Business Edge 44 by Distinctive Media Group Ltd

Inside business08matters chairmans column

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12 ask the expert 13 fine print 14 business support 18 business matters 26 inspirational leaders 28 cover feature 34 business matters 40 finance focus 46 training and events 48 food and beverage 52 new members 54 5 minutes with the magazine for sussex chamber of commerce members

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Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Sussex Chamber of Commerce currently represents over 1,000 member businesses. Membership of Sussex Chamber of Commerce offers access to invaluable business advice, money saving benefits, networking opportunities and provides a voice for businesses at a local, regional and national level. Business Edge is delivered free of charge to all Sussex Chamber of Commerce members as well as key business decision makers across the county. It has a circulation of 4,000 copies per issue. Business Edge is a Sussex Chamber of Commerce publication. If you have any stories you would like to tell us about or any comments please drop us an email at enquiries@

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Welcome to our Business Edge magazine! Ana Christie Chief Executive Sussex Chamber of Commerce

There are lots of new developments at Sussex Chamber. Firstly, we have launched our Ditch the Plastic campaign. We are urging businesses across the county to make a real difference. The aim is to encourage businesses to reduce their plastic usage and waste. By helping improve the environment we live in, we can make it safer for our wildlife, our oceans and seas, and everyone who visits and lives in Sussex. Working in partnership with The Creative Group, we will be asking businesses to get involved in our beach cleans. We have developed our own internal pledge to reduce and recycle plastic and are also working with our suppliers to encourage them to do the same. Contact us to find out more and follow @DitchPlasticUK Our conferences have always been extremely popular. Our speakers have left the audience inspired and motivated. The next Business Leaders Conference on 3rd October will focus on Mental Toughness. We have 3 amazing international speakers to inspire business

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk Enjoy reading the latest Business Edge. I look forward to seeing you at one of our events or training courses. For further information please contact the Sussex Chamber on 01444 259259.

welcome

cover feature

chamber campaigning

innovation + entreprenuership 32-33

business matters

Distinctive Publishing or Business Edge cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Business Edge.

The British Chambers of Commerce continue to represent the Accredited Chamber network. Daily blogs, news stories and updates are available on our website and twitter. The latest quarterly economic results were published which showed that UK labour productivity, as measured by output per hour, is estimated to have fallen by 0.4% in Q1 2018, the first decline since Q2 2017. The Quarterly Economic Survey for quarter two 2018 suggests that UK economic conditions remain sluggish, despite a modest improvement in activity in the second quarter of 2018. In the dominant service sector, consumer-facing industries, such as hospitality and retail, continue to report tougher trading conditions. In the manufacturing sector, the balance of firms reporting improved domestic sales rose in the quarter, and the balance of firms reporting improved orders increased to the highest level since quarter one in 2015. For the full report go to our External Affairs page on our website:

CONTENTS

chairmans column

DISCLAIMER

professionals, owners and staff alike. Manage negative emotions and learn performance enhancing mental toughness skills to lead companies and interact with customers and colleagues. There is an early bird rate available, so book now by calling 01444 259 259.

5-6 8 10-11

28-29

business matters

corporate social responsibility

business matters

ask the expert

finance focus

fine print

chamber benefits

40-43 44

business support

14-17

training and events

46-47

business matters

18-19

food and beverage

48-51 52-53

hospitality and events

20-25

new members

inspirational leaders

26-27

five minutes with...

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chamber campaigning

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Sussex Chamber launch ‘ditch the plastic’ in collaboration with The Creative Group Sussex Chamber of Commerce and The Creative Group (a full-service marketing agency based in Gatwick) are delighted to announce their latest collaboration with their ‘Ditch the Plastic’ campaign. The two companies have worked together for many years and have once again come together for a common cause and are leading the way in raising awareness of the catastrophic effects that plastic pollution is having on our environment. Headed up by CEO of the Chamber, Ana Christie and CEO of The Creative Group, Matt Turner, the two organisations will be organising several beach cleans across the region with the hope to expand to parks and villages in an effort to clean up Sussex’s award-winning natural spaces. As part of the initiative, the duo is calling for other organisations to do their bit and to get involved in this important initiative; with the two explaining that they are particularly

keen to speak to organisations who are interested in partnering or sponsoring the events. Ana Christie, Chief Executive of the Sussex Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a huge issue for the Sussex region and with this campaign we hope to encourage people to cut down on their plastic waste and in doing so clean up Sussex’s beaches and reduce the growing tide of plastic, washing up on our beaches every day. Matt Turner, CEO of The Creative Group, added; “This is an issue that businesses, can no longer ignore. We need other organisations to get involved to help spread the word of this important initiative.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Therefore, I urge the businesses across Sussex to help us make a real difference and get in touch to discuss potential partnership and sponsorship opportunities.” However, they haven’t stopped there - in an effort to continue the good work, the two organisations have both also committed to reducing their plastic wastage in their office spaces and have already started putting measures in place, to encourage their staff to recycle any rubbish and to limit their use of single-use plastic. If you’d like to find out more about getting involved, please contact: info@ sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk or call

01444 259259

tel: 01444 259 259

business matters

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How to make your presentations more powerful David Bellis Managing Director, Blue Rock Fox

Corporate communications specialist David Bellis says honing presentation skills can help both experienced and novice speakers. If you have the courage, commitment and passion to talk about your organisation to an audience, then (by definition) you already have the most important skills needed to give an effective presentation. Genuine passion always trumps dry facts, even if the presenter is regarded as unskilled. Some ‘unskilled’ presenters command huge audiences because their content is of genuine interest (retired sports people) or has strong emotion or a sense of injustice (victims / bereaved relatives). Whatever your starting point, however, your skills can be improved, and whatever your subject, improving your skills will make your presentations more effective. Fasttrack improvement happens in a training environment … but here’s a few thoughts to help make your presentations more effective! Know your intended outcomes; write them down in one sentence. Be precise, not woolly. If you can’t do that, clarify your thinking before you do anything else. Know your audience. Do a professional audience analysis – demographics, organisations, existing views/knowledge, key influencers, who’s for or against you etc. Make data-led decisions but story-led presentations. Use data for support only. Visual aids are … an aid. People do business with people, not PowerPoint. I make videos, but even I believe that if you use them, they’re a subservient part of a presentation. Repetition equals reputation; regurgitation equals tedium. Know how to manage that contradiction. Advance the knowledge (even in ads, news is compelling; powerful content usually includes new information). Worried about IP? That’s a whole topic on its own … know how to handle it. Great presenters know that audiences ‘talk’ to them. But are you listening? Do you have the skills to respond, flexibly? Address both hard and soft issues; giving a great technical / commercial / financial

presentation is of limited use if there’s resistance to the message for political / personal / psychological or other factors.

If you claim to be passionate, but give dull, flat presentations, what you say conflicts with the way you say it, and it will be unconvincing.

Don’t annoy anyone by accident; but don’t let the fear of annoying someone undermine a confident, powerful, convincing presentation. You’re in business, people will be annoyed with you (applicants you didn’t recruit, people you fired, suppliers you don’t use, resellers you won’t deal with, customers who can’t afford you, etc). If annoying someone is unavoidable, do it, but manage it knowingly.

Understand how energy levels flow during a presentation (it’s the same for everyone); there are techniques for managing that.

Two words that can supercharge your storytelling: ‘for example’. Presentations should be created for individuals, taking account of personality, style, delivery, tone, voice, skills, body language, and other factors. Don’t give a presentation written for other people or any-size-fits-all presentations downloaded from your corporate intranet. Others can do your research, fact marshalling, audience analysis, Q and A predictions, etc, but the most effective presentation you’ll ever give will be one that you’ve written. Customer endorsements, particularly from corporates, may be difficult to acquire, or violate their rules. Audiences don’t differentiate between customer endorsements and customer mentions. In 10 days, 10% of your audience will remember 10% of what you said, if you’re lucky, and if you gave a really great presentation. But which 10%? You can leave that to chance, or make a conscious decision about it; getting that right involves the full range of presentation skills.

People obsess about ‘difficult questions’. It’s a big topic, but most questions are predictable (there’s a technical process for doing that; it works for any company, in any sector). There are tactics for tough questions, but accurately predicting them makes your answers more convincing. Stupid questions can be trickier than those from an informed base. Presidents and Prime Ministers have almost certainly lost elections as a result of stupid questions and investigative journalists are taught how to use them (I was), because they’re so revealing of hidden truths. Training can equip you with simple devices (such as the ‘inoculation’ technique) to help protect you from this. Open-ended questions can be as dangerous as stupid ones. People who ask questions may have motives other than wanting to know the answer. Understanding their motives will help you manage them. I teach presentation skills in small groups – not woolly, generalised courses but practical, involving (strictly confidential) sessions to help companies and individuals make substantive progress and overcome specific issues. I’ll be happy to discuss your requirements. I blog about business communications on Linkedin: (www.linkedin.com/in/

davidmichaelbellis/)

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business matters

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Award winning Avantguard Security Officers Mark Loftin Avantguard Security

Avantguard are delighted and extremely proud to announce that our security officers Dave McFarlane and Kevin Hyde have been presented with a special award from our client, OneFamily based in Brighton. The values award scheme was set up by our client in September 2017 and aims to recognise the commitment and effort of their employees. The awards are based on recommendations from the staff and management at One Family, who can nominate their colleagues if they feel that they have really gone above and beyond to represent the teamwork and values of OneFamily. It is particularly special that our own team members were nominated, being contractors to OneFamily. But regularly working on the reception of the offices in Brighton has made them part of the team, so much so that they are on first name terms with almost all of the 500 staff who work in the building.

Dave MacFarlane (left) and Kevin Hyde (right) receiving their award from the Chef Executive of OneFamily, Simon Markey (centre) Overall there were 152 nominations and this was shortlisted to 32 people by a panel of judges. Dave and Kevin were presented with their award at a special ceremony at Hotel Du Vin in Brighton.

They are incredibly honoured to have received this award and we are immensely proud of their achievement and to have them as part of our team here at Avantguard Security.

Is direct mail coming back? Stefan Buss Business Development, Storm12

In today’s digital world, we are faced with so many channels, platforms, forums and feeds when advertising our company or brand. However, getting cut through and grabbing attention is actually becoming harder and harder. It’s a distant memory now, those old times when your letterbox was jammed – how many emails do you get compared to business post through your door? Therein lies the new opportunity with direct mail for B2B marketing.

with email. This has also been known to increase the ROI for sales team substantially, getting them through the door and on the target’s desk - making them stand out more. On a purely practical level you can see why direct mail can elicit a better response – it has three dimensions instead of two and can play to more of the recipient’s senses than on screen. It’s no wonder that Google had its best advertising campaign for AdWords through the post.

is out, but if you want to grab more attention - don’t forget about print and direct mail in your marketing mix. Storm12 have recently joined Sussex Chambers of Commerce as Premier members and are currently busy building the new and updated website for them. Read more about current trends in marketing and why Direct Mail is making a comeback on Stefan’s blog at Storm12: bit.ly/DM-Report-Storm12

In the past, direct mail used to be massproduced, non-personalised and very expensive, but nowadays with a focused, integrated campaign, this does not have to be so. We are not saying digital

When you look at the stats, direct mail holds attention for longer (up to 17 days on average). Studies have also shown that direct mail is seen to be more believable than email; recipients feel more valued and they have a better impression about the sender’s company. These stats are also on the rise – which makes sense when you look at scams and breaches of security associated

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business matters

full house at the Grand Hotel Brighton

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A reflective journey As one advances through a career into late middle age it is interesting to see one’s opportunities to share the knowledge and experience, which has been built up over the many years of work, slowly closing down. Cynically, this could be partly because my age, gender, race, sexuality, etc. is diametrically opposed to the new social diversity norms which often seem to prevail but “Baby boomers” are often looked on with resentment as we’ve seen from the recent derogatory descriptions reported in the press.

The future is now! The 9th May saw the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2018 held at The Grand Hotel, Brighton bring wonder and insight to hundreds of delegates from far and wide. This year the spectacular line up proved to be revolutionary, looking at future business trends and how these affect business both now and going forward. With the advancement and increased use of AI technologies the fascinating speakers gave valuable insight on what’s important in future proofing your business. The day kicked off with a bang (literally!) as Clatteratti performed their tribal drums building up to a crescendo to start the show in style. As well as the thought provoking speakers the day featured Link & Learn sessions (with essential legal tips) and masses of quality networking opportunities throughout the day with lots of surprises too! Once everyone was relaxed and raring to go after their fill of delicious lunch with wine, Penina Shepherd, best selling Author and Founder of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, shared her thoughts and expertise on the importance of brand and how the emotional experience plays such a key part to any business.

My father was a working class factory worker, yet he and his like were aspirational for themselves and their families following the true austerity at the end of the second world war. Nothing was taken for granted and hard work, respect and sacrifice were the watchwords of the day. Sadly this doesn’t often seem to be today’s mantra and I am reminded of those immortal lyrics from Queen “I want it all and I want it now”. For me, higher education was the passport to success and a University degree had a high value because it was such a challenge to achieve. We are currently in an economic situation where employment levels are high and businesses throughout the region are desperate for skilled, knowledgeable staff, people who are reliable, respectful, adaptable and socially aware. We should be casting our net wider and perhaps capturing the skills and knowledge of older workers who still have so much to contribute to the growth of the economy.

Giving a whirlwind talk on how the next 20 years will affect our businesses, expert on global trends and innovation, Mark Stevenson (the ‘reluctant futurist’ and award-winning author) pointed out the real urgency dealing with future crisis now. Also bringing the future to light, Tim Leberecht, a Futurist and Humanist and Co-founder of The Business Romantic Society, made a fascinating point of how we are entering a new romantic era for business in response to big data and hyper-connectivity.

Continuing my journey of reflection is it just me or is there an epidemic of colds and lack of manners on our trains these days? Inevitably I get the cougher and splutterer with no handkerchief next to me, the noisy headphones in front, the snorer opposite, the mobile phone addict behind, and that was just one journey into London yesterday. Added to that you get the trolley puller who has no clue about the trip hazard they are trailing behind them or the rucksack swinger who’s complete lack of spatial awareness is palpable.

Before the celebratory drinks and mingling it was time for our keynote speaker. The outstanding Holly Tucker MBE, Founder of Not on the High Street, shared her incredible business journey highlighting what is most important along with her passion for small businesses for the future. The audience got the chance to ask Holly their questions too so by the end of the day there were many valuable takeaway points for them to put into practice.

I do pity you poor commuters. There is only one thing to do, hunker down in your window seat with your own music (if there is a seat at all), a face mask and copious amounts of First Defence, and hope that Victoria arrives soon before that infectious germ gets you.

The ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION exists to give the business community motivation, inspiration, gain essential business know how and make valuable new connections. All with the added enjoyment of the Acumen magic and surprises! Penina Shepherd, Founder of ACUMEN BUSINSS LAW said, “It’s been a fantastic day and so great to see so many business professionals together, all sharing in the inspiration and expertise from the day. That’s what makes it so special and we look forward to our 10th convention next year! “

David Sheppard Chairman Sussex Chamber of Commerce

To find out how to get involved next year and for more information please contact: creative@acumenbusinesslaw.co.uk

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

august/september 2018 business edge

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER Degree apprenticeships bring together the best of vocational training and higher education and enable apprentices to combine university study with valuable ‘on the job’ training. The University of Chichester offers a range of degree apprenticeship options to suit the needs of local businesses. Our Degree Apprenticeships: n Chartered Manager n Chartered Manager (Schools Business Professional) n Digital Marketer (subject to Standard approval) n Digital Technology Solutions (Software Engineer) n Digital Technology Solutions (Cyber Security Analyst) n Electrical/Electronic Technical Support Engineer n Mechanical Engineer n Postgraduate Teaching n Senior Leaders Masters Level (MBA)

FIND OUT MORE Find out about the University of Chichester’s degree apprenticeships at www.chi.ac.uk/apprentice. Interested businesses should get in touch at apprenticeships@chi.ac.uk

news from across the county

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Severe shortage of business premises in Burgess Hill Over recent years, despite a national climate of austerity, many Burgess Hill-based businesses have outgrown their premises. That’s good news. Or it should be.

Peter Liddell, co-ordinator of the BHBPA (Burgess Hill Business Parks Association)

The bad news is there is a chronic shortage of suitable sites in this area of Mid-Sussex for them to move to. Burgess Hill Business Parks Association (BHBPA), which represents firms of all sizes, has more than a dozen members in precisely this position – financially able and keen to expand but held back by a lack of real estate. The local shortage has been made worse by the recent conversion of former commercial sites into residential units, those in Victoria Road being a prime example. Expanding insurance firm Bennett Christmas has been located in the town for half a century and needs to accommodate more than 50 members of staff but has found a “distinct lack of office space” locally that could meet its current and future plans to expand. With commercial sites for both rent and purchase severely limited, firms are being forced to look further afield – even to relocate outside of Mid-Sussex. One example is Vega UK, a subsidiary of a German brand that has operated in Burgess Hill for 24 years but after a long and fruitless search has reluctantly decided to move to Uckfield where it plans to construct a 30,000 square-foot bespoke headquarters. “We were offered warehouses when what we need is predominantly office space”, explains Ray Tregale,. “During a three-year search, nobody seemed interested in selling

“We need companies to stay in Burgess Hill,” adds Mr Liddell. “The time has come for landowners and local authorities to act, to release some land for sale, or do what is necessary to retain our businesses.”

to us. We even offered cash for the old Icon building, to no avail.” Many business owners and managing directors have told the BHBPA that they do not wish to move away from Burgess Hill, a place that they recognise as being ideally suited to their enterprises. Partly this is because of loyal local workforces and the town’s good transport links. Discussions with planners and council leaders reveal that they are aware of the issues and making efforts to solve them. But, say entrepreneurs, it’s reaching crisis point. They await the long-promised business parks along the A2300 and can only sit back and watch in disbelief at increasing residential encroachment into an industrial area at the western end of Victoria Road. It has left some of the region’s most successful businesses now surrounded by housing. “The residential building has caused nearby businesses huge problems over the past nine months, and yet they have soldiered on, taken everything thrown at them and are still producing terrific results,” says Peter Liddell, coordinator of the BHBPA. “The business community is understandably becoming frustrated by the lack of progress on areas for expansion.” Bio-Productions, an SME that manufactures in Burgess Hill and exports around the globe, is one of them. It fears it will have to move out of the town to find the larger premises it needs. “It’s something we really do not wish to do as the majority of our staff are Burgess Hill residents,” says operations director Phil Karn. “We understand the need for housing, yet ironically it leaves fewer places where the enlarged population can work locally.”

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

The root cause of the shortage of commercial premises can be laid at the foot of government, according to one businessman. Nick Broom, CEO of PVL UK, blames the Permitted Development Programme, which was made permanent in 2016, and has allowed the change of use of premises from commercial to residential without the need for planning permission. “This has resulted in a slow but steady creep of residential properties into the industrial park, further reducing the availability of appropriate growth space for local manufacturing businesses,” he says. The crisis facing the booming manufacturing and service sectors comes at a time when re-development of Burgess Hill town centre has seen retail outlets closing to make way for improvements, impacting the local economy and employment opportunities. “I find it extraordinary that all the thought and planning is going into the Northern Arc development but little thought or planning on the Business Park developments,” says an exasperated Keith Upton from TS Professional. The BHBPA is working with and for its members to address their concerns and the subject is now an ongoing item for its steering group. “We need companies to stay in Burgess Hill,” adds Mr Liddell. “The time has come for landowners and local authorities to act, to release some land for sale, or do what is necessary to retain our businesses.” BHBPA would like to hear from businesses with a story to tell, especially those looking to expand but cannot find suitable premises locally. Contact: peter.liddell@bhbpa.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

business matters

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Event Security Ollie Lashley Marketing & Client Relationship Executive for The Beacon Group

Every year the UK plays host to over 7000 outdoor events – attended by 85 million visitors. It is an industry that is constantly expanding and is currently worth £42.3 billion pounds. New festivals and events both large-scale and of a smaller size are being created across the country every year and whilst this is a boost for economic communities and tourism, there are a number of issues that also arise. With this, Security is becoming increasingly important for events, unfortunately in part due to the current global climate, but also because of rising numbers of attendees and festivals taking place each year. With this article, we aim to provide you with some information surrounding the importance of Event security. Regardless of event scale or visitor numbers, the safety of visitors and staff should be the first priority for any organizer. Security personnel at large scale events safeguard those on site and work to reduce risk to customers and staff. Professional, well trained Door Supervisors work to prevent entry to those who are not authorised to attend and ensure that only fee-paying ticket-holders are present on-site and prevent and deal with security incidents. The importance of monitoring entrances is two-fold, not only does it provide an economical benefit in that organizers are

safe in the knowledge that everyone in attendance has paid for their entry, but it also allows the security team to monitor attendance numbers and distribute security team members accordingly to correctly manage crowds. When you plan your security provisions account for the need to have both roaming and static positioned officers on-site. Whilst it’s important to have all entrants checked on arrival, it is equally important to have staff checked to a high standard as well. With the industry currently providing 570,000 full time equivalent positions each year, there is scope for a large number of team members working your event, all with differing levels of skill and a range of backgrounds. For a successful event to run, staff must be safe, vigilant and vetted to minimize the risk factor. At Beacon Event Safe, all our team members are security vetted to the British Standard, and we ensure that our team comply with the correct industry standards. Beacon Event Safe are recognized under the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme, this ensures our services are delivered to the highest standard. We would recommend that whenever you are selecting a security company, you choose one who is also recognized by the SIA (this can be checked through the SIA’s website). When you select a security contractor for your event, it is vital that you communicate in advance about your needs for the duration of the event. Involve them from

the start communicating about key aims for the event, consult in areas such as security team numbers, deployment positions and other important factors. What equipment is necessary? – two-way radios, metal detectors for entry searches, protective clothing such as high-visibility jackets and ear-plugs for high noise areas, for example. Paperwork is key to ensuring your event runs smoothly. You should be provided with documents such as risk assessments, standard operating procedures and copies of insurance documents. Responsible event managers will delve deeper and request copies of a sample of the security teams licenses and training documents. In summary, we advise that when you plan for your next event, make sure you prioritize your security acquisition. The events industry continues to grow year on year, with 67% of organizers expecting to see growth in their events over the next 12 months, meaning that your choice of security measures is vital in ensuring the safety of an ever-growing visitor base. A safe event with a customer focused security team means great reviews in the era of social media, building your brand, maintaining your reputation and bringing repeat business. Ollie Lashley is the Marketing & Client Relationship Executive for the Beacon Group, a security company who have been operating in and around Sussex for the past 15 years. They have a wealth of experience in providing support for large scale events such as The British Heart Foundation London to Brighton Bike Ride and often support staff at the Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium.

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ask the expert

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Waiting for the robots? You could be more productive No doubt, the robots are coming: AI and automation will change the business environment beyond recognition. Until then we face human problems, many of which can be fixed. Tim Misson, Business Development Director of Red River Software, applies a different kind of intelligence. Tim Mission Business Development Director Red River Software

There’s a lot of talk about how the robots are coming for our jobs. Depending on your perspective that could be a great thing, or a dystopian novel come true. Either way, for most of us it’s a long way off, and in the meantime it’s not like we’ve sorted out all our messy human problems. In a typical business, inefficient human processes and behaviours can have a huge productivity cost. If the average business focused on really chasing down and removing these inefficiencies, the result would be lower costs, increased profitability, and a competitive advantage that could deliver growth and stability. In some applications, robots can already be part of that - they can shift pallets around and help build cars or ink cartridges - but we’re still many years away from AI that can be trusted to take over the highly bespoke demands of the majority of administrative tasks currently performed by humans within business.

Working outside the system For at least the medium-term future, the biggest potential for increasing productivity in business lies in removing clutter and inefficiencies from human processes, and for that, software is our most powerful tool. Yet it’s astonishing how often it can be a source of frustration and inefficiency, rather than a frictionless, enabling platform. In our work we see a lot of software gone wrong: off-the-shelf packages that don’t match how a business actually works, legacy software that’s been outgrown, systems in desperate need of updating or replacing. The results are usually the same: humans are resourceful, and when their tools are blunted they’ll invent workarounds and kludges to get the job done. We’ve seen ad-hoc, manually updated spreadsheets. People running between departments with sheaves of paper because they can’t share an original. Documents saved - then lost - in network folders. Warehouse staff making paper notes because it’s easier, and companies losing

revenue because their quotations are hopelessly reliant on iterative, manual work. These workarounds aren’t just inefficient and error prone: the business loses track of employees working outside the system, so visibility, analytics and management information all suffer. In other words, your staff are wasting time implementing poor solutions to bad software, and you might not even see it.

Unleashing productivity We find these kinds of problems even in streamlined, agile businesses - look closely enough and they’re almost always there, sapping energy and undermining productivity. Maybe you recognise similar issues in your own organisation: wouldn’t it be great to fix some of this stuff now, rather than in 10 years, and for much less than it’ll cost to bring in a bunch of Daleks?

Returning to the point, fixing productivity in your business isn’t a case of waiting for the robots. There are tangible and significant productivity gains hiding in the processes of any business, and many years before AI can solve them. That’s a lot of time in which to reap the benefit of investing in streamlined, capable and flexible software systems, designed precisely for how your business works. If you’re wasting time working outside of your systems, struggling to fit an industrystandard solution to your non-standard enterprise, or simply need software experts to help deliver a vision with us at Red River Software.

Modern, custom-built software can be a transformative tool to a business. Beyond the quest to improve efficiency and productivity, better tools let staff refocus their creativity, boosting morale, and helping them and the business achieve more. When it comes to choosing software, many businesses assume that an off-theshelf solution is a ‘safe bet’ which will do everything they need. Sometimes it will, but the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach won’t always scratch all of your itches and you’re likely to end up paying for a whole bunch of features and functionality you never use (and wishing there were others that you could). Often it will look like it does, but that may only be a subset of what’s possible with software written specifically to enable your business. There’s also the question of cost. Off-the-shelf products can appear cheaper at first glance, but add in licensing, support and the inevitable customisation and sometimes they’re not - we’ve delivered custom systems for around half the price of the industry-leading off-the-shelf solution.

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fine print

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Entrepreneur Revolution: How to Develop Your Entrepreneurial Mindset and Start a Business That Works Health & Safety – now is the time to act if you want to save money! Rising insurance premiums and the introduction of new Sentencing Guidelines in 2017 have only added to the anxiety of business owners and Health & Safety managers across Sussex. The largest fines are no longer reserved for fatalities, and a dangerous near-miss can now be treated just as harshly by the authorities. At the same time, insurers continue to deal with civil claims from employees injured in the workplace, and without a strong case to rebuff them have little choice but to admit liability – as often the cost of trying to defend a claim where the chances of success are dubious, exceed the amount of compensation involved. It has never been so important – no matter what your organisation’s size – to have your Health & Safety management in exemplary order. But with time so precious and numerous other concerns from Brexit to rising fuel costs to GDPR, where do we find the time? And how much do we have to do? A great starting point is to get everyone playing their part in Health & Safety; it’s no single person’s sole responsibility. Managers have a significant role to play as the ‘eyes and ears’ – the ones in the best position to manage safety day-to-day (even more so if your organisation has multiple sites). Build in Health & Safety responsibilities in managers’ Job Descriptions and include Health & Safety targets as part of performance appraisals. This way, Health & Safety becomes part of their role, not something that has to be done in addition that’s seen as getting in the way. The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Level-2 Managing Safely course, run by us, here at Sutton Winson in our Burgess Hill Office, and the qualification itself is an excellent way to support this. The course is designed specifically for managers and supervisors with no prior knowledge of Health & Safety and feedback from candidates is consistently excellent. As our Director, Martin Coppard, explains: “…It’s been great to see managers not only enjoying the course but taking the knowledge gained and applying it with enthusiasm in their own workplace. Ownership for Health & Safety management has to be shared around all levels of the organisation and the Managing Safely course has made a real difference in companies we have worked with.” Sutton Winson is a privately owned Chartered Insurance Broker and professional risk advisory business with offices based in the Sussex and Middlesex area.

Martin Coppard Director Sutton Winson Consultancy Services

By Daniel Priestley Change your mindset, change your business and change your life. Take part in the Entrepreneur Revolution. Today, as technological shifts allow micro-businesses to compete with large corporations, small business can now have a global footprint - moving products anywhere in the world and accessing unprecedented levels of support. Entrepreneur Revolution is a call-to-arms for those who want to make the most of the times we are in. For anyone keen to take the initiative to do something they love, something they’re good at, and something that will make money, this revised and expanded second edition of Daniel Priestley’s bestselling title is a masterclass in gaining the mindset needed to change the way they think, network, and make a living. After working closely with over 3000 entrepreneurs in the UK, USA, Australia and Singapore, Priestley provides important lessons, expert advice, innovative strategies and implementable activities to help readers avoid trial and error and get closer to achieving their potential as they learn how to: • Break free from the Industrial Revolution economy • Find their place in the Entrepreneur Revolution, and • Live the Entrepreneur Revolution dream

About the author: Daniel Priestley is a successful entrepreneur who’s built and sold businesses in Australia, Singapore and the UK. He’s the co-founder of Entrevo, the Key Person of Influence Accelerator program/ training for entrepreneurs and leaders. Daniel is also the co-founder of Dent Global – the organization which provides the training and services around the Entrevo program. Daniel is a KPMG ambassador and was named as one of the top 25 entrepreneurs in London influencing the business scene (Smith & Williamson Power 100).

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business support

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The challenge of knowing where your data is really stored Now that we’ve all managed to survive GDPR, I guess we know a whole lot more about what we are supposed to do with the data we hold on our customers, prospects, and basically anyone we’ve ever met. You will have gone through your systems and tightened up procedures about whose data we’re keeping and for how long. But let me ask you this: you’ve gone through your CRM, customer spreadsheets, accounting software, and maybe the odd industry specific system you’ve got lurking around…did you consider all those “other” systems? (not to mention the dusty boxes in the attic)

What other systems? Here’s where I started to scare myself. I thought about my emails and the files on my local PC. I even thought about the filesharing system we’ve got and the internal messaging system we use. And I felt safe and sorted. We’d thought about these things. Saying that, there were other systems, when discussing this issue with some colleagues things that need considering. My Outlook Contacts and iPhone contacts, I panicked thinking there might be some data hiding there! Then I started thinking about all those times I’ve read emails on my phone…could there be personal data hiding in my backups or my iCloud account? I even scared myself to the point that I checked my car contacts to make sure I wasn’t sharing anything I didn’t want to share and worried for a few short minutes about any hire cars I may have connected to via Bluetooth. (Don’t worry, I got it all sorted.) And backups…oh the backups!

What if I missed these in my GDPR prep? Once you’ve got over the initial panic, the important thing is to take action. Find out which systems your team are using: Which of these are hosted and which are stored locally? How many people have access to them? What data is stored in them? To understand where you hold data Its crucial that you do a systems audit. Are they all using the same ones? If they aren’t, which systems can you get rid of? Just think of the time you are losing with people having to copy from one system to another.

Make sure these systems meet your security requirements: Is the data held in the EU? What about the backups? Do your data retention policies cover all of these periphery systems or just the central ones? Now get the procedures in place: Work with your team to ensure that everyone knows how and when these systems should be used. Think about who should have access and how long the data should be held in them. You will also want to put procedures in place to stop any new systems being added into rotation without undergoing some of these same rigorous checks.

GDPR has changed everything… hasn’t it? In reality, especially for most small businesses, everything has changed. GDPR has caused a few weeks of grief for everyone, no doubts there. My question is: are there any out there that won’t see an impact on their day-to-day way of doing business?

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I guess there are some businesses that don’t send out marketing and didn’t really need any of that “old” data that they had lying around. GDPR gave them a reason to tighten up their processes, but otherwise didn’t change a great deal. Other businesses (those who sent out regular mailshots, bought and sold data, had additional obligations, etc.) will have been forever changed by the introduction of these new regulations. The way they operate on a day-to-day basis will have changed forever. The big thing GDPR has done, for all businesses, is to make us all stop and think about where we are holding our data and why. In some cases, this has been an easy question to answer. In others, the answer is more complex and needs a serious investment of resources to answer. In still more cases (and I think a lot of people will find this an ongoing battle), business will be uncovering data that they didn’t know they had. They will be sorting it out, putting procedures in place to prevent it happening again, and looking at their GDPR compliance as an evolving process rather than anything that can be marked as completed. To talk to a member of OpenCRM team about how CRM software can benefit your brand, just call 01748 473000 or visit the website: www.opencrm.co.uk

Graham Anderson, is the CEO and founder of OpenCRM, one of the UK’s leading customer relationship management systems.

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Lab Techniche – equipped for the future Lab Techniche, a sister company to Vac Techniche, has been formed by Ray Whitehouse as a result of customer requests for new and competitive products for industry and research laboratories. Since the late 1970’s, Ray has gained vast experimental experience with laboratory equipment from working at establishments such as Morganite Crucible (Norton, Worcester), RSRE(Malvern), Dolphin Packaging (Cheltenham). VG Special Systems, VG Sheetmetal, Vacuum Generators(Hastings), Kurt J Lesker(Hastings) and UHV Design (Lewes). Ray trained as a Scientific Glassblower (RSRE, Malvern), working in Borosilicate and Quartz glass, gaining skills in hand and lathe work, designing and creating glassware such as Silicon Crystal growth (Czochralski Process), CO2 Lasers, Multitube condensers and Dewar’s. Lab Techniche aim to supply a selective choice of products, providing high quality equipment at the right price. Ray has also worked in the fields of; Material formulation• viscosity and material testing • Hardness and stress analysis • Material annealing • Induction crucible testing for furnace applications • Foundry Patternmaking and advanced mould techniques • Design and manufacture of bespoke Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)

Some examples of the equipment they provide:

Industrial electrospinning equipment systems • Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) Systems • Molecular Beam Epitaxy(MBE) • Hot Isotopic Pressing (Hipping) • Spectrometry • X ray • Electron Microscopy • Crystal Growth • Sample polishing and Surface flatness analysis (to name but a few!!). Lab Techniche provide a large range of stainless steel laboratory equipment and labware including bowls, Dewars, water cooled jackets, flexible hoses, all made from food and medical grade stainless steel and produced here in the UK. Water and water waste is becoming more of an issue, especially where the application is cooling a process or equipment, for which there is a range of chillers for laboratory and industrial applications.

SPM surface analysis • histology • ultrasonic mixing • freeze dryers • button heaters • viewports • chillers • peristaltic pumps • hot plates • cold plates • stainless steel flexible hoses • stainless steel labware • tablet dispensers and Glassware. The company aims to provide their customers with the exact requirements combined with any technical support they may need. Usually it’s a case of knowing what you want to achieve but not what to buy in order to make this happen. This is where Lab Techniche steps in…….. Visit the Lab Techniche website at www.labtechniche.com

They also supply equipment for sample analysis • sample preparation • Raman and

Do you need help to understand and use your technology? or a problem you want solved? Step by step help with no ‘gobbledygook’ and on-going support. Every aspect of technology covered: n Servers, PCs, Laptops, Tablets, Smartphones n Software, Networks, Microsoft, Apple n Using the Cloud n Security, Backups, Data Protection n Connecting all your devices and access from anywhere

Technology

We believe in making our IT work the way we want it to. Over 30 years expertise in the technology, IT and software industry. There isn’t much we haven’t come across and fixed.

Integrated Business

Process

People

Call Richard for a no obligation discussion to see how we can help.

solutions are our universe Tel: 020 3318 3260

Email: richard.long@associate-planet.com

Web: www.associate-planet.com www.absolute-solutions.company

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New wi-fi standard will boost security The launch of a new security standard for wifi connectivity will make remote access much safer. Version three of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA3) follows research that found vulnerabilities in WPA2 – particularly in open wi-fi zones such as coffee shops, airports and hotels. Researchers discovered that the four-way security ‘handshake’ which ensures a correct password is used could be manipulated by a ‘KRACK’ attack. The new standard was developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance [https://www.wi-fi.org/ membership/member-companies] of leading companies. Not only will it provide more protection in open wi-fi zones, it could also improve security for the Internet of Things. Gary Jowett, from Computer &Network Consultants in Sussex, says: “WPA3 uses Opportunistic Wireless Encryption that scrambles the connection between the wi-fi router and each device at a hotspot. It also protects people who use weak passwords because the encryption of each connection to the router makes it harder for a hacker to work out someone’s password quickly.”

Easy to configure WPA3 also makes wi-fi configuration easier than WPA2 and the encryption ‘security suite’ is much bigger. While WPA2 uses 64 or 128-bit encryption, WPA3 uses 192. The encryption is much more sophisticated and impenetrable. Some commentators say the first WPA3enabled routers and other devices will be on sale by the end of the year. So, now is the time to consider setting aside some budget if you have an IT upgrade planned. While WPA2 will continue with some enhancements for some time to come, the

new standard will be adopted by leading manufacturers. And when your business partners upgrade their IT, it’s highly likely you will be expected to follow suit. “While WPA3 offers real improvements to security it shouldn’t be a cause for complacency,” says Gary. “Employees should always use strong passwords, and we recommend the introduction of two-factor authentication. There should also be regular reviews of your security policy. Keeping an eye on the shifting nature of cyber-crime is the best way to avoid intruders as hackers will keep finding new ways to attack your business.”

ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 Certified

SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW IT DEPARTMENT. The benefits of outsourced IT You gain access to a whole team of highly skilled people that are always available, and right up to date with all the latest technology, knowledge and trends. Alongside online monitoring and management tools, we can provide 24x7 cover with regular strategy meetings. We would love to talk to you and offer a complementary systems check-up with no obligations to use our services.

— 01273 386 333 — sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk — www.cnc-ltd.co.uk

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0345 070 6000 www.emwllp.com

A NEW KIND OF LAW FIRM has landed in gatwick

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20/06/2018 12:58

IF WE CANT MOVE IT… IT CANT BE MOVED…

Tel: 01444 400830 www.mairon.co.uk Mairon Freight Management UK LTD Rock Business Park,The Hollow Washington West Sussex RH20 3DA

Proud to be secondary shirt sponsors of Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. 2016/17 & 2017/18 and Cuckfield U19 20/20 side

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business matters

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Making Tax Digital – a brief guide Jake Standing Kreston Reeves

As a nation, our connection with digital services is interwoven within our day-today activities. The apps on our phones give us information on how busy our commute is, live updates on bank balances, advice on what shopping we need to order for the coming week, and business tools such as where staff are working, and tracking suppliers and materials. So having real time information on our taxes is just the next step, right? For those who are not aware, HMRC is digitising the tax system in what is the largest shake-up of the personal tax system in a couple of decades. The aim is to ensure that the process for taxpayers is simplified, and to develop a more efficient tax system with better use of information. The programme will be rolled out with some groups such as smaller housebuilders and developers being one of the first to be involved.

The project has been named ‘Making Tax Digital’ (MTD), and will apply from April 2019 to unincorporated businesses and landlords with turnover above the VAT threshold (currently £85,000) in relation to VAT only. The direction of travel is for the entire tax system to be fully digitised, and we should expect to see further businesses come into scope from 2020 onwards.

3. Consider whether an online accounting product is suitable for your business.

There are three steps to take now to ensure you are well prepared for the transition:

These steps may introduce further queries, which we would be happy to help you with. Whilst there are no penalties formalised at this point, they are likely to manifest after the bedding in process has been completed, so it would be wise to ensure you have adequately prepared in advance.

1. Obtain your Government Gateway account HMRC is already collecting real time data, and this can be found at www.gov. uk/personal-tax-account. With the onus switching to the taxpayer to ensure that the correct taxes are being collected, it is crucial you can access your account

The decision to go digital should not just be from a compliance standpoint. There are online products in the marketplace and apps to support their use across many business sectors, helping to save time and money.

One thing is for sure, and that is there is no time for complacency. There may be a couple of years of transition time to keep records digitally, but with other challenges such as Brexit looming, it is well worth preparing for.

2. Assess whether your record keeping methods are adequate for the new reporting structure.

In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Well, taxes just got a bit more uncertain, unless you act now.

Having a paper file of receipts alone will no longer be acceptable. Information must at least be accumulated on a spreadsheet which can then be uploaded using specialist MTD software.

Jake Standing is Partner at accountants, business and financial advisers, Kreston Reeves. He works with fast growing businesses focusing particularly on online accounting and virtual FD support.

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business matters

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How to be A Brilliant Exhibitor at the Brighton Business Expo Mike Monk Director of Monk Marketing

Plan to Run a Competition On Your Stand Make sure it’s relevant to what you do. Think about a good prize, too - one that truly adds value or makes you memorable.

Consider Your Stand Well In Advance Before, During and After - Loads of Actionable Tips That You Can Start Using TODAY. You’ve made the investment. You’re actually doing it.

What’s your message to your target market? It’s all about branding, so the “look and feel” of your stand needs to represent you and your business at its very best. First impressions count and yes, visitors will be judging you on the quality of your stand. See below for more advice on your stand.

You’re an exhibitor at the Brighton Business Expo on Thursday 11th October at Brighton Racecourse. Well done. You clearly take your marketing seriously.

What Marketing Collateral Will You Have?

The Business Expo will offer you a powerful way to generate good quality leads, forge new business contacts and catch up with existing customers.

And…

However, do you know what to do to maximise your time and efforts before, during and importantly, after the event? As a trade show exhibitor of some 30 years’ standing, I’ve experienced the good, bad and unfortunately, the ugly. Here are my top 10 tips to help you along the way to total exhibiting success:

BEFORE Tell People You’re There Social media is your friend. Log onto Twitter to tweet about the event and to connect with other exhibitors. (Our handle is @BrightonExpo, hashtag #BrightonExpo) Promote your stand on your Facebook business page and LinkedIn, of course. If you have a newsletter database, it’s well worth letting your subscribers know that you’re at the show and that they should drop by as you may have a special offer (see below) Don’t forget to tell people your stand number. You may even wish to use it in your email title – it’s a good attention grabber.

Promote Special Offers – If You Have Them and They’re Appropriate

Business cards are a must; brochures and flyers are a good take-away, too.

Have You Considered Merchandise and Promotional Gifts? These are a great way to reinforce your brand. As an exhibitor, Monk Marketing will be displaying our latest range of merchandise on Stand no. 16. You may even wish to think about Christmas gifts and yes, NOW is the time to start thinking about ways to thank your clients for their business during the year. Choosing the right product is important as it will have your customer’s name on it; get it wrong and your working relationship may suffer! I have over 20,000 products on my database, so I can advise you on the most suitable one for your client and your budget.

DURING Stand Up, Please Sorry, your feet and your back may get a little sore but you will need to stay upright for several hours. Each stand has chairs, but don’t take the risk of looking less than professional by kicking back in your chair with your shoes off – just when your bestever prospect walks by.

Smile

Network with Other Exhibitors Yes, yes, yes. During quieter times, speak to your neighbours, find out what they do and follow up with as many of them as you can afterwards (see below). These people also take their marketing seriously and they’re people you really want to get to know.

Does Your Stand Look Really Good? Make sure that you arrange your banners in a place they can be easily seen and read. Avoid a major Sales Prevention System by ensuring that they DON’T become barriers to people being able to approach and talk to you. Show people what you do. If you’re a photographer or graphic designer, for example, do you have examples of your work to show people? A table cloth is a good idea, ideally in a shade that complements your branding. Flowers are a nice touch if you have room and they’re not a distraction or likely to get knocked over.

Don’t Leave Early As well as really spoiling the vibe and looking unprofessional, you’ll get in everyone’s way.

AFTER Follow Up Like networking events, the success is always in the follow up. Everyone you speak at a trade or business exhibition could be a future customer or business partner so don’t waste a single contact. Hot leads become warm leads then cool, then stone cold. And, it will happen quite quickly if you don’t capitalise on your successful day. Try the following: n Email or call within 24 hours to suggest meeting up for a coffee to find out more about your prospect’s business. n Follow your leads on social media, for example Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

Greet people. Say “hello”. Be nice, be friendly, be approachable. Obvious, really.

n Enter all the details onto a CRM (if you have one) for marketing in the future.

In advance, draw people’s attention to discounts or special offers but only to people who visit you on your stand.

And... Put. Your. Phone. Away.

n Use the visitor list for further lead generation.

For example, consider offering a discount on your services if they place business with you within two weeks of the Expo; perhaps a two-for-one offer of some sort, or a free hour of your time to help a business in some way.

The above notwithstanding, take regular breaks to clear your head and have something to eat and drink. Make sure that you stay hydrated. Don’t eat or drink anything on your stand, it just doesn’t look too good.

Let people know in advance that you will be offering a prize draw – a meal for two, vouchers, a bottle of champagne – whatever best reflects your business.

Take Regular Breaks

Capture Data from Visitors Have a bowl or a smart box of some sort in which to place business cards; you may also decide to have a clipboard to write notes and contact information. You’re human – you’ll simply forget who you spoke to otherwise.

n Don’t give up: you may need to make several approaches before your dream prospect meets you. So, all ready to shine? Will you be tired at the end of the day? Yes. Will your feet ache? Without a doubt. Will these tips help you to develop your business? Yes, they will. Will you have a really good day? Yes, you most certainly will. Good luck!

Mike Monk

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hospitality and events

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Do you think business events are a waste of resources? You’re doing it wrong. A decade ago, the financial crisis and ensuing recession changed everything – and those working in the events industry were hit hard. Gone were the days of lavish budgets and using events as a spending exercise, it was time to get creative. While nobody would have wanted that cataclysmic global event to happen, the change it forced on the industry hasn’t been all bad. In fact, it could be said that it’s revitalised the work that is done by events professionals, compelled them to work more closely with in-house marketing teams and the benefit to clients is significant. That’s why when you do them right, events can deliver a great return on your investment.

So, how do you avoid the pitfalls of staging an event? Speak to a professional There’s a good reason why an events specialist should be your first investment and that’s because of the amount of time

and money they can save you. Don’t expect your in-house team to have the knowledge and expertise to deliver a great event because the chances are that they won’t. There are several key decisions an events professional will help you make – including whether your idea can be achieved for the budget you have, the right suppliers to use to help you deliver a great experience and any risks you need to take into account.

Decide on your business goals It’s so easy to hit upon an idea you love and get carried away with excitement. You need to keep your business goals in focus. Ask yourself, how does this event fit into the bigger picture of our marketing activities? What value will it create for my target audience? How does the customer experience map out at the event and beyond? Any events professional you use should be guiding you through these questions, and helping you to define what a return on investment means for your company and how to achieve it.

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Be realistic At great deal of businesses have amazing ideas for events but don’t have the budgets to make them happen. This doesn’t have to be the end of the conversation, because any events professional worth their salt will help you find innovative ways to solve gaps in funding. They’ll also be able to give you advice on the timeline of event preparation. Fantastic events involve a time investment and can’t be turned around in two weeks, so be prepared to take your time.

Mitigate risk Every decision you take in your events planning will have consequences so think them through. An events manager will help you avoid making costly mistakes, or taking a decision that could backfire on another part of the planning. Minimising risk and fighting fires are badges of honour for seasoned events pros. Let them help you to deliver an amazing experience on budget and on time.

tel: 01444 259 259

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H AV E YO U R S E L F A M E R R Y

Christmas Party WITH MISTLE TOE, MUSIC & MINGLING

Selected Dates 30 November – 19 December with Tribute Acts, DJ’s + Dancing Book before August 31 and pay only £45pp* *from September 1, tickets from £49.50pp

For further information Call: 01243 543335 Email: dtilbury@fontwellpark.co.uk d dgear@fontwellpark.co.uk

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Run or take a leap…now’s the time to make a difference First opened in 2003, Chestnut Tree House is the children’s hospice for Sussex and South East Hampshire, caring for children with life-shortening conditions and their families. There are lots of different ways for businesses and individuals to support Chestnut Tree House, including an action-packed events calendar, which this September includes a 10k run, an overnight running relay and even an exclusive abseil at Arundel Castle. Take on a challenge. For yourself. For your company. For local families. For living. For the Now.

Littlehampton 10k Attracting a variety of participants, including individuals, corporate groups and running clubs, the Littlehampton 10k takes place on Sunday 9 September. From keen runners pushing for a personal best to people taking part in fancy dress, the event is suitable for both experienced and first-time runners. Registration costs £18 per person.

Ragnar Relay For a running challenge with a difference, sign up to take part in the 170-mile Reebok Ragnar White Cliffs Relay. Over September 22 and 23, teams of

10 will run along the south coast from Maidstone to Brighton. Each person will run 3 times, with each 3-11 mile length varying in difficulty. Registration is free, but each runner must pledge to raise at least £100 in sponsorship.

Arundel Castle Abseil Now is the time to channel your inner superhero and test your nerve as Chestnut Tree House is offering an exclusive opportunity to abseil 180ft down Arundel Castle on Friday 28 September. It costs £25 to register, and each participant is being set the challenge of raising a minimum sponsorship amount of £285, which will cover Chestnut Tree House’s care costs for one hour.

Find out more about Chestnut Tree House events at www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/events

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hospitality and events

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The Premier League Experience The American Express Community Stadium will once again welcome some of the biggest football clubs in the world during the 2018/19 season. Following a memorable debut season in the Premier League for Brighton & Hove Albion, the football club are already preparing for the next one both on and off the field. A new matchday restaurant is one of several stadium developments taking place this summer. Demand for hospitality at Premier League fixtures last season was unprecedented, with the biggest games being sold out within minutes of going on sale. To meet this demand, the club are building a new restaurant ahead of the new season. “We find that businesses enjoy the flexibility of our hospitality packages; being able to invite key customers to certain games, offering incentives for employees at others, or having the option to bring friends and family to another. Demand for hospitality at the Amex in the Premier League is higher than we ever imagined and we expect this to continue into next season.” Said Russell Wood, commercial development manager at Brighton & Hove Albion. The new matchday restaurant, named Mullery’s after former manager and current club ambassador Alan Mullery, commands great pitch views and seats up to 40 people. Situated in the West Stand, the restaurant extends Albion’s choice of dining venues

on matchdays to three, joining the popular Goldstone Restaurant and HB’s Restaurant.

BrightonAndHoveAlbion.com for latest fixture news.

“We are focused on providing the best matchday hospitality experience, and the addition of Mullery’s will increase the options available to our loyal supporters throughout the season.” adds Russell.

To book or discuss your hospitality options – call 01273 878278 or email hospitality@ bhafc.co.uk

All hospitality packages include premium seating, a three-course meal and unlimited drinks, providing the perfect venue to enjoy the pre-match atmosphere and to extend your day beyond the final whistle.

With Brighton & Hove Albion now competing at the highest level in English football across both the men’s and women’s game, the club have a host of exciting new partnership and sponsorship opportunities available for the upcoming Premier League and The FA Women’s Super League seasons. Be a part of our success and our growing local and global fanbase.

2018/19 Home fixture highlights at a glance: Manchester United (19th August), Tottenham Hotspur (22nd September), West Ham United (6th October), Crystal Palace (4th December) Chelsea (15th December), Arsenal (26th December), Liverpool (12th January), Manchester City (12th May). Please note fixtures subject to change, please visit

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Partner with the Albion

For information on commercial opportunities with Brighton & Hove Albion, contact 01273 878 278, email commercial@bhafc.co.uk, or visit BrightonAndHoveAlbion.com

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hospitality and advertorial events

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hospitality and events

august/september 2018 business edge

Wakehurst, a unique and adaptable wedding and events venue in the heart of beautiful Sussex

For details call 01444 894024 or email wakehurstbooking@chandcogroup.com 180mm x 120mm Advert.qxp_Layout 1 02/06/2017 19:25 Page 1

Gardens and Grounds m u ch m o r e t h a n j u s t a c a s t l e â&#x20AC;Ś

Rich Page Creations www.page-creations.com

A range of rooms and areas available to suit all kinds of events and functions including: Weddings u Ceremonies u Marquee events u Parties and Balls u Funeral gatherings Also, the perfect escape for a meeting, team building days or a conference. On site accommodation including our exclusive Castle apartment. Inhouse catering. For information contact our conference office on 01323 834479 and conf@bisc.queensu.ac.uk or check out our website.

Herstmonceux Castle, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1RN Enquiries 01323 834479 www.herstmonceux-castle.com

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hospitality and advertorial events

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Plumpton Racecourse - a hidden gem Plumpton Racecourse, a hidden gem at the foot of the South Downs in East Sussex. Horseracing has been held at Plumpton since 1874, and through the years we have welcomed many of horseracing’s legends – both horse and human. You are likely to be rubbing shoulders with the UK’s top trainers and jockeys at Plumpton, and we are renowned as a nursery ground for many future equine stars. Being voted ‘Best Small Racecourse in the South 2018’ by the Racegoers Club, we pride ourselves on providing the best service and all round raceday experience for all our guests. We always ensure we have a smile on our face and give you the VIP service you deserve. Plumpton has become many peoples favourite racecourse because of all these values and we can’t wait to welcome more visitors to our little slice of Sussex.

Our top chefs create seasonal menus using the freshest ingredients, including locally sourced meats, fruit and vegetables. To go alongside these fine food offerings, we provide an extensive drinks and wine menu that has a local feel to it as well, but also providing from further a field to satisfy all tastes.

Looking for a new and unique hospitality venue? Whether it be for a birthday, corporate or networking event Plumpton can provide it all, alongside the thrills and spills of the live sporting action. We have an array of different venues around the course including two restaurants, hospitality boxes and director’s suite, all of which have brilliant vantage points of the home straight and the South Downs.

Plumpton race 16 times a year meaning we have a lot of time and space to cater for an array of events. With a wide variety of rooms available including 10 hospitality boxes, large permanent marquee, restaurant and Directors Suite, all of which are in close proximity of one another. Plumpton can provide you a location that is stress free and picturesque to make your event a success, while also being able to accommodate

delegate numbers between 2 and 300. In the past Plumpton have hosted assessment and interview days, conferences and networking events. Finishing racing in May and not restarting until September it allows us to exploit the great facilities that we have on site during the summer while offering the awardwinning service for everyone in attendance. With expert caterers that can put together a five-course meal or canapés, the flexibility of Plumpton is unrivalled. If you have any questions or queries don’t hesitate to contact the racecourse office on 01273 890383, email racing@ plumptonracecourse.co.uk or visit our website www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk

2018/19 FiXtures AT PLUMPTON RACECOURSE Sun 23rd Sep Family Raceday

Mon 22nd Oct Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre Raceday

Mon 5th Nov At The Races Jump Season Preview Raceday Mon 19th Nov Pompadour Raceday

Mon 17th Dec Christmas Raceday Sun 6th Jan Sussex National

Mon 3rd Dec December Raceday

Advance Standard Racedays Tickets available from: £14 Advance Picnic Enclosure Tickets available from: £13 (not available at every ﬁxture)

Tel. 01273 890383 racing@plumptonracecourse.co.uk www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk

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inspirational leaders

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The proof is in the Pastrami In this issue of Business Edge, Steve Pearce, Managing Director of the Southover Food Company, spills the beans on his inspiration, the secrets of the business’s success and their recent developments: Our inspiration “As far back as I can trace, my family were butchers, my father, grandfather and greatgrandfather all worked in the trade, so it felt perfectly natural for me to do the same,” explains Steve. “In addition, both my wife Liz and I, come from families that have set up their own businesses from scratch, so this too, felt perfectly natural and it wasn’t long before we were looking for our own business opportunity.”

The early days “I left school at 16 and followed my father into the trade and later when my wife and I decided to set up our own business, we came to the conclusion that it was better to stick with what you know, rather than to try something new. “In 1989, when we were in our early twenties, we found an industrial unit that had everything that we needed and we set to work making cured and cooked meats. “During the first six or seven months, it was just me making all of the produce and then delivering it the same day, whilst my wife looked after the financial side of the business. “Gradually the business grew and we were able to take on a salesman/delivery driver – who is still with us today as one of our sales managers – meaning I could concentre on the job I love – making the best-possible produce.”

Lessons learnt “Looking back to when we first started, we put our house on the line in order to finance the business, but we didn’t borrow enough money and we subsequently had to find a guarantor in order to secure more finance to develop the business.

“We were punctilious about paying our bills on time, but we realised that we weren’t always being paid on time, which made things difficult. One lesson I’ve learnt is that you always have to keep on top of your finances, always do monthly management accounts and know exactly how things stand.

Stamina stands you in good stead

“My wife has been integral to the success of the firm and looks after the financial side of things, having a great eye for detail, so we always know exactly where things stand financially.

Almost 30 years on

So many businesses have failed because they simply haven’t kept on top of their finances, but in business, you simply can’t afford to let things slip, you need to keep your eye on your finances all of the time.”

“Listening to your team is crucial when it comes to the development of a business, so we purposely have an open plan office, so everyone can contribute their ideas, opinions and information. Allowing everyone’s voice to be heard is crucial. 26

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“I’ve run 26 marathons in my life and running a business is much like running back-to-back marathons, you have to have great stamina so that when you are really tired and you have had enough, you can do it again, then all over again – repeatedly.”

“Next year, we’ll be celebrating 30 years of the Southover Food Company, we’ve grown from having no employees to employing a team of 43 people, 14 vehicles and an annual turnover of £6.5 million. Our business has evolved over time and we now have two facets to our operations, meat production and food distribution.”

Quality is our touchstone “Quality has always been our touchstone and our focus, and something on which we refuse to compromise, that’s why we made it a priority to attain the BRC AA Grade certification, which is all about food safety. Our food safety systems are externally audited every year to ensure that they meet the highest standards possible. You can tell when people care about their business and as a business, we only deal with people who have the same commitment to quality as we have, ensuring consistency of produce and service for our customers,” observes Steve.

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inspirational leaders

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Steve Pearce Managing Director, Southover Food Company

Industry accolades received The commitment to quality of Steve and his team is evident in the many awards they’ve won over the years, including multiple accolades at successive Great Taste Awards. In 2017 alone, the Southover Food Company won a staggering three gold stars at these prestigious awards, with their New York Style Pastrami winning for an impressive fifth consecutive year, whilst their Plain Dry Gammon and Southover Honey Roast Farmhouse Gammon, also won gold awards – which are all testimony to the quality of their produce.

Championing local produce Hand in hand with their commitment to quality, comes their advocacy of local produce too, as Steve explains: “We feel passionate about local produce and we are pleased to raise the profile of other local brands as part of our distribution business, delivering produce across Greater London, Oxfordshire and much of the South. “We are delighted to have had a hand in some small way in another successful local food brand - Higgidy Pies - which we helped start up and were amongst the founding directors. Higgidy began by renting space in our unit, though they soon moved into their own premises. They’ve gone from strength to strength, becoming a huge success story, which just goes to

show that you can have an unwavering commitment to quality and still run a successful food business.”

Recent developments Despite their success, Steve and the team at Southover are not standing still and continue to develop their signature range of top-quality produce: “In May, in an exciting development for us, we launched our own, retail brand of cured and cooked meats, ‘Southover Sussex Cured’, beginning with a small range including pastrami, cooked topside beef and honey roast ham, two of which have recently won Great Taste Awards,” explains Steve. “We are gradually building up the range and you can now find our own branded goods in a number of high-end retailers and farm shops. “We are looking to take our produce to the BBC Good Food Show sometime in the future, so more people will be able to see what we do and enjoy a taster of our food.”

It’s all about teamwork “We have a great team here who have contributed hugely to the success of the company. “Listening to your team is crucial when it comes to the development of a business, so we purposely have an open plan

office, so everyone can contribute their ideas, opinions and information. Allowing everyone’s voice to be heard is crucial. “Every week I catch up with my brilliant managers, two of whom work in sales, two of whom are operations-based, plus two technical managers and a production manager, so we can swiftly identify any emerging issues and resolve them as quickly as possible. “I have an enormous amount of respect for my peer group and firmly believe that you should treat other people as you would like to be treated yourself. In business as well as in life, it is imperative to treat people equally and fairly. “It has also always been my belief, that I should run the business in such a way that it can continue without me, and that is really all about teamwork.

Committed to the business “However, having said that, I really can’t imagine ever doing anything else”, says Steve. “I still love the people and the business and I can’t ever see a time when I would leave it – I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years and I want to carry on.” “I’m really chuffed with what we’ve achieved and proud of the provenance of what we produce – I just want to keep on producing delicious food, that people want to keep eating.”

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cover feature

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Agricultural Society Champions British Food & Drink Celebrating the best of British farming, food and drink as well as raising funds to support agricultural education and countryside learning, is a key focus of Sussex based charity, the South of England Agricultural Society. The Society is located at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, a stunning 150-acre estate boasting the unique and versatile indoor and outdoor facilities of the South of England Event Centre. As well as hosting the Society’s four seasonal shows, the Showground and Event Centre is now frequently used by businesses, event organisers and private individuals to run every type and size of event from music concerts to educational and team building days; business seminars to construction exhibitions; antiques fairs to equestrian events.

Growth of the Event Centre continued in 2017 with revenue up 12.5% and a host of exciting, new events booked throughout 2018 and beyond, alongside significant improvements continuing to be made to the Society’s four annual shows. Iain Nicol, CEO of the Society said, “The success we have seen over the last few years has been driven by the excellent service provided by our office staff, grounds team and catering partners Graysons, who provide all fixed catering services and Five Star Catering, who provide mobile services. It augurs well for future growth of the venue and

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its support for the development of our allimportant charitable objectives.” Working with organisations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Country Land and Business Association, Countryside Alliance, National Sheep Association, Young Farmers Clubs, British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and other partner organisations, the South of England Agricultural Society’s continued aim is to raise awareness of British farming and educate the next generation on the importance of agriculture and its future in this country.

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cover feature

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Showcasing the story from plough to plate plays a hugely important role at all the shows and events that the Society organises. At the South of England Show in June visitors were able to learn about healthy food options in the Discover the Countryside zone as well as taste lots of delicious food and drink in the Food Village. The NFU Food and Farmyard exhibit took the theme ‘Healthy soils, healthy food’ and provided daily cookery demonstrations, bakery and corn milling displays. In July the Society welcomed over 2,300 children from over 50 schools in Brighton & Hove, Surrey and Sussex to its annual Connect with the Countryside event where they could take part in interactive demonstrations to discover more about where their food comes from. The Reverend Mark Betson, chair of the Society’s Education Committee, said, “This day is a fantastic opportunity for school children to become excited about what the countryside offers, from food to recreation and everything in between.” Provenance is becoming increasingly important to the British consumer and the Society’s shows are a great place to start the journey of discovering just how good the UK is at producing some of the world’s leading food and drink products, linking it right back to the farm where it all started.

The forthcoming Autumn Show & Game Fair on 6 & 7 October will be celebrating the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’, where the Society is keen to highlight the health benefits of eating seasonally and encouraging people to support the wonderful specialist and local food producers and the important role they play in today’s market place. Food and drink from the six counties of the South of England, reaching across from Berkshire and Hampshire to Surrey, Sussex and Kent, will be featured at the show, all known for their innovation and range. For example, from West Sussex there will be fresh breads and pastries from the Continental Bakery in Storrington and deliciously flavoured hand-made fudge from the Copper Pan Fudge Company in Eastergate. From East Sussex, Fuggles Apple Juice in Wadhurst will be bringing their latest freshly squeezed fruit combinations or if something stronger is required then why not taste some quintessential English Gin, infused with six botanical flavours from Tom Cat Gin in Crowborough. Game cookery demonstrations run by the BASC will be taking place throughout the weekend and visitors can also have a go at bread making again this year. The extensive under cover Food Court will be offering mouthwatering treats to eat and visitors can enjoy

a superb shopping experience with delicious seasonal food and drink, countryside fashion, crafts and specialist equipment on sale. From giant leeks to perfect onions, there will be spectacular displays from the National Vegetable Society and organisers are also hoping for a wonderful display of pumpkins, which have been grown from seeds planted by visitors at Spring Live! earlier this year. Horticulture will also be in full bloom with a ‘Celebration of Autumn’ flower arranging competition for beginners through to intermediate/advanced level. Looking ahead, the Society will continue to champion British food and drink and increase its role in encouraging and supporting young, aspiring farmers and those who have chosen careers or are interested in the rural sector. It will provide further opportunities to achieve excellence through its competitions for craftsmen, ambitious horticulturists, young farmers, foresters and all young and mature students training or studying for careers in the countryside. For more information and advance ticket sales for the Autumn Show & Game Fair visit www.seas.org.uk

The Society’s flagship event is the South of England Show, which takes place in June each year. In 2018 the Society will be hosting the following events and initiatives: Shows: Autumn Show & Game Fair – 6 & 7 October 2018; Winter Fair 24 & 25 November 2018; Spring Live! – May 2019; South of England Show – June 2019 (incorporating The Hackney Horse Show and The Hound Show) Industry events and schemes: The South of England Farming Conference 14 November 2018 and Farming and Estate Days. Awards and bursaries: Award of Honour, travel bursaries and grants to land-based colleges. Educational events & competitions: Connect with the Countryside; Jim Green Challenge; Young Craftsman of the Year Competition; The Student Assignment Competition; and showcasing Countryside Careers at the Big Bang Fair South East organised by STEM Sussex.

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innovation and entrepreneurship

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

The Catalyst Scheme: How a Team of Sussex Graduates are Supporting Local Growing Businesses In 2014, based out of Sussex Innovation Centre on the University of Sussex campus, a revolutionary idea was born. Across Sussex, growing companies were struggling to juggle the many challenges and huge workload that comes with developing an organisation. They needed support, but on a per project or part time basis – potentially with a mind to create a new role but often not yet able to. At the same time students were graduating from the University of Sussex ready to start their career. However, they often had little work experience or lacked a concrete idea of what they wanted to do. Being based on the University of Sussex Campus the team at Sussex Innovation Centre were seeing the talented individuals that Sussex was producing, and as a business incubator they knew the difficulties faced by growing companies. When they realised the two groups could help each other - the Catalyst team was created. The concept was simple. The Innovation Centre would hire a team of 10 Sussex graduates and provide them with training, laptops and a paid one-year contract. The graduates would then be available to hire by businesses on a flexible, project basis. The growing companies would get the help they needed, while the graduates would get real, tangible work experience, supporting everything from sales and marketing to data and analytics, copywriting and web design to event support and business admin. They could then use this experience to secure a great job once their year contract ended.

An idea without proof that it works is just that: an idea. So, let’s talk figures. Since conception, the Catalyst scheme has created fresh opportunities for 47 University of Sussex graduates, who have gone on to work for a range of companies all over the county, in London, and beyond. Together, they have worked for over 200 Sussex businesses and counting. Whilst the initial idea was to support businesses in the Innovation Centre, the team has since spread further afield and now support companies from Brighton to Worthing, and up in Croydon and London. Catalyst team members now also work with medium and large sized companies as opposed to just start-ups. Venturing out has allowed the team to support the creation of 148 new jobs for the Sussex business community. The scheme has also supported businesses who have created real economic impact. Since 2014, the businesses that the team has worked with have created over £9m of additional revenue. This has made a tangible impact on the Sussex economy, with a further £4.5m of additional investment secured for the organisations the Catalyst Team have worked with.

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What can the Catalyst team help with? Everything from sales and data to marketing and insight – whatever your business needs, they’re able to assist. To date they’ve worked with everyone from the “Uber for vans” to a local water company, growyour-own mushroom kits to a Brighton-based PR agency, farm shops to Fintech firms, and everything in between. The extensive range of businesses who have benefitted from the Catalyst team matches the huge range of experience the former Sussex students have when they ‘graduate’ from the scheme after the year. Want to get involved? Sussex Innovation Centre and the Catalyst team is always looking for new ways to work with any business based in Sussex. Whether you’re a one-person-band or an established business, they want to work with you. Get in contact by emailing Lucy Paine, Catalyst Programme Manager at lucy@sinc.co.uk

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innovation and entrepreneurship

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SERIOUS ABOUT GROWING YOUR BUSINESS …. but struggling with time, money, resources, inspiration or a plan? Discover how we can help you get your business to the next level. We Guarantee the results – or your money back. Right now, take advantage of a FREE Primed4Growth Audit. Visit us @ drivingsmegrowth.com

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Are you a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) developing an innovative new product or service? Are you looking for funding for academic expertise, specialist equipment purchases or consultancy to help commercialise your innovation? KEEP+ is a £9.3m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supported programme, offering 50% match funded grants to help develop and commercialise your innovation. The programme is a partnership of six universities across the South East.

Contact your local KEEP+ partner on 01273 642426 or email knowlegeexchange@brighton.ac.uk KEEPPLUS.CO.UK

KEEPPLUS

@KEEPPLUS

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your guide to R&D tax credits

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How Grants & Subsidies can affect your R&D Tax Credits Claim? In this article we’ll explore the wonderful world of Grants & Subsidies and how they might affect your R&D Tax Credits claim and what you might be able to do to mitigate them. I’ll use a couple of real world examples that have occurred in claims that I have been involved in. Grants and Subsidies are fantastic for business They are a free source of cash and often can have zero impact on your R&D Tax Credits Claim. The only time there is conflict is where you are receiving a grant specifically to support your R&D Tax Credits project. So for example, I joined Growth Accelerator shortly before its demise in November 2016, I received a grant of £2,600 to help me grow my business, and I worked with a business coach, Martin Riley and a marketing professional, Pearce Marketing to help me with a growth strategy. I have also recently applied for a grant from Business East Sussex to help me grow my business, neither grant were funding a particular R&D Project and therefore, if I had been undertaking R&D, neither would have had no effect on my R&D Tax Relief Claim. If I had an R&D project and I applied to Innovate UK for a grant, they may have agreed to fund 50% of the project. Their grants tend to be EU Notifiable State Aid and therefore under the rules, you would be unable to claim R&D Tax Relief under the SME Scheme, which is also an EU Notifiable State Aid and you can only receive one EU State Aid for a particular project. Therefore, any costs associated with this project would be eligible under the RDEC scheme. Contrary to the above, if I had applied for an EU Horizon 2020 grant, then the funding is direct from the EU and isn’t EU State Aid. Therefore, only the R&D costs that had been funded by Horizon 2020 would go into RDEC, the other costs would be eligible under the SME Scheme.

There are very few circumstances where I wouldn’t advocate taking the grant in order to maximise the R&D Tax Credits claim. In most cases the grant plus RDEC will be far more rewarding than just an SME Scheme claim. The other benefits of a grant are that it will limit the company’s losses during an intensive period of R&D.

Incorrect allocation can be a costly mistake? I was referred to a company who had used another R&D Tax Relief specialist to complete their claim. The company were unsure whether their grant had been correctly interpreted by the specialist. The company had received a growth voucher from the Green Growth Platform. The voucher was “De Minimis State Aid” and had been used to fund some work specific to the R&D Project. The specialist had determined that such aid meant that the entire costs of the R&D Project had to be included in the RDEC scheme as though the funding was EU State Aid. However, HMRC make it clear that De Minimis Aid is not EU State Aid and therefore only the costs funded by the Green Growth Platform growth voucher would be subject to the RDEC scheme, the remainder of the project costs were eligible under the far more rewarding SME scheme. As a result of our involvement, the company’s Tax Credit almost quadrupled in value.

If only my boss had asked about the subsidy! When I worked in a Motorsport business, we were partnered with a large manufacturer to help them with their GT3 racing program, they provided us with the chassis and with their approval we developed the body work and aerodynamic performance. After a winter of development, we took the new car out to a circuit to test its performance.

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As part of our arrangement with the Manufacturer they would cover some of the costs. The managing director agreed with them that they would cover the costs of our teams’ time and fuel and body work costs, that meant the business was left to cover flights and accommodation, subsistence costs and some other costs. As a result, all of the staff costs and the materials consumed in testing had to be included in the RDEC scheme, because they had been subsidised and none of the other costs were qualifying expenses. If however I had been consulted I would have recommended that we ask our partner to cover the costs all of the non-qualifying costs that we ultimately paid for so that all of the qualifying costs could be included in the SME Scheme. The fact that the subsidised costs were highlighted in a contract with the partner meant that our hands were tied, if however, the agreement had been more loosely written, with them contributing to all of the costs during the testing we would have been able to pro-rata the costs between the SME Scheme and the RDEC scheme. If you have received some grant funding or a subsidy and have been performing an R&D project, call us on 01424 225345 and talk to Simon, our expert, to help you maximise your claim for R&D Credits.

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august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

innovation and entrepreneurship

Does your company have innovative ambitions to grow? Collaborate with us and we could help you access government funding to take your business to the next level. Our expertise spans advanced engineering, artificial intelligence and data, creative practice, innovation management, and health and life sciences.

PSM Instrumentation worked with university experts to redesign the company’s intelligent ceramic transmitter. The company generated £400k of additional sales during the programme, and is forecasting substantial revenue growth from Far East markets. Picture: Pete Cooper (PSM) and KTP Associate Ayodele Lawal

Let us help you achieve the step change your business needs this year. Contact us for more information at KnowledgeExchange@brighton.ac.uk

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business leaders conference

august/september 2018 business edge

Business Leaders Conference Mental Toughness #TheBLC What is mental toughness? Mental Toughness is an aspect of our personality which determines how we deal with stress, pressure, opportunity and challenges. It is a valuable way of understanding why people act and respond the way they do when faced with events.

What are the core differences of mental toughness? Mental toughness skills are an asset to have in all areas of life. Those that train and own the quality we call “mental toughness” easily rise to positions of authority and leadership in business, sports, show business, in addition to excelling in their personal lives. Business professionals, owners and staff can benefit immensely from managing negative

emotions and learning performance enhancing mental toughness skills to lead companies and interact with customers and colleagues.

What are the consequences of not developing our mental toughness? Every day we hear stories of how people are living with mental health problems. Everyone experiences “ups and downs” in their everyday life. Mental health problems affect 1 in 4 people. These problems can vary from depression, stress, anxiety to others such as schizophrenia. Reactions differ and can make you feel sad, angry, anxious, stressed, fearful or hopeless. Different events can trigger a variety of symptoms. Understanding when someone might need help is a sensitive issue and people worry about what to say or do. We can all help support individuals who are experiencing a mental health problem, whether this is in or out of the workplace. Organisations perform better when their staff are healthy, motivated and focused. Indeed over 10.4 million working days have been lost in the past decade due to mental health related problems. Businesses can benefit by understanding signs and symptoms. Mental toughness is the main topic for our Business Leaders Conference which will take place on 3rd October 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Felbridge, East Grinstead. It will bring

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together global leaders on the assessment and development of mental toughness, mindset and resilience in individuals and organisations.

We are pleased to announce that our guest speakers will be: n Gerry Hill, Founder of Feeding Unicorns and Founder of Resilify n Doug Strycharczyk, Managing Director of AQR International n Neil Laughton, Managing Director of Laughton & Co Ltd To book your place please visit our website or call us now on 01444 259 259.

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august/september 2018 business edge

Celebrate with us! Do you have an anniversary in 2019? As we approach our 20th anniversary, we want to talk to people and organisations who also have a significant anniversary in 2019 to discuss opportunities to celebrate together and support our transformational projects. We all have experiences of friends or family members spending time in hospital, with a physical or learning disability, with Dementia, or mental health issues. We know how isolating these challenges can be. Music can build a bridge and helps us connect again. “You think it’s all lost ...then the music starts and it all comes flooding back.” Person living with dementia We work across Sussex seeking out places where music isn’t happening and offer high quality music making to those struggling with some of life’s toughest challenges. Our work has been proven to reduce isolation, increase selfexpression, increase confidence and reduce anxiety. “That’s better than any medicine we can give”. Doctor We take music to places people don’t expect to see or hear it. In fact 95% of sessions take place outside of a music or cultural venue and in 2017 we met 56% of our participants in a healthcare setting. “The music is making the hurt go away” Young person in hospital

Would you like to celebrate with us? Contact Lucy Stone, Strategic Director, lucy@rhythmixmusic.org.uk or 08701 417484

corporate social business responsibility matters

Grow your people and invest in schools. Why Business Edge members should allow staff to become school governors. Across Sussex, schools are desperate for volunteers to impart their work-based experiences to support the school at a senior level. There are 137 governor vacancies in the area requiring a range of professional skills from Finance, Legal, HR and IT to Health & Safety, Premises Management and Marketing. Why?

Great professional development for little cost Other than time (5-8 hours per month), this opportunity will not cost your business anything and your staff will develop board level/senior management experience throughout the term of office. Governors can get involved in head teacher performance management, budget reviews, senior leader recruitment, HR disputes.

Support local schools Schools provide the next generation of your workforce and customers. A great education with a highly skilled, highly paid outcome for all secures a long-term future for your business. You will also be seeing your tax receipts put to good use!

PR coup for your company You can post on your website how many school governors your company has as a demonstration of your commitment to the local area.

Support the wider community Strong schools attract families to the area, with it leading to greater long-term investment and better infrastructure.

No effort required Governors for Schools manages the whole application and appointment process on behalf of your business and your staff. We also provide free support and training that will support staff to become effective governors quickly. Governors for Schools will support your staff and your business in the promotion of school governance please contact Eoghan Kelly– South-East Area Manager at eoghan.kelly@governorsforschools.org.uk or 020 7354 9805

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training and development

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BRIGHTON MBA DEVELOPING INDEPENDENT THINKERS TRANSFORM YOUR THINKING

DUAL QUALIFICATIONS

At Brighton we cultivate entrepreneurial thinkers. Designed for professionals who want to advance their career or to pursue their own business ideas, our MBA gives you the tools to turn business challenges into opportunities.

The Brighton MBA is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Directors.

• Internationally recognised MBA programmes in fulltime, part-time and block formats • Accredited by the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Directors • A career focused environment committed to supporting students and alumni

You will graduate with an MBA as well as the CMI’s Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership.

FIND OUT MORE Visit www.brighton.ac.uk/brightonmba. If you have any questions about our MBA programme or other postgraduate courses, the course team will be happy to help. Email them at business@brighton.ac.uk.

REALISE YOUR POTENTIAL Our optional modules and flexible study routes allow you to tailor your qualification to your ambitions. Workbased projects will enable you to practically apply your new skills to the benefit of your business.

Mental health training Mental health training

Mental health training Why training is training more Mental health important than ever Never has the need for training been more apparent for business. With the economy having undergone such dramatic changes, the necessity to train people in order to secure new employment or make them better employees in tough times is seen as absolutely crucial. Many business and economic support agencies have identified training as playing a key role in helping industry to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them as the economy slowly recovers.

Developing Developing knowledge knowledge in in the the workplace workplace We believe no-one should have to faceina mental health issue alone Developing knowledge the workplace We believe no-one should have to face a mental health issue alone

We can deliver training in your workplace or you can attend an We can believe no-one shouldinhave face a mental health alone We deliver training yourtoworkplace or you canissue attend an open event at venues around West Sussex. open event at venues around West Sussex. Reduced rates for charities. Reduced ratesworkplace for charities. We can deliver training in your or you can attend an Just us on 01903 open Just eventring at venues around277010 West Sussex. ring us on 01903 277010 Reduced rates for charities. Just ring us on 01903 277010 The Gateway, 8-10 Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG The Gateway, 8-10 | Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG 01903 277000 info@coastalwestsussexmind.org 01903 277000 | info@coastalwestsussexmind.org www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 funded We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently funded The Gateway, 8-10 Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG 01903 277000 | info@coastalwestsussexmind.org www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently funded

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Gone are the days when someone did the same job for life, now people are accustomed to switching careers half way through their working livesin and training allows that to Developing Developing knowledge knowledge in the the workplace workplace happen. A keyno-one part ofshould theknowledge training is teaching practical skills, We believe have to face a mental health issue alone Developing the workplace We believe no-one should have to faceina mental health issue alone everything from understanding changes in legislation to keeping on top of effective customer service but training We can deliver training in your workplace or you can attend an We can believe no-one should toworkplace face recognise a mental health alone We deliver training inhave your or you canissue attend an companies also help employees opportunities open at venues around West Sussex. when theyevent see them. open event at venues around West Sussex.

Reduced rates for charities. Reduced rates for charities. We can deliver in your workplace or you attend That couldtraining be anything from tapping into newcan markets toan Just ring us of on 01903 277010 openup event at venues around West coming with ways sure thatSussex. their employer Just ring us onmaking 01903 277010 makes inroads into foreign Sometimes, the Reduced ratesmarkets. for charities. opportunity to step aside from the day job and spend time Just ring us on 01903 277010 in a training session can have dramatic outcomes.

More and more businesses are seeing the benefits of such The as Gateway, 8-10 staff Durrington Lane, their Worthing,new BN13 2QG an approach their use knowledge to The Gateway, 8-10 | Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG 01903 277000 info@coastalwestsussexmind.org 01903of 277000 | info@coastalwestsussexmind.org www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 take advantage opportunities in the market place. It is a www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 funded We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently We are affiliated National Mind but separate and independently message that is tomore important than ever.funded The Gateway, 8-10 Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG 01903 277000 | info@coastalwestsussexmind.org www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently funded

tel: 01444 259 259

training and development

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

IS YOUR BUSINESS MISSING SOMETHING?

NEED HELP NAVIGATING THE NEW APPRENTICESHIP LEVY? Contact our dedicated levy hotline to find out how we can help. Contact us on 01243 812948

LET US HELP YOU FIND YOUR PERFECT FIT WITH A CHICHESTER COLLEGE APPRENTICE

Apprenticeships are a great way for you to develop your business and invest in its future – and they are available for new team members or for upskilling your existing staff!

From micro businesses to multi-nationals, apprentices can fill your skills gaps, bring new ideas and innovations, motivate your teams and help your business fulfil its potential.

LEADING ORGANISATIONS THROUGH CHANGE AND CHALLENGE FRIDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2018

Uncertainty is prevalent … everywhere. In less than twelve months’ time the UK is heading into a period of considerable ambiguity as it transitions out of the EU. What this means for all remains unclear. In partnership, Roffey Park and the University of Sussex Business School are bringing together a mix of academics, experts and business leaders to explore what uncertainty means for organisations and to create the space and opportunity to share approaches for tackling uncertainty as well as strengthening individual and organisational resilience.

£120 per person + VAT Fees include all tuition fees and materials. Fee includes a one-day conference at Roffey Park and a follow-up session at the University of Sussex Business School on Tuesday 12 February 2019 from 9am to 1pm

This conference aims to be a catalyst for shared, collective action to improve the capability of leaders and their organisations to deal with uncertainty and change. To book www.roffeypark.com/uncertainty Email: bookings@roffeypark.com Tel: 01293 854047

A5 Advert.indd 1

21/06/2018 14:11

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

01797 222 455 W S Wright has delivered building maintenance, refurbishment and projects to a variety of clients throughout the south of England for over 70 years. Our operational practices are approved by the leading authorities in industry standards supporting our directly employed mobile engineers in the delivery of reactive and planned construction and specialist maintenance services 24 hours 7 days all year.

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www.wswright.co.uk | info@wswright.co.uk Head Office: Units 3-5 Lochin Marine, Rock Channel, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7HJ South West Office: Unit 5, Holloways, Bessemer Close, Ebblake Industrial Estate, Verwood, Dorset BH31 6AZ

business matters

august/september 2018 business edge

Cost effective and “cyber security” can they go hand in hand? For those that attended the first in the series of four Cyber Security forums run by the Chamber and sponsored by Blue Cube Security, you will have benefitted from some valuable insight into protecting your business. Understanding that a layered approach to security is the most effective way to protect an attack was a key takeaway. Layers of security solutions ensure that if an attacker penetrates one layer of your initial defence there are other security layers that will kick in and prevent damage. By analysing your business and where you might be most vulnerable you can build a picture of how to best protect your organisation.

Chris Buck Regional New Homes Sales Manager Charters Village

Local retirement village welcomes new sales manager Retirement Villages’ age-exclusive community in East Grinstead, Charters Village, has appointed Chris Buck as Regional New Homes Sales Manager. Chris will drive Charters’ new build property sales and focus on its most recent development, which has added 46 two and three bedroom apartments and cottages to the retirement community’s portfolio. There has been unprecedented demand for these new properties, with only a few plots remaining. The village has therefore submitted a planning application for a final phase of properties, with building expected to begin in late 2018. Chris has over 15 years experience in the property market, having worked in senior sales positions at Savills, as well as Hamptons International. “I have always had an interest in the property market and have worked alongside retirement developers in the past. I think what these developments offer retirees is really unique – independent living but with added peace of mind that help is available if and when needed. I therefore jumped at the opportunity to work in such a rapidly evolving and growing market,” says Chris.

“I have always had an interest in the property market and have worked alongside retirement developers in the past.”

As a business you need to be examining how to protect your network, servers, email and end users from attack. You will want to make sure you are well protected from external threats with firewalls, web protection and anti malware solutions. Protection from internal threats can be equally important so data loss prevention strategies and file encryption requirements all need action. Good processes and staff awareness training can have a very positive impact on addressing potential attacks – Get the team on your side, you need their help! With everyone working on laptops, tablets and smartphones, protection of mobile devices is an essential element to your business security so consider the need for device encryption as well as network access control along with quarantine and remediation in the event of device infection. Bringing all of these solutions together, making sure they work in harmony to protect your organisation and minimise vulnerabilities, is as important as the solutions themselves. While this may seem overwhelming and with budgets tight it isn’t surprising that one of the main drivers for kicking off a new security project is a breach incident or fear of one. Having a pro-active approach, mapping out the security landscape and defining a clear cyber security path to meet business requirements is more effective (both financially and technically) than reactive adhoc security projects (often based on knee jerk reactions to individual events). Having a cyber security plan is just like having Sat Nav for your journey, it makes it easier and ensures you are always heading in the right direction. Why not join us at the next cyber security forums to learn about: Clicking, Phishing and Fooling – How easy it is to fool an employee. Encryption and Protecting Data, both yours and that of your clients. GDPR a year on And... If you don’t want to wait that long, give the Cynergy consultants at Blue Cube Security a call for a confidential chat and advice on protecting your business today. Blue Cube Security is one of the UK’s largest independent IT and cyber security resellers with offices based in West Sussex and London. With a consultative approach, Blue Cube Security has been providing expertise to its customers in this space for over 18 years.

Daniel Oviawe Sales Manager, Blue Cube Security Ltd

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

finance focus

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

More HMRC Support for Self-Employed Necessary One of the UK’s leading tax experts has urged the HMRC to commit more resources to support self-employed workers. Tax preparation specialist, David Redfern, founder of DSR Tax Claims, has spoken out after a number of issues came to light regarding freelancers and those in the gig economy, including news that 4 million phone calls to HMRC went unanswered last year as well as disagreements regarding the accuracy of HMRC’s CEST tool, designed to allow people to check their employment status in order to ensure they do not fall foul of HMRC’s controversial IR35 legislation. Redfern, a long-time critic of IR35, urged HMRC to commit more resources to supporting self-employed people, who are a growing sector of the economy, with the growth in self-employment rising from

3.3 million workers in 2001 to 4.8 million workers in 2017, an increase from 12% of the labour force to 15.1%. He stated that many of these workers are lower-earning workers in the increasing “gig economy” and who are therefore at a disadvantage in terms of access to financial resources as well as informational resources to ensure they make informed decisions about their taxes. Redfern stated that “this increase in selfemployment has not seen a corresponding increase in HMRC resources dedicated to supporting these workers, many of whom do not have access to their own experts and financial advisers and who therefore rely on HMRC for guidance and advice with regard to their taxes and employment status”. Reiterating his calls for HMRC to modernise its practices, Redfern added that “the way

we as a society work is fundamentally changing and those changes impact on the way that we are taxed as well. It’s imperative that HMRC modernise to meet the challenges facing workers in the 21st century – with more people self-employed, working zero-hour contracts, or picking up a number of different “gig-style” jobs – all of which are more complex in terms of taxation. People need HMRC support in order to ensure they are taxed correctly”. He noted that modernisation would be beneficial to HMRC as well as workers, due to the impact on their resources in terms of ensuring collective income was taxed correctly and efficiently, pointing to the large number of public sector IR35 cases currently pending prior to its roll-out to the private sector.

“The way we as a society work is fundamentally changing and those changes impact on the way that we are taxed as well. It’s imperative that HMRC modernise to meet the challenges facing workers in the 21st century – with more people selfemployed, working zero-hour contracts, or picking up a number of different “gig-style” jobs – all of which are more complex in terms of taxation. People need HMRC support in order to ensure they are taxed correctly”

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

finance advertorial focus

august/september february/march 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

www.parkerpartnership.co.uk | reception@parkerpartnership.co.uk

Accountants, tax and business

Accountants, and business adviserstax to owner-managed Accountants, tax andthroughout businessSussex advisersbusinesses to owner-managed businesses throughout Sussex advisers to owner-managed

businesses throughout Sussex We provide a wide range of business advisory services which go accounting compliance matters. Webeyond are trained tax not toand only in compliance matters, but a wide range of areas. =PZP[ WHYRLYWHY[ULYZOPW JV \R [V SLHYU TVYL VM [OL ZLY]PJLZ ^L WYV]PKL Visit www.parkerpartnership.co.uk to find out more about us and HUK [V ZLL ZVTL VM [OL MLLKIHJR ^L OH]L YLJLP]LK MYVT JSPLU[Z the services we provide or follow our popular twitter account @Parkers_Hove. For a free initial consultation call us on

For a free initial consultation call us on 01273 722505 We are trained not to only in compliance matters, but a wide range of areas. =PZP[ WHYRLYWHY[ULYZOPW JV \R [V SLHYU TVYL VM [OL ZLY]PJLZ ^L WYV]PKL HUK [V ZLL ZVTL VM [OL MLLKIHJR ^L OH]L YLJLP]LK MYVT JSPLU[Z South East exporters secure £67 MDJ Services Ltd

Accountants Million in Overseas Sales with UK MDJ Services is a well established Government-Backed Financing For a free initial consultation call us on UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) annual report and accounts, published this week, reveal almost £17 million of support for South East exporters, resulting in over £67 million worth of overseas sales. One of the South East companies benefiting from UKEF support this year was Webster Griffin, a specialist manufacturer of bespoke bag-filling machinery. When Webster Griffin received an export order to India worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, UKEF guaranteed 80% of the value of the three contract bonds Webster Griffin needed to offer its client under the contract’s terms. Thanks to UKEF, Webster Griffin had enough cash to successfully deliver the contract worth £700,000, supporting around 50 jobs in the South East and around the UK. Mark Wilson, Director of Webster Griffin said: “Working with UKEF has been incredibly easy and has helped us secure millions of pounds worth of export contracts. Its support is so valuable to UK companies with a strong international focus like ours.” This year, UKEF provided £2.5 billion of support for UK exporters. This helped 191 companies sell to 75 markets around the world, 77% of which were small and mediumsized businesses. To see if finance and insurance from UKEF could give you an exporting edge, search online for ‘UKEF’.

accountancy practice serving Sussex and the South East.

We offer a full range of accounting services, working with new and established companies to help establish and grow successful enterprises. We are committed to providing a friendly and efficient service tailored to your needs at a reasonable cost, also we are happy to offer a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION to all of our new clients. Services we offer include: • Management accounts • Corporate tax • Personal tax • Self Assessment • Company formations and services • Payroll • Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) • Business plans • VAT • Business consultancy • Bookkeeping Unit A6 Chaucer Business Park, Dittons Road, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6QH www.mdjservices.co.uk

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finance focus

august/september 2018 business edge

Practical Compliance Ian Ashleigh Compliance Matters

but these are for large risk commercial contracts like aircraft or marine insurance. For the retail consumer, the main changes you will see, when you purchase or renew your policy after 1st October will come in the form of new information requirements.

Insurance Distribution Directive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a guide for consumers We are all consumers of insurance products, be it household, travel or motor insurance. Those of us who run our own businesses may purchase professional indemnity insurance, employersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; liability insurance, and so on. The Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) comes into force on 1st October 2018 and following the alphabet soup of regulations that have come into force this year (e.g. MiFID II, GDPR), it has its origins in the EU.

The aims of the IDD are to: n enhance consumer protection when buying insurance; and n support competition between insurance distributors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; those firms selling directly to consumers whether they are an insurance company themselves or a broker. It replaces the Insurance Mediation Directive (IMD) and covers all insurance products that are purchased through retail sources, including some provisions that apply to pricecomparison websites. There are exemptions,

For example:

selling the insurance product and about the nature of remuneration which he will receive. n If you receive a personalised recommendation, you will receive an explanation why the recommended product best meets your needs. This may be email or by post.

n Insurance distributors will have to act honestly, fairly and professionally in accordance with your best interests as the consumer. In particular, they may not agree remuneration or sales targets that could provide an incentive to recommend a particular product to you when they could offer a different product that would meet your needs better.

The IDD introduces regulation of those firms who sell insurance as complementary to their main business. These will be known as ancillary insurance intermediaries (AIIs) and will include motor dealers. Travel agents and tour operators are covered as connected travel insurance providers These firms will be subject to the IDD as it applies to insurance intermediaries.

n You will be told if you are dealing with an insurer directly or with a broker (or intermediary). An intermediary will tell you if they are acting for you or the insurer in respect of the contract, or should you need to make a claim because sometimes this differs.

Once again, lots of change coming in the autumn and more documents for you to read when you take out or renew your insurance allowing you to make more informed decisions before you buy.

n You will know if you are being given advice to purchase the insurance or information on which to make your own decision.

Compliance Matters UK Limited offers cost effective and practical guidance in respect of governance, risk and compliance to firms regulated by the FCA.

n The IDD introduces a standardised Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) for all non-life insurance products, like household and motor insurance. Before a contract commences, you will be provided with clear information about the professional status of the person

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

How can we help

tel: 01444 259 259

finance advertorial focus

february/march 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Are you worried about what the rental property tax changes mean for you? Louise Underdown ACA Director Honey Barrett Chartered Accountants

Investing in property, whether it is a large portfolio or simply one rental property, has been a very popular form of investment for individuals. However, recent changes to tax laws impacting current or future rental property owners have become a worry. The first major change was the increase to stamp duty payable when purchasing a property that would result in you owning more than one residential property. The rates are increased by 3% on each tier when calculating the stamp duty owed. The second significant change that came into effect from 6 April 2017 is the restriction of tax relief on mortgage and other finance interest. As a lot of second property owners are highly geared, this will hit hard once the full measures come in. From 2017/18 25% of the mortgage interest will be added back to the rental profits and then a basic rate tax reducer (i.e. 20% of the interest added back) will be deducted from the overall tax liability. This percentage restricted to basic rate tax increases to 50% in 2018/19, 75% in 2019/20 and 100% from 2020/21. Consider for a moment if you owned a couple of rental properties with overall rental profits of £3,000 per year after mortgage interest of £6,000. The only way you could acquire your properties is via a mortgage but it’s affordable because the rental income covers the mortgage payments. Under the old rules, your taxable profits would be £3,000 taxed at say 40% higher rate (£1,200). However from 2020/21 your rental profit after the add back of interest is £9,000 which taxed at 40% is £3,600, less your basic rate reducer (£1,200) would give tax due of £2,400. This tax liability under the new rules is 80% of your profits! So, what can we do about this? If you are considering investing into property for the first time, the option of a limited company should be considered. Purchasing residential property through a company attracts the same stamp duty rates due to changes above, however there is no interest restriction. Also if you are a higher rate tax payer, operating through a company gives the flexibility of efficient tax planning to avoid paying more tax than necessary. This may also be an option for existing portfolio’s, however there are many factors to consider. Making the decision to invest in property is a big commitment so make sure the set up works for you. The example above won’t be right for everyone. Get some professional advice on the best structure for your portfolio. For further advice call 01323 412277 or visit www.honeybarrett.co.uk

Get the most out of your rental property portfolio If you are considering investing in property or have a rental property portfolio, Honey Barrett can advise you how to structure your investment appropriately.

Our services include: Accountancy and Audit BACS Payroll Bureau While some of the principles of property Bookkeeping taxation may seem straightforward, seeking Business Planning professional help is essential. Cloud Accounting Company Secretarial For further advice call Louise on 01323 Management Accounts 412277, or any of our other offices local Medical Specialists to you: Personal Tax PRISM - KPI Reports R&D Tax Relief Bexhill – 01424 730345 Tax Planning Eastbourne – 01323 412277 Trusts and Estates 10 Steps to Success System

Wadhurst – 01892 784321

“Investing in property, whether it is a large portfolio or simply one rental property, has been a very popular form of investment for individuals. However, recent changes to tax laws impacting current or future rental property owners have become a worry.”

www.honeybarrett.co.uk

Helping you get from where you are now to where you want to be... Registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institure of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

chamber benefits

august/september 2018 business edge

Save Money with Sussex Chamber There are a number of benefits that the chamber offers that can save your business money: Chamber Roadside Assistance If you have vehicles in your fleet that require breakdown assistance – choose the Chamber Roadside Assistance programme – as provided by the AA – the same breakdown cover packages but with an exceptional 67% discount for all chamber members. Some of our members are already savings £1000s with this benefit. Currently the average savings made by our members on this benefit is £585. Ask our membership team for more details.

Chamber ForEx Do you need foreign exchange to buy materials or equipment, or are you taking payments in other currencies? The British Chambers of Commerce has partnered with exchange experts moneycorp to provide an exclusive service to all chamber members that could cut your business costs and limit your exposure to currency exchange fluctuations. Our members have access to bank-beating exchange rates, very low transaction fees with no hidden costs, expert guidance and a free foreign exchange health check with

global expertise. You can forward trade and fix exchange rates for a set period of time. Improve your margins when dealing abroad – contact our membership team for more details.

Chamber Business Health Plan AXA PPP healthcare provides private medical insurance - Take out a business healthcare plan with AXA PPP and you’ll receive up to 50% discount off your Chamber membership fees for up to three years – call the membership team for more details.

The Chamber Primary Health Plan An exclusive Chamber member benefit brought to you by award winning health provider, Westfield Health.

Westfield Health has been working in partnership with the Chamber for over 14 years and have been supporting people throughout their working lives and beyond for almost a century, with affordable, innovative and best in class health cover from just £5.30 per employee, per month. And as a leading provider of corporate health insurance nobody knows more about keeping people healthy, motivated and fit for work than Westfield Health do. The Chamber Health Plan provides health cover that really works hard for you and your employees. The health plan can be purchased as a standalone product or together as a package with Hospital Treatment Insurance to provide greater cover from diagnosis right through to rehabilitation.

Be safe with Sussex Chamber We offer peace of mind for your business with HR, health & safety, legal and tax support. These four essential business services are designed to support and protect your business. That’s the good news… the even better news is that they are FREE to Silver, Gold and Premier Members. This is a national service provided by Qdos so you can feel confident of a service accessed by over 70,000 businesses across the British Chambers of Commerce network.

You can always find the link to Qdos on our own website http://chamber. sussex.qdoshr.com while the helpline contact number for all four services is 01455 852037.

Comparable alternatives available commercially can cost £1,500 a year…and often much more.

Remember also – this is all backed up with insurance cover of up to £1 million in any one year with cover of up to £100,000 per claim – that’s valuable peace of mind if you were to face an employment tribunal or an HMRC investigation.

If you not already using this service you’ll need a username and a password to access it, so please call Qdos client services on 01455 852128 – ask for Joe or Sarah and they’ll get you up to speed on our service.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

energyadvertorial efficiency

february/march 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Energy Savings to Improve your Bottom Line Phil Cottrell Managing Director of GCL Ltd

Those of you who have been in business for a few years may remember the time when the only electrical devices in the office were a couple of golfball typewriters and an electric kettle. It’s quite hard now even to imagine those times, but it wasn’t very long ago, many offices were still like that in the 1980s. However, recent decades have seen an explosion of power consumption in the workplace, as every desk has a computer, every third has a printer, everyone needs high-speed wifi for their phones and tablets, and even the kettle has been replaced by an enormous drinks machine and a Nespresso coffee maker. Add to that HVAC and security, and you start to see where all the power is going. Of course, we as a nation are also signed up to the Kyoto Protocol, which commits us to massive reductions in carbon emissions over the next 20 years. So the Government has taken action to reduce power consumption wherever it can, including through the ESOS programme for businesses. But you shouldn’t be alarmed by this; in fact, improving your energy efficiency could be very good for your bottom line as well. Your business or organisation will already be subject to ESOS regulations if it has 250 or more employees, annual turnover over €50m, or annual balance sheet total over €43m. But even if your business is not subject to ESOS, it makes good business sense to undertake energy audits regularly. Every year, countless Gigawatts are wasted through inefficient plant, poorly insulated heating systems and properties, bad employee practice, redundant timing controls and old light fittings, to name but a few. Every business can benefit financially from improved energy efficiency, and regular energy audits will help you identify where you can make savings. Some of our clients have reduced their energy usage by up to 80%!

Why reduce your building’s energy usage? n Major savings in energy costs n Reduce your carbon footprint n Comply with the relevant environmental regulations n For landlords, it attracts tenants to your building

LED lighting Lighting is one of highest consumers of energy in a commercial building. LED lighting uses significantly less energy than filament, halogen or strip lighting, and has a much longer lifetime. In the last couple of years, the reliability and variety of LED lighting has improved massively, to the point where virtually every lighting application can now be replaced with an LED alternative.

Benefits of an LED lighting system: n Quick return on investment n Improved luminance n Longer lasting lamps n Lower energy usage n Dimmable, Excellent Color Rendering Index (CRI) n Reduced maintenance costs n Reduction in the emission of heat n Occupancy detection and daylight sensing Detection systems that sense movement and natural light can replace conventional switches to turn lights off automatically in unoccupied spaces – reducing energy use and cost.

Building energy management systems A building energy management system (BMS) measures and manages the performance of building services, including HVAC, lighting and security. This can help to reduce energy usage. For example, a briefing room might be heavily used in the morning, but not much for the rest of the day. A BMS combined with smart heating controls, enables you to see how much

energy is being used by the room, and to change heating times for that room.

Benefits of BMS: n Coordinate the operation of various systems n Complete control over your building environment n Closely monitor building energy efficiency n Reduce energy consumption n Complying with legislation & incentives ESOS Phase 2 compliance is due by 5th December 2019. Although this may sound like it’s a long way off, you may need to take action right now, as you need 12-months’ worth of energy usage data as part of your compliance. If you need help with your ESOS compliance, or if you’d like to know more about LED retro-fitting or other energy-saving measures, please do contact me. GCL are specialists in energy saving, electrical and network cabling, BMS and Wifi. There are grants, low-interest loans and taxbreaks all designed to help you meet your ESOS obligations – GCL can provide you with more information or assist you to obtain funding for energy-saving programs and installations. Contact me now on 01892 576 950 or email sales@gcl.uk.com for more information.

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

events

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Events & Training Diary A lot of business people simply want to meet new clients directly and a cost-effective way of generating new business is networking. Networking is a great way of building your connections quickly at a very low-cost. Our networking events will bring you face to face with some of the brightest business minds this county has to offer. They will give you the chance to grow your contacts through our 100+ annual events and get you shaking hands with the right people.

Training isn’t just important to your company, it’s vital. Training across your workforce can improve competitiveness, morale, profitability, market share, customer satisfaction and company reputation. In these uncertain times training increases your ability to respond effectively to change. We are proud to announce the expansion of our training programme, please see the next page for a selection of current and new courses which are now available for bookings.

Please see below a selection of events which are now available for bookings.

August 1st Speed Networking with our Neighbours Events

Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, Arundel

12.00 - 14.30

7th

Business Networking Breakfast

Buxted Park Hotel, Uckfield

08.00 - 10.30

16th

Global Growth

Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club, Eastbourne

08.00 - 10.30

21st

Connect with Sussex Chamber - Non Members only - Arundel

WWT Arundel, Arundel

09.00 - 11.00

30th

Business Networking Lunch

University of Chichester, Bognor Regis Campus

12.00 - 14.30

September 4th

Business Networking Lunch

Holiday Inn, Gatwick Airport

12.00 - 14.30

7th

Policy and External Affairs Forum

The White Swan, Arundel

09.00 - 11.00

12th

Manufacturers Forum - Rayner

Rayner Intraocular Lenses Ltd, Worthing

08.00 - 10.30

18th

MEMBERS ONLY EVENT - Maximise Your Membership

The Kings Church, Burgess Hill

08.00 - 11.00

20th

Business Networking Breakfast

Field Place Manor House, Worthing

08.00 - 10.30

25th

Grow Your Connections - Harwoods Jaguar Land Rover

Harwoods Jaguar Land Rover, Crawley

18.00 - 19.30

26th

Connect with Sussex Chamber - Non Members only - Worthing

Freedom Works, Worthing

09.00 - 11.00

28th

Construction Forum

Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, Arundel

07.45 - 10.30

October

3rd

Business Leaders Conference - Mental Toughness

Crowne Plaza, Felbridge

12.00 - 18.00

9th

Business Networking Breakfast

Random Hall, Slinfold

08.00 - 10.30

16th

Cyber Security - Clicking, Phishing and Fooling – How easy it is to fool an employee.

The White Swan, Arundel

08.00 - 10.30

18th

Business Networking Lunch & AGM

Sandman Signature London Gatwick Hotel, Gatwick

12.00 - 14.30

30th

Grow Your Connections

The New Sussex Hotel, Lancing

08.30 - 10.30

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

training

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Business Courses

Tailored Group Training

Sussex Chamber of Commerce will unleash your business potential by developing employers’ staff to perform effectively, efficiently and with pride to deliver excellent customer service.

Sussex Chamber of Commerce can provide on-site bespoke training courses this is a fantastic way of designing one of our training courses to suit your business needs. This is a cost-effective way of training a group of your employees at the same time, on a date that suits you and at the premises of your choice.

A variety of short courses are available to all throughout the year. Typically, 1/2 day, one day and 2 days in duration, sessions are interactive and lively to ensure real benefits that contribute to the success of you and your business.

Scheduled Training Courses All scheduled courses are held at the King’s Church, 33-35 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR

Sales & Customer Service 13th Sept

Selling Skills for Results

4th Oct

Great Customer Service

Business Skills 2nd Aug

Building Resilience for wellbeing and performance

12th Sept

The Gig Economy - self employed or part time, flexible, employee?

16th Oct

From Concept to Delivery - Setting up a New Business

23rd Oct

Ten Steps to Successful Business Growth

24th Oct

Developing a Saleable Business - Even if you don’t want to sell!

Human Resources & Development 18th Sept

Managing Difficult People

20th Sept

Mental Health in the Workplace

11th Oct

Introduction to Emotional Intelligence

Personal Development 9th Oct

Coaching for Performance

Management & Leadership Skills 9th Aug

Workplace Stress

3rd Sept

Introduction to Supervision and Team Leadership

6th Sept

Managing Change

11th Sept

Employee Engagement

1st Oct & 2nd Oct

Essentials of Supervision & Team Leadership - 2 Day Course

International Trade 14th Sept

Becoming an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO)

1st Oct

An Introduction to Export Procedures

8th Oct

A Foundation Course in Importing

For more information or to see our 2018 Calander visit our website www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk to book please call us on 01444 259 259.

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

business food and matters beverage

august/september 2018 business edge

Ben Tulett – Junior Cross-Cycling current World Champion

A Eureka Moment Catapults a Start-up Ramon Vivo Co-Director, FitBites

A new food manufacturing company specialising in the healthy snack sector and based in West Sussex has seen exponential demand for their products both in the UK and overseas. With a keen interest in keeping fit, living healthier lifestyles and creating truly natural and healthy snacks, the two founders saw a new space in the marketplace and decided to start their own line of snacks. A eureka moment catapulted their commercial idea when they spoke to an influential friend, one of the most successful ultra marathon runners of all time, Mohammad Ahansal, who ultimately approved their recipe and gave it his thumbs up! Following endless hours of researching, tasting, testing… and then more researching, FitBites was born. With an ethos centred on truly natural and simple ingredients, their products sit uniquely in the market. Each product contains two balls per snack, freshly made and bypassing the traditional large

manufacturers who rely on artificial and synthetic chemicals used as preservatives. Smaller companies with a dynamic business model like FitBites are fleet of foot and able to enter new markets ambitiously, largely based on their adaptability, innovation and the determination of those driving the business forward. In the current economic and political climate exporting represents a genuine opportunity for British businesses. Many countries see British products as offering a genuine stamp of quality assurance. This has enabled the FitBites brand to expand quickly into new markets such as the Middle East, China and the USA. Managing growth requires close day to day attention. Expansion, which has been organic so far, has been funded solely by the two co-founders. The point has come where the company is open to considering outside investment to help fuel further growth, both in the UK and overseas. The company now has acquired pertinent documentation to further assure their products meet high UK and International food safety standards making their products supermarket-ready for numerous global markets. Marketing is innovative, to this end they have partnered with several high-profile

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sporting ambassadors to help brand awareness: Ben Tulett – Junior Cross-Cycling current World Champion and Jessica-Jane Applegate MBE – Paralympic Gold Medallist in Swimming, In the coming months FitBites will continue its growth on the UK market. One new major distribution channel launched in June where you will find their products in BP petrol forecourts across the country. They are also strengthening overseas distribution channels in the US and China. The company recently went through a rigorous mentoring programme sponsored by Deloitte, with their financial expertise and advice the company is ready for the next phase of its development and expansion.

tel: 01444 259 259

food business and beverage matters

august/september 2018 business edge

English Wines for English Weddings Chris Siegle Retail Manager Bolney Wine Estate

Last year I finally tied the knot and married my wonderful wife, Jane. We had an almost two year long engagement and, although it was all worth it on the big day, the planning process can be a testing time for engaged couples. Being Retail Manager at Bolney, I get a lot of wedding wine enquires each year and, with the cost of weddings on the rise in the UK, more parents and grandparents are looking for ways to help contribute for their loved ones to have the perfect day. A really nice gesture I would recommend is to purchase their wine for the toast and make it really special.

Or, for those of you who are planning and paying for your big day alone, buying wine for your wedding can be a challenging task but also fun! Whether you are looking to purchase through the venue itself, organise a ‘booze cruise to France’, or even visit a local wine producer, it is always important to research first to get a good understanding of prices and taste. It’s recommended that you organise a tasting at the relevant venue to decide before you buy. If you decide to bring in the wine, some venues may charge either corkage or handling fee; it’s worth clarifying that before you purchase anything. It is very important that you don’t run out, so getting the quantities correct is crucial.

Wedding Breakfast and evening reception – Half a bottle per person

Reception – 2 glasses of sparkling per person

Finally, don’t forget to get your wine quote as early as possible! There are a lot of hidden costs in weddings and wine can be one of them, so make sure it is budgeted for from the start if it is important to you. I would suggest researching your wine at least nine months before your big day.

Toast – 1 glass of sparkling per person

Happy planning!

Here at Bolney, we would normally recommend the following quantities:

The Tea Enthusiasts take tea to a new level Tea merchants, The Tea Enthusiasts, are taking tea to a new level by offering a fully bespoke service for business and corporate customers. All too often, tea is an afterthought, bought in haste, but businesses can benefit from high-quality loose leaf tea that is competitively priced when they choose The Tea Enthusiasts as their supplier. Whether a business wants a signature blend tailored to their brand to strike the right note with their clients or to offer a high-end selection of teas in their café, restaurant or retail premises, The Tea Enthusiasts can help.

are also organic and accredited by the Ethical Tea Partnership, meaning they are good for you and good for your company’s corporate responsibility too.”

As Liza Johnson, founder of the Tea Enthusiasts explains, “We source our loose leaf teas from only the best tea gardens and plantations around the globe, each tea or tisane is hand selected and contains a unique blend of natural ingredients. Wherever possible our teas

Customers benefit from one of the largest selections of loose leaf tea in the UK, as well as incentivised purchasing policies, attractive, customisable packaging and strong point of sale material, meaning they’ll have everything they need to use or sell their teas.

Choose The Tea Enthusiasts and let your tea mean business, email Info@teaenthusiasts.com or log on to tea-enthusiasts.com to find out more.

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

business food and matters beverage

august/september 2018 business edge

What can a vineyard, a goose and a penguin all have in common? At Blackdown Ridge Vineyard the team have been plodding on for the last few years wondering what on earth they have done, but now it is all getting very exciting! Following a few months of hard work they are proud to announce their completed rebrand, created with Deep Design. The inspiration for the design came from the resident goose, Goostoff, who has chosen to live on the lake for many years. A foiled goose feather has been used as a symbol of the peace, balance and harmony achieved at Blackdown Ridge. The labels have a very clear, classic black font on a crisp white background but the feather provides a little sparkly quirky twist! The simplicity of the new design shows elegance and sophistication which sits

beautifully on a wedding table or at any special occasion. The team are thrilled with the new look and are getting very positive feedback from customers. The timing of the new branding is perfect to launch two new additions to the range; a delightful Sparkling Rosé and an impressive Sauvignon Blanc. These join the existing white, red and rosé still wines and international award winning Sparkling White wine, Primordia. To find out how the penguin is relevant you will have to call Blackdown Ridge to find out!

The Cheese Man Tony Cowling Director The Cheese Man

The Cheese Man was established in August 1995 by my father Fred Cowling, doing what he knew best “Selling Cheese”!

Although I always helped behind the scenes, it wasn’t until 1998 until we became full time partners in the business. Since then the business has continued to grow, from our first small 500sq ft unit, to where we are today, a 7000 sq ft unit right on the coast next to Hove Lagoon, and only about 500yds as the crow flies, from where we first started.

range of British & Continental cheeses as well as Charcuterie and Gourmet Products to all our customers.

Being local has always been important to us, and we still continue to cover the same area Fred did at the beginning, being East & West Sussex and a small area of Surrey. In the early days this was with just one van, but now we have a fleet of seven sales vans covering this area. We love promoting local products, and try to make them available to as many of our wholesale customers as possible. But we still also offer a wide

2017 was quite a momentous year for us, as we moved in to our new offices & warehouse, which has given us the space to move the business forward and offer our products to more people. As well as that, we also opened our very own retail shop on site “The Cheese Hut”. This is something we have thought about for a few years. This is run by my wife Verity, so although Fred has now retired from the business (although he

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can’t keep away more than a few days a week and you might catch him working in the Hut) we are still keeping it in the family. This has enabled us to offer a great selection of Sussex Cheeses which are not readily available in the supermarkets. Our aim is to continue to grow the business, promoting Sussex produce and aiming to be the best cheese specialists in the area. This has all been made possible with the dedicated team working here, and we couldn’t have got where we were today if it wasn’t for them.

tel: 01444 259 259

food and beverage

august/september 2018 business edge

The Protein Ball Co story Natalie Wagstaff Marketing Manager The Protein Ball Company

The original bite sized protein ball brand ‘The Protein Ball Co’ was founded by husband and wife team Matt + Hayley Hunt in October 2015 and they haven’t stopped rolling since. Hayley first started making protein balls for her family after she was struggling to find great tasting healthy snacks. Our honestto-goodness protein balls are made the way

you would at home – with a few natural ingredients rolled into one. There are no added sugars, they are high in fibre and packed with protein. When people think protein, they often think bodybuilders and meal replacements. We wanted to change that perception and make protein accessible to people who have been to the gym or fitness class, or who are looking for healthy snacks. “It is our aim to roll out super nutritious + delicious, high protein balls in the most fun + energetic way!” Matt Hunt - Founder

Our first year turnover was £498,000 and turnover in our second year grew by 260% to £1.75mill. Our third year is rolling along nicely. Although we are over 2 years old and rolling over 2 million balls a month, we are still a family run business with only 32 local employees and our founder, Hayley, is still hands on with all recipe and new product development. Protein has many health benefits but what makes our protein balls so delicious is the taste of the ingredients we use in our 8 available flavours; n Peanut Butter + Jam (Vegan Protein)

Our 6 bite sized protein balls are perfect for fulfilling those mid morning + mid afternoon cravings – keep them in your drawer at work or enjoy with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Our products are also great for pre + post workout.

n Raspberry Brownie (Vegan Protein)

We’re very proud to say that we make our snacks in house in Worthing, West Sussex, and roll around 120,000 protein balls per day!

n Cacao + Orange (Whey Protein)

n Lemon + Pistachio (Vegan Protein) n Goji + Coconut (Vegan Protein) n Peanut Butter (Best seller, Whey Protein) n Coconut + Macadamia (Whey Protein) n Cherry + Almond (Egg White Protein) That’s how we roll……

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

new members

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Welcome to Sussex Chamber of Commerce Membership of Sussex Chamber of Commerce can help you increase profits, get the best from your people and find new clients. Also, it saves you money, gets your voice heard and puts you in contact with even more businesses. Aquilar

Chemigraphic Ltd

Cloud9 Insight

Weights & Measures House, 20 Barttelot Road Horsham, RH12 1DQ

Unit A2 The Fleming Centre Crawley, RH10 9NN

6th Floor Park Center, 177 Preston Road Brighton, BN1 6AG

01403 216100 www.aquilar.co.uk

01293 543517 www.chemigraphic.co.uk

01273 921510 www.cloud9insight.com

Autism Stress Alert

CityCoast Centre

LCN Legal

1 Carnforth Crescent Eastbourne, BN23 8NJ

North Street Portslade, BN41 1DG

71 Wallace Court, 42 Tizzard Grove London, SE3 9EP

07411 208629 www.autismstressalert.org

01273 433433 www.citycoastcentre.co.uk

020 3286 8868 www.lcnlegal.com

BAQUS Construction & Property Consultancy Midland House, 1 Market Avenue Chichester, PO19 1JU 01243 792220 www.baqus.co.uk

Bluestone Retreat & Therapy Centre Crockstead Farm Hotel, Eastbourne Rd Lewes, BN8 6PT 07900 492529 www.bluestonetherapy.co.uk

Capital Garage Doors Ltd Genesis House, Priestley Way Crawley, RH10 9PR 01293 652470 www.capitalgaragedoors.co.uk

Catandra Furlong Down, Ashcombe Lane Kingston, BN7 3JZ 01273 483438 www.catandra.co.uk

Charters Village Management Ltd Retirement Villages Group, Charters House 5 Charters Village, RH19 2HQ 01372 383950 www.retirementvillages.co.uk

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

new members

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Lilac Fidelity Ltd

Retirement Villages Group

VisitBrighton

Unit 4 , Southwestern Hangar, 27 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5QG

Brunswick House, Regent Park, 297-299 Kingston Rd, Leatherhead, KT22 7LU

Brighton Town Hall, 1-5 Prince Albert Street Brighton, BN1 1JA

07833 108555 www.lilacfidelity.co.uk

01372 383950 www.retirementvillages.co.uk

01273292621 www.visitbrighton.com

Menzies Leatherhead

Rhythmix

White Corners Painting & Decorating

Ashcombe House, 5 The Crescent Leatherhead, KT22 8DY

113 Queens Road Brighton, BN1 3XG

2 Rock-A-Nore Road Hastings, TN34 3DW

01372 360130 www.menzies.co.uk

01273 234789 www.rhythmixmusic.org.uk

01424 255 436 www.whitecornersdecorating.co.uk

Penhill Logistics Ltd

Safety Mode

Workhorse

Unit 10 Basepoint, Bridge Road Haywards Heath, RH16 1UA

70 Findon Road Worthing, BN14 0AE

613 Kingsgate Redhill, RH1 1SG

01444 616229 www.penhill.eu

07818 416448 www.safetymode.co.uk

01306 309036 www.goworkhorse.com

Platform Consulting 21 Limited

Sound Solutions Products Ltd

Highdene House, Findon Bypass Findon, BN14 0TP

Unit 8 Highdown House, Shoreham Airport Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5PB

01903 873666 www.platformconsult.com

01273 455074 www.sndsol.co.uk

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE WELL CONNECTED

five minutes with

august/september 2018 business edge edge august/september 2018 business

Mike on a bike Mike Oliver Associates are proud sponssors of the Tour of Sussex Sportive 2018

Founder and Managing Director, Mike Oliver Associates (MOA) What was your first job and what was the pay packet? Lead professional singer for my own pop rock band in the late 80s. If we got paid at all, it was probably just enough for the beers in the bar afterwards!

nanos – it could even be app-based, which would be a much more cost-effective way of delivering it.

What can you see from your office window? Potential.

What do you always carry with you to work? My ethics.

What is the biggest challenge facing your business? As an Independent Financial Advisor serving the community of West Sussex, it’s making people aware of the pressing need to make provision for later life and particularly their care arrangements. It’s a huge issue for the whole country.

Mike Oliver

Mike Oliver Associates is an award-winning multi-service IFA, founded by Mike Oliver in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, in 2001. It is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and specialises in offering clients personalised, face-to-face advice at a location and time to suit them, covering all aspects of savings, investments and taxation planning.

If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change to help business? I employ fewer than 10 people, but my business gets lumped into the lexicon as an SME, which, according to the EU, covers every business with fewer than 500 staff. On that scale I’m a nano business – barely bigger than an atom. But when lots of atoms come together, they’re a powerful force. And we are. All the nano businesses in the UK power half the economy, but we get comparatively little assistance from central government compared to the nation’s investment in larger enterprises. I’d like to see a well thought out, small business suite of assistance measures developed for us

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If you could do another job what would it be? Lead singer of my own pop group – with a Rolling Stones pay packet this time.

As a business person, what are your three main qualities? After 30 or so years in financial services, you’d expect me to say I’m good with numbers! But much of my time is spent listening to clients – listening, as opposed to hearing, is an under-rated skill. And perseverance. To survive as an independent business, you need bucketloads.

What was your biggest mistake in business? Not promoting ourselves enough… I’m doing something about that right here!

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? Hope for the best and plan for the worst. Follow your dream but listen to advice and don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Who do you admire most in business? Anyone who achieves the above.

tel: 01444 259 259

august/september 2018 business edge

The Sussex MBA

Leading management thinking Choose an MBA that recognises your ambitions and goals. Choose a university that supports, inspires and challenges you. Choose the Sussex MBA.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUSSEX MBA www.sussexmba.com

august/september 2018 business edge

jamestodd&co more than just accountants

“ It’s not a myth - great accountants do exist!”

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors in the South, South East and London

Want to give your business the edge? Our clients have…

James Todd & Co in 2015 was one of the best “ Engaging business moves I’ve ever made,’ says Karl Petter, from Arbus Ltd. Our accounts were in a complete mess and for 10 years with our previous accountants, I felt we had no control over our finances. I wanted more than a ‘finger in the air’ approach to financial decisions.

Our clients… Enjoy peace of mind. We guarantee to turn around your accounts in six weeks or less. Treasure our traditional values in this technology-driven world. We answer calls and emails the same day. Value our pre-agreed fees and monthly payment options, so you can manage cash flow.

Having James Todd & Co on board has transformed our business. Michelle and her team drilled down into our accounts to show us where our business was doing well – and which bits needed fine tuning to work better. In the past three years, our turnover has doubled. That would never have been possible without the clear financial information James Todd & Co provided for me, in a way I could really understand and use. James Todd & Co do things different to other accountants – in a good way. They take the time to listen to you and find out what you really need. They don’t just understand the numbers – they understand business.

”

We offer free initial consultations and a money-back satisfaction guarantee. Can you afford not to call us?

info@jamestoddandco.co.uk www.jamestoddandco.co.uk

Lavant Office

Chichester Office

Lewes Office

1&2 The Barn, Oldwick West Stoke Road Chichester PO18 9AA T: 01243 776938

16 Northgate Chichester West Sussex PO19 1BJ T: 01243 776938

The Mews St Nicholas Lane Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2JZ T: 01273 470123