Business Matters 14

BusinessMatters Quarterly Magazine of West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce

ISSUE14 SUMMER2013

Are You a Business SuperHERO? Get Recognised at the Chamber Awards Page 5

West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce

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BusinessMatters

CONTENTS

ISSUE13 SPRING2013

05

07 09

18

10

get Export and 04 Retailers Investment Action Plan

STARTED 10 GETTING with tony novotny

INTERVIEW WITH 18 BIG Colin Billingsley

Your Confidential Data 06 IsProtected?

13 HOW I WORK

DATES AND 29 DIARY LEARN ONLINE

07 24 HOURS WITH

15 AS I SEE IT

32 LET’S GET SOCIAL

Wales Rally GB Set to Boost 08 North Wales

Contact: Daniel Shires Communications Manager West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce Riverside Innovation Centre 1 Castle Drive, Chester CH1 1SL www.wcnwchamber.org.uk Twitter @chamberwcnw LinkedIn http://linkd.in/chamberwcnw Telephone +44 (0) 1244 669988

TO? Deliver Awe Inspiring 17 HOW 34 JUST MORE THING Presentations…

Production & Design Distinctive Publishing 6th Floor, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE8 3HU Telephone 0845 884 2384 production@distinctivepublishing.co.uk www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Advertising John Neilson Commercial Director Telephone 0845 884 2343 john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk Contributing Editor John Dean & Francis Griss deangriss@btinternet.com

Disclaimer

Distinctive Publishing or West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce 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 West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce.

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

India Business Factfile Population: 1.2bn (2011 census) Area: 1,269,219 square miles Capital city: New Dehli Official languages: Hindi, English With one of the world’s fastest growing economies and despite a complex market, India cannot be ignored by UK companies wishing to expand internationally.

Retailers get Export and Investment Action Plan The government is backing Britain’s retailers to expand into fast-growing and lucrative overseas markets.

Business Secretary Vince Cable launched the UK Retail Industry International Action Plan at the largest annual gathering of senior retailers, Retail Week Live in March. The action plan was developed

by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in association with the retail industry.

The global retail sector has held up well in recent years recording a compound annual growth rate of 7%. Sales are expected to grow by 8% annually through to 2016.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “The retail industry is a significant contributor to the UK economy employing more than 3m people and generating £300b for our economy. British brands have a deservedly world class reputation for sustainability, quality and innovation.

“The UK’s dominance in e-commerce puts retailers in a world-beating position to capitalise on the fast growing demand for British goods and luxury brands.

“As we rebalance the economy with more exportled growth, retail has an important role to play.

With this action plan UKTI will back small and large retailers across the UK to grow and expand into new export markets.”

British Retail Consortium Director General Helen Dickinson said: “British retail is world class and given the opportunity can be more successful in markets across the globe. We are delighted that UKTI, working together with the Business Matters

4

rest of government and with the retail industry, recognises the strength of British retail and is committed to helping it prosper in world markets.

“This International Action Plan should make a real difference. It will ensure that retailers who need help and advice get it, and that the British government’s efforts to tackle barriers to trade overseas are properly co-ordinated.”

The two-year plan sets out three major campaigns led by UKTI to assist retailers to grow internationally:

The business opportunities, which a few years ago, existed only in the traditional economic heartlands of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore have now stretched to the emerging cities of Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Pune and Jaipur to name but a few. A report by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) identifies and outlines the opportunities in the next generation cities in India where UK companies can build long term relationships in the future.

India is full of opportunities, some very visible and some still to be unearthed. As long as people are able to find innovative solutions and creative collaborations, the trade and investment relations between India and the UK will keep growing.

Opportunities include: n Aerospace (civil) n Automotive n Agribusiness n Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals n Construction n Creative and media n Education, skills and leisure

Support for retailers to use all the available ways to reach international customers. Britain’s 228,000 online retailers already export more than the rest of Europe’s e-retailers put together

n Engineering

Targeting the rapidly growing number of middle class consumers in priority markets where British luxury brands are highly prized including Mumbai, Beijing, Istanbul, St Petersburg, Shanghai, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Warsaw

n Healthcare and medical

Working with retailers to develop the UK experience economy offer to offshore customers.

UK firms are well placed to win new international business leveraging Britain’s unrivalled expertise at marrying retail opportunities with leisure and cultural institutions when developing new shopping destinations.

You can download the action plan at http://bit.ly/internationalactionplan.

n Environment n Financial and legal services n ICT n Oil and gas n Power n Transport n Water.

For more information on exporting to India, contact Paul Reid, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Trade and Investment on paul.reid@fco.gsi.gov.uk.

CHAMBER NEWS

Celebrate Summer at the Chamber Cocktail Party Enjoy the stunning surrounds of the Eaton Estate, Chester at West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s Cocktail Party on July 10th.

The country residence of the Chamber’s President the Duke of Westminster provides the beautiful and historic backdrop for the prestigious annual event.

Colin Brew, Chamber Executive Director said: “The cocktail party is one of our ‘iconic’ events and a highlight of our event calendar each year.

We look forward to personally welcoming you to this prestigious event at the Duke of Westminster Estate and introducing you Chamber members and our Board of Directors.

Tickets cost £25 + VAT for Chamber members and £30 + VAT for non members; for more information contact the Chamber team on 01244 669988 or by emailing info@wcnwchamber.org.uk

It’s a fantastic opportunity to network and promote your business, not to mention a wonderful evening into the bargain. Tickets are selling fast so be sure to secure yours soon.

Still Time to Enter Chamber Awards The clock may be ticking down but there’s still time to get your business entered to the 2013 Chamber Awards.

Categories include Online Business of the Year,

The Chamber has teamed up with DHL to provide half price exporting for all members in their first year of international trade with the logistics organisation.

Members can make major savings each time they ship, giving businesses more money to invest in other areas.

To find out more, visit www.wcnwchamber. org.uk/join-us and click on the membership benefits menu.

The Mill Hotel, Chester has announced its new rooftop Conference and Events Suite is complete and open for business.

The venue can be used for conferences, gala dinners, and private functions and offers 168 square metres of space, with room for 100 delegates or 80 private dining guests.

For more information visit www.millhotel.com

The summer cocktail party offers guests the opportunity to network with our extensive group of Chamber members, both new and existing in this wonderful setting.

Businesses across West Cheshire and North Wales have until 28th June to nominate themselves in a host of categories and be in with a chance of winning one of the coveted prizes along with a £25,000 cash prize.

Half Price Exports With DHL

Mill Hotel Opens New Conference and Events Suite

Mezzo soprano Faye Anglesea will provide musical entertainment during the evening, which will include a champagne reception and a selection of delicious canapés served throughout.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to network and promote your business, not to mention a wonderful evening into the bargain. Tickets are selling fast so be sure to secure yours soon.”

BitesizeNews

Exporter of the Year, Excellence in Innovation and much more.

Last year Cheshire-based Prism Total IT Solutions won the Excellence in Customer Service Award. To enter, visit www.chamberawards.co.uk

Extending Funding for Lending Will Help Credit Reach Growing Businesses The government and the Bank of England have confirmed the extension of the Funding for Lending scheme and its widening to include more types of business finance.

John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The extension and widening of the Funding for Lending scheme (FLS) shows that the Chancellor and the Bank of England are listening hard, and acting to address continued business frustration around tight credit conditions. We are particularly encouraged by the fact that incentives for SME lending have been sharpened, and that the new-look FLS will cover sources of finance beyond the banks, including assetbased lenders and invoice discounters.

Skill Strategy Steps Must Work for All Regional Businesses All businesses across West Cheshire and North Wales need to be able to benefit from Government’s new Skills Strategy.

That’s the view of the Chamber following the announcement of the initiative ‘Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills’ by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock MP. Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Businesses must have confidence in training providers to deliver high-quality, work ready candidates, so we are pleased that those who underperform will face consequences.”

Business Matters

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MEMBERS NEWS

Too many bosses?

How does employee ownership work?

A businessman asked me recently how employee ownership worked. If every employee was also an owner, he wondered, how were decisions ever made?

Employee owners need to understand their rights and duties as employees and shareholders separately. Employee owned companies often employ a traditional management structure. On a daily basis, an employee owner has a certain job to do, whether it is on a production line or as a financial director. They have outputs to deliver.

That employee also has the rights of a shareholder which are exercised in accordance with the rules of the company. The employee has voting rights, which they exercise at certain times –such as AGM’s and General Meetings. They will contribute to the development of the business through open meetings and feedback groups which will help employees engage with the overall

aims of the company and encourage innovation and growth. Good, open communication is key.

The benefits are obvious. More engaged employees result in higher productivity and lower absenteeism.

Improved engagement often results in improved innovation rates. Higher productivity and improved innovation equal more growth and bigger profits.

Employee ownership is an option for business owners looking to engage employees and grow their companies. It is also a fair and sustainable exit strategy for owners.

July 4th is National Employee Ownership Day, but before that, we will be hosting a mini-conference ‘Employee Ownership: Solutions for the Private Sector’ aimed at business support and professional services at the Swalec stadium in Cardiff on 28th June. Free places can be booked on www. walescooperative.org or by calling 0300 111 5050.

Is Your Confidential Data Protected?

Research published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in April suggested more businesses than ever are facing the threat of losing confidential information.

The report indicated 87% of small businesses across all sectors experienced a breach of confidential information in the past 12 months, an increase of more than 10% on the previous year, costing up to 6% of their turnover.

The report also showed: n 93% of large organisations reported data security breaches in the past year n The average cost of a security breach for a small business was £35,000 to £65,000 and for large organisations between £450,000 and £850,000 n 78% of large organisations were attacked by an unauthorised outsider (up from 73% a year ago) and 63% of small businesses ( up from 41% a year ago) n 81% reported that their senior management place a high or very high priority on security, however many senior executives have not been able to translate expenditure in to effective security defences n 12% of the worst security breaches were partly caused senior management giving insufficient priority to security.

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David Willetts, the Minister for Universities and Science said: “Keeping information safe and secure is vital to a business’s bottom line. Companies are more at risk than ever of having their security compromised and no sector is immune from attack. But there are simple steps that can be taken to prevent the majority of incidents.”

Chris Storrar, Director of Dataguardsman said: “Apart from fines up to £500,000 imposed by the Information Commissioner, you can seriously damage the value of your business on sale or merger if you have ignored data security.

“Dataguardsman helps put in place everything you need to keep your precious information safe and secure no matter the size of your business and gives you the benefit of insurance should you receive a penalty from the Information Commissioner’s office for breach of the Data Protection Act.” Visit www.dataguardsman.co.uk for a free trial or email dsar@dataguardsman.co.uk for more information.

24HOURSWITH 24 HOURS

Paul Staples

Airport Operations Director Liverpool John Lennon Airport

“Just when you think you’ve seen it all in aviation, something new comes along to challenge you,” describes Paul Staples, Director of Airport Operations at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA).

“There really is no environment quite like it. After 14 years I still get a great buzz from seeing families heading off full of excitement, not to mention some of the ‘interesting’ sights you see heading off on hen and stag weekends!”

Paul, 44, originally from Surrey and now residing in Warrington has been in the role for 18 months, having originally joined the airport in 1999 as an Apron Controller. His aviation

background began in 1987 when he joined the Royal Air Force as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller, he said: “Since heading north in 1999 I’ve worked in various operational roles at Liverpool, Durham and even two years working for North West Fire Services.

JLA handles flights to 60 destinations across Europe, together with ancillary services offering on-site car parking, food, beverages, duty free and other shopping opportunities.

“My role requires me to ensure the safe, secure and smooth day to day operation of the airport. The most important part of the role is to

ensure the safety and security of our customers and staff whilst on any of our premises.”

constantly tweak our ways of working in order to try to continuously improve our services.

His day begins with a check of the duty operational logs over a bowl of cereal so he can be fully prepared to begin work once he arrives.

After speaking to the airport’s duty manager whilst walking the dog at 6.30am, he embarks on the 25 minute commute to the main terminal.

“Aviation carries a number of challenges you can plan for, but still present an enormous hurdle when they arrive. Take for example winter operations; long gone are the days of me wishing for a white Christmas!

The planning and work for this period begins in August and when the inevitable few days of snow arrives, a phenomenal amount of work is required. Once again our airside and landside teams have done an amazing job this winter in keeping our passengers flying.”

Following what he describes as an ‘essential’ coffee, Paul begins the task of relationship management through meetings, emails and telephone conversations with some of the 1500 people who work at the airport and the 200 employed directly

by JLA. He said: “I work closely with the airside and landside teams, whose diverse responsibilities include airside safety, wildlife control, customer care, car parking, air traffic control and emergency response.

I’ll spend most mornings reviewing our performance and planning ways we can make things better. We

After a lunch break with colleagues at one of JLA’s many food retailers, Paul continues work and tries to get out and about around the airport. Evenings can be just as busy, as he produces monthly reports or presentations, as well as his obligations for JLA’s parent Vantage Airport Group, he said: “Vantage currently operates 11 airports worldwide and there are often projects on the go that involve

the sharing of expertise between them. This not only keeps the job interesting, it ensures Liverpool benefits from worldwide experience, something that wasn’t possible before the Vantage acquisition.”

Looking ahead, JLA’s focus is on the attention of the quality of customer care at the airport, Paul said: “We want to provide a welcoming environment for the people of the North West to fly to and from and talk about it with pride. We’re working harder than ever to ensure people enjoy their experience and to attract new airlines such as the recent introduction of Norwegian, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.

“Aviation is full of ups and downs (no pun intended!), and the people who work tirelessly to support its success really do come together when it’s at its most challenging.

Coming from a military background I wondered whether I’d ever be able to replace the camaraderie and the determination to succeed. I’ve not missed the blue suit for a single day since arriving in Liverpool.”

Business Matters

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CHAMBER NEWS

Confidence Amongst Exporters Remains High, but Mixed Fortunes Suggest Challenges Remain The latest DHL/BCC Trade Confidence Index report shows that confidence levels in future turnover and profitability remain high, but there was a slight fall from Q4 2012.

Overall, the index number used to calculate the volume of trade documents required of all businesses exporting outside the EU, now stands at 114.84; this represents an increase of 0.95% on Q4 2012 and is now the second highest since records began three years ago, although if compared to the same quarter in 2012 the figure is 1.49% down.

Responses from more than 1,800 firms reveal that export orders and sales fell when compared to Q4 2012, however when broken down the services sector fall was marginal compared to the manufacturing sector. There was also a small increase in the number of businesses planning to take on new staff, particularly within medium and larger firms.

The key findings from the report: n 41% of exporters said their export sales increased in Q1 2013, compared to 14% of respondents, who said that they decreased n In the services sector, export sales increased for 44% of firms,

down from 46% in Q4 2012. In manufacturing, export sales increased for only 36% of firms, down from 45% in the previous quarter n Small firms’ order balances increased by 2% and medium firms’ order balances increased by 11%. Larger firms however reported a fall of 10% and micro firms a fall of 3% n 59% of exporters feel that their turnover will increase throughout 2013. 50% believe that their profitability will improve in 2013 n More than a quarter of firms (28%) said that they expected to increase staff this year, up from 27% in Q4 2012.

John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “Although the manufacturing sector recorded a sharp fall in exports, the UK’s larger services sector continues to drive overseas trade. Optimism remains high amongst the UK businesses I visit week in, week out, who are determined to grow, create wealth,

and break into new and fast-growing markets abroad, in spite of the continued risks facing UK exporters.

“These results are a mixed bag, and reflect the challenges still being faced by those trading internationally.

We need more companies to take the plunge and start exporting and to do this they need support from government, particularly through investment in trade promotion. If we are to win the ‘economic war’ that the Prime Minister has described on numerous occasions, we need both a more enterprise-friendly environment and a large-scale increase in the resources and attention dedicated to supporting international trade.”

Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL Express UK and Ireland, said: “It’s really encouraging to see SMEs forging the way for British businesses overseas, particularly in this time of economic uncertainty.

“As the eurozone crisis continues to erode both business and consumer confidence, those businesses that are looking to trade internationally should be taking advantage of the potential of Asia and emerging territories. The government has estimated that by 2030, Asian consumers’ spending is expected to be around 32 trillion dollars annually or about 43% of worldwide consumption; a major opportunity for businesses of any size.”

Wales Rally GB Set to Boost North Wales Businesses across North Wales can expect a boost thanks to the announcement the finale of the World Rally Championship will take place in the region this November.

in the region in the past, especially the celebrations by Colin McRae at Chester Racecourse in 1995.

“This announcement is major for the region and one we’re sure businesses across North Wales will embrace. In motorsport terms rallying stands shoulder to shoulder with Formula 1 in terms of prestige, making this the equivalent of having a North Wales Grand Prix.

After 14 years based in Cardiff, Wales Rally GB organisers have announced the event will be based in Deeside when the four day competition begins on 14th November in Conwy.

Wales Rally GB is the traditional finale of the 13 round World Rally Championship, which visits countries across the globe including Mexico, Argentina, Finland, Australia and Spain.

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Daniel Shires, Chamber Communications Manager said: “The Chamber is delighted to

welcome Wales Rally GB to the North Wales as the area has fond memories of the event taking place

“The region can expect an economic boost as motorsport fans from around the world descend on North Wales this coming November.”

CHAMBER NEWS

Gold Medal for Jones Bros After Fifth Straight Award Success

Let Us Showcase Your Artistic Talent!

Are you an amateur photographer looking for a way to get your artwork out there?

Let us help! We want to give snappers in West Cheshire and North Wales the chance to have their work resplendent on Business Matters’ front cover.

For the second edition in a row Wrexhambased photographer Kierion Lloyd answered our call and shared his picture of a business ‘Superman’. You can check out more of his work at www.flickr.com/captain_keen.

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has been awarded a prestigious gold medal after being named one of the country’s safest construction companies for a fifth consecutive year.

The Ruthin-based firm is among the winners at the 2013 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Awards, which commends firms that show outstanding dedication to health and safety procedures.

The gold medal, which is given to companies that achieve five consecutive RoSPA gold awards, was presented to Jones Bros at an awards ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel at the National Exhibition Centre on May 15.

Dave Gibson, Health and Safety Manager at Jones Bros, said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve won this award, and shows the dedication all of our employees have to site safety.

“Health and safety is at the forefront of everything we do at Jones Bros, and the gold medal proves how important meeting the highest safety standards are to us.”

The RoSPA awards scheme, which is now in its 57th year, is the premier occupational health and safety programme of its kind in the UK. The awards take into account excellence in a number of health and safety criteria, including accident record keeping, health and safety management systems and workforce engagement.

Jones Bros has a long-standing dedication to ensuring the health

Chester Film Director Nominated for BAFTA

It’s fantastic that we’ve won this award, and shows the dedication all of our employees have to site safety. and safety of its staff. The gold medal follows the success of site manager Eryl Evans, who was named the North of England winner at the Building Safety Group’s Site Manager Awards last month.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “RoSPA firmly believes that organisations that demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention deserve recognition.

“Jones Bros has shown that it is committed to striving for such continuous improvement and we are delighted to honour it through the presentation of an award.”

A Chester based film director rubbed shoulders with the stars in May after being nominated for a BAFTA. Picturehouse Film’s director and producer Geoff Deehan attended the glittering 2013 British Academy Awards ceremony after being recognised for his Channel 4 special ‘The Plane Crash.’

‘The Plane Crash’ investigated what really happens when a big passenger jet crashes by taking a Boeing 727 into the Mexican desert and flying it into the ground under remote

control. The scientific findings are giving fresh insights into how to make air travel safer.

The film took four years to bring to the screen and involved broadcasters from across the globe. It achieved an audience of 4.2m when first broadcast last year.

Geoff unfortunately lost out on the award to the 2012 Olympics’ ‘Super Saturday’ coverage.

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GETTINGSTARTED GETTING STARTED

Tony Novotny

and reviewing information each day.”

Tony has continued to support his original client on the quality system he helped put in place, as well as working with a number of other small businesses. He has also been involved in the Estates Excellence project at Wrexham and Deeside Industrial Estates, taken on a health and safety role for a client, as well as a project to provide scientific and quality knowledge within companies. Tony said: “Obviously I would like to develop my business further and take the work into other areas. I’m also working on ideas on ‘improving through making mistakes’, or rather learning when things go wrong. All organisations are faced with problems and so failure can present great opportunities for learning and improvement. Effective prevention can not only stop that failure, but similar ones that may happen in the future.”

Tony Novotny Consulting

“Business can develop from unlikely sources” says Quality and Technical Specialist Tony Novotny, 55 from Chester.

This is especially true of his own business, Tony Novotny Consulting, which provides quality, technical and management consultancy to small manufacturing businesses in England and Wales.

“The company was started following an offer of work on quality improvement in a small manufacturing organisation at the end of 2011. I therefore had my first client before I’d officially started!”

Tony said.

Born in Essex, Tony studied Chemistry in London before completing a Doctorate at the University of York. He worked as a scientist and manager for Ilford Photographic Business and latterly Ilford Imaging in Cheshire, before moving to Harman Technology managing technical and quality matters for production for five years.

He then completed a fixed term quality role with NHS Community Services in Liverpool.

After this role finished, he decided to strike out on his own and become a consultant; this however was something he wanted to do a little differently to some of his existing contemporaries. Tony said: “I wouldn’t describe myself as the classic entrepreneur! Earlier in my career I had worked as an ‘internal consultant’ on company projects and greatly enjoyed the experience.

“However I also had some less than positive opinions about consultants, so I was quite clear about the type not to be! I wanted to be sure I was delivering real benefits to the businesses I work with.

“My aim is to help them be more successful and profitable through lower waste, improved processes and effective product development, manufacture and delivery.”

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All organisations are faced with problems and so failure can present great opportunities for learning and improvement.

After beginning work with his first client, Tony put the basic elements of his business together whilst studying for a NEBOSH qualification in health and safety, as well as an environmental management certificate. Tony said: “There’s not really anything that could be called a typical day! As a sole trader I’m responsible for pretty much everything, but I’m lucky to

have experience with a wide range of activities including accounts and IT. “The main things I like to focus on however include working at home on specific projects and tasks like data analysis, producing reports and proposals. Second would be visiting or working at client premises to interact with staff and see technological developments, whilst thirdly acquiring

Business is progressing well for Tony; since starting out two years ago, he’s completed successful projects for a range of clients including the creation of a scaled quality system for a small manufacturer, writing standard operating procedures for a workshop, improvement of customer satisfaction procedures for a sales operation, health and safety audits and much more. Looking ahead, Tony is hoping to combine his work disciplines and provide both technical analysis and action along with training and coaching to continue and maintain improvements.

“I’d like the opportunity to work on environmental management projects and would love to speak to people working in this area. Analysis of environmental aspects and impacts; life cycle analysis etc fit with my work on analysis of quality wastes. I recently completed the NEBOSH certificate in Environmental Management and it would be great to gain some deeper practical experience.

“Businesses I have worked with know that they will get genuine and honest advice and a breadth of experience.

They also know that I will get involved in hard work rather than simply adding to the ‘to do’ list of their key staff.”

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Business Matters

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12

HOWIWORK I’m Andrew Donaldson and This Is…

I set up BiG Storage seven years ago. It’s our third chain of selfstorage warehouses and business centres, the previous two were sold to PLC’s in the ‘noughties’.

BiG Storage offers a wide range of flexible space on easy in/easy out terms, workshops and offices to self-storage rooms and business units, to members of the public and businesses.

What one word best describes how you work?

Quickly!

What’s your workspace like?

I currently work from home; yet despite having a beautiful home office it’s always untidy much to my wife’s dismay.

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

My mobile phone; I’ve had the same number for over 20 years and I do a lot of my business via it. Also Microsoft Outlook for my emails is something I can’t live without.

What are your best time saving tricks?

Being able to delegate.

How do you manage your to-do list?

I’ve been using the ‘Time/System’ diary since I set up in business

WEB INSIGHTS

and each day has a schedule, a focus, activities, who to contact and I manage it on a daily basis.

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without?

My Apple iPad for when I’m not in the office and the Miele Coffee machine for when I am!

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

Creative ideas; implementing

them and driving them forward.

prove him wrong ever since.

What’s your sleep routine like?

Finally, have you got any other ‘lifehack’ tips for getting things done better you’re able to share?

Usually it’s ok, stretching from 11pm to 6am unless I’m stressed out!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

My father, clever guy that he was and deliberately playing to my rebellious streak, told me 22 years ago ‘there’s no money in storage son!’… I’ve been trying to

A few simple philosophies I live by: • Say what you are going to do and just do it • Under promise and over deliver • Treat people how you would expect to be treated yourself • Morals and principles; stick to them!

James Crane Managing Director of Overbyte Interactive and Chamber Director answers your web questions…

What’s the difference between PHP and .net and why are both important?

Think about a car engine, it can be petrol, diesel, gas, electric or even coal! Each uses different technologies and techniques to function, but ultimately have a common output; a turning force to propel your car.

PHP and .net (and others) are just different ways to power your website, making the right information appear to your web browser and audience.

There’s no right or wrong engine, and the same is true of PHP and .net, your choice should be driven by your requirements, the resources available to you and perhaps, your existing systems.

I’m thinking of updating my website? Before I call a developer what questions do I need to ask?

Ask for examples and for them to talk you through past web-design projects. Are they just visually pleasing or have they thought about

how design will change the usability of the site and the users’ journey.

Be confident the developers will still be about in the future, can offer ongoing support and ask what warranty you get against bugs and defects. Check who owns the underlying code. Finally, focus on what you want your website to do, it should be one thing and generally that’s to get a contact form completed.

With that in mind, review design suggestions carefully!

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Business Matters.pdf 16/05/2013 13:47:18

Proactive Gas Safety Ltd

Anniversa th ry 10

Proactive Gas Safety

Safety Training for the Management & Use of Compressed & Cryogenic Gases

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20 03-2013

Proudly delivering high quality, independently assessed and approved training for 10 years in the North West and across the UK.

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Y

“To quote a number of attendees the best training course they have had.

Excellent content and presentation style!” Parker Domnick Hunter

CM

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SPECIALISTS IN PALLET DISTRIBUTION

We provide training and information to staff & management, so risk is minimised, resulting in an assured workforce and a safer workplace.

For more information and to receive a FREE sample Risk Assessment contact us today: email admin@pgstraining.com or call 01606 872864

• DELIVERY OF FULL/PART LOADS • SMALL CONSIGNMENT DELIVERY – 1 PALLET + • 24 HOUR AND ECONOMY SERVICE • HAZARDOUS AND NON HAZARDOUS FREIGHT • WAREHOUSING AND STORAGE • UK, EUROPE, WORLDWIDE

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e-learning

Cheshire Vehicle Installations A company with a wealth of technical experience spanning over 30 years in the motor industry.

Our customers can be assured of complete satisfaction coupled with the professionalism from the service they expect with competitive costs & quality structure in mind. We will install most accessories to most vehicles.

Karalius Brothers Ltd., is a family run business operating in the North West for more than 50 years, specialising in the processing of all industrial generated scrap metals. We package our finished product for direct shipment to various customers in UK and worldwide.

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Vehicle Security - mechanical or electronic

Services

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Locks4Vans High Security slamlocks & deadlocks

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Digital TV and DVD Systems

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Safety Systems

Karalius Brothers buy and sell ferrous and non-ferrous metals, skip hire, site clearance and demolition, also re-usable stainless steel tanks, vessels and valves etc. Karalius Brothers are a member of the British Scrap Federation and Federation of Small Businesses.

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Parking sensors

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Reversing cameras

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Bluetooth ‘Handsfree’ Kit

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Comfort Systems

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Tracking Systems

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Auto electrical work

You are most welcome to bring your metal and vehicles to our four acre site where you will be greeted by our friendly and helpful staff and find ample parking facilities.

Alternatively we our happy to deliver a free skip and collect at your convenience.

If you have a vehicle which you wish to dispose of ..make us your choice. We are authorised to dispose of end of life vehicles and we are there to deal with your paperwork. you are guaranteed a fast effecient service and the best prices.

Satisfied customers are essential to our service business and its growth. Our Company is renowned for its level of service, pricing and product quality.

Have you something you need professionally installed!! .... call Dave Clegg on 07813 997508 for a price or e-mail us. ....at home or work ...we'll come to you!

Scan the QR to your smartphone to save the information !!

07813 997508

dave@cheshirevehicleinstallations.co.uk www.cheshirevehicleinstallations.co.uk Business Matters

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www.karaliusbros.com Karalius Bros Waste Ltd, Oakley House, Dennis Road, Widnes Waterfront Business Park, Widnes, Cheshire WA8 OYQ

Tel: 0151 420 6060 | Fax: 0151 257 8988 juliekaralius@btinternet.com | adkaralius@aol.com

NEWS

Vehicle Tracking Initiative Protects Employers and Workers Employment lawyers at Aaron & Partners LLP have developed a policy that protects companies from falling foul of data protection and privacy laws when using vehicle tracking systems.

The policy also helps to protect employees whose personal data may be used against them during disciplinary procedures.

It comes after the Information Commissioner reported seeing a rise in complaints relating to the monitoring of employees.

Vehicle tracking systems have become increasingly popular with companies that operate one or more vehicles. The systems enable a company to collect data on the vehicle’s use, including location, the time the ignition was switched on and the driver’s behaviour in terms of how the vehicle has been driven.

However the Chester-based firm believes that many employers do not realise they need to make their employees aware that their company vehicle is being monitored or risk legal action. This could occur if an employee is accused of misuse of a company vehicle and has been unaware that the data was being gathered.

Catherine Kerr, one of the firm’s employment specialists who developed the policy, said: “Data or information from the vehicle has been allocated to a particular employee. Without a proper vehicle tracking policy in place arguably employers could be in breach of data protection and privacy laws if they seek to use any data or information gathered from the tracking system.

“As it is not a legal obligation for an employer to install vehicle tracking systems, it is even more important for employers to have a policy in this regard. We envisage these policies becoming standard for all such companies in the near future.”

Catherine stresses that implementing a vehicle tracking policy has a number of benefits for both the company and its employees. It also provides the necessary protection and minimises the risk of potential claims that could be brought by employees in relation to monitoring, privacy and handling of personal data.

Without a proper vehicle tracking policy in place arguably employers could be in breach of data protection and privacy laws if they seek to use any data or information gathered from the tracking system.

ASISEEIT Daniel Shires

Chamber Communications Manager

Going forward, I suggest we drill down the robust points to deliver positive action and leverage our competencies for our stakeholders before we sunset this project…

Do I have any idea what I just wrote? Honestly, no. In reality I made a sentence based entirely upon 10 words recently identified in a Guardian article as some of the worst examples of ‘corporate’ or ‘management’ speak.

As a journalist by trade, I’m genetically pre-programmed to spot buzzwords and jargon and metaphorically panel beat them into something more sensible and pleasing to the eye.

In fact, the Guardian’s description of them as a ‘maddeningly viral kind of unspeak engineered to deflect blame, complicate simple ideas, obscure problems and perpetuate power relations’ makes my heart sing a note of joy.

Since ‘switching codes’ to PR in 2006 I’ve heard more ‘bureaucratese’ each year, as it seemingly infects our lexicon with unending momentum. Examples were rife whilst I worked both at a local council and a division of the NHS, in fact at the latter I had a colleague who spoke almost entirely in jargon; imagine if the Riddler gave up a life of crime and moved into health service middle management. No meeting with him was complete unless we had a plan where we ‘worked in silos’ or avoided ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’.

Jargon is great if you believe it makes you sound clever and able to create deep allusions, but to the people you’re addressing, it can cause frustration, confusion, lack of respect and resentment towards the person delivering it.

If you’re a worker trying to translate your bosses’ plans to reality, you’re more likely to be able to achieve that successfully if you know the plan exactly rather than having to take a high altitude view to opertionalise the synergies.

Clear and concise is my mantra when it comes to all publicity materials, with my red flags high and proud whenever I see the words ‘undertook’, undertake’ or ‘undertaken’; three terms almost always used because they sound detailed and sophisticated. For some reason variations of the word have become catch all substitute words for ‘doing’, ‘did’, ‘done’ or ‘do’ and perhaps more bafflingly, as a replacement for terms like ‘decided’, as in ‘we have undertaken to complete a project’…

What happened to be definite and absolute instead of dancing around the obvious? To me, the only people referencing undertaking should be people involved in the funeral services industry. Quite honestly, if you’re looking to get a message across to your staff, colleagues, or the media through press releases, plain, simple language that doesn’t confuse, complicate or hide facts will always be better. Always.

As stakeholders, I hope this helps you think outside the box.

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HILL DICKINSON

Hill Dickinson and University of Chester to Launch SME Consultancy Product Hill Dickinson has joining together with the University of Chester to provide a bespoke package of specialist services to SMEs in the Cheshire region.

Responding to the specific needs of the SME market against the backdrop of the current economic climate, the two organisations have come together to provide a one-stopshop for health and safety training support services, HR consultancy and legal advice and representation.

The offering has been designed to help manage costs and reduce liability for SMEs who do not have the budget to take on a full-time HR and health and safety resource. Experts from the University of Chester will provide health and safety education and training as part of the initiative, along with specialist HR consultancy.

Hill Dickinson’s involvement will complement this and will enable SME clients to access legal advice

around business and employment related issues.

Launching in the first quarter of the financial year, the offering will enable both Hill Dickinson and the University to provide clients with a more comprehensive range of consultancy and support than ever before.

Commenting on the partnership, Kerstie Skeaping, partner in employment law at Hill Dickinson said: “We strive constantly to adapt our service to the changing needs of our clients. It has become clear to us that SMEs would benefit from a cover-all offering that is designed with flexibility in mind and is costconscious. We are very happy to be working with the University of

Chester to bring this package of services to clients and look forward to working with their highly reputable team of experts.”

Karen Cregan, Assistant Director Strategic Developments from the University of Chester’s Department of Human Resource Management Services said: “This public/private sector collaboration offers the best of both worlds from two organisations with a well-established track record in promoting and supporting economic growth and entrepreneurialism.

“Joint marketing of our competitive product offers the benefits of having a single point of contact to give access to a range of professional essentials.”

Lawyers raise funds Hill Dickinson lawyers teamed up to take part in the Chester half marathon on Sunday 12th May 2013, in aid of The Petty Pool Trust.

Lachlan Nisbet, Ian Sydenham, Natasha Brownhill, Dan Watkins and Clare Lowe from the firm’s Chester office trained to complete the race and raise funds for the local charity; a college for young people with learning disabilities offering a wide range of entry level courses to students across Cheshire and Halton.

Petty Pool Trust has been helping young people for 33 years, educating16-19 year olds with disabilities’ to prepare them for employment. At the moment their success rate is that 74% of their young people go into full time employment after their education with the charity.

If you would like to make a donation to the team, please visit; www.justgiving.com/HDChester

Hill Dickinson Trustees Provide Grant for New Cancer Centre Trustees of the Teresa Briggs Trust; Robin Jones and Simon Parrington, Partners in Hill Dickinson, will be the primary funders of the new Papillon suite at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Robin and Simon presented the donation of £100,000 to Dr Myint on Tuesday 5th March. The grant will allow the Centre to apply a revolutionary radiotherapy technique to treat rectal cancer as an alternative to surgery. It was developed at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre by Dr Myint, and is the world’s first such machine.

The grant will create an improved environment for patients and will allow Clatterbridge to treat a

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greater number of patients with Papillon.

The trust has been administered by Chester law firm Hill Dickinson since 2003 with Robin and Simon being trustees for 10 years. The Trust was established at the request of the late Teresa Briggs who was a keen advocate of improving communities within Chester since its creation, and has provided grants to many projects in the area.

Robin Jones, Partner, Hill Dickinson said: “Since being established, the Trust has been used over the last 10 years to help to drive forward those projects that make a difference to the lives of people in Chester and

Cheshire. With the funds donated, the technique developed by Papillon will help to improve the treatment experience of cancer patients throughout the area.”

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s Trusts Manager Maureen Ellison

said: “The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity is absolutely delighted to be awarded £100,000 from the Teresa Briggs Trust. We are very grateful for the grant, which will make a lasting impact on cancer care both regionally and nationally.”

HOW TO?

HOWTO?

ProTips

Deliver Awe Inspiring (Not Yawn Inducing) Presentations

Giving a presentation can be difficult task, so Cory Eridon at online marketing blog Hubspot (blog. hubspot.com) published his top tips for giving a memorable talk:

Let Your Guard Down

Generate empathy by letting your guard down and allowing your audience to see who you really are.

Be genuine. Tell them a story about yourself… one they can relate to. It takes courage to share something private about yourself, but that’s exactly why it helps captivate an audience.

Use Slides to Complement Your Presentation; Not as a Crutch

If your audience wanted to consume your information in written format, they’d go looking for a book or a web post. They’re attending to hear you speak about something, not read about it. Plus, if they’re spending all their time reading your slides, they’re not hearing a darn thing you’re saying.

Tell a story; they generate empathy,

and they stick with listeners; as such, your overall thesis lives on in people’s minds long after a presentation is over.

Tell some stories from your own work, but find examples from other companies too. It adds variety, which helps everyone in the audience find something they can closely relate to in your content.

When you’re delivering a presentation, focus on three things, and in this order: n Inspiring your audience n High level takeaways n Nitty gritty tactics for implementation This order gets your audience excited, self-confident, and ready to implement whatever takeaways and tactics you recommend while you’re speaking. Frame of mind is everything.

Slow Things Down

When you’re giving a presentation of any sort, you cannot speak as you would in a small group conversation.

Slow it down, provide actual spaces between each word, and enunciate your syllables.

Bonus Points: Make ‘Em Laugh Finally, just make people laugh if you can. Adding a sense of levity can make even mediocre presentations far more enjoyable -- probably because it really does show a willingness to be open and personable. And those are hugely likeable qualities.

10 Amazing Stats About Online Display Advertising Adverts cover websites around the world, chances are you’ve probably even paid for one at some time or another. But have you considered how effective they are?

Digiday and Business Insider have produced a series of stats to show how likely consumers are to be drawn to online display advertising. n You are more likely to complete Navy SEAL training than click a banner ad

n Only 8% of internet users account for 85% of clicks on display ads (and some of them aren’t even humans!) n You are more likely to get a full house playing poker than click on a banner ad

Some companies are starting to accept online landing pages as CV’s for job applications… does this mean you should forget the traditional resume and start sending a URL instead? http://bit.ly/11X83gv

Perfect Your NoteTaking Techniques

Don’t Keep Tootin’ Your Own Horn

Focus on Inspiration Over Tactics.

Is it Time to Move to an Electronic CV?

n The average clickthrough rate of display ads is 0.1% (source: DoubleClick) n You are more likely to be a parent to twins than click a banner ad n Approximately 50% of clicks on mobile ads are accidental

n The average person is served more than 1,700 banner ads per month; can you remember any of them?

n You are more likely to get into one of the world’s top universities than click a banner ad

n You are more likely to climb to the summit of Mount Everest than click a banner ad

n You are more likely to survive a plane crash than click a banner ad.

Taking notes serves one simple purpose: to help you remember information. That’s really it, but with so many different methods of note-taking out there it’s good to find what works for you on different projects. http://bit.ly/14U8H3P

The Two Most Important Words ManagersShouldSay… ‘Thank you’… such a simple thing to say, yet incredibly powerful, especially in the office. If you’re a supervisor or in a similar leadership position, a show of appreciation for your team can be even more motivating and loyalty-building than money. http://bit.ly/ZUuwxk

The Five Best Mind Mapping Tools Mind mapping is a great way to make a plan or turn ideas into the steps needed to make them real. Thankfully, there are great tools out there to help you build mind maps, organise them, and save them for later. Here’s a look at five of the best http://bit.ly/ZVJEc9

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BIG INTERVIEW

THEBIGINTERVIEW

Companies urged to help tackle youth unemployment At a time when youth unemployment is causing so much cause for concern, employers are being offered incentives to take on younger workers.

Colin Billingsley Job Centre Plus Colin Billingsley, of Job CentrePlus, is keen that as many employers as possible know about the Youth Contract, one of the key programmes designed to make this happen.

The scheme is seeing a growing number of employers adding young people to their workforce. Each Youth Contract is designed for your business, providing financial benefits like help with their wages and a package of support like work experience and training.

We asked Colin to explain: So what does this mean for employers?

Taking on a young person will help your business thrive.

The Youth Contract can help you to recruit workers with the right skills, build an enthusiastic and loyal workforce, bring in fresh

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There is a lot of support available. Many employers are already benefiting from the Youth Contract and I want to make sure local employers take full advantage also. ideas and fulfil corporate social responsibilities.

It can also give people in your organisation the chance to develop expertise in skills development, mentoring and coaching. For example, employers can benefit from wage incentives worth up to £2,275 each, work experience, sector-based work academies and Apprenticeship Grants, the latter only in England but alternative support is available through the Welsh Government.

How does the Wage Incentive work?

The Wage Incentive allows you to claim a Cash Incentive and make a difference to local youth unemployment.

It is available through Jobcentre Plus and means your business could receive a Wage Incentive of up to £2,275 when you recruit an eligible young person aged 18-24 full time (30 hours or more a week).

They must have been receiving benefits for at least six months through Jobcentre Plus before starting work with you.

Businesses who recruit someone part-time (between 16 and 29 hours a week) will get £1,137.50.

The job must last at least 26 weeks

and, of course, the young person will still need to be paid at least the national minimum wage.

Most Wage Incentives are paid 26 weeks after the employee starts work. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees can claim a part payment 8 weeks after the employee starts work. More information can be found on the web site www.dwp.gov. uk/youth-contract or you can call the Chester Jobcentre.

Why is the work experience element so important?

Many young people lack experience and understanding of the world of work so by offering a work experience placement you can help to bridge that gap and give a young person the chance to gain valuable voluntary work experience and improve their CV and skills.

It is a voluntary scheme and placements can last between 2 and 8 weeks with an employer.

The young person continues to receive their benefits and receives help with their travel costs.

There is no cost to the employer other than to mentor and support the young person during their placement.

Work experience makes good business sense too, giving you access to a pool of young talent, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective for your business.

There is good evidence to show that work experience often provides a route into a job or an Apprenticeship.

What are sector-based work academies?

Sector based work academies are designed to meet your immediate and future recruitment needs, as

well as to recruit a work force with the right skills to sustain and grow your business.

Extra places will be available in England (with alternative support available from the Welsh Government) over the next three years. For more information about sector based work academies you can read the guide at www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/sbwaemployer-guide.pdf

How do the Apprenticeship grants work?

Apprenticeships are paid jobs with training designed by employers. The National Apprenticeship Service in England is offering an Apprenticeship Grant for employers worth £1500 for small and medium employers to take on their first apprentice who is aged between 16 and 24 years.

For more information about apprenticeships visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Colin says: “There is a lot of support available. Many employers are already benefiting from the Youth Contract and I want to make sure local employers take full advantage also.” n For details of Welsh schemes, the Welsh Government website is www.wales.gov.uk n The Chester Jobcentre contacts are Susan Bragg on 01244 357699 or Jennie Lawson on 01244 357698

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CIMTEQ LIMITED

Better Product Data Maintenance leads to a more profitable business Kalcteq’s integrated software product suite is a simple way of making your business responsive, while reducing running costs at the same time.

Kalcteq’s products are at the cutting edge of advanced scalable technologies that allows your company to start small and grow the software as your needs change. This is why Kacteq products are used by both small companies and multinationals alike.

Kalcteq’s product suite consists of two products; Kalcteq PDM (Product Data Management) used to specify, design and configure your company’s products, and Kalcteq Quotations which is used for generating accurate professional looking quotations, no matter how complex your product or pricing model is.

Ensure conformity to specifications Product specification is the heart of all your company processes. This means that accurate specifications can produce accurate costs, accurate datasheets and, most importantly, quality products that accurately reflect the customer’s specification

Product Data Managm

ent

for specification and con

figuration managment

Quotation Managment for customer quotation gene

ration

Similarly, the specification module is at the heart of Kalcteq PDM. The specification module has many features that help your engineers create accurate product specifications quickly.

Align your costs and prices KalcTeq Quotations is designed specifically to cater for quotations in the manufacturing industry. It understands order quantity and quantity related pricing. It understands packaging calculations and requirements. It understands raw material price

variations and can accommodate them. It also introduces flexible pricing rules that can be unique to your company.

Improve planning and equipment utilisation Specification accuracy also means the accuracy of the specification of the manufacturing process.

This means the selection of the correct machine and the calculation of correct setup and processing times. These parameters are of paramount importance to the calculation of the product cost. Such information is also vital to scheduling manufacturing and raw material ordering, and giving the customer accurate lead-times.

Reduction in scrap and rework Mass updating every product design whenever a change occurs is very time consuming. Using Kalcteq PDM to mass update specifications will reduce the engineering time consumption of mass changes considerably, along with reduced opportunity for human errors. This means huge savings in engineering effort and reduction of the risk of using out-of-date specifications.

Protect your investment Every manufacturing environment is different.

What makes a company unique is its innovation,

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its people, its working practices and its attitude to continuous improvement. It is not often you find a company with such an enlightened approach to software, but Kalcteq is such a company. Kalcteq PDM is an extremely flexible system that can easily adapt to any environment

Eliminate wasteful data re-entry Kalcteq PDM will integrate with your ERP system, or it can form the base for your next ERP system implementation. The cost savings of integrating Kalcteq PDM with ERP are immense, not to mention the elimination of human errors.

Next step When managing your specifications, Bill-OfMaterials and quotations becomes unmanageable with a spreadsheet, or when your existing system is cracking at the seams you can call the Kalcteq team.

Ali Shehab Ali.shehab@kalcteq.com Tel: 01978 423 105 www.kalcteq.com

SRDS-UK

How Remote Database Administrators are reducing risks and costs for small and medium sized businesses Databases. They may not be the most exciting tool in your business – but it’s hard to deny their importance, especially now. Why? Not only do they store all of the information behind your IT based applications; from your CRM system to the search engine on your website; they also represent one of the biggest potential security risks.

Protect the data held on your database as the threat of breaches rockets The chance of your data being compromised has risen tenfold in the last five years* with the cost to smaller businesses averaging £15,000 to £20,000 per event**. And, as the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) - the people responsible for enforcing the data protection act- are set to significantly increase their fines, it’s not just the cost of losing one’s customers or a damaged reputation that smaller businesses need to worry about.

What’s more, businesses are also under pressure to make sure they minimise downtime, increase the speed that their databases operate at, while processing more and more data. So how can you protect the wealth of data stored in your databases and guarantee optimum performance? There’s an answer: to regularly maintain, administer and protect your database.

The profit enhancing advantages of wellmanaged databases If a database is properly managed and protected you can benefit from the following advantages: n a database that runs at optimum speed enables employees and customers to get the information they need as quickly as possible *Information Commissioners Officer, 2012 **2013 Information security breaches survey, PwC

n the ability to detect and resolve issues before they have an effect on the business n the confidence that data is protected from increasingly sophisticated attacks and exposure n data that is backed up properly n the ability to recover data as quickly as possible and to quickly get the database up and running following a breach However, the time and money needed to effectively manage, administer and protect our increasingly crucial databases can be great. In fact, it can be a full time role for someone with adequate qualifications that can attract a high-salary. So what can small and medium businesses do to maintain their databases properly without the high costs?

Cost-efficient SMEs outsource their database management to cut costs without compromising on quality Cost-efficient SMEs are turning to the more attractive, affordable option; outsourcing to ‘Remote’ Database Administrators.

Business owners love the fact that it’s is like having an onsite database administrator (and one that can monitor your database around-the-clock) without the additional expenses like: office space, equipment etc. What’s more, Remote Database Administrators are now available without the need to enter a long-term contract. How?

Flexible “Pay-as-you-go” options Flexible “Pay-As-You-Go” options mean smaller organizations can afford high-end database services when they need them. What services do Remote Database Administrators offer?

UK-based Remote Database Administrators transfer knowledge and techniques gained from leading UK companies Remote Database Administrators can deliver the complete range of database administration services including: maintaining, monitoring, troubleshooting and backing up data. And, with a select number of UK-based Remote Database Administration service providers, like SRDS-UK, businesses can now benefit from database experts that can transfer their hands-on experience and techniques gained from years working with various large, medium and small UK organisations.

With extensive experience, UK-based Remote Database Administrators can offer businesses the highly skilled, qualified staff that many smaller businesses would not have the luxury to afford full-time.

Why pay more?

Contact SRDS-UK today and find out how our database experts can help you effectively maintain, administer and protect your database for less.

Why choose SDRS-UK? SRDS-UK Ltd offer “Pay- As-You-Go” UK-based Remote Database Administrators for small and medium businesses looking for affordable expertise. We can help you cut costs while you benefit from the knowledge and techniques used in use at FSTE 100 companies, highly recognised consumer brands and well-funded start-ups.

For more infortmation contact SDRS-UK Ltd on 01244 940 835 (Chester) | 02071 938 395 (London) or email enquiries@sdrsuk.com www.SDRSuk.com

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Because News never stops WORLDNEWS BUSINESSNEWS FINANCENEWS TECHNOLOGYNEWS HEALTHNEWS EDUCATIONNEWS TRAVELNEWS ENVIRONMENTNEWS JOBSNEWS

www.247-business.co.uk Business Matters

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chester childbirth appeal

Putting mothers and children first There is not a mother, baby or child being cared for at the Countess of Chester Hospital N.H.S. Foundation Trust who has not benefited from the work of Chester Childbirth Appeal.

This small local charity depends on support from the surrounding community, and the facilities that we have provided over and above those funded by the N.H.S. have benefited people passing through our City as well as its residents and the surrounding districts.

The Charity was started in 1991, by Appeal Director Pat Daniels M.B.E. and five of her midwife colleagues. It has raised over ÂŁ1 million which has been spent on facilities suggested by the patients, children and their relatives.

Some achievements so far: Providing:

n An en-suite accommodation for bereaved parents on the labour ward, where the parents can be together until mother is fit for home n The Snowdrop Room where their baby can be tended n An Adolescent Unit, where teenagers have their own space

Mr. David Briggs, The Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire

n Christopher Wing en-suite accommodation for parents of very ill children being cared for on the wards n Jeffrey Kelson suite – accommodation for parents so they can be near their precious premature babies n A Water Birth Suite n All the Courtyard Gardens Our latest completed project was the provision of an outdoor playground for children and their siblings, and a Sensory Garden for those with

complex medical needs. Mediquip 4 Kids the Manchester based charity contributed ÂŁ16,000 for the latter.

This area should have been opened last year but the adverse weather conditions prevented that.

For more information or to donate to the appeal, contact Pat on 01244 350755 or visit www.chesterchildbirthappeal.org.uk online.

Thankfully it was opened on 2nd May 2013 by Mr. David Briggs, The Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire. He unveiled a plaque dedicating the area to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in honour of Her Diamond Jubilee 2012.

We have just benefited from an Open Day at Eaton Park on the 26th May 2013 which was very successful.

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Driven by perfection.

Our benchmark for every decision, every refinement and every process is excellence. Porsche engineers strive for the perfect balance between design, performance and efficiency. This combination comes to life when you sit behind the wheel and experience how it feels to drive a Porsche for yourself.

To discuss a demonstration drive or for more information on any model in the Porsche range, including the new Panamera S E-Hybrid, please call

0845 8454 911 or visit www.porsche.co.uk/chester.

Porsche Centre Chester Cheshire Oaks Cheshire CH65 9LF info@porschechester.co.uk

PORSCHE CENTRE

New Porsche Panamera with Plug-in Hybrid Drive Since its launch in 2009, the Panamera Gran Turismo has successfully expanded the appeal of the Porsche marque into the executive saloon segment.

Now, a new chapter in the development of the four door, four seater sports car opens with the unveiling of the second generation Panamera, led by the world’s first plug-in hybrid in the class.

The innovative Panamera S E-Hybrid offers combined system power of 416 hp and extends further the breadth of sportiness and comfort that characterises the model line.

The electric drive produces 95 hp, which is more than double the power of the previous model’s 47 hp electric motor. When connected to an industrial outlet, the new lithiumion battery can be charged within around two and a half hours via the integrated on-board charger and the

standard Porsche Universal Charger (AC), and it can be charged in less than four hours when connected to a conventional household electrical outlet.

With its increased output, the Panamera S E-Hybrid far exceeds the driving performance of the previous model. In addition, the NEDC fuel economy has increased by 56 per cent to 91 mpg, which equates to CO2 emissions of 71 g/km.

The new Panamera underscores its exceptional positioning with a more expressive exterior design language signified by tighter lines, more pronounced contours and newlyshaped body elements. Overall, the new generation car is more efficient,

sporting, comfortable and elegant and will be on sale from July 2013.

For more information please contact Porsche Centre Chester on 0845 845 4911 or visit www.porsche.co.uk/chester.

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SDRS-UK

How small and medium sized companies can spot and respond to opportunities quicker – with affordable Business Intelligence

Why do smaller businesses need ‘business intelligence’? Isn’t that for big enterprises with money to spare?

Business Intelligence continues to be increasingly vital to remain competitive. Organizations face mounting pressure to respond to opportunities quickly and become ever more efficient. This is reflected by recent estimates that indicate the global business intelligence market is set to hit $17.1billion in less than three years from now (up from $13.8 billion estimated for 2013)*.

However, there is a worrying trend that smaller organizations continue to be slow to adopt these technologies. This leaves them struggling to compete with larger organisations who can turn their data into valuable information about their: customers, processes, products and markets.

But that’s not all. Help your staff get the information they need faster.

Reserved estimates suggest that staff spend on

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average 20 percent of their time at work searching for information**. That’s the equivalent of one day out of five looking for information without doing any real work. Why? Information is often stored on many different systems and across different parts of the business.

It’s often inaccessible to those who can use it most effectively. Imagine if your staff could access just a portion of that information, when they need it – with the click of a mouse. Now you can, with the use of Business Intelligence solutions. So what exactly is Business Intelligence?

So what exactly is ‘Business Intelligence’?

Business Intelligence platforms consolidate a business’ data onto one platform that’s regularly updated automatically. This platform then connects the right people with the latest

information they need, that they can access when they need to. Users can see how critical measures are performing, schedule regular automated reports or pull custom reports – in an instant.

Identify new trends and anomalies so you can respond to opportunities and risks sooner As organisations compete to respond to opportunities sooner the need to analyse data in close to real-time becomes a necessity. That’s why Business Intelligence tools that are able to integrate different sets of data to identify relationships, as well as uncovering trends and ‘exceptions to the norm’, are helping businesses stay one step ahead.

Examples can include: n being notified that the sales of a particular product have exceeded a specified threshold,

n identifying that a specific type of customer is more likely to purchase a particular product, n a report that highlights when mileage claims against the actual distance travelled don’t add up or the ability to find out instantly that a customer who requires credit has no outstanding invoices.

So why are smaller businesses slow to adopt Business Intelligence?

First, there’s the cost. Large multinationals and PLCs can afford the expensive license fees and installation costs. Second, there’s the complexity and costs to implement and integrate it with existing IT systems. This is no small task.

Third, most current solutions are designed to answer the needs of larger organisations. That means smaller organisations using the same services can end up paying for services they don’t need, or which they can’t easily customise.

So how can smaller businesses benefit from Business Intelligence Solutions if they haven’t got the money, time and resources to put them in place? An answer is Hosted Business Intelligence Solutions like those offered by SDRS-UK.

Hosted Business Intelligence Solutions – the cheaper, but equally effective alternative A Hosted Business Intelligence Solution is a significantly cheaper option than ‘out-of-the-box’ software. Held in secure servers on the internet, you can guarantee your data is secure – without the high costs and disruption associated with implementing a Business Intelligence Solution internally.

Pulling the most recent data from the centralised platform, you can ensure the report contains data that is accurate, up-to-date and consistent across the company. And that’s not all.

Benefit from the expertise and technology in use at FTSE 100 companies, highly recognised brands and well-funded startups

Reports can effortlessly combine data from different parts of your business allowing you to identify relationships between the data, making it easy to identify opportunities or expose inefficiencies.

We come and spend time at your business and learn how it works. Then, with the use of 15 years’ experience helping organizations from FTSE 100 companies and highly recognised brands to well funded starts-ups transform their data into quality information solutions, we can create a custom solution that matches what you need. But we don’t stop there – we offer on-going technical support and can upgrade and expand your system.

Intelligent analytics Business Intelligence analytics automate the discovery of meaningful patterns in data. User interfaces present this information with the use of easy-to-understand reports, graphics and diagrams.

Businesses can also now be truly agile by opting to receive automatic notifications. These will alert you if a significant trend is identified or a critical measure exceeds a set threshold, allowing you to react to opportunities or threats immediately. Would you like to know how your business can benefit from a Hosted Business Intelligence Solution?

Contact SDRS-UK today and find out how a Hosted Business Intelligence Solution can help your business become more productive, efficient and able to spot opportunities sooner. Why choose SDRS-UK?

For more infortmation contact SDRS-UK Ltd on 01244 940 835 (Chester) | 02071 938 395 (London) or email enquiries@sdrsuk.com www.SDRSuk.com *Gartner Says Worldwide Business Intelligence Software Revenue To Grow 7 Percent in 2013 Available:http://www. gartner.com/newsroom/id/2340216 **IDC White Paper:The Hidden Cost of Information At Work By Feldman, Duhl & Marabella

SDRS-UK – Affordable business intelligence to match your needs SDRS-UK offer truly customisable hosted Business Intelligence Solutions for businesses who want to benefit from a solution that’s affordable yet reliable and easy-to-use.

Furthermore, Hosted Business Intelligence Solutions, like those offered by SDRS-UK (Software, Development and Reporting Solutions), not only include the latest Business Intelligence features and technology, but can also be customised to meet a business’ specific requirements – and on an ongoing basis.

Access essential information whether you’re in or out of the office SDRS-UK’s Hosted Business Intelligence Solutions also offer highly intuitive user interfaces and tools that help staff work even quicker. What’s more, as users can access the system online they can get the key information they need when they’re out of the office. So what exactly does a Hosted Business Intelligence Solution provide?

Personalised dashboards, custom-built reporting and intelligent analytics Hosted Business Intelligence Solution have three three key components: dashboards, a reporting capability and analytics.

Personalised dashboards Personalised dashboards allow users to react quickly to any significant change or trend. With the use of intuitive symbols, colour coding, graphs and charts users can instantly see how different areas are performing against benchmarks specified by the user or the business.

Custom-built reports You can save time manually creating reports by taking advantage of scheduled automated reports designed specifically for you, as well as having the facility to create custom reports in minutes.

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SOLICITORS & EMPLOYMENT LAW CONSULTANTS

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THE NEXT HAPPY STEP IN YOUR CAREER? Through our core values and strong work ethic we are able to bring clients and candidates a high level of professionalism and a service tailored to individual needs. We have access to the markets leading real-time recruitment website in order to display the hottest roles and attract the most proactive candidates.

We believe that the key to success is open communication. In order to give the highest levels of satisfaction for all parties concerned we focus on not only our candidates’ key skills, but on matching their personality with the culture of the organisation.

This we believe means that the relationship between employee and employer will have longevity and be successful. So if its success you are looking for and recruitment service that is tailored exactly to your needs then bluestones recruitment is the way forward!

T: 01244 329011 E: julie@bluestonesrecruitment.co.uk www.bluestonesrecruitment.co.uk Business Matters

28

Bluestones recruitment is an employment agency that specialises in permanent and temporary roles from a broad range of commercial sectors.

Based in the North-West, we are ideally situated on the motorway network for easy access to Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and North Wales.

Our industry knowledge allows us to operate on a national basis for our clients. We offer our services to the following locations: East Anglia, East Midlands, International, London, North East, North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, and West Midlands.

EVENTS/DIARY DATES

Dates for Your Diary Below you’ll find the dates for all upcoming events throughout the next quarter, so make sure to keep an eye on Business Matters and the Chamber website at www.wcnwchamber.org.uk/events for up to date details.

jun 13

jun 26

jun 27

juLY 4

2pm Annual General Meeting, Riverside Innovation Centre, Chester

4pm Exchange Café Networking, Riverside Innovation Centre, Chester

9am Accelerate 2013, Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre, Liverpool

4pm The Business Social Network, Riverside Innovation Centre, Chester

If you’re interested in speaking at a Business Social Network, contact us on info@wcnwchamber.org.uk.

juLY 10 7pm Summer Cocktail Party, Eaton Estate, Chester

SEP 24

0CT 3

OCT 18

8am The Chamber Taster Café, Riverside Innovation Centre, Chester

4pm The Business Social Network, Riverside Innovation Centre, Chester

7pm Annual Dinner, The Chester Grosvenor, Chester.

LEARN ONLINE

Did you know you can hone your skills, knowledge and talents with free online courses from some of the world’s top education providers?

The Chamber has teamed up with Coursera (www.coursera.org) to point members and non-members towards the thousands of web-based courses delivered by organisations like the University of London, Stanford University, the University of Toronto and many more.

Here’s a taste of what’s coming up this quarter…

Jun

17

Startup Engineering Begins June 17th 2013 bit.ly/12TL059

Learn the engineering skills needed to build a technology startup from the ground up with Stanford University. Bridges the gap between academic computer science and production software engineering and includes fast-paced introduction to key tools and techniques.

Jun

24

Aug

26

Sep

1

Introduction to Public Speaking

Think Again: How to Reason and Argue

Creativity, Innovation and Change

The goal of this course is to demystify the process of writing, practicing, and performing a clear and engaging speech to help students improve the quality of their speeches and confidence with which they present them.

Students will learn some simple but vital rules to follow in thinking about any topic and some common and tempting mistakes to avoid in reasoning. It will discuss how to identify, analyze and evaluate arguments by other people and how to construct arguments to help you decide what to believe or what to do.

This course empowers learners to develop their creative human potential to improve, enhance, and transform their businesses, communities and personal lives.

Begins June 24th 2013 bit.ly/10FT8Ey

Begins August 26th 2013 bit.ly/12fATbX

Begins September 1st 2013 bit.ly/YtQMwf

Sep

2

New Models of Business in Society

Begins September 2nd 2013 bit.ly/15oYT2v Examine the critical role that business plays in society, and learn about the exciting new models of business that are changing the way that companies create value.

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cheshire west and chester

Exciting Developments in the Weaver Valley The Weaver Valley sits in the heart of Cheshire and covers the three towns of Middlewich, Northwich and Winsford which are all connected historically by the salt industry and geographically by attractive waterways and rural corridors. the Northwich Marina or Hayhurst Quay as it will be known, and plans for the new Memorial Court, Cultural Centre.

The partnership will look to realise long term plans to reshape the town, maximize its location and opportunities whilst exploring its strengths: promoting both the value of the waterway and fulfill untapped cultural potential and deliver economic spin offs.

Recent news from the Weaver Valley: The Weaver Valley Partnership’s remit is to plan, coordinate and deliver a programme of development providing dynamic leadership for all aspects of economic regeneration and placemaking across this sub region.

The partnership is an independent, unincorporated board consisting of volunteer and founding partner members who have the necessary skills, background and enthusiasm to drive the agenda forward.

2013 is an exciting year with major developments in the Weaver Valley, with the commencement of

n The Barons Quay development in Northwich secured planning permission in March.

Providing 300,000 square foot of retail, leisure, residential and hotel space, the development is expected to be on site in autumn 2014.

Announcements on anchor tenants for the new food store and cinema are expected soon n Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Executive Group gave the go ahead for the plans to be submitted for planning permission for a new £13.7 million entertainment and leisure complex in May. The former Magistrates’ Court on the site has now been demolished by the appointed contractor n Major works are now underway to improve the main junction of Dene Drive and the A54 in Winsford town centre. Costing in total £2m, the contact road works are £1.2m n The Environment Agency has secured £4.5m to provide flood defences in Northwich town centre to protect business and residential properties. Feasibility work is currently underway with works anticipated to be on site in late 2014

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n Phase 2 works to the public realm in Northwich are now being planned with works on site expected in summer 2013 n A bid for central government pinch point funding has been submitted to improve the highway infrastructure in Northwich town centre, works included are improvements to Leicester Street roundabout and the permanent implementation of the gyratory We are always keen to hear from businesses in the area, if you would like to know more about the work in the Waver Valley you can visit www.weavervalley.org.uk

RIVERSIDE INNOVATION CENTRE

Achieving the Dream of Destination Rio Five students from the University of Chester have taken part in the business experience of a lifetime after travelling the globe to present their ideas in Brazil.

Students from the Chester Business School joined three from Wirral Metropolitan College and jetted to Rio de Janeiro as part of the ‘Destination Rio’ programme.

Destination Rio was launched in the summer of 2012 and aimed to nurture and foster the next generation of entrepreneurs. It was designed to encompass two main global entrepreneurship dates; Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) and the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2013 (GEC2013).

Last September teams of budding entrepreneurs from across the University and beyond were set the mission of transforming an initial investment of £10 into the profits necessary to fund travel to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress through a series of challenges designed to test their skills.

Destination Rio saw 20 teams try to generate as much profit as possible within 48 hours. From e-Commerce, an ‘Auction of Talents and Promises’ to bake sales; profits ranged from £15 to just

over £1,000. The event has since received global recognition being acknowledged as ‘High Impact’ by the team behind GEW. 10 teams progressed and supported by a business mentor, developed their business ideas and concepts in a bid to raise the funds. Over the next 3 months, teams devoted their time to developing and executing their business plans, raising sponsorship and engaging in entrepreneurial activity.

4 teams travelled to Rio in March to attend the main summit of the GEC, in addition to a varied week-long programme. Those travelling took part in activities and events such as: n Delivery of an official GEC Fringe Event attracting over 50 attendees n An ‘entrepreneurial Brazil’ tour n A visit to the British Consulate to meet with Steve Graham, Deputy Consul and Head of UKTI in Rio, with a Q&A session on Brazilian Business Culture

n The sights and sounds of Rio including a visit to Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer n A meeting with Jim Fielder, Environmental Sustainability Consultant with ‘BioRegional’ n Experience of the business culture of a city rising in stature and global importance with the backdrop of the upcoming 2014 World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Kirsty Badrock, Innovation and Enterprise Coordinator at the Riverside Innovation Centre, said: “Destination Rio has provided a truly unique opportunity for students of the University of Chester, and beyond, to engage in enterprise and entrepreneurship. This multi-faceted initiative has had a great impact on our students taking part. The practical skills and knowledge gained throughout the fundraising process, in addition to the real-world experience of another business and social culture has been remarkable. This would not have been possible without the overwhelming amount of support from local business community; for which we are truly grateful.”

An Innovative Way to Exchange Ideas An Innovation Exchange day took place at Riverside Innovation Centre (RIC) in April.

Companies involved in research and development from across the North West joined University of Chester research staff from a wide range of disciplines to take part in networking and matchmaking facilitated by RIC staff.

Several opportunities for collaboration have emerged from the event and the RIC team will be working to ensure they result in tangible activity that makes a difference to the economy of the region.

The Innovation Exchange will next launch as a network, connecting up companies that engage

in research and development with each other and with the University of Chester. If your company engages in these activities then the Innovation Exchange may be right for you.

For more information contact: Barry Hodges-White, RIC manager for more details: 01244 515 500.

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LETSGETSOCIAL LETS GET SOCIAL

We read Twitter so you don’t have to... @HeartNWandWales The A55 in North Wales was free of roadworks for just 57 days last year (Heart 103.4) May 9th 2013 @UKTI Tax breaks for start-ups, special visas for entrepreneurs & support for VC, a few reasons to invest in the UK #GIC13 http://bit.ly/11EG6JR

Ahmed Ahmed Silence is a virtue? Selfridges’ ‘No Noise’ branding campaign could inspire your online strategy, writes Florence Edwards http://bit.ly/15MCvQs 9th May 2013

(UK Trade and Investment) May 7th 2013

Daniel Shires

@ChesterZ00_No1 @ColeenRoo @WayneRooney We really hope you and Kai had a lovely day out. Did you see our #sloths?!

Businesses across North Wales can expect a boost thanks to the announcement finale of the World Rally Championship will take place in the region this November... http://bit.ly/10IbVz1

(Chester Zoo) May 1st 2013

25th April 2013

@MJWxm Glyndwr University launches degree course in entrepreneurship | University Business http://www. universitybusiness.co.uk/?q=news/glynd...

David Grube

(Martin Williams) April 25th 2013 @thinkdewinter Investing in the right people to run the social media for your business - you can never go wrong http://ow.ly/kknAM #deWinter

This is good news for North Wales and rallying enthusiasts alike! I went to St.Asaph Grammar School and Prestatyn High School and loved spending nights in the Welsh Forests following the RAC Rally in the good old days of the Lancia Stratos! Is that giving my age away?

9th May 2013

(de Winter) April 23rd 2013 @gizmodo How to make money on your lunch break: http://gizmo.do/vouWVvK (Gizmodo) April 21st 2013 Ace! RT @localcarsco the mother duck & ducklings successfully made it across Gresford main road & heading over field safely to the flash now

Ken Allison After a tussle between the Houses of Commons and the Lords, we saw the introduction of an ‘employee shareholder’ pass into law this week. This arrangement will allow you to offer shares in your business in return for the individual foregoing, amongst other things, their right to claim unfair dismissal. Forthwith, they could be ‘fired at will’.

What are your view about this, would you use it?

(Wrexham.com) April 19th, 2013

25th April 2013

@lifehacker Divide your day up into 15 minute blocks and you’ll get a lot more done: http://lifehac. kr/1OQpL88

Neil Lewis

(Lifehacker) April 10th 2013 @uochester Cheshire’s top businesses honoured at High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise http://ow.ly/2vJxpc

10 tax facts for UK startups about Patent Box that could be worth £1bn… http://bit.ly/16jgng5. Does this make the UK the best location for IP based startups?

19th April 2013

(University of Chester) March 26th 2013 Teresa Cunningham @Go_CheshireWest Work will start on the first stage of Chester’s groundbreaking £100M Central Business Quarter early next year: http://buzz.mw/-A0w_y (Cheshire West and Chester Council) March 22nd 2013

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All four Community Budget pilots go live from April… http://bit.ly/12Z53z6 11th May, 2013

NEWMEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

DMM International Y Glyn, Llanberis LL55 4EL 01286 872222 pete@dmmwales.com Mr Pete Roscoe

OverByte Interactive Limited Fidelity House, 12A Stocks Lane CHESTER CH3 5TF 01244 312925 byte@obimail.com Mr James Crane Davies Evans & Law Limited Hilliards Court, Chester Business Park CHESTER CH4 9QP 07815 963660 bill@dellprotect.co.uk Mr William Evans Pall Mall Products Limited Maritime Park, Dock Road WALLASEY CH41 1HW 0151 652 3629 santosh.bhaskaran@ pallmallproducts.co.uk Mr Gavin Byrne SSCM Ltd One Hartford Way Sealand Industrial Estate CHESTER CH1 4NT 01244 370007 chester@selfstoragecentre.com Mr Nick Wood Faye Anglesea 7 Rosewood Grove, Drury BUCKLEY CH7 3JT 07856 286087 fayeanglesea3986@gmail.com Miss Faye Anglesea Christina Brown Creations Dee View, 44 Whitford Street HOLYWELL CH8 7NL 07526 107341 chrissieEBrown@aol.com Ms Christina Brown Gavin Preston Ltd Cherry Bank Stables Dark Lane, Burton WREXHAM LL12 0AE 07810 565439 gavin.preston@thebusinesswealthclub.com Antonia Goodall

Ebenezer Properties 1 Bath Road WREXHAM LL13 7PN 07786 923078 joanna@theregent-offices-wrexham. co.uk Ms Joanna Kinch

Data Guardsman Limited Groomsdale House Groomsdale Lane, Hawarden DEESIDE CH5 3EH 01244 534885 chrisstorrar@dataguardsman.co.uk Mr Chris Storrar

Black Mango Inc 231 Regus House, Herons Way Chester Business Park CHESTER CH4 9QR 01244 893185 sao@blackmngo.co.uk Ms Shirley Ann O’Neil

The Green Spark Plug Co Ltd 31 Northwich Road, Cranage CREWE CW4 8HL 01477 532317 mail@sparkplug.com Mr Tom Green

IMUK 34 Earls Way, Kingsmead NORTHWICH CW9 8GQ 07740 088536 bill@internetmarketing-uk.co.uk Mr Bill McFall

Chester Adult Phab Social Club 2 Pinfold Lane CHESTER CH4 7EQ 01244 678809 lynda.hesketh@sky.com Ms Lynda Hesketh

Halo Management Strategies Ltd Lodge Farm, Hawkelow CREWE CW3 0JE 07774 929823 pgillot@btinternet.com Mr Paul Gillot

Kite Technologies Ltd Unit 3, Project House Glendale Business Park DEESIDE CH5 2QP 0844 8262904 paul.ashton@kitenetworks.co.uk Mr Paul Ashton

Pam Dyson 37 Southland Road CREWE CW4 8JF 07971 163347 pam@pameladyson.com

WM Designs 8 Duke Street CHESTER CH1 1RP 07714 188172 wm.officedesign1@gmail.com Mr William Mason

Sarah’s Embroidery Regus House, Herons Way Chester Business Park CHESTER CH4 9QR 01244 559084 steve@sarahsembroidery.co.uk Mr Steve Kay

Lewis Legal The Stables, Waen Farm MOLD CH7 4EW 07934 111280 info@lewislegal.eu Mr Mike Naughton

Best Western Westminster Hotel Chester 63 City Road CHESTER CH1 3AF 01244 317341 Ms Tessa Jones Best Western Premier Queen Hotel City Road CHESTER CH1 3AH 01244 305000 Mr Simon Williams David A Wood Ty Croes Mawa, Llansaethlu HOLYHEAD LL65 4PE 07708 523861 diggers24@hotmail.com Mr Digby Neil Sibrydion Cymuned Bod Idris LLWYNGWRIL LL37 2 JB 01341 250884 debbieashton@uwclub.net Mrs Debbie Ashton Llwyngwril Gallery LLWYNGWRIL LL37 2JQ 01341 250884 debbieashton@uwclub.net Mrs Debbie Ashton Tin House Ael Y Bryn, Ssordd Y Coleg LLWYNGWRIL LL37 2UZ 01341 250884 debbie.ashton@uwclub.net Mrs Debbie Ashton Yure Call Limited First Floor, Pembroke House Ellice Way WREXHAM LL13 7YT 01978 8800390 geofft@yurecall.co.uk Mr Geoff Townsend

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Rewind

Just One More Thing…

Ben Edwards

Leisure Club Manager De Vere Village Urban Resort

1. What brought you to your current job?

I started at my current job after being headhunted while working at rival firm. I had recently been nominated for a prestigious fitness industry award which brought me to the company’s attention.

2. What inspires you?

I am inspired by watching people achieve their goals. If I can support that process, watching them develop, then flourish is a fantastic feeling. This skill is invaluable when one is trying to achieve sustainable growth within their business, as I believe a motivated and productive workforce is a key to success.

3. Who do you admire?

Barack Obama is someone I greatly admire. He has proved that despite conditions that were often stacked against him he has risen to achieve the near impossible. He has provided hope for a generation and has also proved there is a pathway to the top for anyone who strives to achieve.

4. What advice would you give someone aiming for a job like yours?

I would advise them to totally immerse themselves within health and fitness culture. Within my industry there are several courses which promise you a quick pathway to the top; however individuals who take this route often find themselves fundamentally lacking in certain basic precepts of fitness and business knowledge. Take your time, create a robust strategy for success, learn your craft and gradually evolve into the person that is required.

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The world as it was 10 years ago…

June 2003

9th: Archaeologists announce that the mummy of Queen Nefertiti may have been found in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt 11th: Three 160,000 year old human skulls unearthed in Ethiopia bridge an important gap in the human fossil record and lend support to the ‘out of Africa’ single origin theory of human evolution 18th: Two months after becoming Finland’s first female prime minister, Anneli Jäätteenmäki resigns amid accusations she lied about the leak of sensitive political information about Iraq discussions with George W. Bush 19th: Comic strip Garfield celebrates its 25th anniversary.

5. Tell us about your most memorable moment or greatest achievement in life.

Representing my country at two different sports (athletics and rugby league was a proud achievement). A memorable moment would be beating Olympic Relay Gold Medallist Mark Lewis-Francis (MBE) in a 200 metre national final.

Another highlight was scoring a full length of the pitch try against Scotland in the semi-finals of the European Student Rugby League Championships, the crowd was electric.

6. What was your childhood ambition?

To win Olympic 100 metre gold in London 2012…

Usain Bolt was just too good!

7. If you were Prime Minister, what one change would you make to help business?

I would introduce increased incentives to encourage the creation of small businesses.

It’s these types of firms that form the backbone of a free market economy and I believe that if this particular area was pro-actively stimulated then this would go some way to speeding up a somewhat stagnant recovery.

8. What are you listening to, watching, reading or playing at the moment?

I’m listening to Our Version Of Events by Emile Sande, watching Corleone on Sky Arts HD and reading Race Against Me by Dwain Chambers.

9. What couldn’t you live without?

I couldn’t live without exercise and music. Both of these transcend you to another place when you are trying to escape the pressures of a competitive business environment.

10. Describe a perfect Sunday…

Catching up on some well-earned rest, then participating in my secondary pastime of poetry and song writing. This allows me to get into the mind and heart of others, while striving to paint a picture the scene with words and images that will leave an indelible mark on those who encounter it.

July 2003 1st: The House of Commons again votes in favour of legislation to ban fox hunting 5th: Taiwan is the last territory to be declared free of SARS by the World Health Organization, after 20 days with no new cases reported 6th: Roger Federer wins the first of his seven Wimbledon tennis tournaments, defeating Mark Philippoussis 8th: During a visit to a former slavetrading station off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, President George W. Bush calls slavery ‘one of the greatest crimes of history’, but stops short of an official apology 18th: The body of government advisor of Dr. David Kelly is discovered, his death the result of an apparent suicide. Kelly was involved in the September Dossier investigation relating to the 2003 war on Iraq 25th: Swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first man ever to break two world records in a single day 27th: The BBC reports that an extensive investigation of Loch Ness has no trace of a ‘sea monster’; conclusively proving ‘Nessie’ does not exist.

August 2003 2nd: The Daily Telegraph claims attempts by the Ministry of Defence to destroy allegedly important documents about its treatment of Dr. David Kelly in the weeks before his suicide were foiled by a security guard 6th: Arnold Schwarzenegger announces he will run for Governor of California 10th: The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK (38.5°C) (101.3 °F) at Brogdale near Faversham in Kent 12th: The remains of a Viking warrior are found at a building site in Dublin. The warrior had been stabbed to death during a 9th century Viking raid on Dubhlinn monastery. The dagger was still attached to his body when his remains were found 29th: Tony Blair’s communications director, Alastair Campbell, resigns

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