Business Edge 64

Inside 4 business matters 18 ask the expert 22 big interview 24 leadership & entrepreneurs 28 sussex chamber business award winners 34 new members 36 training 38 diary of an entrepreneur

the magazine for sussex chamber of commerce members

December 2021/January 2022

A Celebration of Entrepreneurs and Leaders Sussex Chamber of Commerce

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

MEET PLAN LEARN RECONNECT Join us at our West Sussex venue for face to face, residential or hybrid meetings and conferences.

Rebuilding team bonds, creative collaboration and developing dialogue are all crucial to thriving in the future and capitalising on opportunities for success. At Roffey Park Institute we have the perfect venue to bring your teams back together. Located near Horsham we offer space, great hospitality and a welcoming place to stay. With 20 purposebuilt, light-filled meeting rooms, our Sieff restaurant and 60 ensuite bedrooms, we can help make your meetings and conferences unique to your organisation. Contact us to find out more about our ideal environment to collaborate, together.

www.rof feyparkvenue.c o m

contents

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

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@

sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

SUSSEX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Unit 4, Victoria Business Centre, 43 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing 3rd Floor Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 5805990 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

ADVERTISING Angie Smith, Business Development Manager, Distinctive Publishing 3rd Floor Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 580 5472 angie.smith@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Welcome to our Business Edge magazine!

Entrepreneurship and Leadership I have had the wonderful opportunity during the course of my career to have been coached, mentored and motivated by amazing leaders. Because of them, I have acquired the confidence, learnt many skills and been inspired throughout my journey.

My mentors and leaders have given me the desire to help others succeed. Continuing to develop my knowledge and skills is extremely important to me. It allows me to assess life goals and values, build on my qualities so I can grow both personally and professionally.

I am also inspired by all the amazing companies, entrepreneurs and leaders I have had the privilege of meeting through the Chamber events and activities. The knowledge I gain from all of you, motivates me to be better both for myself, my family and in my work.

“The single biggest way to impact an organisation is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.” John Maxwell We have many exceptional entrepreneurs and leaders in Sussex who deserve recognition. As we enter the awards season, many amazing businesses and individuals are being rewarded for their achievements.

We recently ran our Sussex Chamber Business Awards and had outstanding entries for all six categories. Please read our

Ana Christie Chief Executive Sussex Chamber of Commerce

magazine to find out more. Four companies have progressed further to win the Southern Regional Chamber Awards with the British Chambers! Absolutely fantastic.

Remember to share your exciting news with us to help highlight your business to a wider audience. There are lots of opportunities to grow your profile, refer businesses and save money, or sponsor events.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.

FEATURE EDITOR Karen Southern karen.southern@distinctivegroup.co.uk

E-BOOK www.issuu.com/distinctivepublishing

CONTENTS welcome

DISCLAIMER 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.

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Sussex Chamber Business Award Winners

28-31

finance focus

32-33 34-35

business matters

4-6

business matters

8-10

business support

12-13

new members

corporate social hospitality

14-15

new members/protecting our planet 39

ask the expert big interview leadership & entrepreneurs

18-20 22 24-27

training

36

business matters

37

diary of an entrepreneur

38

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

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business matters

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

Benefits of investing in green technology We have all heard it in the news, social media and all over the internet, the race towards net zero emissions is just a reality. Businesses around the world are becoming much more aware of the importance of implementing low energy manufacturing processes. However, the challenge remains how to adapt processes whilst remaining competitive. In this article, Sarim Shehzad, Amplicon Product Specialist, explains how you can take your business towards net zero and the benefits it will deliver.

Sarim Shehzad, Product Specialist, Amplicon

What is the Greenhouse effect and carbon footprint?

To begin with, we need to understand what the greenhouse effect is and how impactful it is for our planet.

The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat. These heat-trapping gases are called Greenhouse gases and help keep the Earth at a habitable temperature — until there is too much of them.

Sadly, carbon dioxide levels are at a record high negatively affecting the planet’s weather and climate systems. The rise of the amount of carbon emissions trapped in our atmosphere is causing global warming, an increase in the average temperature which leads to climate change.

A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organisation, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.

The greenhouse effect directly impacts the environment and human health through extreme weather events, pollution, glacial retreat and flooding, desertification, migration of species, food supply disruptions and shortages, spread of diseases and pandemics and many more negative side effects that are dangerous to the planet, to human and animal life, and therefore our future.

The benefits of reducing your business carbon footprint A smaller Carbon Footprint is good for the Planet and your wallet. Each of us can play a part in the race towards net zero. We can make a difference through changes in our daily habits, some will be easy, some may take planning, and others will even help you save money. But how?

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Say for instance, if you have high wattage light bulbs and big old boilers in your company, which consume twice or three times more energy than the modern bulbs or boilers, you could replace the old appliances, which will help you reduce your energy usage and save money.

You can also look at how you handle the heating in your business, if you insulate your building and install double or triple glazed windows, you will be looking at less costs associated with your energy usage overall.

Another interesting way you can go full green and save money is by installing solar panels, which is more of a long-term investment. Initially, it may cost you a great deal but overtime these solar panels tend to pay for themselves and maybe make you some extra profit as you can sell the electricity you create back to the grid.

How can companies reduce their carbon emissions?

Businesses can consider taking small steps to begin their journey to net zero. Below you can find the list of actions that helped Amplicon reduce their carbon footprint by 35% through taking small steps that made a big impact.

Use of energy-efficient appliances:

Monitor and measure our energy usage with smart power meters

A good way to save money and contribute to the environment in by replacing old appliances with modern energy-efficient ones.

Run a car-sharing scheme where employees who car-share to work every day get free parking and those who do not, have to pay a parking fee

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Donate parking fees to the Woodland trust UK Green initiatives around the office: use of low power LED lights, energy-efficient heating, motion sensors, low power thin client pcs, Dyson hand driers, a filter water tap and loads of green plants that keep the air fresh.

Strong recycling policy – including plastic, bottle tops, crisp packets, cardboard, clothing and paper, for instance a fully paperless accounts process (E-invoicing) WEEE collection for disposal Triple A rated appliances – fridges, copiers, fans, windows

How can businesses monitor their carbon footprint?

Imagine you are at a point where you have done everything you could to go green, how will you monitor your contributions and efforts?

The answer lies in technology, and more specifically, in the internet of things. With latest technologies and the “internet of things” you can monitor your Company usage and see historical data to see if there are any patterns.

With all the data available to you, you can then analyse it and implement changes to become even more power efficient. In turn, you won’t be just saving money, but playing your role in saving the planet. www.amplicon.com

tel: 01444 259 259

business matters

December june/july 2019 2021/January business edge 2022 business edge

Connecting Local Businesses With over 100 businesses of all sizes, operating across many different sectors from retail to engineering, members of recent Affiliated Chamber Member, the East Grinstead Business Association (EGBA), are looking forward to making even more connections across Sussex.

Kate Bennett Business Manager, East Grinstead Business Association

Leadership and entrepreneurial skills have never been more relevant as we tentatively move from lockdown and other restrictions, to living with COVID-19. Our experience at EGBA over the last 18 months has shown us there are two additional and very necessary attributes for a successful business – creativity and resilience.

As a networking association, regular communication with and between members has proved invaluable by, for instance, letting members know what support is available to them. It has also allowed them to pool creative ideas for not only remaining solvent, but as a way of stimulating innovative ways of working to benefit the business whatever the external climate.

Communication is key and at EGBA we like to think we are pretty good at it!

The Association’s relations with local government at all levels are excellent and productive. Through our good contacts we’ve been able host virtual Q&A sessions for members with our constituency MP, District Council leader and their experts on eligibility and access for support packages and grant funding. We know from speaking to members that this kind of access has been, and continues to be, invaluable to them and for the resilience of their business.

But it’s not all about financial viability, being part of a friendly association brings positive benefits and a feeling of connection which is equally important in these still uncertain times. We’re looking forward to getting to know Chamber members in the months and years ahead, particularly as we move towards a greener economy and the challenges of net zero. www.egba.co.uk

Images provided by East Grinstead Town Council

Spotlight on Member to Member offers Many of our members offer great benefits for fellow members of the chamber. If you are a member and haven’t yet made a Member to Member (M2M) offer, why not login to our website portal and create your own!

There are currently 62 M2M offers on our website. They cover a very wide variety of services and products with free consultations, discounts on services, other giveaways and some truly surprising offers that can also benefit your staff.

Remember to keep your M2M offers up to date, especially if they are limited by date!

We’re showing summaries of these offers here but for full details visit our website: www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk/membership/member-to-member-offers

Business Problem Solving Experience

10% off safety and security products for your business

What is really holding your business back? I’m offering Chamber members a free 1-hour exploration session to understand why you don’t always get the results you desire. Through identifying the real core challenges, you can begin to solve the real problems that frustrate you.

SafeSite Facilities has been providing safety and security solutions for commercial premises, vacant properties, construction sites and public events, across the UK, for over 10 years. Sussex Chamber members can receive a 10% discount on the hire of SafeSite Facilities’ products and services by quoting SAFEHIRE10 when making an enquiry.

andy@catandra.co.uk 01273 483 438 www.catandra.co.uk

info@safesitefacilities.co.uk 0800 987 0021 www.safesitefacilities.co.uk

10% off Health & Safety audit Our Risk Management team will provide an objective assessment of your current level of Health & Safety compliance, benchmarking your organisation against legal requirements. We’ll spend a full day at your premises completing a factfinding Q&A, site tour and a desktop review of documentation. The output will be a formal report, including a set of prioritised recommendations for improvement. Usual price is £1,200 + VAT. riskmanagement@swib.co.uk 01444 251 162 www.suttonwinson.com

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

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business matters

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

Entrepreneurship The last time this publication considered the huge subject of Entrepreneurship was in May 2019 which is now a world away.

Regardless of the challenging environment, Companies House records show that over 340,000 new businesses were registered in the first 6 months of this year (and that of course only includes limited companies and LLPs). Over a full year that is nearly 2,000 per day.

Not all of those will be a genuine new business but it goes to show that the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.

The Summer Berry Company: A Sustainable Soft Fruit Farm The Summer Berry Company is a leading soft fruit supplier in the UK with farms in Sussex and Portugal to ensure optimum growing conditions for year-round supply.

Joe Stapleton Communication & Social Media Manager, The Summer Berry Company

We are constantly developing initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment.

Over the last 12 months, we have achieved: 3% more field productivity

At the end of July, we applied for a Government Funding – “Countryside Stewardship” scheme.’ This scheme provides financial incentives for us to create wildlife habitats, provide food resources for birds / insects, create flower rich margins and more.

The aim of the scheme is to look after and improve the environment by:

32% less fruit waste

Conserving, restoring, and creating wildlife habitats, including wildlife corridors by connecting habitats

36% less general waste

Flora and fauna improvement

58% more rainwater capture and storage

Providing food resources and homes for farmland birds and insects

8% less power requirement

We incorporate wildflowers into the fruit fields themselves, so that they sit alongside the crops we’re picking. This encourages the beneficial insects to work with us in keeping the crops clean.

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which included a large amount of harmful microplastics that are highly damaging to the environment.

Driving biodiversity that engages with the local community Keeping the character of the countryside

Thanks to the natural hedges and beetle banks, our farms are divided into a series of nature friendly rooms that are quickly populated with everything from ladybirds to barn owls.

This scheme has a 5-year agreement where we are intending to plant 22ha of flower rich margin & winter bird food areas; 15,000l/m of hedgerows and 25.26ha of permanent grassland with low input.

For this year’s International Coastal Clean Up Day, a team of our staff volunteered to pick litter on West Wittering Beach.

We cleared a total of 60kg of waste

We are proud of our sustainability achievements and strive to improve on them in 2022 and beyond.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Whilst some business owners fell between the cracks of covid support there seems to be no dampening of the desire for people to be the architects of their own destiny, with the freedom that self-determination brings.

At a macro level, the OBR’s latest forecasts provide a significantly more positive assessment of the UK’s near-term growth prospects than just 6 months ago. On the flip side, acute staff shortages, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures and a supressed level of business investment suggest the recovery could splutter.

Whatever the economic circumstances of the day, founding and running a business, large or small, is tough. The demands can be enormous, the risks palpable. In most cases, starting-up a business is not something to do without the help and support of others. We like to say, “as a Chamber member you are well connected” and please use those connections to draw on the experience of others, whether that’s through our regular networking events or tailored sector and International Trade events.

tel: 01444 259 259

Rob Clare Chairman Sussex Chamber of Commerce

business advertorial matters

june/july December december/january 2019 2021/January business 2018edge business 2022 business edge edge

Efficient and effective delivery As the railway welcomes passengers back after the pandemic, efficient and effective delivery will be at the heart of its work to build back better.

Following on from the success of the Brighton Main Line Improvement Project in 2019 where £67m was invested over 9 days to tackle delay hotspots between Three Bridges and Brighton, and the Arun Valley Improvement Project this summer which seen £22m invested in a series of upgrades from Arundel to Crawley, Network Rail says extended line closures will continue to be used to get work done quickly and efficiently.

This Christmas, from Saturday 25 December to Monday 3 January 2022, no trains will run between East Croydon and London Victoria and most Southern trains will be diverted to London Bridge. Network Rail will use the time to continue work on the Victoria resignalling project, a major fouryear programme of investment to upgrade signalling, and track at key rail junctions, on the south London lines into London Victoria.

Then, from Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 February 2022, Copyhold junction (near Haywards Heath) will be rebuilt with new track and points, and new track will be laid at Burgess Hill. In total, over 1,000 metres of track, 7,000 tonnes of ballast and eight sets of points will be replaced with new, more reliable equipment. Additionally, a new underpass will be built at Hassocks to provide a safe route under the tracks.

On theses dates, buses will replace trains between Three Bridges, Brighton and Lewes.

everything, including how we plan and deliver work. Blockades are a massive opportunity for us to deliver more efficiently, reduce overall disruption to services and ultimately do more work to improve journeys for our passengers.

By doing the work in week-long chunks called “blockades” Network Rail can avoid the alternative of a long series of weekend or bank holiday closures over a number of years.

“That’s why we’ll work closely with local stakeholders and train operators to ensure lineside neighbours, passengers and businesses are fully aware of the changes to come from these closures, the impact on their journeys and the alternative travel options available to them.”

Katie Frost, Sussex route Director, Network Rail, said: “Putting passengers first is at the heart of what we do, and that works across

“Putting passengers first is at the heart of what we do, and that works across everything, including how we plan and deliver work.

Blockades are a massive opportunity for us to deliver more efficiently, reduce overall disruption to services and ultimately do more work to improve journeys for our passengers.”

Katie Frost, Sussex route Director, Network Rail

“But we won’t forget that that the success of previous extended line closures was in no small part due to our strong focus on passenger and stakeholder management, and our close partnership working with train operator colleagues.

Chris Fowler, Customer Services Director for Southern, said: “The Sussex route is one of the country’s busiest, and Network Rail’s investment is essential to give our customers the reliable, on-time services they rightly expect. We’ll ensure that alternative transport is in place when lines are closed, and we’ll issue detailed travel advice over the coming weeks and months. Journeys will take considerably longer during the nine-day and weekend closures, and we thank customers in advance for their patience.”

For more information on the Victoria resignalling project go to networkrail. co.uk/VictoriaResignalling, and for more information on the Three Bridges to Brighton & Lewes closure go to networkrail.co.uk/BrightonLine2022

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

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business matters

December august/september december/january 2021/January june/july2022 2019 2018 business edge

The global logistics crisis and what UK retailers can do about it The world is currently experiencing a crisis in the shipment of goods and it’s affecting UK businesses more than most. A combination of Brexit, Covid-19 and red tape have brought supply chains to a grinding halt and it’s a major concern for retailers.

Mike Jones Head of Delivery, ILG

At ILG we’re working closely with our customers to minimise the impact of the delays. But why is this happening now and how can you best manage the crisis?

Perfect storm The problem can be traced back to before the pandemic. With the benefit of hindsight, there were growing weaknesses in the global supply chain that may have looked manageable at the time but became unmanageable in the light of Covid.

With e-commerce booming, consumer demand at the end of 2019 was at an alltime high. In the UK, the haulage industry came into the pandemic already under pressure. Lockdown turned the screw, triggering a steeper rise in online shopping and accelerating a growing shortage of lorry drivers, brought on by Brexit, the IR35 tax regulation and slow processing of new driver applications.

Prior to the pandemic, there were around 600,000 lorry drivers working in the UK, a shortfall of around 60,000, according to the Road Haulage Association. In the last two years that shortfall has grown to around 100,000. Drivers have been retiring or leaving for alternative careers and not enough have been coming on board at the bottom of the ladder.

To compound the delays, some of the world’s biggest ports were forced to close this year due to Covid outbreaks, leaving cargo ships anchored at sea, unable to unload for weeks. In August, a terminal at the third largest port in the world, Ningbo-Zhoushan in China, had to close for a month, causing a knock-on effect through other Chinese ports and adding to the backlog still being felt from the Suez blockage in March.

It was a perfect storm of swelling demand, plunging supply and major hold-ups.

Impact on retailers For UK retailers, the crisis is having a double impact of extensive delays and soaring prices. In September we received two

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shipments from China that were booked in April. That’s a five-month turnaround on a shipment that would normally take a few weeks. Another shipment booked in June is yet to arrive.

In the meantime, it’s a case of being aware of the situation, managing your customers’ expectations and making sure your processes are as efficient as possible, so there are no additional delays.

With everyone fighting to secure what little supply they can find, prices are going up on average £500 every two weeks. This has caught many people off guard.

Number one - get your shipment spec exactly right before submitting it. Any late changes will cause new delays, which will be magnified several times over in the current climate.

Some of the world’s biggest brands have already declared that there will be shortages at Christmas and some distribution orders will not be fulfilled. And with Chinese New Year bringing its usual slowdown in January, things aren’t expected to improve until the end of Q1 2022. Even that is looking optimistic. We could well be looking at Christmas 2022 before things return to normal.

How to manage the crisis?

Our conversations with customers revolve around managing the crisis rather than finding solutions. In truth, there is no overnight solution. Eradication of the Covid threat, a revision of UK law and a streamlining of the driver qualification process will all make a positive difference, but will all take time.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Number two - give more notice. Shipments from China and India currently need two to three weeks’ notice rather than the usual one, so try to work to that schedule if you can.

Number three - as most quotes are only issued on a two-week basis, be prepared to book on provisional rates, so that you’re ready to go as soon as your shipment becomes available.

We’re aware that this is far from comforting news but it’s a global situation that, like Covid, we’re stuck with and must learn to live with. Along the way, we are constantly monitoring the situation, looking for solutions and helping our customers to keep their customers satisfied. It requires patience, understanding and a strong nerve but we’ll get there.

tel: 01444 259 259

business matters

December june/july February/March december/january 2019 2021/January business 2021 2018 business edge business 2022 business edge edge edge

Shaping your future: business optimism high despite challenging months ahead, finds Kreston Reeves research The business environment has never been so uncertain. The impact of the global pandemic and Brexit is likely to be felt for many years to come, bringing new challenges, opportunities and change. So too will the mitigation of climate change, the continuing impact of technology and changing working patterns. For many businesses, it is difficult to know what tomorrow might hold.

Andrew Griggs Senior Partner, Kreston Reeves

That is why we have conducted a nationwide research project where we explore the issues, constraints on growth, priorities and plans for the future of 652 business leaders across the UK. Businesses must continue to look ahead and shape their future.

Our research, published in a report called Shaping your future, suggests businesses are incredibly confident for their future but are facing significant challenges over the next two years, with reduced cash reserves, stressed supply chains, and a tough recruitment environment.

The headline findings from our Shaping your future report include: 36% of businesses surveyed report lower cash reserves now than at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

20% of businesses that have borrowed from Government-backed loan schemes do not expect to repay that money.

Despite this, businesses are upbeat for their future – 39% expect to see turnover increase by up to 25% in the next 12 months, and 27% expect turnover to increase by between 26% and 50%.

52% of businesses are experiencing supply chain delays of up to six months, with a third (32%) looking to reduce output and orders as a result.

62% of businesses experiencing supply chain delays expect profitability to fall by up to 10%; 29% expect profitability to fall by 11-25%.

23% of businesses are prioritising training and upskilling their workforce and 20% on staff retention to address recruitment challenges.

27% of businesses offer no incentive programme to their employees at all.

A third of businesses surveyed expect to fund future growth through retained profits and organic company growth.

Over half (56%) say they are exploring merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities over the next 12 months.

The current economic and business environment is incredibly tough for businesses: in some ways coming out of the pandemic feels harder than it did when COVID first began to bite.

The shared common experiences of the first lockdown, where all businesses had to adapt to new working patterns, no longer exist as businesses return to whatever their ‘new normal’ might be.

It is encouraging, therefore, to see businesses so confident for their future – 87% of the businesses we spoke to are ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ about the future of their business. There is much to celebrate.

This does not hide worrying signs on the horizon. Supply chains are causing serious problems for businesses and are predicted to do so for two or more years.

That is, say businesses in our research, hitting bottom line profits. A fifth (20%) of

businesses surveyed do not believe they will be able to repay COVID borrowing and then there is the threat of rising inflation having risen to a 10 year high of 4.2%.

Finding and retaining staff are also very real issues across many industry sectors and show no signs of abating. A key component of attracting and keeping staff are the incentive programmes offered over and above pay, and over a quarter (27%) of businesses surveyed offer no such programme leaving them at a disadvantage.

It is important, now more so than ever, that business leaders take stock, understand those pressures facing their business, identify and plan for future pinch points, and shape the future they want for their business.

You can download a full copy of the report by visiting: www.krestonreeves.com/ shapingyourfuture The Kreston Reeves Shaping your future report is being supported by a series of events, roundtables and articles over the next two years. We invite you to join the conversation at #shapingyourfuture

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

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business matters

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

Beatson Clark solve “near-impossible” mould measurement accuracy problem with Baty Venture XT Vision System from Bowers Group Looking for ways to improve the inspection of its critical components, Beatson Clark sought the help of Bowers Group, investing in a Baty Venture XT 3030 CNC to assist in its measurement of critical dimensions of mould components that produce the necks of glass bottles and jars.

Geoff Jackson Business & Product Development Director, Baty

One of the UK’s largest manufacturers of pharmaceutical glass containers, Beatson Clark has been designing and manufacturing glass bottles and jars for 270 years and is still leading the way in quality, flexibility and innovation.

Whilst constantly striving to provide superior performance in its quality and service, the company also has an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, investing in future technologies.

Offering a wide range of glass containers for the food, pharmaceutical and beverage markets, and working with clients such as Gaviscon, Hendricks and Baxters, the products Beatson Clark produce must be of the highest quality to protect its reputation and that of its customers’ brands.

As highly specified tooling is the start to the process at Beatson Clark, an improved inspection system was the next logical step in its evolution as the company looks for improvements across the whole factory. The Baty Venture XT offered the ideal solution for its unique measurement requirements for presented within its mould shop.

Used every day, primarily by quality department inspectors, the Baty Venture measures components that form the neck area of bottles and jars. These components

The software is intuitive and easy to use, yet very powerful with recognising features and alignment. We can very quickly give basic training to many users, so we are not reliant on a single person.

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have many critical dimensions and form the bulk of the systems work, allowing the team to check batch parts thoroughly and ensure only quality components are used in production. With its user-friendly design making the machine quick and easy to learn, the XT is also utilised to qualify machinist’s work, allowing for all components that make up a tooling set to be inspected along the manufacturing process.

Daryl Fletcher, Mould Shop Manager at Beatson Clark, said: “The vision system is very impressive. It is fast, accurate, and user friendly. Being able to import DXF files gives us the option of comparison as well as direct measurement. The software is intuitive and easy to use, yet very powerful with recognising features and alignment.

We can very quickly give basic training to many users, so we are not reliant on a single person. There is one particular feature on our guide plates that previously was near-impossible to measure with any sort of accuracy and repeatability. The Baty now makes this measurement very easy and has already proved its worth.”

The Venture XT has a 300mm x 300mm x 200mm XYZ stage and includes a controller and two 19-inch monitors. With its simple teach and repeat process, the powerful CNC model takes the power

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of fusion software one step further by completely automating the inspection process. This allows advanced features, such as scanning and best fitting, to be done quickly without taking up the time of skilled operators.

The critical features that make up the neck equipment are extremely difficult to measure with any form of accuracy using traditional equipment, leading to the inspection of components being both difficult and time-consuming. The XT now renders the process simple and reliable with its ability to measure with complete accuracy, ensuring good tooling through to the moulding machines which translates into fewer quarantined products.

Speaking of the success of the Venture system, Daryl said: “The Baty Venture 3030 has been a great addition to Beatson Clark.

So far it has improved speed and accuracy when inspecting the mould components that has translated to improvements in production, and we are still finding uses for it due to its ease of use and versatility. As a previous user of Baty, I was pleased to see that the team has continued to be extremely professional with good communication from the start and everything promised has been delivered. The ongoing support and backup have been excellent.”

tel: 01444 259 259

advertorial

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

Covid-19 and Future Planning: Five tips on making your team and your business more agile The business world has changed and lots of people like myself, who enjoy working in an office, will need to work remotely from time to time.

Over the last 18 months, I have been so proud of how our team at OpenCRM adapted to everything that has been thrown at them. On virtually no notice, the entire team transitioned to working remotely. It was practically seamless.

I say practically because in those first few days and weeks we found a few areas where we needed to make some changes. Mainly implementing new processes or relying more heavily on software to keep things running smoothly.

But I think every business had similar hurdles to overcome.

The whole process highlighted to me the importance of agile business processes.

And fostering an equally agile working environment.

I’d like to share my top five tips on doing just that:

Tip #1: Regular, Recurring Team Meetings Having regular meetings, daily, weekly, or even monthly, allows remote workers to feel more engaged. But it also helps everyone stay up to date on what their teammates are working on.

These could be informal morning chats, where attendance and participation are optional. Weekly small team meetings to pass on progress and important news. Or even monthly company meetings for more general business updates.

The important thing is that you make a schedule and keep to it.

Tip #2: Autonomy and Responsibility One of the most common complaints I hear from managers about remote working is that they don’t know if their employees are actually working. But, I always ask, you know if they’re working based on their output, right?

By giving people responsibility and ownership of the jobs they need to get done, you motivate them to achieve their goals. It’s their task—and it will sink or swim based entirely on what they put into it.

I have always found this to be the best way to motivate people and it paid dividends when we moved to remote working.

Tip #3: Training and Guidance Of course, if you want people to achieve targets and goals, they need to know how to complete the various tasks and jobs along the way. And that means investing time, energy, and even your profits into

making sure they have the right training and knowledge to do so.

This process can feel slow and occasionally even expensive, but once one person has the know-how, they can share that with the rest of the team. Making everyone more effective in their day-to-day job.

Tip #4: Clear, Documented Processes So they’ve got the knowledge and the motivation, now they just need to know what it is they are supposed to do. And, importantly, how it fits in with the other people on their team and in the wider business.

Having clear, documented processes means that every single person knows what they are doing and why they are doing it.

You’ll also need to have somewhere for these various processes to take place… which brings me neatly to my next tip.

Tip #5: Have the Right Tools In order to do their job, remotely or in the office, your team need to have the right tools.

When working remotely, this means they need systems that let them work independently, while also investing in tools that allow them to communicate and collaborate effectively.

When the pandemic hit, we already relied almost entirely on cloud based systems (like our very own CRM system), but did find that some of our other systems just weren’t up to the job. So we found ones that were and got everyone trained up on them.

By not being afraid to change out tools and systems, we were able to find the right ones for what we needed.

We always set out to build an agile team, and have always thought of ourselves as being adaptable. But these past several months have really highlighted to me the importance of this approach and areas where theoretical planning fell down.

I won’t pretend that we never ran into any hurdles, of course we did. But we discussed them as a team and found the best ways to overcome them. These ranged from new processes to new software to some general education for some (or all) of us.

I wanted to write this article, not to crow about how great my team is (although, they do deserve it), but rather to share with you what we learned over the last year.

As I write this, many of us are still happily working from home. Some have returned to the office full time. And we’ve even got a few who split their time between being in the office and working remotely.

We’ve learned to be more flexible in our approach to where people work and it has only made us stronger.

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

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business support

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

How will you keep your star performers after the great rethink?

There has been a lot of talk about The Great Resignation employees quitting their jobs rather than returning to work as normal. However, CIPD’s CEO (Peter Cheese) said at their recent Annual Conference that the research shows staff are engaging with The Great Rethink.

Employees are focusing on the last two years and asking themselves: what do they really want? what do they actually need? what future do they want to create for themselves and their families?

This is your chance as an employer to help your top staff do this reflective piece by offering them options that mean they want to stay. Wouldn’t it be great if the

Managers Growth Programme A one-year, developmental programme of learning for experienced managers • Fill gaps in knowledge, skills and understanding • Develop new insights and perspectives • Develop leadership competencies • Explore current situations from a number of perspectives • Gain self awareness answer to the question “What do I really want?” was “To stay and grow with my current employer.” It’s certainly a lot cheaper for business than letting them go.

But how can you help them to stay and find the stimulus that they need? Well, by developing them into their next challenge with you (rather than letting them find it somewhere else.) Offering your high-flyers some bespoke, targeted development may

be just the thing. The Managers Growth Programme can do just that.

Who is going to give your star performers their next promotion? You? Or your competitors?

For more information about the Managers Growth Programme contact Janet Webb. email: janet@janetwebbconsulting.co.uk or visit her website: www.janetwebbconsulting.co.uk Follow and connect with her at: Twitter: @JWebbConsulting | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janetwebblandod

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Contact us to hear how we can make your ICT add value 03300 580282 roger.bateman@vazontech.co.uk

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business support

june/july 2019 December 2021/January business edge 2022 business edge

Rory McIlroy, and how to do an IT infrastructure audit…

Pounding a 43mm round white object through the heavens 550 yards to slip into the golf hole just 10 centimetres wide, takes some doing.

Somehow, if you set up the basics of your golf grip, stance, aim, and posture right, spend a bit of time focusing on your shortgame distance, look at improving your blade angle, along with your stance, to create a more centred strike, which leads to a better strike platform, then strategically there’s your short par 4s and lay-up 5’s to consider.

And once you’ve done that 18 times, you will have played a round of golf.

There’s a lot to a game of golf. So yes, if someone who is a complete master of the game, like Rory McIlroy, offered me some tips and pointers, reviewed my game, I would be dead chuffed. Because then I’d be able to see just where significant changes could be made to improve my game.

And so, it is with IT infrastructure. Having an expert look over your system can be really beneficial to being in business these days. IT Infrastructure is one of those things that if you get it right, the benefits are just amazing. Speed, ease of use, lower costs, less downtime, more secure systems, happy workforce. An IT consultant can identify for you routing loops, poor network optimisation, are your computers running right and with in-date software, and that you’re all on the same platforms. Because if you are not, it will most certainly hinder your businesses efficiency. The more downtime your systems experience, the more it will impact on your bottom line with fixing IT problems.

An IT Audit is a great way of having someone who knows what to look for, benchmark your company’s infrastructure against industry standards. And whilst you are at it, you might also have them

audit your business continuity plans, what would happen to your company if you had a complete systems failure? What are your disaster recovery plans? Just having all your files on a thumb drive, is not really the way forward.

An IT consultant can identify the gaps and suggest solutions in your business continuity strategy. How quickly you can recover with all your information and can get your business back up on its feet, may well mean the difference between a blip, and complete business failure.

A ‘Hacker’ on the golf green is an inexperienced golfer, in the IT world it means something much more serious. Cyber attacks are performed by hackers, they are the new bank robbers of the 21st century, whereby they load a malware programme onto your IT network. They can enter your IT network and basically hold your business to ransom. Now that we are all working away from the office, lots of companies have adopted remote working strategies, whereby staff are working from home.

So, imagine the IT version of Rory McIlroy coming into your company, looking over your ‘swing’. In one simple review, your IT history and how you got to where you are is all laid out. It is good to know where you’ve come from, to help you get to where you are going. Then you have a physical audit that looks to benchmark what you have against your sector best practice guidelines.

Once that’s been collated, you’ll receive a report that will definitively highlight the current position of all your IT, and what you need to do next.

What if one of your colleagues clicked on a phishing link, and it then installed some form of malware on your entire network? Picture 5, 10, 25, 100 staff all sitting down unable to move, because your IT network has been cyber-jacked. So, an audit will check: Is everyone in your organization protected under the umbrella of your company’s security, or not? Are you all backed-up?

What protocols do have you in place?

Yes, sometimes being audited is painful. But the upside is you’ll be able to do business better if your systems are operating 100% efficiently, and all your corporate information is safe and protected from harm. More importantly, everyone in your team will be able to work to their absolute best, and maybe even get an Eagle, thanks to Rory.

What would you do? Picture it now.

ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 Certified

IMAGINE HAVING ACCESS TO ALL THE BEST IT SERVICES.

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CNC provide the most comprehensive range of IT services in the South East including: – IT Support & Outsourcing

– Hosted Phones & Mobiles

– Internet Connectivity

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– Disaster Recovery

– Cloud e-Mail Archiving

– Apple Support

– Mobile & Remote Access

– Virtualisation

– Off-Site Data Backup

– Office 365 & Azure

We would love to talk to you and offer a Complimentary systems & security check-up with no obligations to use our services.

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

Celebrating 25 Years in business

1996—2021

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corporate social hospitality

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

Recycle your Christmas Tree for Chestnut Tree This year, businesses and residents in Sussex can get their Christmas trees collected in return for a donation to Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice, who support children with life-shortening conditions and their families.

Christmas is a busy time for everyone, and this initiative is a great way to dispose of your Christmas tree in a hassle-free and environmentally friendly way, whilst also supporting your local community.

Are you looking for a team-building opportunity?

Chestnut Tree House are also seeking individuals and businesses with vans, lorries, and everything in between to give their time to the Christmas Tree recycling scheme. If you’re looking for a team-building opportunity, then this is perfect for you! If you would like to get involved, please email volunteers@stbh.org.uk.

Make a difference Whatever way you get involved with the recycling scheme, you can be sure you are making a big difference to your local children’s hospice. It costs over £4 million each year to provide all the care services offered by Chestnut Tree House. Families are never charged for their care and only a small proportion of the hospice’s care costs are funded by central government, so they rely heavily on the generosity, help and support of people like you.

People, planet, profit – show you care Showing that you care about your local community is a great boost for business.

Business today is not just about profit – although that’s very important, of course. It’s also about being socially responsible and creating sustainable practices so that your customers, investors and society at large will see you in a positive light.

It’s also proven that employees are drawn to work for businesses with a good public image, and getting actively involved in good causes is great for workplace morale. Encourage your employees to come up with great ideas for socially responsible initiatives, and

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make sure they are involved every step of the way.

Adopting corporate social responsibility is a win-win in every way: not only does it have a positive impact on the workplace, it’s brilliant for your brand because it attracts customer trust and respect.

To check if a collection is happening in your postcode and to get your tree collected please register via Just Helping, a UK charity founded in 2012 who are working with Chestnut Tree House to raise much needed funds this Christmas. Once signed up to the scheme, volunteers will collect the Christmas trees between 08 11 January 2022. Visit www.just-helping. org.uk/register-tree to sign up now (registration closes midnight Wednesday 05 January 2022).

Your business can demonstrate corporate social responsibility in lots of different ways: by raising money for charity, supporting the environment, championing good causes, and even creating good, transparent working conditions.

There’s no ‘right way’ to be a good corporate citizen this Christmas … so why not start local, build community trust and add lasting value. The rewards are huge!

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

june/july 2019 December 2021/January business edge 2022 business edge

corporate social hospitality

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity Rockinghorse Children’s Charity makes a difference to the lives of poorly children and their families across the whole of Sussex.

Live well, enjoy life, and love every day Guild Care is Worthing’s leading social care charity, supporting people to live well, enjoy life, and love every day.

Our charity has been making a difference to the lives of the people of Worthing and its surrounding areas since being established by a team of dedicated volunteers in 1933.

Today we run three care homes and a range of community services. Our mission is to deliver innovative and life-changing care services which help older people, children and adults with learning disabilities, and those living with dementia and their carers to share and enjoy a richer family and community life.

Our care homes – Linfield House, Caer Gwent, and Haviland House – provide residential, nursing, and dementia care in safe, purpose-built environments. We pride ourselves on taking the time to really get to know each resident and delivering compassionate and attentive personcentred care. Each home is not-for-profit, enabling us to keep enhancing our residents’ facilities and support the local community.

Our community services range from Home Care, which enables people to lead better quality lives whilst remaining in their own homes, to a range of day services, which helps members of our community to create connections and reduce social isolation.

Our range of respite services also allow some of our service users’ carers time away from supporting their loved one safe in the knowledge that they are being properly cared for.

Whether its funding state of the art equipment to help premature babies, toys and activities to help distract children being treated in hospital, or psychotherapy to help young people with cancer, our support helps thousands of children and their families every year.

A hospital stay can be a scary experience for anyone, let alone for a child, so we work hard to make that experience is as good as it possibly can be.

And we have been providing this support since we were set up in 1967 by Dr Trevor Mann as the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.

We raise money to provide live-saving medical equipment and additional services with the aim of improving the lives of sick children throughout Sussex.

Along with the Royal Alex and the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, Rockinghorse also supports the Special Care Baby Unit in the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath along with paediatric wards, specialist neonatal units, respite centres and children’s services across Sussex.

As we receive no government funding, we rely on the generous support of individuals, community groups and companies, in fact people just like you.

To find out more about what we do and how you can help, get in touch: Website: www.rockinghorse.org.uk

Education - the key to a better world Pestalozzi International Foundation provides scholarships for motivated 16–19-yearolds from some of the world’s poorest communities, through the Pestalozzi-UWC Scholarship Programme.

Pestalozzi invests in the education of high achieving, low-income students who would struggle to access quality further education.

This helps break the cycle of intergenerational poverty for the students and empowers them to develop their potential to make an impact in society. Our alumni are well-rounded global citizens who are equipped to reap the benefits of tertiary education while others return to their home countries and join the world of work, both paid and voluntary.

Pestalozzi alumni have followed career paths including healthcare, conservation, medical research, international development, engineering and education. They have also founded their own schools and not for profit organisations.

The Pestalozzi Development Fund provides alumni with grants to establish or expand projects to benefit their own or other developing communities. To date 25 projects have benefited, including 7 alumni assisted with university costs. Social enterprises supported include toilet construction in Nigeria, waste recycling in Zimbabwe and Nepal (pictured), period poverty in Zimbabwe and an antenatal initiative in Zambia.

Your business can make a real and significant difference by: Making Pestalozzi International Foundation your Charity of the Year Engage employees through workplace fundraising Set up Payroll Giving for your employees Achieve your CSR objectives and demonstrate conclusively that you believe in a better future.

For more information about the charity’s work please contact us on office@pestalozzi.org.uk or 01424 870444 www.pestalozzi.org.uk

Telephone: 01273 330044 Email: enquiries@rockinghorse.org.uk

If you would like to make a donation, fundraise, or become a volunteer, please visit www.guildcare.org or call 01903 327327.

Sansar project, Nepal

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advertorial

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

Executive coaching illuminates the way ahead Hailing from a wide and varied background in professional development, executive coach Ian Mercer has been running his own consultancy for a decade now.

During that time, Merceric Ltd has nurtured the prospects and ambitions of business leaders at all stages of their career paths, whether that be at the start of their management journey or when faced with new challenges.

Ian’s clients have included managers keen to strengthen the decision-making skills of their own senior teams, supervisors assuming new responsibilities and high-ranking executives taking the lead through major restructuring.

There is a difference between business and executive coaching. “Both have their role,” he said. “The latter, my particular discipline, reflects the structures and dynamics of an organisation - it is very much grounded in an awareness and knowledge of how organisations work.

“I don’t tell people how to run their business or do their job”

“I have a Masters in organisational development, majoring in the sociology and psychology of people in the work environment, and that is my starting point.

“I don’t tell people how to run their business or do their job, rather I help them to help themselves. I walk alongside them, challenging them and supporting them, on the path to gaining new, fresh perspectives.”

Based in Sussex, Ian has wide-ranging experience working with SMEs in the engineering, education, healthcare, financial services and charity sectors.

Accredited by the Association for Coaching, he said: “Executive coaching is a powerful, personalised development tool that complements so many of the activities that SMEs undertake.

“That includes organisational restructuring, programmes of team building and change, senior management and board development - in fact, just about any challenge that involves people and process.”

Ian Mercer Executive coach, Merceric Ltd Website: www.merceric.co.uk Phone: +44 7505 19 33 11 E-mail: info@merceric.co.uk

Merceric Ltd is currently offering potential new clients a free 45-minute executive coaching taster session.

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tel: 01444 259 259

business advertorial matters

june/july 2019 December 2021/January business edge 2022 business edge

British Army joins forces with CrisisCast to develop revolutionary virtual reality training Working closely in partnership with the British Army, expert disaster and crisis management organisation, CrisisCast, has announced the pilot of a virtual reality platform developed to assist Armed Forces training in human emotions and cross-cultural communications Project Tyrion, Human Domain Matrix is a new, innovative prototype training concept developed by the British Army and CrisisCast, which brings the immersion and role-play of virtual reality platforms into a military environment.

CrisisCast, award-winning film makers, virtual reality producers and disaster and crisis management experts, were engaged to craft the virtual reality platform piloted with the British Army as a result of the organisations wealth of experience in utilising state-of-the-art British and Australian film industry and VR techniques to dramatise events for emerging security needs in the UK, Middle East and worldwide.

Going beyond training the cognitive to introduce more emotionally driven behavioural mechanics, which are inherently complex to model and simulate, the new virtual reality training platform seamlessly merges art, technology and science to enable military personnel to interact in realistically simulated environments that they may encounter, in order to provide immersive training in human emotion and cross-cultural communications.

Following its successful pilot, the virtual reality platform has highlighted how it

can help to improve how judgement and empathy are practiced in a military environment.

Containing accurate and relevant choice points in cross-cultural communication with impactful consequences, the learning through engagement experience will significantly enhance the current provision in pre-deployment, bridging the knowledge gap and giving access to advanced qualitative, psychosocialemotional profiles of complex TAs. David Wayman of CrisisCast, and a Senior Producer on the project, added: “We’ve been relentless in our attention to detail, to ensure we can really suspend the learner’s disbelief, from accurate pattern of life events right down to the correct flashes on the uniforms. The art team have worked tirelessly to reproduce the reference images in high fidelity, whilst our coders have been helping us in coming up with ever more ingenious devices to deliver the training aims in-game.

The virtual reality training platform has also been developed through CrisisCast’s collaborative partnerships with other global experts. Australia-based organisation Spectre Studios enabled the project to be brought to life through their expertise in production design, art direction and ability to drive innovation the virtual reality landscape.

Washington, DC-based organisation Valka-Mir Human Security supported CrisisCast in developing the content within the virtual reality training platform through their expertise in science-based analysis and solutions to preventing and countering protracted human conflict and violence.

Project Tyrion was further supported through the intelligence, big-data and analytical capability of global-based organisation Predli.

To find out more about Project Tyrion, Human Domain Matrix visit crisiscast.com/virtual-reality

Even though it’s only a proof of concept right now, the cinematic narrative, lifelike and likeable characters and stunning artwork has created a truly unique and impressive learning experience for our service personnel.”

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17

ask the expert

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

How to increase your business resilience and growth plans in a post-pandemic environment Although elements of normal business life have resumed since pandemic restrictions were lifted, the operating environment for many UK businesses remains uncertain.

Covid, the Brexit transition, the fuel crisis and container shipping issues mean some businesses have been experiencing supply shortages and increased costs. Now the Bank of England is signalling that curbing inflation may be necessary, and an increase in interest rates also seems likely.

Is growth even possible in this context, when so many factors seemingly fall outside of an individual business’s control?

We spoke to Luke Cartwright, NatWest’s Local Enterprise Manager in Sussex, who says markets influx presents an amazing opportunity to scale and grow, so long as a correct risk appetite and strategic plan are in place.

Local Enterprise Manager, Natwest Bank PLC

According to Luke, it’s a good time for SMEs to re-evaluate their business plans, in order to shore up resilience, boost productivity and create greater efficiencies. As all eyes turn to Glasgow and the COP26 climate summit, he adds that small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) have the potential to unlock significant revenue opportunity for themselves as well as enable the country to meet its ambitious climate commitments.

an Expert in Residence at the Coast to Capital LEP I support female entrepreneurs to develop and grow their business across Greater Brighton, West Sussex and East Surrey.

Access to a network of like-minded peers, supported by our Ecosystem Managers

So – what to do and where to turn if you are a business looking to grow and scale? Luke shares his top five tips:

Equip yourself with the right knowledge and tools

Use of our modern co-working spaces in one of our nationwide hubs

See opportunity in the challenges SMEs already play a critical role in the UK economy, contributing around 50% of total UK turnover and 60% of employment.

Success in a changing social context is about identifying the challenges we face as a society and embedding your business in the solution to those challenges. If we look at the climate challenge, for example, an in-depth analysis of the UK SME landscape

by NatWest has found that if the public and private sectors work together to provide relevant support, half the UK’s carbon reduction ambition can be delivered by the country’s SME sector. At the same time, SMEs themselves can tap into a £160bn-plus revenue opportunity.

Connect with your local business community In my experience, people do better when they are able to see others around them experiencing the same challenges and succeeding. Seek out contacts in your local business community and connect with other entrepreneurs around you – while they may not be directly relevant to your industry – they might have some insight that helps you think outside the box. Local enterprise partnerships are excellent places to start, and in addition to some great community contacts you will probably find a NatWest Expert in Residence at your local LEP. As

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Luke Cartwright

Now, more than ever, it is vital to have the right tools and support to help you and your business succeed. There are many different options when it comes to learning how to operate a business, from private colleges to not-for-profit courses. At NatWest, we offer Business Builder to support businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages (whether you’re just starting out or an established business looking to make a change). It's free and you don’t even have to be a NatWest customer to join. Business Builder is also complemented by a variety of events, which are run by our Local Enterprise Managers such as myself and other local partners.

Adopt a growth mindset Everyone starts somewhere. Accessing finance and serious backing can be difficult when you are in the very early stages of developing your business and often it’s an introduction to the world of investing that’s needed to boost your confidence.

The NatWest Accelerator supports and empowers UK entrepreneurs to scale their businesses to the next level. Our free accelerator programme specialises in areas such as high growth, climate, FinTech and corporate social responsibility to provide: One-to-one coaching with our experienced Acceleration Managers A programme of thought leadership and events

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Focused support with access to experts from across your specialism

Find out what support is available to you The UK banking and finance industry delivered an unprecedented level of support to SMEs in 2020 and continues to support businesses of all sizes across the country to help them trade and invest for recovery.

NatWest has just announced an additional £1bn in funding for businesses committed to addressing the climate challenge.

Additionally, there are several grants available to SMEs, for example through the government’s Innovation Funding Service or its Help to Grow: Digital scheme. SMEs can find more using the Swoop Grant Finder funding platform.

Businesses developing and investing in new products, processes or services or enhancing existing ones are eligible for tax relief. Other incentives include the government’s new super-deduction scheme.

Of course, any decision to seek out a loan or investment should be carefully considered first. Decide on your goals and work back from that to work out the investment you need to get there.

For individual support and advice, please contact our Local Enterprise Manager on email: Luke.Cartwright@natwest.com

tel: 01444 259 259

ask the expert

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

IT Systems Strategic Review - 20% discount to members Our popular independent review of IT systems to determine an IT strategy to support growth, efficiency and security.

We’ll look at how you and your staff operate, your business processes and how they interact with your current IT systems. We will then plot a route to success. roger.bateman@vazontech.co.uk 03300 580282 www.vazontech.co.uk

Duncan Gunn Founder, GUNN Associates

COP26: Lessons in Leadership from the built environment The design community is committed to addressing climate change. As architects, we often associate our professional identity with the buildings we design.

However, the changing nature of society and the economic climate means there is growing pressure on societies to find creative solutions to complex issues via the built environment.

Take the COP26 Climate Summit as an example, the UK has led with their commitment to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels and now more than 100 world leaders have promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, in the summit's first major deal.

More than 200 businesses and groups have backed a report calling on world leaders to radically reduce the greenhouses gases produced by the built environment. These public and private sector clients, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers, and collectively calling not only for stronger environmental regulation, but also for more resources and infrastructure to facilitate a sustainable built environment.

The media at COP26 has also turned its attention to the leaders outside of the conference halls, not the politicians, talking of “revolution not reverence”. And this shows the nature of leadership in its

wider context. Of course, diplomacy is needed in the real world, negotiations and deals are struck, and concessions made, but there is also a place for leaders like Greta Thunberg, who lead with raw facts, emotion, and perseverance.

The built environment and those that shape it are critically important.

Our buildings are responsible for almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. There is no doubt that we need bolder regulations and more robust policies to change this for our future, and effective leadership at every level here will determine the success or failure.

At a micro-level, the expectations of our developer clients have changed, so we have moved quickly to re-evaluate the way we design and how we advise them. A focus on innovation in design and digital has enabled us to respond to these market-driven challenges and offer flexibility. It’s crucial that we still continuously review and adapt and rethink the layout of spaces in light of the wider macro-economic drivers which are fundamentally changing how we use spaces to live, work, learn and play.

Words matter. The right words matter most of all But in today’s media-rich society we’re bombarded with competing messages.

The art of persuasion begins with good quality copy. Which helps you stand out from the crowd. Drop me a line if you need creative, engaging content to get more eyes on your business. At an exclusive 20% discount for Chamber Members. chris@wealdenwordsmith.co.uk 07854 129732 www.wealdenwordsmith.co.uk

Find Finance Solutions with a Free Consultation Are you looking for finance solutions to grow your business? We are a specialist finance broker handling any funding requirement you might have. We are experts in Commercial Finance and can arrange, Asset Finance, Recovery Finance, Re-finance, Invoice Finance and Secured and Non-Secured Business Loans. office@wiseman.finance 0330 113 3093 www.wiseman.finance

www.gunn-associates.com

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19

ask the expert

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

Behind the entrepreneur Healys Corporate team specialise in supporting businesses, investors and entrepreneurs with legal advice to help them grow their businesses on a national and international level. From start-ups and SMEs to larger corporates and clients overseas, we support clients in maximising on business opportunities.

Karen Lord Partner & Head of Corporate, Heallys LLP

We recently worked with Bread Ahead, an artisan award winning bakery and baking school based in London.

Karen Lord, Partner & Head of the Corporate Department, and solicitor Charlie Pattihis worked with Founder of Bread Ahead Matthew Jones, to launch the franchise and joint venture arrangement with a large family-run company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The deal involved negotiating a detailed development joint venture agreement and supporting franchise and commercial agreements.

We caught up with Matt to get his thoughts and reflections on the deal, how this opportunity came about and what it takes to launch a franchise in a foreign jurisdiction.

Healys LLP has recently been advising Bread Ahead on launching their first franchise. To start things off, could you tell us what is it about franchising that was an attractive option for you?

“Frankly it looked like the correct business option for us; and since the teaching aspect is such a core part of our business, it seemed to be the perfect way for us to expand into different countries. We approach franchising a little differently to other businesses. It’s more of a joint venture with key partners as opposed to the conventional model.”

Earlier this year we completed an exciting new franchise development deal in the Middle East. How did this opportunity come about?

“That’s an interesting story. It was purely word of mouth. The wife of a senior member of a very large family in the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) visited our store in Borough Market, tried one of our signature doughnuts and loved it – and it all came from there…”

Negotiations were quite intense at times. What are some key points you’d recommend a potential franchisor should bear in mind when granting an international area development agreement?

“My advice to anyone looking to do something similar, especially in the Middle East, is to be aware of the differences in societal and cultural norms compared to the UK. We quickly found that, even though the agreements were all subject to English law, we were going to need to incorporate a number of changes to account for the commercial realties of actually operating a business in the KSA.” This was your first cross-border transaction. What were some of the key challenges you faced as a result of this and what was something that surprised you about this deal?

“It quickly became apparent that there is much more to a cross-border venture than formulating and sharing recipes! I can remember there was a huge amount

“The wife of a senior member of a very large family in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) visited our store in Borough Market, tried one of our signature doughnuts and loved it – and it all came from there…”

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of work behind the scenes to set up the infrastructure required to make this work, quite aside from the negotiation of the actual development and franchise agreements. I would strongly recommend anyone embarking on a similar venture to take your time, be organised, get a strong team around you (including a good legal team!) and above all, do your homework.

“The first stage in any journey is always the most difficult – but also the most exciting.

This deal was so important for us, because it gave the company a foothold in the Middle East and will hopefully open up a gateway to a much bigger world.”

What are your plans for the next 12 months?

“The pandemic was a game-changer in every way. Regional cities have become much more attractive areas to live and work in – and with many people still working from home, there is a great deal of opportunity for us in those areas. On an international level, we plan to refine the model that we have established in the KSA and continue expansion into other territories in the Middle East.”

A key concern of any franchisor is that their business model, brand and assets are properly protected. As solicitors our role is to make sure that this is the case, usually by building rights and restrictions into franchise agreements, and to highlight possible risks to our client.

We are pleased to have been able to work with Matt, and assist Bread Ahead in reaching a fair compromise with the franchisee, and their lawyers.

For more information or advice regarding franchising and corporate legal services, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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june/july 2019 December 2021/January business edge 2022 business edge

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business big interview matters

December august/september december/january 2021/January june/july2022 2019 2018 business edge

SI Protech claims world first with Chill-Can® If you’ve seen the classic Boddingtons beer advert, you’ll remember the big selling point was the creamy draught-style head on the pint, prompting Melanie Sykes to quip, ‘Do you want a flake in that, love?’ Well, the widget responsible for this groundbreaking technology was invented by Mark Sillince, who went on to establish Sussex firm SI Protech. His creative influence is still key to the company’s pioneering R&D today … fancy a self-chill drink anyone?

With a 21-year history of developing and producing innovative high-spec injection mouldings and assemblies, SI Protech (UK) Ltd is renowned as a world leader in manufacturing and packaging solutions, particularly for the beverages industry.

Now, the company can claim a world first with the Chill-Can®; they are also immensely proud of their new improved 5 litre keg with self-regulating internal pressure system.

Mark was the inventor of the original beer can widget for Boddingtons – a significant packaging revolution in the beverage sector – and innovation has been at the heart of SI Protech ever since he set up as sole trader in 1998. At first specialising in design and prototypes, the company swiftly moved into production engineering and manufacturing.

While focus remains on innovation, service and six sigma quality, SI Protech’s capabilities, market access and innovation /IP strategy were further enhanced in 2016, when the majority shareholding was acquired by US investor and owner of Joseph Company International (JCI), Mitchell Joseph. Today, it specialises in manufacturing quality solutions, particularly for the drinks market, but also the automotive, pharmaceutical and personnel sectors.

The pandemic and environmental concerns both spurred on the launch of the keg and Chill-Can®. Managing director Alan Edmonds explained: “Lockdown accelerated changes in consumer habits. Ice-cold cocktails and coffees have become hugely popular and manufacturers are always looking for new ways to tap into the market and refine the discerning consumer experience, particularly when socialising at home.

“With our Chill-Can® system, you simply twist the base for instant chill, while the keg can be activated, used and stored in

the fridge for over a month, with no loss of quality, flavour or carbonation.”

Alan added: “In recent years, the structure of SI Protech has changed significantly.

With majority share ownership now sitting with Mitchell Joseph – our Non-Executive Chairman – a different managing director in place, plus patents pending on some exciting new product developments, SI Protech has a strong, committed direction for the future.

“However, our positive company culture has remained the same since inception.

Stability is something we are proud of, having worked hard to find the balance between creativity and business efficiency and effectiveness.

“It’s a great culture; one supported by technology but also the desire for best practice driven by a great management team and world-class customers.” New and

“With our Chill-Can® system, you simply twist the base for instant chill, while the keg can be activated, used and stored in the fridge for over a month, with no loss of quality, flavour or carbonation.”

existing staff are offered extensive training via engineering degree apprenticeships, engineering craft, technician and other skills upgrades, and there is a profit-sharing scheme. “Creating an inspired, friendly, motivated culture is our main aim.”

Annually, the company produces over 85 million components and assemblies, with exports accounting for 75% of business across Europe and the world.

Alan said: “We’ve built global trust with every client and project because of our quality assurance. SI Protech is ISO 9001 certified for quality across all areas, ISO 14001 certified for its environmental standards and also ISO 22000 – the international standard for food packaging hygiene, safety and security.”

SI Protech invests around 10% of annual turnover in R&D and filing its own IP. Alan continued: “Substantial investment in automation and our people has played a vital part in SI Protech’s 66% growth over the last five years.

“Investment is driving our future, with plans for 50% of turnover coming from our own IP by 2024. Willingness to embrace change and a desire to extend into new sectors and businesses has allowed for excellent organic growth, particularly as the company enters a new exciting era.”

More details at siprotech.co.uk

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leadership & entrepreneurs

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

Staff retention – 8 tips for retaining staff and building teams In September HRH The Princess Royal visited Electronics Contract Manufacturer Time 24 in Burgess Hill to present long service awards in recognition that 52 of their 98 UK staff have amassed over 900 years’ service between them. What’s their secret?

David Shore Director, Time 24 Ltd

1 Never be afraid to employ: - In my view one of the biggest reasons small companies remain small is a reticence to employ. If you want to grow and develop your Company there comes a time when you must loosen hands on control, recruit, delegate and develop. It is a risk and there will be times you get it wrong, but you will hamper your growth if you don’t.

2 Catch people doing something right: - It is the style of many Managers to wait for someone to do something wrong and then come down hard on them. But what about catching people doing something right - the compliment, recognition, a thank you, a reward. Simple but effective.

3 Recruit with Teams in mind: - You can have the best Striker in the world but if nobody wants to pass to them then they won’t score many goals and indeed they can make things worse. Sometimes it may prove that the best qualified may not always be the best team player.

4 If you get it wrong sort it out quickly: - Recruitment can be a lottery and it will happen to all Managers at some time in their career that they have not made the right selection. If you have recruited someone who is having a negative effect on the culture of the Company and the morale of the team is being damaged, then it is essential to sort it out quickly.

5 Listen- let people have a voice: - Over thirty years ago we created the Time 24 Consultative Group enabling representative staff to discuss anything but wages/salaries which we believed should always be done on an individual basis. Over the years we

have addressed many issues important to our staff and this forum has become a highly effective vehicle for us to listen.

Equally an open-door policy, although sounding a bit of a cliché, lets people know that they can come and talk about all issues.

6 There is no need to reprimand a good employee: - because they are already doing it to themselves! If a good employee makes a mistake, then going over the top serves no purpose because a good employee is often already concerned, worried and keen to do the best job they can. An empathetic discussion on how not to make the same mistake again and recognition of all the good things they do is often far more effective.

7 Kill the ‘hand grenades’: - I have often been copied on emails where, in the emotion of the moment, someone drops a

“Over the years we have addressed many issues important to our staff and this forum has become a highly effective vehicle for us to listen. Equally an open-door policy, although sounding a bit of a cliché, lets people know that they can come and talk about all issues.”

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provocative, critical or derogatory comment – ‘a hand grenade’. Newtons law of equal and opposite reactions then kicks into place and the email is returned with equal caustic vengeance and suddenly it stops becoming about sorting the issue in hand and becomes about turf protection and ‘don’t talk to me like that’. If you want to develop good teams then step in whenever you see it, coaching people handling skills and getting your teams to use fair wording and not ‘hand grenades’. I often encourage people to pick up the phone if people are engaging in e mail tennis.

8 Treat everyone with the utmost respect, with fairness and equally: - We spend an average 90000 hours of our lives at work which means we often spend more time with our work colleagues than we do with our families. Creating an environment where staff are happy to go into work, are happy mixing with colleagues, feel valued, are respected, and treated fairly is absolutely crucial.

About Time 24 Ltd Formed in 1987 Time 24 employ 200 staff based in the UK and the Czech Republic.

Their Assemblies are used on Trains, Aircraft, Simulators. Radiotherapy Machines and Chip making Equipment. David Shore is Co-founder and joint MD of Time 24.

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leadership & entrepreneurs

The Psychology of Change: Two Ideas for Post Pandemic People Preparation Following the past 18 months, I am making a very conscious effort to change some of my less useful and unhealthy habits into something much more beneficial for me. I understand how small but consistent effort and change can lead to greater improvements in my work-life balance, which holds value and importance for me. Of course, understanding this logic is only one part of the change puzzle. Changing my mindset and behaviour is more complex.

We understand through research and experience that there are key reasons why people react negatively to change.

These include, a sense of fear or loss, reduction of control, a feeling of threat or imposition, a change in expertise or status, lack of confidence and a lack of understanding of how the change will affect them. While those of us with people or change management responsibilities may recognise this list, we often get swept up into the change fog while neglecting to focus on what will remain unchanged.

Often, despite change some things remain.

Perhaps it is function, or process or teams.

Psychologically, although we can protect ourselves and mitigate discomfort by focusing on loss, through practice, effort, and effective communication we can also help to open people up to the idea that all change has both opportunity and risk and through change somethings will remain.

If being more mindful of the psychological impact of change on people post pandemic is of interest to you, these two ideas may help:

Dr Arlene Egan

Communication is key

Director of Learning and Thought Leadership, Roffey Park Institute Ltd

The very nature of change quite often leaves us in a predicament that we may not have all the answers in relation to key aspects of change. Yet, as organisational leaders it is important to understand two fundamental psychological concepts. First, in times of change people look up. How leaders ‘walk the walk’ comes under intense scrutiny. How their actions match their words sends clear messages to all in the organisation about key aspects of the change. Second, gaps need to be closed. These could be gaps in understanding, which if not addressed can be closed with (mis)assumption and inaccurate storytelling.

Regardless of whether change is sudden, gradual, or planned having a comprehensive and cohesive communication plan will help ease the transition. It can also keep people informed of new information, mistakes or changes in direction. Honesty in communication goes a long way. Trust in the change process can erode quickly if leaders are found to be insincere. In creating space for those affected by change to ask questions, even the tough questions or those you might not have an answer to right now, helps create momentum, build

relationships and even identify change advocates that can offer their support.

Use change to learn and educate Change is a constant. Change is complex.

Change has risk and reward. It is easy for us to be caught up in the navigation of the newness that change brings. Again, this speaks to our psychology. We need to pay closer attention to skills, behaviours and emotions as we are developing. Yet, behaviours will deepen and sustain if we celebrate the wins. For many, the last 18 months has felt like constant change. Yet, as we head into post pandemic work practice, I hear people comment on a fear that things will go back to the way they used to be. In this instance then, hasn’t change brought some success? Taking time to recognise success as an organisation but also for teams playing their roles in sustaining the organisation will reap benefits. First, for those advocates, it gives encouragement.

Second, for those resistant, it shows

momentum. Third, for leaders it helps check strategic direction.

When the celebration is over, we typically ask “what’s next?” Having milestones identified, marked and publicised, psychologically this helps people to understand where they are in the change process and how their organisation is responding. By breaking parts of a change process into chunks, people are better able to cope psychologically and it becomes easier to identify where extra support or education may be required to equip people for the next phase of change.

One final thought is the question “are we there yet?” which is synonymous with long journeys… When we think about the psychology of change, this is one of those questions that people ask too. Be sure to close change off for people, or at least phases of change. This can help the journey feel less like a boring, tiresome trek and more like a purposeful adventure. www.roffeypark.ac.uk

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leadership & entrepreneurs

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

Real Patisserie lays new foundations for growth Alastair Gourlay, Managing Director of French modelled bakery Real Patisserie, explains how – ahead of its 25-year anniversary next spring - the business is investing in its biggest project to date.

Alastair Gourlay Managing Director, Real Patisserie

“We’re creaking at the seams of our current premises in central Brighton, so we’ve spent the last year developing and investing in new production facility in Southwick,” explains Alastair. Formerly a printworks, the new 1000m2 facility will give the business the space it needs to streamline operations and accelerate product development.

With Covid, labour shortages, transport issues and the soaring cost of raw materials, the build hasn’t been without its challenges. “There’ve been delays and

some of the costs have been higher than budgeted” admits Alastair, “but we`ve had great support from our bank and have been fortunate enough to have secured a significant ERDF grant.’’ This has helped us to invest not only in superb new machinery but also in green technology, something close to our hearts. For example, we'll be using waste heat from our oven flues to heat our hot water.

Paris-trained pâtissier Alastair opened the first Real Patisserie shop in Brighton’s Trafalgar Street in 1997, waking at 2:30am each morning to bake the day’s first batch of loaves. Steadily growing wholesale demand and two new stores have followed. The business now employs 80 people across its production and retail operations. Once the new site is fully operational, the plan is to open additional retail outlets.

Trafalgar street shop, where it all started!

The recipe for success? “There are so many ingredients! The first that come to mind are delicious fresh products, fantastic people, efficiency, communication, honesty, timing and financial awareness.’’ https://www.realpatisserie.co.uk/

From Landfill to the United Nations As the Director for Alternative Fuels at Loesche Energy Systems Ltd, I could easily reel off some dry statistics regarding the damage that excess waste is causing to the planet. Such statistics, though shocking, are short lived in the mind of the reader, therefore I will share a more personal story.

1970s, Kampung Chekkadi, Buntong, Malaysia: an illegal village settlement on the edge of a landfill. Or as I knew it: home. Every day, a new convoy of dust carts dropped off the unwanted waste of the local populace. My route to school involved navigating a clear path between mountainous landfills. Electricity was a luxury not available to my family; neither was clean water, as myself and my brother made the weekly ‘water run’. The pungent smell of waste was ever-present.

Every tropical storm brought an adventure (a truly dreaded one). Water would run down the hills of refuse, washing rubbish into my home. As soon as the flooding subsided, everyone in the family had to take part in the clean-up process, work that would typically require PPE for an adult.

At 24, I headed to the UK with borrowed winter clothes and a scholarship for a BEng(Hons) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Nottingham Trent University, followed by an MBA. After several short

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careers around the UK, I finally settled back into what I knew well: waste.

Now I work with people around the world looking for solutions to the municipal solid waste generated by humans; converting the waste to re-usable RDF/SRF in cement industry and making SRF pellets from waste to feed into gasification units which is processed into renewable fuels downstream.

Human-generated waste is a known global problem. We often read statistics on the news but without living and experiencing the damage it causes to the environment directly, it is easy to become complacent.

My story is not unique, right now there are people living this reality.

Working in this field brings me great joy and satisfaction. Having received an invitation to the COP26 United Nations climate change conference as a delegate, I feel I have come a long way. From Landfill to the United Nations. Perhaps through conferences like this we may be able to prevent the next

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Daniel Devid Director of Alternative Fuels, Loesche Energy Systems Ltd generation from having to endure the hardships that I faced.

tel: 01444 259 259

june/july 2019 business edge December 2021/January 2022 business edge

leadership & entrepreneurs

PwC UK sponsor the delivery of “Dare to Dream” for three Crawley Schools For the fifth consecutive year in Crawley, the Love Local Jobs Foundation will be delivering inspirational programmes that equip students with the essential tools and confidence to help them fulfil their potential.

Christina Fishlock Head of Community Programmes, Love Local Jobs Foundation

The Dare to Dream programme, supported by Crawley Borough Council, challenges young people to change the way they think. Programme Lead, Jack the Lad Hayes, well-known for hosting Heart FM’s Breakfast Show, and who’s now on air with More Radio, will be presenting his personal journey and delivering inspirational sessions centred around core themes of self-awareness, mindset, gratitude, resilience, teamwork, and employability.

Significantly increasing their level of support this, PwC UK will help the Foundation deliver a much-needed boost of positivity

and self-belief for Crawley’s young people for a third consecutive year.

Their support will help raise aspirations for entire year groups at three separate schools across Crawley, including year 9 students from Oriel High School and Ifield Community College and year 11 students from The Gatwick School. In total, PwC UK will be supporting around 500 local young people.

Additionally, volunteers from PwC UK will mentor 45 students who are currently disengaged, through sharing their own experiences and reinforcing themes that are central to wellbeing, employability and a positive future, helping them to begin exploring their potential.

Simon Bailey, partner and Regional Market Leader for Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, said: “We’re delighted to support Dare to Dream again this year, demonstrating our continued commitment to the local

market by increasing our investment in the programme by 50%. For us, it’s about giving back to the communities in which we live and work by sharing our skills, time, and talent. Collectively, we aim to ensure that our support means that people from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds can make the most of their potential, whether that’s at PwC or elsewhere.”

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sussex chamber business award winners

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

Sussex Chamber Business Awards Businesses are the backbone and driving force of the UK economy. Even in the face of uncertain times, they continue to show their resilience and strength – creating opportunities for employment, investment and growth.

We are paying tribute and recognising the incredible achievements by business through the Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2021 which this year had six categories.

Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2021

The Game Changer Entrepreneur of the Year

The Global Player Export Business of the Year

The Planet Saver Green Business of the Year

The Problem Solver Business Diversification Award

The Equality Trailblazer Diversity and Inclusion Award

The Young Innovator Young Person of the Year

The awards are the perfect opportunity for us to celebrate our business communities’ achievements, to take stock of the outstanding performances of UK businesses, and to encourage and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. This year we had entrants from organisations of all sizes and sectors.

The winners from all categories were put forward to the British Chambers Awards which are in two parts, firstly the Regional Chamber Awards following by the National Chamber Awards. Four Sussex based companies were successful in winning their category in the Regional

Chamber Awards! They will join me in the prestigious showpiece event recognising and promoting the best of British business through a virtual Chamber Business Awards ceremony in December.

Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the Chamber Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes.

Each year, organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles. It is fantastic news, that four Sussex Chamber members have been recognised and we wish them all the very best in the finals.

It is fantastic news, that four Sussex Chamber members have been recognised and we wish them all the very best in the finals. Ana Christie, CEO, Sussex Chamber

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tel: 01444 259 259

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

sussex chamber business award winners

The Game Changer – Entrepreneur of the Year Rob Harlow. From School geek to South East’s game changer.

Already donated over 130 machines to Sussex Schools and raised £13,000+.

Rob Harlow Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, SoPro

Founders Hub.co.uk - Launched July 2021.

The only free peer to peer community where business founders can network and learn from one another.

Rob is Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of the Sopro Group, a business he launched in 2015 alongside his longtime friend and business partner Ryan Welmans.

Rob has been a computer developer since he was 8 years old. Selling his first website to a local restaurant at 15, his business ideas can range far and wide. What they share is a technical desire to challenge conventional wisdom.

Rob masterminded the technology that powers Sopro’s growth, publishing Sopro’s results live, daily to drive a companywide obsession with finding incremental gains. Supported by an experienced and dedicated set of teams, Rob’s technical skills and passion for technology make

him a genuine game changer. Doubling revenue for the 4th consecutive year, Sopro’s 2021 revenue, staff numbers and client numbers sit at £10m+, 250+ and 600+ respectively. Rob has also been busy leading three other Group initiatives:

Members can apply for an incubator investment programme with the current cohort including four Sussex businesses; GDPRLocal, Financer.Co, Business Rescuers, GetItGone with the latter recently acquired, making its Brighton based founder a multi-millionaire and securing a x30 return on Sopro’s investment.

Outbase.com - Launched April 2021.

Level Up Laptops.co.uk - Launched March 2021.

A new SaaS based B2B email marketing platform; the first of its kind.

Provides Sussex school children with new and re-conditioned laptops so that they can study during isolation.

Rob has led the development of Outbase, whose tech stack will eventually power Sopro.

The Global Player – Export Business of the Year Rayner flies UK Flag in Global Eye Care Business Chris Willis Vice President Marketing, Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited

Since the implantation of the first Rayner intraocular lens by Sir Harold Ridley in 1949, Rayner has continuously pioneered intraocular lens design with a goal to improve vision and restore sight worldwide.

Today, Rayner’s mission remains to deliver innovative and clinically superior ophthalmic products that respond to the expectations of our global customers to improve the sight and quality of life of their patients.

Headquartered in Worthing, United Kingdom, Rayner markets its IOL, OVD and dry eye portfolio, worldwide in over 80 countries through a network of distributors and includes direct sales teams in the

United Kingdom, USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, India, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Rayner has previously been recognised for its excellence in innovation by winning the esteemed and internationally recognised Queen’s Award for Enterprise (QAE) for its RayOne fully preloaded IOL injection system, designed to create the smallest

fully preloaded IOL incision during cataract surgery and have since continued to drive new product innovation from its £25 million purpose-built Research & Development, Management and Production facility where over 200 specialists from Worthing and nearby areas collaborate with surgeons and academics around the world on the very latest in surgical eye innovation.

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29

sussex chamber business award winners business matters

December august/september december/january 2021/January june/july2022 2019 2018 business edge

The Planet Saver – Green Business of the Year Opus Innovations’ ethos is to only get involved in activities that are kind to People, Animals & the Planet. We do not deviate from this ethos and therefore stay focused on our priorities and mission.

Bola Lafe Founder & Managing Director, Opus Innovations

back to the coastlines around the world where it was originally recovered from. We sacrificed margin and launched a product that is kind to people and the planet, we chose not to put profit first.

Due to Coronavirus there has been a colossal influx of new ‘virgin’ plastic being produced to manufacture plastic gloves, aprons, masks, sanitiser bottles etc. At the height of the pandemic, we had a huge opportunity to jump on the band wagon and launch an alcohol sanitiser, but we knew that all of these products were being supplied in ‘virgin’ plastic bottles, and many were sub-standard and caused dry skin issues.

In Q4/2021 we also launched Toilet Tapes, which are sustainable Toilet Rim Blocks that use biodegradable soaps and 90% less plastic than traditional products. Opus continues to challenge the status quo, and also in Q4/2021 we will launch GenieWipes.

GenieWipes are dry compressed wipes that are biodegradable, compostable, natural and reusable. They were recently named ‘Best New Personal Care Product’ at the Natural & Organic Product Europe Awards 2021.

Earlier this year we launched our ‘My Happy Planet’ hand sanitiser in 100% recycled ‘Prevented Ocean Plastic’ bottles and added a moisturiser to ensure that the skin is protected. The plastic used in our bottles is certified by OceanCycle as it can be tracked

Opus is a small certified Ethnic Minority Business and firmly believes that small and diverse companies can make a difference in the world, as it’s not only the responsibility of the large global companies to make the planet more sustainable.

Please email bola.lafe@opus-innovations for more information.

The Problem Solver – Business Diversification Award How Piglets thought on their trotters to save their business With this new found success, however, came growing pains. As the world slowly opened up again and the demand for half-time sausage rolls returned, it became clear to Jo that more change was needed if the growing B2C business was going to be maintained alongside the business’s original clients.

Laura Guy Marketing Specialist, Piglet’s Pantry

Through pivoting their focus during the pandemic, Piglets have earned a healthy B2B and B2C client base, with year-onyear growth of over 71%.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, founder Jo Hunter and her team comfortably served a full list of clients, including Brighton & Hove Albion, who relied on Piglets Pantry to feed hungry football fans and event attendees each week.

However, in March 2020, when workforces were furloughed and large event spaces shut their doors, Piglets Pantry found itself in a sink or swim situation. With the B2B

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Jo Hunter business on hold, the team decided to paddle hard and quickly built a website to support a new online shop, focused on B2C business acquisition.

The word quickly spread through Instagram and Facebook and soon enough, orders from hungry customers in lockdown came flooding in. Alongside their pies and sausage rolls, Piglets Pantry were now delivering afternoon teas and decadent cakes too.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

As such, the decision was made to move premises, to create more space to serve a growing and varying client base. The Piglets Pantry staff count quickly grew from 25, to 56 to meet the new business demands and they now occupy a space four times the size of the previous premises.

Without their passionate and tenacious workforce, the diversification of Piglets Pantry would not have been possible.

The leadership team look forward to continuing to expand and excitingly await their next challenge.

tel: 01444 259 259

june/july 2019 December 2021/January business edge 2022 business edge

sussex chamber business award winners

The Young Innovator – Young Person of the Year We’re delighted to have been nominated and to have won the Young Innovator of the Year at the Sussex Chamber of Commerce Awards this year.

Anthony Mellor Director, White2Label Manufacturing

sufficient and were able to have greater control over the manufacturing process from start to finish.

This is a great piece of recognition to all the investment we’ve put into continuing to deliver our clients an amazing service throughout the global pandemic and alleviating teething issues after Brexit.

We also worked very closely with a lot of our clients, who at the time were navigating through difficult times during the uncertainly of the pandemic; offering flexible payment terms, reducing minimums to help brands reduce their risk of overstocking and help beyond manufacturing to ensure our clients navigated through the pandemic as best they could.

Whilst other businesses moved out of premises, downscaled, and looked for ways to minimise overhead; we saw this as an opportunity to increase investment into our infrastructure, equipment, and staff – all of which meant we became more self-

All of the above has been highlighted at this year’s Sussex Chamber of Commerce Awards and we’re forever grateful to the help and support the team over at the Sussex Chamber provide us to continue to grow, scale and help more of our clients.

Anthony Mellor

The Equality Trailblazer – Diversity and Inclusion Award We are delighted to have won the Sussex Chamber’s Equality Trailblazer Award.

Marketing Team Industrial Construction (Sussex) Ltd

As a Sussex based business, we are pleased that our staff are from the Sussex area, 40% of our Senior Management team are women and 20% of our staff are under 30 years old, unlike many businesses within the construction industry. ICS are proud supporters of Women in Construction and have five amazing women in the team. Our staff are employed from various backgrounds which have many transferable skills, along with previous experience they bring much enthusiasm to the business.

Our most recent employments have been one member under 20 and one over 60.

We ensure that training and CPD sessions are available and accessible to all staff. The company has invested in several courses such as ILM Leadership and Management which has not been undertaken by any previous staff and will provide the basis for developing others and future managers, as well as diversifying the workforce to ensure the business is sustainable.

We are delighted with our staff loyalty, 37% of staff have been with the company for at least 5 years, 25% over 10 years and 8% for more than 20 years. Our team have 500 years’ combined experience in the industry.

ICS have a foodbank initiative where food is donated quarterly to our local foodbank, we look forward to continuing this scheme.

Alongside this we have a Christmas Toy collection for 2021, which we hope to support families that may be struggling this Christmas and bring a little joy to children

in the local community. We also sponsor the local rugby club and Lewes Lions Annual Skittles Tournament through yearly sponsorship and entering a staff team.

We are a silver member of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, which is helping us to gain a competitive advantage as well as make a positive difference to our business, individuals, and the construction sector. Our Office Manager is the company’s Mental Health First Aider, and regularly organises social events to give our staff a chance to step away from work and develop working relationships. We have previously organised coffee mornings for Time to Talk Day, encouraging staff to talk about mental health and support each other. We believe that no one should face mental health alone.

We are incredibly proud of every member of the ICS team, for their contributions to the success of the company.

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31

finance focus

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

What a difference one edition makes!

Since the last edition of Business Edge two significant things have happened. Firstly, HMRC and the Office for National Statistics have published their review of the R&D Tax Credits Scheme for the tax year ended 31 March 2020 for returns processed by 30th June 2021. Secondly, Rishi’s budget announced that following consultation the schemes would be “modernized” to include cloud servers and data as eligible costs from 1 April 2023. Having given with one hand, he took with another by announcing that the R&D Tax Relief schemes will be realigned to reduce the benefit of having R&D work performed overseas. It Is not clear whether costs from overseas would be excluded or suffer a cap on their inclusion, such as a reduction of the 65% allowance for subcontracted R&D that exists today.

As far as the ONS figures are concerned, there is more positive news.

Estimated claims have continue to rise Up to 30th June 2021, HMRC estimate that there had been a total of 85,900 claims filed for the year to March 2020 of which 76,225 were under the SME Scheme, so 9,675 were Research and Development Expenditure Credit claims of which more than half (5,305) were from SMEs as subcontractors or who had been the beneficiaries of grants or subsidies for their R&D activity.

The scheme has delivered £7.4bn of R&D Tax Relief support to claimant companies, who between them have spent more than £47.5bn on R&D. The number of claimants has increased by 16% and the amount claimed in total has increased by 19%. It will be interesting to compare these figures with next year’s for the period of the pandemic, our experience tells us that there has been significant

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interest in Research and Development Tax Relief as companies have come out of the other side of the pandemic, keen to secure additional cashflow from legitimate claims.

Of the £7.4bn claimed, £4.4bn has been claimed under the SME scheme making the average SME Scheme claim worth around £57,700, with the median claim a more realistic comparator for first time claimants being £21,500. 63.5% of the £4.4bn paid out for SME scheme claims was for payable tax credits, in exchange for surrendering a tax loss.

Where and who are the largest claimers?

The bulk of the claims have come from Companies with their registered office in London and the SouthEast, 35% of the claims and 49% of the value of claims have come from our region.

The three largest sectors for claims remain as Information and Communication, Manufacturing and Professional, Scientific and Technical, between them they make up more than 63% of the claims and more than 69% of the value of claims.

Why is it relevant to my business?

We know from our own experience that despite the high volume of claims from companies in Sussex and the South-East, there are a large number of companies who are significantly involved in Research and Development activity who are continuing to miss out on claiming for projects that they either undertake in house or subcontract out to others. This is borne out by the statistics, where In the previous year to 31 March 2019, they show that there were nearly 20,000 new claimants. The provisional number of new claimants to March 2020 Is just over 10,000, we suspect

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

this is merely a timing difference and not the result of “peak new claimants”.

With the ongoing challenges around recovery in a post-COVID-19 world, you should really be looking into whether you can be making a claim! What would your company do with the cash if you were claiming the median tax saving of around £21.5k, or the average saving of around £58k? How would those plans change if you found out that your claim was more than £100k?

It’s never too late to start A significant tax saving can make a huge difference to a business. If your company has a December 2019 year end, you have until the end of this calendar year to make a claim, but realistically, you have until the week before Christmas for it to be submitted. It takes us about two weeks from initial discussion to prepare a claim for a highly motivated company.

Why not contact us to find out whether you can be a part of the statistics next year? You can book a free, no obligation #FindOutinFifteenMinutes discovery call with our Director, Simon Bulteel on www.calendly.com/Simon-Bulteel What’s the worst thing that can happen if he says no after those 15 minutes? Now compare that to receiving a refund of overpaid tax!

Book a call now!

tel: 01444 259 259

finance focus

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

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22/02/2016 17:41

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business new members matters

December august/september december/january 2021/January june/july2022 2019 2018 business edge

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.

New Affiliated Chambers & Associations

Bennett Griffin LLP

Carritech Limited

Bennett Griffin LLP are an award winning commercial and private client firm of solicitors.

We are here for all of your individual and business needs - offering a comprehensive legal service to Sussex and the surrounding area. We pride ourselves on offering expert, friendly and understandable legal advice to our clients.

Carritech provide software and hardware support to telecommunication network operators around the world.

Using the sustainable principles of the circular economy, we stock over 100,000 spare parts in the UK and Spain to help customers extend the life of their network and avoid the unnecessary waste of electronic equipment.

Address: 1 Liverpool Gardens, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1TF

Address: Carritech Limited, 8-12 Holmes Hill Estate, Holmes Hill, Lewes, BN8 6JA

Website: www.bennettgriffin.co.uk Website: http://www.carritech.com Telephone: 01903 229999 Telephone: +44 20 3006 1170

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Plants4Presents

RDB Star Rating

Plants4Presents are a family run business specialising in plants as gifts and we deliver over 40,000 plants a year to addresses across the UK from our Sussex nursery. Whether it’s a one off present for a big birthday or a Christmas thank you to your staff or customers we have a huge range of flowering, fruiting and festive gifts to choose from and are proud to offer outstanding customer service on every single delivery. Why not try us yourself this Christmas?

RDB Star Rating is an independent social care inspection company based on the principles of best practice benchmarking.

It provides reports and data to drive ‘quality’ improvement, which assists care homes with their regulatory compliance, enables prospective clients and their families to make an informed choice and re-assures Insurance Companies and Banks.

Address: Plants4Presents, Fletching Common, Newick, Nr Lewes

Address: Unit 8 Tungsten Building, George Street, Fishersgate, West Sussex BN41 1RA

Website: www.plants4presents.co.uk

Website: www.rdbstar-rating.com

Telephone: 01825 721162

Telephone: 01273 411811

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

business new members matters

june/july December august/september december/january 2019 2021/January business 2018 2018edge business business 2022 business edge edge edge

Refernet

Soul Spa Float Centre

Refernet is a secure local (or regional) online customer referral system used across the UK by Citizens Advice, Councils, Charities, Legal, Money advice services, Health care / Social Prescribing and more, which has been proven over many years to pay for itself.

Report on referral activity and outcomes for funders.

Here at Soul Spa, our family run business, we believe in wellness as a priority. We provide Infrared Sauna and Floatation Therapy, two very different yet complementary wellbeing therapies. They offer a host of benefits for your mind, body and soul - plus peace and quiet in a beautiful relaxing space.

Address: 38 Holland Road, Hove, E.Sussex BN3 1JL

Address: Soul Spa Float Centre, 33 Devonshire Road, Bexhill-onSea, East Sussex. TN40 1AH.

Website: www.refernet.co.uk

Website: www.info@soul-spa.co.uk

Telephone: 01273 244099

Telephone: 01424 602963

The Sussex Sign Company

TW Languages

Malvern Garden Buildings

Getting Businesses noticed since 1995. If you want to own a successful business in the twenty-first century, you need a surefire way to get on people’s radar – and that’s where we come in. The Sussex Sign Company has over 25 years of design, manufacturing and installation experience to provide your business with a visual brand that connects you directly to your audience, every time.

TW Languages is a translation, interpreting and transcription service provider specialising in technical and scientific translations in up to 250 languages. We are part of the Future Group; an international translation company with global operations, and TW Languages represents an investment initiative in the UK Market.

Malvern Garden Buildings is an ambitious and growing outdoor living brand. With over 10 years’ trading experience, the expert team retail premium, British-made garden buildings and outdoor structures from 11 show sites across the UK, including inspiring displays at South Downs Nurseries in Hassocks and Old Barn Garden Centre, Horsham.

Address: 2 – 4 Foredown Drive, Portslade, Brighton, BN41 2BB Website: www.sussexsigns.com Telephone: 01273 424900

Address: TW Languages Ltd, The Beehive, Beehive Ring Road, Gatwick, West Sussex RH6 0PA Website: https://www.twlanguages.com Telephone: +44 (0)161 826 8777

Address: South Down Nurseries, Brighton Rd, Hassocks BN6 9LY Website: https://www. malverngardenbuildings.co.uk/brightonshowsite/ Telephone: 01273 847714

If you’re a member – why not refer someone, we have a generous referral scheme – that saves both you and your referral on membership costs.

For more information call us on 01444 259259

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

35

training

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

Training and Events Diary

Members enjoy discounted rates for training Tailored Training

course offers one credit towards the BCC Foundation Award in

Sussex Chamber can provide company bespoke training courses which 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.

International Trade and candidates attending six or more courses

Foundation Award in International Trade

£1026.00 + VAT per person (members = 10% discount)

These courses are delivered online and are structured to match the ten British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) courses. Each

£1425.00 + VAT per person (non-members = 5% discount)

and obtaining six or more credits received the Award.

Note: receive a discount when booking any six of the courses at the same time. The following prices will apply:

Training Courses Gold & Premier members - You can now use your credit pots to pay for training Foundation Award in International Trade Virtual Training

Personal Development & Communication Skills Virtual & Face to Face Training (F2F)

14th Dec

9.30 - 12.30

Understanding Exporting

8th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Confident & Effective Communication (F2F)

15th Dec

9.30 - 12.30

Methods of Payment

13th Dec

9.30 - 11.30

Performance Coaching

16th Dec

9.30 - 12.30

Import Procedures 13th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Time Management & Personal Effectiveness (F2F)

14th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Presenting & Speaking to Engage (F2F)

17th Dec

9.30 - 11.30

Feedback & Difficult Conversations

11th Jan

9.30 - 12.30

Incoterms

12th Jan

9.30 - 12.30

Customs Procedures & Documentation

13th Jan

9.30 - 12.30

Export Documentation

25th Jan

9.30 - 12.30

Understanding Exporting

17th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Essentials of Negotiation (F2F)

26th Jan

9.30 - 12.30

Methods of Payment

18th Jan

9.30 - 16.30

Confident & Effective Communication (F2F)

27th Jan

9.30 - 12.30

Import Procedures

19th Jan

9.30 - 16.30

Time Management & Personal Effectiveness (F2F)

Management & Leadership Skills - Virtual & Face to Face Training (F2F)

Sales & Customer Service - Virtual & Face to Face Training (F2F)

6th Dec

9.30 - 11.30

Motivation

7th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Selling Skills for Results (F2F)

10th Dec

9.30 - 12.30

Motivation & Delegation

10th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Great Customer Service (F2F)

15th Dec

9.30 - 16.30

Train the Trainer (F2F)

20th Jan

9.30 - 16.30

Great Customer Service (F2F)

17th Jan

9.30 - 16.30

Introduction to Supervision (F2F)

21st Jan

9.30 - 16.30

Selling Skills for Results (F2F)

The events calendar for 2022 is currently being planned Please keep updated by following the link to our website: https://www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk/events

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www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

business matters

December 2021/January 2022 business edge

Windows 11 is here How to prepare your business for it.

Martin Bannister Founder & MD, Kogo Limited

Windows 11 is the first new Windows version since Windows 10 was released in 2015. Many believed that this would be the last Windows version, but Microsoft has decided to give its most popular operating system an overhaul.

The user interface is different with windows having more rounded edges and the start bar now central to the screen. The user interface is very similar to the Chrome OS. Some users may not like the new interface, but we all know at some point we will need to move on. The general user feel isn’t completely alien like Windows 8 was so user adoption should be smoother.

The new design is much fresher and keeps the Microsoft platform current and up to date. Under the hood Microsoft have worked to ensure compatibility with applications that work with Windows 10 so you shouldn’t have any issues with compatibility.

The upgrade is free so should you upgrade right now? We suggest some planning should take place first.

System Requirements Microsoft have released system requirements for computers to be able to upgrade to Windows 11. Some older machines won’t be able to upgrade. The operating system will only be released in a 64bit version.

Machines will need a TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot enabled. Most modern PCs will already have this.

Minimum memory requirements are 4GB, but we recommend a minimum of 8GB. Minimum disk of 64GB is also very small and we recommend a minimum of 256GB SSD for all our clients.

The processor requirements are where most will fall short because although Microsoft have specified a minimum of 1GHz processor they also have a list of supported processors.

Microsoft have released a tool called the PC Health Check Application and it is available to download from www.microsoft. com/en-us/software-download/ windowsinsiderpreviewpchealth. This makes it easier for everyone to assess whether their computer can take the new Windows. In most cases computers that fail are probably older and ought to be replaced anyway.

Application Compatibility As previously discussed, most applications will work but before you roll out Windows 11 it is best to test as there are no guarantees. We recommend upgrading a small group of devices and testing the applications before planning to deploy to all users.

User Training The user interface is intuitive and as such user won’t require too much training

but there are some areas to discuss. The main one being the start menu; it is now central to the bottom of the screen and pinned applications are 18 at a time with the ability to scroll top more and you still have the option for All Apps and to search.

It is wise to let users know that the Windows 11 has a new interface in advance, so they are expecting the changes. The upgrade will be pushed out as a Windows update so you can either prepare and deploy or let users upgrade and deal with the questions.

Microsoft have released a personal version of Teams just as they have a personal version of OneNote and OneDrive. I can see users getting confusing between the two applications so you may choose to either train users, so they know not to use it or restrict access to the application completely.

But wait I don’t like it …

You still have the option to roll back to Windows 10 if you aren’t happy with it and Microsoft have confirmed that Windows 10 will be supported through to 2025 if the feature release is kept up to date.

If you need any further advice, please get in touch as helping businesses with IT is what we live for. www.kogo.co.uk

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37

diary of an entrepreneur

December 2021/January june/july2022 2019 business edge

How Extech Cloud became the home of hybrid working The adjustment to remote working during the height of the pandemic was an about-turn for many businesses who found themselves unprepared for the required IT and network changes.

Andrew Hookway Director, Extech Cloud

Now, almost two years later, we are seeing the dawn of permanent hybrid working, and Extech Cloud, also known as the ‘Home of Hybrid Working’, looks back on lessons learnt about running a successful business.

“The most successful businesses are the three per cent that innovate change, and the second most successful are usually the 15 per cent who are early adopters of the change,” Director of Sussex-based Extech Cloud, Andrew Hookway, explains.

“The rest are the ‘also-rans’ who either adopt too late to profit from the change, or who are resistant to change.”

A big change for businesses around the world and across every industry sector, is adapting to hybrid working as a new way forward, and ensuring that IT Systems can support day-to-day operations, enabling collaborative working, and appropriate levels of security.

“The latest development in IT, Windows 365, is going to affect all businesses, whether we like it or not. You then have a choice. You can choose to join the 18%, or remain with the 82%,” Andrew adds.

“Change is the only constant and it is important to coach your team to accept and implement that change.”

Rather than waiting for change to happen, Extech Cloud took the bold move three years ago to fully migrate to the Cloud and only offer cloud solutions to clients. To many, this may have seemed like a financially bad idea. It took some reengineering of the business as well as facing a dip in profits, nevertheless, for Extech Cloud as an early adopter and implementer it has paid off in the long run, benefitting the company and its customers.

“We made this transition three years ago and it’s taken that long to settle and succeed,” Andrew explains. “We took a risk in order to futureproof our business, as well as the businesses of our clients.”

Extech Cloud has led the field in developing a successful and unique process in-house, which allows the positioning of all of its Clients’ IT needs

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Andrew Hookway within the Microsoft environment, which is not currently matched by any other local company. Extech Cloud continues to work closely with Microsoft to ensure clients’ systems provide the efficiency and competitive edge they need to grow their businesses.

Keeping abreast of what was starting to happen in the marketplace in 2018, Extech Cloud was aware that the traditional IT services model of kit and servers onsite was changing to a totally cloud-based model.

“Our early research revealed that the Cloud model was considerably less profitable for IT support businesses,” Andrew reveals. “However, we knew that Extech Cloud needed to get on that journey to remain competitive and survive the process of the market change.”

remote and hybrid working, enabling the user ‘anywhere access’ to their personalised Windows desktop, or Cloud PC, across multiple devices, for seamless hybrid working, whatever the size and type of file the user is working on.

Operating fully in the Cloud enables collaboration in real time with colleagues and clients, and Cloud IT Systems tend to rely on more robust cybersecurity measures, continually developing to keep a step ahead of ever-evolving cybercrime methods. Because the entire IT System is hosted in the Cloud, there is little to no cost outlay when it comes to hardware.

The timely release of Windows 365 (not to be confused with the Microsoft 365 or Office 365) earlier this year is what most Sussex and southern based businesses should now be looking for. Whether businesses like it or not, operating fully in the Cloud is the way the world is moving.

In the everchanging IT industry, with rapidly evolving technology, some IT providers don’t keep as up to speed with up-to-date knowledge and expertise as they should. Extech Cloud focuses on personal staff development and training, working hard to keep ahead of the trends, and to know what clients need and how to deliver that. The company also recently achieved ISO27001 recertification for Information Security Management.

Windows 365 is Microsoft’s complete software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, that streams a personalised Windows experience, including apps, content, and settings, to any device. It is built for

“We are proud to be at the forefront of this new era of hybrid working, and work hard to help our clients succeed,” Andrew adds. Fill out the contact form at www.extechcloud.com for a call back.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

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