DQ DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY • WINTER • 2011
A FRANK CONVERSATION WITH... Lord Michael Heseltine
DOWNTOWN DEBATE The City’s Right To An Elected Mayor!
DQ ICON John Lennon
HERE COME THE GIRLS
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THE FORUM THE INNOVATION GROUP THE WRITE ANGLE TIPS CONSULTING TM GROUP TNT POST TONY CALDEIRA TURNER & TOWNSEND TURNER PARKINSON SOLICITORS UBS WEALTH MANAGEMENT UHY HACKER YOUNG URBAN SP PRODUCTS VENMORE PARTNERSHIP VERINDER & ASSOCIATES VOICE ENGINEER DOT COM WEBER SHANDWICK WHITE EVENTS LTD WILCOCKS SOCIATES WILLIS LIMITED WINNING PITCH PLC YORKSHIRE BANK PLC ACC LIVERPOOL ALDER HEY IMAGINE APPEAL ALDERMORE INVOICE FINAN ALLIANCE & LEICESTER ANGIE ROBINSON ANGLO IRISH ANTHONY WILSON AQUARIUS EQUITY PARTNERS LTD ASK DEVELOPMENTS LTD AURORA DIA LTD BAILEY FINANCIAL SERVICES BAINES AND ERNST CORPORATE BAKER FINANCIAL BARBARA SPICER BARCLAYS WEALTH BEECH JONES LLOYD BEGBIES TRAYNOR GROUP PLC BLANKSTONES SINGTON BLUEFIRE CONSULTING LTD BLUEROW LETTINGS BOODLES BOSCH COMMUNICATIO CENTRE BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET BROCK CARMICHAEL ARCHITECTS BRUNTWOOD BUILDER SCRAP CBG GROUP CENTRIC COMMERCIAL FINAN CENTRIC WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD CHAMPION ACCOUNTANTS CHARTERED SOLUTIONS CHELFORD HOMES LTD CHRIS GRAYLING M.P. CHRIS OC NOR PROMOTIONS CITY RESIDENTIAL CLUB MEDIA SYSTEMS CONLON CONSTRUCTION CONLON CONSTRUCTION LTD CO-OPERATIVE BANK COPELA SECURITY SOLUTIONS LTD COUTTS & CO COUTTS BANK COWGILL HOLLOWAY LLP CREATIVE LYNX CROFT GOODE D & B PROJECTS LTD DAVID WA SMITH DELIVERY PRACTICE DELOITTE LLP DWF E.H. INSTALLATIONS ED BALLS M.P. ELIOT WARD ENTERPRISE VENTURES ENTWISTLE EQUINOX NANCIAL SEARCH AND SELECTION LTD ESCAPE EVENTS ESTHER MCVEY M.P. EUPAL LTD EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB EVERYTHING’S WITHIN REA FALCONER CHESTER HALL FARLEYS SOLICITORS LLP FISH ASSOCIATES FORBES SOLICITORS FORMBY HALL GOLF RESORT & SPA FORMBY PROP TIES FREEPORT AGGREGATES LTD FREETH CARTWRIGHT FRESHFIELD GARRATTS INSURANCE BROKERS LTD GB ENERGY GED FITZGERALD GE DRIVER GEORGE OSBORNE M.P. 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DQ WELCOME HAPPY NEW YEAR W
elcome to the latest issue of Downtown’s members magazine DQ.
The feedback we have had from the new look publication has been really positive, so thanks for your kind comments and support. DQ will provide Downtown in Business with a new platform to offer new initiatives to its members, and we will be launching a new website to compliment the magazine in the near future.
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Later this year, DQ will also be asking you who the likely ‘movers & shakers’ and hot prospects are in the North West business community. The ‘DQ 30’ will be launched in the spring edition of the mag, so look out for details of how you can get involved.
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Downtown in Business will also be launching a whole range of other new business networking initiatives in 2011, and you can read about some of those ideas in Frank McKenna’s column. A Liverpool Embassy in London; the inaugural City of Manchester Business Awards; and the launch of Downtown Lancashire are among just some of the exciting projects that will keep us busy during the next twelve months. Let me take this opportunity of wishing you a very happy and prosperous New Year – and enjoy our latest offering that is DQ. Best Wishes Chris Wilcox Editor
A NEW AGENDA FOR MANCHESTER DQ TOP TIPS LEGALLY SPEAKING DOWNTOWN MANCHESTER EVENTS GALLERY WHO ARE YER? | BARBARA SPICER JUST JONAS | 2010 - THE REVIEW DQ ICON | JOHN LENNON BE OUR GUEST | LUCIANA BERGER SPOTLIGHT ON | THE WRITE ANGLE THE COOL LIST WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
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THIS MAGAZINE IS WRITTEN, DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY THE DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS TEAM, AND PRINTED BY ENTWISTLE. © DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS
DQ 5
DQ IN FOCUS The panel praised city leaders Sir Richard Leese and Sir Howard Bernstein for “thinking ahead” in bidding for the £50m Jessica fund and then leveraging institutional cash to grow the fund. It is thought that there is currently around £300m in the Jessica pot to invest in stalled investments across the city region. “That is going to grow considerably possibly to multiples of that,” he added.
MANCHESTER IS FAR BETTER PLACED TO COPE WITH THE CHANGES THAN MOST OTHER REGIONAL CITIES DUE TO ITS SUBSTANTIAL PIPELINE OF INVESTMENT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SECURED
“We’ll use it to continue to drive investment in commercial property, transport, housing and in skills.”
Until recently, MIDAS was contracted by the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) as the sub-regional body responsible for bringing in inward investment. Under the new Local Economic Partnership, it has been charged with leading the creation of a new centre of excellence for Internationalisation.
A NEW AGENDA FOR MANCHESTER Words: Clare Lawrence, MC2
N
ovember saw Downtown Chairman, Frank McKenna, host A New Agenda For Manchester Enterprise Forum.
Held at the Steelcase Smart Space, the panel included Mike Emmerich, CEO of New Economy, John Leach from Winning Pitch and the new MIDAS Chief Executive, Angie Robinson. Speaking at the event, Emmerich said that despite the public spending cuts announced last month, Manchester is far better placed to cope with the changes than most other regional cities due to its substantial pipeline of investment that has already been secured. The Evergreen Fund for example, is going to help significantly to drive commercial property investment in the city and will “tide us over” while the cuts remain in place.
Photography Roger Jonas,DIB
Emmerich said: “If you’re anywhere near Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside, South Manchester then there’s a load of new transport kit that’s going to arrive around your way. That’s going to continue to change the infrastructure of the city and to drive the labour market.
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“In it’s way, it is every bit as big as what’s happened in the last five years.” Robinson added: “The great thing about Manchester is that we have very clear priorities, there is a fantastic sense of focus and drive, and we never give up. There are still massive opportunities for financial and professional services in the city and consumers are still spending in our retail stores. Admittedly there are fewer cranes due to lack of funding, but attracting inward investment is more than just property, it¹s about getting the overall product right. Yes, we have competition from other regional cities, however, our corporate approach and ability to secure public/private partnerships is the envy of many.”
In addition, Robinson explained that it is also bidding for funding from UK Trade and Investment to carry on its programme of supporting international trade in Greater Manchester. Robinson said: “People keep saying to me ‘don’t you think it’s a mistake moving to a publicly-funded body from the private sector?’. “But for me it’s another day in the office because in the private sector we hit this wall some time ago. Doing things differently with less in a smarter way is my stock in trade and has been for many years.” She said that efforts were being made to better align overseas trade efforts with inward investment programmes. “While there’s going to be less money around - and in some cases no money we’re clear about what our priorities are. “The opportunity to leverage greater output from firms in Greater Manchester by aligning these activities together has got to be a smart move.” John Leach, concluded: “The stars of the economy will be born now - out of recession - they will be the ones that stay focused and get on with the job in hand. They will look for cross sector opportunities as well as targeting international markets. Confidence levels in the city are far improved; we are leading the way while other city regions follow suit.”
DQ TOTALLY FRANK REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL! Words: Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business
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development has been granted simply reinforces that view. But there is clearly an unhealthy disconnection between certain parts of the county that help nobody other than competitor regions. If a Pan YOU WILL PROBABLY Lancashire business club KNOW BY NOW THAT DOWNTOWN LIVERPOOL can help break down some of the barriers that exist HAS BEEN SELECTED between the various areas BY LIVERPOOL CITY of the county, then that can COUNCIL TO BE ITS only be a good thing.
o the New Year has arrived, and what a year 2011 promises to be for Downtown and its members. We have a number of exciting initiatives that we will present to you over the next twelve months, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you what some of the highlights will be, and what you have to look forward to.
LEAD PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNER TO ASSIST IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LIVERPOOL EMBASSY IN LONDON. THE LOCATION FOR THIS NEW FACILITY, WHICH WILL SHOWCASE ALL THAT IS BEST ABOUT THE CITY AND ITS BUSINESS COMMUNITY, IS LIVERPOOL STREET
We will celebrate the first anniversary of DMIB in March, and will mark the event with the inaugural City of Manchester Business Awards evening at the spectacular venue that is Manchester Cathedral. We have been bowled over by the interest in this event, and we have received hundreds of online nominations for the various gongs that are up for grabs; as is the case in Liverpool, the ‘Sexy Networker’ accolade seems to have grabbed people’s attention! We will also be hosting our first annual Manchester Business Week during the summer – a programme that will include a series of events focussing on the city, business opportunities and challenges and the political landscape, that may well include a debate about an elected mayor for the city.
ago.
Certainly, the sense of broadening the Downtown business network to include Blackburn, Blackpool and other Lancashire towns is indisputable, and it is something that we are really excited by. If nothing else it will be nice to reacquaint myself with parts of the county that I haven’t managed to visit since I was a Lancashire County Councillor ten years
Back in Liverpool, where it all began in 2004, Downtown will strive to continue to deliver the best networking events and business forums in the city, including what
will be the ninth annual ‘Livercool’ awards in November and the seventh annual Liverpool Business ‘Oscars’ in July. You will probably know by now that Downtown Liverpool has been selected by Liverpool City Council to be its lead private sector partner to assist in the establishment of a Liverpool Embassy in London. The location for this new facility, which will showcase all that is best about the city and its business community, is Liverpool Street, and we have a number of exciting events planned already. As in Manchester we will be launching an Economy Forum in Liverpool, and right across the region we will be offering our members the chance to meet with some of the North West’s key politicians, decision makers and entrepreneurs through our extensive and diverse events programme. Our relatively new offering, DQ, also provides us with an additional platform to develop some further initiatives. One to keep an eye out for is our ‘DQ30’ forum. With your help will be selecting ten individuals from each of our three Downtown bases who we believe are the regions ‘movers & shakers’. Look out for details of how you can get involved in this project on our soon to be launched website www.dqmagazine.co.uk I hope you are as optimistic about 2011 as I am. I wish you a very successful New Year, and I look forward to seeing you at a Downtown event in the near future.
Our presence in Preston is going to expand to take in the entire red rose county this year, with the launch of Downtown Lancashire in Business at the fabulous Stanley House in March. We will continue to argue that the city of Preston is the natural economic hub for Lancashire, and the news that planning approval for the Tithebarn
Photography Roger Jonas,DIB
Downtown’s Manchester adventure has been really positive so far, and we will be looking to build on our early success by growing our membership beyond the 200 companies we have thus far recruited; as well as getting involved in the public policy debates and discussions through our new ‘Manchester Economy Forum’.
DQ 7
DQ TOP TIPS NETWORK YOURSELF THROUGH 2011 As we come out of recession and companies start to market themselves more aggresively, it is more important than ever for businesses to get themselves out and about, raise their profile and meet potential new customers. However, some people find it easier to sit through an episode of ‘The Best of Ann Widdecombe’ from Strictly Come Dancing than to network. Here is a short guide that will hopefully make the networking experience more enjoyable- and more importantly effective for your business.
ATTEND THE RIGHT THINGS One of the most precious commodities we have in business is time. So, make sure that every event you attend is relevant to you and your business. There is a big networking industry out there now, so there is no shortage of events to attend. However, choose quality over quantity, and select networking groups that will include members that you have a genuine chance of doing business with. BE CONFIDENT Nobody likes going to a new place on their own, and often people go to networking events with a group of friends. This helps you feel more comfortable in a different environment, but the danger is you spend all your time catching up with your mates, rather than ‘working the room’. If you can, attend an event or two on your own, or alternatively, make a conscious decision that for at least half an hour you are going to leave your herd and circulate. Remember, everyone in the room is there for the same reason and they will welcome an approach from you. It is also easier for people to approach you if you are not in a ‘group huddle’ with colleagues. RESEARCH PEOPLE YOU’LL BE MEETING If you can, find out who else will be attending the event and do some research on their business so that you can engage with them more effectively. This will also give you an idea of who you should be targeting at the event. Don’t hesitate to ask the event organisers to point out people you want to talk to, or even to facilitate the introduction. That is what they are there for.
REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE THERE The complimentary food and drink may be appealing, but focus on business. Remember names, collect and give out business cards. Talk briefly but effectively and don’t bore people. The latest gadget that has just made your firm 10% more productive may be fascinating to you, but it will have others yawning and looking out for the next vol-au-vent!
LOOK THE PART Dress to impress. That doesn’t necessarily mean wearing a suit, but Bermuda shorts and sandals won’t cut it either. First impressions do count, so present yourself in a professional manner.
YOU SCRATCH MY BACK... Don’t hesitate to introduce other’s to each other when appropriate. It may not have any immediate advantage to you, but people remember these things and will return the favour at a later date.
FOLLOWING UP Always follow up the contacts you make, the business cards you have collected and the people you have met and do it quickly, while its fresh in your mind and with the other person. It is pointless collecting a dozen business cards and then simply filing them away. It takes seconds to make a quick phone call or drop your new contact an e mail.
ENJOY IT If you don’t, it will come across to others and you will be unable to project the positive image you want. If you’re not having a good time, you’re going to the wrong events, so, as I said at the start, look around the networking ‘market’ and find out what’s right for you.
8 DQ
DQ LEGALLY SPEAKING
Funding... the Future? PETER HINE – HEAD OF CORPORATE, MARSDEN RAWSTHORN
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s 2010 draws to a close and we reflect on the economic climate, few things have really progressed from 2009 for small and medium sized businesses. Times are still tough, costs have to be minimised and maintaining or increasing profit margins still proves challenging.
However, the way in which entrepreneurs relief operates has made loan notes less attractive as a tax planning tool to sellers, who are nevertheless under pressure to accept them, due to the credit crunch and a consequent lack of cash and other sources of funding for the buyer. Loan notes may be guaranteed, secured or insured. The tax implications of accepting payment by loan notes are complex, particularly following the changes introduced in June this year, and Sellers should approach this aspect of a transaction with care and take detailed tax advice if they are contemplating taking this step.
This climate, coupled with the continued difficulty experienced by SME’s in obtaining funding from traditional sources, means that other methods of raising funds have to be found. This has become increasingly common place in the field of mergers and acquisitions where there has been an increase in vendor finance, that is to say the vendor is acting Another form of funding for as a source of finance for acquisitions is deferred the purchaser. Here at consideration, whereby One popular method Marsden Rawsthorn we an agreed proportion of generating funds to have observed this trend, of the proceeds of sale support an acquisition particularly over the last is left outstanding on is through loan notes six months, in a number completion, to be repaid on of deals in which we have an agreed schedule. This been involved. deferred consideration may be secured or guaranteed and may carry interest One popular method of generating depending on the terms negotiated. For funds to support an acquisition is through self evident reasons, some Sellers may loan notes, which are a debt instrument find this form of funding unattractive, but offered by the buyer of a Company to the others may be prepared to consider such Seller as part payment. an arrangement for a limited proportion of the sale consideration, particularly where Until recently the ability to use the Buyer cannot raise sufficient funding loan notes as a method of tax planning to meet the price aspirations of the Seller. was a material attraction to the Seller.
A variation on the theme of deferred consideration, which is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, is the earn out. This is an arrangement whereby a business is sold and the buyer and seller agree that an agreed sum will be paid on completion, leaving a further sum payable subject to and based on the performance of the business in a predetermined time frame. This method is often used when small companies in high-growth, high-tech or service industries are sold. The buyer typically pays 70–80% of the purchase price up front with the remaining 30–20% structured as an earn-out. Again this has implications for tax liabilities and again it is important to plan the taxation aspects of any such arrangement carefully in conjunction with experienced advisers. Looking forward to 2011 there are no immediate indications of an increase in the availability of funding for merger and acquisition activity. Whilst funding generally is likely to continue to be reasonably accessible for larger organisations, the availability of funding shows few signs of permeating down to SME’s. Therefore vendor finance is likely to become more commonplace. The upside of this approach for the Vendor is that it should also enable vendors with good businesses to achieve a higher price, albeit with some risk, than would have otherwise been the case. DQ 9
Providing a voice for the north west’s business community
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DQ GALLERY DOWNTOWN MANCHESTER EVENTS
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otable events from Downtown Manchester included A Frank Discussion with Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council; A New Agenda For Manchester business forum; DMIB’s third Members Reception at Rosso and the last Sexy Networking evening of the year at Viva Brazil. 1. Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business ; Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council (A Frank Discussion with Sir Richard Leese; Tuesday 21 September) 2. Ben Howarth, JMW; Laila Giwa, PKF (Member’s Reception; Tuesday 5th October)
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3. Scott Sands, JMW; Kevin Lucas BCR (Member’s Reception; Tuesday 5th October) 4. Annabelle Surch-Williams and Victoria Howard, Search Consultancy (A New Agenda For Manchester; Monday 15th November) 5. Sophia Barton, Architect; Sophia Jogi, Steelcase Solutions (Property & Enterprise Forum; Thursday 25th November) 6. Viv Dobson, Downtown in Business; Bretta Davies, SLG (Sexy Networking; Thursday 25th November)
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Happy New Year to our fellow Downtown businesses. This year is very much going to be the digital year, the year in which online communication is going to help you grow.
NEW YEAR. NEW START.
For 2011 we have launched a new range of training packages to help your key people understand how to use social media and digital marketing to make new contacts, develop better relationships with customers and promote everything that's great about your organisation. Come and visit us for coffee in our new offices for a free digital audit to identify your growth opportunities this year. leanne.forshawjones@rdpr.co.uk 0161 236 1122 Roland Dransfield PR Portland Buildings 127 - 129 Portland Street Manchester, M1 4PZ www.rdpr.co.uk
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SIR HOWARD BERNSTEIN CBS OUTDOOR SIR RICHARD LEESE BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET MARSDEN RAWSTHORN THE MARRIOT MOORE & SMALLEY NATWEST FORBES SOLICITORS JOE ANDERSON DWF GEORGE OSBOURNE COUTTS BANK MICHAEL HESELTINE JAGUAR ENTERPRISE VENTURES UCLAN CHAMPION ACCOUNTANTS GORDON BROWN CBG GROUP THE CO OPERATIVE BANK ED BALLS CROFT GOODE HARRISON DRURY RSM TENON TAYLOR PATTERSON GB ENERGY LANCASHIRE BUSINESS VIEW STEVE BROOMHEAD CHAUFFER TO GO EAST Z EAST MCK A NEW SENSATION ASSOCIATES WRITE ANGLE GB ENERGY NOBLES CONSTRUCTION MC2 FARLEYS SOLICITORS DOWNTOWN LANCASHIRE IN BUSINESS YORKSHIRE BANK O2 ESTHER MCVEY CONLON CONSTRUCTION PRESTON VISION GEOFF DRIVER HOLIDAY INNDATE: BAILY FINANCIAL SERVICES EH AUMINIUM FRESHFIELD GARRATTS INSURANCE LAUNCH THURSDAY 16TH MARCH 2011 VENUE: STANLEYMARCUS HOUSE, MELLOR STANLEY HOUSE WORTHINGTON RECYCLING LIVES NAPTHENS SOLICITORS OBAS 6.30PM GROUPTIME: WINNING PITCH KEN CLARKE ROCK FM XYNERGIE SIR HOWARD BERNSTEIN CBS OUTDOOR SIR RICHARD LEESE BRABNERS CHAFFE STREET MARSDEN RAWSTHORN THE FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT ADAM HOSKER OR TRACEY McKENNA. TELEPHONE 01772 562038 MARRIOT MOORE & SMALLEY NATWEST FORBES SOLICITORS JOE ANDERSON DWF GEORGE OSBOURNE COUTTSIT’S BANK MICHAEL HESELTINE JAGUAR NOT WHAT YOU KNOW IT’S WHOENTERPRISE WE KNOW VENTURES UCLAN CHAMPION ACCOUNTANTS GORDONBY: BROWN CBG GROUP THE CO OPERATIVE BANK ED BALLS WE ARE PROUD TO BE SUPPORTED CROFT GOODE HARRISON DRURY RSM TENON TAYLOR PATTERSON GB ENERGY LANCASHIRE BUSINESS VIEW STEVE BROOMHEAD CHAUFFER TO GO EAST Z EAST MCK ASSOCIATES WRITE
COMING SOON...
WHO ARE YER?
DQ WHO ARE YER?
Name: Barbara Spicer Company: Salford City Council Position: Chief Executive Football Team: A proper red (Stevie G girl!) Labour, Liberal or Tory: I couldn’t possibly comment! Favourite Bar/Restaurant: Grado, Manchester What’s Your Tipple: A glass of something dry and red Favourite Band: White Stripes (although having a bit of a Mumford and Sons phase at the moment) Top Tune: You have got to hold on to your dreams, Gil Scott-Heron Favourite Book: House of Shadows, Isabel Allende Favourite Movie: Rebecca Who Would Play You In A Film: Julie Walters! Favourite TV Programme: Question Time (so I can shout at the TV!) Most Visited Website: Google Celebrity Crush: Anthony Hopkins (since War and Peace in 1972) Interesting Fact About You: I have a street named after me Why Downtown: Because that’s where all the (bright) lights are! DQ 13
A FRANK CONVERSATION WITH LORD MICHAEL HESELTINE
Photography Downtown in Business
Interview: Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business
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ord Michael Heseltine, cabinet minister since 1970 and Deputy Prime Minister to John Major 1995 – 1997, the man who challenged Thatcher on some unconvincing policies and perhaps most notably for you and I, the man who was arguably the single most important catalyst for the transformation of the City of Liverpool we see today. Heseltine had been a frequent visitor to the city through early party political campaigns, and following his induction to central UK Government, was appointed as minister for Merseyside after the infamous Toxteth Riots in the 1980’s. Heseltine claimed he felt a responsibility to the city and set about turning around our fortunes through a series of innovative projects; and driving through an agenda of change by forging relationships between the public and private sectors, developing strong partnerships for the future. He was also pivotal in securing financial backing for some vitally important physical regeneration schemes, most notably the Garden Festival Site and the Albert Dock. Chairman of Downtown Liverpool in Business, Frank McKenna interviews the man whose positive input started a process that has seen Liverpool become a successful, modern, twenty-first century city – Lord Michael Heseltine.
FMc: I’m sure people would be interested to reflect on the state Liverpool was in during the eighties and how your unique appointment came about, can you paint the picture for us? MH: Britain was in a very serious mess in 1979. If I remind you in 1978 we had the winter of discontent at the hands of Mr Callaghan’s government. The strike situation was dire – you couldn’t bury the dead. We were stacking up bodies because funeral staff were on strike. Everyone was on strike; the country was on shut down. Looking back, it was probably historically the moment where the power of the trade union was broken and it took the conservative government to actually legislate this authority. That was the background against which the conservatives came to power – it was a powerless state. Interestingly, my relationship with Liverpool began then in 1979 and the innovations that you mentioned actually came about in 1979, not 1981 as many believe to be true. The initiatives gave me an involvement in Liverpool which I’d inherited from my predecessor in the labour government, Peter Shaw, that meant I came, not very often (but no minister ever goes anywhere very often) but I had a feel for the city.
if they like, can depict this as law and order and put the police in and sort it. I don’t accept that – the situation is much more worrying. I think there is something much deeper going on under the surface of Britain’s urban areas.” I volunteered to leave my department for three weeks to walk the streets of Liverpool and listen. She agreed and off I went. When people asked me what I was doing, I simply said “Something’s gone wrong, I’m listening”, and the response often came that ‘ministers don’t listen’. It became apparent to me very rapidly that I couldn’t get away from Liverpool without having some sort of an agenda. Along with my team, I produced an agenda of some 30 projects, including the Tate gallery, for example, and with this agenda, we wanted to persuade people that things could work in Liverpool. The despair, the hopelessness, the lack of leadership and decision was borne in on us, no-one was doing anything about the situation here, so I thought, ‘I’ll show them what can be done’.
Then, in 1981, came the riots and I felt a personal responsibility that this had happened because I hadn’t developed a proper understanding of the situation in Liverpool and what was going wrong.
I came every Thursday with my team, including Max Steinberg, we ate dinner in Atlantic Tower and we studied our agenda project by project. We talked through the progress and people fed back to me about blockages. I’d spend Friday removing those blockages then travel back south, only to be back the following Thursday to repeat the process; until I became Defence Secretary in 1983.
So in answer to your question I went to Mrs Thatcher and said “You, and others
FMc: During that period of time, you mentioned some of the blockages/
barriers, one of the frustrations people sometimes have with the public/private sector split is the fact that there is often too much bureaucracy, and perhaps not enough understanding from public sector agencies about what businesses need. But you seem to have been very successful in putting together public/ private sector partnerships that actually did deliver very important projects. MH: That started in 1979 in Liverpool, when I inherited, again from Peter Shaw what I have described as a slush fund. He had £189m per year of capital expenditure that he could allocate to local authorities with stress areas. So once the major capital had been allocated to housing and transport, Peter would come along and add more. I thought to myself, this is all very well but whilst pouring money into these areas, actually they are merely consolidating the problems that are there. What you have to do is introduce a fundamental change in the economic and social make-up of deprived areas. On my first visit to Liverpool in 1979, I told the assembled audience ‘I have the fund, it is still available but there is a condition’. That condition was that the public sector were required to spend this in conjunction with the private sector. This was revolution in 1979 – public and private sectors didn’t talk. They shouted at each other from mountain tops words of abuse. I maintained that it was business as usual but that the private sector was to have an increased involvement. The second question was devastating – ‘What do you mean by the private sector?’ There was no leadership in the
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I believe In Germany, they have a private sector and no thing called the DIN system effective private sector passionately – German government and organisations. There was that there is its engineering industry a Chamber of Commerce no capitalist get together and the that was pretty hopeless economy with government raise the – like many Chambers of which we compete, standards of manufacturing Commerce at that time. The best example, and the that doesn’t have products year on year – it means a lot of the smaller one that began to develop a very powerful companies can’t keep up quite rapidly, were the public sector and they fall away, but the house builders; because input into its good companies become the simplest solution to the better and better and the problem of derelict land, strength German manufacturing was to put houses on it. base is the best in Europe– It took off in London very this is largely responsible for the 3% fast and followed in Liverpool, and it was growth in the German economy. the beginning of the public/private sector partnership. The defence industries and the pharmaceutical industries are amongst Human beings, being as they are, our most effective exporting markets. They having sworn infinite death to each other, are also two of the most tightly regulated but when they find themselves in a room manufacturing industries in our country. together find that actually, they’re just The NHS are responsible for regulating the same sort of people. So they worked the standards of the health service and together – if you ask me what one of the ministry of defence regulates the the most pervasive changes that has procurement of military equipment. been made in this country in my political lifetime, it was the moment that the University expenditure on research and public and private sector became interdevelopment is massively important to the related. Because now, they don’t shout at private sector... I could go on and on... each other from rooftops, this fusion is a great advance. One of the tragedy’s of Understanding the relationship of the this country is that for most of the postpublic and private sector is vital in the war period the two sides saw each other workings of a capitalist economy today. You as enemies – whereas in most classical capitalist economies, the two sides worked haven’t heard me use the word subsidy, nationalisation or any of the words together. associated with left-wing attitudes. What FMc: I know that you are a great you’re hearing is a capitalist approach to believer in public sector intervention using the resources of the state to build where it can make a difference and wealth in the capitalist system. That’s what those partnership arrangements that I mean by intervention, recognising this you initiated here clearly demonstrated relationship and trying to make it work. that. How difficult do you think it will be for the public sector to participate going FMc: You mentioned leadership and forward, given where we’re at in terms of the lack of leadership in Liverpool when expenditure and the general economy at you arrived... the moment? MH: Let me start on that! 1945, MH: I am a heretic – I believe nationalisation of the Bank of England passionately that there is no capitalist where there used to be independence in economy with which we compete, that provinces. 1945 – 1950, nationalisation of doesn’t have a very powerful public sector the commanding heights of the economy input into its strength. I also know the - massive steel, coal and iron companies – classic situation with small businesses, another shift in power from the provinces when they say “get off our back, get the to London. Taxation in the 1950’s, 98p in the pound – all went to the Chancellor in red tape out of the way, sack a few civil servants and the whole world will smile”. London. How much left to regenerate the It’s absolute rubbish. Let me give you capitalist system?? Nothing! several examples which bring it home. And what was the success of The American hi-tech industries – Liverpudlian industries in 1950-1960? They giant companies across the world – have decided they wanted to cash their chips – if you any idea how much The Pentagon, they sold to the city of London they paid NASA, The Defence Budget spends on no tax and gained shares in exchange, if hi-tech research and development in the they sold to their mates in Liverpool they United States? Astronomic sums of money paid capital gains tax. What on earth were that doesn’t have to show a return, which they supposed to do? Of course they sold is pioneering the advances of modern to London, a further shift of power from science, in the hands of the private sector Liverpool to London. with which we have then got to compete. Local government was treated with 16 DQ
contempt from central government, they didn’t believe they were any good so they took more and more power away from them and increased central control. Tory’s housing corporation took local authority housing out of the hands of local government in many ways, because it was no good. And actually, it wasn’t any good so to an extent, that was a legitimate choice but the wrong choice. What central government should have done was focus on improving local governments. So local governments became completely compartmentalised and were totally answerable to central government. Central government imposed more standards, more ring-fenced demands, took more power away and hollowed out a great deal of the discretion of local government. That’s fifty years of accumulated transfer of power from the provinces to London. The people who built this city were big, independent guys who were proud of what they had done. They had made their cash and they were going to spend it here. But they became branch managers, answerable to the bosses in London. As a consequence of fifty years of branch management, no-one could take decisions in Liverpool, or indeed any of the provinces in 1981.
FMc: When you talk about the renewal of local government, I know you have been a big advocate of elected mayors. Why do you think such an appointment could help the city of Liverpool? MH: Let’s assume that today, something happens that the Scots don’t like the look of. What will be on tonight’s television, Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland. The Scottish interests are articulated night after night, Salmond continually arguing their perspective. Whether it is right or wrong is neither here nor there, nobody can fault the fact that a) I
know who he is b) he won’t stop what he is doing and c) he will always say something to help Scotland. Who do we have in Liverpool? Give me one good reason why London should have Boris Johnson and Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle shouldn’t have the equivalent - there isn’t one. Someone should be in charge and it should be someone who is elected into power by the whole community and therefore not someone who is answerable to the requirements of a much narrower congruence of a party. This may sound like I am arguing against the idea of party politics and I probably am, but the fact of the matter is if you have someone who is speaking on behalf of Liverpool as a whole, they have to see the balance of Liverpool and be active in the interests of the community, not just the general party interests. Look around you. Tell me another economy such as ours that doesn’t have a mayor; and they are all influential people, who say things and do things and take the lead.
FMc: Clearly, there is an imbalance between the South East, or more specifically London, and the provinces in terms of where power is concentrated. Do you think the establishment of LEP’s, which the coalition government are going to introduce over the next few months, will help in that regard? MH: Well we will see. They are the successor to the Regional Development Agency authorities so really that is in part what they are meant to do. It is a shift of concept from what is essentially a more central governed initiative to a more local authority/industry/economist type of partnership. That is the government’s intention and we will see how it works.
FMc: I know you are here to launch the Regional Growth Fund. I think there is some confusion in the business community that the fund can only be
accessed by LEP’s but it is more flexible than that isn’t it? Can you describe the intention of the fund and who it is available to?
We had turned the river, the lifeblood of the city, into an open sewer. It is appalling and I wanted to do something about it
MH: The RGF is a challenge fund – anyone can bid for support from the fund but there are conditions. The purpose of the fund is to recognise that there are certain parts of the English economy that are more dependent on public expenditure than others. The object of the fund is to try and compensate by creating private sector jobs in areas adversely affected by the cuts. Anyone can apply, but there is a ceiling of £1million, below which bids will not be entertained. We can’t deal with £10,000 applications all over the country. The only bids that will be immediately rejected are those that are entirely public sector. There is no prescription as to the nature of the jobs created via bids – any initiative to create jobs in these relatively underprivileged areas is welcomed.
One absolutely vital point I must explain is this. In the less privileged areas, the most likely dynamic will come from small to medium organisations. If you have a ceiling of a million pounds, frankly you’re talking about only a handful of companies that could consider an investment of that scale. With this is mind, I have approached four major clearing banks and in principal we have agreed that they will seek to make bids to the RGF for £1m in aggregation of smaller bids. This creates two virtues – one is that the RGF filters through to small to medium enterprises and the other is that banks have branch managers. How could I possibly take responsibility to aggregate for all of the smaller associated bids and initiatives? So going to the clearers was an obvious step and we intend to work together. What sort of bids do I want? It is up to you. It is a competitive process, so be ingenious, group together, form partnerships and make arrangements. You tell me what you’ll do if my contributions can help to part-fund your ideas.
FMc: Thirty years ago you first came to Liverpool, what do you make of the city today having spent the morning looking around at some of the new developments? MH: Well my first visit to Liverpool actually came long before that. My father commanded a training battalion in Clitheroe, which is sort of regional, but I
also used to participate in party political activities here.
But what do I think today? Well, there’s a part of me that will always be Liverpool. You couldn’t have given as much time and commitment as I gave without it affecting you. It’s under my skin and I have kept coming back. I do occasionally visit and remember those extraordinary days. It’s vastly exciting. What has happened in Liverpool has no parallel since the Victorians built the city. There hasn’t been a change like this in over one hundred years. Things are happening, there is a dynamic, you can see it. You only have to look around a room like this, it would have looked very different thirty years ago. I can certainly see that the place is on the move. If you had asked me what my most emotional experience was during my time here, I’d have answered this. It would have been in 1981 – it was a gruelling experience those three weeks in 1980’s Liverpool – there was no respite and the climate was rough. At the end of the evening when everyone else had gone, I was on the top floor of Atlantic Tower looking out at the Mersey and I thought ‘it’s criminal what we have done to you’. We had turned the river, the lifeblood of the city, into an open sewer. It is appalling and I wanted to do something about it. Shortly after, we announced the Cleaning of the Mersey campaign and the words I remember using were ‘source to the sea, we will take the tiniest little streams and we will work the Mersey clean’. 25 years later the birds and seals were back - and they stopped the campaign. But the Mersey isn’t clean – it’s cleaner, but why stop? It should be drinking water. Imagine the tourism that the river could and should bring?
FMc: I’d like to thank you for being here today and thank you on behalf of Liverpool for the contribution you have made to our city. We hope you keep coming back and will continue to see the city making progress.
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E C N E I D AU K C A B D E FE John Haines, International Coaching Academy: I was around at the time of the Toxteth riots in the 80’s and it wasn’t an easy time for Liverpool. Lord Heseltine has left a legacy to this city possibly unlike no other. One thing that struck me was Heseltine’s comment regarding elected mayors – every great city deserves a great leader. I believe in Joe Anderson and his team but who is promoting Liverpool? Are we being represented strongly enough to continue to leave a lasting legacy? FMc: I think there is likely to be a referendum in May with regards to all cities having the right to an elected mayor. But there are issues. Would the other 11 cities being represented ever get the level of exposure that the first minister for Scotland gets - or Boris Johnson in London? We are to a point obsessed with London, it is a problem. You don’t necessarily need to have city leaders in the media every day to have a direct effect on our economy, you only have to look to Manchester to see that this is not the case. What you do need is full time, dynamic political leadership – this is something Manchester have enjoyed for probably over twenty years now and something we haven’t seen develop in Liverpool until recently. We now have a full time political leader and who knows what this will result in? We are seeing much more engagement from the cities political leadership with the business community – these are positive strides. However, if polls are to be believed, Liverpool is still very much in favour of a electoral system for a Lord Mayor.
it’s not just a question of what his contribution was today, but of what it has been for years and years
In my eyes Michael Heseltine is a God for what he did for this city
John Sutcliffe, Sutcliffe: In the context of elected mayors – I’m concerned that we should have a mayor for the Liverpool City Region rather than Liverpool itself. I feel personally that it would be a much more effective way forward, but would it work with the existing local government infrastructure? FMc: The idea of metropolitan mayors is something that has been discussed with minsters and shadow minsters only recently. If you look at the geographical area Boris Johnson covers, it is huge in comparison to other English cities. I think inevitably, if 18 DQ
What an incredible speech – a fantastic ambassador for the city
Dock. I also remember being a visitor to the Garden Festival site. It wasn’t really my thing and an ex girlfriend made me go – but it was amazing and I actually went back six days on the run.
Mike Carr, NSG: What an incredible speech – a fantastic ambassador for the city. There was an awful lot of work done at grassroots level to leave a lasting legacy on the city. He has an incredible amount of passion for the city and we should be very grateful.
Esther McVey, MP
you had an elected mayor for Liverpool they would be seen as a representative for the city region; and it would probably be easier for a person with elected authority to lead other authorities in the city region to a strategy that could be agreed. A city region model is certainly something that could be explored in the future. If you look at other local government re-organisations in Cheshire, for example, where once they had around 6 or 7 local authorities and a 2 tier local government situation, with a county council and area district councils. This system was abolished three years ago and replaced with two unitary authorities. This has proven beneficial in two ways – one is it is now far easier to deal with local government because there are fewer channels; and Cheshire have saved potentially hundreds of millions of pounds through the reorganisation process. I can’t understand why Merseyside, which is a comparatively tiny area, has 7 different local authorities, close to 600 councillors and 7 chief executives on three figure salaries – not to mention executive teams alongside them on similar pay. How can this makes sense when we are supposedly looking at a public expenditure cut of billions of pounds over the next few years? It’s a debate that is going to happen, but an elected mayor for the city is certainly the referendum that will happen if it does kick in, in May.
Tony Middleton, Sofrito Restaurant: I was at the lunch thirty years ago when Lord Heseltine announced the regeneration plans for Liverpool and I remember Liverpool then, I worked here every day; and it was desperate. There was no activity in the city in the evenings, people simply went home, there was no sense of community in the business sense and I left. Only recently have I come back and I have seen such a fantastic change. I don’t think I have seen a city change so much in a relatively small period of time. I walk around the city now and the enthusiasm and excitement is amazing – as Heseltine said earlier, with what we’ve got going for us now and investment opportunities for the future, things can only carry on going up. I think it’s absolutely great and I’m delighted to be a part of it.
Well it’s not just a question of what his contribution was today, but of what it has been for years and years. He has been a man of his word. He came in 1979 with a promise, but it doesn’t take a year or two to regenerate a city – it tales twenty or thirty – we are only now reaping the benefits of what Michael Heseltine did for this city. I think it is spectacular that a man with an international company who could be doing other things is coming back to see the changes he helped to make. It shows a dedication to the city that I think is to be admired. He is stepping up to the starting line again with the RGF – he is a visionary with a specific interest in ports and largely responsible for the London dockland. He identifies opportunities and encourages growth. I work with the department of transport and I think it is vitally important we say what we are doing with the ferry terminal in Liverpool. I believe we are only half a city without our port, so let’s drive this forward – Liverpool has to expand. Wirral Waters is a phenomenal piece of land and is open for business, with dynamic, bright people from this area at the helm. I am proud to come from this area, delighted to represent it and believe me I am lobbying on behalf of this area all the time. From my own point of view, Liverpool is continuing to do well at the moment. We have had the green light now for the Royal Liverpool Hospital overhaul, £451 million to invest into construction, development, hospital and a centre of excellence in bio-chemistry. The Mersey Gateway, another pledge we have had move forward. The Liverpool-Manchester electrification... We have so much to be enthusiastic about, so let’s grasp it and I will continue to lobby.
Max Steinberg, Chief Executive Liverpool Vision: For me today is very nostalgic, I worked as part of Lord Heseltine’s team when he was Secretary of State thirty years ago and as he began the regeneration of Liverpool. Walking through Liverpool with Lord Heseltine today was a privilege, as he gave bedrock to the superb transformation our city has seen. It is great to see a smile on the old bosses face and I’m sure he can see that Liverpool is open for business.
Brian Furlong, Horizon: I was enthralled by Lord Heseltine’s speech – he obviously has so much passion for the city. As a visitor to Liverpool from Scotland, coming to your city and seeing the drive of the local community is like nothing I have seen in other cities before. It’s incredible. The passion here is phenomenal.
Roy Gronow, Entwistle: In my eyes Michael Heseltine is a God for what he did for this city – and I do remember the derelict land that was the Albert DQ 19
Photography Martyn Hicks, Martyn Hicks Photography
DQ HOT TOPIC
WOMEN IN BUSINESS Words: Jennie Lewis, Downtown in Business
Whatever you might make of the coalition government, they are beginning to take positive strides in ensuring gender equality in the workplace and encouraging female appointments at senior level. Advances come following research conducted by Cranfield University showed disappointing figures for females in executive or directorate positions in FTSE 100 companies, with women accounting for only 12.2% of directors – a slow increase for the third consecutive year.
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W
e pale in comparison to our European neighbours and American counterparts, who seem to be smashing the glass ceiling following legislative quotas encouraging active steps to improve the gender make-up of company boardrooms. Whilst there is reluctance in the UK to employ formal quotas, there are significant measures being taken in the form of voluntary and private initiatives and the strategic inclusion of an employee diversity review in annual reports, demanding that Chairmen explain and justify poor female representation. In light of the comprehensive spending review, however, it seems women in the UK face more doom and gloom in coming months. Many argue that the proposed spending cuts serve to increase inequality between men and women in senior public sector jobs; and the government face legal challenges following significant claims that £5.8bn of £8bn savings outlined in the Budget would come from women. So what is the real reason for this massive under-representation of women on UK boards? We asked some of Downtown’s leading female (and male) ambassadors and representatives what their take was on the ongoing imbalance in the senior corporate sector.
“I believe businesses need to ignore gender and instead consider who the most suitable person is to take their business forward, with personality, ambition and drive being the key factors; and concentrate on giving individuals the support they need. When I achieved promotion to director it was reassuring when colleagues said how positive it was to see that you can still achieve such a role while balancing home life. I thoroughly enjoy my professional life but could not manage the conflicting demands without the support of my husband. But despite this support, I still have to control the ‘guilty working mother syndrome’. I wonder whether the statistics demonstrate a lack of belief or desire from the individuals rather than a lack of opportunity. My own experience shows that any negative views associated with gender are soon put aside when clients and colleagues realise you are a professional.” Emma Stoddart, Director, Grant Thornton “When I first started my career I trained as an accountant.The professional
services sector was at that time very male dominated, the wearing of trousers by female staff was certainly frowned upon! I quickly realised that this career was not for me and I moved to a software development company who specialised in supplying software to the professional services market.
I don’t think there is one single factor that causes this, but juggling family life is most often the biggest hurdle to overcome
This newly emerging sector typically comprised of a relatively young team, even at management level and the culture was very competitive. Many women held senior positions and this was encouraged. There was also a culture of equality and if you were in a senior position you were expected to put in the hours that your male counterparts did - no exceptions for family commitments, indeed if that was a problem it would have held back your career progression. I think that this is still the case today, if you do hold a senior position you have to accept that you do have a responsibility in that role to progress the development of the business and sometimes you have to make choices, but that is also the same for our male counterparts. However, with advances in technology flexible working is now possible and does help with work/life balance for both women and men alike. I am now Head of Business Development for law firm Marsden Rawsthorn and the professional services sector has certainly progressed since I first started out in my career, in fact our team now comprises an equal number of men and women.”
the fact that the majority of law graduates are female.
I don’t think there is one single factor that causes this, but juggling family life is most often the biggest hurdle to overcome.I have two children, so a work-life balance is very important to me. It can be difficult to achieve both personal and professional goals, but if you have a good support network around you, are extremely organised and have the determination to succeed, it is possible to accomplish a sensible and sustainable balance between the two.”
Debbie King, Commercial Partner, Farley’s Solicitors “Things have certainly changed for women in corporate life. Ten years ago, successful women were normally childless and often unmarried – it was the price of success. However, I am a young successful woman in business with a small child. That is not to say that the glass ceiling no longer exists, and I certainly find there to be constant challenges for women to face whilst striving to be successful and climb
Debbie Petitt, Head of Business Development, Marsden Rawsthorn
“Gender equality has long been an issue in the legal field - the Law Society only recently published a research paper into the barriers facing the progression of women in the legal sector. The fact is that as within many other sectors, women often fail to reach senior positions, especially in private practice law firms. This is despite
> DQ 21
DQ HOT TOPIC the ‘male’ dominated career ladder. Unlike in the past, most women that now reach the higher echelons of business have children. However, no matter how supportive their partner is, and no matter what childcare arrangements are in place, there tends to be an emotional “tug of war”. Given the choice between a quick drink after work with colleagues or getting home to put the children to bed, the choice for most women is clear. This can create real problems in creating an effective work-life balance. As a HR Consultant, I have found that there is certainly a growing trend towards organisations becoming more flexible in their approach to female executives. We fall short of more progressive countries, such as Australia, Norway and the US, all of which have about 20 per cent of their top boardrooms represented by women. UK organisations should follow this example and address key issues with some seriously fresh thinking on talent management and, crucially, buy in from the very top.” Victoria Brown, Director, High Performance Consultancy
“The extra “out of hours” work expected at senior levels, can put additional pressures on women, who are often also juggling family responsibilities, particularly in business development roles where regular networking is essential to develop business relationships and opportunities for their organisation. Females in senior positions frequently require extremely supportive networks at home to help manage this work-life balance. Lack of such support networks is a major reason females remain underrepresented at management level.
There is however emerging evidence to suggest the number of female entrepreneurs is on the increase. We are seeing more and more women starting their own businesses, which gives them a high ranking role whilst retaining a level of professional flexibility. This will provide more female role models for young business women to aspire towards.” Ashleigh Harvey, Business Development Manager, Grant Thornton “The general consensus is that there is a high volume of experienced women available, but the problem lies where the demand to fill these available roles with women does not seem to be meeting the supply. The financial sector has come under particular scrutiny, as only 9% of board members within the FTSE 100 banks are women. I personally feel having diversity in the workplace allows for a very dynamic work environment. We aim to continue to maintain and develop the role we play in supporting females in our business. We have had instances with females struggling to balance their work and family commitments, and so it’s been important for us to listen and try to accommodate
Manisha Modasia, Solicitor, Forbes Solicitors
Relatively simple changes such as flexible or part time working hours or access to systems at home from work doesn’t harm productivity. Instead, we have found to have actually gained more loyalty their needs whilst ensuring the business runs smoothly. Relatively simple changes such as flexible or part-time working hours or access to work systems at home doesn’t harm productivity. Instead, we have found to have actually gained more loyalty. “ Mike Askew, Group Managing Director, CBG
“Gradual change in the right direction is still a welcomed change. In the legal profession the increase of women solicitors has been immense over the last 30 years and although this increase has not filtered through to the number of women partners yet it is only a matter of time. The professional services sector is one of the most competitive. However, as a clear role of negotiating has emerged in litigation and mentoring has taken over from traditional forms of teaching, certain 22 DQ
characteristics are more in demand. Strong communication and team working skills are necessary and multitasking to provide a wider range of disciplines is imperative to success. These are good strong qualities where women can often out perform their male counterparts.
“In some respects the public relations industry bucks the trend when it comes to gender, in that there is a much higher proportion of women than men in the profession. The latest research from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) shows that 65% of PR practitioners are female, compared with 35% male. However, there is still evidence of a ‘glass ceiling’ in PR, with men being more likely to hold a senior management or director position than female practitioners, according to the CIPR. Also, men are almost twice as likely to earn a salary in excess of £50,000 than women. These are concerning statistics and seem to reflect some of the gender bias evident in other professions. The dominance of males in professional roles is evident in our day-to-day working lives, for example at networking groups and on industry bodies, where women are very
recruitment industry is very fast paced and circumstances can change rapidly. The ability Apparently 41% of to multi-task and control new businesses in a number of variables the USA are started at once is imperative. Females naturally embody by women. In the UK these qualities, as well the figure is 14% At as being more objective, the time forecasters more intuitive and more emotionally in touch with were confident that themselves.
much in the minority. Let’s hope the PR industry can go a step further towards equality in the boardroom. At The Write Angle we are certainly on the way to developing some female PR execs of the future.” Angela Smith, Managing Director, Write Angle
“As Managing Director of Sellick Partnership, I am pleased to say that without women at both Board and operational level, our business would not have achieved the success that we have experienced over the last 8 years.
I firmly believe that it is important that women do have a greater representation within senior and board level roles, specifically within the financial systems. Diversity is key within a boardroom – as well as ensuring that organisations are utilising the talents of all of the population.
the number would reach about 50% in the USA over time. Why were they so confident? Because women make up about 50% of the population
I think that in the past women did not pursue senior jobs for a variety of very understandable, acceptable reasons such as wanting to spend more time with their families, which may imply that there Diversity is key is an issue of supply rather within a boardroom than merely a problem with – as well as ensuring demand for women.”
that organisations are utilising the talents of all of the population
I believe this for a number of reasons, specifically because the
Jo Sellick, Managing Director, Sellick Partnership
“I learned an interesting statistic several years ago at a seminar aimed at increasing the number of business start ups by women.
Apparently 41% of new businesses in the USA are started by women. In the UK the figure is 14%. At the time forecasters were confident that the number would reach about 50% in the USA over time. Why were they so confident? Because women make up about 50% of the population. Simple really, it makes sense and like many other things in the USA, common sense prevails.
The UK has a habit of following the trends that start in the USA, let’s hope this trend is no exception and let’s work hard to make sure that Liverpool and the North West does more to ensure that we are at the forefront of making it happen. There are some positive stat’s emerging around the percentage of women starting business on the web. Furthermore the web is a great source of information for us all when it comes to starting a business. There are lots of websites I would recommend; www.enterprisenation.com or www.forwardladies.com. Above all the UK needs a target. How about 50%? Now that’s common sense.” David Wade-Smith, Chairman, Live’smart
S
o it seems that despite some grey areas, there are three key factors affecting women as they attempt to climb the corporate ladder:
• • •
Family issues and emotional restraints A lack of belief or desire, probably instigated by disparity in male and female earning potential Supply and demand
In spite of decidedly slow progress since 2008, there is optimism that there is a ‘wind of change’ stirring. Lord Davies of Abersoch is due to report on the issue for the government in February and there is a call to strengthen the UK’s corporate governance code, which states that companies should pay ‘due regard to diversity on the board, including gender.’ Generally though, perhaps it is a change in culture which is called for. Time to remove the gentleman’s club cap and focus instead on a diverse corporate community in the UK with the best people employed for the right roles in order to to drive our economy forward. In twenty-first century Britain, employers should be striving to create more flexible and accommodating work environments to ease the pressures women face in achieving a work/life balance. This will also help organisations to adopt an unbiased approach to employment and rather base recruitment on recognition of talent and ability. Let us stop segregating women in the workplace and seeing gender as an issue. Let us bridge the salary gap and instil some much needed desire and optimism and let us promote female enterprise and entrepreneurship so that women can be pivotal in creating top level jobs and shaping the future.
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DQ ROUND-UP
THE LANCASHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS 2010 Male Networker Richard Bamford Enterprise Ventures Female Networker Manisha Modasia Forbes Solicitors Best Bar/Restaurant East Z East Best Marketing Campaign My Mall.co.uk
T
he winners of the 2010 Lancashire Business Awards were announced at a glittering gala dinner at the Stanley House Hotel on Thursday 23rd September 2010. Hosted by Downtown Preston in Business, in association with the Northwest Development Agency and Business Link, big winners included Napthens Solicitors; Obas UK and Luke Watson from GB Energy.
Best Financial Advisors RSM Tenon Best Legal Firm Napthens Young Entrepreneur of the Year Rachel Haslam Team Academy
For more pictures visit www.downtownpreston.com
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Professional of the Year Susan Haslem Nat West Commercial Property Professional of the Year Andrew Kirkham MCK Associates Business of the Year Obas Group Entrepreneur of the Year Luke Watson GB Energy
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Photography Nimesh Panchal, 88 Studio
DQ ROUND-UP
THE LIVERCOOL AWARDS 2010
L
eading figures from Liverpool’s business community had reason to celebrate on Thursday 18th November 2010 after being honoured at the annual Livercool awards. The big winners on the night were Parr Street Studios’ Gary Millar, who scooped Business Personality of the Year; and Eddie Reed of kitchen manufacturers No Name Kitchens and John Sutcliffe of engineering firm Sutcliffe, who were presented with the coveted ‘Services to Liverpool’ awards at the glittering event.
Sexy Networker Male Shaun Petafi Everton FC
Best PA Jade Sidwell High Performance Consultancy
Business Personality of the Year Gary Millar Parr Street Studios
Sexy Networker Female Geniene Reese Novotel
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Daz Singh Ollie & Darsh
Services to Liverpool Edward Reed NONAME
Lifestyle Award Anders Borg Northern Vision
Professional of the Year David Kirwan Kirwans Solicitors
Services to Liverpool John Sutcliffe Sutcliffe
Best Marketer Jon Egan Aurora Media
Property Professional of the Year Peter Linford Nobles Construction
Contribution to Regeneration Steven Broomhead NWDA
For more pictures visit www.downtownliverpool.com
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DQ 27
Photography David Burrows, David Burrows Photography
DQ DOWNTOWN DEBATE
ELECTED MAYORS – A FORCE FO
T
he government seem set to offer eleven Manchester, the opportunity to have Dir that referendums will be organised for as ea views on whether they wish to see exis changed – or stick with the status quo. We THE CASE FOR by Jon Egan, Aurora Media
It’s ten years since I was tasked with drafting the final report of the Liverpool Democracy Commission. The Commission members were drawn from a diverse range of sectors and backgrounds but were firmly united in their conviction that Liverpool needed a directly elected Mayor. Their Commission believed that City Mayors would provide more visible leadership. They would speak with the authority of a personal mandate and would give Liverpool greater profile and national clout. Their recommendation also reflected a much more fundamental observation – It’s what people wanted. Over an intensive six month consultation period community groups, businesses, faith leaders and ordinary citizens expressed consistent preference for a system that would make the city’s leader directly accountable to voters. Much has changed in Liverpool over the last ten years. Our physical fabric has been transformed and our economy has been reborn. Liverpool has benefited from progressive and highly competent political leadership, but all the polling evidence suggests that 3 out of 4 Liverpool voters still want an elected City Mayor. Some politicians have suggested that people may want a Mayor, but they clearly don’t want it enough to trigger a referendum or to lay siege to The Municipal Buildings. The idea that democratic apathy can be invoked as an argument for the status quo is a dangerously complacent and illogical one. When less than one in five Liverpool citizens vote in local elections, one could equally develop an argument in favour of 28 DQ
ELECTED MAYORS – A FORCE FO abandoning democracy altogether. The original impetus for the Liverpool Democracy Commission was the scandalously low level of participation in local elections. Despite confident predictions from some local politicians that the adoption of a Cabinet system or the creation of Area Committees would re-engage disaffected voters, turnout has continued to decline. There is a curious paradox between our mania for voting in the context of TV entertainment and our unwillingness to attend to our civic duties. Clearly public cynicism with politics and politicians has been greatly exacerbated by the expenses scandal, but part of the problem must be the opaque and convoluted nature of our local democracy. I recall a public debate in 2001 when a prominent City Councillor declared we had no need now for an elected Mayor as we had a perfectly good Council Leader in Mike Storey. It was a pity that he was the only person in the room who, as a member of the Council’s ruling group, had been granted the privilege of actually voting for Cllr Storey. The public appeal of elected Mayors rests on the radical simplification of the democratic contract. It is a contest that is immediately intelligible, and provides leadership that is fundamentally accountable. Elected mayors are about making a local democracy that belongs to voters and not to political elites. The broad civic legitimacy of Mayors also changes the way in which leadership operates and exerts its influence. The local government writer Gerry Stocker
observed “Council Leaders run councils, whilst Mayors run cities.” The London example already demonstrates how leaders with mandates can extend democratic influence across institutions and sectors where they have no direct legal power. I believe that Mayoral authority, and a Mayoral perspective would empower our City Leader to provide greater coherence and focus across the range of public agencies and partnerships in the City and City Region. Joining up our fractured governance structures is an urgent priority for Liverpool and one that could be achieved more easily by a Leader with greater authority and enhanced democratic legitimacy. The success of cities depends on their ability to be visible to prospective investors and audible to political and economic decision-makers. A directly elected Mayor could give Liverpool a decisive competitive edge in terms of profile and share of voice. Notwithstanding our good fortune in having the recently ennobled Lord Storey as a Council Leader in 2001, it was still highly significant that more Liverpool citizens were able to name the Mayor of London than recall the name of their own city supremo. I am not one of those who want an elected Mayor because I am unhappy with our current City Council Leadership. Joe Anderson has already demonstrated an energy and breadth of perspective that promises to deliver big things for Liverpool – I just want the opportunity to vote for him.
OR GOOD, OR A WASTE OF TIME?
major English cities, including Liverpool and rectly Elected Mayors. There is a possibility arly as May this year, seeking the electorates sting local government structures radically asked two leading Liverpool opinion formers:
OR GOOD, OR A WASTE OF TIME? Let’s look at the facts about Mayors
T
en years ago, as chair of the Governance Subcommittee of the Council, I oversaw the Liverpool consultation about having an elected mayor. In spite of spending more than £400,000 on the process the number of people who commented was derisory (less than 2,000). This confirmed my earnest belief that very few people care about governance – they just wanted to get services delivered efficiently and for the needs of their community to be met. Since then, much has happened to prove me correct in my other assertion that the mayoral system was contrary to the culture of good local government in this country and would fail. I had not anticipated just how right that would be. Firstly, let’s look at the public’s reaction to Mayors. In total 12 local government mayors have been created. Almost twice as many referendums were lost and the ideas did not proceed. This disdain from the public can be seen in Liverpool where there were at one time two campaigns to get a Liverpool Mayor yet between them they could not get 5% of the population to sign up to a simple petition. Secondly, thank goodness that we did not proceed with mayors because on average their track record has been poor. Two of the councils with mayors – Stoke and Doncaster – have consistently been the worst two councils in England. One – Torbay is now going through major governance problems; a situation which
persisted for 4 years in North Tyneside although this has now been rectified. One, Bedford, was led by an Independent mayor and was in severe financial difficulties until rescued by a by-election which brought the town into Lib Dem hands. Stoke has already voted to abolish its mayoral system and has returned to a Leader system – Doncaster will surely do so as soon as the law allows a vote. If the overall pattern of local government had been as bad as this any central government would probably have abolished local government – I might not have objected! Of course councils led by Mayors like Jules Pipe in Hackney and Dorothy Thornhill in Watford have dramatically improved their councils but not by more than the average improvement in councils as a whole. Quite simply the mayoral experiment has not worked. “Ah”, someone says, “What about London?” Well what is the London Mayor? London is actually an English region so the Mayor of London is the equivalent of the Mayor of the North West. That’s not on offer. London is a conurbation but a Mayor for Merseyside is not on offer either. What’s on offer is a Mayor for Liverpool alone. So would he be first amongst equals with the other 5 Merseyside authorities with extra powers that they do not have? How we would he interact as a supreme authority in Liverpool for community safety issues with an elected police commissioner with powers for all of the other Merseyside authorities.
THE CASE AGAINST by Richard Kemp, Liverpool Council
When I was in No 10 (I do like saying that!) at the beginning of November I was asked what new powers should be given to areas to make them vote for a mayor. The answer was none. If more powers should be given to councils they should be given to all councils. That is what localism is all about. Within days we will have had two Bills relating to Policing and Decentralisation which will significantly hand new powers to councils. Licensing and planning will be much more for councillors and their communities to decide than inspectors and courts. I believe that the localism agenda as a whole from the government is a good one. Let’s get on with delivering that localism and dealing with the severe financial problems that the government as a whole faces. Let’s not get side tracked by failed ideas that will divert our attention from the much more important jobs that we need to do in straitened times.
Cllr Richard Kemp has been a Liverpool councillor for 28 years and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Local Government for 6
What do you think? Vote in our online poll. To vote visit www.downtowninbusiness.com
DQ 29
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DQ JUST JONAS 2010 - THE REVIEW Words: Roger Jonas, Downtown in Business
2
010 has without doubt been our most adventurous year in the seven year history of Downtown in Business. From over 75 events across the region, I have picked out just a few that I consider to be the highlights in Liverpool, Preston and Manchester. Liverpool kicked off in February with the cities first ever Leaders Debate, a platform that brought Councillor Warren Bradley, the then part time Lib Dem Leader of the Council and Labour Leader, Joe Anderson, together in front of a mixed audience of Downtown members and guests. This was a warts and all exchange of political views and often harsh retaliations from both parties, affably chaired by a well forearmed Jim Hancock. The Leader’s Debate was certainly an opinion forming event that allowed audience members to question the panel of two about past debacles, successes, and opportunities après election. Of course, congratulations must go to newly elected full time leader, Councillor Joe Anderson!
I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH PAGE TO THANK ALL OF THE VENUES, RESTAURANTS AND CONTRIBUTORS TO WHAT I KNOW HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT SERIES OF INFORMATIVE, CREATIVE AND FUN EVENTS, AND WE ARE NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO 2011 Downtown in Business launched in Manchester on March 11th 2010, after months of painstaking preparation. A ram packed guest list of the who’s who of Manchester were treated to a spectacular Downtown endorsement from one of the city’s most prolific personalities, Sir Howard Bernstein, a man whose support and contributions over the past twelve months has been truly invaluable.
community surrounding the Tithebarn initiative and provide opinions on how and why the city needs to move forward. Lancashire Business Week endorsed Downtown’s latest City Thinking Campaign and allowed representative from both the public and private sector to present a catalogue of facts and figures, and some often controversial speculation on the future growth of Preston. The city is on the up, and with cooperation, unity between the business community and public bodies along with some radical thinking and actions, Preston may well turn the corner in 2011 and achieve significant development. As the Lancashire Business Survey revealed, Preston is buoyant and confident. Keep it up folks! I don’t have enough page to thank all of the venues, restaurants and contributors for what I know has been a significant series of informative, creative and fun events, and we are now looking forward to 2011……watch this space I think is apt! Finally, I want to pay tribute to a man who from day one, recognised the value and benefits that Downtown can and has offered the regions business communities. Steven Broomhead has been at the forefront of the region’s growth plan, and a sterling job he has done too. I just hope that the poorly timed demise of the NWDA does not prevent this great man from further impacting on the North West, he is far too valuable an asset to let go of and I trust I speak for the majority in saying thank you.
The launch event was certainly a stepping stone to our established success in the city and DMIB membership has gone from strength to strength, with outstanding attendances at every subsequent event; including A Frank Conversation between the man himself and Sir Richard Lease, a review of the budget and its impact on the city, and an open discussion on what’s next for Manchester. I think the way in which Manchester has engaged with Downtown in such a short space of time is testament to the business culture that exists in such a great city. For me, Lancashire Business Week was the highpoint in our Preston calendar. Business Week provided us with complex and diverse business views on current attitudes towards the leadership of the city; consider anxieties from the business DQ 31
Illustration Andrea St.John, Enterprise Liverpool South Academy
DQ ICON
32 DQ
John Lennon
“LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN YOU’RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS” Words: Roger Jonas, Downtown in Business
H
e was the founding member of the Beatles, much regarded as their leader and a man with all the qualities of a modern day protagonist. John Lennon captivated the world with his creativity, his love for humanity and his quest for world peace. Hailed alongside Paul McCartney as one half of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th Century, voted eighth in the BBC Great Britons Poll in 2002 and ranking 5th position in Rolling Stones Greatest Singer of All Time, John Lennon was a true idol of his time and today maintains global iconic status. John Winston Lennon was a war baby, born to Julia Lennon in Liverpool on October 9th 1940. By the time John was 6, his birth father, Alf had “done one”, and it was eventually Julia’s sister Mimi who would raise him. Not a storybook childhood, but a fairly happy one, his early years would help to build the character we all came to know in years to come. Diagnosed with dyslexia in later life and pronounced legally blind without his glasses, unsurprisingly, John never did much good academically and was expelled from school “apparently” for misbehaviour. At aged just fifteen and with time on his hands, John’s passion for music was ignited after he heard Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel and his early rocker image was spawned. It was around this time that John met a young and talented McCartney and within a year The Quarrymen were born. Just four years later, they evolved into the most commercially acclaimed band in the world, the Beatles. It is well documented that The Beatles and John in particular - were no stranger to hallucinogenic drugs; many professing that the much celebrated and highly profound album, ‘Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ was a direct effect of Lennon’s semi-catatonic state. His time in The Beatles paved the way to an established solo career for Lennon which saw the release of the critically acclaimed ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’, arguably one of the most talked about albums of all time. This debut album saw the beginnings of Lennon’s diary-style song-writing and saw his rebellious nature began to spill onto the page. John and Paul McCartney were never as close as they appeared publicly, there was dissent between them which is often cited as the reason for the long decline which eventually broke the band up in 1970 - a year after John’s marriage to Yoko.
News of John Lennon’s murder came just three weeks after the release of ‘Double Fantasy’ the album which had indicated to the world that John had at last found inner peace, a haunting memoir. Yoko had his body cremated just two days later. John was a firm believer in reincarnation........imagine! Love Lennon or hate him, his status as an icon is undeniable – he is recognised as such in both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A quote from Lennon just three months prior to his death, I think, sums him up. “Part of me would like to be accepted by all facets of society and not be this loudmouthed lunatic musician. But I cannot be what I am not.”
Photography Chris Wilcox, DIB
At 5.00pm on Monday December 8, 1980, Mark Chapman approached John Lennon outside his apartment and requested his autograph, which John was happy to give. Six hour later John was dead at the hands of his autograph hunter. He was shot four times in the back and pronounced dead at 11.07pm.
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DQ BE OUR GUEST
Six
Words: Luciana Berger, Labour and CoOperative MP for Liverpool Wavertree
I
recently marked my six-month anniversary as an MP. I’m often asked how my life has changed and on reflection, when I get a moment to think, it’s been quite a journey. Limited induction, no job description and setting up an office from scratch means that many of the 2010 intake (including me) have had to learn and do a lot in a very short space of time. Life as a parliamentarian is a massive balancing act. My priority is always my constituents and Liverpool Wavertree where I represent. In the past month alone my team and I have dealt with more than 350 pieces of casework. Helping people in my area, working with voluntary groups and businesses, and doing everything I can to promote my constituency is at the heart of the job. Attending civic events, workshops, AGMs, openings, clean-up sessions, charity dos and awards is common weekly activity. My second priority is my new responsibility as shadow minister for climate change. I spend a proportion of my week holding the government to account on its green policies and meeting interested groups. I’ve done, and continue to do, a lot of reading to get up to speed and keep on top of the portfolio. I participate in as much of the Parliamentary business as possible, both to hold the government to account and represent my constituency. When I challenged the Prime Minister about his broken promise to the computer games industry, or the Deputy Prime Minister about his broken promise not to raise tuition fees, it was because I had been representing constituents. I have spoken in 50 debates and asked over 140 questions in Parliament. If there’s any time left, I see friends and family. Before I was elected, I didn’t quite appreciate the demands of the parliamentary week, combined with living between two locations. Mondays and Tuesdays usually go on until past 22.30 and we are confined to the parliamentary estate if it’s a running whip, so that we can make a vote within the eight-minute window. Wednesdays finish around 19.30 and Thursdays by 18.00, after which I’m on the train up to Liverpool. I do a surgery every week and pack my only constituency weekday with meetings and visits, which often take place over the weekend too. One change which I’m still not used to is being recognised and stopped by constituents. On the train, in Asda, at the bus-stop – we are always on duty. Only the other night I was approached in the cereal aisle by some constituents wanting some help with their wheeliebin collection. EDGE LANE One of my election commitments was to do everything I can to create and safeguard jobs in Liverpool Wavertree. The potential of Wavertree Technology Park to be a driver for economic development is huge and it will be a sign of failure for the city if we can’t make the whole of Edge Lane work. Which is why it is particularly good news that since Labour 34 DQ
has taken over at the Town Hall the city has be landlords of Edge Lane Retail Park, Derwent H
As a result, the plans for Edge Lane enshri gateway to Liverpool. Retail and leisure will at securing (with Liverpool One) Liverpool’s place Merseyside region. Wavertree Technology Par economic hub.
The potential for the technology park is hug businesses can develop there. I’ve been meeti the site, and if any Downtown members want m clear – Wavertree Technology Park is an uncut
Just like everything else of course, the futu a great example of the different attitudes to su Labour government and the coalition governm the end of planned investment in strategic reso tell us what his plans are for the park once its view is that everything built by the Labour gove investment is still needed in the park. Develop and venture capital funds are still necessary to business the dilemma is easy to solve - until th the roof topped out, would you move into an un the other end of the M6?
Our challenge is to create exciting new hub enterprise feeding off each other, driving succe hubs are created organically and supported by instance, Liverpool’s computer gaming industr
In other cases, a strategic decision has to b River Mersey is an asset, hence supporting ma supporting the communications infrastructure easy win. I am committed to fighting for contin in Liverpool, against a background of reckless government. THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Many of the companies I’ve spoken to are h are right. One of the more interesting points th cut-back and efficiency saving they can. If dem return then they are faced with very stark choic
months on, I’m loving an MP’s balancing act
een able to resolve its differences with the Holdings.
ine a bold and confident development for the ttract visitors from the wider area further e as the centre for shopping in the wider rk can further contribute to that sense of an
ge, and a whole slew of future-generation ing with the firms that are already present on me to visit I would be delighted. Let me be t diamond in Liverpool’s jewellery case.
ure of the technology park is uncertain. It is upporting our economy between the previous ment. With the abolition of the NWDA came ources like the park. Vince Cable can’t even owner (the NWDA) is closed. The coalition’s ernment is ready to sell. In truth, however, pment and promotional funds, start-up support o push it over the edge into sustainability. For he foundations are built, services installed and nfinished building or the newly-carpeted one at
bs of business. Vibrant communities of new ess to bigger heights. In some cases these y universities and local authorities – for ry.
be made to support the existing assets. The aritime-based trade is a no-brainer. Similarly e at Wavertree Technology Park should be an nued investment in the business environment gambles with our economy from the coalition
hesitantly hopeful for the future. I hope they hey make is that they have already made every mand for their products/services does not ces indeed.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out how much business can save from greater efficiency with their energy consumption, with the added benefit of reducing their carbon footprint. Insulation, new heating systems, solar panels, wind-turbines and energyefficient lightbulbs – all have a place in the energy strategy of business and for some companies, a whole new avenue for business growth. These small changes can create big dividends for companies who invest in them. Another area where investment pays huge dividends over the years is education. Our city is faced with a crossroads – to go in the direction of low-skill, low-value employment or give people the opportunity to educate themselves regardless of their background. This isn’t just about tuition fees, which is a cynical attempt to reduce the demand for university places. A much bigger issue is the attack on the supply of university courses. Liverpool Hope University is facing a 97% cut in its funding and Edge Hill University is facing something similar. Some courses are relatively safe, sciences and law courses for example, but we forget how dependent so many of the day-to-day functions of our society are on graduates. For example, the planning system relies on the influx of new graduates and their education should be of concern to any business. Another frequent complaint is that Liverpool does not retain its graduates, suffering the ensuing brain drain. If two of the city-region’s university close, how much worse will the brain drain be? In all the conversations I have ever had with banks, businesses, business organisations and local authorities not a single person has said the future of Liverpool is in having lowerskilled employees. Think about your own business – to what degree do you depend on skills? What level of education does your workforce have? Do you sell to a market of educated customers? A minimum-wage economy will result in minimum profits. Slashing programmes that support people in employment; or businesses to grow; or reduce demand for products and services, will result in a reckless gamble with the demandside of our economy over the coming months. Slashing our ability to compete with companies abroad, or even in the South East of England, is a reckless gamble with the supply side of our city’s economy for generations. These are the challenges which have consumed my attention over the last six months. Despite the steep learning curve and the massive adjustment. I’ve loved every moment. It’s an enormous privilege to be an MP and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.
DQ 35
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www.kirwanssolicitors.co.uk 36 DQ
Manchester Office: Peter House, Oxford St, M1 5AN Liverpool Office: Horton House, Exchange Flags, L2 3PF
DQ SPOTLIGHT ON... now the official public relations agency to Downtown Preston in Business, helping to promote the organisation and spread the word about its transformation into Downtown Lancashire. “It’s a great coup for us. We’ve been members of DPIB for eighteen months and through the networking have met some fantastic people that has led to us striking up a working relationship with many of them” explains Angela.
In a tough economic climate the agency continues to flourish, having invested in its own premises at Matrix Park, Buckshaw Village, Chorley earlier this year, and being recently nominated for a coveted Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) award for Best Corporate and Business Communications campaign as well as the DPIB Best Marketing Campaign at the recent Lancashire Business Awards. “Buying offices was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made“ says managing director, Angela Smith. “Against a backdrop of recession it felt a bit like a leap of faith but six months down the line I’m absolutely confident that we made the right move. Our new offices give us a great building block from which to develop the business and have been a catalyst to springboard the company to the next stage of its growth.” That catalyst has seen the agency winning work across a wide range of business to business and consumer clients. It includes the recent announcement that The Write Angle is
“We deal with a wide variety of clients, from local firms to global ventures, and recently we have been really successful in winning new clients who are looking to make their budgets go that bit further. “Whereas previously many firms have relied on advertising to push their key messages, savvy businesspeople are coming to realise that the PR pound goes much further. However we recognise that in tougher times the first inclination might be to slash marketing spend. What we’re seeing more of is businesses that want to see tangible results for their investment in working with us. That’s different for every client and we’ll work hard to establish a ‘picture of success’ at the outset of any relationship. Someone once said to me that PR is akin to plaiting fog and weaving yoghurt – thankfully those days are well behind us and clients want to see a bang for their buck – and rightfully so.
“So, we’re looking forward to 2011 with optimism. With a growing team, an expanding client portfolio and a burgeoning demand for communications campaigns that really deliver results, we feel like we have a lot to shout about.”
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“A great example of where we’ve been able to create real impact on a tight budget is with the launch of the new brand for Preston Guild. This involved getting proud Prestonians, Nick Park and Freddie Flintoff on board to create a launch
WWW.WRITEANGLEPR.CO.UK TEL. 01772 450 990 ATTITUDE@WRITEANGLEPR.CO.UK @THEWRITEANGLE
Photography Lorne Campbell, Guzelian
O
ver the past eight years The Write Angle has earned a growing reputation for helping a diverse range of clients shout about their success.
The Write Angle’s diverse portfolio of clients sees the team working across a number of industry sectors including construction, education, building products, professional services, property and energy to name a few.
that would put the Guild in the media spotlight. Freddie came up to Preston for the day (I’m now his number one fan!) accompanied by Wallace and Gromit. We persuaded a local cheesemaker to recreate the ‘G’ of the Guild logo in Lancashire cheese and good old Nick Park has agreed to add Lancashire cheese to the Wallace and Gromit cheeseboard for Guild year. The result was a launch that generated coverage on BBC and Granada TV, broadcast media, local and regional newspapers and of course a buzz on social media channels.
DQ 37
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fOr a limited time Only we are Offering a fantastic 20% OFF s:craft’s full range Of exquisitely hand finished, wOOden shutters. Our customers buy shutters because they love shutters; they love the way their rooms are immediately transformed when they’re installed and how they can instantly enjoy their living environment, controlling and indulging in the light throughout the day. s:craft shutters suit both traditional and contemporary surroundings and can fit practically any window shape and style you can imagine, from simple square frames to bays, patio doors and conservatory windows. So give your windows the love they deserve this year and don’t miss out on your 20% discount, contact us on M: 0785 990 5781 (Paul) T: 0151 298 2000 F: 0151 298 2936 or visit www.perfectshutters.co.uk Perfect Shutters Ltd, 52 stafford street, liverpool l3 8lx We are an accredited S:CRAFT Master Partner providing industry leading levels of service, from initial consultation to ensure the best aesthetic solution to a hassle free installation.
DQ MAILBOX
About TNT Post
T
NT Post is the largest challenger to Royal Mail in the deregulated postal market and has the resources to deliver both addressed and unaddressed mail. Currently we are predicted to handle more than 3.2 bn items this year; roughly 1 in 6 mailing items that land through the letter box. Since the liberalisation of the UK postal market on 1st January 2006, TNT Post has continued to impress businesses and public sector organisations in the UK with its innovative, sophisticated mailing services that bring unrivalled value and flexibility to clients. TNT Post has developed a number of un-sorted and presorted postal solutions for customers including Premier, Premier Sort, PremierSort Flex and now our latest arrival; FirstSort. FirstSort is a flexible, physical alternative to Royal Mail, allowing customers to benefit from next day delivery and so far has been adopted by both the public and private sectors. In addition, TNT Post’s best in class approach with product and service innovation has resulted in the delivery of a number of added value solutions, such as ‘yourStamp’, ‘3-DM’ and ‘adScents’ direct mail concepts.
What is TranSend?
TNT Post has recently launched it’s hybrid mail solution, named TranSend. TranSend revolutionises the way users send letters and documents; documents are now sent electronically straight from a PC, to TNT Post’s state-of-the-art print and fulfilment facilities. In seconds TNT Post receive, print, fulfill and inject mail into their nationwide network for delivery. It’s secure, easy to set up and offers track and traceability of documents
Cost Savings
TranSend is the ideal integrated solution for any size of business, posting any volume of mail, which is looking for a cost saving of up to 60% without mass disruption or implementation to existing postal processes. Additionally TranSend offers the perfect solution for businesses with fragmented mail production, or for smaller organisations that have no post room facilities. Whether mailing items are transactional or direct mail, TranSend is the efficient mailing platform. Many organisations use cost savings as a key driver in reviewing postal services. Our TranSend service doesn’t just reduce the cost of postage; it reduces the cost of the entire postage chain including print, production and fulfillment
Time Saving
Time as well as money can be saved by using TranSend. TNT Post TranSend reduces the time required of an organisation’s staff to produce and fulfill mailings, allowing staff to spend more time on core activities. A typical mail piece can take up to 4 minutes to print, produce and prepare for postage individually. By saving 95% of the time spent on producing a mailing allows staff to concentrate on core business activities
Brand Control
A common problem with organisations that send out mail from multiple sites or those businesses that have limited marketing resource, is keeping control of the company’s branding. Both the You-Send and Auto-Send drivers allow administrators to define templates and production requirements for users so that brand consistency is maintained and guidelines adhered to. Using our mail-merge service allows customers to upload a mail shot and database quickly and easily with no ability to alter the document once uploaded to our system. Therefore responsibility for producing the mailings can be passed over to colleagues once approved by the brand owner.
Impact with Speed
Receiving an item of mail through the door still has an impact electronic substitutes struggle to match. Email is commonplace and has certainly transformed the way the world communicates, but its widespread use and the proliferation of spam has served only to raise concerns of deliverability and read-rates. TranSend gives users the impact of a mail piece with the effortlessness of sending an email. For more information contact 01628 816772 or visit www.transendit.co.uk/info.php
DQ 39
DQ THE COOL LIST
TV BOARDWALK EMPIRE The latest stable HBO the blockbuster to come from sics clas such us ght brou that has already alk rdw Boa , Wire The and s rano Sop as The , rica Ame ra Empire is set in Prohibition-e This es. Stat the in ws and has had rave revie ts on Sky 1 not-to-be-missed programme star in January.
GRADO Manch restaurant Gra mix of regiona Spanish food, serving tapas, spit roast mea and clay baked relaxed, mode with an atmos style kitchen th boasts an impr Spanish wines are served by t authentic list o
BORIS JOHNSON The straight talking Tory Mayor of London probably gives the PM David Cameron more sleepless nights than the official Leader of the Opposition at the moment. High profile, and likely to remain so as the government attempts to introduce elected mayors in eleven major English cities, the blonde eccentric may even be persuaded to get involved in Liverpool’s ambitious ‘Embassy’ project in 2011. PHILIP WHARTON Lancashire’s award-winning hotel Stanley House has welcomed back a familiar face as new general manager and he is looking to build the country house hotel into a national destination. Philip Wharton rejoins the Mellor-based hotel for a second time from De Vere’s Mottram Hall hotel in Cheshire. In 2004, Philip worked with the Walker family to help launch Stanley House Hotel, a spectacular conversion of the 17th century manor house. Philip has spent over 30 years working in the industry, including 12 years working for InterContinental Hotels Group within the Holiday Inn brand and the Metropole Group. He oversaw the opening of the Midland Hotel in Manchester under Crown Plaza, before spending 11 years owning and directing a successful Manchester restaurant.
People’ as THE CITY OF MANCHESTER BUSINESS AWARDS ‘It’s a 24 Hour Party ular business spectac a with ster Manche in sary anniver first its tes Downtown celebra March. 24th y Thursda of awards party at the city’s superb Cathedral on the evening and Tenon RSM MC2, Group, CBG ood, Supported by Manchester City Council, Bruntw our Contact event. sell-out a be to sure is what for early tickets Winning Pitch, book your details. further for 0680 Business Development Manager Viv Dobson, Telephone 0161 228
40 DQ
hester City Centre ado is an eclectic al and new wave open all day , hams, paellas, at, grilled fish d flatbreads. A ern environment spheric theatre he restaurant also ressive range of s, many of which the glass, and an of beers”.
MARCH 2011 One MANCHESTER IRISH FESTIVAL – ter Irish Festival of the biggest in Europe, Manches two weeks of over with celebrates the Emerald Isle and sport ce dan edy, com tre, partying, music, thea is a festival ions brat around the city. Included in the cele perform in will acts or maj market, a tent with bar where cting over attra de para et stre a with Albert Square, along ughout thro brations 150,000 people. There are other cele l iona rnat inte wn kno the city at venues featuring well live of ty Plen nt. tale own acts as well as home-gr enjoyed throughout. music and themed events can be March 2011. Manchester Irish Festival 04 – 20
BERKLEY BOWEN The supreme gentlemen’s tailors with premises in Bowden, Cheshire; Wat er Street, Liverpool and Saville Row, London. Berkley Bowen provide a first class service and offer the very best in fashion in a range of products including besp oke suits, ties, shirts and jackets. If you want to look part icularly sharp for any of the forthcoming Downtown events, contact Jason Gardiner, Telephone 0161 870 1145 , for a personal consultation. Visit www.berkleybow en.co.uk for further information.
DOWNTOWN LANCASHIRE Having firmly established the Downtown brand in Preston during the past three years, 2011 will see the brand expand to the rest of the Red Rose County. Downtown Lancashire in Business will be launched at the award winning Stanley House Hotel in March. For further details contact our Business Development Manager Tracey McKenna, Telephone 01772 562038.
sports DQ COVER GIRLS Hats off to good n), rnto Tho nt Ashleigh Harvey (Gra s), Manisha Modasia (Forbes Solicitor Victoria Brown (High Performance Angle) Consultancy), Angela Smith (Write n), rnto Tho nt (Gra dart Stod and Emma ember Nov cold ly eme extr an ed brav who remorning at Moorfields station to keting mar wn kno best n’s create Downtow r of cove the from see can you As poster. job. this DQ, they did a fabulous
DQ 41
THE CITY OF MANCHESTER BUSINESS AWARDS 2011
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 this 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. For further details visit the website www.downtownmanchester.co.uk OR contact our Business Development Manager Viv Dobson Telephone 0161 228 0680.
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 Alma De Cuba Tel: 0151 702 7394 Email: info@alma-de-cuba.com Web: www.alma-de-cuba.com
Royal Exchange Theatre Tel: 0161 833 9833 Email: box.office@royalexchange. co.uk Web: www.royalexchangetheatre. org.uk
Bem Brasil Tel: 0151 709 0044 E-mail: liverpool@ bembrasilrestaurants.com Web: bembrasilrestaurants.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
Sapporo Teppanyaki Tel: 0161 831 9888 Fax: 0161 839 4030 Email: Manchester@sapporo.co.uk Web: www.sapporo.co.uk
Crowne Plaza Liverpool Tel: 0151 243 8000 Web: www.cpliverpool.com 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
Tom’s Champagne Bar Tel: 0161 834 7788 Email: enquiries@champagnebars. net Web: www.champagnebars.net
Web: www.novotel.com
MANCHESTER
PRESTON
Radisson BLU Liverpool Tel: 0151 966 1500 Email: info.liverpool@radissonblu. com Web: www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotelliverpool
Bem Brasil - Deansgate Tel: 0161 839 2525 Email: deansgate@ bembrasilrestaurants.com Web: www.bembrasilrestaurants. com
Angelo’s Tel: 01772 257 133 Email: info@angelospreston.com Web: www.angelospreston.com
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Tel: 0151 210 2921 Email: donna.stuart@liverpoolphil. com Web: www.liverpoolphil.com
Bem Brasil – Northern Quarter Tel: 0161 923 6888 E-mail: northernquarter@ bembrasilrestaurants.com Web: www.bembrasilrestaurants. 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
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
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 43
A Healthy Business… The True Cost…
Spire Liverpool Keeps People Healthy and Businesses Wealthy Last year it was estimated that 175 million working days were lost in Britain due to sickness absence each year and the associated cost is reaching £100 billion, said Mike Kelly, public health excellence director, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)*. In the current economic climate, it is essential for employers to consider what steps can be taken to mitigate the cost of sick leave. “Good health makes good business” says Liz Cousins, Hospital Director of Spire Liverpool Hospital, winner of two national in-house Healthcare Awards for best improvement in clinical quality and best percentage improvement in financial performance. “At Spire Liverpool we appreciate the importance of good health. We are continually investing in staff training and wellbeing strategies and consequently we are able to provide a first class service and run a very successful business. Our nurses undertake at least one additional academic qualification each year, we also encourage them to specialise in an area such as blood or pain management, we incentivise with internal awards.” “We have a strict hand hygiene policy in order to maintain our negligible infection rates. This has been a growing concern due to the prevalence of the hospital superbugs. We follow a strict screening protocol prior to admission and have single occupancy rooms which helps minimise the risk of an outbreak.” Proud as the UK is of the NHS, many companies also like to offer private healthcare options to their staff as it is seen not only as a way to gain quick and efficient treatment but also an appealing perk. Spire Liverpool offers packages to meet all requirements, from private medical insurance through to self-pay options.
The pledge of efficient, safe treatment for employees is a very attractive motivation for employers considering private healthcare as a viable tool to mitigate the cost of sick leave.
They have also seen a seasonal upsurge in demand for cosmetic surgery, particularly for breast augmentation, which is one of the top procedures that Spire Liverpool performs today.
“We offer the right support as early as possible, so employees can return to work as soon as they are able” verifies Liz Cousins. Spire Liverpool Hospital continues to be a quality healthcare provider to the people of the North West with over 88% of patients willing to highly recommend its service. Quality of care, reputation and word-of-mouth are key ingredients in their success. Recent patient choice reforms and the introduction of the Care Quality Commission mean people can now see how their local hospitals are performing and can choose where they want to be treated and fortunately Spire Liverpool is a thriving hospital.
“We are committed to helping treat people as quickly as possible. We have direct settlement arrangements with all the major UK insurers, making a claim simple and speedy. However, should you not have private medical insurance you can opt to pay for treatments privately. We offer a single, all-inclusive fixed price for the procedure that you want” says Chloe Parr, Business Development Manager.
Liz Cousins continues “As the first private hospital in Liverpool, we are well established to deliver premium quality patient care. Our hospital has a rich heritage, having been founded by an order of nuns in 1929. We have heavily invested in the latest technologies to ensure that we can get a quick and accurate diagnosis for our patients, which in turn means faster treatment and recovery. These advancements mean that operations such as arthroscopy, varicose vein removal and certain cosmetic procedures can now often be performed as day-case procedures.”
Don’t suffer in silence. For further information on the hospital or its services please contact Chloe Parr Business Development Manager on 0151 522 1814 or email chloe.parr@spirehealthcare.com
Spire Liverpool Hospital has witnessed a 63% year on year increase on the number of patients.
Spire Liverpool has partnered with a specialist medical loans company to assist with affordable finance quickly and easily who also offer 0% finance loans (0% APR typical) to approved customers.
*http://www.nice.org.uk/newsevents/infocus/ infocuslongtermsickness.jsp March 2009