, who became tetraplegic following a car accident in the winter snow of 2009.

For further information or to donate please go to www.lewispluck.co.uk or Lewis Pluck Fundraising Page on Facebook.

HERTFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS SET THE OLYMPIC STANDARD With 85 per cent of schools registered for the London 2012 education programme, Hertfordshire has a higher proportion of registrations than any another county in the UK. Get Set is the official London 2012 education programme for schools, college and local authority education providers across the UK. The Get Set website offers a huge range of opportunities and resources targeted at 3-19 year olds.

Furthermore, 142 Hertfordshire schools have demonstrated even greater commitment to the Olympic values by applying to become a member of the Get Set Network of schools, which offers further resources, competitions and opportunities.

Network schools in Hertfordshire have been rewarded for their engagement with a free rafting experience for pupils at the Lee Valley White Water Centre as part of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority’s Schools Festival. Some 19 Network schools across Hertfordshire will get the opportunity to ride the rapids at the London 2012 Canoe Slalom venue on Tuesday July 5 as part of a day of educational activities in the Lee Valley Park.

Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners and is the official county partnership helping support LOCOG in the delivery of the London 2012 Games and is working hard to promote the Get Set Network across Hertfordshire, with a target of getting 95 per cent of Hertfordshire schools engaged in the education programme.

A LOOK AT WHAT SOME OF THE HBI FOLLOWERS ARE SAYING ON TWITTER... @hertsroadshow : Who’s up for a bit of speed networking? @Uprint_Printers : Lovely new testimonial added to site from St John’s Ambulance, I love my job! @WhatsinWatford : New Manager Announced! @tentotwo : Love everything digital but falling in love with direct mail again... @CreweNantwich : Vibro Step Weight Loss Machine

As part of this commitment the partnership aims to get one Governor Ambassador from each school to promote Get Set, get their schools signed up and encourage Olympic themed events in their school. So far Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners is really pleased with the interest and the uptake of the scheme by local governors.

www.businessindependent.co.uk

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NEWS

Hertfordshire schools are leading the way when it comes to Get Set registrations for the London 2012 Olympics.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES The HBI caught up with television presenter, stylist and entrepreneur Nicky Hambleton-Jones on her business ventures, goals for the future and juggling her work and personal life.

Nicky, you are famous for wearing some fabulous eyewear on screen. Was this the inspiration behind your NHJ eyewear?

I am associated strongly and recognised for wearing glasses. So this was a strong connection for me to set up the range. It allows people to be experimental with glasses and have the confidence to try something different. It gives people who wear glasses the chance to be creative.

As well as your eyewear range you set up your personal styling consultancy NHJ style. Can you tell us a little more about this?

10 years ago I set up tramp2vamp which was one of the first types of style consultancy. I had been made redundant and saw a life coach who asked me what I had a talent for - I have a good eye and interest in fashion and also a talent in helping others. It was because of this I decided to set up my own style consultancy. It was hard to get off the ground - why would people pay money for a style consultant? But people do. They have no time, need help, or just like to treat themselves.

3 years ago I set up my academy as I wanted to expand my business and couldn’t find the relevant people with experience so I train people and the best then have the opportunity to work for me. I re-branded tramp2vamp to NHJ because I had a couple of brands associated with myself all with different names and no one knew who was behind it.

Therefore there is a direct association with NHJ.

I don’t go to the gym as much as I would like to or see my friends as regularly as I’d like to. I am firm about my priorities, there needs to be time for myself and my son. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be, I thought I would be fine once I had a child but you don’t want to miss out on their childhood. Now I am stricter on the projects I take on.

Do you have any set goals for the rest of the year?

I want to get back on TV so I’m working on a couple of things for that, but my main goal is to keep growing my business. I want to have more fun as I haven’t had much time having had a child. I’d like to get the balance back in my life.

And finally what is your motto?

I tell myself everyday everything happens for a reason and it always works out for the best. I also have another one - if you’re going through hell, keep going and going and going and don’t give up.

You have a long history working with personal styling and make-overs. Who do you think has the best style at the moment?

I think Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) has a great style that looks effortless. It portrays the girl next door with a fun persona and is very tangible. Also the Middleton sisters are brining back the grown up glamour look.

They’re both very prim and proper portraying the English style. They are always groomed and have great tailoring. They have become roles models and influencers within style. Also Dani Minogue and Amanda Holden both look great at the moment with a striking look which isn’t over the top.

Your latest venture is with your anti-ageing advice portal look and feel younger. With ageism a hot topic at the moment, do you think that image is becoming more important now than in previous years?

Definitely. People think it’s not cool to look old. People are judged on that yet it is something that can’t be changed. It’s a combination of being aware of getting older and looking after yourself. No one forces people to do anything, but if you look better then you can keep up with your career and success. If you went for a job and there were two people both with the same experience and qualifications, the one who looks better would get the job. There is a pressure there to look younger but it’s up to you how far you take it. Meryl Streep looks great, natural and fresh and she doesn’t look like she’s had major work done. But, if she didn’t take care of herself she wouldn’t be as successful as she is today. Where as Katie Price did too much too soon and now looks older at a faster rate. You have to find a balance and take care of yourself.

There is definitely more of a female presence in business today but it is an ongoing challenge - until men start having children then it is always going to be an issue! There are more opportunities around for women now in comparison to before. You can be successful and still be a woman there’s no need to play down and look like a bloke, a great example is Karren Brady. There is a lack of about 5 years in a woman’s career, they have a child which holds them back from promotions or get made redundant, children do have an impact, this is just something that we have to accept.

What factors do you find most rewarding as a founder of your own business?

I am a free agent, everyday is different for me. I am in control of my own destiny; I can make as much or little money as I want. I don’t have someone constantly telling me what to do; I like to be in control. I love that I have responsibility over everything and I have the ability to set my own goals.

What qualities do you think are required for the business industry whether it be on TV or online?

Personality. On TV you need to be distinctive and memorable with some humour injected in. You also need to be very thick skinned as it is constantly up and down and can flick at any time. Determination and perseverance is needed, you need to keep going no matter what and have self-belief.

You’re now busy juggling a TV career, a business and being a mum! How do you stay sane and keep on top of everything?

It’s a challenge and it’s not completely mastered. It takes a balance of work and time and it is hard sometimes. It’s exhausting! You get less sleep,

INTERVIEW : NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES

As a woman in business yourself do you think it is important that women get a strong name in business today?

VIP

(VALUING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY)

Intellectual Property (IP) and intangible assets are the driving force behind most successful businesses. Andrew Knight, Head of Commercial Litigation at Taylor Walton solicitors, discusses why business owners need to be paying close attention to the hidden value occurring in many SME businesses.

Most people associate the abbreviation “VIP” with “Very Important Person” – but, the same three letters could also be used to describe an important asset of any business – Valuing Intellectual Property. Few businesses are without Intellectual Property (IP) right of some kind or description while some businesses have an extensive range of IP rights. Just think of some major international companies and you will see that “brand” for people like BP, Smith Kline Glaxo, Tesco, etc. is absolutely critical. However, aside from major corporates or global businesses, IP rights have a place even in the SME and owner-managed business marketplace. For example, a family business that has been established for, say, over 75 years in the metal trading business called ‘Gold Crown Metals Ltd’ with a logo of a gold crown sitting on a sheet of stainless steel as its distinctive logo, certainly would have some Intellectual Property rights to that logo.

The most common Intellectual Property rights that business owners and managers should be seeking to protect are: • Trade marks; • Designs/design rights; • Copyright.

Depending upon the way in which the business or its product is branded, some, or all of these methods of protection can be used to look after and enhance the value of the IP right. The viewers of the BBC entrepreneurial programme “Dragon’s Den” may recall from time to time, the eyes of Theo Paphitis or Peter Jones light up when the budding entrepreneur explains they have a particular IP protection for their design. Those millionaire entrepreneurs fully recognise the value of protecting IP rights.

Valuing an IP right or brand is an art rather than a science. It is primarily a role for accountants to assess the value or worth of an IP right/brand, but lawyers can play a role in ensuring that adequate or satisfactory protection exists so that the business’s IP rights are secure.

When IP rights are infringed the Court is prepared to award damages on the basis of the infringement. The two most common forms of measure of damages are either: • an account of profits made by the infringer of the right, or • the payment of a royalty rate by the infringer to the holder of the IP right that has been infringed.

Disputes like this often require expert accountancy evidence to value the right and to provide a value or assessment on the correct measure of loss. Not only will valuing such a brand or right involve a calculation of how many sales were made by the infringer, the profit on those sales and, therefore, the profit which the holder of the IP rights has lost, but more complex areas such as damage to reputation and goodwill would need to be considered. Sometimes finding the appropriate expert accountant for that exercise is something that we can assist in.

If there is any threat to infringement of the right the value of the IP right or brand will be enhanced if swift and effective action is taken. In these circumstances it is important to act quickly with the appropriate legal team to ensure that any infringing activity is kept to a minimum. A potential infringer can be quickly warned off or dealt with by way of appropriate Court Orders and the business sends a clear message to its marketplace that infringing activities will not be tolerated.

If you have any concerns about whether your business has rights that could or should be protected, want to know more about how to undertake preventative or enforcement measures to prevent infringement or potential infringement, or would like more information about valuing an IP right or brand, then Taylor Walton’s Commercial Litigation team will be happy to assist you.

Andrew Knight is Head of Commercial Litigation at Taylor Walton LLP, which has offices in Luton, Harpenden and St Albans and provides effective legal solutions to businesses and individuals across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and the South East. Andrew can be contacted on 01582 731161 or email andrew.knight@taylorwalton.co.uk

COOKIES

BY GILLIAN HARDING

The law on the use of cookies changed on the 26 May 2011. The Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO) enforces breaches of the law. It won’t take enforcement action before 26 May 2012 but businesses must be able to show that they’re taking steps to comply if they receive a complaint before then. You now need explicit consent from users to your use of cookies in most cases - an opt out system is no longer enough. The ICO has issued guidelines on what steps you must take to comply.

Next, you must decide how you will obtain users’ consent. The more intrusive your cookies are, the further you must go to ensure that you get ‘meaningful consent’ but where cookies are ‘strictly necessary’ (a narrow exception which applies to cookies necessary for check-outs), consent isn’t needed. There are a considerable number of legal, technical and practical variables involved but the key is to draw users’ attention to the changes and get meaningful consent.

You can’t rely on a user’s browser settings to indicate consent. This may change in future because the Government is working with browser providers to develop new privacy settings which would be enough to signal a user’s consent to the use of cookies. We’re in a holding pattern on that front. Whilst waiting to see what will happen, we would recommend that you start your audit and assess your use of cookies. Once you’ve finished, you can see whether the Government’s made any progress. If not, we have to recommend that you leave plenty of time to deal with the problem for yourself before May 2012. If you are going to need outside technical help making changes, you won’t be the only one so we would recommend taking advice from your web developer as soon as possible about suggested solutions. After all, if browser

WE TAKE IT PERSONALLY

“

You must audit your use of cookies, i.e. check what types you use and how you use them, and then assess how intrusive your use of cookies is

“

You must audit your use of cookies, i.e. check what types you use and how you use them, and then assess how intrusive your use of cookies is. The Regulations are intended to increase privacy protection so the ICO expects businesses to prioritise compliance where cookies are more intrusive i.e. which involve creating detailed profiles of the user’s browsing activity.

providers don’t come up with a suitable solution by May 2012, they won’t be the ones breaching the law.

Gillian Harding is based at HRJ’s Hictchin Office 01462 628888

www.employmentlawandhr.co.uk

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LEGAL

Tel: 01462 628888

THE BRIBERY ACT A POTENTIAL THREAT TO SMEs

The UKBA, UK Business Advisors, is a combined group of over 90 independent business advisors working as a network of Business Advisor Groups covering the length and breadth of the UK. Individually accredited by the Institute for Independent Business, each advisor has the benefit of hands on experience of running their own businesses.

Advisors work with managing directors and owners of independent businesses of all types and industries, to help them address their ongoing problems and realise their business aspirations. They offer practical “sleeves rolled up” support and are at their best getting stuck into business problems and opportunities.

UKBA is divided into a number of geographic and specialist expertise groups to provide tailored business help to individual local regions. Here, they describe the implications of the Bribery Act on SMEs which came into force in April this year.

Ignoring the implications of the Bribery Act, which has now come into force, could have major consequences for SMEs. Companies need to adopt a robust policy to ensure that bribery does not take place, as doing nothing can mean jail for the directors concerned.

In business there has always been legislation that could result in fines for doing nothing. Health and Safety legislation tightened the grip and transgression could result in a prison sentence if found guilty of wilful negligence.

The Bribery Act 2010 received Royal Assent on the 8 April 2010 and became law on the 1 April 2011, now extending the threat of jail for doing nothing even further as failure to prevent bribery is also an offence under the act.

A quick visit to the government website confirms the potential threat to companies if they fail to consider the gravity of the situation.

For example, a commercial organisation could be found guilty of an offence under this act if a person associated with the company bribes another person intending to obtain or retain business for the firm, or to obtain or retain an advantage in the conduct of business for the company.

So in essence, the company may be guilty of an offence even if the directors were unaware of the bribery taking place. However, the law stipulates that it is a defence for the company if they can prove that they had in place adequate procedures designed to prevent associated persons from undertaking such conduct.

• • • • •

The key areas to cover against are: Bribing another person Taking a Bribe Bribery of foreign public officials Failure to prevent bribery

Not only does the individual risk receiving a custodial sentence with all that that entails; the company may end up with fines far outweighing any profit on the transaction, and sanctions may be taken against the company losing “preferred bidder” status or being blacklisted altogether. Would you deal with a company that allowed a culture of bribery to persist?

The UKBA team is able to assess the vulnerability of SMEs and can advise on the relevant processes to put in place to ensure that each company has a robust ‘anti-bribery’ policy to ensure it is adequately covered. It is better to take advice from the outset than risk falling foul of the law further down the line.

Mike Kilroy is a business and finance specialist within NGBA, the North West region of the UKBA network. For full details visit the UKBA website www.ukba.co.uk.

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YOU CAN SUCCEED WITHOUT A DEGREE! BY SIMON DOLAN

Simon was kicked out of school without any qualifications or direction of a career.

He started receiving small jobs until he worked on a cheese and fish market stall where he learnt from his elder and aspired to work and earn like him.

University is not always the best option in all cases, not all individuals are catered for by university and going doesn’t automatically mean you become successful or earn substantial amounts of money. Simon explains the ins and outs of getting a job without a degree and being an entrepreneur.

In all businesses of any size or kind, success doesn’t grow over night with no input. Simon explains that he has found that duplicating yourself, your business, your staff and implanting your motivation and passion into these people builds a larger business, and therefore more growth and ability to explore more directions. Having staff allows you to focus on bigger things and gain new clients and business. Even though this may seem easy, he reminds us “don’t expect too much too soon”, allow time for your ideas and organisation to grow.

When coming across barriers and negatives don’t dwell on them, try turning them into a positive. A great example that he gives of this is McDonalds when the film ‘Super Size Me’ (2004) showed what the health implications would be when eating lots of the fast food. McDonalds then swung this around and started to introduce fruit bags, carrot sticks and organic milk with their meals and well as a range of other products.

Although there are many successful people with a degree out there, there are just as many without one, for instance Sir Richard Branson who is now one of the 5 richest men in the country. He was desperate to leave school and eventually did at the age of 16 with one O level. He also had mild dyslexia but this didn’t hold him back from being successful.

After this he went straight into business by starting a student magazine, before going on to buying cut out records and selling them to record shops. He eventually opened a record store in West London with a friend in his early 20s. They then went onto to opening more which is what Simon explains in his book as duplicating, after this expanded onto setting up a record label which was later sold on.

Choosing what venture to go into is tricky as you want one that will represent yourself, be interested and passionate about as well as being profitable. If you don’t got to university it’s not the end of the world as there are skills and experiences you may not learn.

They may teach you the skills you need but may not necessarily help you put them into practice.

This book will give you assistance on how to run your business and market you and your venture for free as well as giving you a master class of what to do once your business is up and running and bringing in revenue. It’s a great read for adults who are concerned about their childrens’ futures as there is a chapter especially for ‘advice to parents’. What path to lead them in and revaluate what they are being taught.

Although it gives you tips and walkthroughs on being an entrepreneur and making it in life without having a degree, he adds humour and snippets of a life biography which make it a great read. Whether you need motivation, boost or a direction in life and you may or may not have a degree but ‘How To Make Millions Without A Degree’ will definitely put you on the right path.

EDUCATION & TRAINING MONEY

Make millions without a degree, impossible right? Simon Dolan the author of ‘How To Make Millions Without A Degree And How To Get By Even If You Have One’ educates us on his how he made his fortune and how we can make it ourselves, even if we haven’t been to university.

SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE NHC Support Young People is a new campaign designed to help young people gain the work skills needed for successful employment.

With UK youth unemployment nearing one million and an ageing population, it is vital that we channel the potential of our young generation effectively.

Employers in Hertfordshire can play a major role by giving people in this vast talent pool a flying start.

North Hertfordshire College is committed to giving students practical work and career experience within their learning curriculum. The aim is to create enterprise and provide skilled labour: to produce students who can enter the workplace with confidence and the skills to start a business or add real value to existing organisations.

Employers of every size and sector can be involved with: work placements, research or projects, apprenticeships, careers advice, mentoring, setting up a student-run business. In return, enterprises will benefit from the fresh ideas, energy and enthusiasm that the students bring.

The NHC Support Young People campaign is gaining fast. Here are some examples of the support already being given.

SHINE

Steve Deverick, owner of Euroshine, set up the joint venture ‘Shine’ at the college’s Hitchin Centre. This successful car wash and valeting business is managed by students, including people with learning difficulties who gain employability and independent living skills as part of their course. Shine has now expanded into Stevenage with a new facility serving Hertfordshire County Council staff at Farnham House.

www.shine.nhc.co.uk

BROADWAY HOTEL, LETCHWORTH

NHC students were given the opportunity to take over running this busy town centre hotel for two days, after ‘shadowing’ the professionals for a day. The students impressed the regular staff with their commitment and positive attitude. The group has now introduced an on going apprenticeship programme with NHC.

www.broadway.co.uk

14

HERTFORDSHIRE CONSTABULARY

NHC is working with the constabulary in a pioneering initiative involving a rolling one-year apprenticeship scheme. The key objective is to provide young people with their first job, and to gain rewarding and challenging real-time work experience. One outstanding apprentice has already won a full-time appointment.

WELDABILITY

Letchworth-based Weldability Sif is helping establish a dedicated welding classroom and workshop at NHC’s Stevenage Skills Centre. The initiative will provide students seeking careers as professional welders with the basic skills needed to progress to a full Apprenticeship programme for this specialised and well-paid occupation.

www.weldabilit-sif.com

CHURCH FARM, ARDELEY

NHC is sponsoring a new award at the annual Hertfordshire Business Awards, ‘Supporting Young People’ to recognise the commitment to given help young people in education into employment. All participating employers will be nominated for the award. Their story and logo will also be featured on the campaign website: www.supportyoungpeople.nhc.ac.uk.

Sign up to the NHC Employer Pledge and help young people achieve the success they deserve.

T: 01462 650246

E: business@nhc.ac.uk www.supportyoungpeople.nhc.ac.uk

EDUCATION & TRAINING

This organic working mixed farm is also a ‘care farm’ and gives people with severe learning difficulties the opportunity to gain new skills and to make friends as a team member or ‘co-farmer’. The farm has been in partnership with NHC since 2009 and provides special opportunities that are highly personalised to each individual’s needs.

AWARD WIN FOR ST MICHAELS MANOR Here at The HBI we like to support the development of students and education. Whilst doing a stint of work experience with us, Megan Davies wrote this great piece.

St Michaels Manor, St Albans, was recently awarded the ‘Best Independent Hotel Employer Award’ 2011, which is organised by hospitality recruitment specialist Caterer.com. This was a fantastic start to General Manager Richard Marretts’ time at the Hotel as he only joined the team at the end of March 2011.

Richard was happy to speak about the award, and it was clear that he was extremely proud of the achievement; I asked him what measures he felt had been put in place by Management at St Michaels Manor to ensure the Hotel stood out against tough competition - such as The Ritz London - to gain the award: “We look after our staff, they are the forefront of the business; they are given a smart uniform and fantastic food in the staff canteen on every shift.

We arrange trips out for the staff and there are various incentive schemes such as the employee of the month award, where the winner is given £150 as recognition of their hard work over the month. We have a few long term staff members – which says a lot about the quality at which the staff are treated at St Michaels Manor.”

Richard also said that there were regular staff meetings which ensured everyone was on the same page and knew what was happening and when. These meetings also gave staff the opportunity to make suggestions, actively demonstrating how each member of staff is valued and able to input if they so wished.

Before joining St Michaels Manor as General Manager, Richard had spent 10 years at a 5* hotel in Central London working his way up to senior assistant manager from the very bottom positions: “I know what every job entails and this puts me in a good position when relating to the Staff at each level.”

The winning of this award really does prove that businesses with a high quality approach to staff treatment can rise above the rest to gain the recognition they deserve.

St ALBANS SCHOOL HMC Day School 820 pupils Headmaster: Andrew Grant MA ENTRY FOR BOYS at 11 and 13 ENTRY FOR BOYS and GIRLS at 16+

the first School in Hertfordshire

• 89% A and B at A level • 82% A* and A at GCSE • Coach services at 4pm and 6pm • Finest games facilities in the county • Extensive extra-curricular activities • Bursaries and Scholarships (up to 100%) awarded at each entry level Open Mornings 17 September, 8 October, 12 November and 3rd December 16+ Evening 1 November Contact the Admissions Officer for details

NON

NOBIS

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Admissions Officer, St Albans School, Abbey Gateway, St Albans, Herts AL3 4HB Telephone : 01727 855521 email: admissions@st-albans.herts.sch.uk www.st-albans.herts.sch.uk

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL: P18 : CIPD Foreword: We hear from the CIPD on issues affecting Personal Development P19 : Sally Hindmarch: an interview with the founder of The Lemon Club, based in Rickmansworth P20 : A-Z of Personal Development: The HBI explores the best ways business owners can boost their professional CVs P22 : Permission to be Human: TeeJay Dowe reveals why its ok to make mistakes and how to grow in your career by accepting you aren’t perfect P23 : Why Business Owners Need a Mentor: Judith Germain reveals why all good business owners should have a mentor

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

P24 : Learning Never Stops – We profile two people from Scripture Union who are still adding to their career portfolio by volunteering their business expertise to charity post retirement.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE UK WHAT ARE THE CURRENT ISSUES? The HBI, with a little help from The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), investigate the current issues with Personal Development.

ISSUES AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORK FORCE ISSUE: Older people are being neglected when it comes to training and performance Recently the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development released a new survey indicating older workers are often neglected when it comes to training and performance management.

A survey carried out by The Employee Outlook on the focus on an ageing workforce of 2,000 people, found that 44 per cent of employees aged 65 and above have not had a formal performance appraisal in the last two years or ever.

From October, employers will no longer be able to ask their employees to retire at a certain age, except in certain limited circumstances. This will mean employers will need to ensure their performance management systems and practices focus as much on older workers as the rest of the workforce.

“The removal of the DRA (Default Retirement Age) will rightfully put a stop to lazy management of older workers, with employers forced to maximise the talents of an ageing workforce. The failure to address the poor performance of older workers may also pave the way for discrimination claims,” said Dianah Worman, diversity adviser at the CIPD.

PUBLIC SECTOR CUTBACKS NOT ALLOWING GROWTH OR REWARDING EMPLOYEES ISSUE: In recent years employers have frozen pay, reduced benefits and bonuses.

In 2011, just under two thirds of employers have planned to increase the base pay by a quarter or they’ve planned to freeze pay findings from the CIPD annual Reward Survey. With less disposable money going to organisations, growth decreases as progress and performance is often linked to money. Though there are less financial rewards, one in three organisations operates a non-monetary recognition awards system for clerical and manual employees.

Charles Cotton, performance and reward adviser at CIPD, said: “In the context of public sector spending cuts and cautious economic growth in parts of the private sector, it’s not surprising that not all organisations have been in a position to make a pay award this year.”

With financial rewards being cut in organisations, many employees have turned to company pension schemes. Matt Waller, CEO of Benefex says: “With the backdrop of longer working lives and the need for employees to build up larger savings for retirement, it’s not surprising to see so many employers now embracing the removal of the default retirement age and

an acceptance that employees should be allowed to do the job as long as they are capable.”

TECHNICAL POSITIONS HARDER TO FILL DUE TO LACK OF SKILLS ISSUE: Many employers are finding it a struggle to find the right candidates for jobs, the quantity of people are just not the ones that are suitable with the necessary skills, with threequarters of businesses finding recruitment difficulties.

Considering this is more than half the employers surveyed by the CIPD, they believe that competition for talent is greater than in previous years.

The main reason for this struggle is the lack of necessary specialist or technical skills, with managerial and professional positions the hardest to fill.

Julie Waddicor, managing director of Hays Human Resources says that it is important we pay attention to the younger generation: “It’s crucial for organisations to communicate not only what skills they need now and in the future but also really sell themselves as an employer of choice in order to secure their talent pipeline in years to come.”

Claire McCartney, resourcing and talent planning adviser at CIPD says: “High levels of unemployment have boosted quantity, but employers are still struggling with quality.

Headlines focus on high levels of unemployment, but those stark statistics mask an ongoing struggle for employers to find the skills and experience they need to drive their businesses forward.”

LEGISLATION COMPLEXITY EMPLOYMENT LAWS ISSUE: Laws and legislations are changing and new ones constantly being implemented.

Businesses often find it a struggle to keep up with the developments and knowing and understanding the changes to employment laws to allow them to grow and thrive.

Mike Emmott, Employee Relations Adviser, CIPD, and chair of the ‘ask the expert’ surgery on the Bribery Act, says: “This year has seen a number of significant changes to employment law and continues to be a period of great economic change. Organisations large or small can’t afford to waste unnecessary time and money on trying to decipher these complex developments.”

To help organisations of any industry and size, the CIPD hold an Employment Law Conference each year.

For more information please visit: www.cipd.co.uk

THE LEMON CLUB The Lemon Club delivers high-quality, low-cost training - and it’s all online, keeping costs low and making it available 24 hours a day. It’s designed for people running their own business, newly promoted or looking for a new job, and can be used by companies to improve team performance. The Lemon Club focuses on essential communication skills, especially presenting, selling and networking - everything you need to be more confident and more successful. The HBI caught up with the founder, Sally Hindmarch, who is based in Rickmansworth.

What was the inspiration behind The Lemon Club?

We wanted to provide training for people who can’t afford the money or time to travel to workshops. We could also see that the next generation of managers were starting to go online for answers first before looking anywhere else.

So the seeds for The Lemon Club were planted and the idea became an online personal development programme created by a portfolio of experts to deliver training that could be done anywhere, at any time.

What does The Lemon Club provide for its trainees and how can they benefit?

We focus on essential communication skills, especially presenting, selling and networking – everything needed to be more confident and more successful. It’s for people running a business, newly promoted or looking for a new job, and can be used to improve company performance.

Do you think online training/development is the next step for organisations?

Online training makes a great deal of sense because it saves both time and money. Online delivery is more cost-effective, and is easily updated or even changed to meet the exact needs of an organisation. Learners can train at their own pace and in their own time, either at work or home.

As technology becomes even more sophisticated, virtual workshops and training sessions will also be more commonplace, removing the need to travel to attend an event – that’s something we look forward to introducing!

Do you think The Lemon Club will be successful and reign over your competitors?

You need a great idea – one that fills a gap in the market or that you can deliver in a significantly better way – plus creativity, tenacity and nerves of steel. Most of all you need passion, commitment and drive – without those, you won’t get anywhere.

Can you see The Lemon Club in the future expanding its training to others in any position?

The current programme focuses on communication skills to help with confidence, and especially in selling, presenting and networking.

Expect future plans to include more in-depth programmes on our core topics, such as selling and presenting, as well as new programmes such as marketing and writing for business. We will also be packaging our training to help specific groups of people, such as school leavers and people starting their own business.

If you could do it over again would you change anything you’ve done?

You can always do things better and you should always learn from mistakes.

We could have benefited from having different programmes in

“

What do you find most rewarding in training others?

The feedback! Genuinely hearing that someone has learnt something brand new or gone out and successfully used one of the techniques they learnt through The Lemon Club is really rewarding.

Are there any community projects that The Lemon Club are currently working on or have planned for the near future?

Not in the physical sense but we have launched an online community on LinkedIn that anyone can join, whether they’re a member of The Lemon Club or not. It’s designed to provoke discussion about communications topics, share knowledge and offer exclusive promotions to members.

Online personal development is growing at a pace; can you see a boost in the near future?

It will continue to grow apace as long as people have limited time and money, which is just how we live in the 21st century. Online personal development can be delivered very cost-effectively, can be updated easily and regularly to ensure it’s current, and can be accessed whenever you want – there are no time constraints. It is definitely the future of training and personal development.

Online training makes a great deal of sense because it saves both time and money. Online delivery is more cost-effective, and is easily updated or even changed to meet the exact needs of an organisation.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

What advice would you give to others thinking of starting new ventures in the current climate?

place from the start but we wanted to listen to our customers and our content providers, and ensure that we tailor training to what people want and need – not what we think they need!

“

The Lemon Club is a leader – it’s one of the first online training programmes open to anyone and provides essential “soft skills” that work for a range of people, from sole traders to corporates. It’s a great resource that supports people in their work and at home, in everything they do.

A-Z OF PERSONAL DEVELOP THE HBI EXPLORES THE BEST WAYS BUSINESS OWNERS CAN BOOST THEIR PROFESSIONAL CVs

A B C DE F G H

AWARENESS

Be aware of yourself - do you negative self-talk or criticize others? Try and observe your habits/way of work and others reactions.

Through awareness of you we can learn and better ourselves push yourself to new limits and potentially achieve more.

BRAND

You yourself are a brand. Make it clear what your brand offers and the experience and image one can gain with yourself.

You can establish your brand online by doing things like blogging. This can show others what they can expect and gain from your brand.

CV

Your Curriculum Vitae only allows you a couple of sheets of A4 where you have to sell yourself and make your CV stand out from the rest. Doing things such as volunteering and being more creative in the way in which you’ve written your CV and the layout can bring attention to your CV.

DEVELOPMENT

Development is consistent throughout your life so always look out for new opportunities to brush up on skills or training.

ENJOY

If you enjoy learning and developing yourself further, this will motivate you even when we are tired or feeling despairing.

FEEDBACK

Gaining feedback from employees and employers is great. They can point out weaknesses that you yourself may have not have noticed, thus helping you to improve.

GOALS Set yourself goals whether small or big, short or long term. The sense of achieving a goal gives your morale a boost.

HONESTY

Always be honest and don’t lie. If you do you’ll most probably be found out. Employers and clients need to gain trust with you and if you’re honest this is more likely to happen faster and be of a greater benefit.

I

INSPIRATIONAL “If you’ve ever had the misfortune of sitting through an annual conference of uninspired speakers reading with their heads buried in their notes, you’ll know what a killer lack of inspirational leadership can be for morale. Ensure you have the skills and behaviours for the position of influence you find yourself in.

If you can’t make speeches fun, engaging and inspirational, get to work on it right now”.

Phil Parker, expert in NLP and Peak Performance coaching.

LISTEN

L

Listen to the staff: In order to motivate staff, employers need to be aware of the troubles and desires of their employees in order to respond to these. This can be done in company meetings when staff are allowed to voice their grievances, by using an anonymous survey or by simply having a feedback box.

20

PMENT

MOTIVATION

M N

“Sometimes to stay motivated, we have to keep refreshing our goals and identities – to make sure they are growing with us. So you might ask yourself: in what way has my life/ work/ identity got too small?

What does make me curious or excited right now?”

Then re-align yourself around what’s emerging – and have the courage to let go of the dying habits, roles and identities.” Elle Harrison Leadership Coach & author of “Wild Courage: A Journey of Transformation for You & Your Business.”

NETWORKING

Growing your base of contacts can never end or be too big, anyone can be of use. Others may be impressed with who you know to an extent as it may of an advantage to others.

P R S T

O

OPEN YOUR EYES

Widen your horizon, do things that you wouldn’t normally do or take up chances that are different to your usual. Explore and do different things. Try and think from all different types of perspectives - you’ll end up learning and understand how others may see situations.

PEAK PERFORMANCE

“Being at your best, anywhere no matter what the situation. You have plenty of talents, that’s why you are successful, but there may be some areas where you or your top team don’t perform at your best. Performance in these stuck areas can be easily influenced with great training, making you and your team top fight players”. www.p4training.com bespoke training programs that fits you and your business needs.

RESOURCES

There are millions of resources to help develop you, from online courses to small seminars. Make use of all resources that are available - it could just be brushing up on skills you currently have or learning new content.

SURRENDER

“To the bigger picture. Ask yourself: What drew me into this project or job?

Why does it matter – really? Who will benefit? When we anchor our contribution in a bigger story, we gain a deeper sense of purpose and meaning – and that motivate us even when we are feeling tired or lazy or despairing.”

Elle Harrison

TRAINING

U

UNDERSTAND

Understanding others “Employers should be aware that different employees will be motIvated by different things. Whilst the older workforce might place childcare vouchers high on their wish lists, younger members of staff may well respond better to subsidised gym memberships company nights out or retail vouchers.

Understanding these differences is central to successfully motivating staff.”

Sodexo motivation solutions MD Iain McMathis a leading expert in motivation.

VISUALISE

Visualise creatively where you see yourself in the future and what you have achieved. Create clear images of something you want to do. This will help you think positively until your objective becomes reality.

www.businessindependent.co.uk

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

“If you run a successful business already you won’t need to know how to be better at powerpoints, nor do your staff need to learn how to make a raft out of cornflakes!

However as your business grows you may need to suddenly learn how to be confident in front of the world’s media, or need your team to communicate effectively with demanding politicians, clients, staff or unions.” Phil Parker- P4 training

IT’S OK TO MAKE MISTAKES TeeJay Dowe , founder of life coaching consultancy Momentum People, explains why your business can grow even if you make mistakes and how striving for perfection can actually be detrimental to your career.

Whether we are working for ourselves in business or for someone else in theirs, what motivates us throughout our careers often boils down to one of two things. The pleasure of being the best, successful and significant OR the fear of failing, not being worthy, not being good enough. Hey! I’ve been there and done that on more than one occasion and put myself under the most incredible pressure as a result. For me, what drove my previous career in pharmacy was most definitely a massive need to feel good enough and be recognised for my achievements.

Why? I guess they would call it ‘middle child syndrome’ now to give it a label, never quite comparing to the older, sensible, intelligent, ‘do no wrong’ big brother; couldn’t compete for attention with a little brother who came along unexpectedly, ‘gift from God’. So at four years old in my attempt to give a meaning to the pain I felt I decided that perhaps I wasn’t good enough and so I had to be replaced! I know it’s ridiculous but I was only four years old!

I began my life in pharmacy as a student pharmacy technician because even though I got 10 O-Levels, I didn‘t have confidence in my own ability to do A-levels so took the easy way out in to a job I was interested in and lucky enough to be offered. Some of my peers and perhaps my parents saw that as a mistake; they knew I could do better than that, but for me I needed to make a series of choices before I could know. I loved the work I was doing and the learning that went with it as I continued my education through college from City & Guilds to BTEC then onto my HNC. It sounds all very rosy but the reality was very different.

My loving the job went hand in hand with having to prove I was good enough to a boss that took a disliking to me early on in the career. My mistake? To be a little unconventional in my dress and too stubborn to change just because she didn’t like it! Although she made my life a misery as often as she could in the 8 years I spent in hospital pharmacy, I absolutely know that I would not have the courage, determination and standards that I have today without those battles. When I got my promotions I knew that I had earned them and they really meant something to me.

That determination (which also might be described by some as stubbornness!) and the feeling of winning/succeeding became addictive and my next mistake if you like was to use work as my ‘Great Escape’, somewhere

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Now as I run my own successful company I get the gift of no longer striving to be perfect, I get to give myself permission to be human and love every minute of being the best me I can be

I could shine, feel worthy, noticed as long as I could keep achieving and it compensated for the mistakes I was making in my personal life which were pretty rubbish actually.

I got the gift of going to university to do my degree despite having no Alevels and having the responsibility of being a single parent. Even though it was tough I got through and after that my career blossomed…and the rest of my life fell apart! Another mistake? The more perfect I attempted to be at work, the worse my home life got. And of course, the more perfect I attempted to be at work, the more I realised I wasn’t there yet, the more pressure I put myself under, the less I enjoyed what I was doing.

Then one day it all fell apart and left me to pick up the pieces and I got to realise that my ‘mistakes’ were actually gifts that had forced me to stretch, learn, adapt, grow, find resources that I didn’t know I had. I got to celebrate that when I made mistakes other people got to see that I am human like them after all and they appreciated not having to live up to an unrealistic view of me. I began to connect with people in a whole different way that actually progressed my career faster rather than hold it back.

Most importantly though I removed the label of ‘perfectionist’ and the pressure that went with it and replaced it with ‘good enough’ and the standard of excellence and enjoyed the peacefulness of that. Now as I run my own successful company I get the gift of no longer striving to be perfect, I get to give myself permission to be human and love every minute of being the best me I can be. The mistakes are just gifts to propel you forward as long as you choose to get the lesson, get the blessing and move on rather than live in the pain of beating yourself up about it. Go on, be kind to yourself, give yourself permission to be human and enjoy the freedom and success it brings.

TeeJay Dowe is founder of Momentum People, a life coaching consultancy.

She is a qualified coach in Business Performance and Life Coaching and has Diplomas in both areas. Trained as a Master Neurostrategist she is certified as a Master NLP Practitioner, Time Line™ Therapist and Master Hypnotherapist and as a NLP Trainer. She is truly passionate about supporting people to uncover their gifts and purpose, empowering them to live an even more fulfilling life.

WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A MENTOR BY JUDITH GERMAIN In my opinion, business leaders are extremely brave people. After years of establishing expertise in one or two key functional areas or industries; they take up a role in which they are expected to be able to understand and master all the different aspects of the business! To ensure that they deliver what is expected of them, productive leaders must ensure the successful marriage of their own management and leadership skills. As a result, they often hire the services of an external mentor.

Coaching vs Mentoring

A more successful and sustainable company

Coaching begins with the premise that the answers are within the person being coached. The coach’s role is to help the individual understand that and via the use of encouraging and questioning techniques, helps elicit the solution. A coach is non-directional and never provides advice.

By contrast a mentor is an expert who provides guidance and advice within a more developmental relationship. Mentoring requires flexibility of the mentor and their ability to use a wide range of techniques to guide the mentee.

Numerous research studies show that how a company is led is what makes the difference between successful and sustainable companies and failures. External mentors have the unique ability to assist the leader and at times the leadership team in taking a more objective and strategic approach. They enable employee development, clarity of thinking and enhanced communication skills and team dynamics.

The benefits of Mentoring Having the ability to confide in someone outside of the company.

It can be lonely at the top especially if there isn’t someone trustworthy to confide in. They face many important strategic decisions and to confide that they are uncertain can signal a vulnerability that may weaken their position, and cause doubt in their subordinates. This can be disastrous especially in times when the company is going through major change such as a merger or acquisition, downsizing, a strategic re direction or restructure.

Having an objective sounding board Often a productive and efficient leader wishes to try out or test new ideas prior to sharing them with their fellow Board members. This enables them to ensure that new ideas are fully assessed and are in sufficient shape prior to the scrutiny that they will receive from the Board.

By working with a mentor they are able to role play the likely resistance that they may receive and therefore be more prepared when it comes to discussing their ideas. They can ensure that they are taking an objective stance rather than an emotional one and are being as strategic or operational in outlook as the situation requires.

Does mentoring always work?

There are only two main reasons why mentoring doesn’t work. If there is a bad fit between the mentor and mentee or if the leader is not ready to be open and honest with his mentor and be willing to move out of his comfort zone.

Mentoring is often much more beneficial to business leaders than traditional coaching practices as it provides senior management with an external sounding bound, someone who can practically assess and advise on the problematic issues within the organisation as a whole, and will not just sit back and wait for the answers to ‘come from within’. Mentoring works when the mentee understands the needs to be challenged and to continue his personal development to realise his achievements and to ensure the likelihood of his company’s success.

Judith Germain is managing director at Dynamic Transitions. www.developing-leadership.com

The best mentors work across industries therefore easily transferring best practice from one industry to the next. This enables the leader to remain fresh and able to more closely identify emerging trends within their own area, through more objective thinking.

The leader broadens their horizons and experience by working with an external mentor. One way of achieving this is by leveraging the knowledge of the mentor and being able to challenge what is perceived as the only effective way to get something done.

Continuous leadership development Once an executive assumes more of a leadership role, it is often assumed that they no longer need any further development. This can be a flawed assumption especially when contemplating the role and responsibilities that they face, often in a challenging and competitive environment. An external mentor ensures that the leader remains challenged, motivated and constantly learning/developing. This enables the company to reap the benefit of a leader continuously challenging their own assumptions, someone with a clear strategic focus and who can expertly marry the need to demonstrate clear leadership, efficient management and effective communication.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Staying ahead of the game by receiving knowledge from other industries

LEARNING NEVER STOPS This month, we profile two people from Scripture Union, Keith Civval and David Latter, who are still adding to their career portfolio by volunteering their business expertise to charity post retirement. They explain how retirement doesn’t mean you need to stop expanding your knowledge.

KEITH CIVVAL

DAVID LATTER

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David is more than happy to offer his time, about a day a week, free of charge; he has spent 35 years taking knowledge and experience from a working environment, now he is focussed on giving something back.

Scripture Union depends on voluntary donations and sales of resources to maintain its mission activity, so utilising a human resource without cost is beneficial to the organisation. This is a win/win situation as David’s consultancy provides Scripture Union with extra management resource and he continues to develop skills, even in retirement. It works for both parties as long as the requirement can be defined and the volunteer delivers, just like a salaried position.

Keith’s professional life was formed in the City of London. After 23 years working in the highly competitive financial services industry, he had gained considerable experience and expertise in a wide range of sales, marketing and business management skills.

“It was, I felt, a privilege to have learned so much and I wanted to share that experience with organisations that could not afford the salaries commanded in the commercial world,” he says. It was this desire to give something back to the community that led him to Scripture Union.

For nine years he was employed as the Chief Executive of Scripture Union, a leading national charity supporting churches in their work with children and young people, and equipping individuals to read and learn from the Bible.

Keith says it was a challenge to apply the business principles and disciplines developed in a large-scale commercial environment into a small-scale notfor-profit context – but a very worthwhile one.

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It was, I felt, a privilege to have learned so much and I wanted to share that experience with organisations that could not afford the salaries commanded in the commercial world.

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David has lived in Hertfordshire for over 40 years. For the first 30 years he was employed by a large blue-chip company, the first third as a trainee scientist developing analytical techniques, the second third as a Human Resources professional developing people skills, and the last third as a customer facing IT support manager, mixing the two previous skills sets. Taking voluntary redundancy and the advice of a life coach, he moved into the Christian charity sector, employed as a development manager for mission for Scripture Union. Four years on saw the need to retire early to support his family, but offering time on a voluntary basis to Scripture Union. There are Scripture Union movements in over 100 countries across the world, involved in voluntary activity with churches and individuals and influencing thousands of lives and increasing the spread of its ministry.

Voluntary work started in the area of the employed work that David had been involved in, but has developed into management consultancy support in the area of Human Resources. He is more than happy to offer his time, about a day a week, free of charge; he has spent 35 years taking knowledge and experience from a working environment, now he is focussed on giving something back. Working alongside paid employees as a volunteer requires a special relationship; it may not work everywhere, but in an organisation that values volunteers in its mission ministry, having volunteers working in the head office function is reinforcing the ethos of the organisation.

“Scripture Union has a staff team of under a hundred people - but some thousands of volunteers work in schools, run holidays and other events, and much more” he says. “Volunteers need to be recruited, managed and developed every bit as much as paid staff, but the opportunities to do so are very much more limited and more challenging.”

Since standing down as Chief Executive, Keith has had the opportunity to continue his involvement with Scripture Union, now as a volunteer. Together with his wife, he leads a Scripture Union primary-age residential summer holiday for 46 children.

“The holiday only lasts for six days but the planning and preparation takes the whole year!” he says.

He has also been appointed as Chair of the trustees who have the legal responsibility for the charity. “This has provided me with a further means of re-investing the experience and expertise I gained in the commercial world into the voluntary sector,” says Keith. “There are seven other trustees, all of whom bring their particular skill-set to bear on the challenges facing the organisation and provide what amounts to a very valuable consultancy – for free.”

“By volunteering with Scripture Union I am able to make a small, but I hope significant, contribution to the organisation as it seeks to grow its work in a constrained financial environment.”

STAY MOTIVATED! As July marks National Motivation Day and the start of the British Summer, here at The HBI we sourced some tips from some experts on how we can stay motivated throughout the summer and keep business at its peak.

ANTONIA MARICONDA Owner of mlmmedia.co.uk and www.thecosmediccoach.com

‘Think of the buzz you get when people say, “wow you look great, have you been on holiday?” “Have you lost weight?” “You look amazing!”

Think of the warm inner glow of feeling good about yourself - that’s what buzzes me to achieve the compliments and recognition of knowing that the hard work WILL be noticed. Make lists and lists and tick each one off and do not stop until each item on your list is crossed off. Stay on track and keep your eyes on the prize.”

IAIN MCMATH

MD of Sodexo Motivation Solutions

Sodexo Motivation Solutions is one of the world’s largest motivation solutions providers. Here, Iain gives his top ways to motivate employees without breaking the bank.

1) Flexible working: Flexible working hours can be a great way to keep employees engaged with the company. Being able to take care of children or the ability to work from home can make all the difference in allowing employees to have a good work-life balance. A happy employee is a productive one, and employees are likely to go that extra mile for a company that has shown itself to be flexible and understanding.

2) Company events: Company get-togethers encourage team bonding and are great motivators. This could be as small as a glass of wine in the office or as diverse as cultural outings or obstacle courses.

3) Keep it exciting: A useful tip which is often overlooked is to change the incentives on offer frequently to keep them fresh and exciting and to run short term ‘one-off’ offers to encourage bursts of effort at critical times.

4) Childcare vouchers: By running a childcare voucher scheme, employers save on Employer National Insurance Contributions and enable employees to save on tax and National Insurance Contributions.

5) Encourage a feel good factor: Company-wide charity initiatives can be a very effective way of promoting unity and motivating staff. Supporting a charity with associated events, be it running a marathon or helping out one day a month, can give staff a great sense of achievement and common purpose, adding a feel-good factor to the day to day routine of the office.

1. FIRST BEGIN WITH WHY The power of knowing “Why” is the secret to endless motivation. It drives your emotion and passion. True power comes from passion. Have you ever seen anyone who is totally passionate about something? What do you notice about them? What is their level of energy? It’s always close to 100%, isn’t it?

When you truly understand your “why”, connect with it and get excited by it, you’ll begin to begin to access your true inner strength.”

2. EVERY JOURNEY BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP Break your goals down into smaller chunks, kind of like goals within goals. When you break things down into smaller chunks, they become easier to manage and when you complete them, it gives you a sense of achievement as you can see yourself getting closer to what you want to achieve.

3. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS Are you a glass half full or half empty person? Do you focus on failure or the lessons learned?

Emotion flows where your focus goes, so by changing your focus you immediately change your emotional state. Every situation has more than one perspective, shift your perspective and you’ll transform the way you feel.

If you’re struggling to find someone, you could hire a coach, mentor or find a local business networking group.

4. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU HANG OUT WITH You’ve heard that phrase ‘success breeds success’ right? Well the same can be said about motivation. Surrounding yourself with positive motivated people will raise your spirits, sharpen your focus and improve your energy levels.

5. CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES The finish line can seem like it’s far off in the distance so it’s important that you reward yourself as you reach milestones. That way you’ll feel like you’re making progress and if you plan ahead it will give you something to look forward to, providing you with that little va va voom when you’re down on juice in your engine.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Top 5 Tips on How to Stay Motivated at Work - Vinay Parmar, Inspirational Speaker & Communication Coach

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SUCCESS FACTORS THAT DETERMINE A critical element in growing your business is creating first class relationships with your people. One of the greatest impacts on the performance of your people will be you.

The behaviours that you display and your interactions are key. Here, Dean Williams Executive Business Coach, outlines 7 factors which will ensure that you maximise your relationships with your staff and in turn maximise your results.

SUCCESS FACTOR 1 ANALYSE YOUR CURRENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR STAFF

SUCCESS FACTOR 3 CONTRACT WITH YOUR PEOPLE

Just how great are your current relationships with your people? I guess they will vary depending on a number of criteria you have set (albeit subconsciously done by most). Your criteria are likely to be set in line with your values, beliefs, expectations and work ethic. Maybe you have relationships with staff in all of the following categories – the good, the indifferent and the damn right ugly! It is probably true to suggest that ‘the good’ category is made up of people who match your criteria ... even if they are different in the way they go about doing some things. It’s also probably fair to say that the other two categories don’t share the same synergy with you. You will have a ‘system of dance’ with all of your people – how you engage and communicate with them. Your ‘dance’ with people within ‘the good’ category will be healthy and productive, while with others it is likely to be inconsistent and in some cases flawed.

To get the best out of all of your people you need to consider your current ‘system of dance’ with them. The way you engage, communicate, motivate, delegate, instruct and lead them. Think about the impact of your actions and behaviours and ask yourself what part you are currently playing in what you get back from the individual – good and bad!

Try as we might – people will always do things or say things that we don’t agree with. We are all built slightly differently so the chances are people will do things that will push your buttons. Many of us react to what we hear and see by challenging the individual – at times not thinking through the consequences. Of course some things need to be challenged but are they the right things and if they are – are they being dealt with in the right way?

As a leader the key is to assess quickly whether you need to intervene and for what reason. Be extremely self aware and know exactly what your hot buttons are and when you are at risk of reacting inappropriately (normally stressful situations). Remember - different is not necessarily wrong. Ask yourself - what benefit is there to the business and the individual if I intervene – if you can’t think of any benefit then say nothing. Warning – even if you are not saying anything ensure that your body language doesn’t communicate something else!

Develop first class tolerance levels - emotional control is the key.

Contracting done well does indeed give you the opportunity to impart developmental feedback but ... you have to earn the right to give it. The key is balance – nobody wants corrective advice or instruction all the time.

There are always numerous opportunities to praise and point out great performance and behaviour. One of your major tasks as a leader is to find genuine moments to praise and reinforce – even if you have to look hard! Closeness to business activity can be key – some of the most motivational leaders are the ones that ‘walk the floor’ watching and listening and choosing their moment to inject positive praise. They catch people doing things right and have an understanding that they need to praise progress not always wait until perfection.

So is your balance right? Assess yourself against this golden rule ... 5 strokes for every 1 slap! Forgive the bluntness of the language but I think you get the point. Not an exact scientific evaluation, but those five moments of praise will earn you the right to give true and meaningful developmental feedback.

SUCCESS FACTOR 5 GIVE APPROPRIATE AND HEALTHY FOCUS WHEN GIVING FEEDBACK Enough said on how we create the platform to give developmental feedback – but when we have those moments it is key that we do it in the right way and for the right reasons. To some extent your enemies at the point of giving feedback can be your standards and how emotional you are about what you have seen/heard. Many people talk about remaining objective when giving feedback and that is a good steer – the key is to think objectively and intelligently before you deliver it.

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SUCCESS FACTOR 2 MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONS

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approach, behaviours and delivery of feedback. You firstly need to work to understand the individual’s expectations of you as their leader - what they would like from you, where you can add value and how you can help them achieve their goals. It is likely that during this conversation the individual will focus on developing them – this is your opportunity to establish a foundation for being able to give developmental feedback when appropriate. Agree how you will deliver any feedback, the best way for them to receive it and the timeliness of it. Getting this right gives you the freedom to deliver tough messages that will make a big difference to your business and the individual - minimising adverse reactions. Some of your more ‘strained’ relationships are made worse by a lack of contracting – you give feedback when agreement to it has not been reached. Contract/ re-contract with all your people ... let them see your positive intentions even when you are saying what needs to be improved.

Contracting should be something you do with somebody - not to them.

SUCCESS FACTOR 4 EARN THE RIGHT TO GIVE DEVELOPMENTAL FEEDBACK

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Warning – even if you are not saying anything, ensure that your body language doesn’t communicate something else!

Develop first class tolerance levels emotional control is the key.

A first class ‘system of dance’ is created with an individual when a level of understanding and expectation has been established. Although not formally done, a verbal contract is set up agreeing expectations,

The key is to think objectively and intelligently before you deliver feedback.

GRADE A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS Preparation if you like! Caught off guard, feeling stressed and emotional and what you deliver could be potentially quite damaging. When faced with these situations perform this seven question ‘sanity’ check to ensure that your feedback will be appropriate and healthy; 1. Am I about to do this because I am angry?

2. Is this ‘tit for tat’?

3. Will giving this feedback offer both personal and business growth?

4. What outcome do I want?

5. What resistance/consequences could I face by delivering the message, and how could I handle them?

6. Is it the right time for them to receive the feedback and for me to give it?

7. How should I deliver it?

SUCCESS FACTOR 6 THOSE WHO CAN ... COACH Arguably the discipline that can transform you from being good at working business relationships to great. Coaching is a way of leading, managing and developing those within your business. Understood and performed well it’s a way of eliciting the quality you have within your people – it unlocks their creativity. Most people are at their best when they experience feelings of worth, fulfilment, opportunity, accountability, empowerment, freedom, trust and respect – all outputs achieved through coaching type conversations.

Pure coaching is about using the quality of thinking within the individual to decipher actions that will help solve a business challenge or move forward an identified opportunity. The key is that they decide and commit to actions, taking full ownership and developing as a result. Your skill as the coach is to ask a depth of questions that challenges their thinking but gives them the confidence to move to an action.

There is no question that we are at our best when we are focused. There are however so many elements (internal and external) that can impact our day to day thinking and our motivation to do things. As a leader you can’t control everything but you can affect an awful lot. Minimising inte rference is as key as giving your people the tools to do their job.

Listen to your people and remove unnecessary red tape and over designed frustrating processes wherever you can. What you give off as a leader is also vital. The last 2-years have been testing for many business leaders ... the ability to keep cool and face challenges head on and with confidence has been essential. Your people will watch you more than you are aware – confidence breeds confidence. When your people are faced with challenges lead the way and help them see what is possible (coaching will help!). If they fail, make sure it is seen as a productive failure – help them learn and find another way.

Dean Williams, Author, Executive Business Coach and Owner of Dean Williams Executive Coach Limited. www.dwexecutivecoach.co.uk Tel: 0845 604 4403

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Your people will watch you more than you are aware – confidence breeds confidence.

www.businessindependent.co.uk

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FEATURE : GRADE A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS

SUCCESS FACTOR 7 ELIMINATE INTERFERENCE – BUILDING AN INDIVIDUAL’S INNER STRENGTH

YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE Your attitude in business, sport, relationships and in life, will determine the altitude or the heights you achieve.

How many of you watched Andy Murray as he cruised to Victory at Queens for the second time? His body language was so refreshing; his head was high, shoulders back. I might have to watch a replay - but I’m sure I even saw him crack a smile a few times!

He was confident... but what was that teasing “through the leg shot” all about?

Please beware - there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance or complacency.

Yet, his performance was worlds apart from the spectacle he made of himself at the recent Australian Open as we were subjected to relentless slow motion TV replays of his foul mouthed Tennis Tourette’s and internal self-destruction.

Here’s someone’s life history I’d like to share.

As you read the time line, consider when you might have thrown in the towel and accepted defeat and failure...

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Let’s hope he has learnt to master the internal game of tennis - the game in his head.

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In sport, as in business, confidence is a massive factor and it’s often what separates the winners from the losers - we need to be mentally fit to win.

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I also know many people that have bought all the self development books under the sun, got too busy with stuff and just popped them up on the book shelf without reading them... along with all the others. Problem! That’s “shelf” development not “self” development.

Have you ever been amazed by how quickly your attitude improves after achieving even a relatively small success? Or how a complete stranger with a poor attitude can drag you down in a matter of minutes?

It’s difficult, if not impossible sometimes to change other people’s attitudes. Focus on how you prepare for and respond to any given situation. Choose whom you spend time with and whom you learn from. You get to choose your course of action based on your thoughts and your attitude to any given situation.

Attitude determining your altitude is not a new concept. Marcus Aurelius, the great philosopher and 16th Emperor of the Roman Empire, put it simply: “our life is what our thoughts make it”. He got it!

Thomas Edison the American inventor, scientist and businessman said, “Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged”. Again - it’s about attitude. He got it!

We’ve all heard the phrase, “you are what you eat”. Well I believe that in terms of business and in leadership, it’s possible that “you are what you think”. Think success, or think failure, and guess what?

Contrary to what many people often want to believe, outside influences don’t usually determine your happiness or success. Instead it’s how we react to those influences that will make us happy or sad, experience success or failure. So how do you change your reactions to those outside forces?

1. Learn how to handle frustration 2. Learn how to handle rejection

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Break the negative energy cycle – if you see yourself spiraling down or in a rut, mix it up, breakup the routine and do something fast that lifts you up.

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Over the years, I have read many books on self development and attended numerous courses on the same topic. I’ve walked on the red hot coals and smashed through blocks of wood with my bare hands - the success every time comes from your mindset, attitude... and action.

Failed in business aged 21 Defeated in a major political race aged 22 Failed again in business aged 24 Had to deal with the death of his sweetheart at the age of 26 Suffered a nervous breakdown aged 27 Lost a congressional race aged 34 Lost another congressional race aged 36 Lost a senatorial race aged 45 Failed to become Vice-President aged 47 Lost another senatorial race aged 49...

Was elected 16th President of the United Sates aged 52 The man’s name was Abraham Lincoln. Could he have become President if he had the wrong attitude? Would Edison have invented the electric light bulb if he accepted failure after his 900th attempt?

3. Learn how to handle pressure

In order to gain strength from the positive and not be sapped by the negative, here are a few basic ideas:

So, with all that mastered you can do anything, right? Wrong. As Gerald Ratner knows in business...

Break the negative energy cycle – if you see yourself spiraling down or in a rut, mix it up, breakup the routine and do something fast that lifts you up. When you see one of your team members in a rut of unproductive behavior, address it, don’t let it fester.

4. You must learn how to handle complacency Here’s the quote that led to his fall from grace...People say, “how can you sell this for such a low price?” I say, “because it’s total crap” Gerald Ratner... oops, missed point 4 and mixed in a large dose of arrogance!

Positive, self-confident feelings not only help you achieve more; they also make others want to be associated with you. People are drawn to others who have an upbeat outlook, who have a positive can-do attitude.

One of a business leader’s most important jobs is to set a positive and self-confident tone, exuding the attitude that failure is not an option. Take great care not to confuse confidence with arrogance and complacency – there is a fine line between them.

Practice active listening – it certainly takes time. Work at it to hear what your colleagues, customers and prospects want. Often just by being heard, problems can go away and people can make a huge turnaround.

A negative attitude will pull you down and with it go your results. A positive attitude will pull you over the rough spots and energize you to reach new heights.

Whether you need an attitude adjustment a couple of times a day, once a week or only on odd occasions, never forget that it’s your attitude determines your altitude.

For help or further information email Steve@eurekasales.co.uk or visit www.eurekasales.co.uk or call 0845 053 4937.

THE NOKIA N9 A UNIQUE ALL-SCREEN SMARTPHONE

This month Nokia announced the Nokia N9, built for people who appreciate a stunning blend of design and the latest smartphone technology. The HBI loves an upgrade – but can it rival our beloved iPhones?

The N9 is the world’s first pure touchscreen phone. There are no front-facing buttons and the user interface is controlled entirely with touches and swipes.

It’s a stylized, minimalistic device with a uni-body design and a beautiful 3.9-inch curved glass display. It introduces an innovative new design where the home key is replaced by a simple gesture: a swipe. Whenever you’re in an application, swiping from the edge of the display takes you home.

The three home views of the user interface are designed to give fast access to the most important things people do with a phone: using apps, staying up to date with notifications and social networks, and switching between activities.

“We wanted to design a better way to use a phone,” said Marko Ahtisaari, Nokia’s head of Design. “To do this we innovated in the design of the hardware and software together. We reinvented the home key with a simple gesture: a swipe from the edge of the screen. The experience sets a new bar for how natural technology can feel and this is just the beginning. The details that make the Nokia N9 unique - the industrial design, the all-screen user experience, and the expressive Qt framework for developers - will evolve in future Nokia products.”

VERDICT

The N9 is earmarked for a 2011 release but no official date or prices have been announced. The first generation of Nokia’s WP7 devices are expected to start shipping by the end of the year.

Ben Wood, head of research at mobile consultancy CCS Insight, told Reuters last month: “The N9 comes too close to the expected launch of Nokia’s Windows Phone device to have any impact on its current smartphone woes.

The strength of rival ecosystems leaves little room for MeeGo powered devices.

It’s difficult to see the N9 being anything more than a niche device.”

Good

• Innovative button-free front powered by swipe-y gestures • Curved 3.9-inch screen • Some apps and games pre-loaded

Bad

• Powered by the MeeGo OS, which even Nokia has lost interest in • Few apps or updates likely The jury remains out on whether the Nokia N9 is as revolutionary as it claims to be, but as long as we can play Angry Birds on it – we might just give it a go.

More information about the Nokia N9 can be found at: www.swipe.nokia.com.

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the Nokia N9 allows you to easily share images and videos between devices by touching them together.

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ONE SWIPE AND YOU’RE HOME

CAMERA, MAPS AND MULTIMEDIA

The 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus sensor, wide-angle lens, HD-quality video capture and large lens aperture enable great camera performance even in lowlighting conditions. This makes the Nokia N9 one of the best camera-phones ever produced.

The Nokia N9 features free turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation with voice guidance in Maps. With the new dedicated Drive app, you can get in your car and start navigating to your destination right away.

You can watch videos in true16:9 widescreen format.

And because the Nokia N9 is also the world’s first smartphone with Dolby® Digital Plus decoding and Dolby Headphone post-processing technology, you get a surround sound experience with any set of headphones.

Fitted with the latest in wireless technology, Near Field Communication (NFC), the Nokia N9 allows you to easily share images and videos between devices by touching them together. Pair it with Bluetooth accessories like the new NFC-enabled Nokia Play 360° wireless music speaker only once, and you get a great surround sound music experience with just a tap.

The Nokia N9 will be available in three colors - black, cyan, and magenta with storage options to accommodate plenty of content: 16GB and 64GB.

www.businessindependent.co.uk

29

TECHNOLOGY

TOUCH JUST GOT BETTER

Since 1999, Hans has been an MBA lecturer in Information and Knowledge Management at the United Business Institutes in Brussels. He is a frequent guest speaker on topics such as practical Knowledge Management implementations, generic information management, Knowledge Management and innovation.

Knowledge Centric Management

SUMMER READING

“This book will help you in your quest for knowledge preservation and creation. Hans Van Heghe’s approach to Knowledge Management holds one of the keys to fight brain drain successfully and RE-USE/VALUE your biggest asset. When applied intelligently, it enables you to secure and reuse the existing knowledge about your processes, your business models, your information systems, your company, your success. Knowledge plays THE central role in managing your organisation.”

HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS WITHOUT A DEGREE AND HOW TO GET BY EVEN IF YOU HAVE ONE SIMON DOLAN

Marc Lambotte, Vice President and General Manager, Unisys, Benelux & Nordics

As a strategic thinker/advisor, he has assisted over 200 organisations in developing a vision and roadmap towards Information and Knowledge Management – organisations ranging from SMEs to large corporations, in both the private and public sector.

Knowledge Centric Management

With university fees rising and consequently less people going, not having a degree doesn’t mean that you cannot necessarily achieve highly in life, nor have aook considerably large pay.

This B : The common trend at the moment seems to be that more and more people are avoiding university Z Explains what Knowledge Management is and how it can benefit you and your organisation altogether. Some cite the hugeIn 2005, increase inhistuition Hans wrote first book fees as the reason.

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Information, when and where needed).

Z Provides you with a pragmatic and usable framework to help your organisation get started with Knowledge Management and begin to Simon Dolan’s new book ‘How to Make Millions Without a Degree’ (£9.99 Matador) explores how see results Z Explains to monitor and evaluate results you can measure the to be successful with or without www.knowledge-centric-management.com having been to university, using hishow own experiences asso case studies, success of the programme and adjust where necessary and explains how you can make it too.

Simon has become a very successful business man, with an empire worth £65 million. He dropped out of high school with no qualifications. www.knowledge-centric-management.com His business ventures range from accountancy to publishing and motor racing. Recently he has been named the “Twitter Dragon” after www.ecademy-press.com allowing budding entrepreneurs to pitch to him in 140 characters on the micro blogging website, hoping to gain investment and a working partnership.

“How To Make Millions Without a Degree” is not only a guide to being an entrepreneur; the requirements and how to run a business, it is also an auto-biographical Ar account Simon shares, explaining how he ey ou touching humour got to where he is with Lea pa Th id advice. is b rn Its and and also sound oo serious w to h ne bu prac k will sin tic go at it is okay al a sageneration essnext He reassures the ve yo tia tod ppr you te u ay oac a f de Ho . Yo h- itort isn’twitfor not to go to •university h y every s wt me un u ou erv will an e a oc •H s r cl o n d ow Harry. nfi d mbusinessisc you a Tom, Dick, •and ien e by de “Being to o ver can ayb ntly say ts m yo Ho : e ap wt eve says ho over night,” ‘victory n u p ore man doesn’t bring o ld on ly t n m •H ’ to yo eg he pro r cl ow ake ur clie oti p p t r fita ien o n a o ricthe •H Simon. “Working rewards. ts w ven you te it brings ha for e bly ts ow h a nd igh hile st fo ? le u to er im res running Ho and nre fea Setting •up busi-rategiesrtune. . pro es successful po wt alis v nd a i n op i “T n n tic dp yo gy to rep t u i r ness ishisnot simple, and it’s often difficult and o ‘yo me r ice ur are is g u’v sca s rela for eg les tio for reat me ot an hard work.” nsh – eti the db Ta all a mo ip ng u r b r g a d sw usi e e “M – willPaavoiding ge you rich nmake ith ts ge ncy than university ess tSo Pro ,C hin oving if y lie acco a b cur kin ou fro oo nt The em and believes book g afamous? dthis Se unt hHBI m k rop e o nt rvi ge sup Ph yo ces and n ne nc il B ur also le owners g y – pliereading isartessential and Dir for pri let ect rs. In otiat the r to “C ce’ t, G hri or, sp ion he tho part enwho too s Mthose aa iring – it but don’t ug ne of Ssuccess, era lp todream e t r r h ch ls a rin an sho lM tfu sho m i a d g nnecessarily an think a l a academic nd ul d a ton pra uld is ag ke t the Sa treadmill b pp er, k h nd d b atc ctic e a To at g prac e th oa now Ch a bib hi re e ch way o the rbest goals. t their He l.” le es s his to rachieve Sp ris M La al a ical goa a l rin err zur se th th rea adv l of tea g 8 ing Ma Mc amazon.co.uk be at a ctor from rtin available ca Ca lity.” ice h any ac ms a 0:20 ton£8.99 ct in ®

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KNOWLEDGE CENTRIC MANAGEMENT HANS VAN HEGHE Over the coming seven years, a massive number of highly-skilled professionals will retire. With them, it is predicted decades of experience will vanish from the intellectual capital of our companies.

Hans Van Heghe wants to give others the understanding and know how to pass the knowledge down the chain so when those at the top retire, the knowledge doesn’t go with them.

As a knowledge management expert, as well as a lecturer delivering knowledge solutions to over 200 organisations, Hans has written “Knowledge Management” to be used not only an instrument, but also as a tool.

“The real challenge is to become a Knowledge Centric Organisation, and my advice can help you do that,” says Hans. He believes Knowledge Management is the next big thing in the economy: “It’s becoming very clear - we live and work in a knowledge economy.

“The knowledge and experience drain resulting from the dreaded age demographics monster is far more dangerous than industrial espionage.”

“It is not like a sudden disease one catches and that doctors treat immediately. It is a camouflaged killer that slowly destroys you. By the time it lays off its camouflage, the damage is likely to be irreversible. It’s important businesses should have knowledge management in place.”

This book tells you how to preserve the knowledge and understanding that is already implanted in an organisation after its seniors leave. It teaches you knowledge is at the core of a company and should be knowledge driven rather than being sales driven. Supported with plenty of research, facts and figures, Hans gives you frameworks to help start knowledge management in your business, why and how this assists, and what the immediate results can be.

He explains that once knowledge management is in place, it’s an ongoing and continuous effort.

If you want to rejuvenate your organization, refresh its knowledge and get its priorities back on track - this is the book to assist you. An easy read for summer which will fill you with new ideas, and definitely worth picking up whether knowledge management is in place in your business or not.

‘Knowledge Centric Management’ (£29.99 Ecademy Press)

THE ROAD TO INNOVATION CRIS BESWICK & DAVID GALLAGHER Find it hard introducing new methods and devices into the work place? The Road to Innovation will help you discover how to implement this through seven key elements devised by Cris Beswick and David Gallagher.

Cris decided to help others as although he has researched upon innovation he says “I still feel they do not offer any practical guidance on how companies, organisations, government or charities can begin their own innovation journey”. Many directors and owners of businesses struggle to modify the way a company operates, therefore this book can help make the necessary changes.

“Innovation is about taking ideas, half-baked notions, competencies, concepts and assets that already exist and reconfiguring them in interesting and different ways that allow new things to emerge” explains Cris.

The book is devised around the seven key elements: strategy, people, community, environment, creativity, risk and leadership. Its layout is clear and concise and an easy read that no one can go wrong with. It could even be used as a hand book and be pulled out at any time with many examples to support the approaches.

The book explains in depth how innovation can lead to growth but also a decline if they don’t continue to implement innovation. Innovation doesn’t just come from the top of the business but every working person in the business, Cris tells us how to capture employees ideas of how to improve the workplace, incentives that could be given and how innovation can create a community. He gives us 3 important facts to remember:

1. You can’t do it on your own 2. You need to embrace change

3. You should adopt the Kaizen approach

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Chris demonstrates his comprehensible knowledge, backed up with real life experiences of delivering innovation in the heat of the business battle. This book will provide much needed help to prepare people in business and the public sector who need to engage with the innovation challenge”- Professor Simon Bolton, Chair of Creative Design at Cranfield University.

Whether you need to introduce innovation in the working environment or just need a boost, this book is a perfect, stress-free read that will boost the moral and goals of your organisation.

Available from amazon.co.uk from £15

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Think social media is for kids? Confused by online marketing? Worried your website is not up to the job?

Want to know how to reach the widest possible audience for the lowest possible cost? Then it is essential that you read “Fusion – The New Way of Marketing.”

Co-authors, David Taylor and David Miles, have brought a combined experience of 30 years working in the media, journalism and IT consultancy to devise a new strategy – ‘fusion marketing’.

The development of modern websites, the appearance of social networking sites, and the emergence of pay-per-click as the modern face of advertising, have completely revolutionised the way we all communicate with the world around us, and the way we do business.

“Fusion” helps you understand this new world order, and explain why the old rules of marketing and PR are being broken, as well as presenting you with innovative and cost effective ways to reach your customers and improve the profitability of your business.

It also explains how blogs, social networking sites, modern websites and mobile internet platforms are completely transforming the media here in the UK. The book is aimed at any kind of business or organisation which has an audience of customers, clients, stakeholders or fans and wants to communicate with them as cheaply and effectively as possible. Each chapter has a stand alone suggestion plan, helping you put the expert advice into action.

In The HBI’s opinion, “Fusion – The New Way of Marketing” is the stand-alone book to bring even the most technologically shy of us bang up-to-date with modern marketing methods and provides a clear step-by-step guide to creating the best strategy for growing your business in the 21st century.

‘Fusion – The New Way of Marketing’ (£12.99 Ecademy Press). www.businessindependent.co.uk

31

FEATURE : SUMMER READING

FUSION – THE NEW WAY OF MARKETING DAVID TAYLOR AND DAVID MILES

NATIONAL FISHING MONTH National fishing month runs from the 16 of July to the 14 of August and during this period there are a numerous amount of fishing events taking place all over the UK, most of which are free of charge. They are for all the family as well as for beginners to intermediate and sure to be fun. What national finishing month try to put across is that fishing can be for anyone and it just as much fun as any other sport or hobby, it’s not just a sport for the older male.

On the 23 of July Fairland Valley Park which is situated in Six Hills Way, Stevenage is holding a free open day for all the family to attend. There will be registered coaches to help and give advice from anyone from new anglers to improvement courses. The park is a vast 120 acres of land and is home to a selection of wildlife. As well as angling the park contains a sailing lake, running track, children’s play area and during periods of the year is a host to other attractions such as fairs, shows and circuses. So whether you want to get into fishing, take along the family, or you are a passionate angler, the open day will definitely be one to enjoy.

If you want to take a longer, more relaxed approach to fishing, Lake Farm on the south coast between Dorset and Hampshire is one to visit. It is renounced for its blue flag beaches and historic villages. The modern log cabins available to stay in accommodate for up to 6 people and are available for short or long stays. Cabins are just moments away from fishing lakes which there are 7 waters to choose from. Not just anyone can fish here, the lakes are for the sole use of the cabin guests, making it a peaceful place to unwind and relax. The lakes are stocked with carp, golden rudd, tench and eels.

A great experience for the family, or friends for fishing, relaxing and exploring the south coast.

For more information visit www.nationalfishingmonth.com

A winning partnership Support Herts-based charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK and not only will you help to make a difference to over 5,000 local children, teenagers and adults with these devastating bowel conditions, you’ll also benefit your business through: - enhancing your reputation with clients, customers and suppliers.

- boosting staff morale and team-building.

We welcome partnerships with businesses of all sizes from sole traders to large corporations.

We offer:

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Many supporters feature in our quarterly newsletters which go to 31,000 members, and also on our website.

Interested in finding out more?

Call Suzi or Lesley on 01727 734485 Visit www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk

Crohn’s and Colitis UK is the working name of National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, a charity registered in England and Wales No. 1117148 and in Scotland No. SC)38632

NEWS INTERVIEWS MONEY LEGAL BUSINESS SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY AFTER HOURS FEATURES TRAINING & EDUCATION SPECIALS NETWORKING & E V E N TS SAL E S CO LU M N EXECUTIVE PROFILES DRIVE

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BOOK A CRUZE THIS SUMMER PRICES ANNOUNCED FOR NEW CHEVROLET HATCH! The striking new Cruze hatchback arrives in Chevrolet dealerships in July, offering premium specification and great styling at a surprisingly affordable price.

With the range kicking off at only £13,995, the new model brings extra levels of sleekness and practicality to the motorsport-proven Cruze line-up, the saloon variant of which won both the 2010 British Touring Car Drivers championship and both drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in the World Touring Car series.

It also moves the Cruze into the mainstream – since 1988, the compact hatchback market has been the UK’s most prolific market segment, especially among fleet customers.

Chevrolet Managing Director, Mark Terry, said: “The hatchback version of the Cruze is a massively important new car for us, as it not only appeals on a retail level, but also massively increases Chevrolet’s appeal to the fleet market – alongside the Orlando and the New Captiva, and with a new Aveo just round the corner, we have a truly holistic model range that will appeal to fleet managers, user-choosers and retail customers alike.”

Backed by a five-year warranty, the hatchback variant of the Cruze is offered in three trim levels, and with a choice of two petrol or one diesel engine. Further engine variants will follow, including a smaller capacity diesel. All have Electronic Stability Control as standard, along with a host of safety features comparable to the five-star Euro NCAP rated Cruze saloon.

The entry-level LS model, equipped with a 1.6 litre engine developing 124PS, comes with an array of standard equipment that is more commonly found on other manufacturers’ mid-trim variants. Air conditioning, remote locking, electric-front windows, follow-me-home headlights, electrically-adjustable heated door mirrors and a quality radio/CD player with auxiliary input are all included in the price.

Moving up the range, the LT model starts at an extremely attractive £14,895 on-the-road for the 1.6-litre 124PS petrol variant. A 1.6 auto and a 163PS 2.0 VCDi diesel manual are also available.

LT trim includes extra premium features, such as cruise control, electric windows all round, a multi-function trip computer, parking distance sensors, 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, steering wheel audio controls and a leather steering wheel and gearknob.

Cruze buyers who opt for the LTZ trim level can specify a 141PS 1.8-litre petrol engine with five-speed manual or auto transmission, or the 163PS 2.0 VCDi with a choice of either six-speed manual or six-speed auto gearboxes.

Starting at £16,095, the LTZ trim offers exceptional levels of standard kit, including Bluetooth, a USB port, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, an electrochromatic rear view mirror, 17-inch alloys and aluminium-effect trim on the instrument panel.

Top of the range is the LTZ with Executive Pack, which gets leather trim as standard, along with satellite navigation and heated front seats. Available only as a diesel, prices start at £19,295.

The Cruze 5-dr is set to arrive in showrooms in July.

DRIVE

For more information, or to find your nearest Chevrolet dealer, visit www.chevrolet.co.uk.

NIGEL MERCER

ST ALBANS AND CAMBRIDGE OFFICE SENIOR PARTNER : DELOITTE Here at The HBI we are always on the hunt for people in the area who would like to contribute to our Local Executive Profile. This month, we caught up with Nigel Mercer, the St Albans and Cambridge Office Senior Partner at Deloitte.

Tell us a little more about Deloitte as a company Deloitte is one of the leading business advisory firms in the UK and the largest professional services organisation globally, making it a world force in its chosen areas of business – audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance.

We serve a broad range of clients, including UK Government and public sector departments, major international and UK corporates, mid market and high growth smaller companies and many private individuals.

The firm’s roots are over 100 years old. It was originally called Touche Ross but we are now Deloitte. There are over 12,000 people working for Deloitte in the UK across 24 offices.

What does your current job role entail?

I was appointed senior partner of St Albans and Cambridge at the beginning of June. My role is to harness the talent and expertise in our existing team of 15 partners and 350 staff across these two offices, for the benefit of our clients.

These are already successful offices with high calibre people, known for their commitment to high quality client service across a range of sectors. I am focussed on developing and rewarding our talented people and improving our client service by teaming up to provide clients locally with better insights and support where needed to successfully run their business.

What career choices did you make to get to where you are today (university, placements, internships, worked your way up, post-graduate training etc) I completed a degree in Economics at Durham University where I became interested in finance. I then trained to be an accountant at Touche Ross, becoming ACA qualified after three years. After a couple of years working in the pharmaceutical industry, I moved back into the profession, to Deloitte, where I enjoy working with a variety of clients.

Deloitte has a great reputation as a top company to work for and you’ve been there for 30 years now. What attracted you into working for Deloitte in the first place and what keeps you there?

I was first encouraged into accountancy by my uncle who was the finance director of a major stockbroker. In 1982 I applied to, and was offered my first full-time job by Touche Ross. At the time I started Touche Ross was eighth of the “Big 8” accountancy firms. Over the past ten years we have grown faster than our competitors and are now the second largest firm in the UK”. We are working hard to distinguish ourselves and become number one.

What do you see as the biggest business challenges for your clients at the moment?

In the current climate, our clients face major challenges against a backdrop of an uncertain economy and reducing public sector expenditure. Whilst remaining cautious, companies are trying to be more expansionary, introducing new products or services or entering new markets with a cost base that continues to be under pressure. The more we can work closely with our clients, the better we are able to support them and encourage them to have confidence in delivering their plans.

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter the professional services industry?

Now is a great time to get into professional services, in fact we have already opened our 2011 and 2012 graduate recruitment programme. We have a Summer Vacation Scheme starting shortly which provides graduates with work experience. There is also “BrightStart”, a programme to give talented school leavers an opportunity to embark on a rewarding career and gain a full professional business qualification.

Whether a graduate or school leaver, you get a fantastic grounding in business and the business life cycle, and the variety and challenge of working with a range of business.

34

Away from your busy career do you have any hobbies and interests?

Most of my spare time is spent with my wife, Mandy and 12 year old son, Henry.

I have always been an enthusiastic but mediocre sportsman. I am Chairman of Welwyn Garden City Cricket Club, and play very occasionally. I spend a lot of time watching my son play for several of the junior teams there. I also play golf and am a keen watcher of rugby (Welwyn and England) and football (Tottenham). www.deloiitte.co.uk

We’re proud to have been creating opportunities that change people’s lives for

30 years!

From our fleet of canal boats in Hemel Hempstead, to our residential centre in North Bedfordshire, ReachOut Plus have been working with young people and people with disabilities and disadvantage for the last 30 years.

Our projects help those we work with to broaden their horizons, develop their skills and fulfil their potential. The results can make a huge difference to their day to day lives.

To carry on doing that for the next 30 years and more, we need your help...

We’re launching a 30th anniversary appeal to raise £250,000 to help the charity continue it’s current projects and invest in the future by securing a new boat and expanding our reach so we can help more people, more of the time.

You can help by donating directly to our appeal (contact us for details) or by getting involved in one of our anniversary events due to take place over the next year.

It could be a coffee morning, a challenge event or you and your friends could come along to our Gala Ball (see below).

We really appreciate your support.

For more details and to find out more about ReachOut Plus and our anniversary celebrations contact us on: 0845 216 0085 fundraising@reachoutplus.org www.reachoutplus.org

Charity No: 286212

ReachOut Plus GALA BALL Friday 9th September 7pm (black tie) Shendish Manor Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 0AA Tickets £55 (includes welcome drinks, 3 course meal and after dinner entertainment)

For more details or to book your tickets contact us on 0845 216 0085 fundraising@reachoutplus.org

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