DQ Issue 1

DQ DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY • AUTUMN • 2010

THE LEADING OF LIVERPOOL

How Joe Anderson plans to turn Liverpool into a World Class city again!

THE COOL LIST We’ve told you what’s HOT. Now we tell you what’s COOL

DOWNTOWN DEBATE

Is Preston a City in name only?

DOWNTOWN ICON Anthony Wilson

LIVERPOOL BUSINESS AWARDS 2010

A 3-Page spectacular from Liverpool’s premier Summer Awards Dinner.

Business Link helps Tender Management Consultancy Ltd reach a perfect pitch Background Tender Management Consultancy Ltd, established in 2008, specialises in advising clients on how to find and secure business contracts, assists with presentation and interview techniques and helps ensure the client is fully prepared to pitch for new business.

The company offers individually tailored training programmes as well as workshops and seminars to help businesses to improve their skills.

A winning tender process Managing Director of Tender Management Consultancy, Jim Williams, set up the business after a successful career as both a tender writer and an in-house tender assessor for major engineering and recruitment companies.

As someone who understands the tender bidding process and how businesses are chosen, Jim decided to use his skills to establish his own consultancy.

He contacted Business Link in 2008 and was put in touch with Adviser, Roger Hardacre, who visited Jim to carry out a business diagnostic and action plan.

Bidding for success Jim says: “I feel very fortunate to have Roger as our Adviser as he has experience in the sector we work in and really understands the business and direction we want to take. I can honestly say that Business Link has been fundamental to the quick growth and ongoing success of the business.”

Jim has regular meetings with Roger, to assess progress and set new targets.

Last year the business moved into a new area, helping third sector organisations like social enterprises and charities to secure funding and has been training charities across Merseyside and the North West.

Jim adds: “I can’t thank my Adviser enough in terms of the advice he’s given

me and the funding he’s identified which we have secured.”

Roger says: “Jim is very enthusiastic and knows the direction he wants his business to take. He’s experienced rapid growth over the past 18 months and is keen to have support regarding where he should focus his efforts for the benefit of the business.

“I have regular contact with Jim and I feel he sees me as his eyes and ears, to keep him in touch with new opportunities, while he’s busy growing the business.”

If you think your business could benefit from free support and guidance from Business Link Northwest call 0845 00 66 888 or email info@businesslinknw.co.uk.

For more information visit Business Link Northwest’s award-winning website at www.businesslink.gov.uk/northwest.

“I can honestly say that Business Link, and in particular our Adviser, has been fundamental to the quick growth and ongoing success of the business.”

Jim Williams Tender Management Consultancy Ltd

Access clear and simple information from Business Link Northwest – the region’s free to use, independent business support service.

Supporting North West Businesses Supported by

THE CITY OF MANCHESTER BUSINESS AWARDS 2011 ‘IT’S A 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE!’

Downtown Manchester in Business, in association with Manchester City Council, will be hosting a spectacular gala awards dinner to celebrate all that is best in business in the spring of next year.

The event, which is also supported by Bruntwood, CBG Group, MC2, RSM Tenon and Winning Pitch, marks Downtown Manchester’s first anniversary, and will take place in the city’s spectacular Cathedral on the evening of Thursday 24th March 2011.

Look out for further details on the website www.downtownmanchester.co.uk OR contact our Business Development Manager Viv Dobson Telephone 0161 228 0680.

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DQ WELCOME A FRESH START Welcome to the second issue of the Downtown in Business quarterly magazine – which has a new name and a whole new look. Our Chairman thought issue one looked a bit too ‘old school’ for Downtown, so we hope you like DQ. As always, feedback and comments would be gratefully received.

So what does this new look publication offer? Hopefully, some thought provoking views and opinions from the region’s leading decision makers and business leaders; some valuable business support and advice from top advisors; updates on Downtown’s wide ranging and diverse events programme; member news and profiles; and as you would expect, a bit of fun too, including our very own ‘cool list’.

Highlights in this edition of DQ include an exclusive interview with the new leader of Liverpool City Council, Joe Anderson; a guest column from the new Member of Parliament for Wirral West Esther McVey and top tips on male grooming from Frank McKenna – I kid you not!

Read on, enjoy and we hope to see you at a Downtown event in the very near future.

Best Wishes Chris Wilcox Editor

PAGE

Contents

6 8 9 11 23 24 28 32 34 35

Downtown Preston Events Gallery Downtown Manchester Events Gallery Tax Matters - RSM Tenon DQ Top Tips Just Jonas DQ Icon - Anthony Wilson Be Our Guest - Esther McVey Spotlight On - CBG Group 'Whats On' Work Hard, Play Hard

12 7 19

17 26

30 DQ 5

DQ GALLERY DOWNTOWN PRESTON EVENTS

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Downtown Preston hosted a comprehensive range of business forums and networking events throughout the summer, including the third annual Lancashire Business Week; ‘A Tale of three Cities’; and a new addition to our events programme TFI Friday networking.

1. Adam Hosker; Kevin Cheston, Supanet (Tale Of 3 Cities; Tuesday 20th July 2010) 2. Jim Hancock; Frank McKenna, Downtown In Business (Tale Of 3 Cities; Tuesday 20th July 2010)

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3. Tracey McKenna, Downtown In Business; Audrey Odell, Logma Systems Design (Pie & A Pint; Thursday 20th May 2010)

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4. Graeme and Lynne,Impact Photography (TFI Friday Networking; Friday 25th June 2010) 5. Frank McKenna, Downtown In Business; David Taylor, David Taylor Partnership (What Next For Preston; Friday 21st May 2010) 6. Owen McKenna, Harrison Drury; Simon Turner, Freshfield PR; John Chesworth, Harrison Drury (Pie & A Pint; Thursday 20th May 2010) 7. Elaine Rooking, The Staff Agency; Ali Jama, Kennedy Ross Consulting Ltd (TFI Friday Networking; Friday 25th June 2010)

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DQ TOTALLY FRANK Town Hall has seen the experienced and ‘not-to-be-messed-with’ Marie Rimmer regain the leadership of the council.

WINNING WOMEN Downtown in Business organised an event during the summer entitled ‘Entrepreneurs, born or made?’ One of the speakers, the ever eloquent and knowledgeable David Wade-Smith, made the point that in the UK woman make up for only around 14% of the nation’s business owners. That is a remarkable statistic and a somewhat depressing one.

“UK woman make up for only around 14% of the nation’s business owners.”

In the USA the figure is a relatively impressive 41 %, and it got me wondering about the culture in our country that has allowed this to happen. Why is it that most women in Britain fail to see starting their own business as a real career option?

If you are expecting an answer from me in this column you will be disappointed, but what Downtown will be doing over the next year is exploring this issue in the hope of helping to identify ways that can turn this appalling state of affairs around.

David expressed the view that it was as much to do with attitude as anything else, and perhaps there is something in that. But it can’t be the only factor. Do we push girls enough in school to think about being their own boss? Is boardroom sexism still an

issue? Is the UK business culture so male dominated that females struggle to see how they can fit in? Is the barrier as much to do with childcare provision as anything else?

Answers on a postcard please; or more usefully please come along and take part in

the debates we plan to hold on the subject over the next year and tell us what you think. Check out the Downtown websites for further details over the coming months.

On a more positive note, Wade-Smith’s remarks also encouraged me to think about some of the really strong and successful woman we have right here in the North West, and the list is mighty impressive.

Politically, the recent General Election saw three extremely able women become newly elected MP’s for Merseyside. Luciana Berger put to the sword the myth that you were unelectable in Liverpool if you didn’t know who Bill Shankley was, and won a stunning 8,000 plus majority in the constituency of Wavertree. Expect this twenty eight year old woman to go far, particularly as she has appointed another very able female, Sheila Murphy, as her Parliamentary Assistant.

Over the water in Wirral West, Esther McVey was successful in her second attempt at becoming a Conservative Member of Parliament. Having ran a number of businesses herself, including the high profile networking club ‘Winning Women’, Esther will be doing all she can to improve the lot of women from her position as a newcomer in the new Tory-Lib Dem administration. More importantly, she should be in with a great chance of the job as Minister for Merseyside, if and when that particular post is created. At just twenty nine years of age, Alison McGovern won the neighbouring Wirral South parliamentary seat, and has already hit the headlines by securing the job as Gordon Brown’s Parliamentary Private Secretary.

Berger, McVey and McGovern join a number of formidable ‘sisters’ on the Liverpool political scene. Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside) is someone who I know well having worked alongside her for eight years when she was the Leader of Lancashire County Council. Hard working, tenacious and bright, Louise has established a reputation in parliament as an independent voice who is respected by all sides of the House, as demonstrated by her ability to retain her Chair(man)ship of the Transport Select Committee despite Labour’s election defeat. The Eagle twins continue to represent Merseyside seats too; whilst in St Helens, Labour’s return to power in the

Sticking with local authorities for a moment, there are a number of women who have managed to secure Chief Executive roles in a number of the regions council’s. Barbara Spicer has done a tremendous job at Salford City Council, overseeing the ‘Media City’ initiative; Carole Hudson has been in the hot seat at St Helens for over a decade now and is tipped for a bigger job sooner rather than later; and Preston City Council appointed Lorraine Norris to head its executive team only last year.

Other female MP’s who are on an upward trajectory career wise include the Greater Manchester contingent of Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East), Lisa Nandy (Wigan) and Yvonne Favargue (Makerfield). Don’t rule out a comeback for ‘rock the boat’ Salford dynamo Hazel Blears at some point in the future either.

The private sector, aided and abetted by the new government to an extent it has to be said, have been quick to point the finger and criticise the way in which many of our

public sector organisations are managed.

But in terms of applying processes that promote talented women, then clearly it is doing something right. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from them as the new ‘public-private’ partnerships the new administration are planning through Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP’s) emerge.

There are of course some fantastic women involved in the North West business community. Denise Walker (Brabners Chaffe Street), Victoria Brown (High Performance Consultancy), Debbie Thompson (St Helens Rugby League Club), Gillian Bardin (Taylor Patterson), Laura Wolfe (Journey 9) and Angela Smith (Write Angle), are several from among a large number from the Downtown network alone.

But there could, and should, be more of them.

DQ 7

DQ GALLERY DOWNTOWN MANCHESTER EVENTS

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Stand out events in Manchester included an interview with the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Sir Howard Bernstein; a post budget debate at the outstanding Restaurant Bar & Grill and DMIB’s second ‘Sexy Networking’ evening at the Radisson.

1. Paul Hison, Centric Wealth Management; Joe Sellick, Sellick Partnership (Chairmans Dinner; Monday 26th July 2010) 2. Sophie Cunningham, After Adoption; Alan Townley, Downtown In Business (What Next For Manchester; Tuesday 15th June 2010)

4

3. Lisa Morton, Boom Boom Pow; Jane Doe, Doestones (What Next For Manchester; Tuesday 15th June 2010)

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4. Frank McKenna, Downtown In Business; Steve Bennett, Transition Plus (Sexy Networking; Thursday 29th July 2010) 5. Diane Taylor, Curved Air Global; Victoria Brown, High Performance Consultancy (Sexy Networking; Thursday 29th July 2010) 6. Laura Wolfe, Journey 9; Stuart Anderson, EN Magazine (Budget Briefing Breakfast; Tuesday 29th June 2010) 7. Jon Haynes, Opus Corporate Risk Ltd; Alexandra Rowne, Jaguar (What Does The Election Result Mean For Manchester; Wednesday 12th May 2010)

6 8 DQ

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DQ TAX MATTERS

SURVIVAL IN HARD TIMES Employers and employees can work together to make the tax system work for them. Tax and national insurance efficient schemes help employers to reduce costs whilst at the same time increase employee’s net disposable income. Too good to be true?

No, almost half of Britain’s employers have some scheme in place. They are known as salary sacrifice schemes but despite the title they actually boost employee’s net disposable income and save employers a packet at the same time.

What is salary sacrifice?

There are a variety of ideas available which rely on certain exemptions to provide benefits or expenses to employees with no income tax or National Insurance liability.

In return the employee agrees to give up some salary.

Who does it apply to?

It applies to all employers, where employees currently incur costs from net income; it is possible to change the arrangements so that the employer provides the benefits, with the employee agreeing to a reduction in their taxable salary.

Examples include: • • • • •

Childcare Bus/Cycle to work Pensions Car parking Travel and subsistence

to the amount of savings achievable. However, there are various options available including sharing any savings between the employees and employers, using the additional funds to provide further benefits or simply to enhance an employee’s package.

What are the practicalities?

There are a number of areas employers should consider and RSM Tenon are experts in the implementation of all Tax and NIC efficient schemes or salary sacrifice schemes. The range of ideas is scalable to any size of employer. We have tax, HR and financial experts and call upon lawyers as and when required.

and many more.

What are the benefits?

Salary sacrifice can create cost savings for both the employer and employee. It depends on the type of salary sacrifice as

DQ TAX MATTERS

SURVIVAL IN HARD TIMES Employers and employees can work together to make the tax system work for them. Tax and national insurance efficient schemes help employers to reduce costs whilst at the same time increase employee’s net disposable income. Too good to be true?

No, almost half of Britain’s employers have some scheme in place. They are known as salary sacrifice schemes but despite the title they actually boost employee’s net disposable income and save employers a packet at the same time.

What is salary sacrifice?

There are a variety of ideas available which rely on certain exemptions to provide benefits or expenses to employees with no income tax or National Insurance liability.

In return the employee agrees to give up some salary.

Who does it apply to?

It applies to all employers, where employees currently incur costs from net income; it is possible to change the arrangements so that the employer provides the benefits, with the employee agreeing to a reduction in their taxable salary.

Examples include: • • • • •

Childcare Bus/Cycle to work Pensions Car parking Travel and subsistence

to the amount of savings achievable. However, there are various options available including sharing any savings between the employees and employers, using the additional funds to provide further benefits or simply to enhance an employee’s package.

What are the practicalities?

There are a number of areas employers should consider and RSM Tenon are experts in the implementation of all Tax and NIC efficient schemes or salary sacrifice schemes. The range of ideas is scalable to any size of employer. We have tax, HR and financial experts and call upon lawyers as and when required.

and many more.

What are the benefits?

Salary sacrifice can create cost savings for both the employer and employee. It depends on the type of salary sacrifice as DQ 9

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Downtown In Business Chairman Frank McKenna hosts a weekly business programme on City Talk 105.9FM. ‘City Talks Business with Frank McKenna’ is broadcast on Sunday mornings, 10.00am and features conversations with business leaders, on the latest business topics.

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DQ TOP TIPS TOP FIVE....MALE GROOMING PRODUCTS

by Frank McKenna When the editor of Liverpool Confidential, Angie Salmons, approached the Downtown Chairman to talk about his favourite subject – himself - he was only too happy to oblige. Here is what Frank told LC when they asked him to name his five top grooming products...

“When I was asked by Liverpool Confidential to write about my five favourite grooming products my initial reaction was – how am I going to limit myself to just five!

“All the preening that I indulge in clearly means that I use a wide range of lotions and potions. It ain’t easy looking as good as I do as often as I do. Nevertheless I am always up for a challenge, so here goes with my top tips for male grooming.”

ANTI FATIGUE EYE STICK

A MIRROR

The mirror lined lobby of Downtown HQ at New Zealand House acts as a permanent distraction for me and is often cited as the reason for my lateness at meetings. Any good grooming regime requires a good mirror, and I have one at home that has a number of messages etched in to boost my low self esteem – “You are the fairest of them all.” “You’re charming.” “You are fantastic,” etc etc.

Twenty four hour party people like me will be aware that the first signs of fatigue are the dark shadows that start to appear below the eyes. This simple to apply, easy to carry eye stick is another from the Boots No 7 range and contains a revitalising formula with targeted ingredients to boost circulation and help reduce puffiness. It also visibly reduces fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles – a must when you have my sort of hectic lifestyle.

FUDGE MATTE HED

DLIB was once described as “the Chamber of Commerce with hair gel”. As I said at the time, gel is so 1980s darling. Firm hold paste with an extra matte finish is what you need nowadays, to create definition and texture to your Barnett.

PHILIPS SONICARE TOOTHBRUSH

There was a time when any self respecting Englishman was happy to have a set of pearly whites that were more pearly grey. Now, however, dental hygiene is big business, and in between visits to my dentist Ollie & Darsh on Dale Street (Go on, Frank, go for the plug, ed) I use this Philips electric toothbrush to allow the natural whiteness of my smile to shine through, whilst also improving gum health and reducing the risk of gingivitis.

“The mirror lined lobby of Downtown HQ at New Zealand House acts as a permanent distraction for me”

BOOTS NO. 7 AFTERSHAVE BALM

In the 80s and 90s it was considered cool to wear heavily perfumed fragrances that had one stinking like the proverbial madame’s boudoir.

I was a Kouros man myself. Now though, odourless is en vogue and the Boots No. 7 Post shave recovery balm SPF 15 soothes, calms and delivers all-day hydration after a close shave (of which I have had many).

DQ 11

A FRANK CONVERSATION WITH...

JOE ANDERSON

In the Summer Downtown Liverpool was delighted to be the first business organ Joe Anderson led the Labour Party to victory in the city for the first time in over June, DIB Chairman Frank McKenna spoke to him about his plans for the futur his duties as Leader of the council on a full time basis; and that a business repre features the highlights from a fascinating hour long discussion between Frank a 12 DQ

nisation to host an event featuring the new leader of Liverpool City Council. r a decade in May, and to kick off the third annual Liverpool Business Week in re. The interview came days after Anderson confirmed that he would carry out esentative would be selected to serve on the City Council’s cabinet. Here DQ and Joe. DQ 13

FM: I know you attended the tennis at Calderstones last week and the Downtown team where there on the Friday. What a fantastic event and a great showcase for the city.

JA: I was at the tennis three times throughout the week and it was a real buzz to see so many people attracted to the event.

Aside from the tennis, 4,500 people attended the other sporting activities going on in and around the park, it is just great to see people getting involved and using the marvellous outdoor spaces we have in this city. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the Calderstones tennis event and with finances being difficult; we are encouraging help from sponsors to keep this event running. It is great publicity for our city and I commend and congratulate those who were involved in organising and supporting it this year.

Liverpool has progressed and developed massively over the last decade, with the addition of the arena, Liverpool One and developments along the waterfront. How do you see our city’s status now and how can we build on previous successes?

Investment that has taken place over the last ten years – government funding and private sector capital combined – has transformed the city and I don’t tire of saying that; but we have yet to reach our potential. I wouldn’t swap this city for any other in the world and there are very real opportunities to build on what we have already achieved. Other world cities would die for the opportunities we have here in Liverpool. The river is historically the life blood of the city and it is important we reinstate Liverpool’s heart at the waterfront. It is a cliché, but I look at the glass as being half full as opposed to half empty; the challenge now is to build on all of the wonderful things we have seen happening and take things to the next level, and I for one am confident about the future of our city.

As far as a partnership between the government and Liverpool City Council, journalists would argue that the council haven’t played their part in the redevelopment programme. Of course, we have, but I do believe we could have done things a little bit smarter, differently, better. We could have involved the private sector more in reshaping the business community and enhancing business opportunities – this is something I want to address.

We recognise all that Liverpool has achieved, but it is true that there is some frustration around the council’s performance. Two areas where we would hope to see an improvement in performance are in the Planning Department and Procurement arrangements - are these areas that simply can’t be changed or improved because of policies and legislation that involved parties are dealing with, or is there in fact something that can be done 14 DQ

in the way of improving performance in these areas and settling concerns?

I believe it is largely down to changing the culture. The council at the moment is bogged down by bureaucracy and process. It is more about planning and processes than it is about delivery and I want to change that. I want to instil a ‘can do’ culture. I want to be able to work with you and be direct – if there are problems, let’s work together to find solutions and let’s establish a genuine understanding.

In terms of procurement, we have a responsibility at the council to lead, to be at the forefront leading on your behalf.

But if we see things being fired at us from down the tubes, whether they be issues or opportunities, we want the private sector and business community to be involved and able to take advantage. You all pay rates, you are all a part of the city and I want to make you genuine partners in what we do. We also want you to be confident that we are doing the right thing, and in order to achieve this, procurement systems and procedures need to be changed and professionalised.

I have instructed our planning department to start looking at scheduling planning meetings within a week of receiving applications. Let us try to allow investors, developers and the people shaping our city to move swiftly and speedily to start driving the bus and creating opportunities for the people that live here– it is not rocket science, it is something that should be achievable.

“It’s not a case of we’re red and they’re blue and yellow and knocking lumps out of each other.”

Not everybody can get in to see you, despite you making the decision to go full time in leading the council your time will still be stretched. You do have a vacancy for Chief Executive; can you tell us who it is going to be or at least give us an insight into the type of person you are seeking for the role? David Henshaw was seen as a new broom with fairly radical ideas, but started the ball rolling on the transformation of Liverpool. Colin Hilton, on the other hand, might fall under the ‘safe pair of hands’ category – what type of character does the city need now?

I agree that each played their role in redeveloping the city and certainly wouldn’t argue or debate what they each achieved, but I want to look to the future. If we look at the issues around how this organisation is run and consider our statutory respon-

sibilities in delivering adult care, children’s social services and education, we need good quality officers and a specific type of person at the helm. We need somebody who is up for the challenge, who understands business – we all know that one of the ways in which this city will continue to develop is through generation of business growth. The private sector is imperative to the continual transformation of the city, so I want somebody with entrepreneurial skills and flair, who is confident in working alongside me and shares my passion to positively shape the future of Liverpool. I don’t want somebody who can come in and run the education department, social services or other routine aspects of the council.

Instead, I want somebody who can work effectively with our private sector partners and who understands that regeneration is the engine room pushing the city forward.

You mentioned challenges – there is an emergency budget tomorrow and it has been well trailed that the public expenditure pot is going to shrink significantly; and inevitably Liverpool will be hit hard by that. There is a massive schools programme in place that is being reviewed at the moment amongst other issues that will affect us. How do you see Liverpool handling that, particularly now we have Labour administration governing us locally and a coalition government and different political colours nationally?

I think one of the things we have to recognise, and particularly in this room, related to a comment I made earlier about the glass being half full. People will expect me to take a polarised view and have a stand up argument with the new government – there is no question we face difficult times over the next 4-5 years. The City Council itself has a deficit of £120million, we have a turnover of one billion eight hundred million pounds, but a lot of that is ring fenced to be spent in particular areas of the council. What we do not have ring fenced is around 19 – 20% of that money, which we are now called to save. This is a phenomenal task to achieve, but we must do it and we have already set about doing it.

We are setting up a star chamber, if you like, to look at how we manage finance within the council and this is something we have to do. I go into work at 8am and don’t leave until 8pm, and usually by 10.30am somebody has already been in with bad news – more grants have gone or more issues or incentives are being reviewed.

But there was some good news last week in the go ahead for Hall Lane and the Edge Lane Gateway as well as the New Royal Liverpool Hospital, but other plans have been kicked into the long grass in terms of the comprehensive spending review, which will take place in the autumn. Alder Hey has been put on the backburner, as well as the Building Schools for the Future programme, which was somewhere in the region of £340million of investment across

26 new schools.

But what we have done as a city with this project, along with New Heartlands and the housing market renewal areas, is try to create sustainable communities. We have taken out surplus places in the schools and have closed both primary and secondary schools across the city to deliver a message to the government. A message to say that we are creating opportunities for communities to thrive and prosper over the next 20 – 30 years and it would be a shame for us to lose that. Rather than take on a more adversarial role, I have written to different government departments and housing ministers and when Lord Richard Best visited recently, I personally voiced to him the issues that we face. I have also written to the Schools Minister, Michael Dove to say that we need these projects to coincide to support our vision of sustainable communities in Liverpool.

There are indeed difficult times ahead but we all need to focus on the positive prospects of regeneration and the potential this creates, rather than get into the wrong mindset and create adversity. Let’s communicate to the government that we have invested into this transformation of Liverpool and that we are one of the big wheels in terms of driving the UK economy

and we want and need your continued support. It’s not a case of ‘we’re red and you’re blue and yellow’ and knocking lumps out of each other, it’s about ensuring an understanding of where our city is positioned now. We have suffered some blows – the area based grant, which replaces neighbourhood renewals funds and other pots that go towards enabling us to transform communities, has received the biggest reduction in Liverpool out of all 8 core cities. This means that we can’t do what we want in terms of employment and trading opportunities.

We have also suffered cutbacks in terms of transport planning and expenditure and you all know how important this infrastructure is to support businesses and business development. So, that said, lots of bad news and lots more to come, I am positive we will see further restrictions yet. But we have some real issues within the city council that need to be addressed. Already, only three months into the financial year, we have overspent by £9million in social services and I’m having to ask some real questions. There are going to be changes in adult care to save on wasted inefficiencies.

There are also 500 agency staff currently employed by Liverpool City Council, the question I’m asking is why not employ half of these permanently and save on

“I would expect that from the private sector point of view, you want me to look at organisations and ensure we get more bang for our buck.” cost? There are over one thousand people on honorariums, some who have been honoured for over four years. We spend something in the region of £125-150K on flowers, £600K on performance related pay – what a performance! It is just amazing what I have been able to unearth in terms of unnecessary expenditure. Central government argue that they have to root out our inefficiencies, so do I; but I need to ensure that in doing so, we don’t lose our momentum in driving the city forward.

Just last week, Jack Stopforth from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and I met with your education officers and spoke about how the private sector can be involved in lobbying to retain the Building Schools for the Future Programme funding so it is seen as being positive and not just Liverpool having a moan. There is a good business case to be made for some of the planned investment. And, of course, in terms of tackling what may be perceived as local inefficiencies, you have announced a review on economic development activity. What has been particularly headlined following that announcement was the work of The Mersey Partnership (TMP) and Liverpool Vision. Can you tell us more about that?

I hope that from your point of view in the private sector, you would expect me to do just that, to look at organisations and ensure that we get more bang for our buck in the same way that you do, and I have asked Professor Michael Parkinson to review that situation. NWDA received £6.4million of public sector funding, Liverpool Vision received £3.9million from Liverpool City Council – that’s a lot of your money and a lot of mine and I want to make sure there is no duplication and no inefficiencies and that we actually get what is needed in terms of organisations that can shape the future in terms of regeneration for this city.

At the same time, I have been elected as Chair of the City Region Governance, and for me, I don’t want to sit in talking shops.

I want the Regional City Governance leader to be somebody who speaks on behalf of the people, who can articulate and argue and lead the regeneration across the city and region.

Also, I would like to see changes in TMP, Liverpool Vision and Liverpool City Council working together and I think now is an opportune time for us to achieve that with me coming into power. There is an opportunity there and we should grab it with both hands. These changes could benefit > DQ 15

businesses in the private sector across the region and more importantly in Liverpool.

The fact of the matter is that I want to ensure value for the money we spend.

In general terms, we need to realise an understanding in how we can support one another and form cohesion. If you look at the regeneration opportunities across the region with Wirral Waters, Liverpool Waters, transport and education, there are plenty of opportunities for us to work together and I look forward to getting involved and setting a new direction. I’m not saying I’m going to please everybody, that’s not what I’m about. I’m about making sure that Liverpool as an entire region actually does move and progress, as opposed to just talking about it.

I mentioned earlier the Chief Executive post, but you have also created a new post for cabinet for a business representative.

What was your thinking behind the creation of this new post and what processes are in place to recruit the right person?

My thoughts were quite simple – in discussions I had had with representatives from the private sector over the last couple of years and listening to their concerns, I wanted to ensure not just anecdotal evidence but my own ability to think through exactly how we can change things. I am not a business man myself, I am not someone who has the expertise to advise how we can change, reshape and modernise and what I am looking for in terms of a cabinet member for business, is someone who can. There are lots of operational aspects of the Liverpool City Council, but business is an area where my officers and I need to develop a better understanding. I have been overwhelmed by the response from interested candidates and have asked trusted colleagues to help me look at applications because the decision really shouldn’t be mine – it should be yours effectively. This is not a gimmick; it is a genuine and sincere gesture by me to be inclusive. What frustrates me is that people think that those are the only movements being made to include the business community.

I also intend to set up Business Leaders’ Forums. People tend to perceive that my door is always closed – but it isn’t. I will fit people in whenever I can and seek to continue to do so. The Business Leaders’ Forums will be bi-monthly meetings to which we can invite different groups and sectors and address pertinent issues, culminating with a regroup at year-end to talk things through together and assess progress. I first need to appoint somebody who can best advise me on how to bridge the gap between the public and private sector, which will hopefully set us in good stead.

I met with the CEO of Residential Social Landlords recently before speaking to developers working with local RSL’s; and I 16 DQ

was blown away by their enthusiasm to be involved in constructive dialogue with me about how we do things, one of them even stating that in his 5 years as RSL, it was his first time in the Leaders Office. That’s just not acceptable. Business is an important aspect of activity in the city and whilst we can’t afford the time to meet everybody individually, collectively it should be a

“You asked about courage – I think I have already shown some of that and can only say watch this space in terms of council re-structure in the future.” priority. If anybody has a problem or a concern, I want to hear about it and I make the promise now that you will get a response and I will start to look for solutions and ensure that officers at the council are doing the same. This role and these events are vital to the city’s future and my challenge to you is to voice your issues and together we can try to overcome them. I will try to tackle problems head on, but would hope that I can look to you for support, advise and expertise.

We’re currently in the middle of a World Cup. The new football stadia has been a long running saga on both sides of the park, and I know you made some fairly strong comments on Liverpool’s inability to get on and do things. Everton Football Club have knocked on your door again and much controversy surrounded their proposed move to Kirkby – is there a progress report you can give us on that?

There is some progress and I am determined to move things more quickly than has been the case in the past. I can’t go into too much detail due to commercial sensitivity, although some people in this room are aware of where we’re at; and I have been grateful to the people involved for helping me look for solutions. I am meeting with both football clubs over the next week. There are real developments taking place, but it’s not what you do publicly on these things, it’s about how you go about things privately – there is no call for a public debate. It’s fair to say, and I’m happy to go on record, that I am not happy with either of the clubs in how they have moved things on. In the six weeks I have been elected as Council Leader, I have exchanged dialogue with both clubs and I think we are now beginning to reach a point of understanding and knowing where we are going, and I’m confident we will be able to reach a positive solution soon.

But the city cannot be held to ransom by the clubs. They are massively important to the city and continue to drive visitor numbers and we should utilise the opportunities that this creates. We should maintain visitors in the city and encourage them to spend and invest into the economy. First, we have to make a concentrated effort to move things on and in terms of the Anfield regeneration being held up by Liverpool Football Club, I have some heartbreaking stories I could tell you about the people living in the vastly dilapidated areas. We can no longer afford to be held up by the clubs decision making processes, they have a responsibility to the city as much as the city does to them. I am looking forward to us working together, but it has to be based on openness, honesty and transparency and understanding the role each other has to play in driving things forward.

DQ HOT TOPIC

LEADERSHIP

The issue of leadership in business has been a hot topic of discussion and debate during the course of the recession. We asked three leading Downtown members and business owners to tell us their thoughts on this critical business skill.

A FRESH LOOK AT LEADERSHIP

by John Leach, Winning Pitch Mobilising the efforts of others is key to business and personal success. Over the years, many models of leadership have been developed and there are a plethora of books and research articles published on this area. For me leadership of others means that we need to sort ourselves out first and learn the art of self leadership.

How effective are you in leading yourself? Do you have a framework within which you manage and lead your own life? Do you have a written statement of what you believe in or your purpose in life?

Are you aware of how others perceive you? Great leaders also have strong personal brands driven by an excellent reputation – this for me underpins the foundation for effective leadership.

Many great leaders work to a set of rules and guidelines that dictate how they behave and engage with customers, suppliers, colleagues, friends and community. Individuals that go on to achieve long lasting sustainable success and personal growth have a moral compass embedded within their mindset, it governs how they lead their life – it also impacts significantly on how they lead others.

There is a limit on what we can achieve on our own, this means we must utilise and build on the competencies of others to help us realise our ambitions. The 4C’s of great leadership provides a framework for you to embrace: Create the right Conditions – you must build an environment so that others want to be involved, with this means that the vision and strategy for what needs to be achieved must be clear to all – it must excite and engage. Remember you have to be motivated yourself to motivate others, people will mirror your behaviour. Always remain upbeat, celebrate successes and most of all remember the old adage – walk the walk and talk the talk. By doing this people will

respect you as their leader. By creating the right environment others will follow. Once you have set and shared the vision be a doer not a talker!

Coach – you must encourage others to develop themselves and reach their full potential. This means those that directly report to us should be given feedback on how they are performing with suggestions on how to improve. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team – what motivates and what does not. Lead with questions not answers.

Communicate – ensure that lines of communication are constantly open and all concerned understand what’s going on. Give open and honest feedback and ensure that you listen to issues and concerns.

Ensure communication is delivered with clarity, this avoids any misunderstanding. Say it how it is it and do not avoid delivering the true facts!

Ensure Conformity – if we are on a mission to succeed there will inevitably be rules that we need to operate within, this may involve hitting targets or achieving milestones. Conformity also means abiding by the values of the team or organisation – there must be an expectation on how individuals behave and conduct themselves. As a leader, you should regularly review performance of the individuals in your team.

Simple yet a highly effective model that drives results!

John Leach is founder of Winning Pitch Read his blog - johnleachwp.wordpress.com

IS EXCESSIVE RED TAPE STIFLING BUSINESS GROWTH AND LEADERSHIP?

by Victoria Brown, High Performance Consultancy For a business owner, employment law and regulation is no doubt considered to be an expensive, time consuming part of their business.

If Employers ignore employment legislation then they are likely to face hefty compensation payouts and fines. However, if they try to interpret, amend and implement the ever growing employment law timetable of changes - will they ever be able to focus on growing their own business?

The coalition government has pledged to adopt a new approach that will control and reduce the burden of regulation. A ‘one-in, one-out’ approach, designed to change the culture of government, and to make sure that new regulatory burdens on business are only brought in when reductions can be made to existing regulation.

It is interesting to consider whether the expenditure of time and money throughout an employer’s business years has a detrimental impact on their leadership style, management and indeed business growth?

According to a recent survey conducted by the Forum of Private Business’ (FPB), smaller business employers spend £259 million on work associated dismissals and redundancy. They spend a further £391 million on absence control and management, £237 million on maternity, £333 million on disciplinary issues, and £1,175 million on holidays and any other remaining areas of employment legislation. The average time per month spent on all these different areas of employment law was found to be around 10 hours for each small business.

Particularly time-consuming were the tasks of understanding

> DQ 17

new regulations (73% thought this was excessive) and the general monitoring and administering of legal responsibilities (74%).

As a HR Consultant I find that most companies I work for have a primary focus to ensure they tick the legal compliance box. I very rarely have a Director of a Company discuss on their first consultation meeting their desire to maximise business outcomes, meet changing needs and drive excellent performance through strategic HR leadership. Unfortunately, the role of the Human Resource Professional in many companies is still perceived as the systematising, policing arm of executive management.

We must move away from the view that the only way to solve problems is to regulate. This will demand a radical change in culture; away from the ‘tick-box’ approach to regulation. It’s a big task but one worth striving for.

If the pledge for a reduction in red tape is successful then Business Leaders can re-define their approach to tackling employment legislation. Business Leaders will be able to concentrate on what should be a leader’s prime and fundamental responsibility; sound

strategic planning processes. This will ensure that there is effective cultural alignment with their vision and that resources of the business are effectively brought to bear to achieve that destination.

Victoria Brown BSc(hons) MSc MCIPD Victoria Brown is the Director of High Performance Consultancy (HPC). HPC is a Human Resource Outsourced Service provider based in Liverpool City Centre. HPC supply an outsourced service to clients across the U.K. Victoria originally graduated in the field of Business Psychology and specialised in executive profiling, recruitment, leadership development and stress management within organisations. She has since become a Chartered member of the CIPD and has extensive knowledge and experience within the areas of employment law, employee relations, redundancies and change management. Victoria set up HPC three years ago in Liverpool with a primary focus to supply a good quality, affordable HR service to the SME market. Within three years the business has grown from strength to strength and has an extensive, diverse client base across the U.K.

DOING THE RIGHTS THINGS

by David Wade-Smith, Liversmart Ltd “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things”.

So said Peter Drucker, one of the 20th Century’s greatest business commentators.

The subject of Leadership is constantly in the headlines and in recent months we have had a front row seat from which to analyse and scrutinise many styles of leadership at the highest level. We have a new government in office, a coalition led by a Prime Minister used to leading his own party and a Deputy used to leading his own party not exactly a blueprint for success, but let’s all wait and see. You never know?

Closer to home, we’ve seen a change in local leadership. One that in turn has resulted in a rapid change in the senior executive team here in the City of Liverpool. We have witnessed a change in Manager at Liverpool FC and we understand that (as this publication goes to press) we will see a change in ownership resulting in turn with a change in leadership.

All these ‘historic’ changes to our large, powerful institutions and organisations that mean so much to so many of us all happening right in front of our eyes in real time.

Recent reports tell us that the average tenure of a FTSE Chief Executive is now less than 3 years. In the last few weeks we have witnessed, again in real time, the rapid departure of the CEO of the UK’s largest and most powerful Company, BP. Is this change unrelenting? How long before the average dips below 2 years?

leaders stand up to the scrutiny of instant, constant and unrelenting judgment brought on by hand held news media, chat rooms, blogs and 24 hour informed reporting. Half truths and ill informed judgements seem to weave themselves onto well respected channels well before the highly paid PR advisers can intercept them and cast their magic spin. That would never have happened 5-10 years ago.

Good business practice states that the most successful businesses generate their growth through cultivating an environment that allows mistakes and through developing a culture of ‘continual improvement’. All the world’s most successful businesses follow this practise as do so many of us smaller businesses and start ups.

Against this back drop of faster and faster change the principles of great leadership remain the same. New media, mobiles and the internet have so far failed to redefine the attributes of great leaders. Passion, Vision, Creativity, Innovation, High Standards and Long Term Goals are just a few of the personal qualities that make up the characteristics of really great leaders.

If “leadership is about doing the right things” then who will have the strength and judgment to dispense more of the magic ingredient – time.

That ‘judgement’ will be the measure of the great leaders of the future.

David Wade-Smith Chairman, Livesmart Ltd

10 years into the new millennium and it appears that our ‘instant media’ society continues to have a destabilising effect. Can our

Downtown’s Top Leadership Quotes Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.

Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too. has sense enough to pick The best executive is the one who e, and self-restraint to don ts wan he t good men to do wha e they do it. keep from meddling with them whil

18 DQ

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision.

You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.

DQ LIVERPOOL BUSINESS AWARDS Downtown Liverpool, in association with the Northwest Development Agency and Business Link, hosted the sixth annual Liverpool Business Awards, dubbed the Business ‘Oscars’ in July at the spectacular Sefton Park Palm House.

The evening, which was themed around the legendary ‘Blues Brothers’ theme, celebrated some of the city’s most successful business stories from a diverse range of industry sectors. A capacity 260 business leaders and entrepreneurs enjoyed another cracking Downtown night – finishing off with an after show party in the splendid Alma De Cuba.

The ‘Oscar’ winners for 2010 were: BEST BAR & RESTAURANT: award sponsor Panorama Kitchens WINNER: MERCHANTS BEST HOTEL: award sponsor Paver Smith WINNER: CROWNE PLAZA CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: award sponsor NSG UK WINNER: BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN: award sponsor Ollie & Darsh WINNER: LIVE ‘SMART

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: award sponsor CBG Group WINNER: HIGH PERFORMANCE CONSULTANCY PROPERTY SERVICES: award sponsor Business Link WINNER: VENMORE PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY: award sponsor PH Creative WINNER: KENYON FRASER

BEST NEWCOMER: award sponsor NONAME Kitchens WINNER: TENDER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY

SERVICES TO LIVERPOOL: award sponsor Downtown Liverpool in Business WINNER: HILL DICKINSON

FINANCIAL SERVICES AWARD: award sponsor Northwest Development Agency WINNER: HSBC

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: award sponsor Grant Thornton WINNER: LIVERPOOL JOHN LENNON AIRPORT

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DQ LIVERPOOL BUSINESS AWARDS

20 DQ

DQ LIVERPOOL BUSINESS AWARDS

DQ 21

paversmith managing reputations

Big desicisions follow you around.

paversmith managing reputations

For downtown boys... ...and uptown girls Paver Smith offers the best in public relations, public affairs and marketing consultancy.

Expanding abroad is attractive.

How do we make it happen?

At Grant Thornton, we understand that the big decisions you have to make are sometimes difficult, often finely balanced, always with you.

To explore this and other big decisions, visit www.grant-thornton.co.uk or call +44 (0)151 224 7200

public relations | public affairs | marketing consultancy www.paversmith.co.uk t: 0151 239 5000

© 2010 Grant Thornton UK LLP. All rights reserved. ‘Grant Thornton’ means Grant Thornton UK LLP, a limited liability partnership. Grant Thornton UK LLP is a member firm within Grant Thornton International Ltd (‘Grant Thornton International’).

UCLan Downtown Expanding_abroad_56x130_P.indd 1

Liverpool Advert Quarter Page:Layout 1 2 19/08/2010 13:16:10

knowledge

Great partnerships achieve great things

It’s simple. If you want the pure grit and determination it takes to get results, the commitment it takes to leave no stone unturned and the passion it takes to go that extra mile, we’ve got it. We don’t settle for anything less and neither should you. *North West Business Insider Magazine.

Lancashire Dealmaker Awards 2008, 2009 & 2010

For legal advice that is straight to the point: Preston office t: 01772 220022 Blackburn office t: 01254 54374 www.forbessolicitors.co.uk

At the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can help your business get the results you need. Such as providing bespoke training, solving business problems, and providing support through funded initiatives. And we have students and graduates who will make great staff, just looking for the opportunity to prove how, through our real world teaching, they can benefit your business from day one.

To find out what we could achieve together call 01772 895500, visit www.uclan.ac.uk/business University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE

DQ JUST JONAS MANCHESTER REVISITED As the decades pass me by, I am becoming more intrigued by the changing needs in our leisure pursuits. What satisfied me in the 80’s, definitely horrifies me now, although I still experience the odd hanker to return “just once more” to some of the more significant social events of my younger days, with the knowledge that I would probably be back at home, tucked up by midnight as opposed to midnight of the following day!

As a Chester boy, now living in Liverpool, I am still continually drawn towards Manchester for part of my social escape.

Chester in the 80’s was the place to be if you lived there. Liverpool was just up the road and occasionally affordable. Manchester was an aspiration and you were revered and worshiped as cool if you made the effort and the investment. I was cool! (And broke) The Hacienda was the first club that I remember where the door staff handed umbrellas to the queue before denying you entrance. If lucky enough to get in, you often found yourself rubbing shoulders with the likes of Marc Almond, Holly Johnston and possibly even dodging the pout of Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant. Hands up if you were naughty enough to brave “Flesh”?

I pulled more sickies to be stranded in Manchester until the busses started running back to Liverpool, too late to get me to work the following day.

manager for Downtown, I am always looking for those quality venues that reflect the Downtown brand, and to be honest, like Liverpool, it’s not that hard to achieve in Manchester.

THE ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE The Royal Exchange Theatre was the first target location on my list. Not only is this a theatre with a global reputation for quality, housed in a building of historical magnificence, but also a business that impacts massively on the local community through its CSR programme. The Exchange regularly challenges its audience with a playbill of provocative and superior productions, intimately performed in a traditional theatre in the round set up. Theatre is about bums on seats and I strongly recommend that your bum should seriously consider playing its part at the Exchange by experiencing as many productions in the forthcoming season.

Dining out is part of Downtown’s culture and we have learnt over the years that it pays to associate with restaurants that recognise the value of their diners. Manchester has a good offer in terms of affordable, quality dining and we are delighted be working alongside some of what we consider the best.

ROSSO Rosso’s architecture can’t fail to catch the eye and equally as satisfying is the skill that goes into what is delivered on the plate. This is a beautiful spacious restau-

“Dining out is part of Downtown’s culture and we have learnt over the years that it pays to associate with restaurants that recognise the value of their diners” of menus, all designed to blow you away, or blow you up if you get to close to the flames from the Teppanyaki grill. Sapporo is a return destination; once you have visited.... you will go back.

RESTAURANT BAR & GRILL My final choice to round off is The Restaurant Bar and Grill, a contemporary spacious bar with a spectacular wire suspended stairway to a heavenly, tasteful restaurant. Having lunched there on numerous occasions, I am in no doubt qualified to pass opinion. The Restaurant Bar and Grill is a busy restaurant for a reason.... it ticks all the boxes. Hundreds of regular diners can’t be wrong, and, as with both Rosso and Sapporo Teppanyaki, one often mingles with the glitterati of the celebrity world.

I am always open to suggestion regards where best to dine in Manchester and which restaurants you would recommend to join the Downtown fold. Drop me a line on roger.jonas@downtowninbusiness.com with your suggestions.

To locate the above, Google:

“The Hacienda was the first club that I remember where the door staff handed umbrellas to the queue before denying you entrance”

rant that exudes decadence without being over pretentious. Rosso’s table hosts are genuinely pleased to see you as opposed to be told to be pleased to see you. Service is second to none and a visit is inevitable if you have any sense.

Thank god it has all changed. My demands are less tribal now and hopefully a little more civilised. Since the launch of Downtown Manchester, I have rediscovered a number of my old haunts; but more so, discovered a gamut of new. As events

SAPPORO TEPPANYAKI Sapporo Teppanyaki offers a different style of theatre from the Royal Exchange. This is kitchen theatre at your table. Teppanyaki chefs masterfully create dishes in front of your eyes, with a performance deserving of a Bafta. You can choose from a combination

The Royal Exchange Rosso Manchester Sapporo Teppanyaki Restaurant Bar and Grill

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DQ ICON

Anthony Wilson

Downtown chairman Frank McKenna explains why Anthony Wilson is absolutely the ideal candidate to launch our ‘DQ Icon’ series.

"To many people, Tony Wilson was simply ‘the man off the tele’, a regular face, ultimately the front man, for the Granada news magazine programme Granada Reports and in his younger days the guy who would participate in the most bizarre of stunts, including a very dangerous hand gliding stunt over the Pennine’s and going the best of three falls with the wrestler Giant Haystacks.

24 DQ

But, for those who knew him best, Wilson was much more than that. He was the creator of a Manchester music and culture movement that has been one of the biggest influences in the city’s transformation; he was a political activist, a passionate believer in devolution for his beloved North West; and he was, in the purest sense of the word, an entrepreneur, full of ideas and always, and I mean always, prepared to take a risk.

Though I had met Tony on several occasions as a guest of the extremely popular late night discussion programme ‘Up Front’ which he hosted with Lucy Meacock, I only got to know him following an interview he came to do with me when I was Deputy Leader of Lancashire County Council in 1997.

Up to that point I had always considered Wilson to be ‘the man off the tele’ and one, by all accounts, who was not particularly keen on Scousers! Actually, what I found was someone who was happy to play up to a particular persona if it helped to enhance his media reputation; but also a man who had a great regard for the city of Liverpool if not the football team (he was okay with Everton though)!

“The movie ‘24 Hour Party People’, provided a whistle stop tour of many of the highlights that Tony the man off the tele, club owner and music mogul was associated with” Mr. Manchester Tony ‘s staunch support of Manchester United, his ribbing of Liverpool FC at any opportunity, and subsequently his unique contribution to Manchester’s regeneration earned him the title ‘Mr. Manchester’ though he would tell anyone who would listen that he was born in Salford, and he was a proud Salfordian.

His time at Factory records, his passion for unearthing new Manchester talent including most famously Joy Division and the Happy Monday’s, and his part in the establishment of super club the Hacienda is well documented in a number of books that

have been written about him and the whole late seventies, eighties and nineties Madchester scene.

Indeed the movie ‘24 Hour Party People’, in which Steve Coogan gave an acclaimed performance as Wilson, provided a whistle stop tour of many of the highlights that Tony the man off the tele, club owner and music mogul was associated with.

Power to the People However, his involvement in business, politics and regeneration has never had the focus it perhaps deserved. He was a passionate advocate for devolution to England’s regions, particularly to his beloved North West, and he was the figurehead of The Necessary Group, a pressure group formed to campaign for and win a referendum for an elected North West Regional parliament with powers akin to those enjoyed by the Welsh Assembly.

This wasn’t simply a fad for Wilson. He was serious about it, and dedicated a significant amount of time and resource to the campaign. He and I travelled up to Cumbria to launch a petition calling on people of the North West to support the cause and his ‘personality’ helped gain an amount of coverage and publicity that we would never have achieved without him. He was also responsible for the idea of a North West flag, and he was bitterly disappointed when the Labour government decided against giving the region an opportunity to vote on the issue.

Talking About Regeneration Alongside his partner Yvette Livesey he was commissioned by regeneration company Elevate, the East Lancashire housing and regeneration company, to work up an action plan of creative ideas. The Wilson Livesey report ‘Dreaming of a Pennine Lancashire’ spoke of ushering in a new era for East Lancashire’s former mill towns by using sport and culture to improve the area’s image and benefit the local economy.

Re-branding East Lancashire ‘Pennine Lancashire’, establishing a football theme

“There are numerous tales about Wilson’s actions, activities, opinionated and often controversial pronouncements on a wide range of topics, some of which are pure myth, some of which are exaggerated, but most of which are outrageously true.” park, a fashion-based tourist attraction, designer allotment sheds and a series of themed public squares were part of Wilson’s vision.

You Cannot Be Serious It is certainly fitting that Tony features as the inaugural ‘icon’ figure in DQ as Downtown Liverpool in Business was, at least in part, born out of a conversation that I had with him in 1999.

Tony told me about a pressure group he had been involved in following the IRA bombing of Manchester. Other members of the organisation included Tom Bloxham, Peter Saville and Colin Sinclair. They called themselves the ‘McEnroe Group’ – as a ‘you cannot be serious’ commentary on Manchester’s agencies response to the incident. He told me that the group came up with some alternative proposals and suggestions, some of which were subsequently taken on board, and that a good deal of the private/public sector partnerships that are taken for granted in Manchester today had started with that initiative.

There were a lot of ‘you cannot be serious’ moments in and around Liverpool’s regeneration in 2004 and in the run up to the capital of culture year in 2008, and Downtown, in a way, became the city’s ‘McEnroe Group’.

Legend There are numerous tales about Wilson’s actions, activities, opinionated and often controversial pronouncements on a wide range of topics, some of which are pure myth, some of which are exaggerated, but most of which are outrageously true. One of my favourites is often recalled by the editor of business magazine Insider, Michael Taylor. “I’ll never forget a meeting in the offices of the Mersey Basin campaign where we were co-authors of a book about the River Mersey. Some of the other members were asking about the “tone of the book” and weather it was appropriate for “the man in the street.” Tony intervened, telling them “When Sid Vicious was asked if he wrote for the man in the street, he said “I’ve met the man in the street and he’s a c**t”

Tony was always forthright, an innovator, an underrated journalist and television presenter, a superb radio broadcaster, and a very special friend who I will always fondly remember and, like many others, forever miss."

DQ 25

DQ DOWNTOWN DEBATE

Preston, the first town outside of the capital to be lit by gas, visited in the 1800’s by German philosopher Karl Marx and philanthropist and acclaimed novelist Charles Dickens and home to the Temperance Movement – even coining the phrase ‘teetotalism’, ironically... maybe. Just a bit of an historic insight into the city that was, until 2002, one of Britain’s longest established and most influential towns.

IS PRESTON A CITY IN NAME ONLY? Let’s be clear, the status of city is not granted lightly, and Preston earned that status in 2002. It is easy to see why, as our city has much to offer with its rich heritage and traditions, as a major administrative and educational centre, with world class companies, a diverse and largely thriving economy, excellent motorway and fast rail links, good leisure facilities, a great location for business, and with the countryside and seaside close at hand. Overall Preston offers a great quality of family life.

The feedback I get from Prestonians however is that Preston, and they mean the centre, does not feel or look like a city centre should. The perception is of a city without vibrancy, maybe with a lack of ambition, a city centre that needs renewal and investment. The challenge to our civic leaders and the other Preston movers and shakers is to show leadership, have an agreed long term vision for Preston city centre, to have a plan to address all the issues, and to ensure that by 2020 we have a city of which Prestonians are truly proud.

RICHARD BAMFORD CHAIRMAN EV Having been based in Blackburn for the last four years it is odd to see the way in which Preston people perceive their city.

26 DQ

Eight years ago, Preston was granted official city status. But, how far does this ‘city’ have to go before it is recognised as such? Downtown Preston in Business hosted an event recently that explored the question ‘What are the ingredients that make a city great’? Strong leadership, ambition and confidence were, in short, the answer. You must identify weaknesses and address them in order to move forward. Downtown Chairman, Frank McKenna has spent much time expressing frustrations with Preston’s leadership and has outlined a number of other areas that have to be improved in terms of attitude and process if we are to effectively drive Preston forward as a city.

Is Preston a city in name only? Downtown asks the question of some leading opinion formers from across the county...

The view from outside is that Preston has benefited from funding in recent times, has a thriving business community, good transport links and a vibrant night time economy.

It seems, however, to be a city low on confidence and one that is scared to really make the most of the assets it has at its disposal.

Preston Vision has rightly acknowledged over the last few months that change is needed. Its Chief Executive, Eliot Ward, has pointed towards the look and feel of the city and the need for certain areas, particularly the city gateways - the bus station and train station - to be revamped so that the experience of coming to Preston is a much more appealing one.

His discussions around the creation of a central business district between the train station and university are also commendable. Rhetoric, however, is no substitute for action; and what Preston needs more than ever is physical examples of progress. This, in turn, could help boost the confidence of people in the city and allow them to unify behind a much-needed common objective.

People need to believe in the regeneration projects that are being mentioned and once they do they will give them the backing they dearly need. Personally, I believe there are huge opportunities for Preston to act as a

travel hub from which visitors are able to explore the rest of the county.

Being linked into the West Coast rail line is a huge asset and maybe there is scope to promote the city as a starting point for a trip to the area, be that someone who is heading for the fells and market towns of the Ribble Valley and Forest of Bowland; families en route to our seaside resorts, or individuals wanting to experience Premier League football in Blackburn or Blackpool.

All of this can be done while at the same time promoting Preston as a lively city to spend the night or weekend.

Key to this future is confidence and the sooner people have something to unite behind, the better.

BEN BRIGGS EDITOR LANCASHIRE BUSINESS VIEW

I’d love to think that Preston lives up to its city status. Preston is a wonderful place to live, work and play and has many assets to be proud of, including a fantastic football team, a prestigious university and a vibrant business community. However the truth is, after almost a decade of being a city, Preston is still punching below its weight and is generally perceived as a town, even

by its most passionate advocates.

Preston lacks a city mindset and there’s a growing sense of frustration amongst those of us that believe that Preston needs to start thinking big and seeing the bigger picture. I think we need to start looking beyond Tithebarn, before it is too late and decide what our plan B could be. Yes it would be an incredible boost for Preston but we can’t depend solely on this project and we need to start thinking about other options now.

Let’s make sure the city is clean and tidy and that eyesores are eradicated. Let’s get the signage in the city centre sorted out to make travelling around Preston effortless and to encourage people to visit our attractions.

I believe we need to build a brand for Preston with a long-term goal of positioning us on a world stage. We should look to cities like Manchester and Liverpool that have reinvented themselves and are now reaping the benefits of increased tourism and inward investment.

Undoubtedly there exists the pride and enthusiasm in the businesses and community of Preston to put us on the right track. But what we really need now is less talk and more action and a strong leader to make the necessary changes happen.

Let’s build bigger and better partnerships between the public and private sector and strengthen those that already exist between our institutions and organisations.

Collaboration is absolutely crucial to Preston’s long-term future so we need to start thinking and acting like a united team, with strong direction from city leaders, if we are to achieve our aspirations.

Preston Guild 2012 will be a great catalyst and could provide a focal point for the much needed regeneration we need. Let’s not let this opportunity pass us by.

ANGELA SMITH MANAGING DIRECTOR WRITE ANGLE PR

What I like about Preston are the people, Prestonians. They make it what it is, a friendly community where people like to live and work. What I like about Preston is that it’s a village. Directly or indirectly, personally or vicariously, everyone knows everyone else. We know everyone’s business, their comings and goings, who’s in and who’s out, who’s up and who’s down. We live a stone’s throw away from work and, right on the doorstep, we have “fast” roads and fast trains to take us to city, coast or country. We don’t have “bright lights”, a skyscraper skyline or indulge in cafe culture. We don’t have a Chinese quarter, a gay quarter, Big Ben or a big wheel... or even a Cathedral come to that!! But every city started life as a village. The City of Preston is still in its infancy. It’s got a good grounding, now it needs self confidence and leadership and support from those older and wiser, to grow to its potential.

CHRIS SCOTT PARTNER DWF

Preston is a city with a diverse community, cultured history and is a location where

people want to live, work and enjoy life.

It has a healthy economy with a number of specialist strengths including design, professional and business services. There is an abundance of young, vibrant, creative talent, a lot of whom study at the University of Central Lancashire. This has never been more evident than with the number of start-up and sustainable businesses we are seeing every year, highlighting the next generation as leaders in enterprise.

UCLan is renowned as one of the countries leading entrepreneurial universities, offering a diverse portfolio of courses and opportunities, particularly for graduates looking to start-up their own businesses. It is essential that the skills of these talented graduates are retained in the region and Preston is a city that graduates want to stay in. At UCLan, we are nurturing the next crop of talent who will determine the success of the city. I consider Preston to be thriving, it just maybe needs to think and promote itself more like a big city and consider its need to grow sustainably.

BEDE MULLEN DIRECTOR OF THE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE

DOWNTOWN SAYS "Preston arguably has more opportunity and potential than any other young city. Our existing assets, including the Docks, superb parks, Winckley Square and the forthcoming Guild partnered with our fantastic location, where the shore meets rolling countryside and Manchester, the hub of the North West, can be reached in only an hour; are just some of the reasons why we should be more ambitious, and more confident, than appears to be the case.

National and global visitors to the city have identified Preston’s potential and have set up camp; Matalan Retail, Spar Stores and iQor Recovery Services all preside in the city and will be amongst the first to capitalize on opportunities that redevelopments will inevitably bring. The time has come to instill a similar confidence amongst Preston partners and residents.

Almost a decade since Preston garnered city status and still, major flaws exist purely through attitudes and perceptions and this is something we can undoubtedly change.

Ben Briggs, Editor of Lancashire Business View sums it up perfectly; “Preston has a great heritage and architecture that is a lasting testament to the Victorian era when its initial wealth was created. Heritage, however, is useless if it is not accompanied by progress; and what Preston has to realise is that whilst it had a glorious past it can also have a glorious future”.

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DQ BE OUR GUEST

ESTHER MCVEY M.P.

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A Politician Who is Professional I’m not a professional politician, one who’s had no other career besides politics, but I will be a politician who is professional. My background is one of law, media and business, and I fully intend to bring each of those skills to this vocation. My journey began 10 years ago and took me 2 General Elections to realise, but ‘nothing good comes easy’ and there are many lessons to be learnt from failure.

2010 started fast and furious. I’d begun selling one of my businesses in Dec 2009 and completed the sale and handover by the beginning of April, just in time for the campaign period. The election was held on the 6th May, the count was completed at 5.05am on the 7th, and I was in Westminster on the 9th in time for the coalition negotiations which began for the backbenchers on 10th May.

sible would carry on spending money and racking up debt. I equate it to my own finances and my business finances. And the adage I was told many years ago ‘Anyone can spend but it takes some brains and hard work to bring the money in’.

So as the coalition is 100 days old, what have I, as the MP for Wirral West done with my 100 days? Those who know me will know I’m passionate about Wirral, Merseyside and the Northwest, to this end I have been working cross party to piece together a Local Enterprise Partnership to best serve our local area. I’ve personally turned down positions on departmental select committees that would look good on my CV and hastened my elevation up the political ladder, in order to work on strategies and targets for our area, to forward the Merseyside and north west agenda. I did, however, agree to be chair of the APPG for Chemical Industry as it’s so important to the Northwest economy and worth £60B a year to the UK – it is our number one manufacturing export.

306 Conservative MP’s crammed into the wood panelled surroundings of Committee Room 14, where speculation and rumour abounded. Was it to be a minority Conservative government or a coalition government; and a coalition made from which parties?

The Lib Dems, the deal making party, were oscillating back and forth, Brown to Cameron. Secret talks in secret locations, some reached by secret underground passages, I kid you not. And whilst these negotiations were running, backbenchers were consulted in parallel; in order to discover what we would agree to and what policy changes would be deemed deal breakers. It was a tense time and tiring time and sleep it appeared was not on the agenda.

Winning Women

End of the Line for Labour

Statistics for girls on Merseyside are stark, there are double the national average claiming benefit and half the national average setting up in business. Should girls set up in business at the same rate as men it would add a further 150,000 businesses to the economy adding approx £7B to the GDP. So yes, there is a moral reason to reach out and show these girls they can have a career, there is also a hard-headed practical reason for doing it too. I have spent 2 years interviewing some of the top women in the world and correlating characteristics and personality traits, from: Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle, to Marissa Mayer, Head of Artificial Intelligence at Google, Clara Furse the first CEO of the London Stock Exchange and Martha Lane Fox, Founder of Last minute.com.

The backbench meeting was boisterous. Members were vocal but co-operative. The official meeting went on for some time, the unofficial one, as groups of us met to discuss the issues further, went on into the early hours. Then on Tuesday at 11am word went round it was all over for Gordon. Emails and texts rung around parliament, cameras and film crews gathered on the green outside and by 8pm David Cameron was declared Prime Minister. It was an historical moment, a generational General Election producing the first coalition government since the Second World War. For a new government to deliver its election pledges over the term of a parliament, pace needs to be rapid and it certainly has been, hastened by the financial dilemma facing the country and the coalition government. One cannot underestimate the financial mess Labour has left the country in. The amounts are so huge it can only be described as recklessly incompetent book keeping and if the debt is not tackled, within 5 years we’ll be paying out £70 Billion in debt interest alone each year, which is more than we are spending on educating our children and policing our country. It is unsustainable and morally reprehensible. Just as all Labour Governments end in economic failure this one has too, leaving it to the next government to clear up its financial mess.

Tory Rule When people say to me how can you be a Tory? In other words how could I side with the party that that will make spending cuts (although at this point I’d like to make clear the Labour party itself said it would make 20% cuts, but so far has failed to explain where - and yet is still protesting against every cut put forward) My reply is a further question, so people think about their often automatic, reflex stance, and it’s along these lines – ‘In all honesty answer me this, which party has truly let you down, the one that bankrupted the country or the one that has to make the difficult decisions to get the country back on its feet? To me the answer is blindingly obvious - the one that landed us in the mess. If we weren’t in this mess, we wouldn’t have to take those decisions. No one wants to tell people ‘you can’t have, we cannot afford’ but only the irrespon-

Iain Duncan Smith is a long standing friend and colleague (members of DLIB came to a private lunch arranged collaboratively with Iain earlier this year) and am working closely with him now looking at the affects of benefit changes to the unemployed on Merseyside so as to encourage people into work and not financially penalising them when they do. Late in September I have a set of career books for young girls being published that will be distributed for free; to help them explore what career opportunities exist, and how people from similar backgrounds have managed to achieve them.

Don’t talk... DO There is talking and there is doing. I am a doer. Always have been, always will be. So in one of the last debates I took part in at Westminster just before recess on apprenticeships and after hours of listening to what others could do, I finally stood up and said “Yes, but this is something each and every one of us here can do. If every Member of Parliament were to employ an apprentice, it could result in around 1,000 jobs overnight.” So right then and there I said I was going to employ an apprentice and called on other Members of Parliament to do the same. Don’t just talk, do.

Well, it’s taken me 2 months to negotiate with IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) to be able to take on an apprentice and finally I can. The advert went out today. I’m not saying this single act will solve youth unemployment, but what I am saying is that when we can make a difference we must and where we can lead by example we should. The Chamber is a place to debate, of course it is, it is ‘the forum’ to put forward ideas, mould concepts and provide practical shape for academic thoughts; the more vocal the debate hopefully the better the end product. But we should not be a remote chamber, reduced to talking about what others can do, as if somehow removed from reality. By doing we can learn as well as actively engage - and surely that’s a must for all politicians. We have an on-going relationship with the public, and it’s a relationship that needs a lot of work doing to it, but it’s one that if we get right, will benefit us all.

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DQ THE COOL LIST

JOHN BISHOP The ubiquitous scouse comedian seems to be on every television programme going at the moment, including his own prime time slot on BBC1. This followed his nationwide sell out tour and his cameo appearance in the World Cup for England (or was that Jamie Carragher?)

John is well deserving of his recent success having done the comedy circuit for many years, his inspired performances included three Downtown gala award dinner gigs in 2005, 2007 and 2008.

FASHION WEEK Fashion Week, organised by Lifestyle Monthly Magazine is BACK! Don’t delay in gettng your tickets as the first 200 people to purchase tickets will also receive a FREE invitation to the pre party at Kingdom on the 17th September 2010, with the designers, boutique stall holders and sponsors.

Tickets for the Tuesday to Friday show are just £12.00 and £25 for the Saturday night or if you are not sure what night to come then why not get a weekly ticket for just £50.00! All tickets include entry into Bamboo, all after show parties, 4 catwalk shows per night, entry to Thornton Hall spa and boutique fair. FASHION WEEK comes to Liverpool 19-23 October 2010

INVI Whe you can relaxed – as well as making th off your smile, not your braces treatments/invisalign

gn in a ma flies the flag for British fashion desi BRITISH STYLE GENIUS BBC Two a fascina s take ius Gen Style ish Brit , BBC Two this October. A landmark series for t impo mos the of so influential. In Paris, one fashion and style so distinctive – and ne hsto touc the are Row le Paul Smith and Savi by a Brit – John Galliano. In Tokyo, bil and rs cove e azin mag from out Moss stares the world British fashion icon Kate ish style trends that have come to define Brit and s look the ines exam ius We mee nes.

Sloa grammes, British Style Gen alist tradition street style, from fashion rebels to The B stry. indu or couture, from bespoke tailoring to maj a ted crea shakers, who together have and ers mov il reta the s, and star our and stylists alk. From the glam ired by the consumer as by the catw ,a from s tion ribu tion and transgression, as much insp help of cont Style Genius covers it all with the Osw and th Smi l edge creativity of street style, British Pau re, Moo er MacQueen, Michael Caine and Rog Vivienne Westwood and Alexander 2008, BBC Two ber Octo 7 day Tues pm, 9.00 ns Rose. British Style Genius begi

LIVERCOOL 2010 Now in its eigh th year, the biggest business party of 2010 takes plac e at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the evening of Thu rsday November 18th. All the usual fun and frolics can be expected including the unveiling of Liverpool’s ‘sexy networkers’ of the year, and the best dressed man and woman of the night. The 'Livercool' awards reward the most successful individuals from a rang e of industry sectors, and includes ‘Business Pers onality of the Year’ for the first time. This year would have been John Lennon’s 70TH birthday, and so a Beatles themed ‘Livercool’ seems appropriate. The after show party will take place at the award winning Newz Bar. The event is heading for a sell out, with over 350 of the city’s business leaders and entrepre neurs already registered to attend. To book your tickets contact Jennie Lewis on 0151 227 1633.

THE SUCCESS FACTOR An enlightening and practical book that offers both motivation and inspiration to business owners and entrepreneurs, wh ilst reminding us all that if you ain’t enjoying what you’re do ing, it’s probably time to get ou t! The author is John Leach, head honcho of Winning Pit ch, who will be featuring in a nu mber of Downtown events thr ough the autumn. Well worth a read, particularly if you need to be reminded why you started your own busin ess in the first place, and if you are a little scared of change.

ss of the two Manchester restaurants EASTZEAST PRESTON Following from the succe Since opening in late 2009, EastZEast has EastZEast swung open its doors in Preston. e. EastZEast has been delighting customers become Preston's new home of Punjab cuisin . Come and see for yourself why EastZEast from all around Lancashire and further afield vations call 01772 200084 Preston is making so many waves! For reser

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CALENDAR GIRLS Calendar Girls has been the fastest selling tour ever and has triumphed in the West End. Now, it’s coming to Liverpool for one week only starring Denise Black, Jean Boht, Jennifer Ellison, Julia Hills, Ruth Madoc, Elaine C Smith, Rachel Lumberg with Joe McGann as John and Bruno Langley as Lawrence the photographer.

A group of ordinary women do something extraordinary and spark a global phenomenon when they persuade one another to pose for a charity calenda r with a difference! Based on an inspiring true story, Calendar Girls is quirky, poignant and hilarious. Calendar Girls has sold out in every theatre it’s visited before opening. Don’t miss out and book today for the show the Mail on Sunday called ‘marvellous theatre, guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and come out singing Jerusalem!” Calendar girls will be at the Liverpool Empire Theatre from 27th September to 2nd October 2010.

ISALIGN FROM OLLIE & DARSH ether in your professional life or when are out socialising, an attractive smile make you feel happier and more he right impression! Invisalign® – show s. http://www.ollieanddarsh.co.uk/

es ajor new five-part documentary seri ish Brit es ating look at what mak ortant couture houses is headed up e of gentlemanly style. And around llboards. Across five one-hour proe, from the high street to high-end et the designers and models, the iBritish look is eclectic, a mix of trad ing cutt the to ion d artifice of high fash gy, among others: Kate Moss and Twig rt Stua and n Gree ip Phil , tang Boe wald

MOBO AWARDS 2010 On June 6th multi-platinum selling artist and MOBO ambassador Leona Lewis joined MOBO Awards founder, Kanya King MBE, to announce Liverpool as the host city for the 2010 MOBO Awards in association with Lebara Mobile. This year the annual awards will be celebrating their 15th birthday on 20th October at the Liverpool Echo Arena. Over the last 15 years MOBO has showcased and honoured some of the music industry’s finest talent with performances from diverse UK and international artists including Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Tina Turner, Jay Z, Destiny’s Child and Sade. Last year’s event, which saw the Awards transfer out of London for the first time, featured appearances from among others JLS, N. Now the City Dubz, Alexandra Burke, Kelly Rowland and Jermaine & La Toya Jackson nal Awards sensatio a of tion anticipa in baton MOBO the passed being of Liverpool is ceremony in October.

WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS Michael Douglas is back in his Oscar®-winning role as one of the screen’s most notorious villains, Gordon Gekko. Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter Winnie, Gekko forms an alliance with her fiancé Jacob (Shia LaBeouf). But can Jacob and Winnie really trust the ex-financial titan, whose relentless efforts to redefine himself in a different era have unexpected consequences.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is released in theatres on September 24 2010.

GORILLAZ Gorillaz’s M.E.N Aren a debut show has been moved to Friday 12 November due to the band’s tour being extended.

The previously announced Escape To Plastic Beach UK tour, which included a show at Manche ster’s M.E.N Arena on Sunday 12 September, will become part of the Gorillaz’s World Tour which now takes in Europe, North America and Asia. Tickets for the original show will now be valid for the new M.E.N Arena date on Friday 12 November 2010 . Ticketholders unable to make the rescheduled date should contact their point of purchase for further information. Nov ember’s date will be only the second time the band have played the city, following their 2005 debut as part of the first ever Man chester International Festival. Performed by Damon Albarn, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and the Gorillaz band, the live Man chester show will feature songs from all three albums (Gor illaz, Demon Days and Plastic Beach). Featured artists are yet to Gorillaz shows have included perf be announced but recent live ormances by De La Soul, Roses Gabor, Bobby Womack, Little Dra the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. The gon, Mos Def, Kano, Bashy and Arena show will feature Jamie Hew lett designed multi-media video, life animated band members 2D artwork and film to bring to (lead vocalist, keyboard), Murdoc (bass), Noodle (guitar) and Russell Good Inc, Dare, Dirty Harry, Kids (drums) as they perform Feel With Guns and this year’s hit sing le Stylo. Tickets for the new date are on sale now, priced £45.00

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DQ SPOTLIGHT ON

CBG GROUP - THE STORY SO FAR In the beginning…

floated on the stock exchange and became AIM listed.

CBG Group Plc began life in October 2000 as a small insurance broker with big ambitions. The company initially set out to establish its presence in and around Manchester. CBG has since expanded through a series of acquisitions, its first taking place just three months after the company was set up.

Over the years, CBG has been through a number of name changes. It has been known as The Community Brokers Group Ltd, the Community Broking Group and CBG Group plc, as it is today. Since its inception, CBG has grown in terms of size, speed and expertise, Based in south Manchester, it now employs over 130 people and has clients across the country. CBG specialises in a broad spectrum of insurance and financial planning services for commercial and private clients.

Since 2001, CBG has carefully acquired 17 businesses, and has worked hard to preserve the legacies and expertise of each individual business. In 2003, CBG was

CBG provides insurance broking, employee benefits, financial planning and specialist sports injury insurance services to companies and private clients.

CBG Group Services Services for Business • Corporate insurance • Small business insurance • Risk management • Healthcare and group protection schemes • Employee benefit schemes • Corporate transaction support (insurance and employee benefit due-diligence) • Scheduled airline failure insurance • ATOL Bonds • Affinity schemes • Specialist Insurance services for the science and technology industry Services for Individuals • Managed insurance services for high-net worth individuals • Managed insurance and protection services for sports professionals • Personal healthcare • Personal financial planning • Mortgages • Travel insurance schemes • Small Self Administered Schemes (SSAS) The AIM-listed company’s services are delivered through two core trading divisions.

• CBG Insurance Brokers Ltd provides advice and assistance to corporate companies, small business and private clients, including business risk management and corporate transaction support with insurance due-diligence.

• CBG Financial Services Ltd provide advice and assistance for private clients such as personal healthcare, financial planning and mortgages. For businesses, it offers advice on employee benefits such as healthcare and group protection schemes, pensions and corporate financial planning. CBG Financial Services Ltd can also provide corporate transaction support on employee benefits due-diligence.

In addition, CBG offers specialist and bespoke insurance services for sports professionals through CBG Sports. It’s the only insurance broking division in the UK to provide a full suite of insurance and protection products to professional sports stars, including career threatening injury cover, motor, household and property owners insurance. The seamless blend of bespoke insurance and financial planning services

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ensures that high-net worth clients receive a comprehensive and personal offering to meet their individual needs. By placing its distinct divisions alongside each other – both figuratively and literally – high-net worth clients benefit from many, many years of combined industry experience at CBG. CBG is currently carving out an excellent reputation in the science and technology sector and is looking to further develop this area of the business. Recent clients in this area include Nanoco Group Plc, the Manchester-based nanomaterials company. CBG provides a package of general insurance cover, which includes asset and business interruption protection, general liabilities and professional indemnity insurance.

CBG today CBG continuously strives to improve its business systems and services for its clients. In early 2010, the company launched an ambitious drive to grow the business, following a significant overhaul of its internal management systems.

This move took place to increase cross sales activity by development of a state-ofthe-art customer relationship management (CRM) system, which is fully integrated into the entire business. The software, which took 12 months to develop and enhances the company’s current offering to customers, whilst helping to identify greater organic growth opportunities within each division.

Mike Askew, managing director of CBG Group, commented: “Like the vast majority of companies with an acquisition programme, we’ve inherited legacy systems and had to rely on far too many complex systems to run our business. This makes it difficult to manage and nurture our customers’ portfolios in an effective way.

“The new CRM system pulls together five different systems to make it easier for us to see what’s being done in each corner of the business. By revamping our internal processes, we can now talk to our customers, prospects and partners in a more constructive way and engage with them on all aspects of insurance and financial planning. In turn, we expect this to fuel promising growth and help boost retention levels across the company.”

Earlier in the year, the insurance division of CBG moved its entire back office system onto leading software platform, Acturis.

The switch-over also formed part of a significant drive by the company to streamline its operations and facilitate further growth in 2010.

CBG is continuously looking at ways it can evolve. It has recently completed a major re-brand and unveiled a radical new image.

The company kicked-off the extensive rebranding exercise in 2009 in a bid to shake up its corporate identity across a broad range of communication channels.

The project included the launch of a dynamic, new website and a significant overhaul of all corporate branding across each of its distinct divisions. The project also saw the introduction of new promotional literature.

The creative re-brand is a bold step for CBG. It sees the introduction of vivid imagery combined with a confident, jargonfree and thought-provoking tone of voice based around its core aim – ‘preserve, protect and grow’. The entire re-brand encapsulates CBG’s unwavering mission to be pro-active, innovative and personable.

“We’ve vastly expanded our insurance broking and financial services operations since we launched in 2001. In business terms, we want to move up a gear. As such, we need our brand and marketing activity to take us to the next level and reflect CBG’s position as a key player in a highly competitive market. As a company, we’ve been a quiet achiever. Now, we want to shout about our successes a little more loudly!”

The new look website is very usable and cram-packed with a host of new features, providing a vast range of information and specialist areas dedicated to corporate and high net-worth clients. Features include: an up-to-the-minute industry news section, a blog and information to keep clients upto-date with the latest product, company and industry news.

Jon Walker, project manager, at Ultimate Creative Communications, added: “CBG is passionate, motivated and committed to achieving the very best for its clients through strong and trusted relationships.

“The rebrand allows us to portray CBG as a professional, experienced and knowledgeable organisation. The ultimate goal of the project was to engage clients from the moment they logged onto the website or received a piece of promotional literature.

This is achieved by bold and stylish creative design as well a radical new tone of voice that has fewer dry facts and is much more personal in terms of engagement – like a true conversation between friends. The new corporate communication style will enable new and existing clients to get an immediate feel for who CBG really is.”

Stuart Turnbull, marketing manager of CBG, said: “The transformation of our corporate identity speaks volumes about the unique culture and brand values that underpin our company.

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DQ WHAT’S ON? THE FANTASTIC, THE UNBELIEVABLE, THE EIGHTH ANNUAL

Downtown in Business has put together a comprehensive events programme for the autumn right across the three cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Preston.

Our September highlights are the third Lancashire Business Awards that take place on Thursday 23rd September at the stunning Stanley House. The event is sponsored by the Northwest Development Agency, Business Link, UCLan and Croft Goode. This black tie affair is a SELL OUT.

DOWNTOWN ‘LIVERCOOL’ AWARDS

A Frank conversation with the Leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese will be held at the Royal Exchange Theatre on the morning of Tuesday 21st September. Coffee & Danish are on us and you can register for this event at www.downtownmanchester.co.uk

ONE The new Canadian owners of JLA and the new Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision Max Steinberg will be the keynote speakers at the Liverpool Property & Enterprise forum, look out for further details at www.downtownliverpool.com On Friday 8th October the results of the 2010 Lancashire Business Survey will be unveiled at a breakfast event at the Invincibles Suite, Preston North End. Guest speakers will include a government spokesperson and this event is kindly sponsored by Forbes Solicitors and Moore & Smalley. Register your attendance at www.downtownpreston.com

BIG The previous afternoon Downtown Manchester will host a discussion with the Chief Executive of the New Economy Mike Emerich, the Managing Director of Winning Pitch John Leach and the new Chief Executive of MIDAS, Angie Robinson. For further details and registration see www. downtownmanchester.co.uk The eight annual ‘Livercool’ awards gala dinner takes place on the evening of Thursday 18th November at the Crown Plaza Hotel. Book your tickets for Liverpool’s biggest and best business party by contacting Jennie Lewis tel. 0151 227 1633.

FOR DETAILS AND UP-TO-DATE INFROMATION ON ALL DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS EVENTS SEE THE DOWNTOWN WEBSITES.

PARTY

TAKING PLACE ON THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER AT THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL 34 DQ

DQ WORK HARD PLAY HARD LIVERPOOL

Restaurant Bar & Grill Tel: 0161 8320082 Email: Cherryl.Pinnington@ircplc. co.uk Web: www.therestaurantbarandgrill.co.uk

ACC Liverpool Tel: 0151 703 7268 Fax: 0151 475 7777 Email: kate.nolan@accliverpool. com Web: www.accliverpool.com

Royal Exchange Theatre Tel: 0161 833 9833 Email: box.office@royalexchange. co.uk Web: www.royalexchangetheatre. org.uk

Alma De Cuba Tel: 0151 702 7394 Email: info@alma-de-cuba.com Web: www.alma-de-cuba.com

Rosso Tel: 0161 832 1400 Email: enquiries@rossorestaurants. com Web: www.rossorestaurants.com

Bluecoat Chambers Tel: 0151 702 5324 E-mail: info@thebluecoat.org.uk Web: www.thebluecoat.org.uk Crowne Plaza Liverpool Tel: 0151 243 8000 Web: www.cpliverpool.com

Sapporo Teppanyaki Tel: 0161 831 9888 Fax: 0161 839 4030 Email: Manchester@sapporo.co.uk Web: www.sapporo.co.uk

Everyman Playhouse Tel: 0151 706 9115 Email: development@everymanplayhouse.com Web: www.everymanplayhouse.com Franklins Deli Tel: 0151 227 5976 E-mail: lindsay@franklinshospitality.com Web: www.franklinsdeli.com Gusto Tel: 0151 708 6969 Web: www.gustorestaurants. uk.com Hilton Liverpool Tel: 0151 708 4200 Email: laura.doyle@hilton.com Web: www.hilton.co.uk/liverpool Il Forno Tel: 0151 709 4002 Email: info@ilforno.co.uk Web: www.ilforno.co.uk Liverpool Empire Theatre Tel: 0151 708 3200 Email: JayneLloyd@theambassadors.com Web: www.liverpoolempire.org.uk Malmaison Liverpool Tel: 0151 229 5000 Email: ssimons@malmaison.com Web: www.malmaison-liverpool. com Merchants Bar & Restaurant Tel: 0151 702 7897 Email: dining@62castlest.com Web: www.62castlest.com/merchants-restaurant.php Novotel Hotel Tel: 0151 702 5100 Fax: 0151 7025110 Email: h6495-sl@accor.com Web: www.novotel.com

Tom’s Champagne Bar Tel: 0161 834 7788 Email: enquiries@champagnebars. net Web: www.champagnebars.net

Radisson BLU Liverpool Tel: 0151 966 1500 Email: info.liverpool@radissonblu. com Web: www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotelliverpool Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Tel: 0151 210 2921 Email: donna.stuart@liverpoolphil. com Web: www.liverpoolphil.com Sapporo Teppanyaki Tel: 0151 705 3005 Email: liverpool@sapporo.co.uk Web: www.sapporo.co.uk Sir Thomas Hotel Tel: 0151 236 1366 Email: reservations@sirthomashotel.co.uk Web: www.sirthomashotel.co.uk Sofrito L1 Tel: 0151 236 0411 E-mail: info@sofritoL1.co.uk Web: www.sofritol1.co.uk The Living Room Tel: 0151 236 1999 Web: www.thelivingroom.co.uk The Noble House Tel: 0151 236 5346 Email: info@thenoblehouse.co.uk Web: www.thenoblehouse.co.uk

MANCHESTER Bem Brasil - Deansgate Tel: 0161 839 2525 Email: deansgate@bembrasilrestaurants.com Web: www.bembrasilrestaurants. com Bem Brasil – Northern Quarter Tel: 0161 923 6888 E-mail: northernquarter@bembrasilrestaurants.com Web: www.bembrasilrestaurants. com East Z East - Riverside Tel: 0161 834 3500 Email: info@eastzeast.com Web: www.eastzeast.com East Z East – Ibis Hotel Tel: 0161 244 5353 Email: info@eastzeast.com Web: www.eastzeast.com Grill on The Alley Tel: 0161 833 3465 Web: www.blackhouse.uk.com Living Room Tel: 0161 832 0083 Fax: 0161 8320082 Web: www.thelivingroom.co.uk/venues/manchester Piccolinos Tel: 0161 835 9860 Fax: 0161 834 9563 E-mail: piccolino.manchester@piccolinorestaurants.co.uk Web: www.piccolinorestaurants. co.uk

PRESTON Angelo’s Tel: 01772 257 133 Email: info@angelospreston.com Web: www.angelospreston.com East Z East Tel: 01772 200084 Email: info@eastzeast.com Web: www.eastzeast.com Fusion Room Tel: 01772 880180 Email: info@fusionroom.co.uk Web: www.fusionroom.co.uk Glovers Bar Tel: 01772 561410 Email: www.facebook.com/gloversbar Web: www.gloversbar.com Holiday Inn Tel: 01772 567 000 Email: enquiries@hipreston.com Web: www.hipreston.com Invincibiles - PNE Tel: 01772 759 900 E-mail: info@invincibles-pne.com Web: www.invincibles-pne.com Legacy International Hotel Tel: 0844 411 9028 E-mail: res-prestoninternational@ legacy-hotels.co.uk Web: www.legacy-hotels.co.uk/ legacy-preston Marriott Hotel Tel: 01772 864087 Fax: 01772 861728 Web: www.marriott.co.uk/preston

DQ 35