Entrepreneur & Investor Issue 12

C R E A T I N G A ND LI VI N G THE LIFE YOU D ESIR E

FEMALE FOUNDERS SPECIAL #LEVELUP IN 2019

MARKETING & PR SKILLS KNOW HOW

HOW TO CREATE A COMPELLING PITCH DECK

PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS

Issue 12 | £7.95 www.entrepreneurandinvestor.com

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EDITOR’S LETTER DEAR READER, Welcome to the latest edition of Entrepreneur & Investor Magazine.

This is looking like the year of the entrepreneur, and where ever you are in your entrepreneur journey, you’ll find plenty of useful and inspirational articles. This issue features everything from cryptocurrency know how, to essential direct marketing and PR advice and how to lead and run a company that has integrity and is truly ethical.

We also acknowledge and showcase some of the UK’s most inspirational female founders and entrepreneurship champions and experts too. Read on for interviews with sponsorship star and now Ice Wine entrepreneur Jackie Fast, and Apprentice winner and aesthetic clinic empire founder Dr Leah Totton.

Our very popular luxury lifestyle section features a treasure of aspirational delights from cars and yachts to fine dining, spas and exotic travel.

In addition to reading our print magazine, do also visit us online at www.entrepreneurandinvestor.com for daily new articles, and join us on our socials – details below.

Finally if you’ve any suggestions or great stories to tell, we’d love to hear from you. Drop me a note on editor@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com.

My very best wishes, LISA FOUNDER & EDITOR IN CHIEF Visit our website - entrepreneurandinvestor.com Find us on Issuu - issuu.com/entrepreneurinvestor Follow us on Twitter - @Entrep_Investor

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Lisa Curtiss

editor@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

ART DIRECTOR AND CHIEF DESIGNER Wendy Muruli

wendymuruli@hotmail.co.uk

STAFF WRITERS Brooke Sealey Gemma Jones Gayle Penny Luke Penny Emily Bone

editorial@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP

sales@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

DISTRIBUTION Adam Long

adam.ican@btinternet.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

subs@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

CONTRIBUTORS Jackie Fast, Dr. Leah Totton, Sunny Bird, Kirtsy Jarvis, Laura Bartlett, Tara Howard, Debbie Wosskow, Anna Jones, Jody Shield, Karen O’Donnell, Selina Johnson, Gellan Watt, Jeremy Cavinet, Anthony Main, Kelvin Summoogum, Noreen Khan, Yvonne Lam, John Auckland, Becky Woodhouse, Andre Roque, Carol Verity Mann, Dan Whytock, Marie Tatibouet, Dr Johnny Hon, Prof. John Hunter, Inna Kaushan, Tomas Zalatoris, Marios Italos, Mat Rauzier, Philip Belamant, Matthew Hernon, Marco Scotti, Henri Sant-Cassia, Artur Sychov, Samuel Leach, Emily Bone, Brooke Sealey Published by Fortuana Limited

CONTENTS 156

108

79

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ENTREPRENEUR 8. Jackie Fast 12. Dr. Leah Totton 16. Sunny Bird 22. PR for Start-ups 26. Laura Bartlett 28. Tara Howard’s Top Tips for Female Founders 30. AllBright Founders Q&A 32. Becky Woodhouse, Founder of PURE spa & Beauty 34. Lysbeth fox 36. Tracy Woodward 38. Vital Skills you need to master when starting a business 40. Advice for women in Blockchain industry 42. How to have a soulful business as an entrepeneur 44. 8 Presentation pitfalls to avoid 46. 5 Signs you are procrastinating 48. Start up and Scale up: Different and better 50. Industry expert profiles: Jeremy Cavinet 51. Weathering the tough times: Top 10 tips to ensure your business stays afloat 53. How to launch an innovative Tech start-up 55. 5 Reasons you should crowd fund in 2019 57. Become a Financial Entrepeneur: Trade stocks like a Pro 58. How to build an efficient and successful Airbnb business INVESTOR 60. How your Bricks & Mortar retail business can be revitalised via Ecommerce 62. How to create a killer pitch deck when raising finances

65. China and the UK: Building global trading links 67. Do you have a scientific product to get to market 69. Key steps to get 3rd party sellers signed up to sell via your platform adn grow your market place 71. Email marketing for beginners 73. How to develop a product with timeless design and commercial success 76. Not all debt was born bad: Why we should encourage repsonsible borrowing 78. Why a Franchise is a great alternative to starting your own business 80. The property trends that buck the marcket 82. Will 2019 be the year cryptocurrencies live up to their full potential?

84. Investing in Luxury 86. A Time to Invest 87. Investing in property? Invest in Art instead?

89. The ‘Rose of Mozambique’, Gemfields Ruby FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE 93. Infiniti QX30 95. Jaguar XE300 98. Range Rover Sport 101. Tale of two Cupras 104. Volvo New V60 Cross Country 107. Luxury Yacht Launches 111. Alphonse Island, Seychelles 112. New Blissful Sanctuary in Bali 116. Amare Beach hotel 120. Magnolia, Algarve 122. Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik 124. The Dylan, Amsterdam 126. The Vineyard, Newbury 130. The Swan at Lavenham Spa & hotel 132. Threadneedles Hotel 134. A Northern Island Interval 140. London Cafe Forty-One 142. Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall 143. Kempinski Hotel Bahai 145. The Entourage Group 147. Chewton Glen’s Spa & Country Club 149. Fresh Faced Beauty 150. Go Cycle 152. Scents for Spring 154. It’s your time 157. A bag for life 159. Inspiring Reads entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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ENTREPRENEUR

Jackie Fast From sponsorship company superstar to The Apprentice and ice wine entreprenuer, Jackie Fast is blazing a truly inspirational success trail. We caught up with her to find out more…

T

ell us a little about yourself, and how did your journey as a super successful entrepreneur start?

The real reason I set out to start my own business was mainly because none of the other sponsorship agencies in London were interested in hiring me, let alone interviewing me for any available roles. Because my background was B2B sponsorship and most of sponsorship is sports related, the agencies didn’t really think I had directly transferrable skills.However, it was the only thing I had UK experience in –which meant I would need to start at the bottom if I was going to change careers.

I also loved it.

Therefore, I took a risk and set up my own sponsorship agency in my bedroom at the young age of 25. I had no idea what I was doing, but in hindsight that’s probably what I loved most about it!

through my laptop and a LOT of negotiating. My first website cost less than £1k because I prodded the agency to use me as a case study, rather than as a client –I was quite lucky they did. However, it’s even easier now because there are free website templates and things

“A lot of hustling, and when I wasn’t going to every free event I could get into, I spent all the other hours in the day writing about sponsorship and commenting on blogs and articles.”

How did you fund it from the start?

It was built on a shoestring budget. I was renting a room at the time in London so all I needed was to be able to pay my rent and some food, so I used my savings. The rest of it was 8

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like MailChimp, you can pretty much set up a business with zero capital.

How did you get your first clients?

Hustling. A lot of hustling. And when I wasn’t going to every free event I could get into, I spent all the other hours in the day writing about sponsorship and commenting on blogs and articles. My very first speaking gig was actually because of a controversial comment I posted about an article on gambling and sponsorship. It

pays to persevere and be as active in theindustry you are working in as possible.

How did you promote your business and your own personal brand and profile?

As above, I was incredibly active writing blogs and commenting on other blogs. I targeted myself to write at least 3 blogs a week –not only did this help with my SEO traffic, it also helped me learn more about the industry I was working on. Especially since I wasn’t working with too many clients in the first year.

Why did you decide to sell and any advice on exit strategies?

I was working an insane amount and on a long-haul flight at least once a week.

What no one ever told me was that the more successful you get, the harder you work –unless you are one of those geniuses who can input the processes and people in place to succeed you. Although my staff were amazing, I had a hard time truly stepping away and clients were adamant I oversaw the bigger accounts –this made it impossible for me. I had very little social life, I almost never took an actual holiday that wasn’t tagged onto a work trip and my health was suffering. And then small

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things like going to the dentist or having my hair cut felt like an impossible mission because I just couldn’t take my foot off the gas of growing the business.

At first, I was looking for investment to be able to throw money at the problem, but as soon as people thought I might consider selling I started getting a lot of offers. I was lucky in that I had three offers on the table at the same time, so was able to heavily negotiate my deal. It also helps that I negotiate for a living!

My biggest advice on exit strategies is to have more than one deal on the table and be very clear about what you want. Sometimes an exit is just really a break, or like me, it’s because you want to try doing something completely different, so you need to negotiate the terms that will allow you to do what you want to do after you sell.

What were your biggest challenges?

My biggest challenges were always staff related. We just had such a hard time finding the right staff with the right salary terms, in addition to providing them serious career progression in a small team. Motivation is so important, and you need to spend enough time on your team. Although I truly loved my team and everyone I have ever hired (I still hang out with my first employee who hasn’t worked for me for five years!), I was terrible at prioritising ‘employee engagement and 10

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management’ in lieu of chasing the best deal and securing the next client. Although in the end this helps them because we can pay them, it’s not ideal for their personal development. I noticed that early on and paid quite a lot of people to help me with executive training to fill in the gaps I wasn’t doing.

Most important lessons learned?

Self-awareness is important and money isn’t everything.

Even though we were making tons of cash in the later years

“SelfAwareness is important and money isn’t everything.” of my sponsorship agency, I always look back on the days in my bedroom slogging it out with fondness –and that is because I personally love the start-up journey. I love learning and failing, and the challenge of it all. It was so obvious to me that I fell out of love –not with the work or people –but of the lack of challenge Slingshot gave me towards the later years.

I also was spending a significant amount of time on things I wasn’t particularly great at (management), rather than spending my days doing the things I was (deals and new business). Now that I’m in the early stages of my new ice wine business REBEL Pi, I am loving it. Very little sleep, but the

challenge it provides is what keeps a smile on my face.

Did being a young and ambitious woman help or hinder?

Both. It takes a lot of energy to grow a successful business in such a short space of time, and fortunately as a person, I am like a robot. But being young also helps. I also am a big fan of being a woman in business –and truthfully, I have probably gotten exposure on the speaking circuit because they needed a woman on the panel, rather than what was coming out of my mouth. So in some of the areas where it can be a negative thing, I also think there are some other opportunities that you get – you just have to be very adept at seeing the opportunities and not let the negatives get you down!

What are your next plans foryour exciting new business?

We’ve just received a Silver Medal in the International Wine Challenge which is HUGEand proves our product is truly exceptional.

Our focus is nowgetting the trade (restaurants, bars and merchants) to believe that I am single-handedly going to turn the category around and get people ordering sweet wine, particularly ice wine. Therefore, mywiderfocus is educating the general population to what they are missing out onand getting everyone talking about ice wine! With Christmas coming up, the fact that you can purchase a luxury gift online for someone and have the bottle hand delivered to their door just two days later is

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something we are promoting.

When you add in the fact you can give a gift of discovery (as most people have never heard of ice wine) –they should be flying off the shelves and we aim to sell out of all our bottles before Christmas.

Did you learn anything valuable from your time at The Apprentice?

That I can get ready in 20 minutes!! I also really got a glimpse of how other people work. I’ve been fairly fortunate in my short career to work with people that are very similar to me, so this gave me exposure I hadn’t had previously and an insight into how other people are motivated.

Which one of the candidates would you employ or go into a partnership with and why?

I almost invested in Daniel Elahi’s business because everyone needs a hangover cure!! I also absolutely adored working with him on the art task and could definitely see how we’d flourish as a partnership.

How do you cope with stress and pressure from work?

In very pressured times with work, I hugely rely on my 6:30am spin class at Shoreditch House. Starting the day off with loud music and a bit of competition always sets me up for the day.

What are the top 5-10 tips on starting and growing a successful business you can give to any budding and existing female founders out there?

4. Do not spend money if you don’t have to: I negotiated my socks off, from the coffee we purchased in the office to our office lease. Every little helps!

5. Lead by example: I was always the first person in the office and the last to leave, if you aren’t willing to put in the hours and the work, you can’t expect anyone else to do it for you!

1. Just do it: too much time thinking, go out and just set it up. What you don’t know, you’ll learn along the way.

2. Talk to people in the industry you are looking to set up your business in: I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today without a lot of mentorship and support from other people in the industry. I used to just buy them lunch –everyone is happy to help when there is free food and booze involved –including myself!

3. Learn from your mistakes: if you don’t secure a client, figure out why –and don’t be afraid to ask them why too. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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Dr Leah Totton Inspirational Aesthetic Clinic Founder After winning The Apprentice in 2013, medical doctor Leah Totton went on to open her first Dr Leah Cosmetic Clinic in Moorgate in January 2014 and a second clinic in Loughton, Essex in 2016.

Dr Leah has recently revealed that together with her business partner Lord Alan Sugar they are opening a third Dr Leah Clinic in May of this year in Baker Street with a fourth Clinic in Canary Wharf planned for later this year. The Dr Leah brand is expanding into skincare, with Dr Leah Skincare launching in October 2019.

The business has achieved great success, this year winning “Best Aesthetic Clinic London” for the second year in a row.

Dr Leah has become an award winning cosmetic doctor, has created her very own “scalpel free, botox free, filler free non-surgical facelift” named the Dr Leah Lift. Dr Leah is the UK expert for silhouette soft thread lifts and was the youngest ever female doctor to sit on the medical board of a pharma company at the age of 29.

Astonishingly Dr Leah has also managed to continue to work for the NHS as a hospital doctor doing several shift’s per week.

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What are your plans for the future?

It has been an amazing journey so far, we have two very successful Dr Leah Clinics (Moorgate and Loughton) and we open our third clinic in Baker Street in May- the Baker Street Clinic is more medical and we will do some more advanced procedures there such as mole removal which we don’t do in our other sites and it also has more of a VIP feel - privacy and client confidentiality is paramount, Baker Street Clinic has a secret (or now not so secret!) VIP entrance and private waiting pods so that clients are not sitting in a waiting area with others.

Our Canary Wharf Clinic is also planned for this year, but has been delayed due to the opening of Crossrail as the location is within the Crossrail station at Canary Wharf.

Dr Leah Skincare also comes to market this year, that has been 5 years in the making I was absolutely committed to ensuring that the best formulations were created and that the range encompassed everything we are as a brand effective, medical, good value.

Did you always believe the business could be such a success?

I think success in business is a lot to do with timing - you have to enter the right industry at the right time. I predicted when I pitched the idea of Dr Leah Clinics on The Apprentice 6 years ago that there would be a gap in the market for a doctor-led clinic chain that was affordably priced and that the botox and dermal filler industry was about to boom- luckily this proved to be correct.

My ambition was to come into the Botox industry as a medical doctor and along with Lord Sugar establish a medical chain of cosmetic clinics which would set the standard for the whole industry- that is what we have done. We are delighted that Dr Leah Clinics have won “Best Cosmetic Clinic London” in 2017 and 2018.

Back in 2013 Lord Sugar and I faced backlash when I won the show- I was a young A&E doctor at the time and the cosmetic industry was an unregulated one filled with cowboys and Botox was seen as “taboo” – many people wondered why myself or Lord Sugar would want to become involved and he himself thought it was a big risk.

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I think how seriously you are taken depends on the individual and isn’t based on gender. Your CV, how you conduct yourself, how clear you are are on their plans and how dedicated you are to achieving your goals. I have never had an issue being taken seriously.

Fortunately my prediction that there was a gap for a medical brand within this industry and that Botox and filler were about to become much more mainstream proved to be correct and Dr Leah Clinics have become a success Did you feel under pressure to make a success of the business?

There is pressure on anyone who starts a business to make it work, for me that pressure was higher than for most entrepreneurs due to the fact I had won The apprentice, my business partner was Alan Sugar and the amount of press attention around the business (most of which was at the time saying we were doomed to fail). To be honest though I had worked (and still do) as an A&E doctor and dealing with that “life and death” level of stress is what real pressure is- I suppose that kept things in perspective for me and I just got on with the business, did my best and hoped it would be successful and luckily it has been.

Despite the fact that coming off the back of a show like The Apprentice brought with it a lot

of naysayer’s and pressure, it is important to remember that it was The Apprentice and Lord Sugar’s backing that gave me not only the £250k required to start the business but a profile and platform and opportunity to make Dr Leah Clinics the success that they are. For that I am very grateful.

Do you see yourself as a role model for young women in the business?

I am passionate about the empowerment of women and I hope that young women will be able to look at what I have been able to achieve with Dr Leah Clinics and realise that they too could start a business and become an industry leader in their own right. I try to allocate time in my diary for events which are related to female entrepreneurship or women’s charities as I think as a female entrepreneur who is now 6 years into my entrepreneurial journey it is important to offer your experience to help other women who are at the start or thinking about starting their’s.

Do you feel women founders should be taken more seriously by investors?

Could you give us 5-10 top tips for women who are thinking of starting a new business?

My 5 tips for women would be the same as my 5 tips for men: (1) Obtain sector expertise Have knowledge and expertise in the sector you wish to form a business in – I was a medical doctor and an aesthetic doctor prior to opening a chain of aesthetic clinics. Before you embark on a secrecies based business you should have knowledge, experience and expertise in that field. I believe the best business owners are those who best understand their industry and are skilled and experienced in the service their business offers.

If for example started a web design company, without any knowledge, skill or experience in web design I doubt I would have been able to have had the success I have done. If you do not have knowledge, skill or experience in the sector you wish to form a business in I suggest you obtain it or partner with someone who has it, you should not rely on staff alone for this - I believe it needs to come from the founder or a founding partner.

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(2) Select an emerging / growing industry– timing is everything – I entered the nonsurgical cosmetic industry back in 2013 and I have become an industry leader within the UK cosmetic industry. At the time I formed Dr Leah Clinics, non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as Botox and filler were stigmatised and it was an unregulated sector, in it’s infancy in the UK. The non surgical cosmetic market has seen huge growth over the past 5 years, with treatment such as Botox and filler becoming much more mainstream, at present the UK cosmetic market is valued at over 4 billion per year with my sector (non-surgical) making up now over 75% of market share.

At the time I pitched my business, due to the nature of the treatments and how stigmatised they were at the time there were a lot of detractors and sceptics but the foresight of being able to see which industries are going to boom and positioning yourself to become an industry leader and figurehead within those sectors is true entrepreneurship.

Another good example of this are the dotcom entrepreneur’s who entered that sector at the beginning of the dotcom boom in the mid-nineties – those who were left standing after the spectacular rise and subsequent crash of many of these dotcom companies such as Jeff Bezos ofamazon. com or Pierre Omidyar of Ebay enjoyed unmeasurable success due to being some of the first entrepreneurs in a market 14

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space which experienced exponential growth.

(3) Be the best / solve a problem - have a unique selling point- this is easier to do if the first two points are in place - if you know the industry well and are working within it already you will know what the failings of companies within it are and similarly if you are one of the first businesses in a sector you can set the gold standard as doctor Leah Clinics have done in the cosmetic sector - when I formed Dr Leah Clinics the industry was unregulated, clients had the option to either have botox in backstreet salons for cheap prices or go to harley street and pay huge prices for plastic surgeons to perform their treatment, there were very few medical led clinics where clients could choose to go to without paying over the odds for their Botox treatment.

Dr Leah Clinics provided a solution - we brought harley street quality to high street locations and offered clinics clients could trust to safely undergo cosmetic treatments, performed by doctors, at reasonable prices in accessible locations. We are in the middle of the market, we offer exceptional medical quality but provide value in our pricing and accessibility in our locations. Dr Leah clinic is the only cosmetic chain which isn’t “faceless”, we have a known doctor as our figurehead (me) and that is our unique selling point.

People thinking about starting a business should consider that over time booming industries become saturated,

the established industry leading brands within them do things well and it is harder for new businesses to do things better or have a USP and stand out.

(4) Ignore your competition and detractors - mind your own business, literally. I read business books prior to doing the apprentice and all tips said “analyse and study your competition”, I ignored this completely both ok the show and in my career in business.

I have no idea what my competitors charge for their treatments or what their plans for the future are - you should of course know your market place, the latest innovation and the value of the services or products you offer but don’t waste time obsessing over what your competitors are doing.

I attend conferences in my sector, discuss with colleagues the latest innovations and use market data and customer feedback to determine price points and service offeringsI choose and price Dr Leah treatments based on results and what my clients are willing to pay, versus analysing, copying or undercutting my competitors. I am interested only in my own business, not theirs. Similarly ignore detractors, if I had have listened to everyone who told me not to get involved in “botox” or not to “do TV” I would never have started my business or even done The Apprentice. If I had have listened to all the doom forecasters who were sure my business would not succeed I would never have tried. Focus on yourself and your business

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and remain determined to bring your vision into fruition.

(5) Work hard –Everyone says it but it really is true- talent alone does not equate to success in business, you need to put in the work. This can involve making sacrifices, I have very little social life but right now I am willing to make that compromise in order to build my brand.

Could you give 5-10 top tips for women who want to grow their business?

I am growing doubling the size of my own business at the minute, I try not to give advice on anything that I haven’t experienced or done myself, until I have successful scaled my own (and no doubt made mistakes and learned from them!) I am not in a position to advise how to do this.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

This isn’t something I am very good at so I am probably not the best person to advise; I work a 6 day week (sometimes 7) and have done for all of my adult life. For me ensuring Dr Leah Clinics are the best cosmetic clinics in the UK and ensuring that every client has a great experience when they come to us, is my passion so it doesn’t feel like work.

and hard work –in my case I have got a very good almost photographic memory and I am naturally academic- I don’t need to spend vast amount of time trying to absorb or retain knowledge and I can be more productive than most in the working day. I also really like people, I am naturally interested in them and I find communicating with others a very natural and enjoyable thing. I also have a very strong work ethic, I always have done.

I have utilised my academic ability, people skills and then sheer hard work to get to where I am now.

What role does Lord Sugar play in the business?

Lord Sugar taught me how to run a business and remains on hand to offer mentorship and advice. Our relationship has evolved over the past 5 and a half years, from me ringing him daily for advice, to now checking in with him monthly at our board meeting to update him on how things are going. This reflects my growth as a businesswoman in my own right.

Tell us more about the new “Dr Leah Thread Lift” TREATMENT?

non invasive lifting treatment suitable for both men and women which takes about 20 minutes to perform, it is very popular in my Moorgate clinic in particular as I treat a lot of clients who are working full time in the city, who just want to freshen up the appearance of the lower face and neck without looking “done” and without having to take long periods off work for recovery time.

We use around 10 dissolvable stitches (called threads) to lift the skin around the lower face and neck, you are awake throughout, go home immediately after and can go back to work after 5 days.

It gives effective but natural looking results which last 18 months, at which point it can be repeated. It is suitable for people aged over 45, historically these are people who would have undergone a surgical facelift, but advances in non-surgical cosmetic medicine mean they are now able to have a minimally invasive thread lift procedure, with less associated risks and much less recovery time. www.drleah.co.uk

The Dr Leah Thread Lift is a

What particular personality and business characteristics do you think have made you successful?

I think being successful is a combination of natural ability entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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Sunny

Bird

How did you fund it from the start?

Myself and my business partner put £3k worth of money each into the business.

I borrowed my money from my boyfriend at the time (he is now my husband). The 6K paid for our website, fitness equipment and cost of venue hire for a week.

How did you get your first clients?

Our audience were women looking to lose weight. There were quite a few weightloss communities online that had their own forums where the women communicated about their daily weight loss battles and what they were eating each day. We went on to weight loss forums online and wrote aboutthe concept of what we were setting up and offered a reduced rate for our first week.

Founder of one of the UK’s fastest growing lifestyle PR agencies, and slimming dress and fitness retreat entrepreneur, Sunny Bird shares some of the secrets to her success.

T

ell us a little about yourself, and how did your journey as a successful entrepreneur start?

I worked in the health and fitness sector of a PR agency and noticed that in America a 16

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trend of weight loss boot camps run by military instructors was a new thing. I struggled with my weight and as a very ‘results focused’ person the nature that you went away for a week and could return slimmer and fitter smaller appealed to me.

How did you promote your business and your own personal brand and profile?

We promoted our business by inviting journalists to come and review what we do...we set them a challenged them to see if they could drop a dress size in a week. Then they wrote about what they experienced.

We also invited celebrities on to take our ‘drop a dress size

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challenge’ and then we told celebrity magazines how well they had done and gave them there before and after pictures for them to create features. We profiled what we were doing as disrupters in the retreat market and featured in lots of business press and we also entered lots of awards and write about book about New You Boot Camp which was published by Collins and Browns.

Why did you decide to sell your previous businesses and any advice on exit strategies?

your

•

•

•

That without your health you have nothing .it is your most important asset...so make yourself a priority and look after yourself!

Before you meet someone you want something from figure out how you can help them first.

Failure is an important

I now own a PR agency and we are thriving. I think offering a results driven approach that is lacking in the industry is what sets us apart from our competitors. I have also just launched Reaching Millions PR courses based in Bournemouth and London, designed to help entrepreneurs harness the positive power of PR and scale up their businesses. We’re working on our second book to complement this course, which will be out by the end of this year and next year and next year I am launching my first productbased enterprise -an e-commerce fashion brand called The Perfect Dress Company aimed at making women feel empowered and confident

“Measure your PR campaign to understand what is and is not working and then make sure you tweak it.”

I decided to sell my shares in the business as I actually got ill. In 2012 I had to dig deep following a terrible time. Within the space of 12 months I lost my father, my stepdad, my granddad and my uncle. The stress coupled with the long overseas trips and relentless hours at work took their toll on me too and I miscarried our baby before being diagnosed with Graves, an autoimmunedisease. I was preaching life balance and health to women through my retreats, but I wasn’t doing any of this for myself so I sold my share of the business in order to allow myself to be healthier and get into remission.

What were challenges?

decided to do what I knew.

Most important lessons learned?

biggest

Possibly the year I got ill and lost my baby..it was a challenge to put myself first as it felt like failure –after all I was leaving a successful business with no plan -I again followed my gut instincts and as I recovered,

part of your journey, it

•

•

does not define you but defines you is what you do after failure. Keep going and don’t give up.

Our success is down to the staff that I hire (always hire staff that are better than you at something!)

Integrity and honest is important.

Did being a young and ambitious woman help or hinder?

I think it didn’t hinder me at all.

What are your next plans for your thriving business?

How do you cope with stress and pressure from work?

I make sure that I hire great staff as this relieves the pressure. My family and friends are also amazing, so I make sure I spend lots of time with them. I also love exercising What are the top 5-10 tips on promoting a business you can give to any budding and existing female founders out there?

Measure your PR campaign to understand what is and is not working and then make sure you tweak it. There are actually many ways to gauge the success of your PR. You can measure the amount of traffic your website receives before entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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and after your campaign; you can track mentions on social media; you ask new customers how they heard about you. In the long-term you can count press clippings and monitor content for quality and precision, for example, how many times in the article were your key messages mentioned.

In marketing speak the term media impressions is often used, this refers to the number of people who’ve heard about your product, service or brand within a given time. There are also ways to measure engagement, which is how much attention people are really paying to your brand.

Audience Understand your audience: What do they do, where do they shop, what dothey read, what do they watch, who do they follow on social media etc? make your marketing and PR specific to that audience and ensure it reaches every touch point. It takes the average consumer 3 times to see/hear a message before they act upon it. Your marketing and PR has to be consistent drip feed for your audience to absorb it.

Courage Putting yourself and your brand out there takes courage.

You may well not be used to blowing your own trumpet and may be anxious about what will happen if and when you do. ‘What if I make a fool of myself? What if I fail? These are all common worries, but you can only truly grow by coming out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself.

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Good PR does not happen overnight.

It cannot be achieved by the odd phone call here and there, it takes time to build a cohesive strategy, you will need to earmark and devote time to making this happen.

Commitment It’s not going to be a constantly upward trajectory in terms of building your reputation.

There will be lows, you will get knockbacks. You will need persistence and dedication and commitment to your goals, in order to ride these out.

Patience You know how amazing you/ your brand are but it will take time for others to catch on.

Sometimes you will feel you are banging your head against a brick wall, so learn patience.

Self belief You need to put your trust in your own abilities. Trust in your capacity to learn new skills and to implement them. Trust that the steps you take are leading you and your company in the right direction.

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Award winning Retreat Entrepreneur, Author and PR guru Sunny Bird, talks fear of failure, leaps of faith and invaluable business lessons.

I

n press interviews, I’m sometimes asked to share a top tip or the secret to my success, so here’s one: Show up you will be one step ahead of those that don’t. Keep showing up and amazing things can happen.Take my first big job...I went up for the role of Junior PR Executiveat an established London firm. Despite my lack of credentials, I somehow secured an interview and went along armed with huge levels of enthusiasm and a big smile.

The director was impressed by my passion and energy (and my name, which she deemed ‘bloody marvelous’) and told me I could start on Monday.

This was all very well but it was Friday and I was currently living in Bournemouth. The director had said that she could find me somewhere to stay, but when I turned up on my first day armed with a suitcase full of possessions, she of course hadn’t given a second thought to the fact that at 5pm when the office closed I’d be homeless on the streets of London. I could have run back to Bournemouth.

Instead, I frantically phoned around until I found someone, who knew someone, who knew a girl called Leanne who let me stay on herfloor until I sorted something permanent.

I’ll

always remember thekindness of that stranger and it’s taught me to pay it forward both in my personal life and in business.

During my career, I’ve found ‘a can do’ attitudeinvaluable. It’s a qualityI tryto instill in both my young staff membersand

them towards an end result – be that, driving sales, raising awareness, landing a book dealor securing a TV series.

Understanding this and implementing it at all times continues to mark me out as unique among PR agency competitors.

“During my career, I’ve found that a ‘can do’ attitude is invaluable. It’s a quality I try to instill in both my young staff memebers and my daughter.” my own daughters. Obviously I would never see any of them stuck on the street without a roof over their head, but they need to know that when things don’t quite go according to plan immediately, it’s not gameover – it’s about adapting and thinking on your feet. I spent seven years at that PR firm and have adopted many of the lessons I learned as an employeeinto my key business methods. Most notably I quickly understood that it’s not enough to deliver tangible media coverage, it’s about looking at how and why thisimpacts on the client’s businessand ensuring it leads

My time as an employee also taught me vital lessons about management.

For example, I believe no hardworking employee should be restricted by a term of service in order to achieve a well-earned pay rise and it certainly shouldn’t take them handing in their notice for a bossto notice their worth. As a boss, I implement informal and formal assessments to ensure my staff are motivated.

I also make sure they know they are valued by creating an enriching environment. Every Wednesday, for exampleI bring in home-made dishes for entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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FEMALE FOUNDERS their lunch. We then sit as a team and eat together talking about our lives rather than work. There have been many seminal moments in my career and my move from employee to entrepreneurcame in 2007 when I was researching the retreat sector with a view to expandingmy clientbase.

I realised that boot camps were huge in the US and there was a gap in the market for onein England. Although it was a big risk, I instinctively felt that this would be hugely successful,so along with a business partner I established New You Boot Camp. Our USP was not only ourability to facilitate weight loss, but to empower women.

Clients came to us when their relationships were breaking down, when they were suffering grief or having been made redundant. Our service enabled women at their lowest to make positive life changes to the extent that we were even cited in two divorce proceedings: ‘my wife went to New You Boot Camp and came back a different woman’.

There was no budget for marketing but my PR efforts helped launch international retreats, secure TV appearances and land a book deal. We had planned to run ten camps in our first year, but had so much demand that we ended up running 50giving usa turnover ofjust under £1million in that first year. Seven years at New You taught me other vital business lessons: firstly to follow my gut, secondly, to see the value of PR from the point of view of a business owner and lastly that success in business is not always to do with profit,

it’s about fulfillment. Clients continually sent us letters and gifts to thank us for enabling them to find inner strengthsomethingwe all need to doat some time in our lives. In2012 I had to dig deep following a terrible time. Within the space of 12 months I lost my father, my stepdad,my granddad and my uncle. The stress coupled with the long overseas trips and relentless hours at work took their toll on me too and I miscarried our baby before being diagnosed with Graves, an autoimmune disease. I was

“Seven years at ‘New You’ taught me other vital business lessons: Firstly to follow my gut...” preaching life balance and health to women through my retreats, but I wasn’t doing any of this for myself so I sold myshare of the business in order to allow myself to be healthier and get into remission. Although at the timeI felt the sting of failure –after all I was leaving a successful business with no plan- I again followed my gut instincts and as I recovered, decided to do what I knew. I gave myself three months and £3000 to try and get a PR agency off the ground but secured my first client within a month and they’re still with me today.

Sunny Bird PR is now in its sixth year, with an established & committed team and an

expanding client list.

Our success is down to the staff that I hire (always hire staff that are better than you at something) and the fact that I’m still results focused -for every project we set key performance indicators and work until we hit them. 99% of PR agencies don’t promise specific results. We do.

I hope that people respect my integrity, too, as I’ll steer a client away from something if I believe it’s not the best use of their money or turn them away if I don’t believe I can meet their needs.As is the way with entrepreneurs I’m always asking myself ‘what next? ’Personally, Darren and I are in a great place. We finally had our longed-forbaby, Sophia in 2017, and he is hugely supportive as I move in to new business territory. This year I’m launching my first product-based enterprise-an e-commerce fashion brand aimed at making women feel empowered and confident.

I’m also running Reaching Millions PR coursesbased in Bournemouth and London, designed to help entrepreneurs harness the positive power of PR and scale up their businesses. We’re working on our second book to complement this course, which will be out by the end of this year. I’m lucky to be inspired by so many women around me from my staff, my clients, my sisters, my mum, the hardest working woman I know and my wonderful, honest, genuine, stepdaughters. courses and workshops I’ve metincredible, passionate, strong-minded women who motivate me to develop and grow. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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Kirsty Jarvis We caught up with Kirsty Jarvis, founder and CEO of boutique technology PR agency, Luminous PR. The agency’s holistic approach to comms — featuring PR, marketing, and social media — has provided tech businesses of all sizes extensive media exposure. Luminous’s clients can be seen in publications such as TechCrunch, the Financial Times, the Telegraph and BBC News. Read on to find out the inspiration behind Luminous PR, and how Kirsty balances running a business with running multiple half-marathons…

T

ell us about Luminous PR: who are you and what do you do?

We’re a small PR agency with a big bite! We work with clients all over the world, delivering PR and communications campaigns in the UK media.

Our clients come in all shapes and sizes, but we primarily work with tech businesses and agencies.

As well as securing media coverage for our clients, we also provide content creation, social media, and digital marketing consultancy in-house. We do this all from our two offices in London and Norwich.

How did you end up where you are now?

For the last twelve years’, I’ve lived and breathed PR. I worked as a freelance PR specialist for a number of years, before heading up the team at a London tech PR agency as a 22

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consultant. It became clear that tech businesses were my thing, and I launched a number of high-profile young businesses, these include TransferWise, Housekeep and Azimo.

something that could give brilliant people an inspiring platform to flourish and shine.

I founded Luminous PR five years ago and haven’t looked back!

I deliberately built the Luminous team with a view to having as many useful skills in our toolkit as possible.

We often become a trusted additional resource for our clients, helping with decisions about marketing, social media, content campaigns and even SEO planning. We know clients love this added value and it gives them greater peace of mind.

We’re also highly specialised — over 90% of our clients are tech firms, so we are unashamedly geeky about technology and innovation. While there are other tech PR agencies out there, we try to be the best that we can possibly be by setting challenges and objectives that ensure we’re always ahead of tech developments and trends.

What inspired you to found Luminous PR? I’ve always been driven, and knew from a young age that I wanted to run my own business.

During university,I had my first taste of management and running a team while working at a flagship retail store on London’s Oxford Street As I continued my career, I was fortuitous to join some truly amazing teams along the way, which helped me recognise the value of building a strong and authentic culture.

These experiences reinforced my determination to build

What differentiates Luminous from other agencies?

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What’s it like running a PR agency?

It never stops! I’m on the road a lot, splitting my time between the teams in our two offices. I try to be a hands-on CEO for both the team and our clients where I can. I still do a lot of client meetings, as well as meeting new prospects, and try be disciplined about networking. We also attend a lot of client events as an agency, so every week is different.

How do you look after yourself as well as your business?

What’s your secret weapon?

I’m a member of a leadership group called Vistage, which has been an amazing investment for the business. It provides me with a brilliant mentor and a support group of amazing world-class entrepreneurs that give me a forum to bounce ideas off.

Having good people around me — from my team to my advisors — is definitely my secret weapon.

1. Push yourself: great things happen when you go beyond your comfort zone. It may feel scary, but believe in yourself and what you can achieve.

But… 2. Be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t quite succeed — it won’t help you get any further. Pick yourself back up, and try again.

And remember, you’e not superwoman.

3. Never stop networking. Keep your business cards with you at all times. You never know when you’re going to bump into what could be a game-changing new contact. Believe me, I’ve met my best contacts when I least expected it.

I’m interested in how our physical and mental health affects performance, so I try hard to look after my brain and my body. I’m a keen runner and usually in training for something — I’ve just completed my 6th halfmarathon.

However, health is not all about physical fitness. Running gives me a chance to get outside and clear my head — managing your own agency takes resilience and sometimes that break is so good for helping to come up with new ideas. I also listen to business audiobooks when I run as it’s a great way to learn and keep healthy at the same time. I’ve just finished Radical Candor by Kim Scott.

Five tips for aspiring female entrepreneurs

What’s your Luminous PR?

vision

for

World domination! And if we don’t quite manage that, I’d like us to continue on the ambitious growth trajectory that the team and I have set for Luminous. I’d like to see the team grow, as well as take on more amazing clients and form partnerships with businesses all over the world.

4. Never stop learning. I feel so strongly about this, it’s one of our company values. Stay humble, and never assume you know it all. You don’t, and you never will.

5. Once you’ve built up an amazing network of team members, mentors, and supporters, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Leading a business doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own.

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PR for Startups It’s possible to make a major awareness impact with even a small budget if you use PR well. Kirsty Jarvis explains…

PR: WHAT AND WHY? While most entrepreneurs know the importance of marketing their startup, PR is often an afterthought — if at all.

Done correctly, however, and PR can be a valuable tool for startup success. Short for public relations, PR is the practice concerned with maintaining an organisation’s reputation. It uses the media (this includes newspapers, magazines, broadcast, blogs, and social media) to encourage your target audience to form a positive opinion of your organisation.

A strong portfolio of media coverage is a great validator for a growing brand and can be valuable collateral for sales activity, building customer trust, and attracting investors.

A startup PR strategy should use a two-pronged approach: leveraging news — both your own announcements and news-jacking — and promoting your expertise thought leadership campaigns.

News announcements are the more ‘traditional’ form of PR. For a startup, this is usually funding announcements or new products. However, these 24

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developments can be few and far between. Thought leadership PR allows you keep momentum when you don’t have any ‘news’ to report, or comment on.

How best to do a media announcement Firstly, consider whether your announcement is ‘newsworthy’. Is it significant to other people?

Significance varies widely across publications.

For example, business publications may be interested in your startup’s rapid growth, but local news may care more about the impact on the local economy.

Have a clear idea of your target audience, as this will impact messaging. A successful PR campaign is one which places your startup in the publications most trusted by your target audience — that is, the people who will buy your product or service.

When it comes to writing your press release, keep it simple.

You want to convey the key points to the reader within seconds. Include all key details early on: who, when, what,

where, why, and how. Place quotes and more niche details later on, just in case readers don’t make it to the end.

You can also use a news announcement to start a conversation with a target publication. With PR, it’s important you’re realistic about what a publication will (and won’t) cover. However, using your news to help journalists understand how you fit into a market or how you relate to wider trending themes could give you lots of opportunities outside the story itself.

Thought startups

leadership

for

The goal of thought leadership is to showcase your business and the team profiles as influential and insightful.

One of the simplest ways to do this is by commenting on trending news stories, otherwise known as ‘newsjacking’. Journalists often publish follow-up stories on national news regarding the effects a story may have on a sector or the economy. If a news story breaks that is particularly relevant to your sector, you can respond by sending a statement or quote to the journalist or news desk.

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Probably the most effective thought leadership approach is creating bylined content. Many publications will accept wellwritten thought leadership content from businesses, especially B2B, trade, and specialist publications.

However, case studies must be exclusive. Once a case study has featured in national media, consider it spent. The same goes for bylined thought leadership content: you will need to create a fresh article for each publication.

You will, however, have to provide the content yourself.

This can be time intensive and requires excellent writing skills.

Journalists have high standards: bylined content must be wellwritten, well sourced and not self promotional.

Once you secure media coverage, you must make it work for you. You get the best value out of PR when you incorporate it in a wider marketing and communications strategy.

Make sure you’re spreading the good news across all social media channels and ensure it’s uploaded to your site or blog.

You’d be amazed how many businesses don’t do this, but you’d be amazed how much of a boost this can give to your site traffic. Using media coverage as a carrot to get people interested in what you do and to visit your site is a large part of the value.

Final tips for the road Relevant and media-friendly case studies can help with all PR approaches. The ability to demonstrate a real-life example of your business in action will help you gain more, and better coverage.

Publications don’t always include links to your site but this doesn’t mean that it can’t be used to attract site traffic and new connections. Bring your marketing, social media and sales team into the loop when your new PR goes live, so the entire company can benefit from it.

Good Luck!

By Kirsty Jarvis, Founder & CEO at Luminous PR Luminous PR is a specialist technology PR agency, based in London and Norwich. We help our clients gain high-profile media coverage to meet their business goals, including print, digital, broadcast, and social media. Our holistic approach to comms also includes social media, digital marketing, and content creation.

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Laura Bartlett Publisher, Speaker, Mentor, Dragons’ Den Survivor.. and determined to make a most positive mark. We caught up with her to find out what exciting plans she has next, and for her advice for other young women wanting to create a fabulous life of their own design too.

H

ow did your journey as an entrepreneur start?

Leeds born and bred, I am the founder of House of Coco which is a luxury print travel magazine sold on the newsstands in London. As somebody that is passionate about my city, my life as an entrepreneur started because I wanted to launch a magazine in Leeds. This was just over eight years ago and it has been a real journey since then.

How did you fund it from the start?

I started with £0 and I spent hours on the phones and on email speaking to brands to get them on board as advertisers in the magazine. Through hard work and networking, I made enough money to publish the magazine and also make enough of an income to live and work on the magazine full time from the beginning.

How did you get your first clients?

I spent years being the yes girl before I started working for 26

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myself. So I would say yes to any event, you’d catch me at the opening of an envelope if it meant id have an opportunity to meet someone. From doing this when I launched the magazine, I had contacts in the industry that I could reach out to How did you promote your business and your own personal brand and profile?

Along with networking events as often as possible, I would be consistently posting on social media. Linkedin has played a huge part in my personal brand, my following has grown and my posts can generate around 50,000 views each time I share an update. I think consistency and being true to yourself are keys to being noticed online. I never shy away from being myself and it seems to have worked for me so far.

What were and are your biggest challenges?

Finding the right people to work on the business with me.

I have hired staff that seemed like they were going to be the

next big thing to later realise I had being conned out of a lot of money. It’s always a set back when someone abuses your trust but I am determined not to drag any old issues in to 2019.

Most important lessons learned?

Sometimes if you want a job doing well, you have to do it yourself.

Did being a young and ambitious woman help or hinder?

Always a help! I just see life as one big adventure, I never tend to take much notice of fact that i’m female might be a hindrance, I just keep tunnel vision on the end goal and don’t let factors that I cannot control take me off track.

What are your next plans for your thriving business? And for you as an entrepreneur?

I plan on launching #TeamCocoGang. It’s going to be a collective of women from around the world where they can network, get access to exclusive events and ultimately

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level up! We will be bringing in experts from different fields to offer advice, tips and trainings to make sure our members have everything they need to live their best life.

How do you cope with stress and pressure from work?

I try to keep things in perspective. I’m only publishing a magazine, I’m not saving lives! I like to have time out way from work and my phone each day, whether it’s a walk around the lake to clear my head or a ‘me date’ where I treat myself to an afternoon of shopping or a solo cinema trip. I think it’s important not to let work take over your life and to remember why you started.

One of the main reasons I started is to have the freedom

to do what I want to do, when I want, where I want, with who I want and never have to say no because i’m skint. So I always keep that in mind and make sure I have a work / life balance that represents my desires.

What are the top 5-10 tips on creating and scaling a media business you can give to any budding and existing female founders out there?

You can’t do it alone! Get people involved who share your vision, they will talk about you and promote you to their audiences and ultimately help to build the dream.

Never quit!

Chances are when you think you don’t have enough fire in your belly to continue, you’re

probably really close to a breakthrough It’s ok not to be ok! Some days you will think you’re the best thing since sliced bread, other days you won’t. Go with the flow and don’t be hard on yourself, you can’t have you A-game all of the time.

Have a solid morning routine.

If you research any successful entrepreneur from around the world, you’l never find one who doesn’t have a solid routine.

Get up before others, read, meditate and don’t let outside distractions take you away from your to do list.

Create your to do list the night before. It helps you wake up with purpose.

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Tara Howard’s Top Tips for Female Founders Tara Howard, entrepreneur and founder of the Venus Awards, is a role model for female founders around the UK.

T

ara’s business experience has taken her around the world. After moving to the corporate world of London, she later returned to the South coast to take over her family’s hotel business, transforming a historic hotel to a premier wedding destination and the number of weddings hosted per year from just three to over 100. Tara also managed to find the time to follow in her mother’s footsteps and qualify as a commercial pilot and flight instructor and help produce a large-scale opera in Toronto and New York.

A mother of four, Tara knows first-hand the many challenges facing women in their careers as well as the joys andopportunities of being a working mother. Vivaciously inspiring, Tara is passionate about helping empower more women in business to develop their self-confidence, to get the recognition they deserve, and to obtain all the success they need, no matter what their line of work, which is why she created The Venus Awards.

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The Venus Awards were launched in Dorset in 2009 to applaud and reward working women and celebrate their achievements. Since then, the event has expanded to eight regions aroundthe UK. In 2018 the awards went to London for the first time, with the 35th Ceremony being held at the inaugural London Awards at the Waldorf. The vision and mission for Venus is to actively influence a movement of change to a more equitable and inclusive society; not by forcing opinions but by mutual respect and inter-gender collaboration.

Here, Tara Howard gives her top tips for female founders: 1.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH A SUPPORTIVE TEAM “The Venus Awards is all about empowering women and I believe that this is the reason that we have had the success we have. The support base and group of women empowering each other is second to none.”

Tara commented. “This can be done in the workplace too – every employee should have access to a mentoring body to

encourage employees to speak out, feel confident in their abilities and resolve issues at the root. The more your team interact with one another, the more barriers will be overcome.

Activity days could be arranged to include team-building exercises or workshops based on the prevalent issues. You might even consider providing training about issues as they arise; a more structured way to tackle the problem.”

2. CREATE ROLE MODELS “As female business owners and founders I believe that we have a responsibility to help and encourage more women into the senior roles that they deserve. A key barrier to this is the lack of role models for women to look up to, particularly if they work in a very male-dominated industry.”

Tara said. “As a female founder, it’s important to consider the benefits of having a more equal representation of men and women on your board.

With someone senior to be inspired by, even more women can reach executive

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levels. Mentoring programs encourage people to strive for the next step by following the footsteps of their mentor. As a result, you’ll find yourself with a much more motivated team.”

3. HAVE A ‘WHY’ ALWAYS HAVE A ‘WHY’ Why are you doing this? If you don’t have a ‘why’ then find one. Starting your own company isn’t easy, if it was then everyone woulddo it. Find your reason and your passion and remember it every day when you wake up, it’s what will get you out of bed in the morning. Your motivation will spread to those around you and will motivate and inspire your employees. Have a

mission and make itforefront in everything you do.”

4. DON’T BE SHY! “Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help and advice.

If you have an idol or a role model, reach out to them and ask for a cup of coffee with them and five minutes of their time.” Tara recommends. “This one comes with a big caveat though. Remember, they are probably extremely busy, so if you ask them for five minutes make sure you only take five minutes. Before you head off to your meeting, work out what you want to gain from it and the areas in which they can help you, and write a list of questions that you want to ask

to that effect. This will make sure that both yours and their time is used as effectively as possible.”

5.

DON’T MISS AN OPPORTUNITY! “I strongly believe that my successes have come from the fantastic connections I have made throughout my career.”

Tara says. “Take advantage of any opportunity you have to network and shout about your business. Turn to the person next to you at that conference and strike up a conversation, chat to the person next to you on your training course –you never know who the person next to you is, or how they can help you!”

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All Bright Founders Q&A

Introducing All Bright - Members’ Club and Courses for Female Founders. Debbie Wosskow OBE and Anna Jones share the story of its conception and growth to the USA.

Q: Tell us a little about yourselves, and how did your journeys as successful entrepreneur start?

Anna Jones: I started my career in public relations, and very quickly moved into marketing, helping -amongst other things -to launch Grazia in the UK. After several roles in publishing I was appointed the first female CEO at Hearst UK, where I helped transform the business, expanding the reach of Hearst’s magazine brands through a strategic diversification strategy, growing audiences digitally and by expanding into events, licensing and brand services.

DW: I came from a family of female entrepreneurs, so my entrepreneurial journey started early at the age of 25 when I launched my first company Mantra, a marketing consultancy, which I later sold to Loewy Group in 2009.

From there I co-founded Maidthorn Partners, an investment and advisory firm aimed at assisting media and tech companies around the globe. In 2011 I founded Love Home Swap following a nightmare holiday, which I 30

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sold to Wyndham Destination Networks last summer.

Q: Tell us a bit about Allbright -what is it, what is its mission, how can any women interested be part of this?

All Bright is a network and community celebrating and connecting smart-thinking women. Founded in 2016

by Debbie Wosskow OBE (Founder of LoveHomeSwap) and Anna Jones (Former CEO of Hearst), All Bright supports women at all stages of their careers, with a particular focus on space and skills.

The AllBright, the UK’s first of-its-kind members’ club for working women, opened in March 2018 -providing a unique environment for women to connect, create, and collaborate. A second London club and the first international club in LA will open in 2019.

The All Bright Academy is a free 10-week digital programme arming women with the skills, network and confidence to achieve their career ambitions.

Q: What were and are your biggest challenges?

Building a team of experts on a start-up budget.

Q: Most important lessons learned?

That sisterhood really does work -the importance of growing a network is essential for women to succeed in their career. We recently carried out a piece of research contending that 65% of female founders feel the most confident when meeting like-minded women; 57% confirmed that they want to be connected with someone just ahead of them in the process, so they can know what to expect and what obstacles and challenges are ahead.

Q: What are your next plans for Allbright?

Due to the success of the first club, we are opening a second, larger club in Mayfair, London in spring next year and our first international Club in West Hollywood, Los Angeles in summer 2019. We will continue to grow the Allbright Academy, which has already put 3,500 women through our 10 week digital programme.

We will also launch a US iteration in February 2019.

We are launching an app, AllBright Connect, to connect our members and academy cohorts across the globe.

In addition to this, we are

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also launching a magazine, AllBright, for our members, and writing a book to be released later in 2019.

Q: How did you fund your businesses from the start?

We were self-funded, funded by friends and angel investors.

Q: How did you get your first clients?

We have fortunately built up an incredible network through our respectivescareers and so we were overwhelmed with the number of women who wanted to be part of what we

are doing.

Q: How did you promote your businesses and your own personal brands and profiles?

Through our own sisterhood, some brilliant PR and a lot of hard work to get where we are today.

Q: Did being a young and ambitious woman help or hinder?

Help.

Q: What are the top 5-10 tips you can give to any budding and existing female founders out there?

This is exactly what we cover in the AllBright Academy (which is free and open to all women -you can apply at allbrightcollective.com/ academy): A highlight of our 10 key lessons include: • Never take no for an answer.

• Look after yourself and your well being as well as your business • Never start networking byusingselfdeprecating humour • Allow time each week to check in on your goals • Start building your networks -especially your work sisterhood as early as possible.

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Becky Woodhouse, Founder of PURE Spa & Beauty B

ecky Woodhouse founded PURE Spa & Beauty in 2002. While working in Edinburgh as a chartered accountant, she spotted a gap in the market for a new type of urban spa that was built around the needs of busy professional men and women: easy to access in the city centre, offering extended opening hours, high quality treatments, great service andaffordable prices.

The result was her first PURE outlet in Edinburgh’s financial district. 16 years on, Becky has built one of the UK’s leading health and beauty businesses, incorporatinga UK-wide chain of 8 highly profitable spas, a PURE product range and a recently launchedclean beauty marketplace, the PURE Beauty Zone. And she isn’t stopping there, with dynamic growth plans in place for the next few years and a crowdfunding campaign currently running on Crowdcube. As an advocate for female entrepreneurs, Becky has recently turned her focus to one major issue that she believes needs to be addressed with some urgency: 32

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business scale up. Recent research from the Scale Up Institute shows that only 3.9 per centof high growth ‘scale ups’in the UK have a female founder. Similarly, research

by The Enterprise Network in 2018 showsthat, while the funds raised by male founded companiesin 2017 increased by 55 per cent, the amount raisedby female founders fell by 0.1 per cent, with only 8.5% of venture capital funding going to female led businesses.

Having just joined the prestigious EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program for high-growth female-founded businesses, Becky has outlined her thoughts on what the UK business community must do to redress this balance, as well as her tips for women looking to scale up their own business.

“Growing a business is an exciting and a very challenging process for all entrepreneurs.

However it wasn’t until I started to seek investment to support PURE’s futuregrowth plans that I realised it would be an even bigger challenge for me –simply because I am awoman. Even

with 16 years of steady growth and profitability under my belt, I was shocked to see the statistics and realisethat the odds arestacked againstme, with only a tiny percentage of venture capital funding going tofemale entrepreneurs each year. I think that the business community needs to come together to find out why and to instigate change. Progress won’t happen overnight, but Ithink many positive steps are and can continue to be made to address this problem.”

What can the business community do?

Understand the issue There needs to be greater engagement with the investment community to get to grips with what’s behindsuch low levels of funding for women-led business. This process should include banks, private equity houses, enterprise agenciesand the angel community.

Champion diversity Less than10 per centof investment goes to women-

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owned businesses. Investment houses should be thinking more about diversity and creating a benchmark to set new standards in theircommunity.

Improve transparency Bias can creep in when there is a lack of transparency and clarity around how investment decisions are made.An improvement here would bring the real issues to the fore so that they can be addressed.

Build support Greater support and funding for female founders at all ages and stages of business would be a great step. Particularly, I think more could be done to connect high growth, established female founders with younger businesses and start-ups, to share real stories of entrepreneurship and offer positive encouragement.

Challenge bias Some of thebarriers to scaleup for female owned and led businesses are due to unconsciousbias within the business support community.

For example women-led businesses are lesslikely to be in supported sectors –and more likely to be in services, the care sector, learning and development. We need to acknowledge this and take steps to change it.

What can female entrepreneurs do?

Find role models Seek out women who have successfully grown their

business and learn from them –their successes, mistakesand advice. That could be meeting up with an entrepreneur, or reading about a global business leader whose business you admire.

Network Join like-minded support groups. Put you and your businessforward for awards and programmes like the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women programme. It makes such a difference to be able to connect with like-minded women and it also helps to raise your profile.

Think big Have confidence and big dreams for your business.

Scaling up, building new markets and growing fast is hard work, but if you believe in your business and are

ambitious for its future, share your plans and go for it.

Invest in yourself Make time to build your own skills so that you can lead your team to bigger success.

The skills that took you from fledgling entrepreneur to MD may not be the same ones you’ll need to lead a fastgrowing scaleup company, so personal growth is important.

Mentor others Make sure you take the time to give back to the next generation of female leaders. I always try tomake time for anyone who asks me for business advice, since it has been invaluable to me on my own business journey.

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Lysbeth Fox The travel, gourmet and wellbeing PR entrepreneur and founder of Fox PR, a leading agency with one of the most enviable client lists in the business.

Lysbeth shares her journey and top PR tips with us.

Could you tell us a little about yourself, and how did your journey as a successful entrepreneur start?

journalists and contacts heard I was going out on my own they put me forward to people who were looking for PR.

* I had been in PR for over 20 years, working for large corporations and smaller boutique agencies. Both my father and grandfather were entrepreneurs, so it seemed a natural step for me to branch out on my own after gaining the extensive learnings from my previous experiences.

How did you promote your business and your own personal brand and profile?

How did you fund it from the start? * I funded Fox PR personally at the beginning. I look back and wonder how an earth I achieved it, but when you are going through it, you just put your head down and get on. I kept on ploughing any profit back into the company, so I could take on my first hire, the next etc etc...

How did you get your first clients? * Having worked in the PR industry for many years already, I had many contacts and an excellent reputation.

When my previous clients, 34

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* In the initial stages, I’d say networking was our main way of promotion, along with word of mouth and reputation.

Working hard for and doing a great job on existing clients who’d then recommend us to their peers was also key and brought us more business.

Now we have a marketing director and a marketing strategy that incorporates PR, marketing, profiling, brand reputation and social media.

What were and are your biggest challenges? * The highs and lows of running your own business are my biggest challenges. Some might say the biggest headache is human resources, but I don’t find that at Fox PR. We work hard to ensure that we only hire people who are really exceptional and we’ve built a team of intelligent, ambitious, impressive people who stay

with us year on year. So I guess for me the biggest challenges are the normal highs and lows of running an ambitious company and the bumps that come along the way.

Most important learned?

lessons

* “If it were easy, anyone would do it” when it gets really hard, I say this to myself to remind myself that it’s not supposed to be easy! But I’ve come to believe that if you truly love what you are doing and believe in it, it will happen, in time.

Did being a young and ambitious woman help or hinder? * Good question, I haven’t come across overt sexism, but I have come across men not taking my ambitions seriously. I think though, being a woman and a mother, having to juggle life and work, makes me a better boss to my employees and able to run a truly outstanding business.

What are your next plans for your thriving business? * We’ve just opened an office

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in New York and have achieved our 5 year plan. So, we are now working on our next 3-5 year plan and growing the NYC office.

How do you cope with stress and pressure from work? * I exercise regularly, without this I don’t think I’d cope well. It’s my coping mechanism, although sometimes it can be hard to fit it all in - it’s a constant juggle - it’s imperative that I do it for my wellbeing both mental and physical.

I’ve started to meditate too, and I am interested to see if that makes a positive difference in my life.

* Really hone in on your differences, what makes you stand out, how are you unique, why should someone hire you and not the next person - and use these to get across the ways in which you offer distinction. * Read the press publications your clients would read, and contact the editors or editorial staff on the features you like, offer to do an article for them on your chosen subject, or perhaps a Q&A * Networking is key, as is befriending like-minded journalists as their recommendations are invaluable.

What are the top 5 tips on PR-ing a business you can give to any budding and existing female founders out there? * Write a good backgrounder on your company, or get a friend or journalist to do it. If you are anything like me, it’s really hard to ‘sell’ your company yourself so asking someone else to do it on your behalf will really help.

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Tracey Woodward A true beauty and health care business maven.

Tracey has been key to the success and global growth of a host enviable brands. We caught up with her to chat about her plans, her journey and any advice she could give.

Could you give a little background on your journey to where you are now?

I have been in the beauty industry for 30-plus years working with brands such as Aveda, Donna Karan and Urban Retreat started my career on counter working for Clinique in the 80’s.

What are your plans now?

My future is interesting as on 31st December I stepped down from my role as CEO and Chairman for Aromatherapy Associates and the Refinery.

I took the decision to focus on myself from ages of 53 to 63, but to also be open to the possibilities that are out there.

Having separated from my husband and moved home, I want to create a new beginning.

I am a big believer in the power of reinvention.

What are the greatest challenges you have had so far? And how did you solve them?

Growing 36

up

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privileged environment and not learning to read and write until I was a teenager was a challenge but I learnt to always be optimistic and open minded. I believe this has allowed me to nurture my emotional intelligence and to always be open to other viewpoints, so my style of leadership is different from many. I always recruit strong, smart people because I love to learn from them.

Do you feel women founders should be taken more seriously by investors?

I feel all founders should be taken seriously. I believe there has been enormous change here already, but we still need to keep improving on this. That said, one of the reasons I joined Aromatherapy Associates was because it was a brand created by two fabulous ladies in the 80’s, who wanted to make people feel better when everyone was focusing on looking good instead. This to me was a powerful message and it remains the same today and in fact, is more on trend

that ever before, because we now recognise that self-care is your first form of healthcare.

Could you give us top tips for women who are thinking of starting a new business? * Keep asking yourself WHY and never stop. * Know your customer. * Try to win at or achieve something every day – celebrate even small successes. * Don’t be hard on yourself – everyone makes mistakes. * Seek council - generally people want to help. * Keep a notebook handy some of my best ideas have come when doing something non-work related like going for a walk. * Build a network – and try to really get to know people, not just add numbers. * Keep a journal - if you ever fail at something, it will be

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there to remind you what not to do next time, and if you win, it’s a reminder of how far you’ve come. * Timing, intuition, energy and vision are key too.

Could you give any top tips for women who want to grow their business? * Plan, plan, plan…. Short and long term.

But be flexible too. * Assess your mission statement and values. * Check in with your customers, adjust your proposition if feedback indicates it is really needed. * It’s better to have fewer employees and partners who are excellent at what they do, than many that are only average. * Keep as much of your equity as you can.

movement, mindfulness and a healthy diet.

Do you know of any investors who are particularly female friendly?

Yes - Vaultier7 and E2Exchange amazing people.

Any specific tips for women wanting to start a business in the wellbeing/beauty/ health sectors?

Research is key as the wellness and tourism sector is growing fast. You need to define the products and tribe you want to appeal to. Keep coming back to your WHY and know your WHO. What particular personality and business characteristics do you think have made you successful?

Resilience, the ability to admit that I don’t know everything, and honesty.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

It all blurs into one for me.. and that works. My daughter is at boarding school my son is 27.. I went straight back to work after having both them, but they are well rounded, kind and confident. Also, if possible, hire the best help you can afford.

Don’t be afraid to delegate. Practice selfcare- to succeed you have to be an athlete in your own life, and that requires sleep,

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Vital digital skills you need to master when starting a business

By Carol Verity Mann

T

he prospect of business ownership is most definitely a liberating one. With full control over your own working hours, environment and the values and direction of your business, entrepreneurship offers individuals an invaluable opportunity to pursue an idea that they are truly passionate about.

However, this enthusiasm can be dulled if you realise you do not possess all the skills required.Digital skills are often overlooked by entrepreneurs taking the leap into business. According to the Lloyds UK Business and Charity Digital Index Report, 1.6 million SME’s are not “tapping into these time savings� that the digital world can provide. The skills that are often required can be ones which are not always used in daily life but this does not mean you have to become a digital guru to succeed in business. In fact, any business owner should focus predominantly on the digital tools which are most applicable to their business-a knowledge of absolutely everything is not required.

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Despite this, there are some integral digital elements that all fledgling entrepreneurs should try and incorporate into their initial business plan.

Experts are there to lend a hand Transitioning into business ownership presents many challenges, most of which you may have never had to deal with before. When working in large corporations, it is often the case that the IT department were on hand for any digital queries. The concept of being solely responsible for your digital platform is one which can start alarm bells. However, even though at times you may feel like it, entrepreneurs are not alone in their journey.

Digital marketing or IT agencies are on hand to answer any digital queries that may arise.

No-one should feel weak asking for help from those who are experts in their field; these experts are more than happy to share their knowledge!

climate, a business that does not have an up-to-date, easy to navigate website will automatically lose out on some possible clients to their competitors. Now more than ever, prospective customers will perform a Googlesearch to answer their question so creating an online platform that will bump you up the search results is paramount-especially as your website is the first glance a prospective customer may get of your business.

This can be achieve using a mix ofcreative and technical SEO tasks such as ensuring all of your website copy is well written and includes keywords you want to be recognised for.

Additionally, it is important that you personally test your website to ensure it is userfriendly. Try every possible avenue that a potential customer could take and see if you come across any issues.

This way, you will not lose any customers due to faults in your website.

The Importance of your website In the contemporary digital

Get to grips with content It is easy to assume that because you know your

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industry extensively, you will automatically be able to produce engaging, SEOoptimised content but this may not be the case. Sometimes the most engaging content is not focused on entirely your industry, but provides an interesting anecdote of someone you met whilst working or an out of the ordinary occurrence. These events provide your audience with a human face that becomes instantly more relatable. Although, you should always try and link back to your business at the end of the post to remind the audience of your expertise.

Video content is becoming increasingly prominent with Instagram rising to1 billion users. This is not a platform to be feared if you are lacking in photography and videography experience as most smartphones now allow you to take high-quality images and videos. This platform helps you to share your interesting anecdotes as you can engage on the go and interact with possible clients. You could also add video content to your website to add a personalised touch and for those who do not enjoy large amounts of copy. Search engines recognise videos as a way proving your expertise so from an SEO perspective, they become instantly more valuable.

industry or set up all the business processes required.

However, possessing the right digital skills can actually free up a considerable proportion of your valuable time. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems are invaluable tools that you can use to set up automated responses for any possible

Time is precious-make use of CRM As a small business owner or entrepreneur, time is often scarce when you are trying to establish yourself in your

Delve into the data The digital world offers small businesses a unique insight into the mind of the customer.

Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow

leads you receive-ensuring they are not lost. This will make sure that no possible customer falls under the radar as you can input prospective client data, and the system will ensure this is stored in a central place for all employees-a perfect tool for small businesses looking to establish a loyal client base.

you to see how many people are engaging with your posts through liking and sharing.

These figures allow you to gauge how many people are actually seeing your posts and enjoying the content enough to like it. If you are not getting as much interaction as you were hoping for, you are now provided with a key opportunity to switch up your content and see if this gets any increased traction. Similarly, SEO tasks are a great way to see who is looking at your posts and refine your digital strategy to reflect this.Fully embracing the digital world offers a newly established business or brand new entrepreneur cost-effective ways to see how, in reality, your customers are interacting with your brand online and to gain further potential leads. Make use of the digital world to save yourself valuable time and money!

Carol Verity Mann is an expert in digital literacy with 25+ years experience in sales and marketing. Her organisation Women On the Web (WOW) is dedicated providing women with the digital tools necessary in business. More information can be found on www. womenontheweb.co.uk

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Advice for Women in Blockchain Industry

BY MARIE TATIBOUET

T

he blockchain industry is growing larger by the day and shows no sign of slowing anytime soon. However, despite this vast growth it was recorded in May this year by Coin.dance that only around 5% of those in the blockchain industry are female. Although it is clearly a predominantly male dominated industry, women are taking up roles in the sector increasingly and making an impact, leading the way in some major projects and influencing the industry.

ADVICE & TIPS Since the founding of blockchain technology in 2009 it has been constantly evolving, with the number of Blockchain wallet users recorded at 28 million in September 2018. Staying on top of the latest developments can be both challenging and demanding in order to stay ahead of the competitive environment. There is a lot to learn within the blockchain space, so it is essential to make sure you take the time to really understand the information available -don’t worry if it takes you some time to fully take it in! Although there are the ‘basics’ to follow, there is also more in-depth, technical materials and the need to learn and stay on top of the latest news. Ensuring you are aware of reliable sources is also crucial as there are a lot of unreliable ones out there, which could result in a loss of trust.With the industry being mainly male dominated, females often find themselves being in the minority at events, which can be both a blessing and a curse. When it’s a blessing, make the most of it, be all about the tech, make good connections and represent yourself and yourcompany. When it’s a curse, excuse yourself and move on as life is 40

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too short. Make sure you are confident in yourself and your company and you will be sure to make a positive impression.

doing within the industry should be broadcast, reflecting achievements and giving women the credit they deserve.

BENEFITS There are many benefits to increasing the number ofwomen in technology and blockchain sectors. Diversity is hugely important and makes both products and experiences better, giving the industry access to a greater range of talent and skills.

It has also been found that businesses are more credible and profitable if they show diversity in the workplace and their team of employees. Blockchain is already diverse in terms of geographical location, due to blockchain being born on the internet, therefore it is accessible globally and adopted by numerous cultures.

This being said, diversity in gender has improved in the recent years, however, it is still heavily dominated by males. Everyone in any industry, always strives for growth and mass adoption. Women aren’t just 50% of the population, but they also often hold a larger purchasing power than their partners. The combination of both women and men within the industry compliments one another and creates an environment that is more accepting. In the blockchain field, there are practices that could be implemented in order to better accept women in the blockchain industry. An example of this could be to have a greater number of females speaking at events, as well as a more female focus at events, such as the ‘Women in Blockchain’ conference.

Women in Blockchain events are hugely successful, helping to build a support system for women already in the industry, those who want to get involved or just simply learn more about it. In addition, more coverage of the work females are

THE FUTURE Providing customers with efficiency and transparency has always been the main aim and the reason Bitcoin was invented. Today, efficiency is the basis of all technologies, whereas transparency is a fairly new goal for technologies. Unfortunately, transparency is not on the top of the list for many blockchain companies, as trust is much more of a priority. Without trust, you have no customers. This being said, the early adopters who have always had transparency as a key value are spreading the vision.

Without transparency, customers are provided with a lack of clear instructions and guidelines. In recent years, we have seen the industry punishing those who don’t demonstrate transparency. This can be seen as a positive factor and a great step towards the future, showing further regulation and security.

It is an exciting time for the blockchain industry and a time to look forward to tech being transformed my womens visions, exceeding and developing opportunities.

As blockchain becomes more mainstream we hope to see an improvement in gender diversity.

Author Marie Tatibouet is CMO at Gate Technology

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How to Have a Soulful Business as an Entrepreneur

BY JODY SHIELD

I

’m an entrepreneur -mostly in the way I behave, and in my mindset.

I’m agile, ready to jump on an opportunity, be fearless and leap into the unknown.

I’ve learned how to thrive in a world of uncertainty. I’ve learned to push boundaries, expand into new spaces, and invite others to join me, on a regular basis. I’m dedicated to transformation, and human performance and how to enhance our existing assets.

Entrepreneurs regularly use intuition, insight and energy to maintain excitement and enthusiasm for life and new projects, and to get people to invest into their vision.I see this process (which is often “unconscious”) as a spiritual practice. It’s the process of being aware of yourself, your intuition or inner GPS, and sensing when and where to make a move. This is an important characteristic of a entrepreneur which must be cultivated and focused on. When your intuition is 42

sharp and clear, and you are “in-flow” in your life and more present, your business and career will up-level and become even more successful.

When “in-flow”, you are more confident, fearless and bold and will feel naturally drawn

“I BELIEVE WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE. SOMETHING WE’RE

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HERE TO DO.” to certain people. Creativity, wealth and new business flows through the connections you make when you open yourself up and be ready and available. When we’re clear headed, excited and are able to tap into a joyful, playful mindset, the energy we create is like a catalyst, an accelerator to propel things forward. Life is incredible to me, full of opportunities to grow, transform, shift and create an abundance of

wealth and success. And you can do it with soul. Mindfully.

Truthfully. Authentically. This is my work now, to integrate the world of enterprise with the world of intuition, soul and energy. And how when you have this “spiritual” or “holistic” understanding of business, it moves you into alignment, and gives you an edge.

I worked for 10 years as a business director in ad agencies, I know how to work hard. I handled multimillion pound budgets, sold in creative ideas and serviced the most demanding of clients.

And when I left the ad world, I was broken, exhausted, drained and struggling to figure out what my purpose was. I believe we ALL have a purpose. Something we’re here to do. Something that we’ll jump out bed in the morning to begin again and again. Something that comes from your soul -a deeper, wiser, knowing aspect who is waiting silently in the wings

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to guide you, to direct you and give you insight -as and when you want it. From your soul comes a powerful reason “why” you’re here doing what you do. A reason to drive you forward, a story, a passion, an ambition. A force behind the mind / personality that drives you when nothing else will. Finding that purpose, tapping into it and using it to create something meaningful in the world is our goal. We’re here to create. We’re here to expand. We’re here to inspire.

And we don’t always realise it. Most of us use a fraction of our potential, like we’re living a half-life and not aware enough to know that there’s more. When you’re acting from alignment, from a place of clarity and soul, decisions you make feel easy,effortless... people and things will start to be magnetised into your

life. You’ll speak to the “right” people at the “right” time, and it’ll all feel in synch.

My top 3 tools for running a “soulful’ business: 1. Meditate every morning: it gets you clear, focused and flowing with energy for the day ahead. The way you begin your day is so very important and it influences the rest of the day you’re going to have!

2. Slow Down: breathe, create space to be still. You will have more insights, more clarity and more creative flow when you do. Being still is as important to being busy in relation to running a successful business.

to maintain the energy flow.

Certain words are “blockers” and will put a rock / stone in the way. Words like “just” and “but” create interference in the energy flow -remove these from your vocabulary.

Use words like “Yes” on repeat to raise your energy levels.

Ultimately, being a soulful entrepreneur and having a deeper sense of selfawareness and intuition will only serve to enhance your business.

To find out more about how I work head here: https:// jodyshield.co.uk/workwithme/

3. Be mindful about the words you’re using: everything is energy, and it’s important entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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8 Presentation Pitfalls to Avoid

BY KAREN O’DONNELL

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aking the most of every presentation you give is essential for any entrepreneur wanting toto sell your products, service or message to an audience, whether it’s an audience of potential customers or investors. Whether we have a product, service or message, we are selling something!

With great presentations, the secret is to grab your audience’s attention at the beginning and keep them engaged until your very last word.

Here are eight ways help make more sales at the end of your presentation:

it. Practise with a colleague or coach. Don’t use your clients as a way to practise! By putting in this preparation, you will hit your target and close more deals as a result.

1. PREPARING Frequently clients will contact me, overjoyed that they have secured a slot on their prospective client’s calendar to deliver a sales presentation.

All too oftenspeakers put a lot of preparation into securing the pitch and little thought into the actual presentation.

Yes, this is a moment of celebration, but there is still a lot of preparation to be done.

ACTION STEP: Research your customer beforehand and become familiar with their business and the industry in which they operate in. Research their competitors and if possible tailor your presentation to demonstrate how your product or service can help them gain a competitive advantage. Choose material that is relevant to your specific customer.

ACTION STEP: The preparation is a vital step towards an effective presentation. This may well involve hiring a speaking coach to help you create a professional presentation so you close the deal. Once you have your presentation written, put some time into practising 44

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2. GIVE A GENERIC PRESENTATION? You have secured the sales pitch –so this is NOT the time to pull out the generic presentation. It’s very easy to spot the novice speaker; they give a dull presentation and they rattle through it with no audience engagement. At best it’s boring, at worst its rude and risks damaging to their own brand.

3. TECHNICAL DATA If you were selling a food mixer -you would not sell it on its speed and versatility alone.

You’d sell it on its benefits – how it makes life easier, will save you time when cooking, and will open up a whole new range of recipe options.

People want to know what’s in it for them –not what the technology is or does.

ACTION STEP: Don’t sell the features, sell the benefits. With our food mixer,you might mention ‘it can create amazing birthday cakes for that special celebration’, or ‘you will be viewed as an amazing cook for those dinner parties’. You create a picture that the likely ‘buyer’ can imagine and also appreciate 4. SLIDES Frequently, clients contact me and say; ‘I have a PowerPoint presentation that I use and now I need to figure out what to say to go along with the slides.’ Unfortunately, this is a common mistake which can ruin many business presentations. Firstly, you need to create your message, develop your presentation –and then consider whether you need the slides to help you get your message across. Not the other way around,Remember; if your audience can get all the info they need from the slides, then you are not required.

Don’t make yourself obsolete.

ACTION STEP Remove the slide if: It is just to entertain the audience Acts as a prompt to the speaker

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Keep the slide when: It helps clarify your audience’s understanding of your message 5. DATA OR STORIES? Many presenters include lots of data in their sales pitches.

It’s a common misconception that lots of supporting data will ‘impress’ the audience.

Every company has wonderful stories –so explore those how you can portray the data in a story. When you evoke emotion, you awaken thought.

People make decisions based on emotions and then follow it up with logic.

ACTION STEP Connect with your audience through stories. Select stories that will resonate with that particular audience. Once you engage with them,they can look at the data at another time, if they wish.

6. HANDOUTS Many speakers distribute handouts at the beginning of their presentation, however this can result in the audience flicking through the paper and focusing on the handout, instead of focusing on your well-crafted presentation.

ACTION STEP Instead of distributing handouts, create a unique URL page on your website for this particular group and in it put all the resources from your presentation that they require.

This again adds the personal touch and shows how you can go that extra mile–as well as encouraging people to visit your website.

7. WHERE TO PLACE THE SALES ASPECT OF YOUR PRESENTATION We have all been there; sat through a presentation waiting for the inevitable sales pitch at the end. The speaker changes energy; takes on the ‘Del Boy approach’ of their chosen field and hits us hard with the sales.

How does that make you feel?

The close of your presentation is NOT the time to start selling.

ACTION STEP Sales starts from your introduction. Within your opening you can specify a ‘pain point’ that your audience is facing. You could start with a question; ‘wouldn’t you like to have more commitment not just compliance from your team?’ having identified their pain –now use your presentation to offer the solution. Pepper your talk with service or product benefits.

Tease your audience with how you can solve their pain. If done correctly, towards the of your presentation, they will want to hear how they can get your solution, so give them their next step in order to avail themselves of your product or service.

8. Q&A SECTION Surely this goes at the end?

People remember best what they hear first and last, and if you leave Q&A until the very end, someone could throw you an awkward question and create a negative atmosphere.

This could be your audiences’ lasting impression of you, your company and your product or service. Your final message must be the absolute final

words they hear. Skilled presenters never finish on a Q&A. ACTION STEP: Tell your audience at the beginning of your presentation that you will be taking questions towards the end.

This stimulates them to think of questions as they understand they will have an opportunity to ask them. If you do not let them know early on, you’ll be stuck with silence once you ask what questions they have.

For example, I usually say, “We’ll have time for some questions towards the end of this presentation and then I will give you my final message on this topic.” In this way, you are also letting your audience (and the event organises) know that the Q&A session is not the end of your presentation.

Finish with impact. For example tell a personal story which describes the benefits of the product or service to your audience or a solution to the pain you mentioned in your opening. End your presentation by referring back to the opening and let this be your ‘call to action’.

Every presentation is your opportunity to get your brand known. I hope you find these tips helpful and that by using them your sales will increase.Karen O’Donnell is a member of Toastmasters International,a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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5 Signs you are procrastinating

BY SELINA JOHNSON

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here is nothing worse than unfinished projects, our to-do-lists stacking up, feeling stuck and putting off that unpleasant task at work. But when we procrastinate on a regular basis and its forms a habit, this raises a larger problem.

Millions of us struggle to get things done, research

Are you a procrastinator or doer?

Let’s go through the signs of procrastination and how to defeat them.

1. DISTRACTIONS If you have set yourself unrealistic goals, you are setting yourself up to fail in the dangerous realm of

“ARE YOU A PROCRASTINATOR OR A DOER?”

by Dr. Joseph Ferrarishows that 20 percent of U.S. men and women are chronic procrastinators. The definition of procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. How do successful people stay focused and achieve results?

High achievers are able to fight procrastination because they do the things they fear.

They have learnt to leverage long-term vision to endure short-term sacrifice. As Martin Luther King, Jr stated ‘you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step’.

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dragging your feet. The best way to organise your working day is to focus on three main tasks per day, these tasks are going to help move the business forward. Anything else should be delegated or automated. Leaving yourself free to really focus on high leverage tasks. You can also minimise interruptions such as email notifications, social media alerts so that you are not distracted when you are working in genius mode.

2. LACK OF SELF-DISCIPLINE It can be a battle at times to do the things we know we should be doing even when we don’t feel like doing them.

The strategy here is instead of asking yourself is this possible, can I do it, should I do it. Shift your thinking to say how can I do this, how can achieve this, how would it be possible, what will it take? This is the moment where you transcend all the limitations.

Andy Andrews definition of self-discipline is that selfdiscipline is the ability to make yourself do something you don’t necessarily want to do, to get a result you would really like to have.

3. LACK OF VISION As a Business Support Expert, I often hear people say they lack self-discipline. It may be struggling with weight, sales, finances or keeping on top of day-to-day activities. Often this drills down to a lack of vision rather than lack of self-discipline.If you do not have a clear enough picture of what you want in life, there is no reason to make the sacrifices. The action here is to spend time clearing and clarifying your vision. Review the questions below and take 10 minutes to reflect and write

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your answers in as much detail as possible.

ASK YOURSELF: What do you want your life to look like in this quarter, in 1 years’ time and in 5 years’ time? When you get to the point when you feel like you don’t want to do what you should be doing, think about your vision and this will help you endure the short-term sacrifice. Constantly remind yourself of your why is a key motivator. If you clarify the vision you will activate the discipline.

4. YOU DON’T HAVE ANY RITUALS Rituals help us become fully engaged and highly productive throughout your day. It helps maintain a calm and collective manner to reach your goals and achieve peak performance.Each morning read your goals and affirmations. Write down all of your weaknesses you have at present and turn them into strengths and keep reading them every morning.

It may not sound possible but if you take these steps it will become possible. These are great innovators and a

great way of signaling to your brain that everything is as it should be. Rituals relieves anxiety, helping us to be more confident in ourselves and increase productivity, creativity, and happiness.

“TONY ROBBINS SAYS ‘IF YOU CAN’T YOU MUST, AND IF YOU MUST YOU CAN.’”

5. YOU’RE A PERFECTIONIST Are you not making progress because of perfectionism? If you are stuck and not moving forwards on something you do want to finish but just can’t figure out why you can’t complete it. Its very likely that perfectionist is the culprit.

It’s better to finish something rather than not to finish it at all.

To escape perfectionist habits, set yourself a reasonable deadline -use this time to focus and centre yourself around completing this task.

Having focus and intention to do your best work will help you become a perfectionist about achieving your deadlines. The key here is to consciously change your perspective and narrow your focus (work on fewer projects).

If you form a habit of doing the things you know you should be doing even when they don’t feel like doing them the results will be worth it. Tony Robbins says ‘If you can’t you must, and if you must you can’. Often, it’s our thinking that holds us back, but a positive belief set us up for success.Action is imperative for success, it validates our words, eradicates what’s holding us back and eliminates our fears. Action equals winning.

Author Selina Johnson is a Business Support Expert providing elite Virtual Personal Assistant services to entrepreneurs and businesses with a turnover of 6-7 figures with administrative, technical and creative support. Her clients have seen increased productive hours, revenue growth and KPI’s improved. www.selinajohnson.com

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Start up & Scale up: Different and BETTER

By Gellan Watt.

Global Brand Strategist, Award-Winning Marketing Agency Founder and Entrepreneur.

I

n this, my first column for E&I, I’m delighted to join the show in an issue focusing heavily on women in business –and I’ve got a great real life example of a start-up, and the brain behind it, that more than lives up to the title of this article. With a twist.

Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of start-ups.

Launching and selling a few of my own. It’s been my life’s work creative and telling brand’s stories and finding which levers to press to help them grow.

With an increasing flow of start-ups each year, breaking through, standing out and getting to any kind of traction or commercially viable scale

BRILLIANT economist, Kjell Nordstrom,who believes we now live in a surplus society.

“The ‘surplus society’ has a surplus of similar companies, employing similar people, with similar educational backgrounds, working in similar jobs, coming up with similar ideas, producing similar things, with similar prices and similar quality.” And he is right.

Me too products. Doing me too things. It’s only products and brands that stand-out by doing something truly outstanding that stand a chance.

From the very beginning there are some key factors to bake-in to any start-up.

Beyond scalability, one of the most important is ‘difference’.

look –colours, identity etc. They all count. But real difference is something tangible. Something that adds value to what you do. Differentiating your products, services, pricing, purpose. Difference should be a constant driver for the whole business. Being me-too is the short cut to failure. And simply being cheaper, while it gives a short term advantage, is typically an unsustainable a race to the bottom. Difference, though, has an important bedfellow... one that really drives success. ‘Better’. If you tick both you could have something exciting on your hands. And the principle isn’t just limited to start-ups really.

Opportunity exists for smart brands –both new and existing, thosethat take a risk and find new ways to improve and differentiate – maybe not to the point they can claim absolute revolutionary status at the peak of innovation. Not

“ME TOO PRODUCTS. DOING ME TOO THINGS.” is harder than ever. One of my favourite quotes on this subject comes from the 48

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Difference isn’t just about the brand or the stories you tell.

Certainly, it’s not the way you

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everything can be utterly new.

Sometimes differentiation itself can simply come just from doing things better. Brand soften get caught out trying to push the brand, product or service into places that they just can’t go to differentiate.

It’s a game of subtleties at times. Sometimes it’s the small things that can make the biggest difference. Knowing your customer better. Pushing

date. And all things high tech.

Inkpact. The brainchild of and Charlotte Pearce. 26.

Named in the Forbes 30 under 30. Maserati 100 and Young Entrepreneurs of the Year list in 2016. And advocate voice for women in tech. Charlotte saw an opportunity to help brands delight their customers. With good old fashioned handwritten communications.

“DIFFERENT ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER. BUT BETTER IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT.” the limits of expectation, or even regulation. Stretching and repackaging services. Finding new ways for customers to pay or consume your products.

Or simply to delight them.

Let’s take a look a real-world example of something totally different. For a moment. Let’s forget apps. Tech start-ups. VR. AI. Machine learning. Variable

Hand-written direct mail and messages to their customers, as the touch of a button – written by one of her network of over 250 scribes across the UK.Brands like Unilever, Mr and Mrs Smith and Moet Hennessy leapt on these services –creating a multimillion pounds business. Not only does improve a brand’s

communications and truly delight their customers driving loyalty, retention and advocacy –Charlotte created jobs across the county enabling people to work flexibly. People, who may otherwise not be able work. It’s socially conscious too. Simple.

Different. Better. And... bloody brilliant. Hats off.

I have a saying. Never be ordinary. I mean ‘don’t be metoo’. There’s enough people and brands being ordinary already. No one ever paid more, got excited about or fell in love with anything because it was a ‘bit like something else’.

I’m not saying for one second don’t disrupt or innovate.

Where there is space or opportunity –make new. Dare to differ. But invent. Find the new. Or as with Charlotte’s case, reimagine the old. One last thing to remember.

Different isn’t always better. But better is always different. www.gellanwatt.co.uk

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Industry Expert Profile Series:

Jeremy Cavinet

E&I caught up with Jeremy Canivet, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain as part of the new Industry Expert Profile Series.

W

hat’s been your journey in luxury hospitality to lead you to The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain?

exciting time for the Kingdom of Bahrain and I’m proud to be joining the property at such a pivotal moment.

I began my career in Sales & Marketing in Toronto, Canada, before moving on to positions in Europe and then the Middle East. I’ve been working within the luxury hospitality industry for almost two decades and, as well as The Ritz-Carlton, have worked with notable brands including Fairmont, St. Regis and Kempinski, my most recent appointment was at The Ritz-Carlton, Al Bustan Palace as Director of Sales from 20132016. My career has given me invaluable experience in key market cities including Toronto, Zurich, London, Abu Dhabi and Muscat.

•

•

Have you noticed anything in particular about the popularity in the Kingdom of Bahrain as a tourist destination?

It’s a really exciting time for The Kingdom, tourists into Bahrain reached 3.1 million in the first quarter of 2018; a rise of 11.4% on the same period last year, and there are expansion projects at Bahrain International airport. It’s an 50

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You’ve worked with several other hotel brands, what is it about the Ritz-Carlton brand that stands out?

What I love most about The Ritz-Carlton brand is how much they value impeccable service above everything else and it really is evident from the moment you arrive at The RitzCarlton, Bahrain. Everyone is made to feel like family and completely at home, and the Ritz-Carlton brand effortlessly execute this.

•

What are you most looking forward to about your role?

I’m honoured to be leading the sales & marketing efforts at this beautiful resort. The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain is such an iconic property, continually raising the bar for luxury hospitality in the Kingdom. I’m particularly looking forward to working with the team to build upon this great legacy as well as further enhancing guest’s experiences.

•

What changes has The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain undergone in 2018?

We have a new legacy leadership team, including new General Manager, Bernard de Villèle, and new Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage, Andrea Colla. In addition to its personnel changes, the property will also see a major redevelopment to its Royal Beach Club marina facilities as well as a rejuvenation of their mixed-gym facilities.

•

What’s new for 2019?

I feel privileged to be joining to resort at such an exciting time. Already for 2019 we have new, improved villas with a soft renovation into a more modern sea-inspired design, and a news Bar de La Plage and mixology experience. We are also introducing our Pearl 1 charter, for guests to sail to remote destinations like Jarada Island. We also want to showcase a redevelopment of our Royal Beach Club marina and rejuvenation of our mixed-gym facilities.

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Weathering the tough times:

Top 10 tips to ensure your business stays afloat

By Anthony Main

I

t was only signing a key client right at the last minute that saved my digital agency, just two years ago. I had been forced to let six staff go and it was down to just me and one other. I havesincebuilt the company up from two staff and no income to 20 staff and an almost seven figure turnover.

So, what advice can I offer, based on what I learnt along the way? Here are my top tentipsto help you ensure your business stays afloat in tough times: 1. Don’t let your marketing slip.

We became too comfortable with the quality of our inbound leads. We had previously (Google) ranked well, and complacency set in as a result.

We didn’t monitor the rankings as closely as we needed to, and so we simply slipped off the face of the web without realising.

TIP: Keep marketing, even when times are bad –you can’t

build a business if no one is finding it and the leads aren’t coming in.

2. Monitor competitors.

Our early impact made us naively confident in our market share and we hadn’t realised how many competitorshad grown to the same degree. No longer did we have first pick of the inbound leads; we had to work harder to reap the rewards.

TIP: Always keep an eye on the competition and ensure you’re

staying ahead, not slipping behind.

3. Learn from the mistakes (and successes) of your competitors.

It’s SO important to know what the competition is doing, from their inbound process, to their offering and the quality of the documentation in between.

TIP: Create a dummy project and subtly go through the ropesof testing them out.

Find out what they do well (integrate it into your process) entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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and discover where they are weak (ensure you don’t do the same). Learn from mistakes without making them yourself.

4. Market pricing.

Another important aspect of your competitor analysis is to understand both their pricing and how customers will perceive yours. Make sure you align with your market, even if you expect your quote to be larger than your neighbour’s.

TIP: Get clear on your own pricing and that of your competitors.

5. Vital Data.

Track as much as you can about the operational side of your business. Ideally, create a data dashboard and update it at least monthly, so you can compare to previous months or years, looking for any trends which might raise a flag.

TIP: By understanding the numbers in your own business you can spot problems early and develop solutions.6.Develop yourniche.

Before our turnaround we had an ambiguous company, offering both eCommerce and mobile apps, with no crossover customers. This didn’t work, so we divided the business to individually focus our marketing on clear customer propositions.

TIP: Find your niche and stick to it. Make sure all your marketing communicates your expertise in that niche, and don’t be tempted to try to be all thingsto all people.

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7. Cash is King.

All industries go through waves, often unexpectedly, and you need to be able to brace against them as best as possible. This often simply means supporting drops in revenue with a cache of finance for rainy days. Aim for at least three months break-even in the bank for comfort.

TIP: Don’t spend all your profit –keep some back to help you ride and survive the rough times.

8. Watch the economy.

Whilethe UK’s decision to Brexit had a huge impact on us, it was going to be a 50:50decision either way, which meant we should have been better prepared.

TIP: Keep up-to-date. Don’t be ignorant to wider scale events that might have a future impact, such as a change in governments, price of raw materials,etc.

9. Team trust.

Take your time to employ; we did and it has really helped us flourish, but equally learnt from similar poor judgements.

Surround yourself with trustworthy staff and give them as much autonomy as possible.

TIP: Build a great team around you by waiting to employ the right people –taking on the wrong people can be timeconsuming and costly, whereas the right team will help ensure the business thrives.

10. Create your culture.

As a creative agency, we are stereotyped with a certain culture and we embrace it.

Flexible working; monthly company catch ups (in the pub); bi-weekly retrospectives; internal Slack comms. All of this adds to the reasons why our staff are so committed to supporting each other to deliver great projects for customers.

TIP: Develop a company culture thatsuits your business and your team. Work is not just about productivity –it’s also about enjoying what you do.

Many businesses start and fail -often as fast-and it’s important to look for signs that things aren’t as they should be. Don’t be as naive as I was; having confidence in your product and service can only protect you against so many things, some you simply have no control over, so be prepared!

Anthony Main is Managing Director of The Distance, an app development company.

Anthony has been developing apps since the first iPhone, and with his UK based team of digital natives, The Distance delivers intuitive mobile solutions for clients on both iOS and Android. From disruptive start-ups to global enterprises, including NHS, Bentley Motors, Virgin Trains, PGA Golf, Slimming World, and Astra Zeneca, The Distance supports solutions developed to meet all app based-challenges.Web: https://thedistance.co.uk

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How to Launch An Innovative Tech Start-up

By Noreen Khan & Yvonne Lam

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ewind just 22 months ago where MY BAKER didn’t really exist. Noreen and Yvonne were working at Deutsche Bank,both instagramming about their love of cake and highlighting amazing bakers they had found along the way. After an initial meeting over cake and coffee, they developed the idea to set up MY BAKER and from that first meeting, the now friends had a plan in place, no other than to launch the very first Cake Concierge. In January 2017, the female entrepreneurs decided to take a leap of faith by leaving their jobs to launch and run MY BAKER. Inspired by businesses like Airbnb & Uber, they knew the kind of model they wanted to replicate and turning their vision into reality was going to require lots of hard work.

“We knew what we wanted to launch. With chain bakeries lined at every street, purchasing desserts has become impersonal and it can be frustrating to find a cake for a specific occasion, with your flavour, your style and at a reasonable price. We have created a platform which people can buy their cakes from our bestsellers or personalise them for the occasion. They can also purchase them as little as 24 hours before the big event,” says Noreen.

They set about launching MY BAKER with just £5k in the bank. The initial online platform allowed users to buy cakes from a handful of businesses around London. They then went on a funding mission,seeking out businesses through crowd funding & entrepreneur schemes that would help them build and develop their business. They used any money they raised for things such as revamping their online platform, from rebuilding its look and feel to re-doing the back end technology, so that it was more time

convenient and productive for the pair. “Our interactive cake builder allows customers to specify exactly what they want, connecting them to the most suitable bakers locally. We have also now identified our most popular cakes, which we have made available to purchase instantly through our bestsellers shop,’’ says Yvonne.

They did their research and initially applied to the established Just Eat Accelerator programme which gives innovative startups £20k and 3 months worth of mentoring. The ladies were competing against 110 companies with 3 rounds of interviews, psychometric tests and pitches to the other startups. They became one of just five other startups to receive the funding and be mentored as part of the accelerator programme. This provided them with access to valuable advice and support which is crucial in setting up a solid foundation for any business.

What made the MY BAKER team stand out though was their different personalities,which the panel could see would be of benefit to the business in the long run.

22 months on and the startup now works with 100 bakers, having sold 1000 cakes this year.

They have established themselves as the ‘go to’ platform for personalised baked goods. They have a selection of 70 cakes on their website and are set to expand to Birmingham later this year.

So what are their top tips to start an innovative tech company: Research the market place If you think you have an amazing idea and you feel you’re on to something big then you should definitely research the market. A quick SWOT analysis will inform you as to whetheranyone else has already established the idea, how entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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they go about running their business and what opportunities may still lie for your business. This mightalsobe a good way to meet like-minded people who would like to team up so you have a stronger proposition for the market.

and the platform continues to grow. Don’t underestimate the power of your own marketing channels to help drive online awareness and sales directly to your website.

SEEK HELP The Just Eat Accelerator programme was so beneficial to us in many ways. Not only was the cash injection helpful but having a mentor allowed us to sound off any elements we were struggling with and consult them about things we wanted to do and the right timing to do them.

Founded in 2017, MY BAKER is the cake concierge connecting you to some of London’s top independent bakers and allowing you to create personalised & unique bakery masterpieces for all occasions. Founded by female entrepreneurs Yvonne & Noreen who both worked at Deutsche Bank, MY BAKER ensures you will never be short of a cake at your party, with a top quality choice delivered to you within 24 hours from ordering. MY BAKER is an easy to use online platform where you can shop favourites with a click of a button or create your dream cake. Choose from a variety of cakes as well as a selection of biscuits, macarons, brownies and cupcakes. www. mybaker.co

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT If you are launching a website, ensure that your platform is working efficiently for you. Your website should be able to save you time & energy rather than impede activity. It should also be user friendly both for you & your staff but also for your customers. We would advise to keep testing it and ask other people’s opinions before giving the green light for any element to go live, as what you think might be the best approach isn’t always the way forward.

SOCIAL MEDIA & OWN MARKETING One of our biggest marketing channels is our Instagrampage. We have over 18k followers

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ENTREPRENEUR

5 Reasons You Should Crowdfund in 2019

By John Auckland

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nother new year has dawned and, following the celebrations, many of us have sufficient optimism to make ambitious, well intentioned, personal resolutions that are often ditched by February. Rather than recommending you give up binge-watching on Netflix infavour of a gym membership or replace your weekend (and evening) drinks with kale smoothies, I’d instead like to talk to you as entrepreneurs and give you five reasons why 2019 is the year you should crowdfund your business.

1. Crowdfunding is seen as a more viable fundraising option than banks for entrepreneurs While many might assume that banks are the go-to for business funding, this option now falls behind crowdfunding amongst entrepreneurs, according to EY’s 2018 Fast Growth Tracker. EY’s poll of 380UK business owners showed that while venture capital

fundraising came out on top, 20 percent of entrepreneurs view crowdfunding as the most viable fundraising strategy for their businesses –a higher proportion than the 19 per cent who chose bank financing. https://www.ey.com/uk/en/services/ specialty-services/ey-tmt-hub-services-fastgrowth-the-ey-fast-growth-tracker

2. Crowdfunding campaigns are bringing in more and more funds each year The transaction value of UK crowdfunding campaigns shot up by 12.6 per cent to £58.2 million in 2018, according to Statistica. In 2019, the increase is projected to be even larger, at £66.4 million –a 14.1 per cent growth on 2018. This growth trend is projected to continue year-on-year to at least 2023. https://www.statista.com/ outlook/335/156/crowdfunding/unitedkingdom?currency=gbp#market-revenue

3. The UK is the best place to crowdfund in Europe

According to research from the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School, the UK is leading the way when it comes to crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending.

While the UK’s £4.9bn alternative finance market is the largest in Europe, the European market is still growing remarkably fast. So for early and growth stage businesses, there are huge opportunities right across the continent. https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/fileadmin/ user_upload/research/centres/alternativefinance/downloads/2018-ccaf-exp-horizons. pdf

4. Crowdfunding ‘will be worth more than any one charity in 2019’ The income generated by crowdfunding will be worth more than any single charity by 2019, according to JustGiving’s CMO, Charles Wells. Wells put this prediction down to the fact that crowdfunding platforms are attracting entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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swathes of young people –a key demographic that charities struggle to engage. I know from experience that crowdfunding attracts many young techsavvy entrepreneurs with fresh, innovative and disruptive businesses ideas. It also draws in a new generation of young investors who are accustomed to using technology to connect with others, sniff out opportunities, and make their fortunes. https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/ crowdfunding-worth-one-charity-2019-sayscharles-wells/fundraising/article/14334195.

5. Crowdfunding is a great way to grow and engage your customer community base.

New investors are likely to become customers, particularly if you offer discounts or exclusive products and services during your campaign. These new customers are also likely to be your most loyal and vocal supporters who will sing your praises and challenge your critics online. Crowdfunding campaigns also offer a

unique opportunity for your business to run a dedicated marketing & communications campaign. It’s the only period in your company’s lifetime that every pound you spend and every media spot you gain contributes to bringing in new customers and investors, which effectively doubles the reward of your efforts.

To make sure you get the most out of the opportunity, it’s really worth recruiting a seasoned PR professional to lead the media push. Each campaign you run raises your profile amongst a constantly growing crowd, puts your business and idea through an important vetting process, and brings you valuable feedback that, if implemented, can help your company thrive.

As we enter the New Year, there are endless possibilities for you to evolve your business, grow your tribe of supporters and boost your entrepreneurial credentials. I wish you the best of luck and a successful fullyfunded 2019!

About the Author John Auckland is a crowdfunding specialist and founder of TribeFirst, a global equity crowdfunding communications agency that has helped raise in excess of £14m for over 45 companies on platforms such as Crowdcube, Seedrs, and Seedinvest –with a greater than 90% success rate. TribeFirst is the world’s first dedicated marketing communications agency to support equity crowdfunding campaigns. John is also Virgin StartUp’s crowdfunding trainer and consultant, helping them to run branded workshops, webinars and programmes on crowdfunding. In February, John is running a series of global crowdfunding bootcamps alongside Grant Thortnton –who support businesses seeking earlystage funding –and leading equity crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube. The boot camps aim to help entrepreneurs prepare to raise money via equity crowdfunding in just five weeks. www.tribefirst.co.uk

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Become a Financial Entrepreneur: Trade Stocks like a Pro I

f you are looking at becoming a financial entrepreneur, then there are many investment options open to you. You could, for example, invest in luxury real estate or decide to get involved with a crowdfunding campaign.

Among the many investment opportunities to think about, one remains enduringly popular –stocks. However, why is trading in stocks still the main investment that many entrepreneurs make? In simple terms, it is easy to grasp, easy to manage, and can bring in decent annual returns on the initial money put down. If you invest in dividend stocks also, then you get the bonus of dividend payouts a few times each year.

Effective tips to trade stocks like a pro

If you are looking at becoming a financial entrepreneur through stock trading, then the below tips should help you succeed:

•

Choose how you approach trading

will

Investing in stocks successfully involves answering some key questions. One of the most important is how you plan to trade. Will you be a shorttermday trader or a longerterminvestor? This will depend

on how quickly you want a return on your investment and also your own personality.

•

Make an investing plan

A savvy financial entrepreneur will know how key planning is before risking any money. Trading stocks is no different,and you need to have an investing plan written out when you know how you will trade. It should set out how you will find stocks to buy, when you will sell, and how much you will risk per trade.

When it is ready, remember to follow it!

•

Diversification is king

All the successful pro traders will keep a diverse portfolio to help them win overall. This sees you investing your money into different sectors and companies rather than putting it all into one. By doing this, you are spreading your risk and ensuring that any down turn in one asset does not wipe you out.

•

Sign up for a reliable news feed

The stock markets rely on and react heavily to breaking news and stories. This means that trading like a pro involves having access to the latest

news to trade on. Signing up for a real-time stock market data feed is advisable so that you always have the freshest news and data at your fingertips throughout the day, as it happens.

•

Drip-feed stocks

money

into

One clever trick that most pro traders use is to only put a portion of the money that they plan toinvest into a stock at the beginning. Once they see the stock performas expected, they will then drip-feed the rest into it over time. This gives more flexibility in your trading and avoids you losing it all if you get it wrong at the start.

Trading stocks is a wise move for financial entrepreneurs: If you are already a financial entrepreneur looking for a new investment or someone just starting out, then stocks are a great asset to consider.

As with all investments, they carry risk, but with the right approach, they can also bring in handsome rewards. With a combination of hard work and discipline, you should soon begin to trade like an expert.

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How to build a successful Airbnb business

By André Roque

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any entrepreneurs start small with an Airbnb business but with the intention of expanding into a full-time concern and creating a successful business. When starting, people quickly find that managing your property takesup to a day per week of rental: managing the listing, responding to enquiries, washing linen, checking guests in and out and dealing with general admin. In some countries, you have to register your property as a shortterm rental business, issue invoices and/or report guests’ identities to comply with local regulations. Due to all this work, it’s estimated that 40-50% of new hosts leave the market within the first year, abandoning any bigger business plan they may have had. However, they don’t need to if they follow the following steps. The first thing any potential host should do is define your goals based on what you value. Is it the money?

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portfolio of properties? Or do you want to progressively transition from your current job into the short-term rentals business full-time? Defining your values and goals will help you choose how to manage your properties, where to invest your time and money for maximum benefit, and what you can cut back on to save time or money. With that in mind, how can you make short-term letting work for you so you can stop being a slave to Airbnb? The five steps below will help.

1. Outsource From cleaning to washing sheets to the finishing touches that get you those 5-star ratings, there are lots of tasks that need completing in order to rent your property in perfect condition. Tasks you will likely want to outsource include cleaning and laundry. These are the most time-consuming tasks and the easiest to outsource, with lots of companies built around managing these aspects for short-term lets.

Just make sure you find a

reputable company who will treat your property with the care it needs. You could also consider outsourcing the management of the property to professionals, such as Airsorted and Hostmaker. This will leave you more time to add and manage additional properties in your portfolio, further increasing your income.

2. Manage multiple listings Airbnb is a great site, but there are lots of other reputable sites out there for listing your shortterm let. By listing on multiple websites, such as Booking. com and Homeaway.com, you ensure that you can maximise the rental time on your property. Each has different rates and features, so it pays to check out the terms and conditions on each site. Trying different sites will allow you to find the right site for you as well as keeping the property occupied as much as possible.

A big challenge of listing on multiple sites is managing the additional bookings quickly and easily. With more bookings coming in from a number of

ENTREPRENEUR

different websites, you need a good booking system to manage everything. Failing to offer instant bookings or neglecting to respond to requests in a timely fashion will cost you in rental fees and reputation.A channel manager is software, usually available as a web app, that centralises your booking calendar and allows for instant bookings on each major platform where your property is listed. With easy management tools, you can control every aspect of your rental property from a single online dashboard which distributes the information instantly to all of your platform listings. Channel Managers, such as Guesty, allow for nearinstant confirmation without the possibility of overbooking your property, helping you to maintain your positive reviews.

Given the number of hosts who now offer instant booking, it’s important to provide your guests with quick, if not instant, booking confirmation.

3. Manage severalproperties As you get more experienced with running your Airbnb business, you may find yourself wanting to expand your property portfolio. More properties mean a greater income and help you build up your real estate empire.

When you have a portfolio of properties, however, the work going into managing them can no longer be sorted with just spreadsheets and email exchanges, you need to have a centralised system that will allow you to efficiently manage your operation. A Property Management System (PMS),

such as Cloudbeds & VReasy, comes at a cost but it will greatly help you take control of your bookings and the dayto-day running of the business.

Features you should look out for in a good PMS system include the ability manage your bookings in your calendar, keeping track of service and housekeeping, tracking revenue and reporting, leveraging the rates and offers to maximise occupation, a customer database, and of course, an integrated channel manager for dealing with multiple booking sites.

4. Get smart access One of the biggest challenges forhosts is providing access to your property. One option is to meet your guests and hand over the keys, which can mean travelling and waiting around for late guests, and some unusual and out-ofhours check-in times. Options such as leaving your key under a plant pot, or in a coded box at the front door, pose all sorts of security issues.

Smart locks can save hosts a lot of time, providing access to your guests, whenever they arrive. Guests simply checks themselves in, making your property instantly feel like home and putting them at ease. Better yet is a smart lock that connects to your bookings via your channel manager.

Solutions like Homeit provide you with secure access control to allow guests, cleaners or your laundry company into the property. The right solution will be secure, easy-to-use, plug into your channel manager and can be operated from

anywhere in the world. It will also make it very easy to share access with guests, including explaining how the system works; useful for those guests who may have trouble with technology.

5.

Adapt for business customers There is a big market for business people staying in short-term lets instead of hotels. The costs can be a lot lower and they get some home comforts, such as a kitchen and living space. With a few small tweaks to your property and listing, you can make sure it appeals to business customers. Features such as an iron and board may make little impression on tourists, but for people on a business trip, they can be a necessity to help them look sharp for meetings.

Other features, such as highspeed internet, will appeal to all guests but can be essential for business customers. Take a few moments to put together a list of things business customers could benefit from and try and adapt your property and profile to match these particular needs. If you get this right you’ll get reach out to a new, and possibly repeat, business clientele.

Follow these steps and a small project can become an efficient ands uccessful business.

André Roque is founder of Homeit, a smart access technology for the sharing economy’s short-term rental properties booked online on platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com.

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How Your Bricks & Mortar Retail Business can be Revitalised via Ecommerce

By Dan Whytock

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t has undoubtedly been a difficult few years for the UK high street. We’ve seen many shops closing and the loss of many big-name brands, and there may be more to come as major retailer report disappointing sales figure over Christmas 2018. The Internet is often characterisedas the ‘problem’ –as more customers order goods from homes and the all-important foot fall in high street stores decreases. But this is due to a lack of understanding of how digital works in the retail environment.Instead, as entrepreneurs, we should be asking if the Internet can be used to breathe new life into high streets and save established brands, as well as champion smaller, independent retailers. This mix is the life-blood of the high street and every UK shopping street needs to contain both.

The government high street initiative spearheaded by Mary Portas was unsuccessful mainly because it did not have a clear and significant digital 60

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plan. Understanding the reasons why customers will continue to choose to shop online, and how bricks and mortar can still play a role in the shopping experience, is the key to creating a strategy that gives customers the best of all the available options.

UNDERSTANDING E-COMMERCE Customers use e-commerce optionsfor choice and convenience. Even when they decide to goonto the high street, many will have researched online first. They like to know what shops are available nearbyand if they’ll be able to find what they are looking for.

Click and collect buying is increasingly popular; over half of shoppers preferred in store click-collect to make a quick purchase without paying extra delivery charges, or having to wait in for a courier, as reported by an E-Commerce Foundation study on UK E-commerce in 2018.

However, almost half of UK independent retailers still do

not have a selling presence online. These retailers face three main challengeswhen it comes to the successful adoption of e-commerce; time, cost, and know-how.

Their expertise is finding great products and creating a compelling buying experience -not building websites and integrating online shopping carts. To overcome these challenges, they need to find a solution that is low cost and low risk, and which is technologically simple and comes with access to expert support needed, if needed.

High street retailers must not ignore e-commerce -it’s here to stay and will continue to dominate, though there are signs of a return to physical high street shopping.

According to the same E-Commerce Foundation study, 93% of online consumers stated they also shop in physical stores, compared to 90% in 2016. 82% of Generation Y are omnichannel shoppers. It seems more people are beginning

INVESTOR to realise the limitations of online shopping, and the importance of face-to-face interactions in their daily lives.

These interactions can be part of a great buying experience -a friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful salesperson can help you feel great about a purchase.

Ethical and environmental concerns are also beginning to drive consumers to change their shopping habits both online and off. Since 2015 ‘near me’ searches have doubled year-onyear. This suggests that people are beginning to seek out more locally produced and sold items. Consumers online are also still very loyal to local UK based sellers, with 93% of online purchases in 2017 by UK dwellers coming from UK sellers compared to 31% from EU countries.

How High Street retailers can harness the Internet in 2019 Finding a niche online: A strong online presence can help to boost visits to the high street by giving consumers the ability to search by location for specific products, and the option of click and collect. For many sellers, the likes of Amazon and eBay have opened up a new revenue stream.

However, smaller bricks and mortar boutique retailers are likely to get lost amongst the sprawling marketplace that includes online-only sellers selling thousands of products. Using specialised online marketplaces such as Etsy can help smaller sellers stand out from the crowd and are more cost-

effective for smaller budgets.

Another niche marketplace is DownYourHighStreet.com, which focuses specifically on independent bricks and mortar retailers, allowing retailers to create or integrate existing product inventories quickly with easily. The site also offers extra-traffic activities such as discounted Google advertising to attract a wider audience.

Enhancing bricks and mortar service for the digital age A positive in-store experience that promotes and integrates its digital channels well will encourage customers to seek that retailer out for their next online purchase.

Looking at larger retailers such as John Lewis and Apple Stores, they use their shops more like showrooms, providing customers with the opportunity to touch, feel and try out their products, and extra customer service offerings such as technical support, personal shopping and home design services.

Smaller independent retailers can easily adopt this approach and provide customers with expertise-focused extras that support and enhance the online shopping experience.

Using online data to understand customers better Data also plays a big part in a co-supportive omni-channel strategy. What you learn about your online sales will help you totailor store experiences towards your customers’ profile and preferences.

Websites, e-commerce channels and social media are not just opportunities to

promote to a wider audience, they are a means to interact and study the shopping and buying behaviours of customers to help tailor both in-store service and online offering. Social media provides the most cost-effectiveway to conduct valuable market research and behaviour studies. It allows retailers to analyse page analytics and activity patterns, the types of posts followers respond to, conduct polls on customer likes and dislikes, and in addition,to keep an eye on the competition.

Digital and traditional shopping can co-exist. What digital can do is to help high street retailers to make their customers relationshipsstronger.Withaccess to e-commerce becoming easier and more affordable our high streets can become busy and thriving centres again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Whytock is ManagingDirector of DownYourHighStreet.com–a free to join, low commission online market place on a mission to save the UK’s high streets.DownYourHighStreet. com hosts millions of products that were previously unavailable online, with seamless managedservices for UK independent high street shops,allowingsellers to create or integrate their online presence easily and seamlessly with total service support, saving retailers on time and costs traditionally associated with establishing a visible online presence.

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How to create a killer pitch deck when raising finances

By John Auckland

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his article takes my experience of successfully funding around 50 companies and combines this knowledge with research completed by DocSendto find the perfect formula for an engaging, compelling and ultimately easy to digest deck.

1. MULTIPLE DECKS It’s a misconception is that you should have just one deck, it’s illogical. You engage with investors in a number of different ways, and your pitch decks needs to reflect this. As a bare minimum you should prepare three different documents before you start reaching out to investors: • The Exec Summary A standalone teaser document that gives them everything they need to decide if they want to spend the time looking into the opportunity further.

• Presentation Deck A version of your pitch deck that has only images and no words at all, which is designed to be presented over, either in person or on a video 62

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conference. Do you remember the last time you saw a TED Talk with a wordy presentation?

No, because they ban the use of any words in a presentation, unless to highly emphasise a point. If you put words on a screen, people will read the words rather than listen to you.

• The Investor Deck This is what most people create in an attempt to fit everything into one document.

But, of course, if it’s the first thing an investor sees, there is no context, and so the chances of them getting to the core of your opportunity are slim at best. The Investor Deck should be treated as a leave behind only, not something you send out en-masse, or a document you present over (again, they will read the words rather than listen to you presenting).

I have created a handy diagram, showing how and when these different documents are used.

If you utilise these documents as they were meant to be used, and if you optimise them for that specific use, it will increase your investor engagement levels. I’ve been told that this

approach slows the process down. That’s only true if you try to omit key information from the Exec Summary, or you present your pitch in the wrong order, or rush through it without focusing on the detail.

2. ORDER IT RIGHT Getting your Investor Deck in the right order is crucial. Rather than employing guesswork, you can build your deck around aDocSend / Harvard Business School studyinto 200 startups that completed their Seed or Series A rounds. This study tracked the effectiveness of these 200 decks, and arrived at the following as an optimised order in which to put your slides: 1. The Purpose i.e. a summary of what you do and why they should care.

2. The Problem The problem you’re solving, or more accurately, the market opportunity you’re meeting (since you should not use negative language in a deck).

3. The Solution How your solution is uniquely

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Exec Summary Connect with Investor on

Face-to-Face OR Call

LinkedIn

Pitch/networking event

Over £20K

AIN/UKBAA

Yes

Referral

Meet in person Not interested

Send exec summary and qualify size of investment

£5K - £20K

Yes

Arrange Skype or call

ask for feedback

Interested

Under £5K Invest

Leave Behind

Send leave behind

Within one week

Follow up interested or not

ask if they can share

ask for feedback Don’t invest

placed in the market to solve this problem

4. Why Now? Why is this urgent now? Was the market not ready before?

Did the technology not exist to allow it to happen? Are you an evolution or a revolution?

These are all important points -ideas fail to manifest either because they’re bad ideas, or because the market wasn’t ready for them, or because they hadn’t been thought of before. You need to prove to an investor that you don’t fit into the first category. And if you fit in the latter category, you should have a logical argument for why they haven’t been thought of before.

5. Market A deeper dive into the size of the market, its trends and your potential penetration.

and any sales you’ve made so far. You need lots of evidence, stats and testimonials here if you can.

6. Competition Who else is tackling this problem? Make sure you do extensive research because if your investor finds a competitor you missed, it’s a surefire way of them exiting the opportunity. In truth, you want some competitors because educating an entire market on your own is expensive, or it’s a sign that the market isn’t ready.

And everyone has competition.

The competitor to the first motorcar was a horse-drawn carriage.

8. Business Model How do you make money now?

How do you make it in the future? How do you market your product/services and how do those costs fit into the overall model?

7. Product A deeper dive into the product

9. Team This could arguably go higher in the deck, however if you’ve produced a good Exec Summary and Presentation Deck, you’d have already told your personal eureka moment and how you brought other people into your journey.

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relevant, and if they don’t add value take them out (of your team and your deck). If your team is weak in any one area, find an advisor or Non-Exec Director to plug the gap.

10. Financials A financial summary, not ten pages of your entire financial model. Highlight the key areas of your financials and importantly show how and when the investor is likely to make a return.

3. IT’S ABOUT THEM, NOT YOU Your pitch documents are essentially marketing materials, and even experienced marketers make the mistake of talking from their perspective rather than the customer’s (for clarity, in your case the customer is an investor). Copywriters that get paid the big bucks have spent years refining this skill and still often get it wrong, so it’s not an easy task. However, there are some tips to help you deploy more empathy in your writing.

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Visualise your perfect investor and write your documents specifically for them. Even go so far as addressing them in the first person, using the word ‘you’ to get the copy to speak to them directly (stopping short of naming them, of course!).

Read everything you write back out loud. If it sounds like a robot then the reader is less likely | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

•

•

to engage with it. If it sounds like you’re having a conversation with them then they’re more likely to absorb themselves in what you’ve written.

And while you’re reading everything back to yourself, ask yourself of every paragraph, ‘why should an investor care?’ If you don’t have an answer you can probably cut down that sentence or delete it entirely.

Also use fewer, better words to get your point across. Strip as much as you can away without losing the meaning.

Shorter copy is easier to absorb so it’s more likely the reader will make it all the way through.

4. STORY TELLING Most of the advice out there focuses on the rational decision-making centre in an investor’s brain. However, investors are people, and the final decision as to whether they should invest is ultimately an emotional one. People relate to stories and narratives.

These create empathy and build relationships, triggering all sorts of emotions as the investor imagines being in your shoes. Stories have structure -they have a beginning, a middle and an end. They have dramatic moments, and interesting but relatable side anecdotes. They provide so much more flavour and texture to your pitch, which helps the

investor form an opinion about you.

5. PERSONALISE Finally, do your research on the investor you’re meeting with and personalise your materials accordingly. It’s amazing how much you can find out from LinkedIn. If they seem like the type who invests more on a gut feeling, then put your team slides and backstory at the start. If they come across as more analytical, or are known for having a scoring system for appraising new investment opportunities, focus more on the numbers, statistics and evidence. It’s a simple thing, but even putting their name on the front cover can have a profound effect. If you follow these five steps, as the fifty or so companies we’ve helped fund did, then your chances of successfully finding an investor will increase.

John Auckland is a crowdfunding specialist and founder of TribeFirst, a global crowdfunding communications agency that has helped raise in excess of £14.5m for over 50 companies on platforms such as Crowdcube, Seedrs, Indiegogo and Kickstarter –with a greater than 90% success rate.

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China and the UK: Building global trading links

By Dr Johnny Hon Chairman, the Global Group

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set up venture capital, angel investment and strategic consultancy, the Global Group, over 20 years ago, with the aim to facilitate business and commercial opportunities between East and West. To this day, I continue to stand by this guiding principle in pursuit of my passion for facilitating international trade and positive Sino-UK relations. Over the last two decades, we have seen the world become increasingly globalised, with more and more opportunities for cross-border transactions being created than ever before, not least with the rise of e-commerce.

I strongly believe that this growing trend of globalised business and commerce will only continue, despitepresent challenges of unilateralism and protectionism in some quarters. This is particularly true of trade between the East and West and not least between China and the UK. MADE IN CHINA: THE CHINESE MARKET China became the world’s leading trading nation in

2012 and, as the country has progressively opened its doors, its export strength has grown tremendously. China’s

comprises 1.3 billion people, whose diversity is reflected in, for example, the great differences among China’s

“China became the world’s leading tradign nation in 2012 and, as the country has progressively opened its doors, its export has grown tremendously.” exports beat forecasts in June, with a $41.6bn trade surplus generated, the highest level since last December. This fast growth makes China a prime ground for developed economies such as the UK to seek to develop strong and economically beneficial trade and investment relations.

In August, China and the UK signed a landmark £240 million dairy deal, highlighting China’s increased appetite for dairy products and hence the diversification of the UK’s export potential to this crucial market. The Chinese market

major cities. If you are looking to the East for your next investment, it may well pay to look beyond Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. You will find that some of the lesser-known, yet still populous, cities offer a great variety of opportunity: for example, Shenzhen should definitelynot be overlooked by those investors interested in AI and robotics; Hangzhou is a hot spot for cultivating tech start-ups; and Guiyang is continuing to build massively on its burgeoning reputation as the nation’s hub for big data.

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MARKET The UK, and the City in particular, has long been a popular financial hub for foreign investors. At a time of great technological innovation, the nation’s renowned entrepreneurial spirit and start-up culture are helping it to become an even more attractive proposition. This is also reflected in the substantial interest from Chinese investors in UK property. London remains popular, of course, with a 65% year-on-year rise in enquiries, but perhaps more strikingly, northern cities are also proving to be attractive destinations for Chinese investment, with Manchester and Liverpool seeing increases of 200% and 162.5% respectively.

Similarly to China, trade and investment opportunities in the UK have diversified for Chinese suitors and have also grown in both quantity and value. According to a report

by China Daily and Grant Thornton, an accounting and consulting firm, private sector investment from China grew last year by 71%, across a variety of sectors ranging from technology, media and telecommunications totravel and hospitality and

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manufacturing. State owned enterprises –primarily focused on financial services and the energy and utilities sectors -performed even better, achieving an investment growth rate of 174%.

A WELL-SUITED MATCH There are already many strong and long-standing commercial links between China and the UK and they have only been strengthened over the years. Such links are likely to strengthen still further as the UK considers its place in the world postBrexit. We are already starting to see potential opportunities attract those entrepreneurs who have a far-sighted eye for solidifying future partnerships.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -considered by many as the greatest investment opportunity in decades –can help create a huge trading infrastructure capable of moving vast amounts of goods between East and West more speedily and efficiently than ever before. It promises to boost trade and stimulate economic growth by significantly improving China’s connectivity with some of its key trading partners.

The Arctic route is another

facet of BRI which is being increasingly explored. Known for its rich natural and mineral resources, the Arctic also offers the possibility of a strategic link between northeast Asia and northern Europe. Theproposed Polar Silk Road would increase trading options between the two continents and would improve journey times considerably –12 days shorter than the traditional route via the Indian Ocean and Suez Canal. It is estimated this could save 300 tonnes infuel on each journey, making exports more competitive in both directions.

The UK and China’s rich heritage of shared trade can surely only be further enhanced by such developments, giving plenty of grounds for optimism.

In February of this year, Prime Minister Theresa May, on her visit to China, reaffirmed the British commitment to a ‘golden era’ in the Sino-UK relationship and sealed it with a handshake with President Xi Jinping. Now is the time to look to the future.

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Do you have a scientific product to get to market

By Professor John Hunter

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etting any product to market is a challenge but with scientific products there are added hurdles. If your product is in medical equipment, food & nutrition, veterinary, healthetc.it willneed rigorous testing and supporting evidence to gain credibility with, and confidence from potential buyers a well as meeting regulatory requirements.After many years of research and testing my company, Tharos™, launched Equinectar®, an enzyme-enriched feed supplement for performance racehorses. The journey from getting the science rightto raising investment has been a significant challenge, and we’ve learned every step of the way.

Let me share advice based on our journey 1. PREPARE TO EXPAND YOUR FIELD OF REFERENCE Ideas and inspiration can come from unexpected sources. I was speaking to a journalist about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in humans, my area of focus at

the time. He asked if horses suffer from IBS. I didn’t know, so I decided to investigate. I found that horses do suffer from IBSlike symptoms.It was only by looking at horses specifically that I got the inklingthat some conditions, such as IBS, may be caused by undigested starch fermenting in the large intestine. I reasoned that we could improve the digestion of starch by increasing the levels of amylase –an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates into sugars –and less fermentation would occur in the intestine. This began our journey.

My advice would be to be to look out for interesting ideas, explore the existing research and see what you find. Meet people in different areas of expertise. Crossover points often bring insight and can inspire the development of something new.

2. INVEST IN THE SCIENCE The problem with many socalled scientific products is

that they’re based on old wives’ tales. Real, solid science and clear evidence is essential.

If you focus on building a company rather than getting the science right you are, to use an appropriate idiom, putting the cart before the horse. You need money to get credible scientific proof, so concentrate on that. Don’t spend it elsewhere unless you really have to, or you’ll risk running out of cash. We were very mindful not to fall into this trap. Instead, we focused our initial investment and resources on working with some of the best specialist gut health scientists in the UK and abroad. We ran studies with a number of universities and other research institutions. By building up a body of scientific evidence we have managed to gain greater buy-in from investors, helping us to gain more scientific backing. This led us to a position where we were confident in our products’ efficacy and had a wealth of evidence to prove it. Then we entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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3. BUILD CREDIBILITY Despite focusing on science, it’s still difficult to convince people of your product’s efficacy. We were a new company targeting the racehorse industry -a sector not well known for its incorruptibility. People were sceptical, especially given the significance of our results. The way we tackled this particular challenge was twofold: by working with well-respected vets and stables, and by writing and publishing papers in peer-

“look out for interesting ideas. explore the existing research and see what you find.”

reviewed journals. Fortunately, the performance equine market is quite niche. We could run a presentation to vets and trainers in Newmarket, tapping into the most influential horseracing market in one fell swoop. We began ad-hoc trials of the product in stables and demonstrated improvements in performance and overall condition of the horses over five years, providing firsthand experience to influential market leaders.Secondly, we wrote and published articles in peer-reviewed journals which helped us build credibility for the science. Start with a small market where you can reach the right people. Let them see the product in action and take 68

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part in trials. Focus your writing on peer-reviewed journals for the sector. By starting with a smaller group you can gain traction faster, and then expand. If you aim too widely, you’ll need a lot of money to gain any sort of awareness and traction. So, focus on one area at a time.

4. GET EXPERT HELP WITH PATENTS Particularly tricky was dealing with patents for our product.

We needed the evidence before we were confident in applying for the patents, but we needed patents before we could publish any details. So, while we were publishing in journals, we had to be very careful about what we included. Giving away our ‘special sauce’ in published papers would mean it was in the public domain and invalidate our patent applications. My advice is to hire a good patent lawyer to help you write your patents in order to expedite the process and to advise you on what you can and can’t include in your published research.

5. UNDERSTAND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS Every product, and especially a scientific product, needs to pass certain regulatory requirements.

Medical products take the longest to process.

Fortunately, Equinectar® is classified as a food supplement rather than a medical product, so the regulations are less heavy.

Regulatory approval takes time. Knowing what regulatory framework your product will fall into and how long the process should take, will help

you manage your cash flow until you are approved. This may also affect your choice of ingredients. Everything within Equinectar® is included on the Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) list, making it easier to gain regulatory approval from BETA and NOPS. If you are using any prohibited or novel ingredients in your product it could take much longer to gain approval. Consider this at the development stage.

In conclusion it is inevitably the case that when bringing a scientific product to market you will need a lot of money.

Planning, budgeting, managing cash flow need to be your focus so that you canpay for specialist studies, product development, patents, lawyers, regulatory approval and your team. The hurdles may be high but they are worth jumping!

Professor Hunter is founder of Tharos, an equine health company. He was a Consultant Physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, Visiting Professor of Medicine at Cranfield University, and is a recognised authority on diseases of the gut, including Crohn’s disease, colitisand irritable bowel syndrome. Professor Hunter has published books in this field and contributed over 150 research papers to major medical journals. He has also been a consultant to international companies including Shell, Unilever, Nutricia, Quest International and Marlow Foods.Website: www.tharos.co.uk

INVESTOR

Key Steps to get 3rd party sellers signed up to sell via your platform and grow your market place

By Tomas Zalatoris

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he moment is here. As marketplaces continue to disrupt just about every industry, 2018 is an excellent year for entrepreneurs to found an online marketplace.

Third-party sellers are people who are selling via sites like Amazon -rather than from their own website. This allows Amazon to generate additional revenue without stocking the products. It also offers the seller a platform, with a proven ‘footfall’, upon which to sell their products -without the need to set up their own ecommerce site from scratch.

In 2017, Amazon generated $31.88 billion in third-party seller service revenues, up from $22.99 billion in the previous year.

The likes of eBay and Amazon will continue to dominate.

However, they may not always be the right choice for specialist sellers who want to reach a bigger audience and continue to give their customers great value and exemplary service.

That is why entrepreneurs can seize the opportunities to create more niche and

specialised market places.

Those that have sprung up in recent years offer alternatives to more generalised platforms that may not have as much focus on seller and customer support, or may not be able to attract the niche audience needed.

If you already have an ecommerce site attracting third party seller can be a great way to expand your offering, increase revenues, and give customers even more reasons to come to your site ahead of anyone else in the sector. So, how can you attract third-party sellers to sell via your site?

sample products or flyers in subscription boxes can be of huge value to third party sellers who are looking for something more than a space in which to sell.

They will also want to see you provide incentives for customers: Coupons; free delivery; ultra-fast hyper local delivery; etc. You need to provide benefits that can help sellers provide better customer service at minimum cost and timespend. Investing time in forging strategic business partnerships will enable you to offer a range of attractive incentives.

1. VALUABLE INCENTIVES First and foremost, you need to offer incentives to set you apart from the competition.

Think about what your target market is lacking; a large proportion of third party sellers will be small businesses, so they won’t have the budget to explore alternative promotional activities and advertising online.

Access to extra traffic activities, e.g. discounted Google ads, and

2. SEAMLESS EASE Third party sellers sign up to marketplaces that provide a low barrier to entry, with minimal or no sign up costs and, just as importantly, easy set up. The last thing any small business wants is an extra administrative headache –particularly if they already have a presence on other marketplaces. So, you need to ensure your platform is seamless and easy to use -even entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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for the most inexperienced of sellers. Your clients will want to make their first sale as soon as possible, so you should be aiming to have them live on the marketplace within 24 hours. Allowing sellers to integrate existing websites and inventoriesis a huge advantage.

It should be as simple as possible to upload, create and manage all content, from images to pricing information, from SEO to added extras such as video creation and hosting -all this will make a massive difference to sellers.

3. BRAND SYNERGY The advantage that niche or specialised marketplaces have over the likes of Alibaba is that it is easier to resonate with a particular type of seller, and provide specific expertise and brand synergy when selling and promoting products.

Brand synergy is about having a common vision, and everything from your design to your company values needs to strike a chord with the third party sellers and the customers they are targeting. Being more thoughtful about whom you target doesn’t restrict your platform; on the contrary it can help create more rewarding, mutually beneficial relationships. When promoting your marketplace, talk less about hosting and platforms and more about collaboration and community, and get to the bottom of what value you andthe seller can provide to

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the customer as a joint force.

4.

STRONG MARKETING STRATEGY A good marketing plan goes beyond reaching your target audience of sellers –those sellers will also want to see that you have a detailed marketing strategy in placethat is growing your online audience, which will in turn grow theirs.

Make use of social media targeted marketing to attract sellers, and show sellers you have a strategic approach to marketing that will grow your audience and theirs. You can use live events and video to explain your platform and USPs, and talk about your success stories and testimonials from existing sellers.

5. TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY Sellers need to feel that they have honest support and full transparency when it comes to the payment cycle and settling disputes. To establish a trust relationship, you need to show you are able to listen to the concerns of both sellers and customers, and offer full transparency on both payment cycles and commissions.

Provide clear, easy to read terms and conditions and a disputes policy that is supportive of both sides.

And make sure someone is available to answer questions and concerns –direct, anytime customer service support from your team can give you the edge over larger marketplaces

that rely onautomation and blanket procedures.

6. SAFETY AND SECURITY Last but certainly not least, no seller will trust you with their products and payments without a diligent focus on data privacy and security, so ensure that your procedures and protections areup to scratch.

To keep payments secure (and ease the burden of financial administration), choose a payment service provider such as Stripe or Adyen, that is compliant with PCI DSS, a set of industry standards for the prevention of fraud.Customer service must be the focus.

If you provide exceptional end customer service, and understand theservice that third party sellers need to look aftertheir customers, you will not only have many third-party sellers joining your platform they’ll be loyal customerstoo.

Tomas Zalatoris is CEO and cofounder of Clouder.co.uk, the UK’s first established online vape marketplace.

Citations: In 2017, Amazon generated $3 1.88 billion in thirdparty seller service revenues... https://www.statista.com/ statistics/259782/third-partyseller-share-of-amazon-platform/

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Email marketing for beginners

By Marios Italos

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fter a period, where spammers and listbuyers damaged its credibility, email marketingis now very much back on the advertising agenda. It delivers great results, including some of the best ROI available –generating up to 58% of all revenue, according to the Direct Marketing Association – but it only works when you get it right. Far from being a simple case of jotting down a few promotions and sending them out into the world, there’s a real science behind successfulemail marketing. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s difficult to master; you just need to follow the rules.

The Rules of Successful Email Marketing 1. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN Email marketing is a great way to get quick results, but only if you put the effort into planning ahead of your campaign launch.

Focus on the reason why you’re sending out the email –what you hope to achieve by it. Who you’re sending it to – this will help you select the best language to reach your chosen demographic, as well

as shaping to your emailing schedule. And consider the number of emails you’re intending to send –while most campaigns require more than one hit, you don’t want to bombard and thus irritate your subscriber list. Finally, create a list of goals for each planned email. The great thing about email marketing is that it can supply you with a huge amount of data, so you can track your performance as you go. If you’re not certain how to do this, consider using an email service provider (ESP).

3. SEGMENT YOUR MAILING LIST The important thing to remember with any form of marketing is that one size never fits all. To avoid alienating your subscribers, only send them the things that they want to hear. So, if you’re an organic food company, for example, don’t send a meat promotion to your vegetarian subscribers.

If people repeatedly receive messages that they don’t want to read they will unsubscribe, which gets you nowhere.

2. BUILD A STRONG AND GENUINE MAILING LIST As tempting as it might seem, never purchase a subscriber list. Stepping away from the fact that sendingunsolicited emails is illegal in a number of countries, sending unwanted emails is self-defeating anyway. All you will achieve is a massive increase in spam reporting, which could lead to your domain being blacklisted

by ISPs. Whereas emails that have been requested could result in actual sales. It’s kind of a no-brainer.

4. TEST, USE YOUR DATA AND TEST AGAIN Whether you’re working with an ESP or your own system, email marketing can reveal a huge amount about your subscribers.

Using splittesting on all aspects of your campaign, from subject headers to sending times, allows you to more accurately tailor your content to achieve better results. Very few other mediums enable you to do this with such accuracy.

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE No one wants to open a entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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marketing email that they have to think about. That’s not to say that your content shouldn’t be thought-provoking, but that your messages should be clear, concise and with a great hook. If someone opens your email and has to think ‘what’s this about, then?’, then you’ve failed. So, be direct and draw people in. Questions are a great way ofdoing this.

6. COPY IS KING The thing with email is that it doesn’t really matter what you’re selling/ promoting, if you’re not doing it justice with your words. Writing inviting copy, which conveys interesting –ideally, useful –information is one of theeasiest ways to engage your readers. And engaged readers are far more likely to respond to yourcall to action.

7. PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST SPAM FILTERS ISP spam filters are becoming more and more effective, and this is a good thing for you. It means that people are receiving less junk, so they’re paying more attention to their inboxes.

However, because of the improvements in this area, it is easy to find your own genuine messages accidentally caught in spam traps. Not only does this mean that all your hardwork is going to waste because no one is seeing your emails, but that you face the threat of being blacklisted, so 72

no one will see any of your messages ever again. Disaster.

There are steps that you can take to protect yourself though.

Be careful with thelanguage you use in your subject lines –anything too promotional attracts the wrong sort of attention. Javascript, RSS feeds and untidy code also work as

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flags to ISPs. Most importantly of all, however, is how your emails are received. If they’re not opened or continually bounce back to you, then they will appear unsolicited, which is the very definition of spam. An email verification tool, like EmailVerifier.com, which uses a unique algorithm to perform syntax checks, email domain server checks, and does SMTP checks to confirm email accounts exists, as well as many more real time proprietary checks, can

help you dramatically reduce bounced emails and protect your email sending reputation.

8. KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL, BUT MAKE IT PERSONAL Using an email template can give your campaign consistency and style. Using software to personalise each message –addressing recipients by their names, using targeted information (this goes back to segmenting) –can increase company image while creating the impression that your customers are more than just numbers to you. This builds loyalty and increases the likelihood of customer engagement. When you’re starting out with any kind of marketing, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The thing is, email marketing is such a useful tool, and once you really understand it, it can deliver incredible results. That makes it worth the effort in my book.

Marios is the founder of EmailVerifier.coma product of Intergo Interactive Ltd, a Cyprus-based creator of awardwinning SaaS technology products.

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How to develop a product with timeless design and commercial success

By Mat Rauzier

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ow to develop a product with timeless design -and commercial successBy Mat Rauzier, Every entrepreneur dreams of creating products filled with originality. However, no idea is truly original. Ideas are always inspired by something or, indeed, a combination of things.What businesses need is to combineideas, aesthetics, concept, trends, materials and approaches. This will lead to adesign which is ‘original’ in the practical sense.In recent years I’ve noticed designers increasingly looking back to classic, timeless designs for inspiration. Using a classic style as their starting point, designers began adding their own modern twists, such as integrating new technology or a current visual concept. One of the first brands to achieve this successfully was Ford with their redesigned Mustang, which featured in the Transformers film. The transformation from iconic muscle car to modern coupe signalledthe reinvention of this American classic.

Importantly, the original design was still clearly visiblewithin

the modern reinvention.

The chassis still bulges with implied muscle, the headlights are nearly identical, and the grill looks just as ready to eat tarmac. Let me sharesome useful principles of timeless design that can help inspire you when it comes to creating the right modern aesthetic for your product, one that will appeal to your customers.

1. Purpose vs clutter As the famous designer, Dieter Rams, once said: “Less, but better.”

This design philosophy helped Rams become an icon of 20thcentury design in his own right.

By including only elements with real purpose, you strip away the unnecessary clutter that can muddle a design, filling the product with simplicity and purpose.Focusing on purpose also brings you back to the most fundamental aspect of any design: the user. What does the user need? What do they want? How do they want to feel? What elements are essential to make that happen?Original mp3 players featured lots of clicky buttons–

on the side, the front, and integrated into the headphones themselves. Designers kept adding technology to a small form factor, creating ugly, overcomplicated products that frustrated as much as they entertained. Apple stripped the iPod of these bells and whistles, focusing on simplicity.

The real stroke of genius was the touch wheel. It provided infinite navigation with a single touch –not endless clicking of plastic buttons –making it easier and more enjoyable to find and play music. Include only what fulfils the brief; ditch anything extraneous. Timeless designs aren’t works of art or purely decorative objects; they don’t include trendy features or added frills. They are unobtrusive and leave room for the customer’s selfexpression.

2. Attention to small details.

Simple design isn’t simple. It’s a lot harder to pack features into a simple design than it is to add them to an existing and possibly already complicated product. You need to reentrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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engineer the design from the ground up, turning your attention to the small details that provide functionality, yet maintain simplicity.The majority of your customers may not even notice these small details on their own, but the overall effect these details create will leave an impression.

Take Henry Dreyfuss’ AT&T Model 500 phone, for example, which was launched in 1949.

When connections became automatic (i.e. without the need for an operator) phone designers realised they needed to allow for complex dialling patterns and, in 1929, the first AT&T rotary phone was born.

Yet, previous iterations tended to be attached to the wall and some required a separate speaker and mouthpiece.

They also featured clunky, heavy handsets. Dreyfuss completely redesigned the rotary phone, adding in subtle features that transformed his design into an instant classic.

The handset was made of plastic, creating ergonomic rounded edges and shedding a lot of weight.

Letters were added below the numbers to make it easier to remember phone numbers.

He even used early industrial psychology and consumer testing to find the ideal chord length.

These features became commonplace on rotary phones and you probably take them for granted now. Yet it was this attention to detail that transformed the humble Model 74

500 into a commercial success and cemented itsposition as a timeless classic.

3. Incorporate brand identity Brand identity has always been important. Customers don’t just buy products, they buy personalities that chime with their own needs and sense of identity. From the psychology of colour to finding the perfect font –businesses can spend hundreds of thousands on defining their brand identity.

lineup. They are stripped back, low-riding, chrome and metal beasts. There’s no mistaking a Harley for a Yamaha, for example, and Harley will never release a glossy, carbonfibre sports bike.Not only has Harley’s brand identity helped solidify their bikes as timeless American classics, they’ve inspired entire subcultures.

4. Innovative and useful So far, the emphasis has been on form. But a consumer product, if it is going to sell well, needs to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Sure, some products are purely form over function but the best, most timelessdesigns strike a perfect balance between the two.It wasn’t new technology that made the iPod revolutionary, it was the novel, simple yet attractive design that made the standard mp3 features easier and more intuitive to use.It’s the design philosophy that took Apple from a garage startup to become the most profitable company in the world and turned Steve Jobs into a design icon. The inspiration for Rayvolt bikes came from classic motorcycles –the early 1900’s Indian and the 1960 Cafe Racer, for example.Yet, simply incorporating design elements from these classic motorcycles

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It’s just as important, then, to incorporate your brand identity into your product designs. I don’t just mean using the same shade of red featured in your logo. I mean basing your design ethos around your brand’s values and culture so that they are instantly recognisable.

Even those who have never ridden a motorbike could pick a Harley Davidson from a

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into a modern bicycle would have fallen short of offering true innovation.Instead, the company looked at the details of classic bikes, like the 1970 Beach Cruiser, and found ways ofintegrating new technology.

A 1100w motor supplies power to the pedals, turning it into a modern ebike, while the Electronic Intelligent Vehicle Assistant (EIVA)onboard computer allows the rider to monitor and adjust settings for a perfectly smooth ride.But most ebikes boast similar features -which is why the innovation of features that are truly useful is so important. In Rayvolt’s case, this is the introduction of regenerative braking and gyroscopic adaption. These features are practical and capitalise on the key benefits of an ebike over a traditional pushbike, adding functionality without compromising on simplicity.

and construction increase product costs, but longevitywill be improved. Customers usually prefer a product that will last and will payextra for it.

Mat Rauzieris a design engineer and founder of Rayvolt a range of premium, design-led electric bikes that take inspiration from iconic brands and designs such as the Californian Beech Cruiser, the Indian Chief, CafĂŠ Racer and classic Harley Davidson. Mat is wellknown in the world of paddle-boarding as Head of SUP Design for leading watersports brand Starboard. https://www.rayvoltbike.com/

5. Design to last Timeless design, by definition, stands the test of time. It holds up to knocks and bumps, it can be patched up and fixed, and it looks beautiful even when old and rusty. It only takes one look in an auto trader magazine to find a classic 1960s Ford Mustang in good working order, and then compare its price and desirability to a ten-year-old Chrysler PT Cruiser...

Inevitably high-quality components

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Not ALL Debt Was BORN Bad:

By Philip Belamant, CEO and Founder of Zilch

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or businesses, there’s a prevailingmyth that no debt is good debt; from concerns about national borrowing, to consumers trapped in cycles of debt through credit card spending, and graduates saddled with large student loans. However, while ‘bad’ debt can createa never-ending borrowing cycle, ‘good’debt-if used smartly-can serve as a wealth-enhancing tool.

Further, good forms of debt as well as newer forms of borrowing such as buy now pay later offerings can work to ease dayto-day cash flow if used correctly.

Responsible forms ofborrowing can therefore be beneficial to businesses for facilitating growth, and innovations in payment methods mean there are more ways borrowing which can help start-ups and entrepreneurs when beginning their business journeys.

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Why we should encourage responsible borrowing

GOOD AND BAD DEBT Good debt is typically viewed as a type of debt that is taken on long-term to improve a person’s life, providing long-term benefits which will generally outweigh the cost of the loans themselves.

Student loans, business loans or car loans are all those that have the potential to allow a person to increase their income over the longer term or as tools in the production of income, while mortgages theoretically represent a wealth creation plan.

Bad debt, on the other hand, is taken primarily to pay for something someone can’t afford and is seen as a conveniencerelated debt, such as borrowing short-term, high-interest loans such as payday loans. Since these are offered at short-term notice, individuals seeking them are by necessity in more desperate need of quick financial gains and

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are consequently financially vulnerable going forward. As high-risk individuals, they are unlikely to be able to meet future payments, and liable to quickly become trapped within a cycle of debt. Credit cards are another form of debt deemed ‘bad’, since they’re often used as an extension of the pay-check. They are revolving debt, which makes it easy to continue borrowing even after making monthly payments andcome with variable interest rates and often complicated T&Cs that can leave users vulnerable to taking on further debtwithout realising it.

NEW PAYMENT OFFERINGS Cashflow is one of the greatest problems a business has to face, as businesseswait on clients to pay bills so they can pay theirs, and for customers to spend in order to generate revenue.New forms of debt, such as transparent buy now pay later offerings,can provide users with the ability to spend using staggered payments which sees them pay on invoice rather than taking on ‘bad’ debt. By implementing these new offerings into payment methods, businesses can encourage consumers to take on more responsible forms of borrowing. Customers are thus able to make purchases more often and more regularly, since their cashflow is improved.

Businesses are as such able to benefit from more regular and frequent spending, as well as higher average transaction values and more normalised sales distributions month-to-month;since customers are able to spend mid-month instead of waiting until pay-day. The normalised sales distribution thereby generated means improved cashflow and predictable forecasting, which is good for businesses starting outand reduces the need for deep discounting promotions.Millennials are the most likely to take on these new forms of borrowing, being more averseto takingon debt than other generations, with many young adults in their mid20s to mid-30s not using credit at all.

With millennials desiring more control andtransparency over their finances, forward-looking entrepreneurs need to find ways to target this demographic and offer flexible, interest-free credit agreements. Business leaders need to integrate flexible, transparent credit options that allow consumers to pay over time for purchases that don’t catch them out through interest charges or hidden fees. By encouraging young professionals to take on responsible levels of good debt, more spending power will be put back into the economy—which can only be good for businessand the consumer!

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Why a Franchise is a great alternative to starting your own business

By Matthew Hernon

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here are a number of important differences between starting your own business and taking on a franchise. It essentially boils down to how you really feel about ownership: As the owner of an independent small business, you will invariably have absolute responsibility for all of the business decisions. Even though as a franchise owner you would lose those decision-making powers, in return you will gain the multiple advantages of being part of a much larger umbrella organisation which has a proven track record of business success. So, let’s look at why buying a franchiseis a great alternative to running your own business.

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YOU RECEIVE A TURNKEY PACKAGE Any franchise will be a fully developed business delivered to you as a ‘tried and tested model’. So, right from the outset you can operate the business and, of course, start earning profits virtually from day one. If your own marketing or operating skills are relatively weak, a franchise can be a great way to get into the game sooner than would otherwise be possible.

YOU GET CONSISTENT FRANCHISE SUPPORT As an independent business owner, it can be very difficult to get timely access to the multiple kinds of support you will need –especially right at the start.

However, when investing in a franchise you will have the full support of the dedicated team that initially developed the business. As a franchise owner,

you can guarantee that you will be in business for yourself –but never by yourself. After all, it’s also in your franchisor’s interests to see that you become successful.

YOU OPERATE UNDER A KNOWN BRAND NAME With a franchise you will be trading under a brand name which already has its own proven market profile. So, rather than spending time and money trying to develop your own brand in order to acquire customers, you can get straight down to operating the business and making money. In addition, that also means you will make a much faster return on your initial investment.

YOU GET PREFERENTIAL PRICES As part of a franchise group, your equipment and trading materials can always be

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purchased at preferential rates.

This is because a group has more leverage with suppliers than could ever be achieved by a sole independent trader.

Your operating costs will be lower for a franchise operation than would apply if you were running the same business for yourself as an independent owner.

Your Questions Answered Some common questions people ask about investing in a franchise include: BUT WHAT IF I WANT CONTROL OF THE BUSINESS? It’s of course true that you will be running the business according to an agreed template. But, when it comes to growth and development of each franchise, there are many franchise businesses that are happy to allow their

franchisees to have some input. After all, if you have some great ideas, then it’s just a sound business strategy to listen to what you have to say. Many franchises offer the opportunity for franchisees to meet on a regular basis for this reason, so it is always worth enquiring about this when shopping for a franchise opportunity.

ISN’T A FRANCHISE JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE A LARGE INVESTMENT? No, you can find franchise opportunities requiring a broad range of investment input – some for an initial investment as low as £3k, or less!

SURELY THERE WON’T BE A FRANCHISE IN AN INDUSTRY I’M INTERESTED IN? There are franchises available in most business sectors.

And many businesses which you might initially believe are

independent are, in fact, a franchise. If you are considering investing in a franchise, then your initial due diligence of every detail of the franchise offer is absolutely key to the whole process. Not only will it enable you to find a reputable franchise business, it will also help you to locate a franchising team you can really work with, and who will support you every step of the way.It will also ensure you secure the kind of profitable workflows and working environment you can see yourself wanting to commit to for many years to come.

Matthew Hernon, Account Manager, Dynamis, looks after Business Transfer Agents and Franchises across BusinessesForSale.com and FranchiseSales.com.

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THE PROPERTY TRENDS THAT BUCK THE MARKET

BY HENRI SANT-CASSIA, CEO WWW.ONEANDONLYPRO.COM

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ou’ve picked up the fearful whispers about the mythical Brexit effect -some say it’s a risky time to buy property -but having studied all the property data in the UK, I have never seen a better opportunity to invest.

Before explaining why, I want to deal with a majormisconception.

People talk about the property market as if they weregoing to purchase the whole of the UK’sstock of properties.

Yet changes in average pricesand general market trendshave nothing to do with specific properties.

Asintelligent investorsour objectiveshould always be to findthe best property deal in our chosenlocation.

If we can find a great deal, and buy at the right price for that specific piece of real estate, all the white noise in the marketplace fades into the background.

YIELDS ARE HIGHER THAN EVER Right now,yields are spectacular. Even in sought after areas, oras I prefer to say, ‘overbought’ areas such as St Albans and

“I have never seen a better opportunity to invest.”

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Guildford,property with yieldsof 9% caneasily be found. A property yielding9% would actually give a return of around 33% when bought with the leverage of amortgage.

So,in 3 years you would have returned your initial outlay.

You’d be hard pushed to find that kind of return from any type of investment, especially

an investment backed by the security of bricks and mortar.

SPINNING PLATES THEORY The market depends on the different plates which are spinning. After the credit crunch of 2008 the finance plate stopped spinning. For cash investors and those who were still creditworthy this created a fantastic buying opportunityand tidy returns.

When a property plate stops spinning, it provides savvy investors with an opportunity.

Today plates are spinning in seemingly crazy patterns, and this is producing more chances to find a winning investment than ever. When my parents look at the market today, they can’t believe there is so much negative sentiment. For example, you can purchase houses and flats in the Midlands and the north for around £40,000.

The mortgage on such a property would be around £60. I have paid more for

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phone contracts. You could clear your mortgage within a fewyears if you applied all your rental income to mortgage debt. Numbers never lie, and these are fundamentals, not opinion.

An intelligentinvestor knowsthat times of negative sentimentgive the greatest opportunities. As Warren Buffet said, “It is wise to be fearfulwhen others are greedy and greedy when others arefearful.”

FINANCE Finance is freely available, unlikein2008 when the banks were looking at reasons not to lend, and in 1997 when buy to let mortgages did not exist. Yes, lending criteria have tightened, but there are more buy to let products coming onto the market, and lenders are keen to put their funds to work.

FALSE NEGATIVITY Yes,stamp duty has been increased but mark my words the same investors who don’t want to pay £3,000 stamp duty on a £100,000 propertyare going to be kicking themselves when the priceof the property hits £200,000.Those worried about Section 20 tax changescan usea limitedcompanyto avoid the new rates.

Even without this protection, the numbers still stack up. The same properties which were renting for £400 in 2006 which had mortgage payments of £400 are now renting for £525 with mortgage payments of £80. Even with a tax hike, there is still a massive margin to be made.

RENTAL DEMAND Demand for rental property from both professional tenants and receipt of housing benefits is high. My parents talk aboutthe days when the government had adequate social housing, and my friends are constantlyon the lookoutfor rentals.

Our figures suggest demand has never been higher, and is continuing to rise.

INTEREST RATES Buy to let interest rates are at historic lows. Buy to let finance can be foundat 1.8%. Interestrates have been as high as 10%+, and propertiesstill rose in price.

Lower interest rates should increase prices even further.

DEAL AVAILABILITY There are some very motivated sellersdue to Brexit and tax changes.

Remember, it’s about finding the right property at the right price. Analysing all properties for sale in theUK our AI systemat One & Only Proclassifies only around 3% as worthwhile investments with 97% overvalued and possibly due to correct downwards. The key is finding your property within that 3%.You may think you do not have the ability or the skills of a seasoned property investor, but new technology means the playing field is now level. Excellent investments can now be found in a few clicks.

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Is 2019 the year cryptocurrencies live up to their full potential?

By Samuel Leach

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en years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto published his revolutionary white paper outlining the concept for Bitcoin -a decentralised digital currency. The pseudonymous Nakamoto hada vision for a digital currency founded on the principles of cryptography, and his white paper ultimately paved the way for over 2,000 altcoinsto follow closely in the footsteps of the original cryptocurrency. Next month will mark a decade since the world’s first ever Bitcoin was mined, and yet it’s easy to recognise that digital currencies are yet to live up to their incredible potential.

But with a significant amount of institutional investment of the horizon, regulatory standards being considered by governments across Europe, and Stablecoins reaching wider market adoption, could 2019 be 82

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the year that cryptocurrencies live up to their full potential?

RISING INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT Many early investors in cryptocurrencies were drawn to them by their innovative nature and the potential for remarkably high returns.

However, the absence of regulation, and the innate volatility of cryptocurrencies has meant that institutional investors have historically been reluctant to associate themselves with even the most well-known coins. However, in a move that surprised their institutional peers, Goldman Sacs recently confirmed the launch of its own Bitcoin exchange. At the beginning of November, the multinational investment bank began on boarding customers to its new crypto trading desk.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, has also scheduled the launch of their bitcoin futures project for the end of the year. According to ICE, these contracts will be backed by bitcoin reserved held in its Digital Asset Warehouse, meaning that actual bitcoins will be transacted after the expiry of the contract. Hedge funds also recently replaced high-net-worth individuals asthe biggest buyers of large volumes of digital currencies –with transactions consistently reaching values of $100,000,000 or more. These hedge funds are purchasing coins from institutional miners in scheduled private over-thecounter (OTC) sales.

These announcements are all indicative of a shift towards greater adoption of cryptocurrencies amongst

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major institutions within the financial services industry, and as with many innovative technologies, these investments represent a major vote of confidence.

IMPROVED REGULATORY OVERSIGHT While some industry insiders remain surprisingly sceptical about the potential impact that regulation will have on the cryptocurrency landscape, you only have to look to the volatility of the market over the past 12 months to understand why greater legislative oversight will have a positive impact on the industry.

A balanced, transparent, legislative environment will not only be fundamental to the sustainable growth of cryptos but also to greater widespread adoption. There’s little doubt that regulation represents a positive development for innovative new industries, particularly those faced with challenges in relation to their confidence, stability, and reliability.

Regulation for the cryptocurrency sector will help to protect investors from rouge ICO projects run by disreputable companies, and also work to hold those behind schemes designed to lure in investment under false

pretences accountable for their actions.

Earlier this year, the UK’s treasury committee recommended that the FCA extend the Regulated Activities Order to cover digital assets in order to provide the regulatory body with the necessary powers to protect consumers and maintain market authority. The committees’ recommendations also indicate that the establishment of a clear regulatory frame has the potential to position the UK as a global hub for cryptocurrency innovation.

STABLECOIN ADOPTION Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrencies pegged directly to a real-world asset, such as gold, or the dollar. This market is currently dominated

by Tether (USDT) which currently accounts for 98% of all stablecoin trading volumes, however there are now over 50 stablecoins in existence.

As implied by theirname, stablecoins differ from traditional cryptocurrencies like bitcoin intheir comparatively high stability.

By striving to maintain price parity with traditional assets, stablecoins are protected from the market conditions which lead to the characteristic volatility associated with

traditional cryptocurrencies.

In September of this year, a UK based start-up announcement the launch of a stablecoin pegged to the pound – marking the emergence of another contender to USDT’s dominance of thestablecoin market.

For investors stablecoins like Tether can be utilised to safeguard gains made in other forms of cryptos. While for merchants and consumers they represent a greater sense of confidence and reliability. There’s little debating that cryptocurrencies are yet to live up to their tremendous potential.

However, with mass consumer awareness increasing, large financial institutions beginning to show positive signs of greater investment, governments making strides towards creating a more transparent regulatory landscape and new innovative products –like stablecoins – entering the market 2019 will likely be a year of great progress for both individual cryptocurrencies and the wider landscape as a whole.

Samuel Leach is the Founder of Yield Coin.

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Investing in Luxury

By Dr. Johnny Hon, Chairman and Founder, The Global Group

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ne of my greatest pleasures as a businessman is the ability it gives me to turn a passion into an investment opportunity. Since setting up the Global Group a little over two decades ago, the company has grown into a diversified venture capital and angel investment firm, with wideranging projects spanning a myriad of specialisms, including the luxury sector.

Investing in luxury can provide the perfect intersection between business and pleasure. It allows you to enjoy your interests, while also potentially building your wealth and that of your business.

I also aim to support, guide and adviseotherstomakeinvestments thatfueltheirpassionsbothinside and outside of business.

Investing in art, fine wine and horse racing are three of my passions. But like all areas of business they are not simple and very much have their own special characteristics.

Whilst, of course, they all have potential to make money, with wine probably being the easiest and most realistic option for people of relatively modest means, it is the case that more so than in many other sectors, these can be the areas where you utilise your success and 84

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your wealth to help you enjoy life. And, as ever, I also like to look for a philanthropic angle.

This is especially relevant in regard to art, where patronage from an investor can really help to propel a budding artist’s career.

Given the right circumstances and resources, opportunities in the luxury sector can beprofitable for your business.

But if you are coming at it from this angle, it’s important to carefully research areas likely to give you the greatest return on your investments. In China, for example, not only is the market for luxury goods rapidly increasing as the middle class grows, it is also becoming more discerning.

A joint study by Switzerland’s Art Basel international art fair and the UBS bank found that in 2016, Chinese people accounted for the largest share of the market in global sales of art and antiques at open auctions, registering 34% by value, compared with 32% for the USA and 18% for the UK. I am both a contemporary art collector and marketplace collector myself, working with major international galleries and auction houses. I also offer art consultancy to my high-

net-worth clients and family offices, and I find it fascinating how art does not in itself have an intrinsic value; Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi for example was sold for a record £341m in November 2017 and yet a philistine could note that it consists solely of canvas and paint.

This record sale is proof that blue chip fine art is undeniably big business and a unique way of investing that can provide immense satisfaction, as well as the possibility of market appreciation. But it must be born in mind that only a fraction of the 0.001% have £341m to spend on a painting.

Most art that you might buy is likely to end up with zero commercial value to be frank.

By all means buy it if you like it, but if you have other motives, then proceed with caution.

In order to successfully invest in art, you need to have the right knowledge to form an objective opinion on what you are buying.

Thiswillallowyou,fromabusiness perspective,tojudgethepotential value.

To gain a broader understanding of the art world, I always advise my clients to take a real interest, to visit non-commercial exhibitions, museums and galleries. If

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possible, go overseas to experience the incredible variety of art available in other countries. For example, HongKong has a thriving art scene that is growing in popularity, interest and international prestige.

is one of the best performing asset classes and judged right it can be an extremely lucrative investment.

If you prefer outdoor pursuits, horseracing is something that my company has been investing in for a long time. I like to engage with my investment

racing, in order to make the most considerable return on your investment, considering where you race your horses is also vital. We recently hired the famous French jockey Gérald Mossé and whilst for the present the UK is still our main focus, we plan to start our racing operations in Hong Kong and Singapore from next year. In both places, the prize money is higher than the UK. We will then look at setting up horse racing operations in both France and the US. The ability to invest in something that you are also passionate about is certainly a luxury in itself. Through my company, I have been able to engage with markets and sectors that are of interest to me, and also help and advise clients and partners who are looking to do the same.

“In order to successfully invest in art, you need to have the right knowledge to form an objective opinion on what you are buying.

This will allow you, from a business perspective, to judge the potential value.”

If you are new to the world of art collecting, dealing directly with the artist or a representative gallery is likely to be more beneficial and personally rewarding.

Fine wine is certainly an area that can continue to be fruitful over time. Good wine improves with age is an apt saying, As with art, I collect wine for personal enjoyment and interest, but I also provide advice to high net-worth clients on opportunities. With some wines selling for as much as nearly £10,000 per bottle, it

from the beginning, that is from the breeding stage. Investing in horses using this strategy is of course a long game, not a short-term play. It is vital to breed the horses carefully and establish a strong bloodstock, relying on the best expertise.

The offspring of winning horses sell for a higher price and can continue to breed for 15 years or more. This can make it a profitable investment for the long term and hence a great asset for your business.

When investing in horse

Investing in the luxury market certainly takes research, time and knowledge, but it can also be extremely rewarding and enjoyable. Make sure you seek advice from an industry expert, but most importantly, enjoy the pleasure of investing in something that you really enjoy and appreciate.

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A Time to Invest The recently unveiled Fabergé unique and beautiful ‘Dalliance GemAddict’ timepiece is most certainly worthy of serious consideration if you are a watch connoisseur and investor.

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he Dalliance Gem Addict is a jewellery watch for customers who are looking to carry a piece of art, beautifully executed with the highest level of craftsmanship, on their wrist,” Aurélie Picaud, Fabergé’s timepieces director explains.

“Fabergé’s traditionof creativity, ingenuity and surprise is expressed throughout this timepiece –from the state-ofthe-art take on a traditional mechanical movement to the Grand Feu enamel, Gemfields rubies and the space for the wearer’s unique customised artwork. Fabergé has always created bespoke gifts. With Dalliance GemAddict, we twinned that enduring legacy with the dedication and craft of the finest Swiss watchmakers to create this unique piece.”

Comprising hundreds of parts assembledbyhand,themovement wasdevelopedbyaward-winning Geneva watchmaker Agenhor based on Fabergé’s design for an opendisplayspaceatthecentreof the watches face.

Fabergé’s commitment to a legacy of inimitable bespoke pieces means the customer can choose their one carat gemstone, perfectly expressing

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their own creative flair. Here the Dalliance GemAddict celebrates a one carat diamond, one of nature’s great artworks –but the only limit is imagination. Fabergé’s link with Gemfields, the world leading suppliers of responsibly sourcedgemstones means an array of exemplary Mozambican rubies and Zambian emeralds are within reach.

This commitment to design is straight from the heart of the Faberge story. From the moment Peter Carl Fabergé established his artist-jewellers salon in St Petersburgtoservethearistocrats oftheRussiancourt,thecompany hasworkedwithskilledartisansto produce unique pieces.

The combination of precision and beauty that can be seen in the Dalliance GemAddict was inspired by a Fabergé clock made over 100years ago and recently rediscovered in the company’s archives.Thecentralspaceonthis enchantingcentury-olddialcould house tiny works of art, just as Fabergé eggs held a surprise.

Today’s Dalliance GemAddict is perfect for those addicted to the allure of gemstones.

It features a bezel set with

Mozambican rubies, each carefully selected by expert gemmologists for their natural beauty and perfectly matched hue, saturation and tone; a combination of the most vibrant red tone and a flawless crystal, cut in bespoke shapes to fit effortlessly around the bezel, making this circle of rubies a hypnotic parenthesis framing the watch.

RubiesfromGemfieldsMontepuez Ruby Mine in Mozambique were forged by heat and extreme pressure over 500 million years ago, discovered just recently in 2009.Themineisworld-leadingin responsible practices, ensuring a positive impact by benefiting the nation as well as the communities thatsurroundit.Todate,proceeds fromrubyauctionshavefacilitated the creation of schools, mobile health clinics and projects to establish sustainable livelihoods for thousands of families. Priced at £140,200.

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Investing in property?

Invest in Art instead?

H

ow you can collect art without spending big?

So you’ve decided to get into the art world. Perhaps you have a good eye. Perhaps you want to make a healthy return on this side hustle. Perhaps you simply like the idea of being an art collector. As 40% of the world’s chief art collectors work in asset management, there seems to be a trend which signals art to be a perceived long-term investment. With contemporary art reportedly increasing at a compound annual rate of 4% over 5 years, the art market appears to be a great alternative to other traditional investments such as property.

All these reasons are perfectly valid. In return, you’ll diversify your income with a commodity that isn’t dependent on the stock market; a commodity that is physical as opposed to a stock or a share, and one

that by design you can enjoy.

Buy pieces you like the look of, and with luck, you’ll have an appreciating asset that brightens up your living area to boot.

Yet attend any big auction and you’ll come face to face with a complex, labyrinthine world where individual pieces can go for eye-watering sums and millions of pounds change hands.

Want to navigate the world of art sensibly? We spoke to South African art historian Anna Tietze about collecting on a budget.

First and foremost: speak to a dealer about what’s popular Just like any other investment industry, you must assess the pros and cons of any potential investments. Dealers are in the business of evaluating the market, and they’ll be in a good

position to tell you what you should focus on. “The valuation of art isn’t an exact science,” Tietze says. “Tastes for, and consequently prices of, works are influenced by dealers and major auction houses.” Go out and source the opinions of the people paid to know and educate yourself about the details of the art industry.

Dealers will also enable you to buy from the primary market The primary market applies to any piece of work that has not been owned previously; it’s the stock and trade of dealers.

You can even buy works of art directly from the artists themselves.

As soon as you step into the secondary market, works have passed hands and the valuations has been inflated.

Ergo…

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…Buy primarily primary market

from

the

The secondary market is almost entirely deregulated and prices can become astronomical fast.

That stereotypical auction house you’ve got in your mind… the one where a Picasso is being bought for hundreds of millions? Secondary market.

Concentrate your efforts on finding emerging talent in the primary market with the view to recouping your investment over the long-term.

recently. Despite not being popular in the past, Modigliani’s paintings are now worth over an astonishing $100 m.

Fashions come and go and provided you’ve got an eye on the bigger picture, it’s no bad thing to buck the trend.

Buy art from lesser-known regions of the world

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Don’t only focus on paintings As Tietze points out, “you can buy drawings, prints, photos, ceramics – works in other media might not be so expensive.”

By broadening your search and double checking with expert art dealers, you increase your chances of finding something that other people have overlooked.

Consider buying art by artists that are out of fashion Alternatively, go another route: look for artists who are no longer alive but produced a considerable body of work in their lifetime and were once a major name. Specifically, target artists that are out of fashion.

Take Amadeo Modigliani for example. According to Anna Tietze, he has ‘not had a major reputation among art historians and critics’ until

“But after 1994, there was an upsurge of international interest in South African art and its monetary value rose. The same will occur for contemporary art from other African countries, helped by the opening of the Zeitz MOCAA at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.”

Some countries don’t have a reputation for being major players on the world stage. But this can change quickly.

Look no further than South Africa, Tietze says. During apartheid there was little interest in the country’s output.

And it’s not as if you’re closing yourself off to great artists either. People like Picasso worked in various mediums.

So long as you’re prepared not to go the traditional framed painting route, you can find spectacular bargains that will only grow in value.

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The

‘Rose of Mozambique’

Gemfields Ruby

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he Rose of Mozambique –a rare, high quality ruby sold at auction in Singapore to Bangkok’s preeminent gem specialist Sant, has now been cut and polished to reveal its true beauty.

Sant’s managing director Santpal Sinchawla has had a lifetime of experience with rubies, working in the family gemstone business since he was just 18. Led by Santpal Sinchawla, the Sant team sealed the deal, fending off many rivals in a tense sealed bid auction.

“Rubies, unlike diamonds, are not about the carat –they’re valued on the intensity of the colour and how the stone will present itself once it’s cut -and it was clear the Rose had an exceptionally rich colour and fantastic clarity,” explains Santpal Sinchawla, whose family have been trading rubies since 1963 and who was present at the first ever auction of Gemfields rough rubies in 2014.

To be truly precious, a ruby’s deep red colour must blend hue, saturation, and tone perfectly. Post-auction, Sant’s team of eight specialists worked on the stone to bring

out these fires within. The delicate slicing, pre-forming, shaping and polishing of a ruby requires a deep understanding of the stone to ensure its true beauty and the fire within are on display.

the Cabo Delgado province of northeast Mozambique and was impressed by its responsible approach to sourcing. “It’s very well organized and maintained,” he recalls. “We were actually very surprised by the size of the mine and impressed by the workforce.”

Sant’s ruby cutters have an artisan’s skill with the steel saws, careful placing of the stone on the dop stick, critical in ensuring the coarse and fine spinning wheels slice tiny wafers in a way that enhances the rubies final bright facets.

In the process, the rough 12.24 carat gem was cut and polished into the Rose of Mozambique -which weighs in at 7.67 carats.

Gemfields first sent gemstones to Singapore auctions in 2014 and, since then, Mozambique has taken over from Myanmar as the source of most of the rubies found in Thailand gem markets -the global hub for ruby trading.

The result is a pure, vibrant red stone with crystal clarity and a rich colour saturation –key in determining the Rose’s value.

Rubies can command the highest prices of any coloured gemstone and, the per-carat prices of fine-quality rubies have been breaking auction records recently. The Sant team are now searching for the perfect partner to place the stone in an exceptional fine jewellery piece.

As one of the company’s first rough ruby customers, Sinchawla has visited Gemfields 33,600-hectare Montepuez Ruby Mine in

“Before Mozambique, very few fine quality, larger rubies had been discovered,” explains Adrian Banks, Gemfields product and sales director.

“Our secondary deposit produces very high-quality rubies -among the best in the world. These gems have travelled along a river bed over millions of years to this site and so only the best quality ones have survived the motion of water. Since 2014, Gemfields has auctioned some unusually large sizes and exceptional rubies such as Dragon Eye and Rhino rubies –and now the Rose of Mozambique.”

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Luxury Lifestyle Edit Spring 2019

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TRAVEL SPA TIME CARS BEAUTY YACHTS AND MORE...

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Infiniti QX30 If your lifestyle demands a vehicle that’s luxurious, versatile, spacious, rewardingto drive and great looking too, Infiniti’s excellent QX30 is a top choice.

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refreshing alternative to the many boxy crossovers available, the QX30’s pleasing combination of a low-slung roof-line, muscular sculpted curves and lines, flared wheel arches and elevated stance and creates a striking visual impact. It clearly states quality, durability and substance without looking heavy and sluggish. Slip inside to find a fresh, modern-looking and luxurious cabin.

The most premium materials and processes available have been selected by Infiniti designers to please even the most discerning owners. A custom-designed QX30 trim delivers a personalised, selfexpressive interior design. The standard interior is finished in high quality black cloth, while optional black or beige leather delivers an even more premium finish. The attention to driver and passenger comfort is clear.

Advanced seat design makes use of Infiniti’s advanced ‘spinal support’ research eliminating back ache even on the longest journeys, there is acres of space, and among thelowest noise, vibration and harshness levels in its class.

Out on the road on test, the 2.2D QX30 proved agile, engaging and swift, with its intelligent all-wheel drive system providing sure-footed grip on any challenging terrain, even ice-slick wet grass. “The cardelivers a precise, ‘incommand’ experience behind the wheel. The finely-tuned chassis and suspension, plus a number of assistive driver technologies, all work together to the benefit of the driver, providing a confident drive in all conditions and surroundings,” as Grahame Cornforth, Infiniti chief vehicle engineer, explains.

There are two specs to choose

from now: LUXE and LUXE TECH, both features-rich, and with options too such as 19” resurfaced, 5 double spokes light alloy wheels, attributing to a more commanding look, plus clever functions such as“InTouch Tracking” to track the car in case it was stolen, and “My Car Finder” to see the whereabouts of the car on a map and provide a route back to its location.Our LUXE TECH on test came with a Glass Pack –glass roof with electric sunshade and privacy glass for rear windows and tailgate, plus alsometallic paint, and the wheel option above .A cracking car with so much to recommend.

Worthy of serious consideration and one we’d be delighted to have on our cherry-picked luxurious fleet. www.infiniti.co.uk

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Jaguar XE 300 Sport Topping the super popular XE range, the 300 Sport really showcases Jaguar’s matchless skill at marrying speed, comfort, space, refinement and handsome good looks.

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ested over a week of deep snow, treacherous ice, recordbreaking low temperatures, its all-wheel drive coupled with ‘JaguarDrive Control’ snow and ice mode revealed the Sport as far more than fast and fancyeye-catcher. It enabled safe and sure-footed journeys home when pretty much all but Land Rovers skated and stuck overnight as the roads became so dangerous they were forced to closed.

The Cold Climate Pack option fitted to our car comprising heated washer jets, windscreen, front seats and steering wheel was appreciated too. Back on clear tarmac, its 2.0 Litre 300Ps turbocharged petrol engine delivering 400Nm of torque, coupled with a slick 8-speed auto box, enables a rapid 5.4 second 0-62 sprint.

MPG-wise, 38.2 combined with an emission figure of171 g/km.

The power deliveryis

seamless, and deceptively fast. The head-up MPH and speed limit displayoptionwas certainly handy. The just-right ride gives driver feel without compromising on passenger comfort, and the handling in general precise and engaging.

Jaguar is rightly praised for the quality, standard equipment and design of the interiors of all their models. The XE Sport is no exception. Beautifully appointed, perfectly crafted, from the silk-soft leathers to feature stitching and switchgear, the attention to detail and provision of luxury is clear.

The as-standard spec list for enter-and info-tainment, safety, comfort and dynamics is pleasingly long, and the raft of possible options either at no cost or reasonably priced.

Distinguishing 300 Sport features include: Bi-function Xenon headlights with LED ‘J’ blade Daytime Running

Lights, automatic levelling and headlight power wash; Dark Satin Grey side window surround and side vents; Gloss Black grille with Dark Satin Grey surround; Perforated Grained Leather Seats with Yellow contrast stitching; 300 Sport branded Soft Grain leather steering wheel; Ebony Headlining; Meshed Aluminum trim finisher; Metal treadplates with 300 SPORT branding; Interior mood lighting; Meridian™ Sound System (380W) and Front Parking Aid. Our model came in stunning Santorini Black. An absolute pleasure to drive, and no doubt own, the XE 300 Sport is an excellent all-rounder, with ample kerb appeal, class leading quality and performance. www.jaguar.co.uk

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Range Rover Sport PHEV Mighty and majestic, this most desirable model from the Land Rover stable is as classy as is capable, and guaranteed to grace any Mayfair mews or country manor driveway.

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he gorgeous range topping Autobiography on test came in Carpathian Grey with an ebony/ivory interior, Morzine headlining, and 21.5” split-spoke alloys with silver finish. Exceptional quality materials and finishes throughout are just two of the factors that really set this impressive model above the competition.

A vehicle of substance, yet speed and eco credentials too.

The Si4 PHEV P400e engine/ 85 KW electric power motor delivers a hefty 640/275Nms of torque, which, coupled with its eight-speed transmission, enables a 0-62mph sprint of just 6.3 seconds. Out on the road, the power is evident, just the lightest of touches to the accelerator propels the Sport past any obstacle with effortless ease.

The driving experience is enjoyable. Given the height, size and weight of the vehicle, the handling and responsiveness are remarkably good. The command position 98

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and acres of glass give excellent 360 visibility, perfect for confidently navigating tricky off-road terrains. For the vertically challenged, getting in and out can be a bit of a leg reach though, but that’s about the only tiny niggle we can find.

For passengers, the Range Rover Sport’s comfort, visibility, space and airiness is unbeatable.

Butter-soft yet supportive seats, ample shoulder, head and leg room, minimal road, wind and engine noise and a host of entertainment equipment mean even the longestdistance hikes are a pleasure.

This is First Class travel with bell sand bowson.

The Autobiography model on test has probably the longest list of equipment and features of any vehicle.

From a heated windscreen, panoramic roof, Matrix LED headlights, 22-way heatedand cooled memory front seats, Meridian surround sound

system, drive and park packs, to rear view camera, configurable ambient cabinlighting and auto-dimming power fold heated mirrors, everything you could dream of functionalitywise is there.

As capable as it is comfortable, this Range Rover Sport is no slouch when taken off tarmac.

More features such as gradient acceleration and release plus hill descent and low traction controls are included and a wade sensor offered at a small extra cost. Whether climbing mountain passes, traversing over ice, mud, ruts and rocks, or slick wet grass, little is impossible.

With a decent wading depth of 850mm, crossing many steams, estuaries, fords, floods and rivers is achievable with care.

The Range Rover Sport PHEV is simply one hell of a car. One even the most dedicated car snob would be proud to own. www.landrover.co.uk

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Tale of Two Cupras SEAT is rapidly rising in the car ranks for producing models increasingly acclaimed for their looks, practicality and performance. We were delighted to test not just the Leon ST Cupra Carbon Edition, but the stunning 5dr CupraR too –both special limited-editions.

CUPRA CARBON EDITION With less than 50 released in the UK, the exclusive 300PS Cupra Carbon Edition proved a delightful surprise.

Attractively stylish without being flashy, it’s an eyepleasing driveway asset, hiding a 2.0 TSI 300PS engine with DSG-auto 4Drive enabling a blistering 4.9 second 0-62mph –firmly trouncing the hottest hatches and more than a few 6-figure supercars in the sprint stakes.

This is aided by its all-wheel drive giving excellent traction as we foundracing on even skid-slick rain-soaked ‘B’ roads.

The styling cues to this thrilling performance are carbon fibre side blades and front and rear diffusers, high-performance Brembo brakes, 19-inch black alloy wheels and CUPRA bucket seats, plus large quad rear exhausts with the CUPRA logo.

Practical too –itturns in arespectable 39mpg combined, has bags of room, and is a comfortable family ferry as well as thrilling true driver’s car. A firm favourite.

CUPRA R Following this excellent Carbon Edition came the pretty and powerful Leon Cupra R. All 24 UK examples were sold as soon as launched, and on test it was easy to see why. Aesthetically blessed with exciting go-kartesq handling with powerful performance, this car most definitely delivers.

Equipped with 310hp output, its SEAT’s most powerful production model and features outstanding agility, dynamism and safety. With a 5.7 second 0-62, it’s a fraction of the sprint pace of sibling Carbon Edition, but its race-honed handling and kart feel more than compensates. Modified

camber angles on the front axle, four piston Brembro brake callipers and a retuned sports exhaust system, plus, a rear spoiler providing 20kg of downforce for even grippier handling. Do select the new CUPRA mode from the SEAT Drive Profile to enhance the driving experienceevenfurther.

Playing with it on tight and twisty ‘B’ roads proved excellent fun.

Proved sure footed even when pushed hard in and out of bends thanks to its VAQ self-locking differential, which transmits 100% of available torqueto asingle wheel. There’s ample feel, and precise, stiff steering, yet this Cupra R can be tamed for general family and daily use too.

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detailing on door mirrors, steering wheel, mirrors and front grille. 19 inch black alloy wheels, extended wheel arches and a more powerful design around the air intakes complete the effect.

Slide inside to discover more Cupra R touches including a laser limited editionand model numberengraved inscription on the centre console, spoiler, lower lip spoiler, side skirts and rear diffuser. Plus, the copper hue is carried through to the detailing on the dashboard, centre console, door panel stitching and CUPRA steering wheel logo. Rounding off the sport-oriented look and feel is AlcantaraÂŽ for the gearstick, steering wheel and front bucket seats with copper stitching.Great fun, gorgeous looks. One on our keeper wishlist for sure. www.seat.co.uk

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VOLVO NEW V60 CROSS COUNTRY Perfectly practical, great to drive –Volvo’s new V60 has set the standards for cars in this class.

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ith added allroad capability including a round clearance increase,permanent all-wheel drive as standard, and anoffroad driving mode, trips out of the city to the country house even in inclement conditions are a breeze.

On test, golf clubs, cases and even a spare saddle left the boot with space to spare, and ferrying family for hours proved comfortable for all.Its 190hp D4 engine delivering a hefty max torque of 400Nm from just 1,750rpm is coupled with a silk-smooth eight-speed auto transmission to manage a respectable 55.4mpg. Frugal yet engaging to drive too.

This Cross Country maintains the V60’s cool, contemporary Scandinavian styling, but expresses its special character with the addition of robust bodywork protection elements.

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lower sill mouldings and a rear bumper embossed with the Cross Country logo. With the lower grille adopting the same finish, extra visual ruggedness is added right around the lower part of the car, referencing its ability to tackle more challenging conditions. It also gets five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels.

Slip inside to discover acres of useable space -529 litres with the rear seats up, rising to 1,441 litres with the seats down, along with underfloor storage and cargo hooks on both sides of the boot. The handy 60/40seat configuration enables a host of long and awkward-shaped items to be stowed with ease too.

The interior is zen-like and uncluttered.

Controls are clear and ergonomically placed.

A refreshingly generous specincludes Volvo’s acclaimed Sensus multimedia system, enabling quick and

easy control of a wide range of vehicle functions, also sat-nav, entertainment and information systems through a central nine-inch touchscreen. Volvo On Call is also provided, giving access to a range of services via a dedicated smartphone app (such as the ability to heat or cool the car’s cabin, or lock and unlock the doors remotely), as well as instant connection to emergency services in the event of a collision.

The raft of safety and performance featuresdoesn’t stop there..other highlights include: Hill Descent Controland an Off Road Drive Mode setting; front and rear parking sensors;automatic LED headlights with Active High Beam;a powered tailgate and Hill Start Assist.

Not forgetting City Safety plusOncoming Collision Mitigation -a world-first safety technology that detects

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vehicles travelling towards you and applies the brakes automatically to limit the severity of any potential impact.

A capable, attractive and supremely practical car which firmly proves estates can be cool too. Volvo demonstrating once again it designs and produces great cars people buy with their hearts, not just because of a need. www.volvocars.com/uk/cars/ new-models/v60

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Luxury Yacht Launches For many of our readers, buying a sport yacht is right up there on goals for 2019. These two stunning models from Sunseeker are certainly worthy of consideration.

74 Sport Yacht Sporty and sleek, the brand new Sunseeker74 Sport Yacht, with 38 knot capability, boasts the latest Sunseeker design cues and sporting prowess from the new Predator 74, which launched in January this year. However, while maintaining her dynamic look, the in-house design team at Sunseeker has created the 74 Sport Yacht with an exceptional flybridge –almost unperceivable within her profile lines. Designed to offer the ultimate leisure experience, the yacht’s exterior enjoys oversized pillarless’ windows down to the side deck and a helm sunroof which floods the interior with light and provides exceptional views from the saloon in all directions. She

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FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE enjoys a truly versatile layout throughout and the spacious flybridge makes her a true class-leader, not only offering an additional helm station, buta perfect entertaining space with plentiful seating, dining and sunbathing options and a convenient drawer fridge as standard, along with optional bimini and wet bar upgrades.

Depending on the owner’s wishes, the 74 Sport Yacht can be transformed into an ‘open’ yacht in warmer regions or a ‘closed’ yacht in cooler climates with an innovative cockpit door mechanism which lowers itself into the sole of the yacht.Stepping on board owners enjoy stylish interiors and luxurious living with a considerable saloon including a sumptuous lounge and dining area plus an optional storage unit port side. Below

deck there is a generous galley and three spacious en-suite cabins, comprising an aft master stateroom, starboard twin and forward VIP. The master cabin benefits from an optional walk-in wardrobe.

The below deck configuration offers complete flexibility for owners with an option to have a walk-in wardrobe for the forward VIP, an extended galley arrangement complete with lounge and breakfast bar seating or an additional twin guest cabin which would allow the yacht to accommodate up to eight guests in a four cabin arrangement.

The vast foredeck with its superb sunpad for soaking up the rays and a spacious lounge seating caps off what promises to be another incredible success for Britain’s biggest boat builder.

Predator 74 Back with a vengeance, Sunseeker’s largest Predator model is back with a 40 knot capability. The brand new SunseekerPredator 74 is crafted to perfectly balance style with practicality.

Epitomising the latest Sunseeker design cues, the exterior boasts sleek, yet oversized pillarless’ windows down to the side deck which floods the interior with light and provides uninterrupted views from the saloon.

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owner’s wishes, the Predator 74 can be transformed into an ‘open’ yacht in warmer regions or a ‘closed’ yacht in cooler climates. The generous saloon includes a sumptuous seating area, ample storage and comprehensive port side bar console; all below an extraordinary glass sliding roof.

Below deck from the saloon, there is a generous galley and three spacious en-suite cabins, comprising an aft master, starboard twin and forward VIP. The master cabin benefits from an optional walk-in wardrobe or office area. The below deck configuration offers complete flexibility for owners with an option to have an extended galley arrangement complete with lounge and breakfast bar seating or an additional twin guest cabin which would allow the yacht to accommodate up to eight guests in a four cabin arrangement. The vast foredeck features a superb sunbed for soaking up the rays complete with optional pram hood canopy. Behind the

Predator 74 transom, directly below the vast sunpad, the tender garage provides the space to house a new Williams 390 jet tender or Jet Ski with a hydraulic bathing platform to make launching effortless.

The transom area features an optional ‘Beach Club’ with parasol –an option first introduced with the Manhattan 52 in 2016 and now a Sunseeker signature feature.

This area offers an inviting space for family and friends to enjoy the built-in BBQ, overhead ‘rain shower’ and fold-down transom seating.

Piercing through the waves, this yacht is powered by MAN V12 1550 horsepower engines which give an impressive top speed of up to 35 knots.

Alternatively,for the thrill seekers the performance engine option with the MAN V12 1900 engines offers a breathtaking top speed of up to 40 knots. A true Sunseeker in every sense!

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Tropical Eco Paradise Alphonse Island, Seychelles A

lphonse Island is a pristine, natural paradise in the Seychelles Archipelago, in the heart of the Indian Ocean. This private island, part of the Alphonse group of atolls, which includes St Francois and Bijoutier, is considered one of the purest natural idylls in the world. Beautiful white beaches line the edges of a lush tropical forest surrounded by miles of unblemished shorelines, lagoons, sea flats and protected coral reefs home to the vast array of wildlife that exist in this ecosystem.

The resort features 22 private Beach Bungalows and five Beach Suites, all overlooking the Indian

Ocean.

Beach Bungalows maximize the stunning surroundings, set amongst lush tropical plantation just metres from the beach. With outdoor showers, patios with gorgeous views, and the beach just steps away, the rooms are all focused on the surrounding natural beauty. The five onebedroom Beach Suites are nestled amongst tropical plants, close to the white sandy beach. Discreet and luxurious, Beach Suites offer two bathrooms and a lounge area to give guests more space, as well as private plunge pools.

Interiors reference Creole style and local materials, reflecting a sophisticated fresh island style of the 21st Century.

Alphonse

offers

guests

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unique combination of activities exclusive to the island, highlights include kayaking, giant tortoise viewing, swimming with dolphins, diving, nature walks and fly fishing too.

Alphonse Island is also famous for being the best scuba-diving destination in the Seychelles with 30 dive sites surrounding the island rich with multiple marine species such as green turtles, eagle rays, nurse sharks and rainbow-hued tropical fish. This area is also an internationally renowned fly-fishing destination.

Sustainability is the foundation of the Blue Safari Seychelles philosophy and all of the atolls and islands within the Blue Safari Seychelles portfolio are

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committed to the protection of the environment. Since September 2018, they are proud to be the first commercial Outer Island with a hospitality offering torely on solar power and go completely ‘off-grid’.

Designed to allow guests to reconnect with nature while respecting it, the Island Conservation Society (ICS) team offers activities to create an island that is intimately connected to the natural environment, which guests are 112 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

encouraged to join. As part of the guided walks and Native Vegetation Restoration project, guests can choose to plant an endemic tree. Swimming with -and photographing -Manta Rays, is a particularly magical ocean experience, which helps capture important data about individual specimens and their movements. These islands provide important nesting grounds for our endemic Hawksbill and Green turtles; the turtle patrol and tracking project provides important insights into the population

numbers and their movement, which helps the team protect them.

Alphonse Island can only be described as paradise perfected, a destination where guests are at one with the environment.

The resort is now open all year round. www. alphonse-island.com

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New Blissful Sanctuary in Bali

Award-winning Bliss Sanctuary for Women is celebrating the opening of its third women’s retreat on the island of Bali. The location of the Bliss sanctuary in Ubudhas been handpicked by Bliss Founder, Zoë Watson, and the Bliss team for its unique position in the rainforest providing a wellness retreat full of peace and spirituality.

The Bliss philosophy and spirit shines through at the new Ubud retreat offering guests Bliss on their terms; whether that’s an immersion into Balinese culture, indulgent spa treatments, or some time to relax with the specialist yoga partners. With only a handful of

women staying at any one time, the sanctuary is an exclusive relaxationretreat that ensures each guest has her wishes met whilst she undergoes her personal journey to relaxation and bliss.Unlike the other two coastal Bali retreats, Ubud is in the heart of a beautiful tropical forest overlooking the picturesque Petanu riverin an area with famous spiritual cleansing qualities as Zoë explains: “Choosing Ubud as the location for our newest wellness retreat adds further diversity to the Bliss Sanctuary for Women locations. For the first time we’re offering the authentic rainforest experience of Bali, inland and away from

the ocean. Ubud is a soughtafter location for solo holidays for travellers all over the world and will allow our guests to achieve maximum relaxation in a stunning, secluded location.”Set to open in April 2019, the Bliss Sanctuary has personal touches added by Zoë to create an immersion into paradise with luxurious outdoor living seamlessly moving indoors providing guests with the ultimate in blissful tranquillity. Glistening pools are surrounded by lush, tropical gardens creating an idyllic paradise for guests to enjoy on the canopied massage beds or in the dreamy woven pods. Inside the brandentrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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new stunning villas, exquisite interiors offer modern and open-plan living areas, luxurious open-air stone baths and blissful four-poster beds. With the temperature of Ubud being slightly lower than the other sanctuary locations, women can have the best of both worlds by enjoying sunshine in the day and relaxing by the communal firepit in the evening when temperatures fall, connecting with other female travellers on an unforgettable journey.

While inside the retreat, the Bliss team are always on hand to provide the ultimate allinclusive experience, treating the guests to unlimited yoga, unlimited spa treatments and poolside massages. The Bliss treatment continues outside of the retreat, as all guests are offered a private chauffer service to enjoy the countless sightseeing opportunities on the island including temple visits, mineral springs, healing sessions and much more. www. blisssanctuaryforwomen. com.

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Amare Beach Hotel A place between heaven and sea

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ust one step through the door into the spacious pearl white lobby, a sense of calm comes over you.

There are two things I could thank for that feeling.

One –the sound of the sea in the background as we’reimmediately offered a cold glass of lemonade ortea. Or, two –the scent of Amàre. That’s right, the hotel has its own scent which I can only describe as the scent of total bliss.

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here’s nothing quite like the first time you enter your hotel room. Upon arrival both myself and my friend instantly took an inward gasp. Glamour and Luxury are synonymous in Marbella and our ‘Oh LáLá’ room certainly lived up to expectations. Its balcony opened to beautiful blue sea views, and the modern and minimalist layout was in harmony with the spacious interior filled with natural sunlight. The ‘Oh LáLá’ room also offered the latest technology, setting itself apart from any other hotel room I’ve yet to experience.

From a wireless Bluetooth speaker you can connect to your phone, an iPhone to use when wanting to

explore Marbella without using your personal data and even a Nespresso coffee machine, the Amare hotel have you covered.

Combine that with a mini fridge,

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shelves constantly stocked with snacks, and complimentary toiletries, it’s the ultimate luxuriousand stress-free package.

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ining wise, the AmaréHotel doesn’t disappoint. Within the main restaurant, located below ground floor, traditional Spanish Cuisine can be found amongst other equally mouthwatering dishes. The vastness of the menu itself was an asset to the hotel, especially if you are visiting for a longer duration, it doesn’t hurt that the cocktail menu is equally as extensive and delicious. Not relying solely on the high-quality food, the Amaréprovided us with live entertainment from 8pm onwards in the main restaurant, so we enjoyed excellent quality dishes whilst listening to jazz. Alternatively, the Michelin award winning Messina restaurant offers elaborate dishes that combine high quality products, most of which are sourced locally from Marbella’s coast.

If food doesn’t take your fancy, the Belvue rooftop bar will. With breath-taking views overlooking Marbella Old Town, it was the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail, a snack and great music while watching the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea. During the day the Amaré beach restaurant is open with both indoor and outdoor seating, where only wooden decking separated us from sea and sand. For those moments when we all get peckish, the snack bar located in the hotel foyer is open and available all day.

Being someone with a severe nut allergy, the prospect of ordering food abroad can be daunting. However, the waiting staff were extremely

understanding of my needs and took the time to check the ingredients in my order before serving, to which I am very grateful and put me at ease during my stay. As for the breakfast Buffett, an array of different indulgent dishes were clearly labelled in multiple languages, again exceptional service for those with intolerances or allergies.

Amare Art is close to the hotel’s heart, it’s unique and something I’ve personally never experienced. The artist

responsible for this fresh and thought-provoking display is Alejandro Hermann, born in Argentina but now a long-time local of Marbella. Hermann describes his work as “a mixture of expressionism, realism and spiritual dreaminess” which is a perfect match to Amare’s modern and luxurious yet comfortable surroundings.

For guests who are lucky enough to have a longer stay, Amare make sure that you are never stuck for things to do. A host of masterclasses are at entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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your fingertips, including the DJ masterclass which we were informed was on the evening we arrived. Unfortunately, we had not had enough cocktails at that point to take part. If DJ’ing isn’t you forte then don’t worry, Amare also offer a free personal trainer programme, allowing you to get you beach body. Literally...the sessions are on the beach every Monday to Thursday at 9am.

Amare host’s a number of treats, from their special exclusive lounge in the lobby offering complimentary food and drinks (including alcohol) from 11-11, to the numerous beautiful art pieces adorning everywhere from walls to the lifts of the hotel.

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owever, if like us, then complete leisure is more up your street then you’re in for a complete treat. Amare is home to a spa by Germaine de Capuccini, one of the most renowned skincare professional companies in the world. As you walk into the Spa, it’s low lighting and soothing music instantly transports you to a complete state of relaxation. We first were given access to the hydrotherapy unit, first spending time in the salt water pool before 118 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

zoning out in the jacuzzi. Then straight into the sauna and steam room as the final stage before our massage. We both had the luxury of enjoying the Al’Baobab Massage, a massage inspired by shiatsu. Designed to bring you relaxation and harmony through aligning the mind and spirit. And I can confirm, I walked out of that room feeling like a new woman. Amare Spa have a range of treatments from facials to massage, either to enjoy on your own or with a

partner, making Amare the perfect place to enjoy a little luxury get away.

Nightly rates start from £200 in an ‘I Was Here’ room on a bed and breakfast basis inclduing complimentary daily sunbeds, use of the Technogym and WiFi. For more information visit www. amarehotels.com *Please note, a minimum stay is required on selected dates.

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Magnolia, Algarve The Algarve Portugal Why not break away from the board room, and head to Portugal for some Spring sunshine, spa pampering and golf.

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ith 74 guest rooms, 3 suites and 7 cottages, The Magnolia Hotel offers a comfortable and stylish accommodation within just a few steps of Quinta do Lago.

Offering exclusive access to golf, shopping, beach nightlife and The Campus, this Palm Springs style hotel is also the perfect place to kick back around the outdoor pool whilst enjoying CafĂŠ del Mar beats. www.themagnoliahotelqdl.com

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Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik T

hanks to its privileged climate, cultural heritage, crystal blue sea and beautiful coast, Dubrovnik has long been a popular destination for travellers.

With the Mediterranean Sea and ancient Old Town on its doorstep, guests already enjoy a near-perfect location in Hotel Bellevue, ideal for exploring the UNESCO protected city of Dubrovnik and yet being just far enough to seem secluded and romantic. Now in addition to the prime location, they will also enjoy contemporary and inspired new rooms that depict the essence of the Croatian Mediterranean life.Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik is set to re-emerge as an icon of private boutique luxury and design with the announcement that the hotel will showcase a fresh new vibe in spring 2019.Tucked into a cove, Hotel Bellevue boasts a unique secluded setting on a clifftop with immaculate water views over the Adriatic Sea, making the waterfront scenery alone difficult to top.Upon its refurbishment, the hotel will reveal 91 blissful rooms and suites, an attractive lobby, a sophisticated Vapor restaurant and a sleek and cosy Spice Lounge area with a terrace.

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serenity of the Mediterranean setting, reflecting the natural colours of the surrounding landscape through modern and sophisticated design, contemporary vibe and a quirky, modern spirit.According to the designer, Lisbonbased Tereza Prego Design Studio, the idea of building ‘in harmony with nature’ was mapped by introducing a new level of sophistication in each of the individually designed, extraordinary spaces and facilities throughout the hotel.

Each area seems to merge to form an amazing ship platform floating on a sea. The effect is like a stage, from which you embrace glorious views of the islands and the glittering crystal blue Adriatic Sea.Hotel Bellevue will offer its guests an elegant and private sanctuary with an all-encompassing luxury experience; wonderful beach, fabulous food and romantic dining settings and an invigorating Spa. www. adriaticluxuryhotels.com

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Celebrate the 350-year anniversary of Rembrandt with The Dylan Amsterdam This year marks the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt van Rijn’s deaththe greatest 17th Century painter of the Dutch Golden Age –and in celebration, The Dylan Amsterdam has created a special art themed package.

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here will be exciting new exhibitions and events popping up across Holland throughout 2019, but the largest of these will be held at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. A worldfamous museum dedicated to showcasing the rich art, culture and history of the Dutch capital, the Rijksmuseum will be launching a brandnew exhibition dedicated to Rembrandt (15 Feb –10 June 2019).Visitors will be able to see, for the very first time, the entire collection of Rembrandt’s work: 20 paintings, 60 drawing and 320 prints. The collection boasts landscapes, portraits, nude art, scenes from daily life, biblical narratives, and his famous self-portraits.

Visitors will also be able to take a look at the Nightwatch, Rembrandt’smosticonicpainting.

Throughout2019,theRijksmuseum will also map out various ‘art trails’

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through Amsterdam, leading visitors to places where the artist lived and worked. The trails can be accessed on foot, by bike and even by boat on a canal cruise.

Stay updated on the schedule for this by visiting here.

Art lovers should also not miss the two new exhibitions that the Rembrandt House Museum will be organising: Rembrandt’s Social Network (1 Feb –19 May 2019) and 108 Years Of Collecting by the Rembrandt House (7 June –1 September 2019). The museum used to be Rembrandt’s private home and workshop fortwenty years, and offers visitors a complete Rembrandt immersion and an almost complete collection of the artist’s etchings.

The Dylan –a stylish, 40 room boutique hotel located on Keizersgracht,oneofAmsterdam’s most famous canals –has created a special art themed package

in celebration of ‘The Year of Rembrandt’.

Starting from 1,400 EUR (approx.£1236), and based on two people sharing a room, the hotel’s ‘Rembrandt Art Package’ includes:3 nights’ accommodation in a canalfacing luxury double room.

Delicious breakfast each day1 dinner in the stylish Occo BrasserieTwo tickets to RijksmuseumTwo tickets to Rembrandt House Museum Handwritten suggestions from

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the Concierge on the hidden, lesser known art galleries, antique shops and interior designshops Due to the hotel’s central location, guests can reach the Rijksmuseum by foot in less than 15 minutes, and the Rembrandt House Museum is under 20 minutes. After an artpacked day, guests can enjoy a beautiful dinner at either the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant Vinkeles or trendy Brasserie OCCO, and if the weather is lovely, then a chilled glass of rosé or a cocktail in the pretty courtyard. The hotel is also located next door to the Nine Streets shopping district –nine gorgeous and very narrow streets bursting with

chic independent boutiques – so shopping lovers can always enjoy some evening ‘window browsing’ before dinner.

For more information on The Dylan Amsterdam or to book the art package visit: www. dylanamsterdam.com

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The Vineyard, Newbury A charming British escape is just what the doctor ordered for this bleak time of the year.The luxury 5 star hotel and spa, The Vineyard makes just the perfect choice.

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as expansive as the wines they are named after. With contemporary yet elegant design, the décor emulates itscountry roots to complete your stay.

ocated in Stockcross, just offthe borders of Newbury,Berkshire,its easy access from the M4, makes it the perfect and accessible retreat away from the city’s hustle and bustle.The Vineyard

Hotel is a proud member of Relais&Châteauxso you can rest assured you will receive immaculate service without the stiffness of other 5 star hotels.The Hotel is home to 49 luxurious suites; all

Spa What sheer bliss it must be to not to have to clock-watch anymore. Well now you don’t have too either, it’s time to relax in the 5 star spa amenitieson offer at The Vineyard hotel.

With both residents and day visitors alike havingfull access to the range of facilities, its time to float away in the pool and gaze up at the sky, or immerse in the warm waterof theJacuzzi

swan jets. Not forgetting the steam room and sauna, as well as a relaxation area around the poolwhere you can enjoy lunch and refreshments. The awardwinning spa offers the complete tranquillity with its full range of treatments on offer, a chance to rebalance mind, body and soul.

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Dining Dive into the experience of fine dining likenone other,at the3 AA

rosette restaurant. Whether it’s for a romantic weekend away, or a gettingtogether of old friends, the five star restaurant,offersa nabundance of choice.

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Crafted by supremely talented executive chef, Robby Jenks, every menu is constructed seasonally using locally sourced ingredients to create a gastronomic experience.

Tickle the senses with the Venison loin, accompanied with blackberries, parsnips, cabbage and bacon from theDiscovery Tasting Menu (5 dishes £75.00). Or upgrade with the Judgement of Paris Tasting Menu (7 dishes £89.00), and Vegetarian Tasting Menu. Why not try thelunch menu (3 courses £29.00), ordinner menu (3 courses £65.00) and if that’s not to your taste there is a more relaxed California Bar Menu.

During our stay, we were treated to the most incredible 7 course tasting menu paired with excellent wines and cannot recommend enough.

Wine If not apparentfrom their name, the Vineyard Hotel and spa is iconic for itsbroad, nay vast selection of wine, all stored in their award winning 30,000-bottle wine cellar. It’s not surprising theywon a2017 award for World’s Best Wine List of the Year.

Looking for something new? As wine connoisseurs, The Vineyard offer exquisite fine dining, whilst matching your meal with the perfect wine, private wine tasting; an aroma of knowledge demonstrated on a 1-21. Not confident on your wine trivia?

With wine school, you’ll always know how to pair your wine, and you’ll have the next dinner party under lock. Given the truly impressive size of their wine cellar, there’s a long list to choose from, 3,000 bottlesexactly,you’ll have plentiful selection, each originating from varying countries, including owner Sir Peter Michael’s estate in Sonoma County, California.

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The Swan at Lavenham Spa & Hotel In the heart of the beautiful Suffolk countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, an idyllic and relaxing break awaits.

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ou don’t need to be a historical architecture lover to appreciate the beauty of the Tudor hotel and spa that is The Swan at Lavenham. Tucked away in the countryside village of Lavenham, the Swan Hotel is steeped in 15th Century history, from timber Tudor frames and authentic original doors. Made up of three houses from which the hotel has developed, dating back as far as 1425, it’s the authenticity of its history that makes this hotel soenchanting. Don’t be fooled by it’s age though, the standard of dining, bedrooms and staffare not old fashioned; the exceedingly high attention to detail cannot be missed, as the hotel prides itself on it’s reputation for friendliness and high service, and it’s shown through their staff’s attentive actions; nothing is ever a bother.

The 4 star hotel offers a range of 45 rooms tucked away under beams and exposed brickwork; an architectural Narnia. The

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individualism of each bedroom resembling the charming history of the village, but with all the luxury amenities you could need. As one of the five distinctive hotels owned by the TA hotel collection, the standard of the hotel strides high in all aspects, from it’s fitting location and décor that emulates its heritage, to the fine dining cuisine choices. With dining options to suit all moods, there is plenty to choose from. Whether it’san informal dinner in the Brassiere:picture contemporary furnishings with medieval features, a relaxed menu in front of an open fire. For a laidback evening, the Bar offers casual but not dull diningwith it’sbrimmingcollection of Second World War memorabilia of airmen that were once stationed in the village. Or perhaps the upscaleGalleryis more your taste; the elegant restaurant offersthe very best in classic contemporary cuisine, dining in the heart of the medieval surroundings.

Looking as if it were once Henry VIII’s banquet hall, the gallery exudes royal British fine dining.

Let’s not forget the heart of relaxation lies in The Weavers House Spa. An enchanting retreat for your sensesis an understatement to describe the total tranquillityofyour visit. The spa features, an aromatic steam room, hot stone sauna, an outdoor vitality pool and relaxation lounge for use from both hoteland nonresident guests, as well as numerous treatments from Rocks of the Mediterranean hot stone massage to a Repose Aromatherapyfacial.

For hours of constant relaxation it is no wonder it has been rewarded several accolades, most recentlythe top fivebubblerating by the Good Spa guide, honoured consecutively for the past 2 years.

Weaver’s House spa offer areas of leisure whilst providing benefitting results,from theirprofessional Temple spa range of products, to thestaff who are highly qualified in

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delivering and releasing the tension from the everyday. Whether you need that yearly detox:berry smoothie anyone?

Orjust a place to unwind, Weaver’s House spa is worth the visit.

To book a stay at The Swan at Lavenham Hotel and Spa and treatments in Weavers’ House spa, call 01787247477 or visit www. theswanatlavenham.co.ukrooms starting from £185 per night for two sharing including a full Suffolk breakfast; dinner from the a la carte menu is from £40 per person for three courses. Overnight guests have a complimentary two-hour session with use of the facilities at Weavers’ House spa including the sauna, steam room, outdoor vitality pool and relaxation lounge.

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Threadneedles Hotel Perfectly placed less than a mile from Tower Bridge and The Shard, this former Victorian bank transformed into a discreet, stylish, boutique-style 5 star hotel is a rare and rather special find.

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rom the outside, and certainly when you enter the lobby, Threadneedles exudes grandeur in a thoroughly modern way. An elegant stained glass dome crowns a comfortable and peaceful lounge, perfect for taking afternoon tea catching up with friends and family, or holding discreet meetings with one or two colleagues.

This small but perfectly formed hotel is a calm oasis.

The palette of muted tones, with an emphasis on natural wood furnishings and soft lighting afford a relaxed effect is relaxed - making the hotel really stand apart in the busy City of London’s financial district. The rooms and suites are extremely comfortable, and practical too – with large beds, sumptuous furnishings, good sized work areas and handy tech. Features and services included in all rooms are: • Complimentary WiFi • Wardrobe & writing desk • Ensuite bathroom • In-room bar and snacks • Laptop-size safe • 132 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

Asprey toiletries • Slippers and bathrobes • Tea and Nespresso coffee making facilities • Iron and ironing board • Directdial phone line • 38-inch LCD screen TV with Freeview channels • iPod docking station • Individually controlled airconditioning • 24-hour room service • Daily turndown service • Complimentary water with turndown • Pressing, laundry and dry cleaning (additional cost) • Babysitting (additional cost) • Chauffeur and travel services (additional cost) • Overnight shoe shine service • Complimentary access to Press Reader to access international magazines and newspapers Depending on budget and preferences, there’s accommodation to match. The Studio Rooms have a luxury apartment-like feel, with warm colours and comfortable sofas and chairs. Their bathrooms are bright, spacious and very well appointed too and there are eight luxury suites, each with completely separate living areas where you can kick back with a book or watch TV. These also offer the space to host

small meetings or lunches should you require. A nice touch is that all the suites are named after famous explorers such as Edmund Hilary and Ernest Shackleton, and include a little history of their lives and adventures. You’ll also find books and original sculptures

by Juginder Lamba.

Fabrics and colours echo the rest of Threadneedles, with large-scale London prints set against golds and greys.

Elegant bathrooms, furnished with limestone and wooden panelling, are stocked with Asprey amenities. Each room has a bath and shower. During our stay, we found our suite to be exceptionally comfortable, peaceful, spacious and attractive and a welcome haven after a day of back to back meetings and evening appointments too.

Even if you aren’t staying the night, a visit to the restaurant is a must – for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Marco Pierre White’s Wheeler’s of St. James’s Oyster

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Bar & Grill Room was excellent – super quality food with a focus on the best British ingredients, paired with a wide choice of expertly recommended delicious wines.

Do try Marco’s signature classics such as perfectly grilled Dover sole, or, like us, one of their mouthwatering, expertly seasoned tender steaks selected from the finest Scottish cattle.

Before your dinner, do visit the Champagne Bar. Actually the old Midland Bank counter, this is a quintessential piece of Threadneedles’ heritage, where you can pull up a stool for a light lunch or pre-dinner drinks to enjoy top vintage champagne and freshly shucked oysters, including

Maldon English natives and Irish Carlingford Rocks.

Regularly changing dishes from the blackboard might include the likes of salt and pepper squid with a lime mayonnaise, a Scottish steak sandwich with triple cooked fries or a Wheeler’s club sandwich.

A rare and very special, Threadneedles is a super hotel, where everything from the warmth of the service, comfort and space of the rooms and delicious cuisine excels expectations. www.hotelthreadneedles.co.uk

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A Northern Island Interval

The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa

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he Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, one of Hastings Hotels’ seven properties in Northern Ireland, is situated on the idyllic seashores of the Irish sea on Newcastle Bay. The hotel looks out to the Mountains of Mourne with spectacular views across the Royal County Down Golf Course. Set in six acres of beautifully kept private grounds, the property is famous for its expansive and luxurious spa. Guests can escape to a cocoon of calm and melt away their stresses with over two floors of tranquility, including a magnificent 20 metre swimming pool and Vitality Pool, amethyst steam room and high-tech fitness studio.

For bookings, please visit www. hastingshotels.com or call 028 9047 1066.

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The Culloden Estate & Spa T

he Culloden Estate & Spa in Belfast stands on the forested slopes of the Holywood hills, overlooking Belfast Lough and the glorious County Antrim coastline, offering idyllic surroundings for a Spring getaway. Treat your loved one to fine dining, champagne cocktails, spa access and room upgrade to a Suite flaunting spectacular views over the hotel gardens or Belfast Lough.

Deemed ‘The Ritz of Northern Ireland,’ the Culloden is a grand estate originally built as a Palace for the Bishops of Down.

Guests can explore the glorious, spring colours of Northern Ireland with nature at their doorstep, whilst admiring the maples at Mount Stewart, which is located just minutes from the Culloden Estate & Spa. For bookings, please visit www. hastingshotels.com or call 028 9047 1066.

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Ballygally Castle This picture perfect countryside castle makes for a perfect short Spring break

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allygally Castle is beautifully located on the scenic Antrim coast facing the soft, sandy beaches of Ballygally Bay and only 26 miles from Belfast. The castle dates back to 1625 and is unique in that it is the only 17th Century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland today.

The hotel, with 54 rooms is reputedly haunted by a friendly ghost and brave guests can visit the ‘ghost room’ in one of the towers to see for themselves. It underwent an extensive £3m refurbishment in 2014.

For bookings, please visit www. hastingshotels.com or call 028 9047 1066.

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London Cafe forty-one La Suite West Hotel

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ondon’s first vegan French patisserie is THE place to go for delicious and sin-free vegan treats. Do try one of their excellent afternoon teas, followed by a peaceful night stay in La Suite West’s Junior Suite. www.lasuitewest.com

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Shaun Rankin

at Grantley Hall G

rantley Hall has partnered with highly-acclaimed Michelin starred British chef, Shaun Rankin.

The Yorkshire-born culinary star will be returning to his roots to preside over the new luxury hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall when the property opens very soon.The elegant 38 cover restaurant will showcase what Rankin does best, local produce cooked in season with his unique signature twist.

At his request, and to support his vision for locally sourced sustainable produce, the hotel is developing its own kitchen garden complete with bee hives and fruit trees within the grounds. Set in one of the original public rooms in the Grade II* listed Hall, brimming with beautiful original features including ornate cornicework and sash windows with views over the formal gardens.

The restaurant will feature bespoke handmade furniture and speciallydesigned crockery and glassware, carefully selected to reflect the beautiful surroundings. A highlight will be the Chef’s Table, located in the heart of the engine room for up to six guests to enjoy; the adventurous amateur chef will be able to immerse themselves fully in the experience by helping to

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cook for their table. Signature dishes will include Yorkshire rhubarb crumble soufflé with rosehip and iced clotted cream. The highly revered chef has worked all over the world in restaurants as close to home as Darlington and as far afield as Chicago and Australia. The majority of Shaun’s career has been spent in Jersey, Channel Islands where he spent eight years at the prestigious Relais & Chateaux Hotel Longueville Manor, followed by the establishment’s sister restaurant Sumas. In 2003 he joined Bohemia restaurant as Head Chef, gaining his first Michelin star in 2005. Shaun opened his own highlyacclaimed restaurant, Ormer in 2013 in the island’s capital, St Helier which was awarded its first Michelin star four months after opening in 2014, as well as being additionally credited with three AA rosettes a few months later.

Grantley Hall is set to shake-up the culinary scene in North Yorkshire and in addition to the fine dining Signature restaurant, the property will also boast an experiential Pan-Asian experience; a relaxed all-day dining restaurant; The Drawing Room, serving quintessential British afternoon tea and a spa lounge offering nutritious light meals and snacks.

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Kempinski Hotel Bahai -New Gastronomic Delight

Kempinski Hotel Bahia, a luxury resort near the palm treelined promenade of Estepona, launches ‘El Paseo Del Mar’ -a new culinary destination sure to delight food-lovers from across the globe.

P

erched on its own sliver of Mediterranean, El Paseo Del Mar is a gastronomic playground co-created by the family-run Zsidai Group, as part of a €4 million refurbishment of the property. It includes not one, but three designled restaurants and bars; beachfront Baltazár Bar & Grill, Spíler Beach Club and Black Rose The Bar.Baltazár Bar & Grill, which was the first outlet to launch, boasts a carefullycurated menu brimming with Spanish classics, grilled meats and seafood, freshly prepared using locally sourced, natural products. An urban take on a romantic bodega -inspired

by Andalucía’s sun-dappled streets, traditional ceramics and lofty Gothic towns –the buzzy Baltazár Bar & Grill is dressed in Aztec-inspired fabrics, oozing with burnt orange and brilliant reds that mirror the flames dancing in the restaurant’s open kitchen.

Guests can watch as their fresh

fare is prepared by Chefs using a traditional Tandoori Oven or Josper Grill; for a subtly-smoky, perfectly-juicy result.Also benefitting from the recent refurbishment is the hotel’s lobby; a light-filled, luxurious space, used as a library, meeting place and home to Black Rose The Bar. Named after an esteemed ship, and celebrating the spirit of today’s intrepid traveller, Black Rose The Bar serves up some of the finest cocktails, wines and craft beers on the coast. Guests can tailor their tipple, as master mixologists whisk up creative cocktails according to flavour preferences. Enjoy on the sunsoaked terrace, with unrivalled views of the Mediterranean and African coast, or settle into a cosy snug in the newlyrenovated lobby.Set to launch in April 2019, Spíler Beach Club promises to become a thriving dining destination for locals, passers-by and hotel guests alike. Zesty seafood, fresh

salads andperfectly-prepared artisan pizzas are seasoned with ingredients from the fields of Andalucía and can be enjoyed from the daybeds lining the resort’s intertwining swimming pools, or private booth in Spiler’s stylish lounge. As the sun sets, Spiler transforms into an elegant evening destination; enjoy fresh oysters, perfectly chilled champagne, and live music. The modern Andalucían interiors reflect its enviable beachfront location, with white-washed walls, varying hues of beachy blues, woven cushions and traditional wicker-style chairs.

25-minutes west of Marbella, Kempinski Hotel Bahia offers a more relaxed, authentic alternative to the bustling beach clubs and busy sands of nearby resorts. A sandcoloured maze of turrets and sprawling balconies, the property plays home to lively landscaped gardens, an entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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assortment of family-friendly swimming pools, boldly-styled living spaces and luxurious rooms and suites. A private horticultural garden brimming with lemon, avocado and olive trees leads to a private tennis court, an award-winning spa, and yoga and fitness studios.

There’s plenty of history, too; explore a 16th century watchtower, once manned to protect the land from approaching pirates, and now used to host private dinners or yoga sessions. Kempinski.com/ en/Marbella/hotel-bahia

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The Entourage

Group

The Entourage Group is a hospitality empire, renowned for creating internationally acclaimed food and beverage concepts across the world. Its wide range of expertise has been cultivated extensively through years of hospitality management, operations and fine dining experience. Owners and founders Yossi Eliyahoo and Liran Wizman, along with the group’s CEO Stephanie Pearson, striveto continually set new standards for modern hospitality

IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & BarIZAKAYA is a culinary hotspot, with prominent locations in Amsterdam, Ibiza, Hamburg and Munich. Famed for its high-end experience and extravagant Japanese cuisine, with a South American twist.

IZAKAYA continues to excite diners with its innovative gastronomy, signature cocktails and its atmospheric urban-chic setting. Executive Chef Hariprasad Shetty has composed a sophisticated menu, featuring spectacular dishes to indulge in; from a variety of small, unconventional

dishes to specialties of the Japanese Robata grill –all with an IZAKAYA signature twist.

IZAKAYA Amsterdam is located in the vibrant area ‘De Pijp’ in the city, at the foot of the SIR Albert boutique hotel. IZAKAYA Ibiza sits at the Marina, overlooking Ibiza’s Old Town, and is inspired by the maritime life of the Balearics, its design resonates with yacht living and features a 360 degree island bar.IZAKAYA Hamburg is in a fantastic location by the Nikolaifleet canal, and the award-winning IZAKAYA Munich is positioned in Roomers Hotel. www.izakaya-restaurant.com

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MR PORTER Those looking for the best view of Amsterdam should head to MR PORTER, located at the top of one of the city’s historic telecom buildings, next to Dam Square and overlooking the Royal

THE DUCHESS Inspired by the splendour and elegance of the Belle Époque, andtherefined flavours oftheNouveau-Niçoise cuisine, THE DUCHESS is a Michelin star restaurant that resides in one of Amsterdam ’s historic 146 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

Palace. An epicurean’s playground, MR PORTER is a unique concept that artfully blends qualities of a modern steakhouse within a trendy setting, offering a fine dining experience

with a collection superior meat and vegetarian dishes gracing the menu.MR PORTER Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan hub, offering exclusive rooftop views of the vibrant city below. Take a seat in the restaurant, the sumptuouslounge or at the chic bar. And new for 2019 –MR PORTER Barcelona will open its doors in May on the Passeig de Gràcia, one of Barcelona’s most famous high end shopping streets, bringing sleek and extravagant, fine-dining steakhouse to the Catalonian capital’s dining scene. www.mrportersteakhouse.com

gems, the former KAS Bank.

Expect to be served exquisite dishes, from intricately simple specialities to eclectic classics such as luscious Fruits de Mer platters,and decadently delicious extravagant desserts like the Chocolate Explosion.

THE DUCHESS is also renowned for its superb Afternoon Tea service, featuring an array of delicate sweets, macaroons, éclairs, truffles and cotton candies. THE DUCHESS provides guests with superior traditional London hospitality balanced with Viennese grandeur, an experience not to be missed. www.the-duchess.com

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Chewton Glen’s Spa & Country Club If enjoying the tranquillity of the New Forest wasn’t enough, then a visit to Chewton Glen’s award winning spa and country club should really help you to unwind and re-energise.

It can be as full on or laid back as you like. For the energetic - tennis courts, dance studio, gymnasium, nine hole golf course and a 17m indoor pool should give you all the exercise you need.

If replenishing the mind and body is more your thing, we have a hydrotherapy spa pool, a nail studio, aromatherapy saunas, crystal steam rooms and twelve individual treatment rooms offering no fewer than 50 different treatments and holistic therapies.

You really are spoilt for choice on how to spoil yourself.

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Fresh Faced Beauty T

his time of the year many of us consider how we can freshen up our looks a little. Artfully applied make up and excellent skin care can of course help, but sometimes a little extra effort is needed to achieve the best effect.

Dermal filler and Botox when applied skilfully can make a huge difference, with minimal downtime and inconvenience. But it is essential to choose the right clinic, and aesthetic doctor, to avoid the problems we often see in the news these days.

Chelsea’s Cadogan Clinic, with its loyal client base of A-listers, socialites and local residents is located just of Sloane Square.

One of its excellent aesthetic plastic surgeons is Olivier Branford. A highly experienced, qualified, skilled and awardwinning specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, you couldn’t be in safer hands.

Even those who are nervous and new to aesthetic treatments are instantly put at ease, as Mr Branford takes time to thoroughly explain what the best treatments are, and how they work, the results to expect, application process and aftercare. Being highly experienced, the treatment opted for of a touch of filler to the cheekbones, and chin was pretty painless and swift, and really made a huge difference to face shape and youthfulness – lifting problem areas around the jawline to give more definition. This coupled with minimal Botox around the eye area and forehead which took just seconds, smoothed out fine stress lines with ease. The over-all result was remarkable and really confidence boosting. You can see Mr Branford’s work and advice on his very popular Instagram feed too – just search for his name.

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GoCycle: A

task which began in earnest in 2002 when former McLaren Cars Limited design engineer Richard Thorpe established his own business, Karbon Kinetics, to embark upon creating his two-wheeled electric dream.

Sixteen years on and that dream is a reality with the Gocycle brand renowned the world over for its innovative products, stylish designs and pioneering spirit.

In 2009, after an extensive development process, the business launched the ground-breaking lightweight Gocycle G1 to international acclaim. The G1 capitalised on Richard’s expertise from a 25-year career working in the motorsports and light electric vehicle industry, becoming the first injection-moulded magnesium alloy bicycle in history. It set the foundations which have enabled Gocycle to continually push boundaries with each of its three new models.

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Go cycle’s mission is simple: to create the world’s best folding urban electric bikes.

The Gocycle G2 entered the market in 2012 becoming the first production electric bike to have Bluetooth connectivity. It was followed by the range-topping Gocycle G3 in 2016, which debuted an automotive inspired Daytime Running Light (DRL) – yet another industry first – and the Gocycle GS in 2017.

Each model is instantly recognisable as a member of the Gocycle family, built upon a sustainable, lightweight magnesium monocoque chassis and instilled with the brand’s core values: stylish design, desirability and fun – each Gocycle is a joy to live with.

The range topping Gocycle G3 is available to order fromwww.gocycle.com priced from £3,499

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Scents for Spring From meadow-fresh florals, to sweet and seductive musks, here are some of our favourite fragrances for the season.

MADEMOISELLE ROCHAS: COUTURE A wooden musk, alluring and ambrosial fragrance enveloped in a beautiful cranberry frame. The packaging as elegant and enticing as the core scents of sandalwood and orange blossom. Mademoiselle Rochas captures the beauty of Parisian sophistication all in thisone bottle.Available in Storessuch as John Lewis and Debenhams,as of 18thMarch 2019. 30ml £38, 50ml £55, 90ml £75.

BY TERRY: BE MINE EAU DE PARFUM (Includes Eau De Parfum Intense 100ml and 8.5ml Purse Spray) With essences of Raspberry, Madagascan Black Pepper and Damask Rose Petals, Terry de Gunzberg entices his consumer to “discover this floral leather fragrance: a true concentration of ecstasy with a lingering sensual scent.” Available world-wide. 100ml, £180.

MADAME GOUTAL: COLLECTION

FRAGRANCED

HANDCARE

Experiences and stories of timeless tales are Goutal’s specialty. Through the softness ofnature and appreciation for culture, Goutal’s expertise has expanded through a never-before-seen handcare collection. Featuring tender liquid soaps and supple hand creams, the tale of Goutal’s imprints are beyond complete.

The Collection is a Harvey Nichol’s Exclusive. Hand Cream 40ml, £25. Liquid Soap 300ml, £31.

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FLOWER BY KENZO “The poppy has no fragrance.

Its only language is colour.

A flower to touch women. A flower to make the world a more beautiful place.” Kenzo translates this flower’s colour to a scent with a powerful vibrancy – collectively creating a floral, musky signature to represent the beauty of women in the world. Available in 30ml, £41, and 50ml £59.

JIMMY CHOO: EDITION

BLOSSOM

SOLE BY MORESQUE Notes of peach and patchouli blend with the seductive warmth of ylangylang in this charismatic and exotic fragrance perfect for warmer spring evenings.

50ml £290

SPECIAL

The crisp yet fruitful Jimmy Choo Blossom fragrance that we all know and love is set to have arefurbished special edition bottle this coming Spring. The brand-new packaging flaunts a modern fuchsia dipped layering, concealed with a glistening sheen of diamond glitter as exotic as the spring time scent.

Available in Stores such as The Perfume Shop. 40ml, £36. 60ml, £48.

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It’s Your Time 4

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2 5

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1. Versace Sport Tech £1140

4. Versace Palazzo Empire £1240

2. Versace Sport Tech £1290

5. Versace Palazzo Empire £1240

3. Ferragamo, F-80 SS18, £1,490

6. Ferragamo, F-80 SS18, £1390

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Our pick of elegant, striking and functional new timepieces for Spring, for him and her.

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1. Ferragamo Fiore Studs, £790

4. Ferragamo Fiore Studs, £790

2. Versace, Medusa Stud Icon, £890

3. Versace, Medusa Stud Icon, £990

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6

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3 7

8

5. Versace, V-Circle, The Clans Edition, £520

8. Ferragamo, F-80 Lady Motion, £1,020

6. Versace, Medusa Stud Icon, £890

7. Versace, Shadov £790

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A BagLuxury for&Life Quality Classic designs from Radley London for every day, no matter the occasion!

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6 5

1. Eaton Hall - Large Zip-Top Hobo Bag - £229.00

4. Granary Square Large Multiway Grab £249

2. Cedar Road - Medium Multiway Grab Bag £209.00 3. Liverpool Street - Medium Zip-Top Multiway Grab Bag £185.00

5. Fountain Road - Medium Zip-Top Shoulder Bag £199.00 6. Smith Street Medium Backpack Zip-Top - £199.00 entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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7

9

7. Multi Dog Medium Backpack Zip - Top - £199.00

8. Granary Square Large Mutli-way Grab - £249.00

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8

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9. Radley Dog Medium Crossbody Zip - Top £149.00 10. Radley Jaquard Medium Backpack zip Around £109.00

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iNSPIRING

Reads

Each issue we search for the latest and best book releases to encourage, educate and inspire. Here are our picks for Spring 2019.

1.

The Recognition Book: 50 Ways To Step Up, Stand Out And Get RecognizedBy Paul F. Warriner Published by LID Publishing £9.99 A practical guide for getting the recognition that you deserve.

A powerful tool for anyone in employment, no matter what their field, The Recognition Book examines the traits, behaviours and skills fundamental to doing anexcellent job and demonstrates how to shine in today’s competitive corporate world.

2.

Business Mum: Three Steps To Success In Running Your Own Business And Being A Mum By Christine GouchaultPublished by LID Publishing £12.99 A three-step guide for women who want to create a life where having your own business and having a family do not exclude one another. The book prepares you for potential obstacles during the start-up phase, as well as the growing pains you might encounter. It provides you with different tools and exercises that will help you guide you through the different phases of developing and marketing your product of service.

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3.

The Smart Strategy Book: 50 Ways To Solve Tricky Business IssuesBy Kevin Duncan Published by LID Publishing £9.99 Strategy needn’t be boring or impenetrable. Most strategies are too long and boring. Far too many contain language that most of us can’t understand.

And, in the end, a huge proportion of them end in failure. It doesn’t have to be this way. Best-selling author Kevin Duncan’s trademark no bullshit approach debunks strategic nonsense and provides any strategist with a brilliant handbook to generate smart strategy at any time.

4.

5.

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Next Is Now: 5 Steps For Embracing ChangeBy Lior Arussey Published by LID Publishing £12.99 An essential guide on how to love change and thrive on it. The simple truthis that business environments are under constantvolatile and unpredictable day-by-day. Having the ability to prepare and plan forchange and not just adapt to it is the only way one can survive in both business and life. Yet countless studies tell us how difficult it is for individuals and organizations to change. Why? Because change creates an identity crisis that threatens our selfesteem, our sense of financial security and our belief systems.

The Entrepreneur’s Book: The Crucial ‘Why’ Questions That Determine Success By Neil Francis Published by LID Publishing £9.99 An exciting and unique perspective on entrepreneurship that will lead to meaningful success. It is a given that if you want success s an entrepreneur you need passion, creativity, spontaneity and bags of energy. Sure, you need to know how to run a business, but it is identifying and answering for yourself the crucial why questions that will lead to successful entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneur’s Book explains what these ‘why’ questions are and why they are so important.

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