Business Edge 21 by Distinctive Media Group Ltd

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

the magazine for sussex enterprise members

British Chambers of Commerce

Drive innovation in your business

Peter Adlington, MD, Plastipack. Former Profitnet member.

Professor Jonathan Chapman

Embedding Innovation moving ideas into action*

Sustainable Design Pioneer

The management of innovation is a powerful and practical way to create value by selecting and exploiting the best new ideas—both for improvement and for radical change in products, processes and positioning. This workshop focusses on developing the skills to manage innovation effectively.

This course in responsible product design will give your business or practice an ethical advantage. Aimed at both creatives and those interested in social change, it is taught by Professor Jonathan Chapman, Prof. of Sustainable Design, an internationally recognised expert in the field for his pioneering work with brands including Puma, H&M and Sony.

One day workshop 30 September, 9am–5pm Clearleft, 68 Middle Street, Brighton, BN1 1AL

www.brighton.ac.uk/embedding-innovation

Profitnet Sustainable Building and Energy Group*

Programme from 9 September, 9.30am–12.30pm, The Hickstead Hotel, West Sussex, RH17 5NZ* For companies working in the Sustainable Building, Retrofit or Energy sectors that are looking to grow and innovate. Profitnet is the University of Brighton’s highly successful business collaboration and innovation network. Programme includes: 12 half day sessions with 7 workshops and two inspiring Innovation Master Classes. Companies should be based in the Coast to Capital Region. www.brighton.ac.uk/profitnet-2014

Four-day course for designers, innovators and change agents. 27–30 October, 10am–5pm University of Brighton, Grand Parade, BN2 0JY

www.brighton.ac.uk/sustainable-design-pioneer

Research Insights seminar series: Design for Sustainability and Innovation 8 October, 2.30pm–4.30pm Arora Hotel, Crawley, RH10 6LW

The university’s leading experts present highlights of their research in sustainability, collaborations between designers and scientists, and design in the internet economy. This is a FREE seminar, but booking is required.

Call the Business Helpdesk on +44(0)1273 643098 or email businesshelpdesk@brighton.ac.uk

contents 3

this month

Sussex Enterprise is the Chamber of Commerce for the county and currently represents over 2,100 member businesses. Membership of Sussex Enterprise 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 Enterprise members as well as key business decision makers across the county. It has a circulation of 4,000 copies per issue.

05 Coast to Capital LEP

signs £202 million deal

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership has signed a Growth Deal with central Government that will see the start of a six year investment programme in jobs, infrastructure and transport.

regulars n 04 welcome n 05 business matters n 07 business matters n 08 business matters n 10 business matters n 12 business matters

24 New Chief Executive Draws on a World of Experience

Ana Christie Chief Executive of Sussex Enterprise

Business Edge is a Sussex Enterprise publication. If you have any stories you would like to tell us about or any comments please drop us an email at businessedgeenquiries@ sussexenterprise.co.uk

26 The 26th Sussex

SUSSEX ENTERPRISE Unit 4, Victoria Business Centre, 43 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Millburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2384 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

n 15 the expert n 17 world view n 20 business matters n 26 sussex business awards n 38 business matters

Business Awards Now Open for Business

n 42 chamber benefits

The twenty sixth Sussex Business Awards are now open for business following a series of launches across the county - Brighton, Crawley and Uckfield.

n 44 new members n 46 business matters n 48 diary n 50 five minutes with ...

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

ADVERTISING  John Neilson, Business Development Manager, Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Millburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2343 Email: john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

the magazine for sussex enterprise members

DISCLAIMER

FEATURE EDITORS  John Dean & Francis Griss email:deangriss@btinternet.com

E-BOOK

British Chambers of Commerce

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.

www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk/ publications

Feedback

Please let us know if there are any burning issues you want us to take up. Send your letters to the Editor to businessedgeenquiries@sussexenterprise.co.uk august/september 2014 business edge

4 welcome

Chris Goulding

Membership Account Executive

Welcome

Welcome to the latest edition of Business Edge Welcome to Business Edge – Destination Sussex, why Destination Sussex?

Ana Christie CEO at Sussex Enterprise

Well with all the new long haul airlines routes opening up at Gatwick we thought it would be worth taking some time to highlight the fantastic hotels and venues in this beautiful county! Whether you are looking for something by the sea or some tranquillity in the countryside there really is something for everyone here. As we hold events all over the county it has allowed us to visit some of the amazing hidden gems, and we’ve eaten many delicious meals too! I hope you will find the venues here inspirational and take some time to try them out... or join us at an event soon; full details of our events programme can be found on our website at www.sussexenterprise.co.uk/events. Whilst I am talking about events it would be remiss of me not to highlight that we’ve bought back our annual conference on the 19th March 2015 at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, yet another beautiful venue! Please do get in touch if you would like to be involved either as a sponsor, stand holder or delegate. As always any comments, suggestions or ideas are welcome please do get in touch with me or one of the team.

30 Years Experience With over 30 years experience in the foreign languages business, we offer the Complete Translation Service for Commerce & Industry. Columbia House – Columbia Drive – Worthing – West Sussex – BN13 3HD www.hattonanderson.co.uk E-mail: translations@hattonanderson.co.uk

business edge august/september 2014

Tel: 01903 263 888

TO THE MAGAZINE OF SUSSEX ENTERPRISE

The Man in the office writes: Hi & Welcome! Although I’m a born and bred South Londoner, I’ve lived in Mid Sussex for the last five years and now consider it home. I find it’s a quieter place to be, a different pace of life indeed and a wonderful place to network and do business in. There are a lot of successful companies across the County, which we should be very proud of. Although the last few years have been admittedly challenging, we often hear of good news stories, Acumen Business Law for example have recently opened a second office in Crawley. Here at the Chamber, we have a few new, young vibrant faces, who have added to the dynamic of the team, I’m now one of the elder statesmen! There have been a number of new initiatives in terms of funding, which is very exciting to help businesses grow, the Coast to Capital funding is especially exciting. In terms of events, we recently held a really well attended affair with Sussex County Cricket Club, and sector specific Manufacturing and Construction forums as well as having a presence at the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyer event. Busy yet interesting times!Please feel free to pop in and see us for a coffee anytime. chris.goulding@sussexenterprise.co.uk

What We Do l Translation l Interpreting l Voiceovers l Project Management l Typesetting/DTP l Language Consultancy

David Gauke MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, joined Coast to Capital LEP chairman Tim Wates, chief executive Ron Crank and Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate to announce the region’s £202million growth deal at Gatwick Airport. Pictured left to right are: Tim Wates; Stewart Wingate, David Gauke and Ron Crank

Coast to Capital LEP signs £202 million deal Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership has signed a Growth Deal with central Government that will see the start of a six year investment programme in jobs, infrastructure and transport. The deal is worth £202 million over six years, starting with investment of £38m of new funding in 2015/16 and it will deliver 14,000 jobs, 4,600 new homes and 190,000 square metres of employment space. Investment will take place in flood defences, major transport schemes, international trade and support for businesses across West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Lewes, East Surrey, Croydon and the Gatwick Diamond. The funding from Whitehall has been secured following Coast to Capital’s preparation of a strategic economic plan for the region. This substantial investment from Government will unlock an additional £83 million of investment from local partners and £158m from the private sector. Combined together this will create a total new investment package of £443 million for the Coast to Capital region. There will be a further £237m invested in the new housing which will subsequently be enabled by this investment. Coast to Capital chairman Tim Wates said: “We believe this area has great potential for growth and is able to compete

Apology

effectively with the most prosperous regions in Europe and indeed globally. This first year investment by Government shows that they too believe in our region’s potential.” Ron Crank, Coast to Capital chief executive, said: “Investment in the region’s business infrastructure is vital for its successful future performance and there is much to do. We must ensure this first year programme is delivered and we must prepare the investments and projects for the remainder of the six year programme.” Louise Goldsmith, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “This deal is a great example of collaboration between the public sector, businesses, universities and the wider community. It is important we share a view of how to prioritise investment in transport and infrastructure and how we can most effectively support West Sussex businesses to grow and their workforces to succeed.” Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: This investment will encourage business growth and international trade throughout the region with a thriving Gatwick acting as the gateway to existing and emerging markets.”

business matters 5

Reeves complete the Manor Royal to Milan Challenge Following the success of last year’s Manor Royal to Monaco Challenge, Reeves, one of the South East’s leading Accountancy and Financial Service firms, has now accomplished the Manor Royal to Milan Challenge 2014 which was arranged by Gatwick Diamond Business to raise funds for 12 local charities. A team of four Partners from Reeves; Paul Roe, Allan Pinner, Shirley Smith and James Peach, travelled to Milan as the ‘Roband Reeves’ team on public transport. The team changed their name to reflect generous sponsorship by Roband Electronics Plc. They went head to head with seven cars full of other Gatwick Diamond Business members to discover whether it was faster to reach Milan by car or by public transport. The ‘Roband Reeves’ team travelled in blue boiler suits from; the Bus station to Gatwick airport, by train from Gatwick to Victoria, took the underground to London International St Pancras, got the Eurostar to Paris Gar du Nord, Paris Metro Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, TGV Paris to Milan Garibaldi and finally Andrea Fantechi in Milan picked the Reeves team up there and took them to the finish line at the Nu Hotel, Milan. Reeves arrived 22:15 local time and public transport did, in fact, reach Milan in the shortest time. The eight teams competing have raised more than £9,000 and it is hoped the total will be about £12,000 when finished.

Our Last Word item in the last edition of Business Edge mistakenly called John Patrick, Chairman of C-Tech Electronics, by the wrong name. We apologise for the error which occurred in the production process.

august/september 2014 business edge

6 advertorial

Law Student Wins Prestigious Scholarship A University of Portsmouth law student who was determined to be among the very few law graduates who become barristers has won a £7,000 scholarship enabling her to do just that. Imogen Annison, 23, from Portsmouth, is only the second person in her family to go to university. She graduated this summer with a 2:1 LLB Law with Business degree. Imogen has spent the last three years studying at Portsmouth Business School and now, thanks to winning the scholarship, will be able to afford to spend the next two years studying for the Bar Professional Training Course in London. Once she has finished, she still has another mountain to climb before she can represent clients in court, but she is on her way. Imogen won the Harmsworth Scholarship, awarded by the Middle Temple. She said: “By taking part in advocacy training, mooting and meeting many different people in the legal profession. I worked out early on that the bar is where I belonged. “I have shown through my extra-curricular activities and work within the Law Society

that I have the right qualities to succeed at the bar and I believe that I won for demonstrating my determination to succeed and stopping at nothing to make my aspiration of becoming a barrister a reality.” Winning the scholarship has also boosted her confidence. “Winning has given me extra confidence in my abilities and qualities to enter such a competitive and respected profession,” she said. “By doing the bar course part-time, I will be able to gain more experience in the legal profession and build my professional network. Once I’ve finished that course I will then need to complete pupillage, which usually takes a year, and then find tenancy to become a fully qualified barrister.” Imogen is the first person in her family to study law and she and her brother Jacob, who graduated last summer with a physical

High flier: Imogen Annison has won scholarship allowing her to continue her studies

geography degree, are the first in their family to go to university. Her tutor, Bernard Davis, said: “Imogen has worked hard on her advocacy at Portsmouth and realised that she could make it as a professional advocate. She was advocacy captain and has done a lot to encourage others in advocacy. She has made a great start on her career, earning a valuable scholarship from Middle Temple in London, and leaves Portsmouth with our best wishes for the future.”

www.port.ac.uk/law

Show you mean business. Go back to school. Portsmouth Business School’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) will provide you with the opportunity to develop your strategic problem-solving skills whilst mastering the latest business knowledge and practice: • • • • •

Develop your management abilities Benefit through innovative work-based learning Generous scholarships Taught part-time in two-day blocks over two years Accredited by the Association of MBAs

To find out more about our wide range of degrees, come along to one of our regular open evenings – details of which can be found at www.showyoumeanbusiness.com.

‘Since graduating, I’ve applied much of what I have learnt through new challenging roles in the UK and internationally.’ Marc Gray, Performance Excellence Manager, BAE Systems

www.port.ac.uk business edge august/september 2014

For more information or to apply: T: +44 (0)23 9284 4888 E: mba.admissions@ port.ac.uk W: www.port.ac.uk/mba

business matters 7

Golden Alumni award for ‘Glow’ salon owner

Further Expansion At Veritek With Appointment Veritek, one of Sussex’ leading businesses, has appointed Dan Bullough as Group Sales Director. Reporting to the CEO, Jim Edgar, Dan will be responsible for the group’s strategic expansion in core target sectors across the UK & Europe. Dan brings a wealth of international, sales & general management experience to the award-winning technical service provider, having previously worked in high-level

positions for Xerox Global Services and Regus among other global operators. Veritek, which has its HQ in Eastbourne, is the leading pan-European technical service, support and maintenance provider to many of the world’s leading hi-tech OEM brands. Currently operating in the photo imaging, healthcare, ophthalmic, digital cinema and graphic arts sectors, it boasts a vast network of highly skilled engineers throughout the continent.

www.veritekglobal.com

Honour for Teacher East Sussex Harbour Primary headteacher Christine Terrey was one of seven UK teachers elected to join 149 other educators from across the UK, US. and Canada at the 2014 Discovery Educator Network Summer Institute. The event is a prestigious week-long professional development and networking event hosted by Discovery Education’s Discovery Educator Network between July 13-18 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Christine said: “I am committed to the innovative use of digital technologies to extend, enhance and enrich learning so attendance is very exciting for me.” Kelli Campbell, Senior Vice President, Discovery Education, said: “As a participant in the DEN Summer Institute, Christine has demonstrated her leadership and commitment to using the latest innovations in teaching and learning to enrich classroom experiences.”

City College Brighton and Hove recently held its City Achievers 2014 student awards ceremony at Brighton’s Sallis Benney Theatre hosted by international speaker & business excellence consultant Sarah Hopwood. From a cohort of 8,000 students, the College chose forty winners in areas as diverse as Art & Design, Business, Hairdressing, Music, Digital Arts, Carpentry and Sports with one overall winner. Since 2010, the College has also had a ‘Golden Alumni’ award as part of City Achievers to celebrate the achievements of former students who the College feels have made a notable contribution to Brighton and Hove while being inspirational role models for current students. This year, the award went to Jennifer Maag. Former hairdressing student and salon owner Jennifer has always shown her support and appreciation for the College by consistently providing opportunities for our students and she’s currently employing two apprentices and two senior stylists at her salon, Glow, which has been celebrating ten successful years in George Street, Hove. In her own career, Jennifer benefitted from the encouragement and support of another ex-City College student Debbie Maskell, who employed Jennifer at Artisan Hair in Brighton’s lanes and now works alongside her in Glow. Aside from employing staff from the College, Glow’s always actively involved in the College’s annual Hair Show and two of Jennifer’s team got winner and runner-up awards in this year’s show. “It’s really important for me to pass my knowledge to the new generation of stylists and I’m thrilled that the College has recognised my success.”

august/september 2014 business edge

8 business matters

Nick Handley Executive Chairman at Sussex Enterprise

Transports Of Delight As you will by now have spotted, this issue features some of the leading transport hubs in Sussex.

Science Fair Goes With a Bang Five thousand students from schools and colleges across the South East of England descended on the South of England Showground for a day of explosive and colourful hands-on activities demonstrating the joy and the power of science. It was the third annual Big Bang Fair South East, part of the nationwide Big Bang programme, the biggest single celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people in the UK. The nine-19-year-olds and their teachers were treated to more than 120 shows, workshops, interactive displays and other activities provided by businesses, universities and other organisations from across the region. It was the first year the Big Bang Fair South East had been held at the South of England Showground, and areas of the venue were re-named in honour of British pioneers of STEM disciplines, including the Berners-Lee Zone, the Brunel Theatre, the Newton Room, the Hawking Room and the Faraday Ring. Among the attractions were a spectacular outdoor fireworks display, a working Enigma cipher machine from Bletchley Park, an electric racing car and a chance for students to make their own ice cream, build a torch and get up close

business edge august/september 2014

and personal with robots, an eagle and a collection of reptiles. The Big Bang Fair South East was organised by STEM Sussex, the STEM outreach support department at the University of Brighton, on behalf of EngineeringUK. The main event sponsors were Crawley-based CGG, the world’s leading geophysical company. The event also hosted the South East regional heats of the National Science + Engineering Competition (NSEC), which showcases young people’s achievements in STEM, and the winning projects will represent the region at the NSEC national finals in March 2015. Jo McKinney, STEM Sussex Project Manager, said: “There is a vast array of career possibilities for students of STEM subjects, from space science to building bridges, and the Big Bang South East is one way of exciting and inspiring young people in these areas.”

Gatwick Airport and Newhaven and Shoreham ports are a key focus for us because international trade is a key focus for Sussex Enterprise. We not only train businesses in export procedures but we also provide export documentation for Sussex exporters (in 2013 we issued over 11,000 documents for exports to over a hundred overseas markets). This is why we are a supporter of a second runway at Gatwick. In conjunction with Surrey Chamber of Commerce, we recently ran an aviation debate at which the CEOs of Gatwick and Heathrow spoke for the first time on the same platform. We applaud the continuing focus on exports at Newhaven and Shoreham. The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2014 shows that UK manufacturers reached the highest level of export sales since 1994. This suggests that some progress is being made towards the Chancellor’s target of increasing the value of UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020 with 100,000 new exporters. To help with this, the government have set up the Overseas Business Networks Initiative through the British Chambers of Commerce. So if you want an overseas market snapshot or need support in an overseas market, go to exportbritain.org.uk. Exporters can evaluate opportunities and make connections in overseas markets. Finally, if you are a member who exports you can enter the Achievement in International Business Category of the 2014 BCC Awards. Entries are needed by 27 June. Talk to the membership team or export docs team if you are interested. And Good Luck! Nick Handley Executive Chairman

business matters 9

Companies Urged to Look Abroad Three Sussex companies are encouraging fellow companies to get exporting. Tamara Roberts, General Manager Ridgeview Wine, a Sussex company who sell wine to France, the USA and across the world, said: “We are very proud to be producing an international award winning sparkling wine from the South Downs of Sussex in England. An incredibly rewarding aspect of our business is our increasing demand from customers from all over the world. Our export business is great for sales growth and even more important increasing our brand profile. It has also meant that we have made fantastic business contacts and friends all over the world serving our wines”. Likewise, Only Natural Products, based in West Sussex, produce and pack three tea brands and sell them to 50 markets worldwide. The firm has just invested in its second IMA tea packing machine, doubling their capacity. Ruth Winkworth, International Sales Director, said: “We are really proud to produce and pack all of our three tea brands in Great Britain. We are a small independent family run company, selling our teas to 50 markets worldwide and have just invested in our new second IMA tea packing machine, which has doubled our capacity. “We sell our teas in leading UK retailers such Waitrose and International retailers such as Woolworths Australia, as well as to the evolving Natural and Organic Trade.

“Our tea sales in Japan with Nisshoku are growing and we have been to Japan on many occasions to develop our sales there and to learn about the opportunities for our teas.” Heirlooms, based in West Sussex, have also appeared on the Tumblr site. The company specialises in manufacturing bespoke bed, table and bathroom linens, working with interior designers to supply super yachts and luxury liners across the world. Ruth Douglas, General Manager of Heirlooms, said: “Having manufacturing on our doorstep and investing in people to develop the right skills across all our industries is an exciting prospect for the future of British manufacturing expertise and excellence.” All three companies can be found on the No.10 Tumblr site which promotes exporters from all over the country:

www.wearebuildingbritain.tumblr.com Rory Pereira, Deputy Regional Director for UK Trade & Investment South East said: “When people think of the South East the last thing they often think of is manufacturing. However the region boasts a thriving manufacturing sector that exports world-class products. “From Mars to McClaren our region is responsible for producing some of the most renowned global brands and we need to continue to build on this international reputation and ensure local businesses are given all the help they need to win further contracts overseas.”

Business celebrates launch Advantage Business Consultants celebrated their formal launch at the historic Worthing Dome Lounge. Mayor Cllr Bob Smytherman, who was in his final week in office, presided over the team’s launch. Anne, Cherry and Tracey welcomed local business colleagues, associates, friends and family to the lunchtime event. The ABC team provide recruitment services, which completes the trio of office support functions now offered and they can give expert advice and guidance in HR management and generalist business development.

august/september 2014 business edge

10 business matters

Longer Opening Times Receive Approval Two East Sussex holiday parks given approval to extend their opening seasons say they anticipate a rise in the number of local people buying holiday homes. Coghurst Hall holiday park, in Hastings, and Beauport holiday park, in St Leonards, both owned by Park Holidays UK, will now close for just two weeks each February for planned improvements. Previously, they had eleven month local authority licences. Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish said: “We already have a significant number of holiday home owners who live in Hastings and other nearby areas. “It is especially popular among people who work shifts and unsocial hours, such as police and medical staff, as they can often find time for escapes during the week. “Those who live where they work, such as publicans or the self-employed, also often buy holiday homes so that they can have a frequent change of scenery. “We also include local anglers amongst owners at Coghurst Hall as the park has a magnificent and well-stocked fishing lake which attracts visitors from across the UK. “Knowing that they will be able to use their holiday home virtually year-round will certainly add to the appeal of these parks to all types of buyers.”

Law Firms Merge Leading Sussex solicitors Mayo Wynne Baxter expanded further across the county on July 4 when they officially merged with established law firm Stuckey Carr & Co. This will now see the firm operating out of Storrington and Pulborough. This merger is the third that the law firm will have completed in the past two years following the acquisition of Allen Ticehurst solicitors in East Grinstead in 2012 and Forest Row firm PR Vince in October last year. The completion of this deals means that Mayo Wynne Baxter will have eight offices in Sussex including long-established

bases in Eastbourne, Seaford, Lewes and Brighton. Stuckey Carr & Co was established in Sussex in 1843 and senior partner, Robin Carr, is the third generation of his family to have been at the firm. Along with partner, Peter Jones, Robin will remain as a consultant post-merger. Mayo Wynne Baxter’s chief executive Chris Randall said: “This is a great move for both firms and means that clients in Storrington and Pulborough will have access to a much broader range of legal services.”

Meat wholesaler Malpass Markets Meat wholesaler Malpass Markets, which has a new shop in Kingfisher Drive, Langney, Eastbourne, is outselling the supermarkets with the help of their commitment to responsible sourcing. Malpass Meats’ success in Brighton supplying direct to the public at wholesale prices is extending to Eastbourne and St Leonards just a year after opening the first shop. Jamie Malpass is using advisors from Strategic Management Partners to verify

business edge august/september 2014

that all his meat is responsibly sourced and supplied to the highest quality standards. Responsible Business advisors Chloe Molyneux, and Clive Bonny are helping Malpass managers ensure the business achieves top quality customer satisfaction at affordable prices. Malpass revenue is forecast to double from one million pounds to two million pounds after only two years. Clive Bonny, MD of Strategic Management Partners, said: “Malpass’s

commitment to responsible business standards ensures the business has external independent verification of the highest operational standards. “Chloe recently joined me on a Brighton University internship, funded by the Regional Green Growth Fund. She is a valuable support for visits to our high growth customers. Malpass and my own business are both keen supporters of students improving their employability with real business experience.”

advertorial 11

Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 Support Ends April 8, 2014 WHY? Why is Microsoft ending support for Windows XP and Office 2003? Microsoft Windows XP was launched in December 2001 and Office 2003 in October 2003, both will no longer be supported after 8th April 2014. Microsoft has a policy of supporting these products for a minimum of 10 years hence the announcement has been made. It is therefore very important that any organisation using these versions start to make plans to upgrade their PC/Laptops with either Windows 7 or 8 and Office 2013.

WHAT? What does end of support mean to you and your business? After April 8, 2014, Microsoft will not release any new security updates, nonsecurity hotfixes or online technical content updates. Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your business after April 2014 may expose your company to potential risks because there may be vulnerabilities in the operating system or the Office programs. This may lead to a higher risk of harmful viruses, spyware and other malicious software trying to steal

your personal information. CNC is able to identify all the PC/Laptops which have this version of the software and advise you on the best course of action. There may be vulnerabilities in the operating system or the office programs. This may lead to higher risk of harmful viruses, spyware and other malicious software trying to steal your personal information. CNC is able to identify all the PC/Laptops which have this version of the software and advise you on the best course of action. Please call us now on 0845 0700 585 for further details.

THEY CALL IT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, WE THINK IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. We’ve been living and breathing technology for over seventeen years but what we really care about is our people and our customers. Extensive, up to the minute knowledge allows us to help our clients achieve productive and reliable systems that power their thriving businesses. We believe the advisory relationship we build with our clients supports their success. We would love to talk to you about your technology and offer a free IT audit with no obligations to use our services.

Gary and Graham—our directors

0845 0700 585 — sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk — www.cnc-ltd.co.uk

august/september 2014 business edge

business matters

Walk Raises Charity Funds By Jill Humphrey, Chair, Sussex Heart Foundation

Simon with (left to right) Rod Bristow President of Core Markets at Pearson, his mum, Susan Wilson and Presenter Jameela Jamil

Brighton student wins national award Student Simon Wilson from City College Brighton and Hove has been named Outstanding BTEC Adult Learner of the Year at the National BTEC Awards, held in London. The ceremony was held in recognition of the nearly one million students around the country who are studying BTEC qualifications this year. Pearson, who own Edexcel, the awarding body for BTECs, received more than 1,000 nominations across the 20 award categories for this year’s awards. Simon was nominated by his tutor Phil Jackson. Simon was born with Cerebral Palsy and is not able to move or speak at all. He communicates though a speech programme and controls his computer via eye-gaze software. Despite this, he holds a degree in Social Psychology and a GNVQ in Advanced Information Technology and is currently studying for a BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Interactive Media at City College Brighton and Hove. In 2007, Simon set up his own freelance business focusing on equality and independence for people with physical disabilities and started his own website – simonsable.com – to provide training workshops and consultancy in disability awareness to others. Alongside his BTEC, Simon also visits schools and colleges to work with children and young adults who use communication aids, encouraging them to feel comfortable and confident about using their communication equipment. The judges praised Simon’s achievements in Interactive Media - a discipline that requires precision, enormous attention to detail and many hours of fine adjustments – as simply phenomenal and described him as an outstanding student and an inspiration to anyone hoping to overcome a disability.

business edge august/september 2014

I’m happy to say that I successfully completed a sponsored walk, along with Clive Bonny and his dog Binky and Ed Carr. We started our walk in the face of Gale Force 7 winds and battled along to the half way mark at the Peace Statue in Hove in 40 minutes to collect our stamp and a chocolate bar before turning around and getting blown back to the Marina. We finished up completing in an hour and a half – It felt good to have achieved the task before lunchtime and to sit in the Rendezvous Casino afterwards with a hot dog and hot cup of coffee! Thank you to those that have made a donation to our defibrillator fund on the strength of our efforts, I hope more of you will donate a pound or two, remember every pound gets matched which makes our target that much easier to reach. I spoke to Andy Forsyth, the Chair of The Sussex Heart Charity, at the finish line who says the cost of defibrillators has come down so I am optimistic that we will be able to place several on the streets of Hove and Portslade. Heart disease is our biggest killer with a ratio of 1:4, I have to admit I thought it would have been cancer but not so and having access to a defibrillator increases the survival rate after a heart attack significantly.

Here’s the link to our JustGiving page, please do help!

http://www.justgiving.com/hovebiz Clive said: “Jill’s recommendation at Hove Business Association to raise funds for local public defibrillators is a great choice. Heart disease kills one in four in the UK, and Brighton’s residents are high on this list. Well done to HBA joining over 100 others to support Sussex Heart Foundation”

Company Wins European Business Award World First was named a winner at Europe’s largest and most prestigious business awards. The company competed with more than 100 other businesses from across Europe at the final of The European Business Awards sponsored by RSM International. World First, a UK-based foreign exchange company that offers currency exchange and international payments options to clients looking to transfer money from country to country, won the Award for Customer Focus. It was selected by the judges for recognising a gap in the market where customers were receiving very different levels of service. Helping tens of thousands of clients navigate the currency markets and make international payments every year, the company’s growth has been driven

by a focus on servicing its loyal customer base. World First is currently the UK’s fastest growing foreign exchange company. Laurence Longe, National Managing Partner of Baker Tilly in the UK, British member firm of the RSM International network, said: “The company’s commitment to customer focus has placed client experience at the centre of the business and we are delighted that they have been recognised for offering a personalised service that is usually only found within the exclusive private banking sector.” Jason Brankin, Global Head of E-Commerce, World First, said: “This award really goes to our customers, who are the people who got us here and if we continue to keep them at the focus of everything we do, we will continue to be successful.”

business matters 13

Business round table and MP look to continue Hastings success Representatives from the Hastings business community met to discuss solutions to the challenges faced by businesses in Hastings. The event, which was organised by Barclays, included newly promoted Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd and took place at the King’s Church on The Ridge in Hastings. Twenty five people attended the event, including owners and managers of fourteen businesses, who joined representatives from charities, Hastings Chamber, the Let’s Do Business Group and Locate East Sussex to discuss the key challenges facing the success of the town. Three themes quickly developed during the discussion with the majority of organisations citing recruitment, transport infrastructure and housing as the biggest challenges. One clear message was that more could be done to encourage school leavers to consider the possibilities of

employment and job training opportunities with local employers such as manufacturer Marshall Tufflex, rather than going to university. Area Business Manager for Barclays in Hasting Scott Wilkins, said: “There is a real sense of optimism in Hastings and this is backed up by our research which suggests that in the first three months of this year small business turnover locally has increased by 10% compared with last year. It was fascinating to see the level of consistency in the issues that people raised and great that we had local MP Amber Rudd in the room to give an immediate and constructive response to the questions raised. We are already planning to get the same group of people together next year to see how the situation has continued to improve.” Christopher Dean, Regional Director for Barclays Business, said: “The event was a great opportunity to bring together business

managers and other representatives’ from the town for a really positive and practical discussion around how we can build on the towns’ success. Being new to the area I have been genuinely impressed with the clear ambition of business people locally to take advantage of the improving economic environment.” Amber Rudd MP said: “It was a pleasure to join with local businesses and discuss their success as well as areas where there exists opportunities for growth. What was clear was the enthusiasm and passion they have for doing business in Hastings.” “I was also very encouraged to hear that the vast majority of them are actively recruiting. They are keen to work with schools, colleges, and work providers as well as other organisations to recruit local people. I look forward to working directly with them to encourage more cooperation and involvement between those recruiting and those searching for employment.”

august/september 2014 business edge

Connected

Ambitious Prepared

What an international business should be John Carroll Head of International, Santander UK

Helping Businesses go Further

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To see how far your business could go, visit santandercb.co.uk/tradeportal email alistair.aird@santander.co.uk or call 07970 107047 Simple Personal Fair What a bank should be

5 million customer source: Santander Group internal data. You need to be an online banking customer of Santander Corporate & Commercial to gain full access to the Trade Portal and Trade Club. Santander Trade Portal is provided and managed by Export Entreprises S.A. Santander provides access to its client companies but is totally unrelated to the database contents, which are the responsibility of Export Entreprises S.A.

Santander Corporate & Commercial is a brand name of Santander UK plc, Abbey National Treasury Services plc (which also uses the brand name Santander Global Banking and Markets) and Santander Asset Finance plc, all (with the exception of Santander Asset Finance plc) authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our Financial Services Register numbers are 106054 and 146003 respectively. In Jersey, Santander UK plc is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to carry on deposit-taking business under the Banking Business (Jersey) Law 1991. Registered oﬃce:edge 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, business august/september 2014London NW1 3AN. Company numbers: 2294747, 2338548 and 1533123 respectively. Registered in England. Santander and the flame logo are registered trademarks. Santander UK plc is a participant in the Jersey Banking Depositor Compensation Scheme. The Scheme oﬀers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website (www.gov.je)or on request. CCBB0467 AUG 14 HT

the expert 15

You ask the questions Our panel of experts tackle your burning issues

How can I organise the perfect I.T. course for my team when I don’t know what we need?

answer

Jane Hames

Director & Lead IT Trainer, Glide Training

I.T. training requirements are often described in terms of your team’s current or required level of knowledge such as beginner, intermediate and advanced. This is OK when attending a public training course as it provides a straightforward way to put yourself in a group with other people who have a similar level of experience. Anyone who has participated in good bespoke training knows what a worthwhile investment it is both in terms of money and the time spent. You should leave a training course with new ideas to save you time back at work and to get much more value from the software you use. Getting it just right can be a challenge and you may be tempted to go down the beginner / intermediate / advanced route as an easy option. I recommend you avoid this route, and instead take advantage of working with a trainer who can design the perfect course to suit your requirements (even if you don’t know exactly what they are yet!). Let’s take a couple of examples of people I have worked with: Example 1 – A project team who are selftaught in Microsoft Project: “My team and I manage the running of projects, and we need to be better at identifying problems and spotting ways of improving next time. Projects have been delivered late and we think we need more resources, but when requesting extra resources, the problem is not taken seriously. I am trying to keep track of costs and the number of hours worked, and my client has asked to see a Gantt Chart with key milestones. I want to ensure that the plan is kept up to date and if things change, I want to see the knock-oneffect on other tasks. I also need to present reports to my managers, and I find the ready-made reports aren’t exactly what I need.”

An experienced Microsoft Project trainer will be able to put together some training that will enable the team to achieve their objectives. In this case, there will be some essential skills to learn but after that, a workshop type approach to the training would be ideal as they can explore ideas with the trainer to put together a real-world project. Example 2 – An Excel user who works with lists of data: “I spend a lot of time in Microsoft Excel finding data in my list. I manually count items in my list – there must be a quicker or better way! I have to present this data and report on it and it would great to learn some data analysis tools and functions to automate some of this.” These issues above are common in Excel and, of course there are better ways of doing this and it can be easy when you know how. When discussing requirements like this, the trainer will be able to recommend features to learn and practice. Bespoke doesn’t need to be complicated (or more expensive!). If you would like to discuss how Glide Training can work with you to design training for you, then please get in touch:

contact@glidetraining.com http://www.glidetraining.com

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16 business matters

Putting on the glitz at awards ceremony From the red carpet welcome to the final note of Levi Roots’ impromptu performance, the 2014 Acumen Business Convention was a true celebration of all that is great about business in Brighton. 2014 marks the fifth anniversary of the convention, an event which has become a mainstay of the local business calendar, and the team at Acumen Business Law pulled out all the stops to ensure that this would be a year to remember. 1940s style paparazzi welcomed guests in a dazzle of flashbulbs and microphones as they entered the venue. A Grand luncheon was served before the delegates dispersed to the first of two interactive legal workshops, hosted by experts from the Acumen team. As in previous years, the speakers at this year’s Convention were of the very highest calibre. Liz Jackson OBE left the audience humbled and inspired by her personal story of overcoming devastating challenges to develop her business, Great Guns Marketing, which today has an annual turnover of more than £2.5 million. Dr David Hall, founder of The Ideas Centre, gave an enlightening talk on how to stimulate innovation within an organisation. This year’s keynote speaker was Levi Roots. The brains and personality behind the hugely popular Reggae Reggae Sauce, Levi took the audience through his fascinating journey from humble beginnings to successful business entrepreneur, revealing his personal struggles and inspirations in a captivating and anecdotal presentation.

business edge august/september 2014

Reeves Win at the KCFA Awards

It was local businesses, however, who ended the day firmly in the spotlight with the presentation of the inaugural Business Acumen Award. Brandon Harris, Director of Active4less Fitness Clubs, scooped the coveted prize after two rounds of intensive judging. Mike Holland, representing the panel of expert judges, highlighted Brandon’s enthusiastic attitude, innovative approach and responsiveness to his market before handing over to Levi Roots to present the award. Runners up Simon Studd, of Clean Cut Gardening Franchise, and Stephen Barham, of Harvey John Recruitment, were also congratulated on their outstanding business acumen and formally announced as finalists. Penina Shepherd, Founder and MD of Acumen Business Law, said: “There was unprecedented attendance, fantastic speakers, a tasty lunch and the Business Acumen Award, too. The entire team has worked relentlessly to make it happen and the feedback has been exceptional.” The company is expanding and has opened an additional office at a new Gatwick address. Acumen is the first and only law firm to join the Manor Royal Business District serving the thriving business community on its doorstep, as well as other businesses in the wider Gatwick Diamond area. Penina Shepherd said: “We are very excited to join the Gatwick business community and we promise to give back to the community, as we have done in Brighton & Hove, by generating business for and amongst the Acumen family and friends in Gatwick.”

Reeves, one of the major accountancy and financial services firms practising in London and the South East of England, were winners at the Kent Corporate Finance Alliance Awards (KCFA). The acquisition of Testbank Holdings Limited by Burgess Marine Limited won the KCFA Deal of the Year 2013 and Reeves accepted the award as lead advisors. Reeves acted as lead advisors providing corporate finance, tax and accounting support on the transaction. The certificate was presented to John Cowie, Corporate Finance Partner at Reeves. The winning Reeves team was led by John and included Rodney Sutton Corporate Partner and Margaret Connolly Corporate Tax Partner, with the deal completed in January 2013. It has made Burgess Marine Britain’s largest independent ship repairer in Southern England. John said: “There were already compelling reasons why Testbank and Burgess were meant to be together. Nick Warren, Burgess Marine’s Chief Executive, was a pleasure to work with and I am proud to have helped him achieve his goal. This is an outstanding example of how a merger can deliver benefits above and beyond the simple combination of two businesses.” Andrew Griggs, Reeves’ Senior Partner, said: “Reeves are delighted to have won the award for the Best Deal of the Year 2013 at the KCFA Awards. This is a fantastic achievement for the Firm and we were honoured to have worked with our client Burgess Marine Limited and Testbank Holdings Limited, together with Brachers on legal structure and HSBC on acquisition finance on this transformational deal for the two engineering businesses.”

business matters 17

fine print

Uncommon Leadership - How to Build Competitive Advantage by Thinking Differently Author: Anthony Sturgess & Phil Higson Publisher: Kogan Page Price: £19.99 There are plenty of theories about what makes for good business leadership and, in this book, authors Phil Higson and Anthony Sturgess add their views into the mix. Uncommon Leadership is designed to stimulate leaders to both think and act differently and provides a mixture of insights and advice. The book was inspired by leaders and managers taking part in the authors’ leadership development programmes, in which they put forward different ways of thinking. The authors argue that at the heart of uncommon leadership is the idea of realising a very powerful advantage, that of ‘finding the sense before it becomes common sense:.’ The book identifies five key leadership roles to help readers take action: n Pathfinders delivering the uncommon advantage n Game-changers delivering the transforming advantage n Rain-makers delivering the value advantage n Bridge-builders delivering the customer advantage n Play-makers delivering the collaborative advantage At a time when the economy is recovering, gaining an advantage by thinking differently might just be the key to success. * Anthony Sturgess and Phil Higson are the co-founders of Apex Leadership Ltd. For further information, including tools and resources, see

http://www.uncommonleadership.co.uk/

Seaside Demolition Makes Way For New Homes Coventry Court in Seaside, Eastbourne, is being demolished to make way for new homes. The building work is part of a major housing initiative which will run over five years to develop affordable housing in the town. Housing experts from Eastbourne Borough Council and Eastbourne Homes have teamed up to form the Housing & Economic Development Partnership (HEDP) to oversee the scheme. Coventry Court will offer a total of 23 new homes, which will be a combination of one & two bedroom flats and two & three bedroom houses. They will be affordable rented or shared ownership homes. Two other sites will also be demolished in Belmore Road (Seaside) and Tenterden

Close (Langney) to make way for new homes, all of which are expected to be completed by the end of next year. A total of 34 new homes will be created across the three sites and in addition, the empty homes refurbishment scheme will add at least a further 20 homes. Sue Parsons, Vice-Chair of Eastbourne Homes’ Board, said: “Coventry Court has been identified as a landmark site and gateway into the town and we hope that this project will be a catalyst for regenerating the whole of the Seaside area.” Malcolm Ward, HEDP Development Manager, said: “The demolition of this building is a symbol of the start of the development of new and affordable council homes stretching over the next few years. Eastbourne is one of the fastest growing towns in the south east and I’m delighted that this project will enable us to tackle a long waiting list to meet housing needs.”

august/september 2014 business edge

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Tec 66 Exhibition 27th October 2014 in Hastings 1066 Country After the very encouraging successes and positive feedback which we received for the original Tec 66 Conference in 2013 I am pleased to be involved with the latest presentation in 2014. The key high tech companies in the ‘1066 Country Vacuum Cluster’ are once again taking the opportunity to show off their latest developments and products to a wide variety of potential and new customers and staff at this latest meeting. This year they will be supported by talks from leading scientific presenters from the worlds of Organic Electronics, Space Research, Vacuum Technology and Cryogenics. This meeting is specifically designed to make the scientific community at large more aware of all the potential 1066 Country has in terms of niche organisations producing novel products for the most advanced tec66-halfpage-ad.pdf 1 31/07/2014 applications of science covering nano-10:38:18

science to advanced communications using the high level skills of work forces built up in this area of the South East of England, more normally associated with fishing and farming, over the last thirty years. Moreover the opportunities this brings for scientists and engineers seeking an area of outstanding beauty in which they can find rewarding work serving world markets and providing ideal facilities in which to live and bring up a family are unparalleled. I welcome you all to an exciting and thought-provoking weekend where you can learn about some of the latest advances in science and engineering and at the same time experience one of the most beautiful parts of England and sample the life enriching aspects of the surrounding seascapes and countryside with all the associated gastronomic delights and entertainment and leisure opportunities.

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august/september 2014 business edge

20 business matters

Group shot caption: Mayor of Worthing, Bob Smytherman, and Guild Care’s Chief Executive, Suzanne Millard, celebrate the ‘topping out’ of Haviland House with charity supporters.

Opening Of Worthing Dementia Home and Centre Draws Closer Sussex has the highest prevalence of dementia care in England, with an estimated 3,000 people living with dementia in Worthing alone. Now, Guild Care have celebrated a key milestone in the build of their new 60 bedroom dementia care home and wellbeing centre with a ’topping out’ ceremony. Guild Care brought the celebrations down to earth in the grounds of the new home. The Cox’s Orange Pippin tree, donated by the local Haskins Garden Centre, was planted in the specially designed dementia-friendly gardens. Guild Care’s Chief Executive, Suzanne Millard, said: ‘We are looking forward to launching Haviland House, our muchneeded dementia care home and wellbeing centre in Durrington later this year. A great

business edge august/september 2014

deal of work still lies ahead for all of us, but this is a key moment for the community to see how far we have come.’ Brian Bullock, Director of Building Construction Partnership said: ‘I would like to thank everyone at Guild Care for their approach to the design and development of Haviland House. It is rare that we are given the opportunity to bring together so many excellent features in one home. Haviland House is a significant building which will be home to 60 residents and support hundreds more throughout their dementia journey. The £7.5 million project will herald a new era for dementia care in Worthing,

encouraging those with dementia to live well in the community for as long as they are able, and offer a lifeline for carers and families with advice, guidance and support. The centre will provide opportunities to develop new partnerships, projects and services, as well as offering new job vacancies for those seeking a career in care. Guild Care has thanked BCP Contractors, McConvilles and all of the workers and tradespeople that are bringing the plans for Haviland House to life. Thanks to their hard work, the project is currently on schedule and is due to open towards the end of 2014.

advertorial 21

Enabling Technology for a Better World At the Kurt J Lesker Company, Our mission is to Enable Technology for a Better World. Our Manufacturing Division is dedicated to this and offers a wealth of technical expertise. With over 25 years of Manufacturing experience in the scientific world we are extremely skilled at producing high quality standard and non-standard vacuum components to suit a variety of applications. We utilise the latest design software and highest quality tooling for machining, cleaning and inspection. Adam Bartlett MD of European Operations states “By adopting Cellular Manufacturing methods here in the UK, we have been able to meet & exceed the demands of our European customer base”.

Together with our world class distribution centre, we are confident of meeting our objectives of Quality Products, Competitive Pricing, Stock and Same day Shipping. Founded in 1954, Kurt J. Lesker Company has built a reputation as a world class manufacturer and distributor

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To find out more visit www.lesker.com today! Kurt J Lesker Company Ltd, 15/16 Burgess Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4NR Tel: +44 1424 458100

august/september 2014 business edge

22 training and skills

Never Underestimate The Value Of Your Website I think it is fair to say that some companies still under estimate the value of their Website, treating it as just another task to tick off the list. Whilst the company Website may not be actually taking orders it is almost certainly encouraging them. The use of free Website statistics like Google Analytics is helping us all to understand how our Websites are actually being used; which pages are the most popular, how often news or blog posts are read, as well as providing stats on e-mailings with links back to the Website, social media page viewings and online surveys. Creating a good impression is vital and Websites that take care over content and how it is displayed will always do better than those that appear cluttered and out of date. Users are very Web savvy and on the hunt for sites that offer them more.

Having useful information about the business and its services is obvious but Websites that also offer a personalised visitor experience are more appealing. The big players like Amazon have done it for a while with wish lists and personalised logins but smaller companies now have the chance to offer their own personalisation to draw-in and hold onto their audience. Well managed Websites give customers and others reasons to “use” them and not just “visit” occasionally. Publishing useful information, downloads and personalised features using customer logins, blogs, video and mobile phone optimised sites turns

a plain company Website into a valuable source of knowledge and expertise. Never underestimate the value of your Website. With some planning and imagination it will help your business to engage and interact with a wider audience and promote it as an expert in its industry to customers who, through the ever increasing use of social media, will help spread your good name and expertise even further.

Contact: Alastair Murray, The Bureau Tel: 01342 301325 Email: alastair@the-bureau.co.uk

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business edge august/september 2014

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corporate entertainment 23

When Being Hospitable Pays Off In an age that seems increasingly reliant on technology, corporate entertainment remains a key business tool. The main reason is that it helps companies to maintain personal relationships with their clients. In a fast-moving age dominated by the Internet, texting and Cloud Computing, the personal touch remains highly valued because it is often when client and customer are together, and relaxed, that business is done, that relationships are forged and deals struck. Creating that kind of environment takes many forms. For many companies, it often revolves around sporting events, a trip to the races, a day at the cricket or perhaps a meal followed by watching a football match. However, there are other options for the more adventurous, daytrips, teambuilding events, extreme sports challenges, or for

the more cultural, events such as trips to the theatre or to take in a show. They may be diverse events in nature but the key to them all is that they represent time spent away from the office and a sense that the company staging the corporate hospitality truly values those whom it has invited, that their presence is seen as important. Those companies that are prepared to invest in corporate entertainment do so if they can see something to be gained from showing clients and staff alike that there is life after work. And that can pay dividends.

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august/september 2014 business edge

24 inspirational leaders

New Chief Executive Draws on a World of Experience Ana Christie Chief Executive of Sussex Enterprise n Chamber post latest stop in a varied career n Business confidence growing but still work to do n Listening is the key to meeting business needs

Few business people become a chief executive having accrued such a wide variety of experience as Ana Christie. The recently-appointed chief executive of Sussex Enterprise is bringing her expertise gained working both at home and abroad to the task of guiding the Chamber as it continues to grow. She believes that her experience of sectors as varied as education, hospitality, tourism, pharmaceuticals and aviation give her the ideal background to drive forward the chamber. Ana’s career began with spells working for two UK airlines between 1987–1994 followed by almost six years in the hospitality and hotel trade. Between 2000 and 2005, she was General Manager at London Aquarium, one of the top ten London tourist attractions, which attracted more than one million visitors every year and

business edge august/september 2014

which had an annual turnover of more than £10m. Ana’s husband is a civil servant so her next two jobs took her overseas when he secured postings in India and the Philippines; she was an English Language Teacher for the British Council in India, and also a Project Manager for the British Deputy High Commission, (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), and in the Philippines she was Executive Vice President and Management Consultant for Q2 HR Solutions, overseeing the business on behalf of the owners. Her job before joining Sussex Enterprise was as Team Leader Packaging Client Services with Fisher Clinical Services (Bio Pharma Services Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific), based in Horsham. Ana said: “I think it helps that I have had such a varied career both in the UK and overseas. It means that I have seen things from a variety of perspectives. “Sussex Enterprise deals with businesses from all kinds of sectors and having had such a variety of jobs means that I have a wide experience. “I have always been enthusiastic and passionate about what I do and I have brought that to my new job at the Chamber. “My job falls into two categories, internal and external. One of the internal jobs is to inspire the team

THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES WE CAN HELP WITH AS A CHAMBER, THROUGH OUR SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAMMES. WE CAN ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO TAKE ON APPRENTICES AND INTERNS. WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE PRACTICAL BUSINESS SUPPORT, HR, INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO HELP BUSINESSES DEVELOP, GROW AND PROFIT. at the Chamber and make sure that they understand the vision for Sussex Enterprise and use their skills to bring it about. “The key external job is to make people realise that the Chamber has not just a role to play in Sussex but globally as well.

inspirational leaders 25

“One of my aims is to make sure that businesses realise that we are there to help them with their export issues and documentation, and we can offer advice and help them with their training. “I think that some companies do not consider export because they are not sure who to approach for help and part of our job is to get the message out that we can be that help, working in partnership with our Regional Coordinator, who looks after the Overseas Business Network Initiative and UKTI.” Ana joins the Chamber at a time when the economy is recovering from recession with the south, as ever, leading the way. However, although confident about future growth, she says that work remains to be done.

Ana said: “Sussex businesses are bringing in millions of pounds worth of new business, both from the UK and overseas, and that is good for the UK economy and I have seen confidence returning. “However, there does remain challenges, a large one being our support for young people. We have to make sure that we help our young people find employment as the economy recovers. “That is one of the issues we can help with as a Chamber, through our skills training programmes. We can encourage businesses to take on apprentices and interns. We can also provide practical business support, HR, information and advice to help businesses develop, grow and profit.

“We have a suite of events that provide networking opportunities, and forums to allow business leaders to share, question and discuss issues and ideas within a group of peers. Ana is devoting her first weeks in the job to learning about the needs of businesses in the area. She said: “A lot of what I wish to do during my time with the Chamber is increase the profile of the organisation to businesses in the area and listen to what they say. “It is not enough to come up with services that you think businesses might like, you have to come up with something that they want.”

august/september 2014 business edge

26 sussex business awards

The 26th Sussex Business Awards Now Open for Business The twenty sixth Sussex Business Awards are now open for business following a series of launches across the county - Brighton, Crawley and Uckfield. Attendees heard previous winners highlight what winning an award has meant for them, as well as the judges discussing what they look for in an award winning entry. There are fifteen trophies to be won this year including the prestigious Company of the Year, International Company of the Year and individual awards for entrepreneurship and business success. Three new sponsors and a new chair of the judges were also announced. Taking over the Chair from Peter Field, the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, will be Mike Herd, the executive director of Sussex Innovation Centre and Sussex Businessperson of the Year 2000. Awards organiser Caraline Brown commented: “Peter has been a brilliant ambassador for the awards and we are

business edge august/september 2014

grateful for everything he has done for us over the years. “We are delighted to welcome Mike as our new chair. Mike has experienced these awards from finalist to winner to sponsor. Having spent around 16 years helping all sorts of businesses to grow, we are confident he is going to make a brilliant chair.” Mike holds the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in recognition of the support he has provided to innovative businesses in Sussex over 16 years. He has a degree in Applied Physics and a background in the oil industry. Commenting on his new role Mike said: “I am delighted to have been asked to take up the chair of the Sussex Business Awards. “In my time as Executive Director at Sussex Innovation Centre, I have watched

hundreds of entrepreneurs and start-ups with exciting new ideas begin their journey to becoming high-growth companies. Our region boasts a truly supportive ecosystem that has enabled so many businesses to flourish, and the Sussex Business Awards have played a massive part in that over the past 26 years.” Three new organisations join this year’s sponsors which include Morgan Sindall, Domestic & General, Mazars, Legal & General, Sussex Innovation Centre, HSBC, Checkaprofessional, Sussex Enterprise, The Argus, Heart FM, Sussex Business Times and Absolute Brighton. Mayo Wynne Baxter will be sponsoring the search for the county’s Most Promising New Business – always one of the most hotly contested of all the categories. Jason Edge, Marketing Director at Mayo

sussex business awards 27

Wynne Baxter said: “We’re very excited to be sponsoring this category. Sussex is a hotbed of business talent and this is going to be a tough one to judge.” Sussex Downs College will sponsor a brand new award for the Young Sussex Businessperson of the Year and Wealden District Council will be sponsoring the Most Sustainable Business. Recent research from Shape-The-Future revealed that in a survey of 400 senior business people, 81 per cent admitted to being influenced by awards when buying products and services for their business. This has certainly been the case Paul Addison, Managing Director at Devassist who commntes: “By wining the Category for Most promising New Business it has given our business the credibility

and recognition we always believed the business deserved. “When we prospect for new business our award gives new clients the comfort in knowing that our business has been put under the microscope and emerged as a quality business that protects property buyers and enables them to buy with their eyes wide open. That is exactly the message we wanted to promote.” Judit Ruckes, Marketing Manager at Cash Bases Ltd and winner of the Award for Innovation would certainly agree. Said Ruckes: “It was a great honour to gain further recognition in Sussex for our revolutionary SMARTtill. It means a great deal to our employees and is extremely motivating for the entire team. This award encourages all our staff to continue to push

the boundaries of innovation and design and strive to achieve the absolute best.” Celebrating business excellence across Sussex, the Awards are the longest established scheme of its kind in the county and it is the one that everyone wants to win! Applicants have until 29 August 2014 to prepare their submissions. The winners will be announced at The Grand, Brighton on 10 December. There is a small admin fee of £50 to enter one award or £100 for up to three entries. You can also enter the awards for the Healthiest Workplace, Social Enterprise the Best Boss in Sussex free of charge. Follow the conversation on Twitter @ SussexBizAwards, contact the organisers on 01273 666200 or sussex@midnight. co.uk and visit the site at

www.sussexbizawards.org.uk

august/september 2014 business edge

28 improving business performance

The employee life cycle Cullen Scholefield is passionate about helping organisations enhance their employer brands and create talent pools.

In the spring of 2014, Cullen Scholefield spread this knowledge through our Circle of Peers road shows where we helped companies across the globe realise how they can enhance their brand and attract top talent to their business. The key to attracting the right talent is to create the right employer brand. To enhance your employer brand, you need to look at the employee life cycle. Cullen Scholefield has broken this process down into six distinguishable stages to help you see what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing right, where you can improve and what you can add to ensure you become a talent magnet. Analyse: Before you start recruiting and improving your processes you have to understand where you stand now. What are you currently doing? What works well? What doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work? This stage is all about research and creating a stable base to build on.

business edge august/september 2014

Attract: Once you understand where you are, you can figure out how best to attract what you need. This is about utilising the right resources and understanding the type of candidate you are looking for. Successful advertising gets in the head of the target audience, so each vacancy has to be tailored for each role for ultimate success. Assimilate: You have your talent, they made a great impression at the interview, but what impression are you making now? The induction process is crucial to setting the scene for your employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time at your company. A sloppy induction could lose your new talent and then any potential talent as they tell their friends why they left. Advise and Advice: It is typical that after three or six months a new employee receives a performance review and then subsequent reviews every 6 months following that. To become a talent magnet, it is better to create a coaching culture where advice is

given little and often. This sets the scene for continuous improvement and development, as well as creating an open and transparent environment. Advance: Talent needs to grow and develop, a clear advancement programme is important for attracting and retaining talent. In the interview process, tell them where they could be in 5 years, not 6 months. In the induction process, show them what paths they can follow in the company and always be willing to discuss the future. Adieu: Goodbye is almost always inevitable, but it is important to view it as an opportunity rather than an ending. A good farewell can create an ambassador for your company, singing your praises and sending business your way. Remember to never shut the door, leaving it ajar will let your talent return with more experience and even more talent.

august/september 2014 business edge

WHY DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED TO ENGAGE WITH ONLINE MEDIA? We thought we should share the following stats that might help persuade you to see the value of online media: n Over 150 million users are registered with LinkedIn n 1 billion people now using YouTube

T & M Training

The friendly face of safety training

First Aid Courses u u u u

First Aid at Work Initial Qualification First Aid at Work Renewal Emergency Aid AED (Defibrillator) Training

n 127 million active users on twitter with 83% of users reported seeing news from Twitter

Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR)

n Nearly 250 million subscribers across Europe are using Facebook with the average user visiting the site approx. 40 times per month and spending an average of 23 minutes each visit.

Manual Handling

Given the above stats, it may be something that you and your business might like to take advantage of. Facebook is still the dominant site especially with adults, with the fastest growing demographic being aged 45-54.

u Water Hygine (Blue Card) u Safety Health & Environmental Awareness (SHEA) Manual handling covers a wide variety of tasks including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying and when any of these tasks are not carried out properly, then there is a risk of injury.

07837 614095

tandmtrainingsolutions@gmail.com | www.tandmtraining.co.uk

Our research found that the top brand in the UK using Facebook is Amazon with 4,312,366 likes to their page! It is important to understand the different forms of online media and which will serve you and your business best. What works for one business will not necessarily be the best option for your business.

be bopalula

One common factor with all of the above, and these are just the dominant sites, you need to engage with other users. You should post useful content and comment on others by liking or giving feedback. Think about your potential customers, which online tools are they using and what are your customers likely to watch or listen to? We understand that getting your message out to the right people can be mind boggling and time consuming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if you need help in becoming more visible to your customers, please come and talk to us for a FREE no obligation chat. Lorraine Nugent Managing Director, Media Word Waves

01293 817248 Lorraine@mediawordwaves.com

business edge august/september 2014

www.mediawordwaves.com

find out more at

www.be-everywhere.co.uk

be everywhere

finance 31

DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE

Innovative LEARNING THAT finance schemes start to bear fruit DELIVERS RESULTS Lending through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme reached £84 million for the second quarter of 2013, suggesting increased confidence in the business world. Many small and medium sized businesses

(SMEs)Park are benefiting Roffey is an from increasing use of the Government finance scheme by internationally renowned banks to improve the availability of finance. Figures published for the scheme for the leadership institute second quarter of 2013 showed that lending based UK and was atin thethe highest level since March 2011. EFG is a demand-led scheme which Singapore. allows banks to lend to SMEs who would otherwise not receive credit, by providing

We develop people who the banks with a government guarantee for develop 75%organisations. of the loan value. Both Lloyds Banking Group and

With Santander over 65 years’ experience have continued to significantly of providing executive increaseinnovative their EFG lending, with Lloyds lending almost twice as education and research to much manyin the second 2013 (£13.9 million) compared of thequarter world’sofleading companies, to the same quarter last year (£7.1 million). we offer a widehas range open and Santander alsoof increased its use of EFG tailored programmes, consultancy and coaching services. Our core areas of expertise are leadership, organisational development, human resources and personal effectiveness. Our qualification programmes are validated by the University of Sussex. Our work is underpinned by robust research and developed by facilitators with unrivalled skills and a passion for delivering programmes which make a lasting difference.

to a level which better reflects its market position in SME lending. Business Minister Michael Fallon said: “As a demand-led scheme, increased EFG lending shows that businesses are increasingly looking to invest and grow, and this is a positive indication for growth in the wider economy. “Access to finance remains a crucial issue for SMEs and, while I welcome the increased EFG lending by the banks, it is only scratching the surface of the problem. We have made the EFG scheme more flexible and easier for banks to use, and we are taking action to improve competition in the SME lending market through the business bank. But in the short term we need the high street banks to help our EDF Energy has grown both businessesand growthrough and keep the recovery organically mergers and going.” acquisitions of other companies. In A separate EFG trade credit scheme order to introduce more consistency continues to benefit small businesses in the construction Started Kingfisher and leverage sector. economies of with scale, Group in Aprilintroduced 2013, it hasthe already enabled the company 1,537 existing business customers Supporting Excellence initiative. of B&Q and Screwfix to increase credit limits to £10.2 million and 437 new customers have EDF Energy recognised that HR been offered credit limits of £1.06 million Business in total. Partners were crucial to

EDF Energy strengthens HR Business Partners with Roffey Park

this transformation. It committed to investing in training and development to ensure they were equipped with the right skills to thrive. “Roffey Park is one of the most respected and credible practitioners within the HR field so it was clearly the ideal partner for this venture.” Says Barbara Thurston, Leadership Development Manager at EDF.

“The results speak for themselves: ‘course satisfaction’ rated an average of 5.1 out of 6 while ‘improved performance’ rated 4.9. That demonstrates the tangible impact the programme makes,” says Thurston “We were told that the balance of classroom and practical content was perfect; that people had felt their confidence boosted and that the environment was ideal for reflection and self-awareness.”

As a result, there has been considerable interest from other trade credit providers in joining the EFG trade credit scheme and the Department for Business hopes to confirm details of new providers shortly. However, all these schemes, and there are many more, can be confusing for the SME so it makes sense to seek guidance. Good financial advice is crucial if businesses are to survive and the good advisers are the ones who pride themselves on working with their clients in a way which makes them feel comfortable. They are also the ones who can advise on how best to access financial support. With the Government and venture capitalists keen to invest but needing to be convinced of the viability of the company first, being able to tap into good advice is Faced with a changing landscape crucial. and political pressures, Ministry Financial advisers start the by finding out what a business needs; itthe may be help of Justice recognised need for with better financial management orjustice it may be change to be able to deliver support applying for loans or grants to buy effectively in today’s climate. Enhancing equipment or take on new staff. leadership wasadvisers critical to Bringing incapability the specialist is delivering change crucial because theysuccessfully. are the ones who know what opportunities are available.

Equipping managers to lead organisational transformation at the Ministry of Justice

Dawn Ashcroft, Talent Manager at the Ministry of Justice, explains, “The level of management directly beneath Senior Civil Servants was identified as key to delivering change successfully”. Roffey Park developed a bespoke programme aligned to the Ministry’s Transforming Justice People Plan. The programme has made a clear and measurable impact on leadership capability and effectiveness: Improved performance - 89% report that the programme has improved their performance at work. Improved leadership capability - 61% of respondents have been promoted or changed roles with increased responsibility since participating,

www.roffeypark.com august/september 2014 business edge

tough, longer lasting, safer tools. This, on top of the companies existing business from its traditional UK power companies has produced phenomenal growth.'

Business Business Growth GrantsGrowth Coast toto Capital Grants&&Greater Coast City Region Region to Business Growth GrantsCoast Capital GreaterBrighton Brighton Would you like to received a grant to help you grow your business? £5k to £250k grant funding is available to SME businesses in West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Lewes, Croydon, Epsom & Ewell, Reigate & Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge

To discover more or to book onto a forthcoming FREE advice consultation, contact Hayley Shepherd on 01403 333840 or email rgf@coast2capital.org.uk

Business Growth Business Grants are available Growth to any business Grants in the Coast toare Capital available region who want to increase to any bus

Business Growth Grants are available to any business in the Coast to Capital region who want to increase turnover and profits, but need turnoverfinance. and turnover profits, need additional and finance. profits, Grants are available need from £5,000 additional to £250,000 is of the finance additional Grantsbut are available from £5,000 to £250,000 and it isbut expected that the grant will form no moreand thanit 25% total costs of the growth plans. Companies thatno aremore awarded a grant expected create as a result ofno increased business. expected that expected the grant will form that than the 25%are of grant the totaltocosts will ofnew thejobs form growth plans. Companies more that arethan 2

awarded a awarded grant are expected toa create grant new jobs as are a resultexpected of increased business. to create new jobs

Case Study: A business benefitted Interested businesses Interested are invitedthat to complete businesses are invited to complete Insulated Tools was awarded a substantial Business Growth the short expression the short of interest form, expression which of interest form, which Grant to purchase new machinery to increase production can be downloaded can from be downloaded from capability and to create six new jobs. http://www.coast2capital.org.uk/regional-growth-fund http://www.coast2capital.org.uk/regional-growth The company manufactures tools for live line working and all electrical workers. The tools are insulated to the highest standards with Nylon 11.

Case Study:Ca A business se Study: that benefittedA business that benefitted Allan Challinor, Director of Insulated Tools said "The Insulated Tools Insulated was awarded a substantial Tools Business was awarded a substantial Busin overseas sales and marketing campaign which has been Growth Grant Growth to purchase new Grant machinery to to increase purchase new machinery to in undertaken over the last three years has now started production capability create sixPower capability new Utlity jobs. and to create six new jobs to bear fruitproduction with ordersand fromtosome large

companies, blue chip global industrial distributors, like Grainger and Fastenal in the USA andfor Toolbank Cromwell The company The manufactures company tools live line manufactures working tools for live line w Tools and Buck and Hickman, in Europe. "In addition, and all electrical and workers. allThe electrical tools are insulatedour to workers. the The tools are insulated "The Business Growth Grant from Coast to Capital will allow agressive sales and marketing campaign has stimulated highest standards highest with Nylonstandards 11. with Nylon 11. us to buy three new BOY 35h machines which are easier to demand from a much wider audience. All operate as set up is only once and then replicated by the electrical workers, all over the world, want our marvelous Allan Challinor, Allan Director of Insulated Tools said "The Director of Insulated said computerto other machines soeliminating set upTools times tough, longer lasting, safer Challinor, tools. This, on top of the giving greater machine flexibility. This will ultimately lead companies existing business from its traditional UK power overseas sales overseas and marketing campaign sales which and has beenmarketing campaign which h creation ofthree new jobs". companiesundertaken has undertaken overproduced the last phenomenal three years growth.' hasover now startedthe to to last years has now sta

"The Businesssome Growth Grant from Coast to Capital bear fruit with bear orders from fruit some large with Power orders Utlity from large Power U will allow us to buy three new BOY 35h machines companies,companies, blue chip global industrial distributors, blue chip like global industrial distributo Interested businesses are invited to complete the short expression of interest form, which cantobeoperate downloaded easier setfrom up is only once and Grainger and Grainger Fastenal in the USAand and Toolbank Fastenalwhich in are the USAasand Toolbank http://www.coast2capital.org.uk/regional-growth-fund then replicated by theHickman, computerto other machines Cromwell Tools Cromwell and Buck and Hickman, Tools in Europe. and Buck and in so Eur eliminating set up times giving greater machine "In addition, "In our agressive addition, sales and marketing our campaign agressive sales and marketing c

63965

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We hold FREE Seminars on a regular basis across the UK, check online www.iconbusinesssolutions.com to see which one is closest to you.

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This presentation from Icon Business Solutions will demonstrate that, by making small changes to your business processes and management style, you can achieve a very significant improvement in results.

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All attendees will receive a FREE business Health Check subject to availability.

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Sign up for your free tickets now! www.paulpalmer.biz/3vitalsteps1 For more information on how we can assist you T: 01903 366 167 M: 07969 562 516 www.iconbusinesssolutions.com paulpalmer@iconbusinesssolutions.com

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We let our clients do the talking. Listening is one of our talents at Channel. As a leading full-service design agency, we develop strong client relationships through careful listening and a refreshingly un-snooty approach. That way, we clarify what our clients need, turning it into powerful marketing strategies and creative ideas. From there, we produce fresh design to brand guidelines, creating new brands and marcomms that get seen and heard. It’s something we’ve done since 1999, a record that speaks for itself.

Now it’s your turn to talk. Tell us about your design needs. Call us on 01903 250025 or email hello@channelgraphic.com THINK INSPIRE CREATE business edge august/september 2014

improving business performance 35

Time to Rethink your Business? As businesses grow, their expansion tends to be based on the skills and competencies they have available to perform certain jobs. As a result, larger organisations tend to become focused on consistency of delivery and lose the flexibility of thought that is inherent to start-up culture. Sometimes, in order to break these constraints and quickly develop fresh and innovative approaches, completely new perspectives are necessary to shake up the old routine. The Sussex Innovation Centre offers a range of services to established businesses looking to innovate more, develop more agile ways of working and encourage

entrepreneurial behaviour within their organisation. Typically this can include: n Introductions to new products and technologies, both to improve their processes and expand their own product range n Providing a flexible and dynamic environment to host new product development projects n Supporting the introduction of new ideas into their business culture and decision making process The Centre’s experienced business support team come from a wide variety of backgrounds in strategic growth and commercialisation projects, and have access

to a vast academic community who can bring other influences to bear, and challenge the status quo. Rather than brainstorming and focus grouping within your organisation, which can simply lead to iterations of the same core ideas, consider what it might be like to work alongside qualified psychologists, economists and engineers, who could give you the benefits of lateral thought around the concepts central to your industry. If you’d like to find out more about drawing on the Sussex Innovation Centre’s support network, visit sinc.co.uk, or call 01273 704 400 and ask to speak with Mike Herd or Peter Lane.

Give Your Business The Advantage We will free up valuable time and energy for decision makers who naturally get entrenched in evaluating processes and systems, planning the growth of their business, dealing with frustrating and time consuming staffing issues and finding the right staff to join their team. Advantage Business Consultants can offer a range of management support, recruitment options and expert HR guidance for a fraction of the cost of competitors. With a pay as you go approach, broken into simple 15 minute work slots or a one-off fee for recruiting that perfect member of staff of just £999 (only if you appoint from our carefully selected shortlist), ABC will be pleased to become your preferred virtual business support team. Cherry and Anne have 30 years of combined experience in business

management support and HR relations, we are also used to managing recruitment and selection. Cherry and Anne both hold Masters level degrees in these fields and professional accreditations, with relevant insurances and affiliations. Contact us today for a non-obligatory chat and we will be pleased to see how we can support you to free up your valuable time and give your business the advantage.

Twitter: @abcworthing Facebook: /advantagebuinsessconsultants Linkedin: Cherry Simmonds or Anne Johnson

www.advantagebusinessconsultants.co.uk info@advantagebusinessconsultants.co.uk

august/september 2014 business edge

36 improving business performance

What’s Business Coaching Really Like? We asked ActionCOACH Tim Rylatt to answer the most common questions business owners have Q. What types of clients do you work with? A. I work with clients within many different industries; I’ve worked with everyone from actuaries and accountants to web designers and roofers. In terms of scale, client companies range from £100k to £30 million turnover annually but the challenges they all deal with are remarkably similar. Q. How does coaching work? A. I help my clients get really clear on what they want and make a commitment to getting those outcomes. Together we define the positive behaviours and the knowledge they need to achieve those results. A mix of

planning, education, accountability and catalytic questioning makes the best mix. In many cases my clients already ‘know enough’, but struggle to apply that knowledge or keep focused without support… that’s where I come in. Q. Does it work? A. Yes, it certainly works! With the right mix of industry knowledge and commitment from the client matched with the right level of business education and personal accountability from the coach, it’s very effective indeed. In a recent situation I’ve helped one contractor change a £10k loss into a £55k profit in less than 6 months of working

together, and have also helped a different training provider client achieve a 300% improvement in leads.

Want The Best Ideas For Your Business? …now is your chance to get them! Most business owners are keen to get great results in their business. However, it’s a sad fact that lots are also working long hours and not enjoying the level of earning they set out to achieve when they started out in business. There are lots of reasons why that might be, but it is very common that business owners are highly skilled in their industry, but have little or no formal training in business. It may be understanding the financial side of things, or a gap in the sales or marketing knowledge. Often it’s a problem with the team. Whatever the challenge is, sitting down with an expert and getting an objective view can help. This is your chance to book a complimentary 90 minute business review with an award winning business coach to find the answers you need!

To book your business review. Call Tim today on

01444 440500

business edge august/september 2014

improving business performance 37

Worthing Company Completes Middle East Training Contract Alpha Training Safety Solutions Ltd are delighted to have just completed a seven week training contract, for a professional Special Forces Search and Rescue Team from the Middle East. Alpha completed the contract with an international training company for 32 persons over a concentrated schedule. The programme was specially designed for the client’s unique needs, and was delivered by Alpha’s specialist training team - some of whom have recently competed as part of the British Olympic team. Managing Director, Shaun Jackaman said “we knew we had the highest quality specialists to deliver the skills to the client, but we had to demonstrate we could deal with language and cultural differences. We are currently awaiting the next contract which may mean sending teams out to the Middle East.”

Alpha already carry out training nationally, Shaun adds “we have agreements with the NHS and National Grid to name a couple, with a network of specialist trainers across the country”. Their training academy, on the A27 between Worthing and Arundel, continues to be heavily used, particularly the specially designed Confined Space training area, probably the most comprehensive facility in the South East. Shaun continues “We run a wide range of health and safety open courses at our academy in areas such as: First Aid, Fire Safety, Confined Space Entry, Working at Height and Manual Handling… along with more technical courses aimed at Emergency Service personnel. I would love to reach out to our local market and win more business on our door step”.

For further information please call

01903 871381, or visit Alpha’s website: www.alphahealthandsafety.com

Are you Authentic? It could just be another piece of management jargon, but have you ever considered how to develop a high performing team? It takes courage, resilience and a significant amount of ‘authenticity’– how much do you have? Research shows that even the most successful bosses prevent their business from improving by the size of their ‘ego’. Exhibiting ‘authenticity’ within teams, builds respect, trust and commitment. So what are the characteristics of an authentic leader? 1. Self-awareness. Authentic leaders are aware of their strengths, their weaknesses, and their emotions. They also show their real selves to their teams, something which is rare in ego driven leaders. They allow others to see their mistakes and admit to errors. 2. Driven and focused on results. They are able to put the goals of the organisation ahead of their own self-interest. They perform the role in pursuit of results, not for their own power, money or ego. 3. They lead with their heart, not just their mind. They are not afraid to show

their emotions or their vulnerability. Authentic leaders are, however, far from “soft.” In fact communicating in a direct manner is critical to successful outcomes, but it’s done with empathy. Authentic Learning Ltd is a business improvement consultancy with similar values which works with clients to improve their overall performance and enhance their growth. If you’d like to explore your ‘authenticity’ further or discuss how they can support you in growing your business, contact Matthew Wilkinson on

wilkinson1996@hotmail.com

authentic learning

august/september 2014 business edge

38 business matters

Walking to Remember People across Sussex are joining together to remember their loved ones and help raise funds for a vital dementia care home and wellbeing centre. Guild Care’s ‘A Walk to Remember’ will see hundreds of people walking or running a 5km or 10km route along Worthing’s scenic seafront on the morning of Saturday 11 October. Could you join them? Whether you know someone with dementia or just want to support a good cause, Guild Care need your help to raise the final funds for their Building a Home to Remember Appeal. The charity hope to open their 60 bedroom dementia care home, Haviland House, complete with the Bradbury Wellbeing Centre, in Worthing later this year, and are tantalisingly close to the fundraising finishing line. The new home and wellbeing centre will care for people at every stage of their dementia journey. This will include advice, support and respite sessions for carers, giving relief from the responsibilities

business edge august/september 2014

of caring for a loved one, even if just for a few hours a week. Worthing’s new Town Crier, Councillor Bob Smytherman, took part in the walk last year and said: “I can’t wait to take part in A

Walk to Remember again this year. I chose the 10km route in 2013, and it was truly humbling to see so many people walking through our beautiful town to remember their loved ones. As one of Guild Care’s newest Members, I’d like to invite one and all to join us and help raise funds for a muchneeded dementia wellbeing centre and care home.” The event is open to all – so put the fun back into fundraising and bring your friends, family, children and even your dogs for A Walk to Remember. You can run or walk at your own pace, and with two distances to choose from, it’s the perfect excuse to get fit, raise funds and support our local community. Entry costs just £10, with special group rates available. Sign up for A Walk to Remember today - visit www.guildcare.org/walk or call 01903 528613 for further information.

business matters 39 The Impact of Food in The Work Place By Martaan van der Velde, Director of Jasper’s Catering Services Food = Morale There are only a few things humans really need – food and drink being right up there. If basic food and water is a necessity what impact does great food and drink have on you, your colleagues, prospects, customers and your sales team? Having someone provide food for us registers as a caring and valuable gesture. Employees feeling valued brings significant increases in loyalty, motivation and dedication. Rewards of big cash bonuses simply do not work at the same emotional level which is why increasing numbers of companies are paying for bacon rolls and coffee or breakfast pastries every Friday. They also make fresh fruit available, lay on birthday buffets for every employee whose birthday it is that month or treat their staff for special events such as strawberries and cream over Wimbledon. Sharing food, drinks and time together really boosts staff’s morale.

Morale = Profit A company that demonstrates how important its prospects, customers and employees are by making these important (but so cost effective!) gestures has a net result of an increase in morale. Ultimately this means loyal and motivated teams, higher conversion rates, better retention rates, more engagement, better service and higher profit.

Case studies In 2010 a company that Jasper’s caters for and that once motivated its sales team with cash bonus incentives, found itself having to make cuts. When it did, morale fell through the floor and the remaining sales force felt deflated. We suggested to the Sales Director that he started providing catering in his sales meetings and training sessions. We predicted that two things would happen as a result of this: the sales force would feel valued and so would the customers. The Sales Director said: ‘Sales performance increased 22% in the following quarter, what followed was significant – catering for the team had a surprising impact!’ J. Kribbs In 2011, a spring manufacturer sent us a thank you letter saying ‘ Our guests had come over from Norway. The hospitality that was provided contributed 100% to them placing a £2.7 million order there and then. They absolutely loved the food’

(L-R) Ben Roskrow, Publishing Director Housebuilder Magazine; Jenny Smith, Marketing Services Manager at Vent-Axia; Graham Poll, referee and host of the awards.

Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon Response wins award Lading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia won Best Brand New Product of the Year in the prestigious Housebuilder Product Awards 2014. Scooping the award for its revolutionary Lo-Carbon Response™ dMEV solution, the Sussex-based company received the accolade at an awards ceremony held at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham. Hosted by Graham Poll, England’s best known referee, the event brought together key suppliers from across the housebuilder products sector. Marking the second year of this annual ceremony, the Housebuilder Product Awards 2014 proved a successful day. Judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts, the awards recognise innovation and excellence in housebuilder products; a key

factor as the UK moves towards zero carbon homes. Packed with innovative features the Response is a near silent, continuous running, constant volume dMEV solution. Designed for both new build and the social housing sector, the SAP Appendix Q listed Response is ideal for both kitchen and bathroom applications. Jenny Smith, Marketing Services Manager, Vent-Axia, said: “We are delighted to have been acknowledged by the housebuilding industry for our pioneering Lo-Carbon Response™. At Vent-Axia we are committed to innovation and continuous development, we are therefore very proud to be recognised in these prestigious awards which honour innovation and excellence in UK housebuilding”

august/september 2014 business edge

40 construction

Sussex Construction Forum The Sussex Construction Forum which is part of Sussex Enterprise is an enjoyable and informal forum providing opportunities to meet other constructionrelated businesses from across Sussex in a convenient location. Its aim is to meet quarterly for breakfast, providing the opportunity for delegates to develop relationships with key contacts for their respective business. The working party meets on a regular basis with the intention of creating an event that has guest speakers talking on current developments and hot

business edge august/september 2014

topics from across Sussex and there is always plenty of informal networking time built into the agenda. The very first event of the new forum held last October covered the controversial proposed development of the Mayfields Town to be built between Henfield and Sayers Common. Events already held this year include the proposed south coast development with speakers from the Coast to Capitol LEP and Brighton & Hove Council and the major new development at Brighton Marina by Brunswick Developments which is a massive project worth ÂŁ250 million to build new flats, shops and leisure space. The next event, to be held on the 16th September at the Seattle Hotel at Brighton Marina will focus upon the Greater Brighton City Deal and on the 25th November the exciting i360 development will be under the

spotlight with among the presenters, Sussex based Mackley who have begun work on the prestigious project in central Brighton. They are building the substructure and concrete frame, base building and landscaping works. At this breakfast they are also hoping to have a speaker from the architects, Marks Barfield who were also the architects for the London Eye.

From Concept to Completion Hawes Building comprises of Directors Bruce and Sarra Hawes. Although a fledgling company, both directors have a comprehensive knowledge of the building Industry. Both worked for many years at Walter Llewellyn and Sons, starting as trainees, embarking on the thorough training scheme and working their way to becoming site managers then Bruce on to become a contracts manager. Bruce then co-directed another company for 10 years, specialising in deconstruction, structural alterations, propping, concrete cutting, diamond drilling, using pioneering and innovative equipment. Working with many of the supermarket chains around the country, in their determination to extend and modify their stores. Hawes Building currently have an ever expanding client base and have worked across the spectrum of Industrial, commercial and domestic contracts, ranging from ÂŁ1000 - ÂŁ1.2m.

All types of Building Work Undertaken Commercial | Industrial | Domestic

01323 483085 | 07715 078126 Email: info@hawesbuilding.co.uk

Robinson Low Francis - Construction and property consultants, building futures nationally and internationally.

Cost Management Project Management

Building Futures

Building Surveying

Robinson Low Francis are a national and local multi-disciplinary consultancy with solid experience covering a range of sectors.

Capital Allowances & Property Taxation

We have a team of consultants who are trained in a variety of disciplines. That means we can offer a comprehensive range of services to support and deliver successful developments for our clients and communities. Our value is based on people, innovation and delivery and we utilise our experience to benchmark projects with collaborative solutions. Our people aim to go that extra mile for the client, continually looking for innovative ways to improve any project.

Health & Safety Land and Development Services

01273 325781 | brighton@rlf.co.uk www.rlf.co.uk

august/september 2014 business edge

42 chamber benefits

Membership Benefits Mailserve

Chamber Vehicles

This Service is provided in partnership with MailServe, based in Haywards Heath. Every member that signs up receives a free starter pack that consists of an ink cartridge, a full box of labels and £50 worth of free postage. This has a total value of £194.99.

Vehicle leasing for both businesses and private individuals. n Fleet management software FleetCheck.

n Franking offers savings of between 17p per item and as much as £1.40 for packets/parcels.

n Free fleet audit.

n Current lease will be looked at to identify all payments being made. n Full postal audit to identify each company’s exact requirements.

n Protection cover with GAP and RTI Insurance. n Maintenance and accident management.

Telecoms n Cheaper calls guaranteed. n Up to 65% cheaper than BT’s line rental. n Free line installations available.

n Minimum of 2 offers, one of which will be a cost reduction compared to current payments.

n Calls billed to the tenth of a penny.

n Cheque provided to settle outstanding payments on current lease agreement(s).

Over 5,000 businesses currently benefit from using Focus Telecom for their calls and lines. You may think you are already getting a good deal on your telephone bill, but by taking the time to speak to one of our account managers, you will find that we can save you money by switching to us as your provider.

n New Royal Mail license implemented, and installed and full training with new equipment. n Guaranteed same day service call back.

n 24/7 Fault reporting.

AXA PPP Medical Insurance Direct savings through subsidised Sussex Enterprise membership (50%) or cash back on premiums (10%). Chamber Roadside Assistance (provided by the AA) Save up to 61% off Standard Price. Legal Expenses Nine areas covered offering over £670,000 worth of protection per year. Campaigning Lobby on issues that are important to business. Contacts with key decision makers at a local, regional and national level. Fund Finder Tool Access over 3,000 funding opportunities Regus Preferred Card Access to 1,500 business lounges globally, further information to follow soon.

n Contract comparison meeting.

Health Care Cash Plan The product can save money by managing risk and absenteeism, promoting quicker return to work. It is a low-cost employee reward, which helps recruit and retain staff. Moreover, it can form part of a Health & Safety strategy, reducing the risk of stress and musculoskeletal related litigation. Flexible packages mean the product can suit all businesses. • Service operated in partnership with Westfield Health. • Includes (to varying degrees depending on the level of cover chosen): • cash benefits towards routine treatments • diagnostic scanning facilities • 24/7 advice line operated by GP’s • Employee Assistance Programme • subsidised gym membership

contact

Chamber Utilities ENER-G The service helps save energy by highlighting inefficiencies and proposing solutions. • Audit bills to ensure current rates are competitive. • Compare the energy market and find the most competitive prices and suppliers. • Explain your contract obligations and clarify your T&C’s. • Liaise with suppliers throughout the contract saving time and resource. • Validate every bill to ensure you only pay for the energy you use. • Measure and analyse your energy usage to identify cost savings. • Help save energy by highlighting inefficiencies and proposing solutions e.g. behavioural change and energy efficient technologies.

Sussex Enterprise Insurance Services The benefit can help save money and protect your business by: • In 90% of Sussex Enterprise businesses, guaranteeing to reduce or match your premium rates from 2012. • Fixed premium rates for three years (provided claims do not exceed 35% of the premiums paid in each year). • 0% monthly direct debit payments so the cost can be spread over 12 months without any instalment charge. • Support from dedicated Account Personnel with direct dial, direct email access and faceto-face meetings throughout Sussex. • Help when you need it most the claims notification line open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. • Risk Management Support to help protect your business against the unexpected.

For additional information on any of the above member benefits, please visit our website www.sussexenterprise.co.uk or call 0844 371 5404

business edge august/september 2014

chamber benefits 43

Training Courses A Foundation Course in Importing

An Introduction to Export Procedures

When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Monday 13th October 2014 Where: The King’s Centre, Burgess Hill

When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Monday 29th September 2014 Where: The King’s Centre, Burgess Hill

The seminar will offer practical guidance on the latest procedures, terminology and documentation required for successful importing. It will highlight some of the pitfalls that often cause importers to incur unnecessary costs and delays in arrival of goods and suggest some ways of avoiding these. It will examine Customs rules and compliance procedures and look briefly at some of the duty reliefs available. A summary of The New Incoterms® Rules 2010 will be included.

The course is suitable for those new to the problems of exporting and for experienced exporters who need to update their knowledge. No prior knowledge of exporting is assumed. The content will be relevant to field and office based sales staff, purchasing staff, shipping and dispatch personnel, accounts and finance staff, customer services, freight forwarders.

Professional Presentation Skills

When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Wednesday 1st October 2014 Where: The King’s Centre, Burgess Hill

When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Tuesday 4th November 2014 Where: The King’s Centre, Burgess Hill Do you get a buzz out of presenting, or do you avoid it at all costs? In business there are few people who don’t have to make a presentation as part of their role: it may be a manager imparting information or encouraging their team; it may be an individual presenting at a seminar or conference, it may be a sales person pitching to win a big contract. However, most people are not born with innate presentation skills, they have to be learned and practised. With practical exercises and clear feedback, this course can ensure your presentation is delivered to maximum impact. You may even begin to enjoy public speaking!

Customer Service Excellence

Customer service expectations are rising and your company needs to keep up and exceed expectations if you are going to maximise repeat business and referrals. This course will help your staff to enjoy giving the best service they can and to feel confident dealing with problems well when things go wrong.

Effective Supervision & Team Leadership When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Tuesday 7th October 2014 Where: The King’s Centre, Burgess Hill It has often been said that the biggest challenges a manager faces come when they first transition into a supervisory or team leadership role. First line management requires a very different mind-set to any operational role and requires a very different skill set. This course will support supervisors, both new and experienced, to focus on how to successfully lead their teams (rather than just keeping their heads down and trying to do most of the work themselves).

contact

For additional information on any of the above member benefits, please visit our website www.sussexenterprise.co.uk or call 0844 371 5404 august/september 2014 business edge

44 new members

Welcome to Sussex Enterprise Membership of Sussex Enterprise 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. 1st Class Consulting Ltd, Shirley Zhang 43 Cliveden, Court, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6UD

Beaver Cars Ltd Matthew Peskett Unit 19, Blackhouse Farm, Blackhouse Road, Colgate, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6HS

Green Growth Nurseries Nicholas Porter 45 Knebworth Road, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex TN39 4JJ

+44(0)07510 489569 letsgolohas@163.com

01403258600 beavercars@aol.com www.beavercars.co.uk

+44(0)07808 01812 greengrowthnurseries@outlook.com

AMC Sheet Metal Fabrications Ltd Anthony Twigger Units 1, 2 & 3 The Chilterns, Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8SU 01903752127 tony.twigger@amcsheetmetal.com www.amcsheetmetal.co.uk Appleby Petfield Andrew Petfield Heffle Buildings, 33a High Street, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 8HU

Bestway Wholesale Ltd Simone Dodd 6 Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury Trading Estate, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 8AS +44(0)01273 500227 salesexec.brighton@bestway.co.uk http://www.bestway.co.uk/about-us.php Blair Installations Ltd Steve Blair The Old Fire Station, 80 Church Road, Portslade, Brighton, East Sussex BN41 1LA 01273426826 steve@blairinstallations.co.uk www.blairinstallations.co.uk

+44(0)1435 866446 info@ap-surveyors.co.uk www.ap-surveyors.co.uk Aspiring Training Ltd John Durrant 10a-12a Hgh Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3AW +44(0)01342 823348 training@alexandra-durrant.co.uk www.alexandra-durrant.co.uk

Cullen Scholefield Vicki Taylor Oak House, 39 Marlow Drive, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3SR +44(0)01444455052 vtaylor@csgconsult.com www.csgconsult.com

Hygiene Chemicals Ltd Ben Patterson Unit 4, Hazelwood Trading Estate, Dominion Way, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 8LU 01903210222 info@hygienechemicals.co.uk Ion Safety Ltd Simon Mitchell Unit 1 Beeching Close, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 3YF 01424810115 simon@ionsafety.co.uk http://www.ion-safety.co.uk/about.html Mannings Heath Golf Club Sarah Temple-Smithson Fullers, Hammerpond Road, Mannings Heath, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6PG, 44(0)01403210228 ssmithson@manningsheath.com www.manningsheath.com

Augustinian Care (St Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park) Dawn Sanders-Ditchling Common, Ditchling, West Sussex RH15 0SF

ENG Legal Mary Howard Flat 9, St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mount, Mount Pleasant, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 0JP

Marine Testing Solutions Ltd Alan Whelton 7 Barwick Close, Rustington, Littlehampton, East Sussex BN16 3TT

01444259720 dsanders@anh.org.uk www.aadnh.org.uk

+44(0)1273 271858 mhoward@englegal.co.uk www.englegal.co.uk

+44(0)01903 778718 alanw@marinetestingsolutions.com www.marinetestingsolutions.com

contact business edge august/september 2014

SUSSEX ENTERPRISE 0845 67 888 67 www.sussexenterprise.co.uk

new members 45

MCI Micro Control Instruments Sias Jordaan 5 Allington Crescent, Newick, East Sussex BN8 4NT

Parmar Staffing Ltd Steve Parmar-Greaves 36a Goring Road, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4AD

Shell-Clad Ltd Guy Wrench Worth Farm,Worth Lane, Little Horsted, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5TT

01825 508 539 sias@mci-neuroscience.com www.mci-neuroscience.com

01903245027 steve@parmarstaffing.co.uk www.parmarstaffing.co.uk

01825750699 gw@wmo-creative.com www.wmo-creative.com

Metaltech Precision Engineering Ltd Alec Hill Unit 4, Diplocks Way, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3JF

Playstation Adrian Calder-Reade 3-4 Commercial Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3XE

T & M Training Terri Jacobs Flat 3, 2 Pelham Place, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 1EN

+44(0)01323845371 alec.hill@metaltech.uk.com www.metaltech.uk.com

+44(0)01323411527 acalderreade@aol.com www.playstationeastbourne.com

+44(0)07837 614095 tandmtrainingsolutions@gmail.com

Omicron UHV Technik Ltd (Oxford Instruments) Teresa Bennett Unit 1 The Felbridge Centre, Willard Way, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1XP

Quench Jamie Baker 2-4 Church Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9AE

Torr Scientific Ltd Jeremy Green Unit 11, Pebsham Rural Business Centre, Pebsham Lane, Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex TN40 2RZ

01342 331000 Teresa.bennett@omicron.co.uk www.omicron-instruments.com

+44(0)01444 253332 contactus@quenchbar.co.uk www.quenchbar.co.uk

+44(0)01424225228 j.green@torrscientific.co.uk www.torrscientific.co.uk

Pain Relief Cushions Judith Dunsmore 9 Honeycrag Close, Polegate,East Sussex BN26 6QJ

Sarah Bird Consultancy Sarah Bird 6 Wheatsheaf Close, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 8UT

+44(0)1323 488929 info@painreliefcushions.co.uk www.painreliefcushions.com

+44(0)07872477070 mail@sarahbird-consultancy.co.uk www.sarahbird-consultancy.co.uk

contact

SUSSEX ENTERPRISE 0845 67 888 67 www.sussexenterprise.co.uk august/september 2014 business edge

46 business matters L to R – Amber Rudd MP, Julie Nixey, Richard Cushing

Contemporary Furnishings Shop Opens in Hastings A furniture shop in Hastings Old Town has been revitalised with an investment by two entrepreneurs, with funding from Barclays. Richard Cushing has a background in retailing having worked as a buyer for major names in the airline and petroleum industries and was running his own retail consultancy. His wife Julie is also an experienced retailer with skills in colour and design. They discovered that a furniture shop in the George Street was available. Richard said: “Hastings is the ideal location for our new enterprise - Respire Living. With the town really starting to thrive and the accompanying increase in property sales, people are looking for fashionable furniture and fittings. When we took over the shop we started from scratch and re designed it with a contemporary feel in a style that we feel fits perfectly with Hastings’ ambitions.”

business edge august/september 2014

Local MP Amber Rudd formally opened the business and said: “It is an absolute delight to see George Street thriving and bustling with visitors and residents. It is a great sign that our high streets are growing and demand for local independent shops is strong.” The business is committed to supporting the local community and has one full time and three part time employees. The company is committed to sourcing as much as is possible from the UK and stock greeting cards from an artist in Robertsbridge, candles from a family business in Cornwall, baskets and soft furnishings from Scotland and a range of sofas made in the Midlands.

When the partners were looking for funding for the business, Barclays provided a locally based business manager who knew the area. Richard said: “With one bank I was speaking to an adviser based 100 miles away who didn’t even know where Hastings was, so it was a real pleasure to deal with Darren Kendall who knows the town well and knew exactly which shop we were looking to buy. He could see the potential in the business plan and we put together a loan application.” Darren said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Richard and Julie to help them to achieve their ambitions and it is great to see Respire Living operating so successfully.”

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Business Edge Business Ad Jan Edge 2014.indd Ad Jan 2014.indd 1 1

30/01/2014 30/01/2014 09:41 august/september 2014 business edge

48 diary

SUSSEX ENTERPRISE NETWORKING EVENTS Sussex Manufacturing Forum

October Lunch Club

1-2-1 Business Review Clinic

When: 8.00am – 11.00am, Tuesday 2nd September Where: Ricardo Techincal, Shoreham-by-Sea This event is for Members only - £20 +VAT

When: 12.30pm – 15.00pm, Thursday 23rd October Where: East Sussex National Golf Club, East Sussex All Sussex Enterprise Members can attend this event free of charge Non members can attend one event free of charge as a sampler

When: 09.00am – 16.30pm, Tuesday 16th September, Tuesday 14th October Where: Worthing Town Hall Premier Members and Member plus members can access this service free of charge Standard Member - £25.00 + VAT Non Member - £75 + VAT

Networking Breakfast: Managing for the Future When: 07.30am – 10.00am, Tuesday 9th September Where: Fontwell Park Racecourse, West Sussex All Sussex Enterprise Members can attend this event free of charge Non members can attend one event free of charge as a sampler

Sussex Construction Forum When: 07.30am – 10.00am, Tuesday 16th September Where: Hotel Seattle, Brighton This event is for Members only - £20 +VAT

Sussex International Trade Forum When: 17.45pm – 20.30pm, Thursday 2nd October Where: Lloyds Banking Group, Gatwick This event is for Members only - £20 +VAT

Networking Breakfast When: 07.30am – 10.00am, Tuesday 16th October Where: TBC All Sussex Enterprise Members can attend this event free of charge Non members can attend one event free of charge as a sampler

Contact

1-2-1 Business Review Clinics When: 16.00 – 16.30pm, Tuesday 2nd September, Tuesday 30th September, Thursday 30th October, Where: University of Chichester, Bognor Regis Campus Premier Members and Member plus members can access this service free of charge Standard Member - £25.00 + VAT Non Member - £75 + VAT

1-2-1 Business Review Clinic When: 09.00am – 16.30pm, Tuesday 23rd September, Tuesday 21st October Where: Horsham, Coast to Capital Offices Premier Members and Member plus members can access this service free of charge Standard Member - £25.00 + VAT Non Member - £75 + VAT

1-2-1 Business Review Clinic When: 9.00am – 16.30pm, Thursday 4th September, Thursday 11th September, Wednesday 17th September, Thursday 18th September, Thursday 25th September, Thursday 2nd October, Thursday 9th October, Wednesday 15th October, Thursday 16th October, Thursday 23rd October, Tuesday 28th October Where: Offices of Sussex Enterprise, Burgess Hill Premier Members and Member plus members can access this service free of charge Standard Member - £25.00 + VAT Non Member - £75 + VAT

1-2-1 Business Review Clinic When: 09.00am – 16.30pm, Tuesday 9th September, Tuesday 7th October Where: Crawley Town Hall Premier Members and Member plus members can access this service free of charge Standard Member - £25.00 + VAT Non Member - £75 + VAT

For all bookings and enquiries, please contact us in the following ways: Tel: 0844 37 595 50 events@sussexenterprise.co.uk www.sussexenterprise.co.uk/events

If you would like to book a place onto any of the above events or would like information on membership, please visit our website www.sussexenterprise.co.uk or call 0844 371 5405

business edge august/september 2014

diary 49

TRAINING COURSES People & Team Management When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Monday 8th September 2014 Designed for managers who would like a solid grounding in people management best practice. The content is designed to lay the foundations for strong manger/staff relationships, ensuring that they know how to focus on doing their people management job well and can deal with more difficult situations.

Developing Your Management & Leadership Skills When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Wednesday 10th September 2014 This course builds on the topics covered in Stage 1 to give a more complete overview of people management best practice. These topics can also be seen as more advanced or involved for experienced managers.

Time Management and Personal Effectiveness When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Monday 29th September 2014 During these tough economic times we are all trying to get more done with less resource. For many of us the resource under the most pressure seems to be our time. This course is all about investing some time and energy up front so that you find ways to stay in control and become as effective at work as you can be.

Contact

Demystifying Disciplinary & Grievance When: 09:30am – 12:30pm Friday 17th October 2014 Every now and then the relationship between an employer and employee can encounter serious difficulties which can’t be handled with the usual performance management techniques. The problems cannot be allowed to fester but the fear of making things worse or putting the business at risk means many employers avoid dealing with it.

Successful Selling Skills When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Wednesday 22nd October 2014 You know you have the right product or service, now all you have to do is translate this into money in the bank through your sales. Sales does not need to be pushy, annoying and manipulative. In fact to be really effective you need to build genuine strong relationships with customers and find ways to meet their needs for repeat business and referrals.

People & Team Management When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Wednesday 12th November 2014 Designed for managers who would like a solid grounding in people management best practice. The content is designed to lay the foundations for strong manger/ staff relationships, ensuring that they know how to focus on doing their people management job well and can deal with more difficult situations.

Using Documentary Letters of Credit, Drafts & Bills When: 09:30am – 16:230pm Monday 17th November 2014 This course is suitable for both importers and exporters. The content will be relevant to field and office based sales staff, purchasing staff, shipping and despatch personnel, accounts and finance staff, customer services, freight forwarders. No previous knowledge or experience is necessary and it will be suitable for experienced personnel who require an update on the latest rules.

Classification of Goods Using Commodity & Tariff Codes When: 09:30am – 12:30pm Friday 24th October 2014 The correct classification of goods using commodity and tariff codes is fundamental for customs compliance, establishing correct duty rates, origin of goods, intrastat, export control and many other customs procedures. Increasingly security procedures at ports of exit/entry are being linked to commodity and tariff codings.

For additional information on any of the above training courses, please visit our website www.sussexenterprise.co.uk or call 0844 371 5405 august/september 2014 business edge

training continued

business matters

Confident Communication & Assertiveness Skills When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Wednesday 19th November 2014 Almost everyone in business needs to be able to communicate effectively to get things done. Technology often makes us more distant rather than helping us build rapport and be fully understood. This course helps staff and managers practise avoiding appearing aggressive or submissive to others. It helps them recognise the triggers for aggressive and submissive behaviour in themselves and others so they can chose an assertive response.

Developing Your Management & Leadership Skills When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Wednesday 3rd December 2014 This course builds on the topics covered in Stage 1 to give a more complete overview of people management best practice. These topics can also be seen as more advanced or involved for experienced managers.

Exporting - Understanding the Paperwork When: 09:30am – 16:30pm Monday 8th December 2014 Designed for more experienced exporters, those who require a refresher course or updating in the latest procedures or those who have attended the Introduction to Export Operations course. It will be assumed that delegates have a basic knowledge of exporting procedures. The content will be relevant to field and office based sales staff, purchasing staff, shipping and despatch personnel, accounts and finance staff, customer services, freight forwarders.

business edge august/september 2014

Eastbourne school celebrates construction milestone A new £11.8 million school in Eastbourne reached a milestone at a special ‘topping out’ ceremony. The ceremony, to mark the structural completion of the new building, was held by Gildredge House Free School in conjunction with Willmott Dixon, which has carried out the building work. The traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Janet Coles and watched by students, senior teachers, parents and governors. The event came as the school looked forward to opening its doors to 176 more students in September. John Waterman, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon‘s local office, said: “We are delighted to have played a role in the free school movement and the building of Gildredge House Free School. We have worked closely with the team here to ensure that needs have been met whilst using local

companies to work on our behalf in order to benefit the local economy.”

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