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TWO TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATORS SHARE THEIR SECRETS TO SUCCESS PAGE 36 CHAMBER OF THE YEAR 2013 Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

Issue 27 September/October 2015

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FIRSTWORD

WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER EDITION OF BUSINESS DIRECTION

ICAL TWO TECHNOLOGARE THEIR INNOVATORS SH ESS CC SU SECRETS TO

British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

PAGE 36

Issue 27 ber 2015 September/Octo

rce THE YEAR 2013& Worcestershire Chamber of Comme CHAMBER OF Herefordshire published by n Business Directio

HWCHAMBER.CO.UK Business Direction, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce’s full colour bi-monthly publication. Designed and produced by business people for business people. Distributed to 6,000 businesses including selected retail outlets across Herefordshire & Worcestershire.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS www.hwchamber.co.uk/view-our-business-magazine Tel: 01905 673600 Disclaimer: Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher accepts no responsibility for omissions or errors within this publication. Editorial submissions are included at the discretion of the editor. The opinions expressed in articles and letters within this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber. All offers, promotions and competitions appearing in Business Direction are the sole responsibility of the advertiser/ promoting party and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce does not accept any responsibility for any representations made within them.

For most of us the summer holidays have now come to an end and businesses can begin to concentrate on the year ahead. The new government has settled in and we now understand more about their ambitions for the next five years and how these will affect businesses. The summer ended on a high, especially in Hereford, where I was glad to see Hereford Football Club play their first game of the new season. I look forward to watching their phoenix like growth over the next few years and seeing the benefits it will bring to Herefordshire businesses. The European Wheelchair Basketball Championships have just come to an end (28 August – 6 September) and are expected to contribute £1.5 million to the Worcestershire economy. It’s been a great and active time for sport in the two counties but it is now time to settle down back to business this September. This autumn, we look forward to the next Chamber Business Expo on Thursday 8 October held at the Three Counties Showground. Once again, we are pleased to be working in association with Hewett Recruitment to deliver this exciting event. With over 1000 visitors expected, it offers many opportunities for making new contacts and promoting your business. There is a great line up planned with a variety of talks and activities, notably a talk by our keynote speaker Simon Gibson, Chairman of the Alacrity Foundation and Chief Executive of Wesley Clover Corporation. I hope to see you there at what is bound to be a brilliant day. This Innovation Expo fits perfectly with the theme for this magazine technology. The two counties have a long and rich history of innovative businesses that have used technology in new and unique ways. Two local innovative businesses, Mercia Digital and The Great British Florist can be found in our cover story. Mercia Digital specialises in digital marketing and uses technology to provide solutions for all businesses, from design to search engine optimisation and branding. The Great British Florist is very different, the business was set up by Heather Gorringe to complement her long established company, Wiggly Wigglers. Innovative technologies have helped the business grow, even during the recession; find out more on pages 36 and 37. This editions’ Big Interview features Richard Soper, who up until recently served as Chief Executive of Worcester, Bosch. Learn more about a business that began with an innovative entrepreneur’s idea in 1962 and continues to excel in technology and innovation. We wish Richard well in his retirement, though I know he will be keeping busy with a number of ongoing projects in the county and beyond. See pages 34 and 35 for more of his story. Mike Ashton mikea@hwchamber.co.uk

First word

Chamber news

4-5

Business news

Policy

Business news

18-19

Business news

Chamber events

26-27

Chamber training

32-33

Big Interview

34-35

Cover story

36-37

Visit Herefordshire

Visit Worcestershire

International trade

50-51

Conference Worcestershire

Members Services

Charity news

New Members

62-63

Movers and Shakers

64-65

Last word

Our Patrons are:

September/October 2015

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

CHAMBERNEWS

LOUISE HEWETT OF HEWETT RECRUITMENT AWARDED FOR 35 YEARS OF CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP Mike Ashton, Chief Executive of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, surprised Louise Hewett by presenting her with an award as she prepared to open the recent annual HR Conference. This award was to recognise 35 years both as a business in the County and also being a member of the Chamber. Louise was due to receive the award at the Chamber Awards in June 2015 but was unable to attend, and the surprise presentation left her speechless! She commented: “It was a real ’gotcha’ moment – most unexpected but lovely! I’ve been an active member of

NEW PATRON MEMBER: PRINT STRATEGY EUROPE For the past 20 years, Print Strategy Europe has been the partner behind some of the UK’s fastest growing and most exciting High Street businesses. They have helped to manage over 200 store openings and over 1000 product launches and now, by becoming a Patron Member of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, they are ready to use all their experience and expertise to help ambitious, fast growing businesses in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Print Strategy Europe supply high quality and large volume print, direct mail, point of sale and display boards, labels and pull up banners, in fact everything a busy marketing team will ever need. Celebrating 20 years in business the only way they possibly could – Print Strategy Europe produced a fun and creative portfolio book titled - ‘I Didn’t Know They Could Do That.’ It includes beautiful photos and stories of their journey so far such as printing autumn leaves in the depths of summer and getting a six foot Easter bunny through US customs. A free copy is available to all HW members: visit www.printstrategy.eu/portfoliobook or call 01905 795 700. www.printstrategy.eu 04

the Chamber since I started my business all those years ago – it’s been an invaluable relationship. We enjoy being patrons of such a forward thinking Chamber in Herefordshire & Worcestershire.” Mike Ashton commented: “This award recognises Louise Hewett as not only somebody who has grown a successful business but also as somebody who is a great supporter of her local Chamber and her County. Well done and thank you Louise”. www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES FOR YOUR BUSINESS Overheads such as energy bills are not completely ‘fixed costs’: changes can be made which will reduce negative environmental impacts and save your business money. Using fewer resources will make your business more sustainable and will also demonstrate Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Chamber in association with mfg solicitors, NatWest and Lombard are holding a free breakfast event on “Sustainable Futures for your Business” at Worcester, Bosch on 30 September 2015, 08.00 to 10.30am. This event will cover recent government policy changes and future policy, construction, legal implications and financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. There will be presentations from Architype and IE Developments, two companies who successfully develop buildings to a higher level of sustainable design and construction. There will also be an optional tour of the Worcester, Bosch factory. For more information or to book, contact Yasmin Bent on 01905 673 600 or email yasminb@hwchamber.co.uk.

MISSION SUCCESS! CHAMBER STAFF MAKE IT TO THE MOON AND BACK The Chamber was proud to partner with the University of Worcester in delivering the Moon Mission earlier this year and was pleased to contribute a fantastic 2,977.94 miles! The Moon Mission encouraged everyone in the community to record all physical activity between 20 March and midnight on 31 July – the last full moon of the month, in order to travel the distance to the moon and back. Spurred on by the Chamber’s HR team, staff took to wearing pedometers and recorded miles through the running club and other personal activities. In a huge team effort, we clocked up 136 miles in one day in an intense cycle challenge, thanks to David Lloyd Leisure, and added even more miles on tidy day! Mike Ashton commented: “The moon mission presented a fun way of encouraging more people to take exercise. It was a brilliant concept which all our members of staff embraced - Well done to Louise Jones and her team at the university”. www.worcester.ac.uk/discover/moon-mission.html

September/October 2015

CHAMBERNEWS

RECENT FOOD & DRINK FORUM WAS A FRUITY AFFAIR Anthony and Christine Snell played host to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber Food and Drink Forum sponsored by mfg Solicitors at their Farm in Hereford on 8 July. Soft fruit growers Anthony and Christine have been growing fruit for major retailers for over 18 years and were the perfect hosts to companies from across the two Counties. Attendees were treated to a tour of the new Freezer store at Windmill Hill along with presentations from company partner Anthony Snell and Asda local Jon May. Followed by the opportunity to ask questions, share best practice and discuss issues within the Food and Drink sector. Anthony Snell commented “We are keen to develop close working relationships with other local Midlands based Fruit companies to develop opportunities for freezer storage, packing, and joint ventures in processing, and supply, using our quality Herefordshire Berries and Currants”. James Hayes, partner at mfg solicitors, added: “The Food and Drink Forum continues to go from strength to strength and is providing a useful platform to champion the achievements of food and drink producers across the two counties. The latest event brought many businesses together and allowed them to network, share ideas and hear about another local business which has become a trusted grower and supplier.” For more information about the food & drink forum please visit: www.hwchamber.co.uk/events/forums/ food-drink-forum

HUGE SUCCESS AT ANNUAL HR PROFFESSIONALS CONFERENCE Following on from the successful event at Sixways Stadium in 2014, H&W Chamber and Hewett Recruitment teamed up again for the annual HR Professionals Conference. It was held on Thursday 2 July at the Bank House Hotel and Spa with over 80 HR professionals and business owners attending, from businesses of all sizes from across the two counties. The objective of the conference was to address some of the challenges facing growing businesses in a people and skills short market. There was a focus on how to attract, recruit and retain the best talent, and featured presentations from a variety of companies including mfg Solicitors, Motive Consulting, QinetiQ, REC, RWenpower and last but not least, Southco. The annual HR Professionals Conference will be taking place again in 2016. Dates are still to be confirmed so keep your eye out for updates in the next few months on: www.hwchamber.co.uk/events/forums/hr-forum

INSPIRATIONAL LINE UP AT WOMEN’S BUSINESS CONFERENCE THIS SEPTEMBER Business people from Herefordshire and Worcestershire are invited to attend the 2nd Women’s Business Conference on 18 September in association with Borwell Ltd and Thorne Widgery. The event will be taking place at the Abbey Hotel Malvern, between 9.30am and 2.30pm. This will be a fantastic opportunity to build your network of businesses contacts, share information about your services and products and do it in an entertaining and non-threatening environment. Enjoy a two-course buffet lunch and listen to speakers from Derriere Equestrian Ltd, the Leadership Trust, Malvern Instruments and Worcestershire County Council. For more information about the Women’s Business Forum and upcoming event please visit: www.hwchamber.co.uk/events/forums/women-s-business-forum

INVESTING IN BUSINESS HEALTH EVENT 15TH OCTOBER 2015, TOWN HALL, HEREFORD Investing in employees’ health is vital, both for them and for your business. Some workers who do safety critical work may need health screening. People with special health needs, for example, following return to work after injury or illness, need help and support. Herefordshire Health and Safety Group, with support

from Herefordshire Council and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chambers of Commerce, is organising an all day event (9am-4pm), to help companies in the County to think through their options for better occupational health. Confirmed speakers include: Dr Steven Boorman CBE from Optima Health; Dr Bob Rajan OBE of HSE; Dr

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Arif Mahmood and Jo Robbins, Herefordshire Council Public Health consultants; and Michelle Aldous from ‘Constructing Better Health’. More details can be found at www.herefordhsg. co.uk/awareness.html Those wishing to attend or to exhibit should contact Peter Smith: info@ herefordhsg.co.uk 05

BUSINESSNEWS

AWARDS CEREMONY SEES WORCESTER REWARD ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE Leading manufacturer Worcester, Bosch Group has unveiled the winners of its annual Environmental 2020 Award’s, held in recognition of those who have made an outstanding commitment to tackling climate change through the use of high-efficiency heating and hot water technologies. The awards, now in their 15th year, highlight best practice from installers who are making strides to conserve the environment by embracing high efficiency heating solutions and renewable technologies throughout their installations. Six installers and three specifiers from across the UK received their prize at a prestigious ceremony held at Worcester, Bosch Group Headquarters. Carl Arntzen, Worcester’s managing director, commented: “The Environment 2020 awards are our chance to celebrate the industry’s champions of efficient and renewable technologies. The fact that so many people are committed to protecting our planet for future generations is inspiring, and year on year I am impressed by the calibre of the entries we receive.” www.worcester-bosch.co.uk

WRAGGE LAWRENCE GRAHAM & CO TO FORM COMBINATION WITH CANADIAN POWERHOUSE GOWLINGS Patron member Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co has announced it is to form a combination with Canadian firm Gowlings to become Gowling WLG. The combination is due to take effect in January 2016 and brings together two firms which have collaborated for the last 25 years. Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co CEO David Fennell said: “Clients’ legal issues are increasingly international. We want to put ourselves in the strongest position to meet that demand, while continuing and reinforcing the success story of the growth of our UK business.” The firms, which will retain their own profit structures and operate under an English Company Limited by Guarantee, will be able to offer the very best in legal services, with more than 1,400 lawyers and legal professionals in 18 locations across Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Although the firm is looking further afield, it will retain its strong regional focus on providing outstanding legal advice to the West Midlands and the wider UK market. www.wragge-law.com 06

AWARD WINNING 3SDL AND BISHOP FLEMING SECURE R&D TAX CREDIT SUCCESS Hot on the heels of their Chamber Award success, Malvern based 3SDL with accountants and business advisors Bishop Fleming, have managed to secure a Research & Development tax credit claim worth £0.5 million. Managing Director Matt May said “This is a game changing claim for us, enabling future vital investment in the business. Bishop Fleming have been instrumental in identifying and delivering the claim which has been a real team effort. It underlines the innovative work we are doing with blue chip clients worldwide.” Tax Partner of Bishop Fleming Chris Walklett, who led the R&D tax credit project commented “It is great to see the R&D tax credit regime deliver tangible benefits to 3SDL enabling them to accelerate their growth. This is another Worcestershire success story which demonstrates both the great businesses we have in the region and the resources available for tax and business support within the county”. www.bishopfleming.co.uk

LOCAL DESIGN STUDIO PARTNERS WITH SONY MUSIC TO DEVELOP GLOBAL CAMPAIGN Creative Director, Tristan Palmer established Tristan Palmer Studio in 2013 based near Kidderminster to help build and define brands. They have recently been approached by Sony Music to develop a concept for a new campaign to recruit the next big international girl band. Tristan commented on the dream deal: “They asked us to create an online application portal, which will be used to invite selected applicants to a series of auditions across the UK. Since its launch in February this year, the campaign has pulled in over 5,000 applicants, and helped gain a strong following on social media.” “We are extremely proud to have worked with a dream client to develop such a wide spread campaign for a youth audience, that has in a very short space of time proved to be extremely effective.” The studio has since worked with Sony Music on several additional projects, and is now in the process of developing a brand new campaign for Sony Music Los Angeles. www.beintheband2015.com www.tristanpalmerstudio.com

September/October 2015

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

HANDELSBANKEN HEREFORD - TRADITIONAL BANKING FOR TODAY’S BUSINESS OWNERS AND MANAGERS People often talk fondly of the ‘good old days’ of traditional neighbourhood banking as if it were a distant memory. These days telephone, online and mobile banking are the buzzwords. However, it is still possible to find a bank where the branch manager knows your name and where you can ask for – and receive – local, personal advice.

At Handelsbanken we offer local relationship banking based on traditional values. Naturally we provide up-to-date technologies such as online banking and app’s to help with day to day banking, however we believe in building strong relationships with our customers, getting to know them individually, identifying their needs and how we can help them. Like all our branches our Hereford branch does things the traditional way, taking a long-term approach to customer relations. Most business decisions, including lending for loans and mortgages, are taken at the branch by experienced local people who know their customers well and who also know the local market. Our philosophy is that ‘the branch is the bank’. At Handelsbanken the prime focus is on you, the customer. Hereford branch has a dedicated team, who all share the same principles which put the customer firmly at the heart of all that they do. There are no staff targets, no bonuses and no incentives to sell products or services, instead each decision is based purely on what is right for the customer. Andy Williams, Hereford’s branch manager says: “We are committed to building long lasting relationships with customers by investing time to really understand a customer’s immediate requirements, and also their longer term goals and ambitions. The customer is at the centre of our business model – it’s all about meeting our customers’ expectations.” All our private customers get direct access to a local, individual banking manager. We understand that business owners and managers are busy people. We also understand that business owners may have complex income streams and by working closely with our corporate account manager to understand the business performance we can quickly assess whether we are able to consider lending requests. - -

Andy continues: “Customers seldom choose us because our loans or mortgages are the cheapest, rather it is about our service levels, our ability to assess a customer’s requirements and then reach a decision speedily by using our own judgement, rather than an electronically generated decision.” “We then personally manage the whole process to final delivery at the branch, always applying the human touch. Availability, simplicity and care are important watchwords within Handelsbanken.” Despite its local focus, Handelsbanken has more than 190 branches across the UK. This means we can provide all the benefits of traditional banking, along with the security and peace of mind provided by a nationwide network. Customers also value the security of knowing that Handelsbanken is one of the world’s strongest banks; we continue to be one of the few banks in the world with a double A credit rating from the three international rating agencies Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch.

Our Hereford branch would be very pleased to receive your call. Andy recommends that any individual banking enquiries are directed to Andrea Samuel on 01432 340568 or ansa29@handelsbanken.co.uk or Stuart Hands on 01432 340561 or stha20@handelsbanken.co.uk whilst any Corporate banking enquiries are directed to Amanda Dixey on 01432 340551 or amdi01@ handelsbanken.co.uk. Handelsbanken Hereford, Broadway House, 32-35 Broad Street, Hereford HR4 9AR www.handelsbanken.co.uk/hereford

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Handelsbanken is the trading name of Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ). Registered in England & Wales No. BR000589. Incorporated in Sweden with limited liability. Registered in Sweden No, 502007-7862 Head office in Stockholm.Authorised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) and the Prudential Regulation Authority and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our authorisation and regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

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September/October 2015

FOCUSONLEGAL

Managing Ill Health in the Workplace

Lisa Kemp

Employment Department

Medical condition? Employees don’t have to suffer in silence at work Latest figures show that a total of 238,000 disabled people are employed in full or part time jobs here in the UK – a six-figure employment rate that has accelerated at a pace never seen before. And although the majority are employed by caring businesses who are aware of any special measures they must take, there is an alarming rise in the number of employees who suffer with a disability or medical condition being discriminated against or harassed. This summer I was advising about this issue in the region’s media where I was raising awareness that due to the Equality Act 2010, workers, who are in an organisation which has ignored the duty placed on them to make reasonable adjustments, have no need to suffer silently. Understanding adjustments Failure to act is often down to a lack of understanding of employment laws on the part of the employer and that leads them down rocky road and into time-consuming, and often expensive, tribunals.

In the UK a worker is classed as disabled if they have a physical impairment and it is proved to have a substantial and long-term adverse impact on their ability to do their usual day to day activities. But the law applies equally to mental health conditions as well. The adjustments employers have to make can be anything that eliminates the disadvantage. It might be alternative access, or it could be something that helps the employee in their work, such as a specialist keyboard or text and speech software. When an employer fails to make the adjustments required of them, sometimes a friendly word will do. A good employer should really only need it pointing out to them and should be ready and willing to do what it takes. If that does not work, then the formal grievance procedure should follow. This is the chance to have a sensible discussion. Only if all else fails should it reach a formal tribunal. If a worker has to vacate their job because their boss simply would not help them, then that can result in a claim for constructive dismissal on top of the disability discrimination case.

Seek help It is still surprising to the majority just how many people are affected by an employer that does not comply with the law. And worse, there are people who are not taking legal advice before either resigning or plunging head first into a formal tribunal they simply are not prepared for. We specialise in that legal support and regularly help negotiate settlements to compensate people for any disadvantage they have suffered in the short or long-term due to a condition that impairs their work. It’s a complex area and to help we offer a free 15-minute telephone discussion if that friendly word has failed. For many here in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, it has been the best call they’ve made. After all, employers are meant to help, not hinder. Lisa Kemp is an assistant solicitor in the Employment and HR Services division at county law firm mfg Solicitors. Readers can email lisa.kemp@mfgsolicitors.com or telephone 01905 610410

Employment Law

Knowing Where You Stand Contact

Lisa Kemp

on 01905

610410 or by email: lisa.kemp@mfgsolicitors.com

Tel: 0845 55 55 321 www.mfgsolicitors.com Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

@mfgsolicitors 09

BUSINESSNEWS

LOCAL DESIGN AGENCY MAKES A BIG SPLASH IN THE CITY Areca Design, based in Evesham, has been commissioned by The City of London Corporation to provide the location of the nearest toilets in a handy app for visitors in the centre of London. Managing Director, Mick Hurst, commented: “It was a great honour to be asked by such a large, influential body, such as The City of London Corporation, to provide a solution to an issue that was often brought to their attention”.

CYBERCRIME COSTS THE UK ECONOMY OVER £27BN AND IT IS GROWING! Cyber crime affects all organisations and sectors, big and small, and of course individuals. John Chambers, former CEO of Cisco stated that “there are two types of companies: those who have been hacked, and those who don’t yet know they’ve been hacked.” The National Cyber Skills Centre, based at the Malvern Hills Science Park is dedicated to helping SMEs protect themselves. The centre publishes ‘Cyber Insights’, a free online resource aimed at demystifying Cyber Security. This is updated weekly with original and practical articles that raise awareness and help companies understand what needs to be done. The centre also provides practical focused training courses that help keep businesses Cyber safe. The new ‘National Cyber Awareness Course’ is being launched at the Houses of Parliament on 7 September 2015. For more information on Cyber Insights and courses offered please visit: www.cyberskillscentre.com/courses/

The Mobile App, which identifies the user’s location, finds the nearest toilets within the Square Mile. In addition to bog standard toilets, the App includes restaurants, shops and pubs, which have signed up to the Community Toilet Scheme – allowing members of the public to use private facilities, without spending a penny. The new City Toilet Finder App saw around 2,750 downloads in the first month after its launch. www.arecadesign.co.uk

MFG SOLICITORS LAUNCH NEW EMPLOYMENT AND HR WORKSHOP PROGRAMME mfg Solicitors has announced its next annual programme of employment and HR workshops – designed to help businesses in the two counties to stay one step ahead of changes to legislation. The launch of the programme, now in its third year, closely follows a widely-praised presentation delivered by partner Sally Morris at the Chamber HR Conference on 2nd July. Sally Morris said: “Our workshops are all about working in partnership with businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire by tackling a variety of employment and HR issues. The sessions help employers to be confident they are equipped both to handle the current rules and prepare themselves for the future.” The first workshop takes place on Thursday 17 September and looks at bullying, harassment and diversity in the workplace. Another on Thursday 26 November handles sickness absence and the fit for work scheme. Each session is charged at £15 and is held at mfg’s Kidderminster headquarters, Adam House. Further workshops will take place in 2016. For further information please email elizabeth.wiltshire@ mfgsolicitors.com

KWH & ASSOCIATES JOIN HAINES WATTS HEREFORD On 3 August 2015, KWH & Associates joined Haines Watts Hereford. This exciting development brings together two of Herefordshire’s leading accountancy practices, offering enhanced strength and depth across a wide range of services for business and personal clients. The combined firm will operate as Haines Watts Hereford. Simon Smith, formerly of KWH, will continue to manage his own client base who will benefit from access to specialist services from the national Haines Watts network. Karen McLellan, Managing Director at Haines Watts Hereford, said: “We welcome Simon, his staff and clients to Haines Watts. Simon’s experience and understanding of the Hereford market will greatly enrich our already highly-regarded team. Both firms share high standards and a client-focused ethos which makes the move a natural progression for all concerned.”

www.mfgsolicitors.com 010

September/October 2015

POLICYNEWS

SAVE THE DATE FOR #WLEP15 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Save the date for this year’s Worcestershire LEP Annual Conference at 8am, on Friday 13 November 2015 at the Chateau Impney near Droitwich.

including the live twitter feed & tweetup meetings, live digital sketching, a feature corner and a surprise programme element.

The 2015 Worcestershire LEP Annual Conference aims to inform and engage an anticipated 400 delegates from local businesses from all sectors and sizes and other partners. Hosted by BBC Midlands Today main presenter, Mary Rhodes, #WLEP15 is the perfect opportunity to hear first-hand about recent progress and priorities for the future of Worcestershire’s long term prosperity and the support available for local businesses to enable everyone to be a part of future growth.

More information on the available sponsorship and exhibition opportunities can be found on the LEP website www.wlep.co.uk. For further information, contact Rose Padmore by emailing rpadmore@opening-doors.org. uk or by phoning 01562 731788.

There are several sponsorship opportunities available to local businesses for this year’s annual conference

WORCESTER SIGNS SISTER CITY AGREEMENT WITH HEZHOU, CHINA Worcestershire’s economic and cultural horizons have broadened recently with the signing of a ‘Sister City’ agreement between Worcester and the city of Hezhou, located in the Guangxi region of South West China. The agreement follows two visits by the Worcestershire Ambassadors and the Chamber to Hezhou over the past four years and significant work on developing an ongoing partnership. It aims to cultivate greater co-operation in mutually beneficial areas such as trade, tourism, science and technology, and provide educational opportunities. Zhu Dong, Vice Mayor of Hezhou Municipal People’s Government said: “I look forward to working closely with the city in the future in many areas including education exchange programmes, healthcare and agriculture. In addition, many new business links have been made today and I would like to extend a welcome to you to visit Hezhou in the future to continue to develop close relations between our cities.” Phil Dutton from the Worcestershire Ambassadors also added: “We are now looking to take the relationship to the next stage by developing an Investment Platform for the Chinese Business men and women to invest in the UK – with the aim of attracting inward investment for Worcestershire”.

UK UNDERGOING ‘TWO-TIER’ GROWTH ACCORDING TO RECENT BCC SURVEY RESULTS The 2nd Quarter 2015 results of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) show the services industry performing much better than the manufacturing sector. Most service sector balances saw small increases in Q2 2015 and are now higher than their average pre-recession levels. Results for domestic and export balances were mixed but overall growth levels for sales and orders remained broadly static. Manufacturing balances on the other hand, fell in all key areas this quarter and are now mostly lower than pre-recession averages Commenting on the results, Mike Ashton, Chief Executive of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “In Quarter 2 2015 QES results, there are signs of continued economic growth but this is driven mostly by the service sector. The manufacturing sector shows decline in most key areas nationally and highlights obstacles facing the sector. Locally, the manufacturing sector results are static and many key areas remain constant. The service sector follows the same pattern as national results with an increase in most key areas and positive figures.”

TAKE PART IN THE Q3 SURVEY The applications close for Q3 2015 on the 16 September 2015. If you would like to fill in the survey to voice your concerns or tell us how well business has been lately, please follow the link below to the survey.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY: AT THE HEART OF THE CHAMBER The Equality and Human Rights Commission recently conducted a survey which suggests that thousands of working women in Britain run the risk of losing their jobs if they become pregnant and try to return back to work. 11% of those questioned reported they were dismissed, made compulsorily redundant where other work colleagues were not, or treated so poorly they felt they had to leave their jobs and 20% experienced harassment or negative comments from their colleagues or employers. Mike Ashton, Chief Executive of Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, commented: “As an employer we recognise how important it is to retain good skills and employees. By being flexible we have been very successful in retaining experienced staff. It is important for businesses in the two counties to recognise that they are at risk of losing talented employees if they believe pregnancy is bad for business.” Equality is at the heart of the Chamber and that’s why we are taking a number of steps to help tackle this through involvement in events this autumn. This September the Chamber is working alongside Worcestershire County Council on the Women2Web project which has already helped 300 local business women start up and grow online. The project provides the opportunity for women returning back to work to gain confidence with free networking sessions, mentoring and digital training. For more information please email: ljeynes@ worcestershire.gov.uk On Tuesday 13 October, 9.00am – 13.30pm, the Chamber is supporting the 9th Annual Diversity & Equalities event taking place at the University of Worcester. The theme of the conference is ‘Building Inclusive Communities’ and features our Chief Executive, Mike Ashton as a speaker. The conference will explore how, as organisations and as individuals, we can contribute around four key areas: Family, School, University and Employment. For more information please email: rsvp@worc.ac.uk

www.surveymonkey.com/s/QESQ32015

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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FOCUSONRECRUITMENT

HOW MANY EMPLOYERS SERIOUSLY CONSIDER HOW IT FEELS TO APPLY TO THEIR ORGANISATION FOR A JOB? LOUISE HEWETT Attracting candidates is always at the front of our minds but once we have attracted them – what happens next? Employers are spending more on employer branding and talent attraction but recent data shows that the candidate experience is actually getting worse. A new piece of research hot off the press called ‘The Candidate Strikes Back’ highlights why it is so very important to pay attention to the experience people have when they apply for a job. In this skills and people short market we are all being judged as employers – candidates have much more choice and are more value driven. Communication is key and feedback throughout the process, particularly to unsuccessful candidates. In this recent research 80% of respondents did not receive any feedback from their last application or job interview. This is bad news for the reputation of those employers and damaging to their employer brand. One in four people have talked to other people in their professional networks about an organisations recruitment processes and more worryingly one in ten

have advised someone not to apply for a role based on their own experience. Businesses simply cannot afford for this to happen in this period of growth where there is so much competition to attract the best people and talent we need to achieve that growth. As employers we need to keep improving and evolving in these challenging times, so that the candidate has a positive experience to tell their on and offline network about us every single time, whether or not they are offered the job. ‘The Candidate Strikes Back’ is available free of charge to employers who sign up to the ‘Good Recruitment Campaign’. The GRC offers a range of information, advice and guidance completely free of charge to employers. This is a national campaign created by employers for employers promoted through the Recruitment & Employment

Confederation and endorsed by the CBI and CIPD and supported by many national organisations. Several local organisations are already leading the way in Worcestershire including Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, Southco, mfg Solicitors, Malvern Instruments, Warriors and Roxel. By joining this campaign you will not only receive access to all the resources and support but your organisation will be making a public commitment to Good Recruitment Practice, sending out a positive message about your organisation to all potential candidates. For more information and to find out how to access your free copy of ‘The Candidate Strikes Back’ contact Louise Hewett: louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk or visit www.rec.uk.com/goodrecruitment www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk

Hewett Recruitment offer temporary and permanent recruitment solutions from the shop floor to the boardroom. Our team of professional consultants have an outstanding reputation delivering ‘Recognisably Better Service.” Get in touch to book your free consultation louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk Kidderminster 01562 69090

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Worcester 01905 613413

September/October 2015

BUSINESSNEWS Successful company The Smart Actuator Company Ltd

Warriors winger Cooper Vuna in action against Bristol last season.

WARRIORS SET FOR EXCITING NEW CAMPAIGN

UPCOMING CONFERENCE TO PROMOTE EU GRANT FUNDING FOR BUSINESSES The European Union have simplified the process by which SME’s can apply for and obtain Grant Funding to help grow their businesses in a scheme called Horizon 2020. The scheme was launched in 2014 and has already granted three companies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire up to £2.5 million. Hereford & Worcester Conservative Business Forums are holding a conference on 16 October to explain how businesses can win grants under the scheme. The conference will be held at The Council Chambers in Great Malvern with Mike Ashton as the Chairman. The program will cover what EU grants are available under

This latest award reflects the hard work of all Kingspan Insulation staff and marks another major milestone in the firm’s journey. The WCOM programme covers nine different areas including engagement, quality, maintenance, and production, with an overall level based on the scores for each area. Most of Kingspan Insulation’s work at the site has focused on improvements in manufacturing processes

The action kicks off at Sixways on Saturday 5 September when Warriors host the world-famous Barbarians and their star-studded side! Dean Ryan’s team then take part in several more pre-season clashes including a mouth-watering derby at home to local rivals Wasps on Saturday 26 September. The league action finally gets underway on Friday 16 October under the Friday night lights when 2014 Premiership champions Northampton Saints come to town. www.warriors.co.uk

the scheme, tips for applying and how to use Grant Funding to grow your business and exports. Tony O’Donnell, Chairman of one of the successful companies, The Smart Actuator Company in Malvern, said “The process of application in itself is a really good thing for any SME to go through. Win or lose you will be a better company as you go through the self-assessment, business planning and goal setting that are part of the application. Then if you win, the champagne can flow!” To find out more email events@hwchamber.co.uk

KINGSPAN GETS GOLD Kingspan Insulation has once again proven that local manufacturing facilities are right up there with the best in the world after its site near Pembridge was awarded a World Class Operation Management (WCOM) Gold award.

After an incredible turnaround in the Championship Final, Warriors secured promotion back to the Aviva Premiership at the first time of asking and now look forward to an exciting 2015/16 campaign. Season Ticket prices have recently been revealed where supporters can watch their side in action from as little as £240 for the whole season – which also includes a mammoth 12 Warriors games and three Worcester Cavaliers fixtures!

which has seen significant progress. Waste has been cut by 70 per cent in the last eight years on the production line for the firm’s premium performance Kooltherm insulation range. As part of the WCOM process, the facility will be externally audited and scored every year, which will help support Kingspan Insulation’s continuous improvement. www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

FOOTBALL CLUB UNDERGOES REFURBISHMENT TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS West Bromwich Albion Football Club have recently been aiming to become more than just a football club by offering facilities that cater for conferences and events to meet almost any requirements. Not only is The Hawthorns a unique setting for conferences and events, but it is also one of the most accessible venues in the country. Due to a recent refurbishment, the Club now have many suites finished to a superb quality, including their largest and most highly regarded Richardson Suite. For further details regarding the facilities or events on offer, please contact the Conferences & Events team on conferences@wbafc.co.uk www.wba.co.uk

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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BUSINESSNEWS

LOVE CYCLING AGAIN WITH THE NEW GTECH EBIKE In 2012 Gtech reinvented the vacuum cleaner when they launched the award winning cordless Gtech AirRam. Now Gtech has turned its design expertise to the world of cycling, starting with a high-quality, lightweight cycle. The complicated gears and oily chain have been removed and a discrete motor and carbon drive belt added. To the naked eye it looks like a cool urban bike with a drinks bottle, but look closer and the drinks bottle is actually a lithium-ion battery, the same high performance technology used to power hybrid cars. Gtech CEO and Founder, Nick Grey comments: ‘It’s fantastic to hear people’s reaction when they ride the eBike. They love the fact no one can tell it’s electric and when they ride it, they feel like Olympic cyclists’.

20 per cent of the eBike’s assembly is done in the Midlands, which is the company’s first step towards its aspiration to bring at least half of its manufacturing to the UK. Nick Grey comments: “Our new eBike is an important milestone. Assembly in the UK means you can go online and design your bike on a Monday and be riding it on Thursday.’ www.gtech.co.uk/ebike

Marketing communications agency, Gough Bailey Wright (GBW), has welcomed Bromsgrove MP and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Rt Hon Sajid Javid, to its new office opening ceremony in celebration of the company’s continued growth and success. Providing advertising, PR and the full suite of marketing services in the region since 1936, the company is also celebrating 10 years since a management buyout by owners Sue Bailey and Michelle Wright.

CB, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS CHAMPIONING ‘CLOUD ACCOUNTING’

The move will ensure the agency continues to dazzle clients, thrive as a business and create local jobs. Three new team members, including a local apprentice, have already been appointed.

CB, Chartered Accountants have appointed a ‘Cloud Champion’, Senior Manager Dan Jackson, who will spearhead the campaign to promote cloud accounting to local businesses.

Rt Hon Sajid Javid said: “Gough Bailey Wright is a fantastic example of a local business which continues to grow and succeed, creating jobs and doing its bit for Midlands business and the creative industry. I’m only too happy to officially open the new office and I wish GBW all the best as it enters this exciting new era.”

Dan said, ’If you want your business to work smarter and faster, cloud accounting software could be a prudent investment. Working in the cloud will give you a better overview of your finances, and improve collaboration with your team. You can log in online

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The eBike is simple; just pedal and the motor will automatically engage to assist you, and brake to slow down. It is lightweight, strong and designed to last with an aluminium alloy frame. It is also easy to maintain and easy to charge with a lightweight removable battery: A 3-hour charge provides power for a 30 mile trip and the pack can be recharged over a thousand times, covering 30,000 miles.

CABINET MINISTER JOINS GOUGH BAILEY WRIGHT FOR OFFICIAL OFFICE LAUNCH

anytime, anywhere, on your Mac, PC, tablet or phone to get a real-time view of your cashflow.’ ‘The number of clients requesting a cloud based solution continues to grow, and this demand is changing the face of the accounting industry.’ ‘A number of clients have embraced cloud accounting systems and are delighted with how it has transformed their business.’ www.cbcharteredaccountants.com

www.gough.co.uk

September/October 2015

Shobdon Airfield – Herefordshire’s best kept secret A great place to fly from, a great place to fly to, a great place to be.... Just 10 miles (as the plane flies) from Hereford city centre lies Hereford and Worcestershire’s only licensed airfield - Shobdon Airfield, the Word War II airfield, now home of Herefordshire Aero Club. As one of very few CAA Approved Training Organisations throughout the UK, we offer a broad programme of flight training to the highest standard in our fleet of club aircraft. We handle well over 20,000 aircraft movements each year - from Microlight aircraft (Swift Light Flight Microlight Training has a base here at Shobdon) to substantial general aviation aircraft capable of carrying 12 passengers. Rotary charter flights regularly bring in shooting parties and business visitors whilst Tiger Helicopters Ltd, also based on the airfield has managed significant overseas training contracts at Shobdon. Add to this the Herefordshire Gliding Club and (soon to join us) the brand new Herefordshire Parachute Centre, not to mention the now famous Hotspur Cafe and Bar to see how Shobdon Airfield covers so many different aspects of aviation, right on your doorstep. We look forward to welcoming Chamber members – to come to watch planes fly; to take to the skies or to find out how Shobdon Airfield and Herefordshire Aero Club can work with you and your business.

Call 01568708369 Shobdon Airfield –Shobdon, Herefordshire HR6 9NR

www.shobdonairfield.co.uk

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BUSINESSNEWS

HANDISCOOP GETS APPROVAL FROM AMANDA HOLDEN IN TV DEBUT Ledbury Sales & Innovation’s HandiScoop were invited to the set of ITV’s This Morning earlier this year for a feature called Mucky Pets. The feature was in response to Barking & Dagenham being the first UK council to use doggy DNA testing to trace irresponsible dog owners who do not clean up after their pets. Currently the fine for this is £50-£80, refusing to pay may lead to you being taken to court and receiving a fine of up to £1000.

Steve Wilson demonstrated how easy and practical HandiScoop is to use and the benefits of preloading it with 3 bags before going out for a walk. Amanda Holden requested a HandiScoop and the company were delighted to send her one on returning to the office. They also received a great response at the RHS Spring Flower Show from people who had seen the feature. www.handiscoop.com

SME SOLICITORS SIMPLIFIES ‘OVERAGE’ Overage describes a sum of money, which a seller may be entitled to receive in the future in addition to the sale price, if the land previously owned by him increases in value. Normally when land is sold, the seller will do his best to try and get the best possible price for the land. Sometimes, however, this will not be attained until a future time or it may not be achieved at all. For example, planning permission may be granted which greatly increases the value of the land but at the time of sale neither party knows whether the permission will be granted. In this instance an overage clause will protect the seller’s interests and enable them to share in any enhanced value of the property. Tim Pimblett of SME Solicitors advises: “Whilst the basic concept of an overage agreement is fairly easy to understand. In practice they can be quite tricky to draft in order to accurately protect the sellers interests. It is therefore essential to ensure that any agreement is as tightly drafted as possible.” www.smesolicitors.co.uk

MALVERN INSTRUMENTS ONLINE ANALYZER HELPS OPTIMISE WATER TREATMENT PROCESS Clarification is a process of coagulation and sedimentation that is used to remove suspended particles in raw water and is a critical step in drinking water purification.

SUTCLIFFE & CO WIN £10,000 TO BUILD OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers were delighted to win £10,000 from the 2015 Aviva Community Fund to support Raddlebarn Primary School in their bid to build a new outdoor classroom. Raddlebarn is an urban school with limited outdoor facilities, at full capacity with a large number of pupils with specialist needs. They were in desperate need of a place where children and the local community could meet, work and play. Raddlebarn was selected from hundreds of entries across the UK due to the significant positive impact their project will have and the strength of local support it generated.

Malvern Instruments’ new Zetasizer WT online analyzer is helping water plant operators to control coagulation processes with enhanced levels of accuracy and confidence. The system measures zeta potential, a parameter that directly quantifies the charge of colloidal particles in the water and predicts the likelihood of coagulation. Through continuous monitoring Zetasizer WT delivers the precise and reliable data needed for optimizing chemical dosage levels. It reduces reliance on largely manual and user-dependent alternatives, which provide little insight as to how to alter operational parameters in response to changing conditions, and provides a level of confidence and specificity absent in other online techniques. www.malvern.com/ZetasizerWT

www.sutcliffeinsurance.co.uk 018

September/October 2015

BUSINESSNEWS

MULTIPLE SUCCESSES FOR WORKPLACE WELLBEING The first half of 2015 has brought great news to Herefordshire based occupational health provider, Workplace Wellbeing. In January Workplace Wellbeing were proud to be selected as the new occupational health provider to Lucozade, Ribena, and Suntory (LRS) based in nearby Coleford, Gloucestershire, and are pleased to be providing this well-known energy drinks company with a full occupational health service, including sickness absence case management, pre placement medicals, health surveillance, and the provision of bespoke Wellness Education days to all UK LRS sites.

NEW PHILOSOPHY FOR BISHOP PEROWNE C OF E COLLEGE September means the start of the first full year as Headteacher at Bishop Perowne C of E College for Mark Pollard. Having joined the school in April, Mark has already made significant improvements with a vision of making it the school of choice in the local area. An ‘Endeavour Forever’ philosophy has been introduced to encourage students to make every effort to always be the best they can. Mark explains: “Endeavour Forever is something we take extremely seriously. It enables everyone at the school to have a common goal of helping our students strive to reach their full potential and develop into responsible and accomplished young adults.” Under the leadership of Mark Pollard, the school will additionally be increasing its range of extra-curricular activities to aid each individual student’s personal development. The Senior Leadership Team will also be highly visible amongst parents and students, building excellent relationships and improving communication across the whole school. www.bishopperowne.co.uk

LOCAL MP PAYS A VISIT TO ROCK POWER CONNECTIONS Worcester’s MP Robin Walker; a passionate advocate of local business, visited Rock Power Connections to discuss development opportunities and how investment in training has been pivotal in growing skills and securing new business. Robin, a former member of the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee, who is now PPS to the Education Secretary, expressed his enthusiasm for developing and retaining local talent by building training and employment opportunities within the city – a sentiment shared by Rock Power Connections. As specialists in building electrical substations, the company has provided a gateway to a niche career by up skilling local electricians to work on the high voltage electricity network. Commercial Director, Kev Sankar said: “It’s great to see our local MP taking a personal interest in growing SMEs. Our discussion highlighted the opportunities across the Worcester area and how we hope to collaborate with other local businesses to support the exciting growth taking place.”

Members of the Workplace Wellbeing Team set up an Occupational Health Clinic in Kurdistan

This announcement was closely followed by the news that Workplace Wellbeing had been selected to provide a general health surveillance package to Malvern based company Organic Waste Ltd, while in May they heard that they had been selected to provide a bespoke training package to occupational healthcare staff based in Kurdistan, Iraq. Well done Workplace Wellbeing! www.workplace-wellbeing.com

MOMENTUM SCHOLARSHIP ON OFFER FOR RECENENTLY EMPLOYED GRADUATES Are you employing a new graduate this year? Then you will want to achieve the best results for your business and have a flexible and knowledgeable employee, increasing both personal and business potential. At no cost to local employers, we have places under the Momentum Scholarship, enabling your new graduate to apply for a fully-funded Masters course, supplemented by a bursary. The Momentum Scholarship develops business leadership and management tools and understanding, ensuring graduates can apply their knowledge directly into their workplace. Graduates, from any UK University, must have achieved a 2:1 or higher in their chosen subject and will have started their degree in 2012 and paid the higher University tuition fees of 6-9K since they started. Applications will be scored on qualifying criteria defined on the Worcester Business School website and the two-year part-time programme starts September 2015. Contact Lisa Loudon at Worcester Business School on 01905 542445 or l.loudon@worc.ac.uk for more details. www.worcester.ac.uk

www.rockpowerconnections.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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ADVERTORIALFEATURE

LLOYDS BANK STAFF SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH LOCAL CHARITY ENGAGEMENT Staff from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in Worcester have helped to raise money for good causes after taking part in fundraising events to support two local charities. The first initiative saw the local team work with the Life After Stroke Centre in Bromsgrove to count cash donations, as well as helping to complete essential maintenance work, including the assembly of outdoor furniture for patients to use during the summer. Also in support of the centre, staff welcomed the Stroke Association to the Lloyds Bank branch in Worcester, where customers were offered free blood pressure tests to raise awareness of the condition among local people.

Rupert Harris, senior manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in Worcester, said: “Through the Group’s Helping Britain Prosper Plan, we’re committed to supporting the community throughout the Worcestershire region, and working with great causes such as the Life After Stroke Centre and Arthritis Research. “We’re proud to have donated our time and efforts to raise funds for the charities, and will continue to partner with organisations to offer the support they need to continue their good work in our community.” Lloyds Bank is keen to continue to support local businesses as well as charities. For more information, please contact Rupert Harris, senior manager for SME Banking at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in Worcester on 07584 263457.

Meanwhile, a second charity partnership saw the bank’s SME commercial team organise and host a quiz night at the recently refurbished restaurant at St Peters Garden Centre in Norton, where £3,492 was raised for Arthritis Research.

Have you considered outsourcing your payroll? n There are 160 pieces of legislation impacting on payroll and pensions! Are your payroll personnel up to date? n All employers will be required to provide workplace pensions under Auto Enrolment. Are you aware of your statutory obligations and Staging date for compliance? n Contractors have an obligation to tax subcontractors and report monthly to HMRC. Do you pay subcontractors within the construction industry – Are you complying? First Class Payroll Limited is a specialist payroll bureau delivering payroll solutions to small and medium sized enterprises. We are able to deal with all your payroll needs including, the calculation of statutory payments, Auto Enrolment and CIS Returns efficiently and cost effectively. For further information contact: Natalie Collett MICB PM.DIP or Ken Bell AICB PM.DIP on 01299 829515 Email: office@firstclasspayroll.co.uk | www. firstclasspayroll.co.uk Regulated by The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

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September/October 2015

GETTING CREATIVE WITH BUSINESS COACHING Worcester based business coaching specialists Zentano are celebrating another successful relationship – this time with local design consultancy Stilo. As part of the government’s Growth Accelerator scheme, Zentano director Dave Morris worked closely with the team to build an effective business strategy, maximise performance and expand the creative team. “The contribution Dave made to the business was immediately noticeable” said Creative Director Ian Woodley. “The focus he gave us on planning, structure and analysing key strengths went straight through to our bottom line. Profit levels have doubled in just 12 months, and we have brought new services to market in the form of bespoke business iPad tools through our StiloMedia business. In particular, a workshop on building better client relationships was fascinating, and has helped transform the way we deal with our clients. “More than that, we now have an effective business relationship and sounding board moving forward to help achieve our future growth targets.” www.zentanogroup.co.uk www.brandstilo.co.uk | www.stilomedia.co.uk

English Language Training Services for Business English Language Courses We specialise in English courses for adults, aged typically 30-65 years. High quality courses to suit all abilities and needs, focussing on confidence. Study here in the UK or online via Skype. www.kingsway-english.com

Apartments We have 2 stylish Self-Catering Apartments for rent in a quiet yet central city location in Worcester, UK. Short-term lets in multiples of one week. Ideal for professionals and other visitors to Worcester. www.kingsway-apartments.com

Meeting/Training Rooms We have a variety of room sizes available to hire from 2 - 20 people; ideal for private meetings, away days and training events. Tea, coffee and catering facilities available if required. We are located 200 metres from Worcester Foregate Street train station. www.kingsway-meetingrooms.com

VISTAGE TAKES SHAPE IN HEREFORD & WORCESTER The first tranche of local SME leaders have successfully taken up seats in Hereford & Worcester’s new Vistage group led by Vistage Chair Ian Harris. Vistage groups are carefully chosen to ensure a diverse range of expertise on the board. There are about 80 such groups across the UK, and vary in their membership according to particular features of the area. Ian has been focussing selection efforts to ensure that the broad range of industries and companies present in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are correctly represented. Typically only one seat is allowed for each type of industry, with a group size of between 12 and 16 members. Vistage Chairs in neighbouring areas such as Birmingham, Gloucestershire and South Wales work closely with Ian to ensure that potential candidates are appropriately matched to their best geography. Although company type and geography are important, the main driver for candidate selection is personality! Vistage members are chosen for their openness, ambitions for growth, and willingness to be challenged. Ian has been impressed with the range and quality of business leaders in our area and is delighted with the calibre of group membership so far. Vistage is the world’s leading Executive Peer-Group Organisation for Managing Directors, Chief Executives and other business leaders and already has a growing membership of 1,000 members in the UK. Business Leaders who think they may fit the bill and are interested in the remaining seats should contact Ian. www.vistage.co.uk/ian-harris www.linkedin.com/in/ian21harris

Kingsway English Centre Telephone +44 1905 619877 Email: info@kingsway-english.com 40 Foregate St, Worcester WR1 1EE

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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ADVERTORIALFEATURE

PRINT STRATEGY EUROPE

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FOURTH BUSINESS AWARD FINALS IN 12 MONTHS FOR PRINT STRATEGY EUROPE Having already made the finals of 3 national business awards Droitwich based print management company Print Strategy Europe have now been shortlisted for their most prestigious award to date, the SME of the Year for Worcestershire. Chosen by the Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce, themselves a winner of the Chamber of the Year in 2013, this really is one of the showpiece events in the business calendar, highlighting the role of business as a positive force for the UK recovery and for local communities. 022

To be recognised as one of the best businesses in the area is a real highlight in Print Strategy Europe’s 20 years of trading. Managing Director Rob Newton comments: “The past 12 months have been so exciting, our business is growing, we’ve got the best team we’ve ever had and now we’re being officially recognised as one of the best businesses in the area by HW Chamber – what an honour!” Other awards within the last 12 months include: n Technology of the year awards from the internationally recognised publication Retail Week for work carried out with award winning Luxury Chocolatier and UK success story Hotel Chocolat

n Apprentice Employer of the Year awards given to businesses who provide exceptional opportunities and training to apprentices through the Government Scheme n SME of the Year awards. The HW Chamber awards are recognition and reward for success innovation and hard work for businesses in the Hereford and Worcestershire area. n Kidderminster College Employer of the Year award is given as recognition for the opportunity and training given to apprentices who are now full time employees who carry out important key positions within Print Strategy Europe

September/October 2015

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

PROVIDING YOU WITH THE BEST ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS CLT Electrical & Data provide a full range of electrical services from rewires to new installations operating predominately within the commercial office fit-out and industrial sectors. Our electricians have extensive experience in electrical contracting and whether you require a few extra sockets or a complete electrical installation we can offer a solution that is tailor made specifically to your requirements.

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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BUSINESSNEWS

AMCO GETS INVOLVED IN JAGUAR LAND ROVER’S SPECIAL VEHICLES OPERATION

HEWETT RECRUITMENT HELP BUILD TALENT FOR GROWTH Mapa Spontex UK Ltd, based in Worcester, have an ambitious strategy in place to grow profit and brand share and recognise the importance of having the right people in place to achieve their goals. Hewett Recruitment have successfully identified and placed dedicated and spirited team members there for over 15 years! Robert Gibbons MD explained “Hewett Recruitment

have played a key role in helping them find the right people to help drive our business forward and become a better place to work. They understand our business and the type of people we want to be part of our team. Many of the people recruited by Hewett’s have moved through our business into more senior positions and are helping deliver year on year growth.” www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk

AMCO Services International is to play a significant part in the continuing global success of Jaguar Land Rover by providing specialist logistics for the group’s new Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) unit. Having secured the highly-prized ‘Global Supplier Status’ from JLR, AMCO will be managing ‘Just in Time’ logistics (JIT) for the specialist paint finishing orders, transporting primed vehicle bodies from JLR’s Solihull plant to Ryton. The SVO unit is dedicated to serving the most demanding of JLR’s customers, offering a range of exciting options including ultra-fast derivatives of current models, heritage based vehicles and the highest levels of specification imaginable, as well as a full range of extras, custom paint and trim options. Customers will even have the chance to see an impressive full-size screen with visuals of their custom vehicle design. www.amcoservices.co.uk

STABLES CONFERENCE CENTRE MAKES TECH SAVVY STEPS FOR THE FUTURE

ALPHAQUAD OFFERS FREE DIGITAL MARKETING REVIEW FOR MANUFACTURERS With 76 per cent of adults in Great Britain accessing the internet every single day last year, effective online marketing represents a huge opportunity that your manufacturing business is missing out on - especially if you are in a sector where one new order can be the difference between an average month and a great month. A well-structured and user-friendly website is a start, but your business needs to be visible wherever your 024

customers are online. Digital marketing allows you to reach out to a wide audience of new customers, promote your products or services to interested people and, ultimately, generate new leads for your business.

The Stables have made a number of steps to become more tech savvy over the summer, just in time for a busy autumn ahead. A new mobile-friendly website went live in early July to help busy customers view the website from all devices with the greatest of ease. They have also launched a new promotional video, so for those who haven’t yet visited us, this will be available from the website and on You Tube.

To demonstrate how online marketing can benefit your manufacturing business, award-winning agency AlphaQuad is offering a free digital marketing review from one of their highly experienced digital strategists.

There are some exciting new additions to the Stables such as Electric Car Charging and the ability to pay by VISA/Mastercard. The Stables venue has a free charging point for electric cars and anticipates that it will come in handy. They have also started accepting payment by card which will be available for companies both large and small.

www.alphaquad.co.uk/manufacturing

www.thestablesconferencecentre.co.uk

September/October 2015

Get with the Cloud or get left behind

We’re Oosha – one of the leading providers of cloud, hosted and managed IT services in the UK. We deliver IT services & solutions to both SME and Enterprise level UK businesses. Following a ‘Make IT simple’ approach, our core focus in on providing IT services that deliver ‘real business benefits’. We pride ourselves on giving open and honesty consultancy & believe in educating clients on how IT services can improve the day-to-day operations, security and cost efficiency of their business.

List of our services n n n n n n n

IT Support & Managed Services Cloud Solutions Disaster Recovery Hosted Desktop Connectivity VoIP Telephony Hosting

Want To Move Your Business To The Cloud? Although today’s business owners are becoming more tech savvy, ‘The Cloud’ is still very much a confusing concept for some. Some companies are yet to be convinced that moving to the ‘Cloud’ is right for their business whilst others fully understand & appreciate the benefits but still struggle with the question of ‘HOW’? Want to migrate part of your organisations IT to ‘The Cloud’ or just understand the benefits of the technology for your business? Then speak to our friendly and approachable team here at Oosha. Whether you’re looking to move your entire infrastructure to the cloud or simply your email, data or a business critical application, we’re here to help.

Need Some Advice? Call us on 0845 1234 766 or email us on sales@oosha.co.uk

www.oosha.co.uk Join us on

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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CHAMBEREVENTS

STILL TIME TO BOOK, FINAL PLACES SELLING FAST!!!!! CHAMBER EXPO EVENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH HEWETT RECRUITMENT The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce will be holding its next Business Expo in association with Hewett Recruitment on Thursday 8 October from 9.30am-3pm at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern. The exhibition is one of Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s biggest business events attracting over 125 stands and over 1000 visitors and is a great place to: n Make new contacts n Catch up with friends and business contacts n Tell people about your business n Meet local suppliers Kick-starting with a networking breakfast at 8.00am featuring our Keynote Speaker, Simon Gibson - CEO of the Wesley Clover Group, the exhibition officially opens at 9.30am and includes the following elements: n The Innovation Zone Sponsored by WInnCo - This Zone will include details of innovation, funding and collaboration within Worcestershire. Specifically focused on the Worcestershire Innovation Wednesday events which have been running on a monthly basis with a key focus on themes such as Agri-tech, Cyber and Advanced Manufacturing. n Malvern Festival of Innovation - As part of the week long programme the Festival of Innovation will be teaming up with the Chamber of Commerce Business Expo to deliver a day devoted to instilling innovation in the heart of your business. Whether you need to protect intellectual property, secure

funding, start a new venture, or grow an existing enterprise, this session focuses on how to think creatively in your business operations. Join us for a free-to-attend programme of talks, case studies and our exciting entrepreneur elevator pitching session in front of a panel of experts. Full details of the Festival can be found at www.festival-innovation.com n Networking Zone sponsored by SME Solicitors - The Networking Zone is a lively hub of activity at the Expo, with free tea and coffee provided to all attendees by WaterCooler World. There are also a number of tables and chairs around which attendees can sit and do business and arrange to meet up with associates. n Apprentices Lunch ‘Future Business Leaders’ sponsored by borwell Ltd & V8Media - This is a new addition to the Business Expo celebrating our apprentices. The lunch will run from 12.00 – 2.00pm and will be for employed apprentices only. You will have the opportunity to hear from other apprentices about how the project has worked for them. This is a bookable event, please email events@hwchamber.co.uk – FREE OF CHARGE An exhibition stand (including one free breakfast) costs members £275+VAT and non-members £350+VAT. Places are available at the breakfast for £17.50+VAT for members and £22.50+VAT for non-members. To find out more visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/expos, email events@hwchamber.co.uk or phone 01905 673600

Women’s Business Conference in Association with Thorne Widgery and borwell Ltd Friday 18 September - 9.30am – 2.30pm The Abbey Hotel, Malvern. £35.00+VAT Members, £45.00+VAT Non-members Herefordshire and Worcestershire business people are invited to attend our second Women’s Business Conference this September. Meeting at 9.30am for coffee and networking then an opportunity to hear from some inspirational business women from the two counties. This fantastic event provides an opportunity for you to build your network of business contacts, share information about your services and products, increase your bottom line and do it in an entertaining and non-threatening environment. After hearing from our first set of speakers we will then reflect over a two course buffet lunch before we go into the second session of the day to hear from more inspirational women.

OUR SPEAKERS: Clare Marchant – CEO of Worcestershire County Council Claire Galer – Managing Director Derriere Equestrian Ltd Sue Pillar – Associate of the Leadership Trust Rowenna Innocent – Engineering Director at Malvern Instruments To Book please contact events@ hwchamber.co.uk or call 01905 673600

OUR SPONSORS

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September/October 2015

CHAMBEREVENTS

NETWORKING CALENDAR SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015 September 2015 Kidderminster Networking Lunch Tuesday 8 September - 7.30-9.30am Hogarths Stone Manor Hotel, Chaddesley Corbett, Kidderminster, DY10 4PJ £20.00+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Redditch HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Wednesday 9 September - 9.30-11.30am Abbey Hotel, Hither Green Lane, Dagnell End Road, Redditch B98 9BE FREE event for Chamber Members and clients of Hewett Recruitment Worcester Networking Breakfast Thursday 10 September - 7.30-9.30am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Maximise Your Membership Event in association with ISO Quality Services Ltd Friday 11 September - 8.30-11.00am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ FREE to Chamber Members Pershore Networking Breakfast sponsored by Wychavon District Council Tuesday 15 September - 7.30-9.30am Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore WR10 1PT FREE for Members and £17.50+VAT Non-members Hereford Networking Breakfast Wednesday 16 September - 7.30-9.30am Burghill Valley Golf Club, Tillington Road, Burghill, Hereford HR4 7RW £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Worcester Evening Networking Golf Thursday 17 September - 4.00-8.00pm Gaudet Luce Gold Club, Middle Lane, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 7JR £20.00+VAT Members and £25.00+VAT Non-members Women’s Business Conference in association with borwell Ltd and Thorne Widgery Accountancy Friday 18 September - 9.30am-2.30pm Abbey Hotel, Abbey Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3ET £35.00+VAT Members and £45.00+VAT Non-members Worcester HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Wednesday 23 September - 9.30-11.30am Chamber of Commerce, Severn House, Prescott Drive, Wardnon Business Park, Worcester WR4 9NE FREE to Chamber Members and clients of Hewett Recruitment Ross on Wye Networking Breakfast Thursday 24 September - 7.30-9.30am Orles Barn, Wilton, Ross On Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 6AE £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Bromsgrove Networking Lunch Friday 25 September - 12.30-2.30pm Holiday Inn Birmingham-Bromsgrove, Kidderminster Road, Bromsgrove B61 9AB £20.00+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Hereford Curry Club in association with Harrisons Business Recovery and Insolvency Friday 25 September - 12.30-2.30pm The Den Restaurant, 17A West Street, Hereford HR4 0BX £15.00+VAT Members and Non-members Herefordshire Innovation Growth Event in association with University of Wolverhampton Friday 25 September - 8.00 – 10.00am Arctic Circle, Coldnose Court, Rotherwas Industrial Estate, Hereford HR2 6JL FREE event for Chamber Members – to book email gwene@ hwchamber.co.uk (Businesses with 11 employees or more only) Sustainable Futures for your Business in association with mfg, NatWest and Lombard Wednesday 30 September - 8.00 – 10.30am Worcester, Bosch, Cotswold Way, Warndon, Worcester WR 4 9SW FREE to attend including continental breakfast and refreshments

October 2015 Malvern Networking Breakfast Thursday 1 October - 7.30-9.30am Abbey Hotel, Abbey Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3ET £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Redditch Networking Breakfast Tuesday 6 October - 7.30-9.30am Redditch Golf Club, Lower Grinsty, Green Lane, Callow Hill, Redditch B97 5PJ £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members Hereford Women’s Business Forum in association with Thorne Widgery Accountancy Tuesday 6 October - 9.30-11.30am Thorne Widgery, 2 Wyevale Business Park, Kings Acre, Hereford HR4 7BS £10.00+VAT Members and £20.00 Non-members (Businesses with 11 employees or more only) Worcestershire Innovation Growth Event in association with University of Wolverhampton Tuesday 6 October - 8.00 – 10.00am QinetiQ, St. Andrews Road, Malvern WR14 3PS FREE event for Chamber Members – to book email gwene@ hwchamber.co.uk Malvern Curry Club in association with Sharpmonkeys Tuesday 13 October - 6.00-8.00pm Anupam, 85 Church Street, Great Malvern WR14 2AE £17.50+VAT Members and Non-members Hereford HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Wednesday 14 October - 9.30-11.30am Thorne Widgery, 2 Wyevale Business Park, Kings Acre, Hereford HR4 7BS FREE event for Chamber Members and clients of Hewett Recruitment Worcester Networking Breakfast Thursday 15 October - 7.30-9.30am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members NEW – Pizza Club Friday 16 October - 12.30-2.30pm Benedictos Italian Restaurant, 34 Sidbury, Worcester, Worcestershire WR1 2HZ £17.50+VAT Members and £35.00+VAT Non-members 027

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September/October 2015

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September/October 2015

FOCUSONLEARNINGANDDEVELOPMENT

HOW TRANSFORMATIVE IS YOUR TRAINING? Whether you’re a business leader ensuring profitable and sustainable business, a Human Resources (HR) or Learning & Development (L&D) specialist, you want to ensure that you’re realising the full potential of your workforce, right?

The majority of employers focus investment in training or workforce development on improving technical or functional skills. Does it transform people’s work and performance? Truthfully it probably creates a ‘step up’, not a Step Change. And more importantly how well does it serve working life in the first quarter of the 21st Century? Flatter organisational structures, targets or KPIs devolved to teams driving the pace of working life, changing ways of delivering customer value – today’s work environment doesn’t need more technical skills, it needs a different mind-set at every level of the business: a game-changer like 3D printing.

TRANSFORMING JOB ROLES Take a 21st Century Manager – maybe someone like you? Technology has removed much traditional analysis, performance monitoring and communication functions from the manager. Her team is probably smaller than it used to be and required to be increasingly multi-functional. No longer transactional, the essence of the 21st Century Manager’s job is to lead and coax top performance from teams, to develop productive relationships by building trust, shared focus and accountability for goals. In fact it’s more like being a Coach than a Manager! Transforming this manager’s self-perception from a source of command and control to someone who coaches great performance creating opportunities for individuals to perform and grow professionally – that requires transformative learning to create a paradigm shift – a shift in her ‘world-view’ of her work.

The same is true of team members whose job roles are re-moulded to meet shifting requirements. They need an equivalent transformative shift in their “world-view” too. Does the training you offer do that?

FROM HUMAN CAPITAL TO PEOPLE PROFIT Getting the best from people is the goal of every successful business – one which predicts ultimate success. People aren’t widgets though. At whatever level of the business, they’re living examples of insight, creativity, problem solving and autonomous decision-making. Your challenge is to coax that potential into the workplace. Tapping into someone’s inherent desire to do a great job, speaking to their motivations and giving them opportunity to perform beyond current limits creates a workforce that can contribute limitlessly to business success. Now we’re tapping into people’s discretionary capital – what they choose to put into their work because it benefits them on multiple levels – which ultimately creates success at the bottom line. I call it People Profit.

Image: Davide Guglielmo & Microsoft Clipart

People Profit is about crafting an individual’s ability to perform at their best in their job role and achieve fulfilment and happiness at work, which enhances the team’s effectiveness and leads to unprecedented business success.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Amplifying people’s ability to perform individually and together creates the space and opportunity for them to re-shape their world-view of work. Give them new skills and capabilities to realise and exploit their new world-view, and they’ll get the best performance from themselves and others. Now that’s what I call transformative! Liz Watkins-Young is a Director of Rubus. She can be contacted on 01684 878067 www.rubus-services.com

Rubus specialises in improving performance from people. Our powerful programmes transform the way teams perform together and re-model role effectiveness in individuals. Bespoke programmes draw on ‘The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team’, ‘The RESULTs Programme’, DiSC Profiling and ‘The Work of Leaders’.

John McConnachie

Liz Watkins -Young

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CHAMBERTRAINING

DEVELOPING

PEOPLE

TRAIN MORE. GO FURTHER

CHAMBER TRAINING – PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT Chamber Training provides an array of courses that are designed to help you improve the skills and abilities of your staff as your business grows and responsibilities change. All of our courses can be used as part of a series or as stand alone training on particular areas of development.

DEVELOPING PEOPLE Unsurprisingly this is our largest series as it includes ‘Leadership and Management’. We try to include the most common areas for development. This list, as with all the others, is not exhaustive and we are able to provide a much larger range on a bespoke basis to include such things as Project Management. All of the courses in this series are full day courses and run in the Training centre at our Worcester office from 9.30am – 4.30pm The cost per person per course is £150+VAT for Members and £188+VAT for Non-members. If you would like to book a tailored course at your venue, or at the Chamber, or if you would like training in an area that is not listed please call us.

Finance Skills for Non-Finance Managers – If you are struggling to make sense of financial data and information this is the course for you. The Role of the Team Leader – Learn how to lead a team of differing personalities, how to address difficulties and influence in a positive way. Managing Performance in the Team – How to address issues with under performance and inspire staff to effectiveness. Managing People in the Team – Personalities can make or break a team so you need to be able to work with them. How to gain confidence in dealing with issues. Effective Presentation Skills – You need to stand in front of people and speak? How to gain confidence and ensure that you are articulate, constructive and understood. Train the Trainer – If you are constantly trying to coach and explain, come along and learn some invaluable ways to guide and instruct either as a motivational trainer or team member. Mentoring in the Workplace – You have well established staff who are well placed to help new recruits. Why not set up a mentoring system to ensure slick productivity?

Assertiveness and Confidence at Work - Learning to remove the barriers to positive progress. Conducting Effective Team Appraisals - Avoid the pitfalls of negative experiences and make the appraisal system work for you and your staff. Communicating for Success - Prepare yourself for difficult conversations and how you can conduct yourself to deal with any situation. Effective Time Management - A course for anyone with a jumbled list of things to do in their head but a feeling of not quite achieving them. Guaranteed to save you time!

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Motivation, motivation, motivation! How did I manage before you?

FOCUS ON JON WILLIAMS Training has been a part of my role for many years, but I have been training full-time for the last eleven years. I have worked with the Chamber for most of that time, and we have developed the courses for this series over the last few years. Once on an Assertiveness and Confidence course I commented that a delegate apologised too much and she replied quite genuinely ‘I know I do, I’m sorry’. I really enjoy this series of courses as they help people to manage themselves better and to understand why they do things the way they do. It’s a great place to start when you want to change how you behave. I have lots of great memories of different sessions, but probably my favourite is with a local company who managed to produce a presentation as part of their communication course, which included all ten of them doing a sort of ballet dance, I say ‘sort of’ advisedly. There were one or two who were surprisingly good, the rest well let’s just say I laughed at the memory for weeks.

September/October 2015

CHAMBERBUSINESSTRAINING

If your business requires any type of training, coaching or consultancy then the Chamber Training Centre can help you. Please find below a list of courses for September to October 2015

Colour & Grey

SEPTEMBER COURSES Intermediate Microsoft Excel Monday 7 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for members, £188+VAT for Non-members IPR Tuesday 8 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £225+VAT for Members, £250+VAT for Non-members Advanced Guide To Export Documentation Wednesday 9 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £225+VAT for Members, £250+VAT for Non-members Basics of Export Documentation Thursday 10 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £225+VAT for Members, £250+VAT for Non-members Managing People in the Team Tuesday 15 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for Members, £188+ VAT for Non-members IOSH Working Safely Tuesday 15 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for Members, £188+ VAT for Non-members An Introduction to Digital Marketing and PR Thursday 17 September - 9.30am-1.30pm FREE to Members, £100+VAT Non-members Assertiveness and Confidence at Work Tuesday 22 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for Members, £188+ VAT for Non-members Global Marketing: Language and Culture Tuesday 22 September 2015 - 09.30- 13.00 £100+VAT for Members, £125+VAT for Non-members Direct Shipping Wednesday 23 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £225+VAT for Members, £250+VAT for Non-members VAT on Exports Thursday 24 September 2015 - 10.30-13.30 £150+VAT for Members, £175+VAT for Non-members Creating a Customer Care Culture Thursday 24 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for Members, £188+ VAT for Non-members Introduction to Excel Friday 25 September 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for Members, £188+ VAT for Non-members

SEPTEMBER COURSES CONTINUED Search Engine Optimisation Monday 28 September - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Colour & White

Conducting Effective Team Appraisals Tuesday 29 September - 09.30- 16.30 £150+ VAT for Members, £188+ VAT for Non-members IOSH Managing Safely Tuesday 29 Sept - Friday 2 Oct 2015 - 09.30- 16.30 £495+ VAT for Members, £595+ VAT for Non-members

OCTOBER COURSES Tariff Classification Thursday 1 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members Export Licensing Wednesday 7 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members Trading in USA Thursday 8 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members An Introduction to Digital Marketing and PR Monday 12 October - 9.30am-1.30pm FREE to Members, £100+VAT Non-members Role of the Team Leader Tuesday 13 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Incoterms (2010) Wednesday 14 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members Letters of Credit Thursday 15 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members Excel Masterclass *New course* Friday 16 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £175+VAT Members, £220+VAT Non-members NB. Pre-requisite course – Advanced Microsoft Excel Writing Effective Marketing Copy Monday 19 October - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Key:

OCTOBER COURSES CONTINUED Intrastat & Trading in EU Tuesday 20 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members AEO Awareness Wednesday 21 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members Successful Telesales Wednesday 21 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Google Analytics Thursday 22 October - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members Customs Compliance Thursday 22 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members Intermediate Excel Friday 23 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Employment Law Update Friday 23 October - 10.00am-3.00pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Fire Marshal Training Monday 26 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members Train the Trainer Thursday 29 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Advanced Import Procedures Tuesday 27 October - 9.30am – 16:30pm £225+ VAT Members, £250+ VAT Non-members An Introduction to Digital Marketing and PR Wednesday 28 October - 9.30am-1.30pm FREE to Members, £100+VAT Non-members Train the Trainer Thursday 29 October - 9.30am-4.30pm £150+VAT Members, £188+VAT Non-members Running your Business using Cloud Technologies Friday 30 October - 9.30am-1.30pm £80+VAT Members, £100+VAT Non-members

Chamber Training courses delivered to the highest standards by professional and highly qualified trainers and consultants High quality import and export training courses specially designed to help local businesses trade profitably and effectively

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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BIGINTERVIEW

RICHARD SOPER LAUNCHED HIS CAREER BY GETTING INTO HOT WATER Richard Soper CBE has had a remarkable career at Worcester, Bosch driven by his passion for technology and innovation. The former CEO talks about his route to success and what the next phase of technology means to him and for businesses. Just a few weeks ago, before he entered what he called ‘the third stage of the University of Life’ Soper was CEO of Worcester, Bosch Group, a company he originally joined in 1977. His career path started in the practical field of gas engineering, which has stood him in good stead throughout his varied roles around the world. After learning his trade as an apprentice with British Gas, a route he firmly recommends today, he moved into sales and marketing. He was looking for new challenges when a new product concept was introduced by a business called Delta. The combiboiler was revolutionary and Soper’s life was transformed as a result of being in the right place at the right time. “I was in my mid-20s and the first sales person Delta took on to promote the combi system. It was a tremendous opportunity for me to marry my engineering skills in terms of dealing with contractors who fitted the system and my sales knowledge. The business took off and when it was sold to Worcester in 1977 I was part of the package. “We were extraordinarily successful quickly for a number of reasons which very helpfully came together at once. In the ‘70s oil-fired heating was very prevalent, but oil was not as available as it had been due to unrest in the Middle East. “There was also a growing demand for showers rather than baths and more space needed in modern homes without a huge, great water tank upstairs.” Soper goes on to explain combi boilers now make up around 80% of the UK boiler market. He was head-hunted by an international business Pegler, based in Doncaster, where he was a main board director for eight years. Here he had the opportunity to work all over the world, investigating new markets and opportunities, before re-joining Worcester when Bosch bought the business in 1993. Armed with the perfect knowledge and experience to build up his former company he knew so well, and working with a team of like-minded people with a passion for delivering heating and hot water comfort, Soper helped transform it from a £30m turnover business to its current size of over £420m. Soper was made Managing Director in 2001 and once in charge of the whole operation he and his team blazed a trail, embracing technology and innovation and once 034

more reinventing traditional heating systems with the launch of a condensing combiboiler. This was a highly efficient version of its predecessor and, again, increased the size of the business substantially.

Atlanta which will be nett-zero or carbon neutral with a heat pump, photo-voltaic panels, air optimisation and remote controls, which will not only have everything at his fingertips, but save him substantial sums of money.

He also outlines another secret to creating sizeable growth: a passion for customer service. “We made sure we had great support for the installers, the consumer and the specifier, so they all totally understood our products and the benefits they can bring. This relationship building was critical to our growth.”

“I would advise new businesses in the technology sector to make sure they enjoy their profession, believe in their solution to a customer’s needs, work out how to get it to market and make sure they know how their company can add value.

There were further dynamic developments on the horizon for the business as well. Soper explains: “The next phase in technology for the heating sector will be the development of controls to embrace lifestyle changes. For example when people work away from home, like I do, you still need to be able to control your systems. “This development known as ‘the internet of things’ has tremendous potential for remote diagnostics where an engineer can interrogate a system from anywhere in the world. “We will also see a time when buildings become so intuitive it is possible to sense when the outside temperature drops and identify the need to turn the heating and hot water on, for example. “ In keeping with his passion for innovation and his engineering roots, Soper has put his enthusiasm for new technologies, or rather his money, where his mouth is. While having recently returned to the UK from the USA he has just completed a new-build holiday home in

“In the energy sector there are often things which people are amazed by, then adopt and take for granted. I never expected to have central heating back in the ‘70s and now I know I can potentially have a home which creates the perfect ambient temperature for me thousands of miles away without me even touching a button. We are well used to having a complete heating and cooling system in our cars, so what is the difference between that and expecting the same level of comfort in our homes?” Following his retirement from Worcester, Bosch Group, Soper has since agreed to take on a new role with The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) as Director of International Development. In this position he will be working as part of a team of highly experienced professionals who are dedicated to promoting careers in the heating and hot water industry, with the aim of getting more young people involved and encouraging professionalism at every opportunity.

September/October 2015

BIGINTERVIEW

We are well used to having a complete heating and cooling system in our cars, so what is the difference between that and expecting the same level of comfort in our homes?

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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COVERFEATURE

TWO TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATORS SHARE THEIR SECRETS TO SUCCESS

Opportunities to exploit new markets using new technologies can prove both cost-effective and produce dramatic results. Two local companies have done just that and give their advice for anyone wanting to do the same. The digital world can be baffling for people concentrating on their core business but they are missing a tremendous opportunity for growth according to Ben Feltwell of Worcestershire-based Mercia Digital. After working on major corporate digital projects for blue chip clients, he set up his own company last year after spotting a gap in the market for a digital marketing service aimed at SMEs.

without taking the time to consider how everything is, or should be, linked to one another. Branding is a prime example of this; a good brand is far more than just a logo and business card, it’s the inherent design cues of the company. One of the first things we work on with any new client is the creation of a brand guidelines document to clearly define and establish their identity. This then ensures that any following work, from websites to brochures, are all accurate representations of the brand.” He also explains how new developments, such as cloud technologies, allow businesses to compete at almost

any level. The platforms and tools that used to be the remit of the corporates are now readily available and affordable for SMEs. Google Apps is an example of this, an email system that allows teams to work collaboratively in real-time from anywhere in the world. The Chamber is hosting free workshops, run by Ben, on 17 September and 12 October, 9.30 - 1pm on an Introduction to Digital Marketing and PR, with further more advanced workshops planned in the future. Further information is available from suzanneb@ hwchamber.co.uk and ben@merciadigital.co.uk

Ben advises businesses on how to exploit technology and save substantial sums of money while producing effective marketing campaigns. This is demonstrated capably by a website he runs, Caravan Talk. It has statistics likely to be the envy of digital marketeers around the county and receives over 330,000 visits per month, with 85% of these visits from natural search traffic. Visitors also spend substantial time on the site, usually around five minutes and in the last 30 days it had over 1,200,000 page views. The main secret to his success was tackling the site’s branding and development in a holistic or ‘joined up’ way rather than the piecemeal approach often taken by small businesses. “Businesses often concentrate on one project at a time,

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September/October 2015

COVERFEATURE

THE PROUD BRITISH TRADITION OF GROWING FRESH COUNTRY GARDEN FLOWERS SEEMS THE COMPLETE ANTITHESIS OF AN INNOVATIVE BUSINESS USING TECHNOLOGY TO DIVERSIFY The Great British Florist (GBF) run from Blakemere Farm, Herefordshire is blazing a trail using flowers from this country, and state of the art technology, to manage distribution of them far and wide. The business was set up by Heather Gorringe in 2013 as an opportunity to complement and diversify from her existing, long-established business, Wiggly Wigglers, a gardening products website.

She said: “The recession had hit us hard and we knew we needed to look at new products and services. We also had over 2,000 products on the Wiggly site which was too many to be profitable so we cut that down to 1,000. The next step was to look at our strengths and examine what we were good at. We realised we were popular with people looking for traditional British flowers and decided to focus on that element of our business.

She is a staunch advocate of innovative cloud-based, inexpensive technological tools.

“Right from day one, we also found the recession didn’t affect the floristry orders. It seems people considered flowers an affordable luxury. We then invested in new technological systems where our customers could place orders for bouquets to be delivered on a regular basis, without them being flown in from miles overseas.

“I have also found Slack a major asset. In the past we used Skype and email but Slack is so much easier as it keeps track of projects and multiple conversations in the one place. The final recommendation I have is Wunderlist. This enables you to make a polite ‘to do’ list for anyone and receive their comments, again all in one place, so there is no trawling through a whole email network to find out what you said. “

“Our mantra is grown, not flown! The growth rate has been as good as the flowers themselves as well, with GBF business increasing by 20% this year and our first florists’ shop opening in Hereford.” Heather has embraced technology in her business operation as well as the service element of the GBF.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

One of the best resources she recommends is Resource Guru which helps with productivity scheduling. This tool has been a massive support and changed the way we work completely. It helps us iron out the peaks and troughs which are par for the course when you are servicing weddings, for example, which often all take place on a Saturday.

Further information is available on www.greatbritishflorist.co.uk and www.wigglywigglers.co.uk. GBF photos by Theresa Furey.

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MANAGED IT SUPPORT

MANAGED IT & CLOUD SERVICES FOR THE MODERN CONNECTED BUSINESS

WANT TO KNOW MORE? 01905 729992 sales@firstsolution.co.uk www.firstsolution.co.uk FirstSolution

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First Solution (Worcester) Ltd

First Solution Technologies Ltd | County House | St. Mary's Street | Worcester | WR1 1HB

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MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

CLOUD SERVICES

SECURITY SOLUTIONS

BUSINESS CONTINUITY & DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING? With the ever increasing reliance on technology, the failure of your IT systems represents a critical risk to your business. The responsibility for the management of this risk must sit within the boardroom. It is important that your business understands its own appetite for risk and makes a conscious decision to protect itself accordingly. Adopting this approach will deliver a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan in line with your own business requirements. First Solution can help take you on this journey and ensure you will be appropriately protect against any future IT disaster.

That’s a quote straight from Google itself. They run more tests than anyone else on the planet when it comes to enhancing the user experience. In other words they want people to find what they are looking for. What does this mean for you? It means they want all websites to be mobile-friendly, or they will inflict penalties, which will make it hard for people to find your site. This is where YOU fit it in... In most cases, your website is the first form of contact a new prospect has when finding out about your business. You need to be certain that when people do find your website, you convert as many of those people as you possibly can.

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CONNECTIVITY & VOICE

If you think your visitors are finding you on desktop computer? Think again. A recent comScore report says smart phones and tablets combined, now account for 60 percent of all online traffic - up from 50 percent a year ago. And the trend is increasing in a big way. The point is clear..... If your site is not mobile friendly, you simply are not staying competitive. This will affect your search engine rankings and your customers may not be able to browse your website on their phones. The good news? Getting your website mobile-friendly is something we specialize in. Go to http://media4mobiles.com/lp/ and take our simple ‘free mobile friendly analysis test’ and find out if your website is mobile friendly.

It takes less than a minute....

September/October 2015

FOCUSONDIGITALMARKETING

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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ADVERTORIALFEATURE

TRUSTED HEREFORDSHIRE COMPANY DELIVERS IT SUCCESSES LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY Information Systems are an essential part of running any business. However, many businesses tend to either run their IT on a DIY basis, or they rely on a commercial supplier to guide them. As the business grows the IT grows. When is it time to look for external advice to ensure that you’re on the right path? Is your IT delivering what you need at the right price for your business to be competitive and grow?

This is the primary challenge that Herefordshire based Stirling Business Partners tackles for companies at various stages of their development. Director Tony Ayres says “We come across a lot of businesses who either ‘do their best’ to get the right IT but often see big costs for questionable benefit.” Stirling provides independent advice and manages implementations on behalf of these companies so they can get on with doing business. They have the peace of mind that they have their own surrogate IT Team acquiring and implementing the right solutions at the right price to drive business growth.” An example of this work is the provision of a modern cloud based solution for a UK exporter. The business had been initially set up with laptops and phones that the company had bought as needed. They only had a simple email system. Being an export company there was a lot of travel and they were forever creating sales documents and then managing overseas shipment all with very basic IT and a lot of human intervention and cost. The company was considering building their own server

rooms and acquiring tools to help them to cope with all the paperwork. Stirling was asked to review their situation and develop a plan. This plan took into account the mix of office based and mobile users as well as the specific needs of this business. Stirling designed a resilient office and mobile cloud based environment tailored to their business. Having designed and agreed the outline solution Stirling went to market and identified the right service providers, contracted them on behalf of the

company and then managed the implementation from the company’s perspective. These included suppliers to support; the cloud, desktop support, SharePoint development and an accounts system provider. This solution is now well embedded in the company and has delivered the outcomes that they needed at the cost they could afford to support substantial growth over the last year. – ‘Stirling totally changed our IT strategy and saved us tens of thousands of pounds. The solution they designed and then procured for us has set us up for our current growth and beyond.’ – Operations Director The other main area where Stirling finds that customers really value their support is in projects where the organisation is required to include an IT component into the delivery of their main product. An example of this might be when a developer builds a warehouse and it needs an IT Warehouse Management System. This can happen often as IT becomes more pervasive and end customers want turnkey solutions. Director Robert Wallbridge adds “We find that many clients now need to include IT in their major projects and they simply do not have, the in-house capability. We provide that expertise. We have a huge amount of experience available to us based on decades of successful programmes in multiple sectors and technologies.

The old hospital at Dodawa, Southern Ghana

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An example of this is Stirling’s support to a major hospital development programme in Ghana. Their client, a UK based construction company was engaged by the Ghana government to build seven hospitals across the

September/October 2015

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

Tony and Robert set up Stirling Business Partners in 2012 to address these business challenges. Between them they have over 60 years of experience in the IT industry, focussed on understanding what businesses are trying to achieve. They design and deliver the most appropriate solution for the business.

Robert at the new hospital nearing completion

country. The end customer wanted a ‘turn key’ solution They also managed the provision of the entire IT so the company had to build the buildings and install all infrastructure that would be built into the hospital, the equipment necessary for the hospitals to operate. including the cabling, switches and the air-conditioned This included an IT Hospital Management System server room. supporting all Clinical and Admin needs, including “Stirling consistently anticipate, deliver and electronic medical records. communicate well. We know that we can leave the IT solution to them and concentrate on our aspects of the The company had all the skills needed to build the hospitals and equip them, but they did not have any IT project.” Client Programme Director. capability in-house. They asked Stirling to become their IT Design Authority and Assurance partner. The role was to ensure that the in-country IT sub-contractors had effective plans, understood where they fitted into the big picture and to ensure that the design met the customers needs and the terms of the contract.

I need ced experien help me advice to e right th to make nt in IT. e tm inves

Between them they have track records in most areas of IT and they have also built an eco-system of additional skilled professionals to ensure that they can effectively tackle most assignments from a startup to a major enterprise level programme.

I need so m to negoti eone ate with suppliers a to overse nd e the impleme ntation/ manage ment of the system.

is What IT in the available at I market th er? onsid should c

I need so meone to mana ge IT compo the n of my ne ent w deal.

For IT Peace of Mind - Act Now,

Contact: info@stirlingbusinesspartners.co.uk Tel: 07860 540550 or 07545 207421 www.stirlingbusinesspartners.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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FOCUSONFOOD&DRINK

QUALITY THE WATCHWORD AS FOOD AND DRINK MARKET GROWS Ask the man or woman in the street to name the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector and they may come up with something around plastics or maybe automotives. In fact, food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK with a turnover of £76 billion, according to Government figures. There are more than 8,000 companies in the industry, which between them employ 400,000 people. In addition, the industry invests in research and development, which results in 10,000 new products being introduced to the market every year. Among the companies working hard to develop the industry are those in the Hereford and Worcestershire area, ranging from quality drinks makers to producers of speciality cheeses. For many of them, the focus on specialities is driving impressive growth driven by changes in shopping trends. More and more customers have become

increasingly conscious about what they eat due to growing awareness in health and general well-being. As a result, companies large and small are looking to develop products which are healthier and whose provenance can be easily traced by the shopper. Also important is the growing focus on the distance that food travels with the result that more food and drink is sold locally, reducing the miles that it is transported.

However, that does not mean that all food goes into local outlets and a number of Hereford and Worcestershire brands go to national and international markets. The rapid growth in the food and drink industry, including increasing export opportunities with UK products in demand abroad, means that UK manufacturers distribute more than 6.3 billion cases of products each year.

The Wobbly Brewing Company

The Wobbly Brewing Company was founded in 2002 by a group of Hereford welders building a small brewery in their spare time for some fun. Things have got a little out of control and we now have 5 core beers in our range and 3 or 4 specials at any one time. You can find a pint of Wobbly in good pubs across Herefordshire and beyond or in our bottle shop at the brewery. Having a party? Big event? Get the full Wobbly experience! We have a full indoor/outdoor bar and a full sized Hog Roast ready to get the party started. Come have a look for yourself at the Brewery or call on

01432 355 496 Email: sales@wobblybrewing.co.uk www.wobblybrewing.co.uk Opening hours are 8am - 4:30pm Monday – Friday. Weekends by appointment Unit 22C, Beech Business Park, Tillington Road, Hereford HR4 9QJ

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September/October 2015

FOCUSONFOOD&DRINK

ORCHARD ORIGINS Orchards laden with fruit are a familiar sight in Herefordshire and Worcestershire at this time of year and for many of us conjure up images of late summer days picking ripe plums, damsons, apple and pears to eat straight from the tree or maybe turn into delicious pies and preserves. For Orchard Origins, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s C.I.C, it is the busiest time of year, harvesting and processing the fruit and running events and courses.

offer their juicing and bottling services to individuals and community groups with apples to press but no equipment. For the real enthusiast from October onwards they also run courses in how to make apple juice and cider. At the heart of Orchard Origins is their commitment to the management of traditional orchards and supporting the well-being of their volunteers, without whom their work would not be possible. When the picking and processing season is over they spend the rest of the year working with private orchard owners to ensure their trees are in the best health to benefit wildlife and remain productive into maturity.

Set up in 2012 with a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme, Orchard Origins now trade as a Community Interest Company. Harvesting apples to turn into juice and cider is essential to their continued success and as well as producing their own brand they

Orchards are part of our collective heritage and as a manmade environment need management and our protection. For more info about services and courses offered by Orchard Origins contact orchard@herefordshirewt.co.uk or 01432 356872

WHY THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS ARE CHOOSING WILTSHIRE FARM FOODS

Order what you want, when you want. No contract. No commitment. No strings attached.

For people who want to enjoy life to the full, there’s not always enough time in the day to cook from scratch. With a delicious range of frozen meals delivered directly to the front door, Wiltshire Farm Foods helps people to eat well in their own home, in their own time. Wiltshire Farm Foods’ award-winning chefs have cooked up over 300 delicious dishes, using quality ingredients from approved suppliers. Over 90% of our main meals and hot desserts, and all of our cakes, are produced by our teams in Trowbridge – the county town of Wiltshire.

Roast Chicken Breast with Stuffing £3.95 Try our range, perhaps one of our taster packs with no more obligation than to enjoy it! Over 300 tasty dishes Many diets catered for including gluten free Easy to store and cook

Main meals from £2.95 FREE Delivery 24 years of great service

To order your FREE copy of our brochure, with over 300 meals to choose from, call us today on

01600 892855 wiltshirefarmfoods.com

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

These meals are delivered directly to your door for FREE by a friendly, local delivery driver and stack neatly in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, simply remove a meal and pop it straight in the microwave or oven, no need to defrost. As well as being quick and easy, the Wiltshire Farm Foods service is also completely commitment-free – customers can order as much or as little as they like. Discover what’s NEW in the Autumn & Winter 2015-2016 brochure The NEW Autumn & Winter 2015-2016 brochure offers a wide range of customer favourites and some exciting NEW ranges, dishes and recipes – all prepared to the highest standards. Enjoying life and eating well has never been easier. For more information about Wiltshire Farm Foods in Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and the surrounding areas, you can contact Brian and Sara Stringer and their Award Winning team on 01600 892855 or visit wiltshirefarmfoods.com for a FREE brochure. 043

FOCUSONFOOD&DRINK

DELICIOUS ENGLISH WINES, STILL AND SPARKLING, FROM FROME VALLEY IN HEREFORDSHIRE Our vineyard stands on the banks of the River Frome at Paunton. With south facing slopes, surround by orchards, hop yards and rolling meadows, it is the perfect place to grow healthy and happy vines! Here at Frome Valley we have a warm sheltered site, protected from the prevailing weather and a gently sloping well drained silty soil which warms readily and provides fertility and a rich balance of minerals for our vines. Our grape varieties include Pinot Noir, Bacchus, Reichensteiner, Madeleine Angevine and Rondo. This selection has proved well suited to the conditions and benefit from a long growing season and slow ripening.

Our wines are classically English in style with a vibrant, fresh floral nose, clean on the pallet and plenty of fruit. We find our style of wine is increasingly popular as people become more interested in the lighter wines from the cooler climate regions.

TOURS AND TASTINGS

VINEYARD SHOP

Paunton Court, Bishops Frome WR6 5BJ

Available by appointment. Please contact us for more details on 01885 490768 jeanie@fromevalleyvineyard.co.uk www.fromevalleyvineyard.com

Opening Times: April-October Tuesday-Thursday 11.30am-5.00pm or by arrangement

PURCHASE Our wines can be purchased with complete peace of mind through our secure online shop www.fromevalleyvineyard.com. Delivery will be made direct to your home within a few days of your order being placed. Alternatively, you can collect from the vineyard from the shop or by arrangement.

The Den Restaurant

We are a independent restaurant that uses the best of local suppliers. Our produce is all fresh and homemade. Being local is of great importance to us. Christmas Menu available November 2015 Opening Time Mon-Sat 10am -10pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

www.thedenrestaurant.co.uk

Appe tiser s £3.50 Marinated mixed olives

Main s Guinea fowl supreme with orange & ginger stuffing served with dauphinoise potato, seasonal vegetables & orange jus £14.95 bread sticks £4.25 Marinated lamb neck with d toaste with e rosemary and garlic jus, Blue fondu minted mash & courge olive oil £3.25 tte ribbons glaze & extra virgin £14.95 Bread with balsamic Spaghetti Vongole – succulent half shell clams with fresh garlic, chilli and parsley. £11.95 Start ers Baked sea bass on a bed of roasted vegeta bles, new potatoes and Soup of the day £4.50 sundried tomatoes in lemon and caper sauce a £12.95 terrine £6.45 Vegetable feta roulad New York Ham hock e with celeriac & kohl ta £7.25 rabi mash & a tomat ciabat d toaste with o & basil sauce £11.7 Vegetarian chipotle chilli prawns in chilli & garlic 5 tiger ulent with –succ sliced pill avocado, cheddar, sour £8.25 Gambas pill cream, & tortilla wraps do & lime sour cream £10.95 ile medallions with avoca Blackened Cajun crocod £5.95 goats cheese bruschetta Stuffed mushroom & Burg ers 8oz er Heref start ordshi re beef burger with vintag Shar ing e cheddar, bacon & tomat dew peppers, buffalo o relish served olives, rocket, pepper with a side of red onion marm of cured meats with alade & homemade chunk ta £11.95 Vegetarian Antipasti – selection y chips £10.25 bean burger topped with mozzarella, toasted ciabat halloumi, beef tomat o, coleslaw & rocket with a side of red onion marmalade & sweet potato fries £10.25 Steak s tomato, garlic ade chunky chips, grilled Sides Steak served with homem 10oz Herefordshire Rump marmalade £15.95 onion & oom Home made mushr flat chunky chips £2.50 flat tomato, garlicBeer battered onion rings ade chunky chips, grilled £2.95 steak served with homem The Den house salad 8oz Herefordshire fillet mushroom & onion marmalade £21.95 £3.25 Mixed vegetables £3.25 Diane cheese, peppercorn or Blue £1.95 Garlic extra an bread £2.95 with cheese Add a steak sauce for Sweet potato fries £2.95 £3.75 Please not nuts are used

Address: 17a West Street, Hereford HR4 0BX

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Phone: 01432 268666

in our kitchen

*sample menu

Email: thedenrestaurant@gmail.com

September/October 2015

FOCUSONFOOD&DRINK

Celebrating 30 years of the perfect pint Locally Produced since 1985

good taste never goes out of fashion

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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VISITHEREFORDSHIRE

CONTOUR CLIMBING TO SUCCESS IN HEREFORDSHIRE Contour has been up and running since 2011 with instructors Bob Thomas and Andi Turner delivering a wide variety of courses, breaks & expeditions in Herefordshire and throughout the UK. They work with a variety of clients and locations. Which has this year seen them: teaching navigation and hill skills in the Black Mountains; planning and running leadership development exercises for Youth and Corporate clients in association with Metris Leadership; instructing climbing and mountaineering in North Wales, the Wye Valley and Peak District as well as UK expeditions to tackle such places as Skye’s Cuillin Ridge. No one client is the same and they have had to tailor courses for the young and the old, and for all levels be they novice or expert. www.contouroutdoor.co.uk

WOODSIDE LODGES COUNTY PARK WINS PRESTIGIOUS DAVID BELLAMY AWARD Woodside Lodges Country Park has recently gained the David Bellamy award for conservation at Gold Level for the 10th consecutive year. They have also received an Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for the satisfaction ratings of guests. Owners Ken and Janet Davies have developed the site from a small holding over the last 25 years into a unique accommodation alternative for visitors. The site is as much a nature reserve as a holiday park, with over 600 trees and as many wild flowers being planted over the years and also a number of pools used for fishing and swimming. The park is situated just 2 miles from the historic market town of Ledbury, and comprises of 10 Scandinavian self-catering lodges, a small touring site, camping pods and a bunkhouse which caters for the many walkers and cyclists visiting the area. www.woodsidelodges.co.uk

MONKLAND CHEESE DAIRY HAS GRATE SUCCESS AT THE THREE COUNTIES SHOW It’s official - cheeses from Monkland Cheese dairy are probably the best in the Three Counties! Little Hereford along with Oak Smoked Little Hereford, Monkland with Garlic & chives & Other Monk were all awarded First prize in their classes at the recent Three Counties Show. Little Hereford (also awarded Reserve Champion) is an original Herefordshire cheese recipe belonging to Ellen Yeld who was Chief Dairy Instructress for the county circa 1918. Karen Hindle revived the recipe in 1996 & sales of the cheese have gone from strength to strength. The cheese is produced at Monkland Cheese Dairy situated just west of Leominster on the A44. The Dairy is open to the public where you can come & see the cheeses made traditionally by hand using unpasteurised milk from one local herd. Plus it has an award winning café & farm shop where you can taste & buy the range of Herefordshire cheeses.

EXPERIENCE HOW GOOD THE WORLD CAN BE AT DUNFIELD HOUSE Dunfield House near Kington, a ministry of Community of Christ, is celebrating their 50 year anniversary this year. Dunfield is a group accommodation centre, set in 15 acres of grounds offering a safe/sacred space for groups of all ages and sizes to visit. Two current projects include the development of a spirituality garden with a peace walk and also a labyrinth. The garden is currently being created by volunteers and will be a quiet space for visitors. The walk way will have peace poles along the route written in different languages which will offer as a reminder to pray for peace in the world. The Labyrinth has been created using cobbles from the stables courtyard and will be used as a resource for meditation, centering and healing. http://dunfieldhouse.org.uk/

www.monklandcheesedairy.co.uk 046

September/October 2015

VISITWORCESTERSHIRE

#60DAYSOFSPORT CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF A SUMMER OF SPORTING EVENTS IN WORLD CLASS WORCESTERSHIRE Worcestershire will play host to several high profile sporting events over the next few months and to capture the spirit a campaign called #60daysofsport has been launched to get residents, local businesses and communities up and out playing and watching sports. To help kick off the 60 days, the opening ceremony will be launched at Worcestershire County Cricket Club on 22 August 2015. The Cricket Club will play host to the Under-19s England v Australia for a One Day International at New Road, Worcester. As well as the excellent fixtures at the County’s sporting grounds during the sixty days, the County will also host the European Wheelchair Basketball at Worcester Arena (Friday 28 August – Sunday 6 September) which is the qualifier for the Paralympics in Rio next year, the 10k run-bike-run (Sunday 20 September) and the Aviva Tour Ride (Sunday 4 October 2015), the official sportive of the Tour of Britain.

AN INDEPENDENT STATE Uniquely Worcester is a campaign running from Monday 2 November to Saturday 5 December to celebrate and showcase the city centre’s wide range of shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and other service providers that are independently run – all beautifully complimenting Worcester’s unique character. Organised by the Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) it follows the hugely successful 216 page Uniquely Yours book which was launched last autumn featuring 151 independent businesses. Head of Worcester BID, Adrian Field said: “Our independent businesses are the lifeblood of the city centre and help give us our distinctiveness. The staff’s knowledge, customer service as well as the quality of their goods and service are something that we want to celebrate and raise awareness of.” From highlighting Worcester’s high-end fashion to traditional toys, diamonds to art and craft supplies and home cooked delicacies to chompable choccies, the campaign will adopt a multi-channel marketing approach to raise awareness and which culminates in the national Small Business Saturday promotion.”

To help residents and businesses to keep abreast of what events are taking place across the county, there will be an event planner at www.visitworcestershire.org/60-days-of-sport. This will become live after the opening ceremony on Saturday 22 August. A closing ceremony for the #60DaysofSport campaign will be held at Sixways Stadium the ground of the newly promoted Worcester Warriors on Friday 16 October. So if there was ever more of a reason to get on a bike, kick a ball, swim a few lengths, putt a few holes, run a few kilometres or score a try – now is the time with the launch of #60daysofsport. www.visitworcestershire.org/things-todo/60daysofsport

18 CENTURY BRIDGE REINSTATED AT CROOME COURT A visit to the National Trust Croome, in south Worcestershire, sees the return of the imposing Chinese Bridge to the stunning ‘Capability’ Brown landscape. Originally designed by William Halfpenny in the 1740s for the 6th Earl of Coventry in the popular Chinese style, the bridge spanned the river close to the Court and linked the house to the wider parkland. William Dean, the Earl’s Head Gardener wrote of the bridge: “This sort of Bridge, of which Brown was too fond, modern taste would reject as two light in form, and too glaring in appearance, to suit with the grandeur of our English park scenery.” It is the only feature that survived Brown’s revolutionary re-design of Croome’s landscape and house which was his first major solo commission, proving that Brown must have been a fan! The bridge was later lost to decay and rot in the late 19th century. Thanks to generous funding, the bridge has now been re-created and now majestically spans the river where visitors can enjoy far reaching views of the parkland. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome

www.worcesterbid/uniquely

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

LADY COBHAM TO SPEAK AT VISIT WORCESTERSHIRE AWARDS On Thursday 15 October, Lady Cobham CBE, the Chairman of VisitEngland, will be speaking at the Destination Worcestershire Annual Tourism Conference and the Visit Worcestershire Awards for Excellence 2015. The event which takes places at the St Andrews Town Hotel in Droitwich is Worcestershire’s premier event for the tourism industry. Appointed at VisitEngland’s creation as Chairman in 2009 and reappointed in 2013, Lady Cobham has led the organisation through some exciting and challenging times. Under her chairmanship VisitEngland looks forward to continuing its drive to promote the England tourism brand and to working closely with the sector to grow tourism by 5% year on year, with a focus on future opportunities such as the England Rugby World Cup 2015. Lady Cobham was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2014 for her long service to English tourism. At the Awards, Lady Cobham will be highlighting the importance of tourism to the economy, which is worth £106bn, supporting 2.6m jobs, as well as future opportunities for the sector. To book tickets email kkey@visitworcestershire.org www.visitworcestershire.org/awards 047

FOCUSONHEALTH

Wellbeing at Work with Kathy Scott from Hands on at Work massage therapies

WHY TACKLING WORKPLACE HEALTH ISSUES IS VITAL Never has health and well-being in the workplace enjoyed a higher profile than today with many of the country’s employers realising the importance of keeping their staff happy and healthy.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), workers spend on average one third of their time at the workplace so good working conditions are vital because they can provide benefits for companies and employees alike. The WHO says that ignoring the risks could be disastrous for a company, pointing out that work-related health problems result in an economic loss of 4–6% of GDP for most countries. However, get it right and the benefits are there for everyone to see and the WHO says that simple initiatives help reduce sick leave absenteeism by up to 27% and health-care costs for companies by up to 26%. According to the Health and Safety Executive, companies should: n create workplaces where health, safety and well-being is promoted and taken seriously n ensure staff have access to occupational health advice and support n improve access to preventative care and treatment for common health problems n enable people to remain in work while health problems are investigated and treated

Why a sports massage also helps workplace performance Here at Hands on at Work we often talk to people who say things like, ‘Well massage is great but it’s only something you have as a treat, perhaps when you’re on holiday or for a birthday.” Whilst we agree that a massage is really rather special there are however many reasons why it should be more than just a ‘treat’. Sports success If you are a keen sports person for example, massage can play a significant role in improving your performance and helping you avoid injury. Each massage can be structured to address any particular health concern and even when the body is performing as it should, massage can bring significant benefits. That’s why many professional teams always keep a masseuse on hand to ensure everyone maintains performance and equilibrium. Workplace success Massage also uplifts performance at work. Nowadays many companies recognise that investing in employee wellbeing brings real value. This investment can include flexible working hours, free gym membership and private health care as well as on site massage therapies. It’s a pretty simple idea - the healthier and happier your team are, the fewer days they will be taking off sick and the more productive they’ll be. Double the benefit! Therefore, whether you are aiming to achieve a workplace or a sports performance goal, professional massage will help you maintain balanced and sustainable mind and body health.

For more details about our range of professional workplace massage therapies, please call Hands on at Work on 07989 367669 or email info@handsonatwork.co.uk

A thriving sector has sprung up to help companies and individuals to do just that and implement the kind of initiatives needed to improve workplace health and well-being, everything from encouraging exercise and good diets to introducing ways to reduce stress. From private hospitals and clinics to on-site consultants the sector is having a dramatic effect on the nation’s workers, driven by the knowledge that healthy and well-motivated workers are much better positioned to deliver high-quality services. 048

www.handsonatwork.co.uk September/October 2015

FOCUSONHEALTH

• No waiting lists

• Dedicated private facilities

• Imaging results in days not weeks

• Choose your Consultant

• Free parking • Free parking

• Interest medical loans • Interest freefree medical loans

Why choose choose Nuffi Why Nuffield eldHealth Health Hereford Hospital? Hospital? Hereford Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital offers the highest standards of clinical care, with Consultant-led treatment,

Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital offers the highest standards of clinical care, with Consultant-led treatment, spotlessly clean rooms, and a team of dedicated and experienced nurses. You don’t need private medical spotlessly clean rooms, and a team of dedicated and experienced nurses. You don’t need private medical insurance to get private healthcare at Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital, you can pay for yourself. insurance to get private healthcare at Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital, you can pay for yourself. Costs are completely transparent with no hidden extras and could be less than you think. What’s more, if you pay for yourself

Costs arecovered completely transparent witheld no Health hiddenPromise. extras and less than you think. What’s if you pay foror yourself you are by our exclusive Nuffi Yourcould initialbe consultation, appointment and more, any necessary tests you are covered by our exclusive Nuffi eld Health Promise. Your initial consultation, appointment and any necessary tests investigations are paid for separately but once we have determined your treatment you will be given a fixed all-inclusive price.or investigations are paid for separately but once we have determined your treatment you will be given a fixed all-inclusive price. Specialities covered at Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital include:

Specialities covered at Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital include: • Cardiology

• General Surgery

• Physiotherapy

• Cardiology

• General Surgery • Gynaecology

• Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery

• •Dermatology Ear, Nose & Throat

•• Gynaecology Neurology

Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery • •Rheumatology

• •Ear, Nose & Throat Gastroenterology

•• Neurology Ophthalmology

Rheumatology • •Urology

• Dermatology

• •Gastroenterology General medicine

•• Ophthalmology Orthopaedics

• General medicine

• Orthopaedics

• Physiotherapy

• Urology

For more information or to book, contact:

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For more information or to book, contact: 01432 262509

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01432 262509 hereford.enquiries@nuffi Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital, Venn’s Lane, eldhealth.com Hereford HR1 1DF

Nuffield Health Hereford Hospital, Venn’s Lane, Hereford HR1 1DF Promise is valid for patients paying for themselves. Excludes assisted conception and IVF treatments. Your initial consultation and any necessary tests are paid for separately. *Not including private patient units at NHS hospitals. Local area defined as within 15 miles of the Nuffield Health hospital. We will match against written quotes only. **Where possible, we promise to assist you to receive any follow up advice, treatment or care that is clinically required from your Consultant for as long as you may require it. If a prosthesis is used as part of your treatment this is guaranteed for the manufacturer’s official lifetime of that prosthesis. “Clinically required” indicates where further intervention and/or monitoring of a patient’s condition is deemed necessary Promise is valid for patients paying for themselves. Excludes assisted conception and IVF treatments. Your initial consultation and any necessary tests are paid for separately. *Not including Business published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce as a directDirection result of surgical intervention.

private patient units at NHS hospitals. Local area defined as within 15 miles of the Nuffield Health hospital. We will match against written quotes only. **Where possible, we promise to assist you to receive any follow up advice, treatment or care that is clinically required from your Consultant for as long as you may require it. If a prosthesis is used as part of your treatment this is

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INTERNATIONALTRADE

EXPERT EXPORTING IN THE TWO COUNTIES The UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) team have been busy over the last few months promoting their international trade services and have been helping businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire export, many for the first time.

big thing in technology, UKTI can help your business take those first steps to exporting. The support available includes 1-2-1’s with overseas trade experts, language and culture advice, export documentation services, specialised and tailored training, advice on selecting and entering markets and help with finding overseas business opportunities.

THINKING ABOUT EXPORTING? This month’s theme of ‘Technology and Innovation’ has got the team thinking about some of the tech savvy businesses they have been working with recently, to provide an insight into some successful businesses and how they reach audiences far and wide. Businesses from across all sectors have taken advice from the UKTI team to help them trade globally. Ranging from defence to food and drink, e-retail to advanced manufacturing. See page 51 for a number of case studies from different sectors giving an overview of their exporting experiences. Whether it is an exciting new food product or the next

Why not come to one of our taster breakfasts in Herefordshire and Worcestershire? Each export breakfast will be hosted by a local company who will share their export success stories including how exporting is a vital part of their business growth and sustainability, as well as a few top tips! The next breakfast in Worcestershire is at PCA Predict on the 13 October and the next breakfast in Herefordshire is at STD Pharmaceutical Products Ltd on the 16 October. For more information on the taster breakfasts contact Alison Avery on alisona@hwchamber.co.uk UKTI isn’t just for new exporters, whether it’s your first time, tenth time or more – the team can help you take

your business where you want it to be. For more information on making these first steps get in touch on, telephone: 01905 673614, email: internationaltrade@hwchamber.co.uk or visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/export

EXPORT INSIGHT VISIT TO THE BALTICS Location: Riga, Latvia Date: 23 - 25 November 2015

n Find out how to approach the Latvian and wider Baltic market

Are you new to international trade and looking to get started? Do you want to sell overseas but need help finding the right market? UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is leading a visit to Riga, Latvia, this November, exclusively for beginners. Latvia is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and has a strong appetite for brand Britain, English is widely used as a business language and the market is well-suited to new exporters. This all-inclusive trip will give you a taste of a new market, what to expect when trading internationally and build contacts to keep you connected once back in the UK.

n Join a networking reception at the Ambassadors residence with contacts in your sector n Hold a 1:1 meeting with a potential partner or customer n Hear a presentation from a local distributor n Explore the city of Riga and share a group dinner in a traditional Latvian restaurant Cost: £200 plus VAT per delegate The trip includes pre-arranged return flights from Gatwick, accommodation in Riga, a group dinner and a full programme.

For more information and to secure your place please contact UKTI West Midlands’ customer service team on enquiries@uktiwm.co.uk or 0345 222 0159

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Introducing an online ATA Carnet service. Now digital to support business in the 21st century Chamber members receive the discounted rate of £200+VAT

UKTI Herefordshire & Worcestershire 050

September/October 2015

INTERNATIONALTRADE

LOCAL EXPERT SUCCESS STORIES

ENVIRONMENT RS Hydro is a multi-disciplined instrumentation company; founded in 1997, the company provides specialist expertise to tackle technological issues facing clients over a large range of projects in the water, environmental and industrial sectors. They entered the UKTI ‘Passport to Export’ programme in April 2014 and made the most of the access to training, networking events, market information, advice and guidance. The 12 month package provided the company with a dedicated International Trade Advisor who helped implement an action plan and since joining the programme they have successfully achieved new overseas sales most recently in Oman with a significant order for an airport monitoring system.

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

E-RETAIL

Magic Whiteboard Ltd have used technology to their advantage when it comes to exporting, by using the internet to generate over £200,000 in online orders. Following advice from a UKTI digital trade advisor Magic Whiteboard transformed their website into a more user-friendly site and had it translated into several different languages which has opened up new markets for the company. Looking to the future, Managing Director Neil Westwood has expanded his exporting sights to Japan with a little help from UKTI.

Ochre&Ocre is an eco-chic supplier of natural and organic homewares who found that the quickest route to export is through online marketplaces. By using Amazon, Ochre&Ocre founder Tess Heslop found that they had a receptive customer base in Germany and now targets this specific market. The company is now looking at other overseas marketplaces with the support from a UKTI digital trade advisor, who has also helped develop their online market place skills. By doing this and working with key social media channels Ochre&Ocre has been able to reach a much wider audience, in a much more cost effective way than traditional advertising.

www.magicwhiteboard.co.uk

www.ochreandocre.com

www.rshydro.co.uk

FOOD AND DRINK

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Allen Hydraulic Engineering Ltd was set up in 2003 with a primary focus to supply hydraulic tooling to the heavy lifting, post-tensioning and aerospace industries, as well as to design and build control systems from simple sensor measurement to PLC controlled synchronised lifting systems. Recent projects include the Shard, Crossrail, Hammersmith Flyover renovation and the salvation of the Costa Concordia in Italy. With the help of the UKTI team at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce we are looking to further expand our business overseas by getting involved in exporting programmes.

Kudos Blends, the 2015 winner of the Chamber award ‘Exporting Business of the Year’, began their export development through seeking advice from an International Trade Advisor. They are a developer and supplier of technically driven raising agents for the commercial bakery industries and have made the most of 1-2-1 sessions at the Chamber and also attended all UKTI exporting programmes. Their ‘rise’ to success, especially in the USA, is a result of developing a great portfolio of raising agents, including products that can reduce sodium and eliminate aluminium, with massive health benefits. They are a great example of what your business can achieve by beginning to export and using the support from the UKTI advisor team.

Exporting has been fundamental to the growth of Spearhead Machinery since its inception in the late 1980s. A relatively young company in its sector, Spearhead made initial inroads and grew quickly after securing a number of significant export orders. Previously Spearhead only used the overseas market introduction service reports; however since working closely with the UKTI team the company has attended many associated industry meetings with UKTI teams and Chambers of Commerce from all over the world. This has helped establish the presence of a British manufacturer in the vegetation management market sector. On advice from UKTI Spearhead made trips to Romania and Bulgaria which provided the opportunity for the company to meet key representatives in these countries.

www.allenhyd.co.uk

www.kudosblends.com

www.spearheadmachinery.com

CONSTRUCTION

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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INSPIRINGWOMENINBUSINESS

LORRAINE HENRY – MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HENRY PEPPER PR As the founder of award-winning agency Henry Pepper PR, Lorraine Henry has maintained a top reputation within the business community since leaving behind a global corporate role to launch the company. Moving into its ninth year, Lorraine’s ambition for the Worcestershire agency is stronger than ever. “One of our key successes is that we showcase clients on a wide scale. It’s about giving them a platform not only locally but regionally, nationally and within their industry.” said Lorraine. “I get asked a lot about why people choose to work with us. Feedback shows that clients engage for our strong contacts and networks, but also because of our values which are based on professionalism and commitment. “As part of that we always ensure clients understand what we are setting out to achieve. Some need straightforward profile surrounding growth or investment, while others are keen to maintain staff morale or even need a strategy to shelter their reputation from a possibly damaging situation. “We have been able to hit home the message that public relations is more than just press releases and storytelling. It’s about having strategic direction, positioning, consistent messages, thought leadership and a structured approach to social media. To me it’s vital that we constantly deliver those exposure routes for clients.” Lorraine is currently identifying further growth opportunities for Henry Pepper – especially across Herefordshire and Worcestershire where she has been developing new partnerships and putting the finishing touches to the agency’s five-year ‘2020 plan’. www.henrypepperpr.co.uk

STEPHANIE CUTLER OF FLORA GRAPHICS With a lifelong passion for flowers I began designing cards & framed pictures in the early 90’s when my children were young. I’d pressed flowers from my little garden here in beautiful Worcestershire arranging them onto cards as a thank you to family and friends for the children’s Easter eggs and for several years I ran a busy cottage garden industry. In 2010 I decided to design and print greetings cards to donate to St Richard’s Hospice in memory of my younger sister and the seeds of ‘flora graphics’ were sown. My first seasonal Holly and Ivy design went into production and several other designs followed, taking several months of preparation growing, pressing and designing. I embarked on a steep learning curve to find a niche for my new colourful handcrafted designs. I joined H&W Chamber of Commerce, WCC Women2Web courses & became a member of the Worcestershire Artisan Collective The actual pressed flowers are intricately designed then carefully scanned .The images are also printed onto my tableware, all proudly made locally with a new outdoor ‘patio’ coaster currently in production. I sell my work at local markets, special events, Worcester Victorian Christmas Market, local retailers and my website www.floragraphics.co.uk

NEW THINKING, PRACTICAL ACTION Finalists in this year’s H&W Chamber of Commerce business awards, Fresh Nous are continuing to build on their successful year with a move into new office premises on Droitwich Spa High Street and an IASME accreditation in cyber security. The new office provides the perfect base for their regular business helpdesk service, supporting small businesses through the often complex world of digital marketing. The team at Fresh Nous continues to grow as founders Laura DuPont and Celia Felgate welcome Lucy Bushell to their team as a Content Manager. Lucy joins the team with a strong background in social media management and will support their growing client base. With clients from across the UK in a wide variety of industries the team at Fresh Nous enjoy nothing more than diversity and challenge. With new clients and training programmes in development the remainder of 2015 is sure to keep this growing team on their toes. For further information please contact Fresh Nous on 01905 780810 www.freshnous.com chat@freshnous.com @freshnous

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Fresh Nous

September/October 2015

YOU’REHIRED

PRODUCTIVITY AND INVESTING IN THE BUSINESS LEADERS INTEGRATION GO OF TOMORROW HAND IN HAND Too often when networking I hear people saying that it takes too long to do X or they wish it was easier to do Y. Consultants will charge by the hour for good reason, say your day rate is £500 working seven hours a day and you spend 3 hours pulling a report together for an internal meeting. You have spent £214.29 of time on something that could and should be automated. If your company has 100 staff and one day they spend 3 hours pulling reports and re-entering data, let’s say they are on the same day rate then the company has lost, in dead time, a staggering £21,429!! If you are looking to increase the profitability of a company without taking on more work and without reducing staff, that is the dream for most business owners right? Well, have you looked at your processes to see if you can save crucial hours that could be dedicated to other more profitable exercises? When looking at process and systems within a business it is key to understand the business process logic before looking for any improvements or solutions. The why, what, who and most importantly how need to be considered to ensure that automation is properly implemented and has the desired effect. Pain, impact and vision are a key route to understanding our client’s needs and understanding how these can be delivered. Clients often see the pain but not the impact this is having on the business, staff or most crucially their clients. Many business are using a process that has not been reviewed or audited because “that is how it has always been done”. Or they are using multiple systems to record the same information, meaning duplication of effort and time, reducing the amount of profit the company can make.

Steve Borwell-Fox, Managing Director at borwell, has always been a firm believer in apprenticeships. When looking to recruit for his own business, he found that applicants did not always have the skill set his growing business required. The borwell team considered other routes for finding suitable trained staff, and decided that apprenticeships was the best way forward. The main reason was to ensure these future employees gain the best skill set for them and borwell too. The apprenticeship also gives the apprentice a chance to see other job roles while they are training, and to think about what they would like to specialise in at borwell at the end of their apprenticeship training. Currently borwell has three apprentices, and has taken on a total of five apprentices into their training scheme in the last five years. All these staff have full-time permanent employment contracts. “It’s great to see the youth of today really push themselves when they are given a chance. And that’s all they need – someone to give them a break and an opportunity to shine. Too often I sit with potential apprentices to hear they have been refused jobs elsewhere due to a lack of experience or the incorrect skills. Rarely are they given the opportunity to obtain these skills and experience. Apprentices have brought to borwell skills and knowledge, whilst gaining valued qualification and adding value to borwell clients.” “The youth of today are the business leaders of tomorrow. Why would we not invest their and our future? I’m confident that one of my apprentices will one-day be running this business.” To find out more about borwell and how we help businesses please visit our website www.borwell.com or contact us directly on 01684 377980

To find more get in touch with borwell on 01684 377980 or visit our website www.borwell.com

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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CONFERENCEWORCESTERSHIRE www.conference-worcestershire.com

UNIQUE CONFERENCE FACILITIES IN THE SHADOW OF THE MALVERN HILLS Tucked away in the shadow of Worcestershire’s Malvern Hills, Stanbrook Abbey is a stunning property boasting wonderful features and facilities guaranteed to impress you and your party. Boasting Pugin designed architecture; this stunning hotel has recently undergone a £5 million refurbishment and now boasts 57 glorious bedrooms, a luxurious new bar, an extended reception area and innovative games rooms. Complete with 26 glorious acres to accommodate large events or activities, Stanbrook Abbey provides the perfect backdrop for any important meeting or function. With a team dedicated to you, exquisite dining, an array of incredible function spaces and a selection of inspiring team building activities, your next function is sure to be remembered for all the right reasons. Conveniently located just 5 miles from the M5 and 40 minutes from Birmingham International Airport, Stanbrook Abbey is a wonderfully accessible for business travellers and conference delegates.

THE MUSEUM OF ROYAL WORCESTER IN THE VERY HEART OF WORCESTER Are you looking for somewhere unique to host your training or away days? If so, The Museum of Royal Worcester offers the perfect venue in the heart of the city. With its purpose built Exhibition Hall, sumptuous galleries and exemplary reputation for good service your guests are guaranteed to have a very special day. There is also the opportunity to hire the entire Museum for evening dinners, receptions and Christmas celebrations at very reasonable rates and visitors love to browse the collections and dine in the Victorian Gallery against the back drop of deep red walls, stained glass windows and breath-taking exhibits, whilst they eat off the very best Royal Worcester china of course! www.museumofroyalworcester.org

www.stanbrookabbey.com

CONFERENCES, MEETINGS AND EVENTS IN WORCESTERSHIRE TRY OUR FREE VENUE FINDING SERVICE TO SEARCH FOR AVAILABILITY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET QUOTING ‘CONFERENCE WORCESTERSHIRE’. PHONE: 01905 732962 | EMAIL: CONFERENCEWORCS@ARANGEMY.COM WEBSITE: WWW.VISITWORCESTERSHIRE.ORG/MEETINGS-EVENTS/

LEADING BUSINESS TRAVEL AGENCY UNVEILS NEW LOOK IDENTITY Leading business travel agency ArrangeMy celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year and marked the occasion in style by unveiling its new look identity and company name. Formerly known as BookOTel, ArrangeMy is one of the largest business travel agents in the country. The new company name was chosen to better reflect its diverse range of services in arranging travel, accommodation, events and venue finding for its clients. The award winning Worcestershire-based company, which is headed up by father and son team Simon and Nick Scott, continues to grow from strength to strength. Last year the firm moved from its previous offices in the Barbourne area of Worcester to a larger site on Berkeley Business Park and now employs more than 60 people. It prides itself on being a family run business that places client needs at the heart of its business model. Simon Scott, Chief Executive of ArrangeMy, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 25 years in the business and we felt the time was right to refresh our brand and image. Our company has continued to grow and develop and we wanted to better reflect the services we offer. “As a company we are continuing to develop and expand and the next few years will see an exciting period of change for us. We have a lot of experience across the sector with clients across the country – we’d like to thank them for their continued support. We must also pay tribute to our fantastic team who work with us as their commitment and hard work has helped the company retain its position as a market leader in the industry.” www.arrangemy.com

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September/October 2015

MEMBERSSERVICES

MONEYCORP: AWARD WINNING FOREIGN EXCHANGE SPECIALIST Moneycorp are an award-winning foreign exchange specialist with over 35 years experience. Our market expertise saves both individuals and businesses money on their international payments and travel money needs. In 2014 we processed 9.2 million transactions and traded in nearly 100 currencies. Our clients get the benefit of knowing we source the best possible foreign exchange rate by using our panel of 9 different banks. We cover every aspect of the foreign exchange industry: International Payments, Travel Money, Retail and Wholesale. This means we can offer a more comprehensive range of benefits than any of our competitors to the chamber members. Marriott Drilling was introduced to moneycorp in November 2014 through the East Midlands Chamber. They are the largest onshore deep drilling company based in the United Kingdom. “Before we were introduced to Moneycorp we were using our bank, Natwest, to manage our foreign exchange requirements. We were buying our currency through spot trades and were not receiving the most favourable rates. The customer service we receive from Moneycorp is excellent and it’s reassuring that our expert dealer is just a phone call away if we need guidance or want information on the markets. We have also now brought over one of our sister companies Marriot Drilling Africa Limited who also use Moneycorp to move USD to KES. The savings brought to MDAL have also been fantastic compared to the bank. We receive a very competitive rate and would recommend Moneycorp to anyone.” Katrina Proctor – Chief Financial Officer

DELIVER YOUR BUSINESS TO THE WORLD, WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPECIALISTS The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce is now working in partnership with DHL Express, the global market leader in international express shipments. Specialising in time and day critical shipments to all corners of the world, Chamber members can now benefit from 50% off their international shipping costs in their first year of exporting with DHL. DHL Express has worked relentlessly in recent years to ensure that smaller businesses get the help and support they need to start trading internationally. Having now partnered with the British Chambers of Commerce, this partnership will help kick start and boost international business across the UK. With UK based customer service agents to specialist Customs advice, free packaging and a hypercare process for new shippers to help guide them through their first booking, DHL strive to ensure that shipping with them is as simple as possible. To find out more about how DHL Express can help you deliver your business to the world, please visit www.simplydhl.com/uk/chambers

With a long history of providing foreign exchange we have built up a great reputation for reliability and dedicated customer service in the industry that we take great pride in. And you know your money is safe hands as Moneycorp is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of payment services. www.moneycorp.com/chamberfx

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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HCA Business is the business services section of the College and exists to meet the training needs of local businesses Courses available include: • Building a Website using Dreamweaver CC • Desktop Publishing with Adobe InDesign CC • Drawing with Adobe Illustrator CC • Digital Imagery with Adobe Photoshop CC • Digital Photography • Small Scale Studio Photography • Studio Photography • Black & White Photography • Video & Editing with Adobe Premiere CC • Video & Editing with Final Cut Pro CC

Training can be offered as part of the short course programme, on a one to one basis or tailored to meet your company’s needs. For more information please visit our website www.hca.ac.uk or contact us by email shortcourses@hca.ac.uk or telephone 01432 845302 Follow us on twitter @HCAbusiness

• Marketing Small Businesses Workshop

Hereford College of Arts Folly Lane, Hereford HR1 1LT

• Developing your Business Contacts Workshop

www.hca.ac.uk

• Music Editing with Logic Pro X

n Local / Nationwide Delivery At JGS Couriers, we understand the value of reliability, efficiency and professionalism to you and your clients. Our team specialise in hand carried personal deliveries and time sensitive deliveries. We ensure same day delivery across the UK; operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, Nationwide and throughout Europe. Our fleet of high performance Mercedes Sprinters are discrete, unmarked vans

with a carrying capacity of 1350kg. Our goods in transit insurance of £35,000 can be increased if required, so that you can rest assured that your goods are travelling across the country swiftly and safely. Being based in Worcester we have high speed connections to right across the UK, so you can be assured our couriers will be reliable and fast.

n European Delivery n Same Day Delivery n 24 Hours, 7 Days Service n Mercedes Sprinter Fleet n Competitive Rates n Time Sensitive Delivery n Fully Insured n Hands Free Communication n Centrally based Worcester Couriers n Secure, Goods Storage

T: 01905 640518 E: info@jgscouriers.co.uk

www.jgscouriers.co.uk

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September/October 2015

ADVERTORIALFEATURE

INTRODUCING THE ROTHERWOOD GROUP Claridge Nursing Homes is delighted to announce an exciting new phase in the organisation’s development, as it moves ahead with exciting plans which will see the business operate outside of Herefordshire for the first time. The Rotherwood Group brings together Claridge Nursing Homes with its long term business partner Fennell Financial. Richard Claridge, Chief Executive of the newly formed Rotherwood Group, said “I feel so proud to see Claridge Nursing Homes spread its wings and blossom into this new chapter of its history. “ He added, “Most of the changes are happening at a Group level. There will be very little change at the individual Nursing Homes – daily life and the standard

of care we offer will be unaffected. We provide some of the very best care in the county from Lynhales Hall, Hampton Grange and Gwen Walford House and we don’t want that to change in any way.” John Fennell, Chief Financial Officer, said, “The Rotherwood Group will continue to build upon the values of Claridge Nursing Homes - aiming to be the best and strive for excellence in all aspects of the services we offer. We have recently purchased another care home in Telford, which is undergoing extensive refurbishment work, and will shortly be taking ownership of another home in Droitwich.” He went on, “I believe we have created a unique offering within the Care Home sector. We have a proven track record of running excellent rated care homes, along with the expertise of providing industry specific financial support services.”

Richard Claridge, Chief Executive of the Rotherwood Group

a new standard in a new standard in =healthcare

healthcare

LYNHALES HALL, LYONSHALL

HAMPTON GRANGE, HEREFORD

GWEN WALFORD HOUSE, HEREFORD

01544 340238

01432 272418

01432 803200

LYNHALES HALL, LYONSHALL

HAMPTON GRANGE, HEREFORD

01544 340238

GWEN WALFORD HOUSE, HEREFORD

01432 272418

01432 803200

R O T H E R W O O D - H E A LT H C A R E . C O . U K

R O T H E R W O O D - H E A LT H C A R E . C O . U K Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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R.J. Francis & Co Accountants for where your business is now... and is heading

R J Francis & Co was formed by Robin Francis in 1984 and we provide accountancy and taxation services to a wide range of clients throughout Herefordshire, also with clients in Shropshire, the West Midlands and South Wales. We have established a reputation for our friendly and professional approach. Our very experienced management are supported by knowledgeable trained staff that are extremely conscientious in looking to meet the needs of our clients. We provide the services you need with a friendly team you can rely on.

Tel: 01432 266630

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10/08/2015 10:45:33 September/October 2015

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TOP LONDON COOKWARE BRAND CHOOSES WORCESTER FOR NEW DISTRIBUTION BASE One of London’s top kitchen and cookware shops and brands has chosen Worcester as the location for its new distribution warehouse, bringing new jobs to the city with more to come as sales grow. Part of the Leamington Spa-based Aga Rangemaster Group, Divertimenti, which styles itself as London’s favourite kitchen and cookware shop, has taken a new five year lease on a 14,869 sq ft warehouse at Unit 4, Wainwright Road, Worcester, WR4 9FA at a rent of £52, 500 per annum, in a deal arranged by Worcester commercial property consultancy GJS Dillon LLP, acting on behalf of landlord Underwood & Company Limited. Divertimenti were represented by Earle Latham of Latham High, 11 Savile Row, London W1S 3PG. With its flagship store in Knightsbridge and a newly rewritten online store, Divertimenti offers over 6,500 items of professional quality cookware and tableware for amateur and professional cooks. The company has moved its distribution warehouse to Worcester from Leamington Spa, as part of a plan to grow the business, particularly through its enhanced online presence. Divertimenti was attracted to Worcester by the city’s good communications and flexible workforce. Wainwright Road is only half a mile from Junction six of the M5 and access to the national motorway network. Lynne Davies, Lettings Manager at GJS Dillon said: “This is good news for Worcester, bringing new jobs to the city from outside of the county. It underscores the fact that the city and the county are one of the country’s premier business locations.

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CHARITYNEWS

KIDWELLS HOUSE HOSTS BIG TEA EVENT On Wednesday 1 July Kidwells House on Newtown Road, Hereford hosted a Big Tea in aid of St Michaels Hospice. It was the hottest day of the year so far but the garden with canopied tables provided the perfect setting. About 25 local business people including our very own Rosie from the Chamber came along and enjoyed homemade cakes, strawberries & cream and refreshments. S&A Produce donated the strawberries, cakes were donated by various attendees and Tesco at Belmont, Hereford donated fresh cream, sugar, cutlery, dishes, napkins, bunting, teabags and milk. We raised £153 for the Hospice and would like to say a huge thank you for all the donations and to everybody who joined us on the day. www.kidwellshouse.com

LEUKAEMIA CARE LAUNCH NEW AWARENESS CAMPAIGN This September, Worcester-based blood cancer charity, Leukaemia CARE, is launching its annual awareness campaign to mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Approximately 34,000 people across the UK are diagnosed with a blood cancer with around 4,000 people in Worcester being diagnosed with the disease annually.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS IS KEY

CYCLISTS CYCLE 100 MILES FOR ELY MEMORIAL FUND Over 30 cyclists spent two days cycling from Hereford to Aberystwyth from Saturday 27 to Sunday 28 June to raise money for the ELY Memorial Fund. The Charity was set up in August 2012 in memory of Emma Louise Young, who was tragically killed in a car accident at 23. It provides assistance for funeral costs to families who lose a son or daughter aged 17 to 25 in a car accident. On the Saturday the group cycled over 60 miles, ending at Rhayader where they enjoyed a BBQ and camped over night. The next 40 miles were through the gruelling hills of the Elan Valley to Devil’s Bridge, arriving around 3.30pm into Aberystwyth. Without the help and support of the cyclists, back up crew, Radnor Hills Water, Lafarge Tarmac and RMS the event would not have been possible. Everyone enjoyed it so much they want to do it again next year in order to continue to raise the profile of the Charity. www.ely-memorial-fund.org.uk 060

This September, the charity is proud to be launching their early diagnosis online learning resource for GPs – two completely free 30-minute training courses which hold CPD points. The modules are designed to help support GPs to spot the signs and symptoms of blood cancers earlier, and ultimately save lives.

KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS The charity is also launching their TEST campaign in September to help the public learn and remember the common symptoms of blood cancer in adults: T – tiredness and exhaustion, E – excessive sweating, S – sore bones and joints, T – terrible bruising.

WEAR YOUR RIBBON WITH PRIDE To show your support and join in with raising awareness, you can get hold of a ‘Be Blood Cancer Aware’ ribbon by making a £2 donation to Leukaemia CARE throughout September via the website or by calling 01905 755977. www.leukaemiacare.org.uk

EVENT IS A FLYING SUCCESS FOR CHARITY On Thursday 18 June, Worcester based business ISO Quality Services hosted their ‘15 in 2015’ event at Browns Restaurant, by the beautiful banks of the river Severn in Worcester. This event was the perfect opportunity to celebrate with local businesses and raise money for the Midlands Air Ambulance, a charity close to the hearts of the business’ Directors. The Midlands Air Ambulance requires £6.5million each year just to stay operational and relies solely on the generosity of the public to respond to over 2,000 missions every year. The raffle raised £800 which ISO Quality Services topped up to £1000. A massive thank you to all local businesses who donated prizes. ISO Quality Services were then invited to visit The Midlands Air Ambulance at Strensham Airbase where they were able to look around and present the charity with the cheque. www.isoqsltd.com

September/October 2015

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MINSTER MICRO DELIVERS COMMS FOR LEADING MIDLANDS MANUFACTURER BOSS DESIGN Virginia Seaward and Nick Marlow at Boss HQ

The talents of Kidderminster IT solutions provider, Minster Micro Computers, have enabled communications between Boss Design’s UK and American offices.

discussion they were extremely helpful, provided clarity and instilled confidence that we are in safe hands with experienced IT and business professionals.” Minster’s MD, Mr Nick Marlow, said: “Minster is skilled at developing and working with businesses to enhance any existing IT infrastructure, whilst also looking at the bigger picture, taking in to account future change and growth. We are keen to understand individual needs, which help us maintain and build strong client relationships; this was something Boss Design was surprised by, and delighted to find, in an IT company.

Boss Design Group, whose HQ is in Dudley, has most recently acquired a US based manufacturer. As well as supplying hardware support for the group, Minster has been involved in upgrading Boss’s IT security systems, and implementing a ‘meshed system’ to help improve Wi-Fi coverage, and organising communication between their UK and American offices.

“We are thrilled to be working with, and supporting, Boss Design, a highly respected UK company and successful international business brand.”

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NEWPEOPLETODOBUSINESSWITH BROMSGROVE Hanover Independent Trustees Limited 01527 832262 www.hanovertrustees.co.uk

DROITWICH June Mills HR Solutions 07706 506518 www.junemillshr.com

EVESHAM Everyclick Limited 01386764921 www.giveasyoulive.com

HEREFORD Brightstripe Cultural Health CIC 01432 358232 www.brightstripe.co.uk Capital Projects Construction Limited 01432 890790 www.capitalprojectsconstruction.co.uk Design Sessions UK Ltd 07584 052539 www.designsessions.com DeVaco Properties Ltd 01981 540011 www.devacoproperties.co.uk FRESH Travel Partner with Not Just Travel 02033 070077 www.notjusttravel.com/freshtravel QS Hereford Ltd 01432 278824 www.quickmotorsport.com

LEDBURY Curried Favour 01531 640956

Turl & Co Ltd. 01684 438 338 www.turlandco.co.uk

Heart of Worcestershire College 01905 725555 www.wortech.ac.uk

UK Netpoint Limited 01684 578414 www.uknetpoint.co.uk

Just Say Training 07855605896 www.justsaytraining.co.uk

PERSHORE

Rock that Look 01299 832492 www.rockthatlook.co.uk

Spirit Ventures 01386 562961 www.spiritventures.co.uk

REDDITCH Ianiro International Ltd 01527 596955 www.ianirouk.com Jaytees Ltd 01527 595165

Saucy Pears Drinks Company 07714 232 465 www.saucypears.co.uk (Worcester Wine Ltd) T/A Bottles Wine Bar and Merchants 01905 747919 www.bottleswine.co.uk

OUT OF AREA

Therapy 2000 Ltd 01527 878536 www.therapy2000.com

Business solutions (Midlands) Limited 07815535299 www.bsmidlands.co.uk

STOURPORT ON SEVERN

Enterprise Rent A Car 07918610397 www.enterprise.co.uk

Barbro Consulting and Coaching Ltd 07703326080 www.barbroconsult.co.uk

WORCESTER A Personal Touch - Massage Therapy 07971 081 522 www.aptmassagetherapy.co.uk

GOOD2GREAT Limited 01746 330 730 www.good-2-great.co.uk TTT Moneycorp 2078237400 www.moneycorp.com/uk

AMK Coaching and Mentoring 0797 9884947 www.amkcoachingandmentoring.com GLP TRAINING LTD 01905 670884 www.glptraining.org.uk/

LEOMINSTER Herefordshire Health and Safety Group 01568 619557 www.herefordhsg.co.uk

MALVERN Easyread Time Teacher Ltd 07865 470905 www.easyreadtimeteacher.com Jeanius! 01684 566 516 www.jeanius-design.co.uk Laronkarn Ltd 01684 899306 www.laronkarn.co.uk Malvern Buffets 07522 751 448 www.malvernbuffets.co.uk 062

September/October 2015

NEWPEOPLETODOBUSINESSWITH

A RACING START! - JEANIUS! DESIGN STUDIO

STREAMING OF LOCAL FESTIVAL IS GREAT SUCCESS FOR INASHED Local company Inashed.com had a great opportunity to live stream the Skenfrith Festival 2015, held on the 4 & 5 July. Kelvin the MD of Inashed jumped at the chance to support a great local event. The festival saw a plethora of local talent take stage and every moment captured by the cameras, you could view the show from anywhere in the world live on the internet. Part of the service that Inashed offer is portable Wifi, so each person at the event could log in to the internet, share it or even see if they can catch a glimpse of themselves. “It was a great weekend all round, the acts were brilliant and fun for us to film, we had people watching it in America at one point!” said Kelvin.

Jeanius! is a small, dedicated design studio based in Malvern and run by Jean Dunn-Bardo. Jeanius! started in June 2015 and has already launched off the starting grid by completing a new logo project for Formula 1 Photography company “Octane Photographic”. This high-profile design project was Jean’s first commission after launching her freelance venture. Jean has 10 years experience working on design projects & really believes in the power of colour and design. She is really keen to work with start-up companies around the Hereford & Worcester area and bring their dream to life. Jean has worked on a wide variety of projects including brand creation & management, web development, e-commerce system integration and internal systems process development. Whether you’re looking for a new logo, colour scheme, corporate image, website or packaging, Jeanius! will be able to help. www.jeanius-design.co.uk

www.inashed.com

JUNE MILLS: GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Following a successful career in Human Resources, both in the private and public sectors, June Mills reached a crossroads 2 years ago after taking redundancy - a call from a former colleague led to the start of her HR consultancy, serving local SMEs and Charities. Her first client was a ‘start-up’ who needed a staff handbook, including bespoke HR policies and procedures. June is pleased to have been retained by them and has completed a variety of assignments. Another client contacted her at the beginning of an organisational change programme and June was able to steer them smoothly through a major redundancy programme and implementation of the new staffing structure. Currently, June is working with a medium-sized private sector company, supporting the senior team in developing a robust Performance Management scheme, aligning individuals’ outputs and rewards with the business plan. To date, all clients have been from recommendations and June joined H&W Chamber of Commerce as an efficient way of networking with a wider spread of other local businesses. www.junemillshr.com

THE SUMMER’S BEEN FIZZY FOR FROME VALLEY VINEYARD Growing grapes in Herefordshire can sometimes be a little tricky given our occasionally uncooperative weather! This year, we ripped out a variety that has always been somewhat marginal and replanted the area with more pinot noir. It has all taken and is growing tremendously well. This is excellent news because, although we have made rosé for years with this, in 2010 we began to make pink fizz as well. We have just unfurled our first pink vintage and which I think is extremely tasty - a beautiful light pink, dry and quite fruity. Since 2010, we have had to decide whether to make sparkling or still with our pinot noir but in a couple of years, when these pinot noir are ready for cropping we shall be able to make both and really power up production! The 2010 is definitely going into this year’s Vineyard Association competitions and I’ll let you know what happens! www.fromevalleyvineyard.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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MOVERSANDSHAKERS

ANDY WILLIAMS, HANDELSBANKEN Handelsbanken have appointed Andy Williams as Branch Manager of its Hereford Branch. Andy joins Hereford branch having previously undertaken Corporate Manager roles at Handelsbanken branches in Cardiff, Newport and Basingstoke. An economics graduate of Loughborough University Andy’s banking career commenced with a high street bank where he spent 17 years in Commercial Banking. Andy is very much looking forward to engaging with existing and prospective corporate and individual banking customers in the local community in Herefordshire, where he will continue to promote Handelsbanken’s local, decentralised banking model. www.handelsbanken.co.uk/hereford

NICK PLAYFORD, MFG SOLICITORS Law firm and Chamber patrons mfg Solicitors has added to its agricultural division with the appointment of respected land and farming expert, Nick Playford. Nick has joined the firm as an associate working closely with partner Susan Morrissy and head of department, partner Iain Morrison. An agricultural specialist who has attained the Fellowship of The Agricultural Law Association, Mr Playford, 34, will play a key role in increasing mfg’s already strong presence in Worcestershire where he is supporting new and existing clients.

2 NEW RECRUITS AT THURSFIELDS SOLICITORS Thursfields Solicitors welcomes two new recruits to their Worcester office, Helen Hanson and Daniel Tetsell. Helen Hanson as an Associate Solicitor to their Family Department and Daniel Tetsell, Litigator into their Civil Litigation Department . Shane Miller, Director and head of the Family Law department of Thursfields Solicitors says; “We are extremely excited to welcome Daniel and Helen to the team. Thursfields are extremely focused on finding the right people who have the legal expertise and who are able to provide an excellent customer service to our clients.” www.thursfield.co.uk

DAN JACKSON, CB, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Dan is Senior Manager at CB, Chartered Accountants and looks after a wide range of clients and the firm’s audits. He is also the firm’s ‘Cloud Accounting’ expert. John Painter, Managing Partner at the firm said, ‘Achieving fellowship is a significant milestone in an accountant’s professional life and demonstrates extensive experience, a long-term commitment to professionalism and ethics.’ www.cbcharteredaccountants.com

www.mfgsolicitors.com

JAKE CROCKETT & DALE GOGGINS, APEX ELECTRICAL (LEOMINSTER) LTD Herefordshire based Apex Electrical have welcomed two newcomers to the team. Jake Crockett, who has been part of the team for a few months now has come from an excellent background in the agricultural and commercial electrical sectors and has successfully found his feet within the company. More recently, they have recruited Dale Goggins. Dale has developed his skills whilst employed by a leading national contractor and has broad experience in the commercial sector. He is an extremely enthusiastic member of staff and is quickly settling in alongside his team mates.

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SARAH STILLIARD & CATHRYN BASDEN, CARTRIDGE WORLD (HEREFORD) Cartridge World’s latest recruits, Sarah Stilliard and Cathryn Basden, are at the forefront of an exciting new direction the company is heading in, so we thought it was only right to introduce them. Sarah, Business Development, has recently moved back to Herefordshire and is excited to work with businesses throughout the county. Cathryn, Business Relations, has been with the company for six months and loves being able to use her skills in communication and build relationships with customers.

Business owner, Jon Miles, wishes both Jake & Dale the very best in their new job role!

Sarah and Cathryn’s door is always open should you wish to find out further information about Cartridge World Hereford and our services.

www.apex-electrical.com

www.hereford.cartridgeworld.co.uk

CHRIS PIGGOTT, MFG SOLICITORS Employment law specialist Chris Piggott has joined mfg Solicitors’ employment and HR services department as a partner. Chris has built an admired reputation since qualifying in 1995 and reports to partner and head of division, Sally Morris.

Sally Morris said: “Chris is exactly the type of person we want as part of the team at mfg. He has extensive experience, is well respected and is someone who always puts clients and their interests first.” www.mfgsolicitors.com

September/October 2015

MOVERSANDSHAKERS

Home

About Us

Our Servic

NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR AT SPELLER METCALFE Speller Metcalfe is delighted to announce the appointment of Des O’Neill to Managing Director.

FOUR NEW RECRUITS FOR 3SDL LTD. 3SDL are proud to announce the appointment of four new recruits. They have acquired Chris Williams as the UK Sales Manager and Mark Reynolds has come on board as European Sales Consultant. Aneela Hoque has joined as Marketing & Communications Manager and Daniel Dolan has started as an I.T apprentice.

The role will see Des move towards DEREK HINE & JULIA MEADEN, ARRIVISTA managing both the main contractor’s Malvern and Wolverhampton operations, Arrivista Business Coaching is delighted which both fall under the Group’s Malvern to introduce you to two new members of Limited branch. Previously Director of their team. 3SDL is proud of the growth within the Construction Division at Speller Metcalfe, Derek Hine has 40 years’ experience in the company as the key to their success is the Des has made significant contributions Retail and Service industries. His career people. This is why they are dedicated to to both Group strategic operations progressed through various blue-chip recruiting the best people in their fields and and business alongside Home > development About Us > Our People >such Tim Pimblett companies, as RHM and Dixons, creating a happy and secure environment management of the Wolverhampton team. before becoming CEO of Jessops, making for staff to ensure success and retention. The move follows Tony Shaw’s departure it the largest camera retailer in Europe. www.3sdl.com as the previous Managing Director, who Julia Meaden is one of the most highly following partial retirement in 2014 stepped regarded business coaches, trainers and into the role of Pre-Construction Director. facilitators in the West Midlands. She www.spellermetcalfe.com brings 17 years’ experience working with senior teams across the private, public and voluntary sector. Simon Williams, founder of Arrivista commented “I’m delighted to have Derek & Julia as part of our team; they both bring so much experience we can all benefit from”.

Tim Pimblett

Name: Tim Pi Department Email: tim.pi www.arrivista.co.uk Direct Dial:

CHLOE BLACKWELL, HAYWARD WRIGHT Chloe Blackwell is set for a larger role in the firm after securing her Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualifications. Chloe joined the Worcester and Redditch based financial experts in September 2013 and has since spent almost two years doing on-the-job training and a part time college course.

Tim is a solicit

TIM PIMBLETT, SME SOLICITORS SARAH FRANKLIN, HANOVER INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES LIMITED

“There are young people out there, like Chloe, with a fantastic work ethic and a real desire to develop their skills. Chloe’s been an asset to us since she started and her determination to continue to learn makes her even more so.”

SME Solicitors has announced the appointment of Tim Pimblett as a solicitor in its Commercial Property Department. Hanover Independent Trustees Limited is As part of the SME Property Convert html toCommercial pdf online pleased to announce that Sarah Franklin, team, Tim will be covering all commercial an experienced pension’s actuary, has property matters including leases, been appointed as a Director. Sarah will schedules of conditions, dilapidations dedicate time to pension scheme clients together with agricultural matters as well as leading the firm’s marketing including the sale and purchase of and business development. agricultural land preparing farm business “I am really looking forward to building tenancies and grazing agreements and new and long-lasting relationships with reports in to Partner Shaun Owen, who companies to help them work through says: “We highly value Tim’s expertise their pension scheme issues so they can and approach and are very happy to focus on their businesses.” welcome him to the SME team.”

www.haywardwright.co.uk

www.hanovertrustees.co.uk

She will now work closely with clients to give tax, audit, accounts and budgeting advice. Managing Director Alistair Hayward Wright commented:

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

www.smesolicitors.co.uk.

He qualiﬁed a both Hereford BELINDA SMITH, MEADOW CHEESE CO.

Tim’s experien

Meadow Cheese Co, subsidiary of Ornua (formerly known as the Irish Dairy Board) with PDFmyURL are delighted to announce the recent appointment of Belinda Smith as Strategic Technology Manager at our Herefordshire processing site. Belinda brings with her over 25 Years of expertise in the food industry.

Belinda quotes “I am delighted to be working with the exceptional team here at Meadow Cheese, especially with the up and coming launch of our new, unique and exciting CMS Technology which allows us to have fantastic quality product.” www.meadowcheese.co.uk 065

LASTWORD

SUSTAINABILITY – THE FOCUS OF THE NEXT BUSINESS DIRECTION For the last word, we spoke to Stuart Speight, Director of IE Developments and President of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHARITY GOLF DAY On the 13 July, Golf teams from across the West Midlands battled it out at the superb Droitwich Golf Club in the first H&W Chamber of Commerce Charity golf day of the year, in association with Amros Golf Events & sponsored by HomeXperts. On arrival golfers were welcomed with player goody bags, bacon rolls & coffee. At 1.00pm, Teams tee’d off with a shotgun start. After a most enjoyable 18 holes of golf, players had time to network and discuss the golf in the 19th hole. To finish the day, Droitwich Golf Club served a wonderful 3 course presentation dinner. During the day & evening money was raised for St. Richards Hospice, St. Pauls Hostel & Aspie and as a result approximately £2000.00 was raised. Simon Downes & Mike Pollard won nearest the pin & nearest the pin in 2. The team competition had Vale Vehicle Movements coming third, The Nomads in second & EBC Group captained by Jason Bowers as winners with 87 points. There was a special presentation to the sponsor’s team, captained by Jason Barnett for the worst score of the day, 62 points. Set up in 2013, the Chamber’s popular Golf Society has hosted a number of thoroughly enjoyable Golf events throughout the year to provide excellent networking opportunities for business people looking to make new contacts while perfecting their golf swing! The Chamber of Commerce Business Golf Society in association with Amros Golf Events are hosting a series of its own events throughout 2015, as well as supporting a number of local Charity Golf Days. Male and female players of all abilities, members and non members of the Chamber are welcome to attend these events either as teams of 4 or individuals.

HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE GOLF SOCIETY EVENTS - OCT/NOV 2015 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR BUSINESSES TO BE SUSTAINABLE AND WHAT BENEFITS ARE THERE? I think we all have a responsibility to embrace the sustainable agenda, however there is a cost to it and there needs to be a tangible benefit. Our business chose to embrace the challenge several years ago and it has made us a far stronger and competitive company. Our customers appreciate the sustainable elements of our products and ethos and are prepared to invest in them at a higher level than the current market. As a smaller company it has given us an edge over our far bigger counterparts and a very strong and unique position in the market place.

HOW HAVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY IN BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? There is undoubtedly a greater awareness to it and the beginnings of a culture change, but it is a very slow process. We are seeing a more open minded but cautious approach; there is still a long way to go to wider acceptance.

WHAT PART DO INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE TO PLAY? A huge amount; it will be the innovations that drive change and we have witnessed this first hand. We developed an innovative construction system

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utilising partners with a willingness to be pioneers and it has propelled us forward in our chosen market place. New ideas and technologies are definitely the elements that will bring positive and sustainable change.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO BUSINESSES LOOKING TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE? Be open minded and look into what is out there, look to what other companies and indeed countries are doing, innovate and don’t be afraid of change, accept that it comes with a price, but have faith that it will enhance your future. Don›t think of sustainability as purely a ‹green’ agenda item - in this context it means something we can keep doing effectively, profitably, and without unnecessary harm.

Golf Day, Sponsored by CB Chartered Accountants Charity: Worcestershire & Gloucestershire Young Carers Friday 2nd October 2015 The Worcestershire Golf Club, Malvern WR14 4PP Arrival refreshments, 18 Holes, 3 Course Presentation Dinner Goody Bag for every player Teams of 4: £300.00+ VAT / Individuals: £75.00+ VAT£20.00+VAT Members / £25.00+VAT Non-members AGM & Conference, Sponsored by Nicklin Business Advisers Friday 13th to 15th November 2015 Costa del Sol, Spain Includes 2 nights B&B, 2 rounds of golf with buggies, all transfers Individuals: £245.00 + VAT Excluding flights

WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ACROSS HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS? More importance given to companies trying to change and more tangible benefits to those businesses heading down the sustainability route. It is a journey for us all and a responsibility we should shoulder together, and the brave pioneers of change should be supported by the correct authorities. www.iedev.co.uk

For more information or booking form contact Neil Bettridge on 07792620355 or sales@amrosgolf.co.uk Booking forms can also be downloaded from www.hwchamber.co.uk September/October 2015

Come and meet us at the Chamber of Commerce Expo Thursday 8th October 2015

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