Entrepreneur & Investor Issue 11

C REATING AND LIVING THE LIFE YOU DESIRE

BUILDING ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE EMPIRES ARE YOU SCARED TO SUCCEED? STARTING A FASHION OR FITNESS BRAND HEALTH FOOD AND DRING INDUSTRY SUCCESS NO LOSE INVESTING SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE ENGAGEMENT TIPS Issue 11 | £5.95 www.entrepreneurandinvestor.com 11

BITCOIN, ICOS, PITCH PRESENTATIONS, CROWDFUNDING LUXURY LIFESTYLE

CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

When I Was Younger 64. How Can Blockchain Revolutionise the Equity Market 66. The Rise of The Intrepreneur

DEAR READER,

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lisa Curtiss

Welcome to the latest edition of Entrepreneur & Investor Magazine.

You’ll notice we’ve decided to keep to our recently introduced compact print editions, which makes them much easier and lighter to carry – handy as many of you we know enjoy our magazine during your travels and daily commute.

MAGAZINE DESIGNER Aleksandra Georgieva

Our Entrepreneur and Investor sections in this issue feature a host of super-useful and inspirational articles on everything from how to start and grow an ethical fashion brand, to top tips on breaking into the health food and drink industry – to Bitcoin, value of emotions in business and much, much more. Whether you’re a seasoned and super-successful entrepreneur already or just starting out on your journey to a better life, there’s plenty to interest.

editor@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

STAFF WRITERS Rosie Kinsella Brooke Sealey Luke Penny Gemma Jones

editorial@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP

And do join our long awaited and eagerly anticipated E&I Club – designed to help connect, network and promote entrepreneurs and investors through special events held across the year. We’ve got some great events and specially curated content and opportunities coming up.

DISTRIBUTION Adam Long

Finally if you’ve any suggestions or great stories to tell, then do get in touch. Drop me a note on editor@entrepreneurandinvestor.com.

sales@ entrepreneurandinvestor.com

adam.ican@btinternet.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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CONTRIBUTORS

Flora Davidson, Dean Anderson, Karen O’Donnell, Dr. David Cliff, Ally Yates, Emma Style, Joao Gouveiais, Stuart Maclaren, John Auckland, Will Read, Ben Moreland, Nicole Bremner, Tim Butler, Helena Brewer, Katie Philipson, Louise Palmer, Elva Ainsworth, Sascha Ragetschaa, Johana Graterol, Hannah Goldsmith.

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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www.aleksandrageorgieva.com

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 too. We love to hear from you – so follow us and we’ll be sure to follow you.

Specifically to help new entrepreneurs – our E&I Start Up Hub is coming soon. This is a special members’ only section on our website, with a dedicated mini-magazine packed with articles and resources on just about everything you need to help you get off the ground running. You can subscribe and join via our website, takes just a minute and you’re in.

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ENTREPRENEUR 8. Rocking The Investment Market 11. How To Build a More Responsible Fashion Brand 14. Are Communication Issues Holding Back Your Business?

16. Be Self Aware: The Fear of Success Can Exceed Our Dread of Failure.

18. Emotions: Do They Have a Role in Business?

20. Customers Are People First 22. Empowering Women in Business 24. How to Create a Successful Health Food & Drink Business 27. How To Ensure The Success of Your Own Business 29. How To Market Your Business Series: Listen To Your Tribe 32. How To Start and Build an Ethical Fitness Brand 36. How Using Social Media Can Really Boost Your Business 39. How Your Brand Can Do Good and Still Increase Profits 41. If You Want To Increase Sales, Stop Selling and Start Helping 43. Is an ICO a Good Way To Raise Money For Your Business?

46. Keys For Successfully Presenting Your Business And Your Brand on Film 48. Minority Shareholders: Power & Protection 50. What Do You Need To Create an AwardWinning And Profitable Restaurant 52. What Motivates The Two Types of Crowdfunding Investors to Back a Campaign 54. When Walking Away Is Powerful 56. A New Business Model Where Gamers Earn a Living Doing What They Do Best 59. Hitting The Business Goals 62. 10 Things in Business I Wish I knew About

INVESTOR 68. Miami - a Property Investment Hotspot 71. Corporations Are Making More Big Property Investments Than Ever 72. Five Investment Rules To Make Your Money Work Harder 75. Holiday Home Investment Advice 77. Managing Your Wealth For Living To 100 79 Insider’s Guide To Buying a Private Jet 81. Car Investments - The Rare Zeclat by Eadon Green FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE 86. Anantara Kihavah - Pearl of the Baa Atoll 92. Huvafen Fushi - Blissful, Beautiful, Extra, Extra Special 98. Amilla Fushi - Sophisticated, Luxurious and Serene 110. Portugal in Style With Tivoli 113. Qatar Business Class Review 114. Travel Tales 120. Cars on Test: Alfa Romeo Stelvio 122. Cars News 124. New Pet Packs From Land Rover 126. Cars on Test: Jeep Compass 128. Cars on Test: Land Rover Discovery 130. Cars on Test: SEAT Arona 132. Cars on Test: SEAT Leon CUPRA R 134. Cars on Test: VOLVO XC40 138. Luxury Yacht Edit 140. Three Top Tipples 142. Champagnes For All Seasons 143. Introducing Winebuyers-Exclusive Wine & Champagne Club 144. Spa Time 146. Dining Out 148. Beauty & Grooming. Gadgets & Gifts 149. City To Country Casuals 150. Aesthetic Appeal 151. Fine Fragrances 152. Skin Care 153. Fit To Wear 158. Healthy Energy Boosters For Busy Entrepreneurs 160. Teals & Greens entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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Rocking the Investment Market E&I interviewed Australian entrepreneur Jonathan Pfahl, the charismatic owner of the Rockstar Group –a company making quite a name for itself by trailblazing a new ‘win-win’ way of investing here in the UK.

WHY ON EARTH DID YOU CALL THE COMPANY ROCKSTAR? Back in Australia when I was working as a wealth manager in the city, my release from those crazy hours of work was being the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of a Rock Band! We never became the next Bon Jovi so when I began the idea of putting together the concept of a business support and investment platform, I thought the word “Rockstar” would be a good fit, would stand out and be memorable. The other day I received a call from a new investor who said “I saw you speak 4 years ago and knew I wasn’t ready at that stage but now that I am - I still remember the name of your company.” So, overall it seems to have worked.

IT SEEMS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE GROUP WHEN YOU STARTED WAS MENTORING SME’S? IS THAT STILL THE CASE? In short no. When we started in 2007 - the strategy was to attract exciting SME’s into Rockstar where we would allocate them access to high profile and successful entrepreneurs (our mentors) who then had the choice to back them after getting 8

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to know them and helping them grow. The recession though - a year after launching - nearly killed us! I had to personally sell a number of my investment properties to keep the business going and it forcedus to adapt the strategy by adding more products and solutions that were affordable to businesses and that would deliver them the results. So on top of mentoring and investment, we then began cost effectively sub letting our sales people out to our customers to help them get the result. We built an app development company to costeffectively build apps for clients after I personally found it the biggest rip off industry in the world! We also built our own sales focussed and simple CRM platform so clients and businesses in the portfolio can easily manage their sales process to get the result and offer it to clients for next to nothing. With all of these new resources in house, we were then able to leverage off them to acquire more exciting companies for us and our partners / investors.

YOU USE THE WORD ‘RESULT’ A LOT! WHY? I believe all great companies and the staff within them should live by a certain statement or goal to follow and believe in. At Rockstar, our statement that we instill across the team is “The only truth is the Result!”It’s a great one to live by in a company such as ours. Whether it’s providing phenomenal services for our clients or delivering solid returns for our co - investors, we measure all what we do from the results we are achieving for them and ourselves. No focus on excuses - only focussed on the result. I believe businesses would do a lot better if they adopted

such a model and instilled it into their staff ethos as well.

SO LET’S TALK NOW ABOUT THE INVESTMENT SIDE AND THIS SO-CALLED ‘HEDGING THE DOWNSIDE’ STRATEGY WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST. IT ALL SOUNDS RATHER TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? I used to invest directly into businesses. I’d review a business plan, meet the team and see the potential of a great product to sell. I quickly got tired though of seeing my money getting pissed up against a wall by a brilliantly technical person with an absolute inability to generate any sales! A common problem experienced by angel investors.

So we created a model where we firstly acquire the rights to prove that the technology can sell. We focus only on business to business (B2B) and business to government (B2G), high margin, high ticket value tech solutions where we have the internal connections to get direct access to the key decision makers, rather than business to consumer (B2C) models where you risk vast sums of up front marketing and advertising costs - hoping Joe Public gives a shit!

I’d rather invest into sales strategies that make thousands per net sale and zero marketing cost than £10 net sale and big upfront and risky marketing budgets. Call me crazy! With the rights to sell, we then become the majority shareholders and directors in these companies.

We invite early stage investors to actively join the team (or invest passively) to help fast track sales. Once we prove the products do sell and those sales contracts are in our company, we entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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then do a second raise to either acquire or merge the two companies together. This means the Founder gets a cash pay out, stays on board and the merger allows the sales contracts and IP to now be under one venture that we can package up and sell on if we wish.

How to Build a More Responsible Fashion Brand

AND THIS INVESTMENT ‘HEDGE’ YOU TALK ABOUT? We have now over 40 companies in our portfolio in line with this model. Investors typically review the portfolio of companies and decide which they want to acquire equity in. Unlike most, we are more than generous in our initial valuations which helps achieve the returns we expect.

But the hedge is a separate contract our investors receive on the same day they make their investment. As a partner investor with us, whatever they invest on day one with us, on top of their equity in the chosen business, they are given double in equity capital across the WHOLE Rockstar portfolio. That means if the company they back fails, under contract we have to give them double what they put in - free equity from our own pocket - in one of our other companies that is doing very well. Or, If they prefer, we put up our own assets (mainly property) as a second charge against their investment value. Why do we do this? Because we can! And because we know investors are tired of only getting their Seis / Eis tax relief back as opposed to seeing an actual return on their investment.

BEFORE THIS INTERVIEW STARTED YOU SAID YOU FEEL IP IS BECOMING LESS AND LESS IN VALUE? I did yes. I’m a firm believer that with the continual increase in pace of technological advancement, IP means a lot less without the long term sales contracts linked to it. Perhaps putting aside the “meditech” sector as an exception, investors want to see results on sales... The days of the £20m valuation based on IP alone are gone!

Unless you can show that tech has led to sales!  To find out more about the Rockstar Group of Companies you can do so by visiting their website www.rockstarhubs. international or by e-mail info@rockstargroup.co.uk or call them on 0203 283 8585.

By Flora Davidson

Stella McCartney, Finisterre, Patagonia, People Tree, Reformation, Kowtow, and Veja are just a handful of the names leading the way towards a more ethical and sustainable future within the fashion industry.

As the number of fashion brands describing themselves as ethical or sustainable is on the rise, the number of consumers prioritising the ethics and sustainability of a brand is also growing. So, how can you ensure that your fashion brand is genuinely responsible and catering to the needs of both consumers and the planet? Flora Davidson of Supplycompass tells us how.

“THE ONLY TRUTH IS THE RESULT!”

POSITIONING YOUR BRAND Consider how you will interpret sustainability for your brand by thinking what is consistent and in-line with your brand values, brand story and the products you make. It’s impossible to be 100% ethical and sustainable, plus perfection is also not necessarily what consumers are expecting or looking for. But they are looking for clarity – consumers want (and need) to know what it is you stand for and what you are doing to be sustainable and ethical.

Don’t over complicate it; keep it simple. What stands out for consumers in a busy marketplace is a clear, singular approach to responsibility that cuts through and resonates with them. Pick your area of focus and stick to that. Not only will this help you when looking for supply chain partners, but this singular approach will help you stand out more and stick in consumers’ minds.

CHOOSING YOUR FOCUS In often being used interchangeably, it can be confusing to know which is right for your brand and products. Plus, with an increasing number of brands out there offering sustainable and ethically sourced products, how do you differentiate yourself and position your brand in an increasingly competitive playing field? The key is to choose the areas and terminology that are right for you. Focus in on one or two that are just right. Be clear, be consistent and ensure it makes sense in the context of your offering and your brand.

Here are four possible areas you could focus on: Sustainability & materials: Focusing on the origin and impact of the raw material you use for your products, ensuring fibres are sustainably and ethically sourced and manufactured into fabric.

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Fabrics considered to be amongst the most sustainable are linen, recycled PET, organic cotton and tencel. Keep an eye out for new innovations within the fabric and dye industries, like synthetic spider silk by Bolt Threads, fabrics made from orange and pineapple fibres, and low impact and biological dyes.

Brand focusing on sustainability and materials: Reformation’s goal is zero waste, they have created the RefScale to monitor their carbon footprint and work with a range of recycled fabrics.

Durable design: Creating high quality products that don’t go out of fashion and are built to last a lifetime, products that you encourage your customers to use them again and again and to love forever. This can mean thinking about end of life and supply chain circularity, working out ways for your customers to recycle, reuse and repair your products.

Brand focusing on durable design: Patagonia and Nudie Jeans both offer a repair service.

People and ethics: This means more focus on your supply chain partners and working exclusively with those who are focused on having positive social impacts and caring for the wellbeing of their workers. This could be; offering benefits such as bonus schemes, crèches, and free health care, or giving back and supporting the local community.

Certifications such as Fairtrade, SA800 and GOTS indicate social compliance, though, make sure to take the time to visit your supply chain partners to understand what they are doing, and why, first hand.

Brand focusing on social impact: Toms - for every shoe you buy, they give a pair away free to someone in need.

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WORKING THE RIGHT MANUFACTURING PARTNERS Picking the right manufacturing partner is key; it is one of the most important relationships for any fashion brand. Certifications are a good starting point to help you identify who might be the right fit, but go beyond this. Fnd out if a potential partner shares similar values, visit them in person, tell them what’s important to you, the things you are willing to be flexible on and things you are not.

STAY WELL INFORMED The best way to start improving your supply chain is by asking questions; stay informed and understand what is achievable. Being a more responsible brand means being more conscious of your social and environmental impact and constantly striving to improve every aspect of your supply chain. Every step of the way, question your decisions and think whether there is a more responsible option. Ethics should be front of mind for every decision made; from finalising design details and picking raw materials, to selecting material suppliers, and finding manufacturing partners.

For your shift towards being more a more ethical and sustainable brand to be authentic, it can’t be something pushed just for a marketing campaign. To make a real, lasting impact, to appeal to a more conscious consumer, and for your approach to be (and to appear) genuine, it needs to become part of your brand DNA and to influence every decision you make throughout your business. 

Transparency: Positioning your brand as open and transparent means telling your consumers not just who your key manufacturers are, but providing details on all your other suppliers; from zips and fabrics to labelling and packaging. Transparency can also mean offering a full break down of costs on your website, splitting out labour costs, material costs, logistics costs and taxes.

Brand focusing on transparency: Know the Origin are committed to a 100% transparent production process, presenting information on every manufacturer and supplier they work with.

ABOUT FLORA DAVIDSON Flora Davidson is co-founder of Supplycompass - a tech enabled end-to-end production management platform for responsible brands that want to find and work with the best international manufacturers. It enables brands to find their perfect manufacturing partner at home or overseas. Brands can create tech packs, get matched with a manufacturer and use the platform to manage production from design to delivery. Supplycompass works with brands and manufacturers to embed responsible and sustainable practises in their businesses and deliver value and create opportunities for growth. www.supplycompass.com | Instagram: @Supplycompass | Twitter: twitter.com/Supplycompass

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Are Communication Issues Holding Back Your Business?

By Karen O’Donnell Toastmasters International

In business the illusion of communication can waste time and risk creating longterm problems.

Frequently we experience miscommunication where part of the information is lost or misunderstood by the other person. We might think that communication has occurred, but in actuality, it has not. In a business meeting both parties may think they understand what has been passed between them, but the ideas they take away are different. This is where the illusion of communication can be most damaging.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone misinterpreting your words?

Have you ever been at a meeting with your colleagues only to realise afterwards that their interpretation of that meeting is very different to yours?

Perhaps you have sent a perfectly innocent email or text, and realised that the email recipient took offence - their interpretation was not your meaning!

Being misunderstood happens more frequently at work than perhaps we are aware of - and can often lead to wasted time and increased costs.

WHAT GOES WRONG? In conversations, the words that we hear and their meanings, are all filtered through our own unique context grid which is made up of our strongly held opinions, beliefs, and attitudes which have been shaped and reinforced over a lifetime. This results in us all unknowingly, putting our own interpretation or spin on the words of others. Often, this results in words being misunderstood, meaning getting misinterpreted, feelings getting hurt and potentially people walking away from business opportunities. In your own business when you are dependent on someone to get a task accomplished, it is essential that you build a relationship with colleagues that will lead to open task-related communication.

Traditional conversations tend to be defined by what we tell rather than by what we ask. Yet all my coaching experience has taught me that what builds a relationship, what solves problems, and what moves situations forward, is asking the right questions. In order to enhance our relations – and our communications – we need to adopt The ABC of Courageous Conversations; the art of ENQUIRY: Asking questions to which you may not already know the answer; Building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person; and Clarification 14

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“The single biggest problem in Communication... is the illusion that it has taken place” - George Bernard Shaw - seeking clarification so as you understand what is being said, with a work colleague, family member or friend. With courageous conversations we can connect, communicate and collaborate more effectively at a deep level of understanding.

All Courageous Conversations starts will self-enquiry, which follows the WOW approach: WHAT HAPPENED? Without an overlay of our assumptions, what actually happened and how does that make you feel? Who else is it effecting – family/work colleagues/business contacts?

OWN IT! How might you have contributed to this situation? Something you did/did not say or do?

Win-win it for you and the other person .

When it’s resolved, what positive implication will it have for you/other person and family or work?

How does it make you feel? Who else will benefit from this resolution – family/work colleagues/business contacts?

Once you are clear on where you stand with this issue, is there someone you need to have a courageous conversation with? Is there anyone who can influence the desired outcome? Before you start your courageous conversation with this person, do bear the following in mind:

Tip 1 - park your emotions on the shelf. If you are in an emotional state, this is not the time to have the conversation... WAIT. Instead come from a place of curiosity.

Tip 2 - Have the end in sight. What is it you want to achieve in this conversation?

Tip 3 - Be patient and listen. Slow the conversation down. And listen. We all like to be heard - really heard. They may well have insights you hadn’t counted on.

Courageous conversations can enhance your working relationship. Making room for courageous conversations can deepen that connection, communication & collaboration.

Communication is vital in all aspects of work.

When communicating – not only in presentations but on a day-to-day basis with work colleagues, be crystal clear. Where it is appropriate, seek clarification that what you meant was actually what was understood! ‘Let me clarify, I’m not sure I explained well. What did you hear me say?’

The skill of Enquiry is necessary to identify needs for collaboration among interdependent work units and to facilitate such collaboration.

In the role of leader or manager, it is needed to create the relationships and the climate that will promote open communication.

Aiming to understand as well as to be understood can only bring business benefits! 

ABOUT KAREN O’DONNELL Karen O’Donnell is from Toastmasters International, a non-profit edicational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organisation’s membership exceeds 352,000 in more than 16,400 clubs in 141 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. There are more than 300 clubs in the UK and Ireland with over 7,500 members. www.toastmasters.org | Twitter: @Toastmasters

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Be Self-Aware: The Fear of Success Can Exceed Our Dread of Failure

By Dr David Cliff Managing Director of Gedanken

But there is more to self-limitation. Ego structures are pretty fixed entities so if we wish to change them, we find our internal defence mechanisms faithfully protect our internal structures, even if some are not working for us.

It’s at this point that the fear of success emerges.

Fear of a lifestyle incompatible with self-image.

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n my work as a business coach and mentor, I underplay the fact that I also happen to be a therapist, as the knowledge often freaks people out.

I suspect they are somehow afraid of being “analysed”. However, all forms of awareness whether personal or business - requires a degree of analysis and the only thing we have to be afraid of is missing the opportunity for greater selfunderstanding.

In this respect I examine the notion of ‘success’ not as a definition of business prowess, but as a personal phenomenon contributing to self-image, ego and feelings of fulfilment.

In reality, success is a strange and ill-defined term.

We talk about it like we know what it means. In truth, it is a ‘meta’ tag of a whole range of subjective meanings measuring whether or not what we do ensures internal satisfaction, social acceptance and a sense that life is meaningful.

Success creates a range of both opportunities and threats but our resulting behaviour does not simply develop in isolation. Instead, it reflects our needs.

As a consequence, when we try to do something different, it carries a risk of failure. At a primal level,

if we fail to secure a food supply, starvation is the attendant fear.

Primitive human kind knew this all too well, creating an impetus for using our intelligence to secure food. In the modern world, failure often engenders social fears including rejection and labelling.

For many, fear of failure does not only involve external factors, but also internal forces linked to self-image, self-worth, capabilities and learned processes which hamper performance.

It’s a fierce mix, so much so that fear of failure can stop people even trying. For many, the belief of their failure is greater than the likelihood of certainty and therefore it’s better not to try. Motivation to avoid loss is often greater than that to create gain.

To a certain extent, this separates the entrepreneur from those seeking employment and who are more risk avoidant.

An examination of the fear of failure is a valid coaching and personal development objective and legitimately sits between traditional coaching practice and personal development/ psychotherapeutic approaches.

Success often means that how we feel about ourselves - the ‘elephants’ in our personal ‘room’ are challenged completely. We need to change into not just someone who is striving but someone who owns their success and is prepared to change their identity to further define it.

This type of thinking is typified by the difference between survivalist approaches to life and those approaches embracing prosperity as primary drivers. The latter thinking pattern requires a massive mind-set shift unless one is born to it.

Being born to it creates a whole range of other issues for another article on another day!

We then fail to commit to endeavours in a ‘full-on’ way. At this point there is little need for a balanced understanding of the risks of ‘throwing one’s hat in the ring’, and a realisation of the value of learning gained from whatever the outcomes are. In short, we stop growing and start retreating.

Self-Sabotage can lead to constant circular thinking resulting in anxiety and depression and calls into question one’s self-image and the metamorphosis one must start to take to step into greater success.

I have a simple mantra, whether the glass is half full or half empty, I want a bigger measure.

It might not be about wealth, fame, acceptance or status, it may simply be about real experiences which add to who we are. Vast potential exists within us all, but many of us need to better understand those inner processes which keep compromising the success we overtly strive for. 

Common to both fear of success and fear of failure is the phenomenon of self-sabotage where consciously or unconsciously, we block our progress and remove the impetus to try.

This can take the form of limiting beliefs, often accompanied with self-talk reinforcing the ‘half full’ nature of the world. It involves a litany of excuses and projections of failure onto others that account for why we simply should not try.

ABOUT DR. DAVID CLIFF Dr. David Cliff, founder of Gedanken, is an expert coach and mentor with over 35 years of management and personal development experience. David works with dozens of companies and individuals across the North East, and he and his colleagues have personally supported thousands of people.The coaching Gedanken provides helps business leaders and their team members to find a clearer direction and purpose, and to improve performance; which often results in a qualitatively better experience of life. Dr David Cliff has recently been named Lead Ambassador for Mentoring and Lead Ambassador for Business Crime by the Institute of Directors North East, and was awarded Mentor of the Year at the 2017 Entrepreneur’s Forum Awards. http://gedanken.co.uk/ https://twitter.com/David_Cliff

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Emotions: Do They Have a Role in Business?

By Ally Yates (author of ‘Utter Confidence: How what you say and do influences your effectiveness in business’)

If you say you wear your heart on your sleeve, it’s often misconstrued as your emotions being out of control. In truth, it means to openly show your emotions, to be transparent, to be true to yourself

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lthough excesses of emotion usually indicate a lack of control and emotional outbursts are rarely constructive, Amy Edmondson’s research has shown the importance of creating a working environment which is ‘psychologically safe’; where people can speak openly without fear of negative repercussions. This includes voicing hopes and fears, reservations and desires. There is a bedrock of trust that exists between the co-workers and between workers and bosses.

Figures like Nelson Mandela and Martin LutherKing are cited throughout history for the power of their oration, winning both hearts and minds.

Indeed, research by Falbe and Yukl showed this inspirational form of influence results in 90% commitment, 10% compliance and 0% resistance.

Compare that with the results of the Legitimating style, where a leader uses his power to enforce: 0% commitment, 56% compliance, 44% resistance.

Emotions win outright if engagement matters in your business.

Neuroscientist Tali Sharot, in her book ‘The Influential Mind’, demonstrates how emotion has a much bigger impact on us than reason and data, 18

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challenging some of our most firmly-held beliefs about how to influence others. Yet more evidence to harness emotions for positive purpose.

Rackham’s investigations into negotiations revealed two expressive behaviours that successful negotiators used: Feelings Commentary and Open. Feelings Commentary is defined as: ‘an expression of your feelings about the current situation or work in progress’. For example: ‘I’m uncomfortable that we haven’t explored all the possibilities’, ‘I’m excited about the progress we’re making.’ Open behaviour is ‘non-defensive admissions of mistakes or inadequacies’, e.g. ‘I don’t think I have the answers here.’

Jim Collins describes, in his seminal work ‘Good to Great’, the factors that differentiate great companies from their less successful market comparators. One of these factors is ‘Level 5 Leadership’, where the leaders of great companies are described as having a ‘paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.’ The humility is characterised as mild-mannered and understated. These leaders are happy to share their shortcomings. Contrary to macho opinion, humility is not a sign of weakness.

Often leaders create a steely or somewhat aloof façade in an attempt to keep their emotions hidden.

Known as ‘Low Reactors’, they believe that keeping the lid on their id will prevent any weaknesses or vulnerabilities from seeping out. However, a low reacting leader or manager in business can cause a multitude of negative consequences: failure to recognise achievement or effort; difficulty building rapport; appearing detached and indifferent; creating anxiety in others; delaying decision-making because people are uncertain of their position. They can create a sens of distance between themselves and other employees, negatively impacting on their perceived trustworthiness.

Let’s be honest, no matter how hard you may try to conceal your anger, frustration, joy, or surprise, these emotions leak out. Our brain, designed to protect us from real or perceived threat, acts like an early warning detection mechanism, picking up on the emotional climate. Sometimes too, it’s possible to perceive non-verbal signs of how someone’s feeling, despite them stating the contrary: the boss whose face is reddening and whose hands are wringing, calmly stating: ‘Everything is fine.’

Emotions that are labelled ‘negative’, for example, fear and distrust, are often natural human reactions.

Think of any change project you’ve been involved in, whether as an agent or a victim, and you will have experienced resistance. That’s normal. Our brains are pattern-recognition systems and altering the nature of the pattern will be met with varying degrees of challenge. To facilitate the change, leaders need to help people to successfully make the psychological transition from what is to what will be. This starts with giving people the opportunity to express their sense of loss before moving on to new beginnings.

Henry Stewart, creator of ‘The Happy Manifesto – Make your organisation a great place to work’ believes that people do their best work when they feel good about themselves. Therefore, the role of a leader is to create a positive, fulfilling work environment. And with good reason, since those businesses enjoying ‘best places to work’ status outperform on return on investment compared with their peers.

Emotions are contagious. A boss that rules with an iron fist is likely to create a climate of compliance and fear that’s terrible to work in and where few can give their best. The tone can spread as fast as dengue fever, contaminating more and more employees. Contrast that with a boss who looks to make the workplace more honest, more exciting and more fulfilling. The benefits are widespread, both within the business and without.

These days, employees expect to have a form of connection with their bosses. People need people.

Successful leaders connect with employees directly, personally and emotionally, gaining loyalty and commitment in return. 

ABOUT ALLY YATES Ally Yates is the author of ‘Utter Confidence: How what you and do influences your effectiveness in business’ and an expert on Behaviour Analysis and the interactions that define us. She combines a deep understanding of people and how to achieve results, based on her many years’ experience working with large corporate clients around the world. Since 2000 Ally has been working as an independent consultant, facilitator, trainer and coach. She has collaborated with international business schools and has received national and international training awards. www.allyyates.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ally-yates/Twitter: Twitter.com/Allyyates_UC Amazon: https://www. amazon.co.uk/Utter-Confidence-influences-effectiveness-business/dp/1784520985/r

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Customers are People First

By Dr David Cliff Managing Director of Gedanken

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lmost every organisation talks about customer services and attentiveness to customer needs these days. The truth is this need is so endemic in the provision of goods and services that it would be an unwise company that failed to have some form of observance.

All too often, however, customer service is reduced to a rhetorical transaction where disgruntled customers typically have to make approaches to people other than those involved in the sales process, either by an array of call centers or some form of specialist customer services operatives.

This approach is fine in principle, but if operatives fail to take responsibility for what has gone wrong, and appear to respond with scripts and platitudes rather than with what the customer actually needs, the experience can be a threadbare one indeed.

Let’s face it, the bulk of business these days over focuses on the transaction itself. Such a lot of things are now bought online or contracted via email and other interactions. The face-to-face relational spaces between supplier and customer have been squeezed somewhat in recent years. In a world where new generations coming into the workforce expect to contract with people for goods and services remotely and expediently, it’s all too easy to look at business as a purely transactional relationship, where the rights and concerns of the consumer are viewed through a law-based framework, rather than as an experience.

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Often, the key component of the business transaction that leads to lasting and repeat business is in the nature of the ‘psychological’ contract. This could be best described as a ‘cognitive overlap’ between supplier and customer where the relationship itself has meaning and needs to be weighed alongside the other rights and responsibilities of the transaction in hand.

There is a danger of organisations seeing serial transactions as simply repeat custom, rather than observing the nature of this relational process. It’s very apparent to customers, who often place more stock in these relational factors than suppliers do.

Only recently have certain industries cottoned on to the nature of retaining and incentivising loyalty for long-standing customers. Maintaining a simple sales target focus, however, focuses primarily on discounts and incentives rewarding the newcomer to the business, rather than those giving value to loyalty. It is a failing where many companies rely on re-routing the calls of those customers thinking of leaving an organisation͛s services, with an aim to try and broker retention, rather than managing this as an integral part of the process Customers are getting used to the psychological contract being deficient. They often put up with severe neglect of this contractual process until they consider switching to another supplier. The motivations for switching are numerous and usually avoidable. They include price exploitation,

reputational loss by the provider, failure for goods and services to be delivered in truly person-centred ways, respecting individual need and wooden, unhelpful responses when things go wrong. Most of all is the denial of the identity of the customer as unique and important. Research conducted a couple of years ago indicated that even the most mildmannered of customer often gets angry after three or four transactions with an organisation who failed to acknowledge the individuality of the need. Such customers are then often labelled as undesirable or are tolerated with scripted platitudes rather than the organisation realising that they have truly missed a trick with an individual, and are incapable of providing truly the tailored service that would actually restore confidence.

and specialty shops are coming to the fore to cater for this substantially unmet customer need. The reduction of the customer to a unit of purchasing power who is psychologically manipulated by the convenience of the net and product placement by psychologists in supermarkets registers with the discerning consumer and many will vote with their feet. Even the array of loyalty cards, trying to reward repeat custom, are themselves tokenistic and arguably a form of behaviour conditioning.

Diverting these resources into fostering human interactions would be better. Customer surveys that offer you paltry free gifts to elicit reviews and other factors deny customers the opportunity to give your organisation unsolicited feedback born of truly great customer experience.

It starts at all levels of the transaction. Ever walk into a supermarket these days to be confronted with an array of scanning machines where the only alternative is a long queue for the few humans that are serving? It’s strange how we sacrifice the relational space every time for what is seen as more efficient, transactional and affects the bottom line.

Too many, shareholders are simply looking for fiscal outcomes and do not easily translate that back to the customer experience, which could result in a loss of custom long term.

We have the most sophisticated and well-off society we’ve seen since the dawn of the industrial era.

Our people are better educated, often discerning and demanding in their needs and simply do not like to be treated as simple purchasing units to be harvested, or like lab rats in some kind of psychological conditioning experiment.

It’s a simple truth, people are people first and customers second. Organisations that forget that lose out 

Staying with retail, although the principles apply to all businesses, it is no small wonder that some of the giants of the high street and internet are open to competition. That microbreweries, artisan bakers entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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Empowering Women in Business

By Emma Sayle Founder and CEO of www.killingkittens.com

When I started Killingkittens.com 13 years ago, I wanted to create a brand that stood for women and want they wanted. Greater awareness of female sexuality and sexual freedom was slowly becoming more socially and commercially acceptable, but there was still a long way to go in an industry that claimed to be for women, but run almost exclusively run by men. I knew that to empower women sexually, it had to be with a business that put them first.

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ou can’t build a successful business without a passion for what you do and a team who believes in it just as much as you do, and you need to have fire in your belly to take on an industry that is almost universally run by men, like the adult and ‘sex-tech’ industries. Unfortunately, there is still a huge amount of bias and misconceptions to address, but I have never once doubted my belief to lead the business and keep pushing the boundaries. It is true, sadly, that sexual discrimination is still alive and kicking in many sectors, across all levels, and many women struggle to be treated with the respect they deserve. I have learnt that the best way to deal with the negativity is to stick to the facts, stick to the evidence; track your achievements, demonstrate your successes and let the facts and figures do the talking.

From just a few initial members of around 80 people, Killing Kittens now has a 100,000 strong membership and has evolved as community that brings fun, sexual adventure and freedom to thousands of women, men and couples, without fear of admonishment.

Before the days of social media, we relied simply on word-of-mouth recommendation to grow our community. Whilst we have inevitably evolved with the digital era, it is still that sense of belonging to a community that has helped fuel our success today.

Our members are everything to us and we make sure we listen to what they want and use their feedback to drive us forward. For example, we are planning to expand the

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educational side of our business with workshops and couples retreats as we know there is a huge interest from our community for these types of services.

The passion my staff share for the business is the reason why we’re still working successfully together after many years. The business is a blend of traditional office-based and remote set-up that lets my team work how they need to, when they need to. For the women I employ, it means they have more flexibility than a traditional 9-5 set-up. This has given many of them the opportunity to work and bring up their families, a task that still often falls almost exclusively to women.

I believe in letting my staff have a long lead to work as flexibly as they want, whilst being able to pull the lead in if I need to. Sometimes I do have to push hard on deadlines and availability, simply because of the global nature of our events (only half of our events are held in the UK, the rest are across the US, Australia and Europe).

My team are like a group of gladiators who work incredibly hard to bring our events together, create new services and support community. They believe in what they do and we have first-hand customer feedback that confirms that, for many women (and men!) we have helped transform their lives. It’s a powerful driver for us, seeing the transformation at the other end of everything we work so hard at. Our latest challenge has been to secure funding to help build on the digital side of the business, which now accounts for over 50% of our revenue, using our brand to diversify into more life-style services and apps that reflect the way people find and connect with others in the community.

Empowerment in the workplace means not putting people in ‘a box’, and that includes not stereotyping by gender and getting hung up on traits that we assign to men or women. Women don’t need to be ‘more like men’ to succeed, for example.

You just need to play to your strengths and have that inner self-belief.

True empowerment is about letting people have the opportunity to think for themselves and explore new ideas and concepts without worrying about setbacks and failures. In my experience, women can sometimes doubt themselves a bit too much. Ask yourself, what’s the worst that can happen? If you can handle the consequence, you should go for it.

Failure isn’t black and white: the best ideas often come from the knock-backs that you’ve recovered from along the way and experience is what makes you stronger; I had 13 solid years of experience of living and breathing Killing Kittens when we recently secured investment to continue our digital growth. Nothing gives investors more confidence than knowing you’ve seen it all and weathered a few storms along the way.

Killing Kittens is at the forefront of a really exciting industry that is becoming respected in its own right, something I’m very proud to be part of. 

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How to Create a Successful Health Food & Drink Business

BY JOÃO GOUVEIA Founder of INIU

Health drinks and other health foods are currently a growth markets. Building on my experience of starting INIU let me share some key principes andpractices for how to succeed with startup and new brand in this sector.

Dealefining the big idea: Define your ‘what’ and more importantly identify your ‘why’. The ‘what’ is usually straightforward, but the ‘why’ is critical. It will form the basis of your brand story and the passion that drives you.

My ‘what’ is simple – fresh juice. My ‘why’ being healthy, fewer hours shopping, and less kitchen time combining ingredients to make this fresh juice for my family.

I came up with INIU because it avoided choosing between convenience and healthy eating. I located and solved a problem on a small scale. Ask where and when. How big can your idea get? Keep stretching the idea to discover where it breaks (hypothetically).

Next: are there new markets you can penetrate in the future? For example, with INIU, we can try snacking products. The vision is to begin with juices and then move into other areas. Don’t think big think huge! With these answers you’ll have created your plan.

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Test the market: To figure this out you need to test your idea or product on as many different and diverse people as possible.

• • • •

Have your friends try the product Get feedback; listen to it, learn from it Work out what they actually expect from your product or one like it If necessary, adapt

Even with a small test-group, if people want to buy it, you could have a market. Then it’s time to widen the net, start testing larger focus groups.

Invest in market research to fine-tuning of your product and filter everything into your marketing plan.

Don’t forget to research your competition. You will need to have a crystal-clear picture of what’s happening in the market you hope to enter.

Get ready for production: You’re not just launching another drink or food

item, you are launching a new brand with its own identity. It’s important to start thinking about this early, and to trademark it so that no copycats can steal the results of your hard work.

Part of developing your brand identity is knowing what makes you different to (and hopefully better than) everything else out there. This differentiation will be vital for targeting your chosen consumers.

Your brand, its story and potential are all part of what they’re buying into. The way to introduce this story and your brand’s personality to consumers is through marketing.

With limited resources you need an effective way to reach your target market. Work with influencers who truly believe in your product. Treat your loyal customers well and nurture that special relationship so they become brand ambassadors, sharing your message over social media. It’s true - there’s no better marketing than words of mouth. However, look at options for PR, social media, blogging, YouTube, paid advertising and exhibitions too.

Although your budget dictates a lot of what you can and can’t do – it’s best to consider every option and to understand its benefits, challenges and costs.

Then you can make sensible, helpful decisions.

There are practical considerations: how the packaging will handle when delivered by post; and how the product will interact with the packaging?

You don’t want packaging that’s easily damaged, or quickly looks tatty on the shelf. If you’re a health product then anticipate customers expecting the product and the packing to be environmentally conscious.

Understand the business: Work on your finances, particularly your pricing and cashflow. Understand all your costs and margins.

You won’t expect profit immediately, but you need to plan your financials as if your survival depends on it, because it does.

To attract retailers you need a clear USP. Leveraging customer feedback and demonstrating demand will improve your chances of bagging a retail contract. Retailers need to be confident that it will sell – not just take up valuable shelf space.

“Define your ‘what; and more importantly identify your ‘why’”

Get shelf appeal: Your packaging is a consumer’s first impression of your product and plays a vital role in making your brand recognisable. It needs to stand out from your competitors. Go to a wide variety of shops; study your competitors again. How your design will fit within and stand out once on the shelf?

I strongly advise against DIY design. Get it done professionally; keep working with the designers until you’re happy that it has your voice, style and individuality.

The retailer route takes resources; time to negotiate these contracts and the facilities to meet their volume demand. There may be other channels, including direct to consumers, which will get your product out there.

Create a great team: If you try to do everything on your own the struggle will be tougher, and you’ll soon find yourself second guessing each decision. The key to scaling up quickly is utilising the experience, knowledge and innovation of others.

Find people that are passionate about the brand, are highly skilled, and above all have an incredible work ethic. Don’t try to find another you. Look instead to the gaps you have

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How to Ensure the Success of Your Online Business With online sales now comprising 17% of all purchases in the UK, ecommerce is a big market, and everyone wants a piece. However, setting up a successful online business can be riddled with challenges.

Most people have experienced poor online shops or at least heard horror stories. Having a great idea and business plan isn’t enough to grow a successful online business.

Stuart Maclaren, of Your Print Partner, shares his top six tips to make sure your online business is success:

The right team is essential for any new business to succeed so hire the best and together you’ll collectively powerful through to create a company and brand with a healthy future. 

1. KEEP YOUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT LOCAL So many online businesses source their customer support from somewhere cheap, abroad and use web chats and email to manage customer service.

It may be cheaper, but it’s likely going to frustrate your customers and partners if they can’t reach someone with the power to actually do something.

Local customer service will reassure customers that any issues will be resolved quickly and easily, and that they will receive their purchase in the expected time-frame.

ABOUT JOAO GOUVEISIS João Gouveiais the founder of INIU – a range of functional fruit and vegetable juices that are 100% natural, with no added sugar, preservatives or other additives. Cryogenically frozen, INIU juices retain up to 99% of their nutrients and taste; as good as if you’d made them yourself. Store the juice in your freezer and when you’re ready simply add water and blend. A fresh, 100% natural juice with all the best bits of nature in under a minute. Launched in Portugal in 2017, INIU was nominated for the Innovation Award at the Food Entrepreneur Show 2018 in London and is now launching in the UK. INIU’s mission is to develop products built on the foundations of health and convenience. www.iniu.ptfacebook.com/iniuyourtruenature instagram.com/iniu_yourtruenatu

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Top tip: Don’t assume that everyone wants web-based help. Make your phone number prominent on your website and staff your phones to ensure quick, easy resolution to any customer issues.

2. ENSURE YOUR SITE IS EADY-TO-USE Too many websites focus on design and branding but are difficult and frustrating to use.

Some sites make ordering so difficult that the customer abandons their basket.

Top tip: The problem gets worse when you consider that most shopping is now completed on a mobile device. So, develop a mobile-first website using lightweight plugins or native interfaces to provide a smooth, user-centric platform.

3. USE RESELLERS FOR RAPID GROWTH If you want fast growth, it’s worth developing solid partnerships with business partners and resellers.

Resellers tend to have established brands and customer bases. By becoming their go-to supplier, you tap into their existing market, growing your sales volume dramatically.

But do remember that resellers value is created through their brand, so they are very protective about it. You must help maintain or enhance their reputation by delivering outstanding service.

Products and service need to be high-quality and reliable, while your team need to be flexible when responding to requests.

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Top tip: It really helps if you can invite resellers to come and see your products first-hand so they understand exactly what they’re selling and are reassured by the quality.

Top tip: Lifestyle shots sell the dream; white backgrounds can help sell the product. Use a combination of both for best effect, but always lead with the lifestyle shots.

4. TARGETING YOUR MARKET It’s crucial to know and understand your target market. It’s useful for more than just web development. Maximising your marketing and advertising spend relies heavily on well-defined target markets. We used targeted advertising on Facebook across all of our target segments to understand which group had the most interest in buying. We then transferred the majority of our ad spend onto the best performing ads to maximise our ROI.

6. USE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPETITIONS TO RECRUIT CUSTOMERS One excellent way of driving traffic to your new website is by running regular competitions on social media. For example, we emailed customers asking them to share a picture of their purchase on Facebook and tag our page. Their friends quickly became aware of us and began using our service and entering our competitions, growing awareness exponentially for a relatively low cost.

Product sourcing is also informed by your customer segments. If you know, as we do, that your main customer segment is mums with young children, you can find gifts for kids to appeal to that group.

Top tip: Use available research to develop your customer segments and then test using digital advertising to quickly gain granular detail about each group.

5. PHOTOGRAPHY Getting photography right is so important for your website. Although images on a white background makes clear what the product is, lifestyle shots, where the product is being used in situ, activate the imagination and evoke emotions.

Customers are then better able to make the choice to purchase based on both rational and emotional reasoning.

How to Market Your Business Series: Listen to Your Tribe Companies are often great at what they do but communicating their qualities to the world is a difficult task. However, beyond the obvious practice of broadcasting a specificmessage, many companies fail to do something equally important: listen.

Again, it’s important here to know your target audience and which segment you want to entice to your website. It can also help you select the prize.

The prize needs to attract customers that haven’t used your website before but also be relevant to people who have already purchased your products (offering a voucher as a prize, will attract all of your target segments at the same time).

Top tip: Do make your competitions relevant and specific to the platform where it will run. For example, Twitter entries can be text-based, whereas photos and videos work well on Facebook and Instagram. 

No company can truly improve unless it is constantly listening to its customers, taking their thoughts seriously and working out how this feedback can be practically taken into account.

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n the old world before the internet, it was all too easy for companies to speak in megaphone fashion to a broad spectrum of consumers, reeling in many along the way with a wide-reach and a trustworthy appeal simply for being a known brand. In the digital age, this model has been tipped on its head.

ABOUT STUART MACLAREN Stuart Maclaren is the award-winning Managing Director of the YPP Group, a leading name in the UK wide-format print sector. Your Print Partner (YPP) is a specialist digital print company producing flags, banners, exhibition displays and other promotional products. The company is recognised as the UK’s largest producer of soft signage. YPP is now launching CustomGifts.co.uk an exciting new brand that will supply year-round high quality personalised printed gifts with late ordering and next-day delivery. http://yourprintpartner.co.uk/Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/YourPrintPartnerLtdTwitter: https://twitter.co

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Consumers are increasingly skeptical of industry leaders, disloyal to brands, are well-researched in the products and services they need, and not willing to be talked at. And through social media, they listen to one another about which brands are worth caring about, and which are not.

They are used to talking to company staff on an informal, one-to-one, and inherently ‘social’ basis. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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A NEW WAY OF COMMUNICATING: Those brands that sort out their public image, PR skills and social media game, continually lead the way. While they are excellent communicators of their messages, they are also great listeners, constantly asking for feedback, and implementing it.

These new behaviours are natural effects of the digital age, and companies that want to survive, and indeed thrive within it, must embrace these fresh practices.

It’s time to actively seek out what consumers are saying about not just your business, but about your competitors, and your industry in general. This can be done via social media platforms and other online tools.

Allow Facebook reviews, monitor mentions of your business on Twitter and solicit opinions with online surveys and open forums – these are all active ways of garnering feedback.

If difficult conversations or comments about your business crop-up online, and there is hope for resolution, don’t simply ignore them. Engaging

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with people can go a long way, and these issues can easily be brought offline, and out of the public comments box.

LinkedIn is another universal tool for almost all industries. For recruitment, networking, seeking financiers and investors, LinkedIn can be hugely powerful. For example, TribeFirst helps organisations connect with their tribe while raising funds, predominantly by running an equity crowdfunding campaign. For every campaign we run, we target our client’s first, second and third connections and engage them well in advance of launch.

Many of these people not only become investors, but part of a loyal tribe that sticks with the company for the long term. Increasingly, the best way to see your ideas succeed and to gain a legion of loyal supporters, is to first have them validated by the crowd.

THE ZEITGEIST: As the crowd increasingly becomes the zeitgeist, the perceived wisdom of industry leaders loses its resonance. In other words, pluralism is

overtaking individualism. It won’t be too long before all new ideas and brands will not be trusted if they haven’t first gained the trust of the crowd.

In ‘New Power’ by Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans, the pair propose that we’re trading 20th Century values for new power values of disintermediation – leaderless movements and crowdsourced ideas.

New power, they argue, is replacing old systems because the digital landscape allows for instant, positive feedback loops. Ideas and content can snowball online through a continual appraisal process of likes, shares and upvotes. Pass the viral test, and the content creator knows they’ve excelled, and have brought the crowd along with them.

This is exactly why crowdfunding, crowdsourcing and community platforms are growing faster than other digital channels. They rely on engagement, and primarily on emotional (rather than rational) decision-making, so that people jump on board to bask in the buzz of the feedback loop.

As this new power spirals upward, more SMEs will embrace crowdfunding as a means to engage the crowd early, and see their idea appraised at the same time. This process will also lead the wider crowd to trust in the idea or brand itself. For instance, Monzo, a challenger bank, has been able to overcome the almost impossible task of getting customers to switch

their current accounts because they have engaged their tribe through a number of equity crowdfunding campaigns.

While crowdfunding is a means to raise funds, it is also a powerful communication and listening exercise.

At what other point in your company’s lifetime will you be able to justify the ROI of a mass marketing campaign? During a campaign, each effort is one that, if successful, raises your profile amongst the crowd, amongst investors, and ultimately results in more funds for your business.

Almost every industry can learn a lot from crowdfunding and become better communicators –being more transparent, creating a community of customers and embracing new powers to create positive feedback loops for clients, and thereby creating better experiences.

So, if you’re looking for new ways to engage with existing and potential customers, or innovative ways to fund your business, start by doing the hard work of building a community, listening to their ideas, and giving them instant feedback to make them feel more like a stakeholder than a client.

ABOUT JOHN AUCKLAND, FIRST TRIBE John Auckland is crowdfunding communications agency that has helped raise in excess of £5m for over 30 companies on platforms such as Crowdcube, Seedrs, Indiegogo and Kickstarter –with a greater than 85% success rate. TribeFirst is the world’s first dedicated marketing communications agency to support equity crowdfunding campaigns and the first in the UK to provide PR and Marketing campaigns on a mainly risk/reward basis. John is also Virgin StartUp’s crowdfunding trainer and consultant, helping them to run branded workshops, webinars and programmes on crowdfunding. John is passionate about working with start-ups and sees crowdfunding as more than just raising funds; it’s an opportunity to build a loyal tribe of lifelong customers.www.tribefirst.co.ukTwitter @Tribe1st

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How to Start and Build an Ethical Fitness Brand Whether you are starting an ethical brand from the ground up, or evolving your current brand to do more social good. Ben Moreland co-founder of Asuno shares his insight on how to do it and the potential pitfalls to watch out for.

to go down) who can support your idea. If your looking at charities, find some that resonate with your brand, or you have a strong emotion towards, customers react well with causes they believe in, or they have been affected by. You are aiming to reach your customers on an emotional level as well as their rational purchasing level.

As for manufacturers, you are preaching a socially good company, so all elements of your supply chain need to be equally responsible. Vet your manufacturers so they are not infringing on human rights, inadequate working conditions, or using unethical practices to source materials. There are many official ways to check; a visit to their factories, an external audit, or certifications they possess from previous checks.

So, now you’re well on your way to being the next great ethical fitness brand, with; • Your idea • Your charities and manufacturers, with agreements in place • The clothing or equipment you’re going to sell • The means to do good with the sale of each item

in your approach customers will believe in you and your brand.

Next up, funding a start-up can be one of the hardest parts of getting launched. You have the clothing or equipment designed and ready to purchase, you have the marketing ads ready to go and your looking into trademarks to protect your great idea but haven’t decided how to successfully fund it.

Most entrepreneurs financially invest in their own brands but this is normally not enough, other options are available depending on what suits your product; CROWDFUNDING – everyone donating a little can create a lot of funding. It’s a great premise, but be careful, it’s tricky, especially for a clothing brand.

Be cautious aboutthe lead times on crowdfunding, a lot of customers especially in the market for clothing are not willing to wait over a month for their product.

START-UP LOAN – the usual way to gain funding, requiring a good business plan, good market research and a good personal credit history.

Congratulations for getting this far, but what’s next?

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egin with building your brand brief, what you aim to achieve, what your social responsibility angle is and how you are going to approach it.

Since you are starting an ethical brand, make this the first decision – how is it going to be ethical?

Invoke a buy-one-give-one philosophy, donate profits to charity, or help save the world through recycling materials are just some ideas you can adopt. Decide which path your brand will take and build up from there.

Now you have the social good idea formed, next

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The hard part. Alongside all the other hardships of launching a business, the financials, marketing, stock management, website and social building, long working hours, stress and risk, you also have to convince your customers you are genuinely a brand out there to make a difference. is to formulate a plan on how to make that idea a reality. Let’s take recycling as an example, our oceans get polluted with 1.4 billion pounds of trash that is damaging to the environment and the sealife that comes into contact with it*. But did you know some of this plastic waste can we re-used to create clothing, shoes and other useful fitness articles. With some creative recycling methods out there, we are now seeing an increase in materials being re-used, and less finding their way to landfills or our oceans.

Next step is to find manufacturers or charities (depending on which avenue you have decided

EQUITY INVESTMENT – if you can’t crowdfund, and you are unable to get a loan, look into equity investors, as long as you can convince them of the potential in your brand, backed up by strong financial forecasts and are willing to exchange a percentage of equity for an initial investment, this can be a viable funding option.

Humans are sceptical, its in our nature to question everything before we accept it, its part of our survival instinct. Early humans didn’t survive by taking things for face value, and those that did, didn’t last long. Even though you have the best intentions, there will always be questions.

During the launch of Asuno, we were asked why these charities, how much do you donate - why not more? How can you prove the money is going to those people, what about this cause, why not choose local charities?

Last but not least, remember to involve your customers long past their purchase of your products, they are emotionally investing in your brand with every item, and they want to see what good they have done by supporting your company rather than any other generic fitness brand. Here’s a couple of ways to give back your customers:

As long as you have a clear goal and are confident

•

•

Formulate metrics that your donations can provide with your charity partners, this gives your customers a quantified action, and prevents the ‘what next?’ question.

Give updates on social media and your

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•

website, show people the faces and locations that their donationsare supporting.

Personalise thank you messages from those helped, and hold celebration and charity events or auctions to boost donations and brand awareness.

Building an ethical brand is all about honesty, compassion and integrity. Be honest with your customers, show them your true compassion towards the causes you are supporting, and live up to the promises you make. With these key attributes in place your brand is set to become something great, the rest is up to you. ď Ž

ABOUT BEN MORELAND Ben Moreland is co-founder of Asuno, a Manchester-based fitness and yoga clothing brand passionate about making an impact on the world. Using the city as inspiration, the team design beautiful, premium quality, functional fitness clothing that saves lives. Every item in the range is linked to an individual charity and each purchase provides a specific action from alleviating hunger to providing access to water and helping children build an identity. Web: www.asuno-uk.com Instagram: @asuno.ukFacebook: /asuno.uk Indiegogo Community Crowdfunding: https://igg.me/at/asuno* https://4ocean.com/blogs/blog/how-much-trash-is-in-our-ocean?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIverwlefn3AIVq7DtCh2Hdg5VEAAYASAAEgJiQvD_BwE

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How Using Social Media Can Really Boost Business

By Nicole Bremner

The importance of building a personal brand and using it to raise your social media profile is hardly news. Used cleverly it can do much more than this though - helping you engage with potential partners, form strong relationships of trust and ultimately do business.

BUILD A PERSONAL BRAND: Reams of articles, podcasts and blogs have been devoted to the subject of brand-building via your platform of choice, because it’s free marketing that really works for those who use it effectively. But the message about brand-building isn’t always getting through - or being acted on - by businesses that would really benefit.

You don’t need a presence on every media platform. Pick the ones that are working well for you and that you have time to maintain. Consistency is essential if you’re to build a following and engage with them in meaningful presence.

For example, there are loads of people in property development who remain invisible because no one knows the person behind the brand. By making themselves clearly visible, people will buy into and trust that person rather than a faceless corporation.

Not everyone knows the multinational holding company Berkshire Hathaway, but everyone’s aware of the company’s chairman and CEO Warren Buffet, because his personal brand isso strong. That’s why people do business with him. Everyone wants to know about these high profile people and then work with them, because they know what they stand for. So get your brand out there.

EDUCATE AND DISSEMINATE: Social media is also vital for educating and disseminating information about the industry - for example, inmy case how the property process works and how to raise funds through crowdfunding. So give as much information and advice to your customers as possible.

You may think giving away information for free will make them less likely to work with you but actually it’s the opposite. The more they consume your information and can see you’rean expert who’s generous with your time and information, the more they’ll choose to work with you rather than someone else as they’ll already have that relationship of trust with you.

PICK YOUR PLATFORM CAREFULLY: When planning your social media campaign pick your platform. If your business is very visual, use Instagram. If you’re more verbal go for Twitter. If you’re good with video choose YouTube.

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“YES, IT’S ABOUT BUSINESS AND CREDIBILITY, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF MEMORABLE”

PIQUE INTEREST: Build up a story that people want to listen to. They don’t so much want dry information about your company but your own story, preferably a funny one. In my case it’s the story of how I met my business partner, Avi Dodi, who walked into a property and within30 seconds said ‘Yep let’s buy it”. It adds a bit of colour to something that could be quite dry. And people remember that.

Storytelling is very important right now on social media. You’ve probably noticed that Facebook and Instagram put stories right at the top. Stories are being

prioritised, so bring yours into the conversation.

ENGAGE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY: Social media has to be a two-way conversation, you have to engage with your community. You can’t just use it as a PR machine, but for discussion and being social with your community. So don’t just blow your own trumpet.

In this way I met Robin from prop-tech company Bamboo Auction, who contacted mein response to one of my tweets.

We started a discussion and from there developed a business relationship. We have now colaunched online property auction site Duomo (www.duomohq. com), which is revolutionising the property market for women.

Many opportunities have arisen in this way and if I hadn’t engaged with my community on social media it’s possible they would have been less interested

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in working with me.

I also connected with theestate agent Knight Frank and eventually appointed them to sell our development in Harrington Gardens, Kensington. This was all because of the incredible social media profile of the company’s super prime estate agent Daniel Daggers. I wanted to leverage off that. So it works both ways.

For me choosing business relationships is all about whether they’ve got a good social media profile. I want to work with people who get what I’m doing and equally get the whole importance of social media. For meit’s importance just can’t be ignored.

BE DIFFERENT: Playing safe serves little purpose. There’s no point being on social media if you’re just going tobe generic and neutral in what you post. It’s vital to get across what you’re about on social media and make sure your bio stands out from everyone else’s in their market. Show that you’re unique.

And avoid being too ‘corporate’. Yes, it’s about business and credibility, but you have to make yourself memorable. If you’re into skydiving talk about it on social media so people see a multi-dimensional you. If they then meet you at a networking event, how are they going to remember you otherwise? If you remind them that you’re the one who jumps out of planes, they’ll engage with you far more easily, because you’ve already caught their eye.

7 Simple Tips • •

RESPOND - if people comment or follow you keenly, respond to them.

ENGAGE – don’t just ‘like’ but also comment, ask a question, or offer insight to your followers and those you want to connect with FOLLOW BACK – unless their content looks suspect, you need to reach out and not expect everyone to come to you after you post your content.

FOLLOW HASHTAGS – on Instagram you can follow specific hashtags so you can view accounts that post similar content or ideas.

IGNORE NEGATIVITY – judgement or criticism can come with the territory. But if someone is challenging an idea, join the debate!

GET CREATIVE – play around with apps and tools to make your content vibrant and fun. You won’t regret it.

DON’T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY – social media is fun and just about meeting people and creating connections. 

• • • • •

How Your Brand Can Do Good and Still Increase Profits

By Ben Moreland

Whether you are planning a startup or are building an existing health and fitness brand you can choose to do good in the world. And this contribution can go hand in hand with boosting profits. Ben Moreland of Asuno explores how.

Fitness is bigger business now than ever before. Gym membership, in the UK, has increased approximately 4% year on year from 2015 to 2018. The UK industry is worth a staggering £4.9bn (according to The 2018 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report). That growth likely to increase in the coming years of data driven health and fitness, it’s a fantastic sector to be in.

To take one example, fitness apparel is no longer only about big names; small boutique brands are appearing. But many are struggling to stand out in an ever-more crowded market place. Beyond functionality, style and quality what can help customers choose one over the other? The answer lies in choosing to prioritise social responsibility in your brand.

With an estimated 807,000 running events annually, 100,000 event participating cyclists and over 140,000 competing triathletes, the UK is anything but lazy when it comes to pushing physical and mental limits.

Many of these people are raising money for widerange of charities. With so many keen people willing

to go the extra mile to do good, why is the clothing they wear not living up to this generous giving mentality?

The answer is, of course, profit and a tendency to focus on revenue over social good. Company are there to make money. And that’s exactly where they are missing the point; doing good is also good for your bottom line.

Here are just a few companies, in a variety of sectors, that are nailing the bottom line revenue and having a huge impact on world in the process: • • •

CH2OOSE – Eco-friendly non-plastic bottled water that gives all of their profits to Water For Africa.

BOMBAS SOCK – working on the one-for-one model, Bombas donate a pair of socks for every pair purchased.

ONE WORLD PLAY PRODUCT – Donate 5% of the sale price to providing their product FutBols to communities in need.

ABOUT NICOLE BREMNER Nicole Bremner is a property developer, founder of East Eight www.east-eight.com and bestselling author of BRICKING IT: From Stay at Home Mum toMillions in Property. She is passionate about making the world of property more accessible to women, recently launching online property auction site Duomo (www.duomohq.com) inpartnership with Bamboo Auction.

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• • •

WEWOOD – Collaborate with Trees For The Future to plant a tree for every wooden watch sold.

ASUNO – Providing premium quality fitness and yoga clothing that supports charitable actions with every purchase.

TOMS – For every pair of TOMS shoes brought, they provide a pair of shoes to someone in need.

These companies prove that doing good is good for business. And since so many fitness fans are also keen charity fundraisers – it makes perfect economic sense to combine the two.

ENTREPRENEUR

If You Want To Increase Sales - Stop Selling and Start Helping

By Tim Butler

So, if you are launching a new fitness brand, or wanting to grow your fitness business –consider linking it with a charitable aim. You can do this in a variety of ways – whatever suits your business model, internal resources, and target market the best:

1

Donate a percentage of your profits – 1%, 5%, 10%... 50%, there is no correct figure, every little helps when it comes to charity, and if you are rocking a healthy turnover then even 1% will make a huge impact.

2

Charity partners – support a charity directly with co-branding and awareness campaigns, keep your profits but co-advertise to bring more awareness for your charity partner. Tell your customers about the charity and make it easy for them to donate, promote the charity on your website, social media and in your newsletters.

3

Sponsor events – become a corporate sponsor for an event, this is not only a huge help to the charity, it provides your company with a great advertising opportunity.

4

Buy one, give one – invoke this ethos into your business model. Do you have a product that could help others? Support a cause that compliments your product and donate one for one.

5

Empower your employees – support and sponsor employee fundraising days, put on an event, get your employees family and friends involved. Target your employees that are most passionate at volunteering.

6

Build your story – long gone are the days that customers took charity on face value, they want to know the story, envelope themselves in the cause and believe that your company is seriously in it to do good, build your brand story to tell them.

All of these options not only help the world but will also boost your brand’s social responsibility.

According to the 2018 State Of The UK Fitness Industry Report (http://www.leisuredb.com) 1 in every 7 people attend a gym or fitness class. What do the number tell us? If we assume the average cost of a gym outfit is £30, and we have 9.9m case scenario), then we have £297m spent on fitness apparel every year in the UK. If these brands donate 1% of total sale prices that would free up £2.97m for projects in need around the world every year. If making that small donation enabled you to gain an additional 1% of the market, it would make a huge difference to your bottom line.

Charitable donation not only does good - it can pay dividends, when are you going to collect yours? 

Thanks to the Internet here is a vast amount of information available online, which has led to a power shift in the sales process. If people want an answer to a question,then most people will go online to find it. The information is out there, and it is now easily attainable. The internet has empowered people and the sales person is no longer the fountain of knowledge they once were.

Innovation Visuals’ Tim Butler believes the best way to achieve sales is through a policy of helping, not selling, and by developing a structured process around helping your sales targets,you can achieve improved sales results. This process is referred to as inbound sales. He tells us more....

THE INBOUND SALES STRATEGY: For your business to grow you need to sell. It’s a simple statement, but not always an easy one to achieve, especially if your approach to sales is lagging behind the times.

Helping someone has the ability to shift the power of the sales process back into the hands of the seller. The important thing is to help the right people and offer the right advice. To do this you have to use marketing intelligence.

This information is gathered by tracking a person’s visits to your website and seeing which pages they visited, what blog posts they read, which whitepapers they downloaded, and beginning to build a real understanding of their interests, goals and concerns.

Engaging in this process means that before you even

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pick up the phone you know a lot about the person you are about to ring. Use other digital platforms, such as LinkedIn, to research the person you are about to call in more detail and find out about their business. Before you pick up the phone there is one more thing you need to know the answer to; how are you going to help them?

Do not start the call offering a product or service that they can buy to help with x. This is not the inbound sales approach. Remember you are helping at this stage, not selling.

Instead of selling your product and/or service you should be saying something like, ‘I saw you downloaded this whitepaper, so here is a case study about a client of ours who faced a similar challenge’.

Your company should have invested time in creating

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Is an ICO a Good Way to Raise Money For Your Business

content and should have the necessary resources to provide relevant help whether this be a webinar, a whitepaper, an industry top tip, a guide or even a quick solution. If your company is not producing content relevant to the industry on a regular basis then this needs to change, fast.

One of the best ways to guarantee your company is producing regular content is to create a blog section on your website. Write blogs on a regular basis that focus on key industry topics and challenges. Providing the answers to issues people may be facing can lead to them visiting your website where they can find out what solutions you offer to the problem they have. This help could ultimately lead to an enquiry, followed by a sale.

The ‘help’ approach to sales is not only refreshing for the consumer but approaching the sales call in this way means you are no longer a sales person cold calling someone entirely for your own benefit. Instead you are helping someone, and the call benefits the receiver. Have you ever received a call from someone looking to help you? Probably not, but think how would that make you feel? Would you be more inclined to listen to that person at a later date about their company’s solution? The answer is probably yes.

You can break the inbound sales process down into some simple steps: • • • • •

Inbound Marketing – the first step is to employ an inbound marketing methodology, which is focused on providing helpful content, which draws people to your site.

Marketing Intelligence – it is important to make sure you are tracking visits to your website, so you know who is visiting your website and what they are looking at.

Provide Helpful Advice – before you contact your sales prospect you should now be armed with the information that allows you to provide helpful information that is specific to that person needs. You should ion know exactly how you are going to help them before you pick up the phone.

Open The Door To Further Conversation – after phoning and helping your sales prospect, you have provided yourself with an opportunity to speak in the future. If someone is willing to talk to you, then they are more likely to buy from you in the future.

Help, Don’t Sell – the most important thing is to remember you’re helping, not selling. Turning to a fullon sales pitch too soon can deter the potential customer.

This sales approach suits human psychology. We are programmed to help each other, and this means if you help someone then they feel obliged to help you back. This could be them deciding that the product or service your company provides is the solution to overcoming the challenges their business is facing. That first call to help them could lead to a sale further down the line. The most important thing is to be patient and build a relationship first by helping.

Tracking is incredibly important to gain marketing intelligence. There are a number of different automation tools that can assist will tracking, sales and contact management. Implementing one of these tools provides companies with the ability to track visits to their website and gather information about that person’s visit. This then allows you to follow an inbound sales process.

ADAPT YOUR SALES STRATEGY: The knowledge available to people now is vast. You can either continue to push generic information that your sales prospects can find themselves online or you can change your approach and help them. The future is about helping, not selling, so make sure you adapt your sales strategy to stay ahead of your business competition.

ABOUT TIM BUTLER Tim Butler is founder of Innovation Visual, a digital marketing consultancy specialising in digital effectiveness. Recognised by Google as one of the top 30 digital agencies in the UK, Innovation Visual uses the latest techniques in SEO, PPC and online content creation, and is an award-winning Google, Bing and HubSpot Partner. Innovation Visual works to increase website visibility, lead generation, customer acquisition and developing competitive advantage digitally. See: https://www.innovationvisual.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/innovationvis

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By John Auckland

The meteoric (and overinflated) rise of Bitcoin has firmly planted cryptocurrencies in the minds of everyday consumers. And as a result, many companies looking to raise money for their business have probably asked themselves whether they should be running an ‘Initial Coin Offering’, or ICO for short. So, what exactly is an ICO and is it a good way to raise money for your business?

To understand the ICO, you first need to understand a bit about Blockchain.

Thousands of writers have attempted to explain the mechanisms of blockchain, and to varying degrees of success. John Auckland, TribeFirst, neatly explains - using art as an effective analogy.

E

ven though we can all agree that there is only ever one original artwork, the printing press and other such analogue replication technologies allowed us to start replicating art, which we now regularly do by showing it in books, taking a photo or creating prints. It’s normally obvious which version is the original, or at least we tend to commonly agree on where the perceived value in the art lies, but the system isn’t perfect. Keeping track of the original is difficult because the system is open to forgery, so often authenticity comes down to the view of an expert. The internet and digital technologies have amplified these problems by allowing the replica to be shared a near infinite number of times. These simulacra sometimes devalue the original (but equally can increase awareness thereby increasing its value).

Occasionally, the replicas realise a modicum of value in their own right (effectively by stealing the

artist’s intellectual property). But what happens if the artwork is created digitally in the first place, i.e. there is no analogue original? How would anyone ever agree where the value sits? What does it even mean to have a digital original? Is it down to the computer it was first created on? The original file?

And that’s where blockchain comes in.

In real terms, blockchain is simply a string of code combined with a ledger that’s shared with the public.

If that segment of code is transferred from one owner to another, the entire public ledger records this transfer. No one can break the code without the entire ledger recognising it. So, it’s a technology that has been created to give a digital asset realworld properties, i.e. there is an original and anything else is simply a replica and has no value.

So, going back to our art analogy, a piece of digital art created on the blockchain has an irrefutable original so the ownership and subsequent value of that original can be determined and agreed

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upon. Not only does it mimic the real world, it also improves on it, since everyone has transparency over all the transactions, so the system is almost completely immune to fraud.

This is why blockchain is considered such a revolutionary technology, because it solves the problem of digital replicability, and indeed takes it one step further by improving on real life transactions by creating a level of transparency and accountability that isn’t possible in an analogue world.

This is important because the problem of reproduction is not unique to art. Over centuries we’ve been trained to think that money acts like an irrefutable ledger. But that’s not really accurate. In fact, its value is subject to many forces and intermediaries. Cryptocurrencies are one application of blockchain technology; a digital currency using blockchain to allow everyone to see the entire ledger in a decentralised, transparent way. That way both the value and authenticity of the currency are clear. It’s unfortunate that most people first come across blockchain through cryptocurrencies, which has led them to believe all blockchain is simply a digital form of money. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

So how does this relate to an ICO? An ICO is a way of raising funds that directly converts fiat currencies or other cryptocurrencies into a new token that you’ve created for your platform. You can think of it like ‘selling’ some of your code, since in a very real sense the owner will be the beneficiary of a slice of the blockchain you

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create. In our art analogy it’s like owning a small proportion of the actual (original, valuable) artwork, rather than owning a share of its value.

There are two types of ICO. One issues a utility token that exists simply to perform a useful task on your platform, akin to buying a painting to adorn an office wall (also think cars, stamps, jewellery or labour). In this instance a platform user won’t simply buy the tokens and sit on them - they will use them as part of their experience of your platform.

Based on existing regulations, an ICO is best suited for a company that has a clear utility need for blockchain. This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are the main reasons why you might need a utility token to support your technology: •

• Then there is a security token that exists purely for speculators to see a return on their investment, which is someone buying an artwork from an artist because they’re betting on the value increasing (also think oil trading, rare stamps, precious metals or buying shares).

Obviously, there are grey areas - the painting on the office wall bought to beautify the space can increase in value if the artist suddenly became popular. Equally, the art bought for speculation was still originally created to be admired, interpreted and enjoyed, so the owner can argue that it has a function or utility. In other words, the ‘art token’ could be seen as both ‘utility’ and ‘security’. This is important to understand as the regulations surrounding each are different. So, whether you’re looking to build something that capitalises on the revolutionary factors of blockchain to improve the world, or building something that investors are expecting to rise in value simply by existing, I suggest you get a lawyer and professional help to ensure you remain compliant to your local financial regulations.

•

‘You require complete transparency in the way you operate (i.e. a charity / a financial institution / a political institution / someone who handles multiple payments or acts as an intermediary) ‘You are an organisation that creates or requires regular contracts between two parties where the terms are incredibly clear, and you only want the transaction to take place once the terms have been met (aka a smart contract).

‘You have many digital assets and you want to give them real world, tangible properties, or so you know without doubt which one is the original.

If you’re still not sure that an ICO is right for your business– then it probably isn’t. You would have immediately recognised one of the attributes listed above in your own technology. However, if you do think your solution has a need for underlying blockchain technology, it still might not mean you need to complete an ICO. There are many disadvantages to running an ICO over a traditional fundraise, not least because of the cost and regulatory concerns involved.

2.0 bubble and the next Googles and Amazons are likely hidden amongst the companies coming through. And there are a lot of investors who made a tonne of money in the cryptocurrency inflation now looking to diversify their rewards across a multitude of emerging blockchain innovations. So, even with the recent drop in market value, there’s still a lot of liquidity in the market. Some ICOs are raking-in huge sums of investment as a result.

In my experience, the founders who have the tenacity to succeed and an all-or-nothing mentality might want to consider an ICO. It will eat months of your life where you think of nothing but your venture for 20 hours a day, and will probably cause you to use up all your savings in the process. You also probably want to genuinely change the world and make transactions and interactions between companies and businesses more transparent.

If you fear this new world or are wary of risking losing anything, then a traditional funding raise is probably better for you. After all, you can be the gallerist and sell shares in your gallery without having to run the risk of being the painter. 

Of course, there are advantages as well. It’s a highly speculative and risky market for investors, but there’s a wild west, winner-takes-all feel to it at the moment. We’re in the midst of a dot.com

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Keys For Successfully Presenting Your Business and Your Brand on Film

By Helena Brewer

When you are representing your business you want to have the skills and technique to let your entrepreneurial qualities shine - whether you’re pitching, hosting an online meeting or creating a business video that will take YouTube by storm. Helen Brewer of Toastmasters International, shares her top tips for making the most of your small screen appearances.

Position and posture: If you are delivering a webinar, or a significant meeting you may well be sitting in the same chair for an hour. A comfortable chair with good back support will help. Check the position of your laptop or camera in relation to where you are sitting, which parts of you can be seen? Movement is tricky, if you lean forward towards your camera, the audience will receive an unexpected close-up. Think about your habits; do you rub your ear or flick your hair? These may be distracting for your audience.

A mic or headset may be required, and if you are waving your hands about, you may knock this. So, endeavour to keep your hands out of shot.

Handling introductions: If you’re hosting a meeting with a large number of attendees, it may not be possible to find time for them to be introduced to each other. However, if it is a small meeting or an interview, it is definitely worth knowing who else is there. Allow time for introductions as simple as name, position and company. This will assist you in knowing if all key stakeholders have joined, and if not, have they sent a representative instead.

Are you being heard?

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This is the biggest issue when delivering online.

You need to check in with your online audience and determine that they can actually hear you. You don’t want to be distracted battling with software when you should be delivering a webinar. Equally, the audience doesn’t want to fight to hear you.

When joining virtual meetings, there are sometimes odd background noises which can be surprisingly loud. If you can control muting attendees, do. If not, then encourage them to mute themselves whilst listening.

Focusing on the audience: There are many turns of phrase that are quirky and very local. A British example is, ‘put jam on your shoes and invite your trousers down for tea.’ When you add turns of phases or language which are not in everyday use, consider how your attendees will interpret them. Perhaps time will be better spent delivering useful information, rather than explaining something that wasn’t clear to all in the first place. In other words; think about the language you use and make it appropriate to the audience. You don’t want to lose investors because you confused them!

What in the background?

“Put some jam on your shoes” While you’re worrying about the camera it’s easy to forget to check what people will see behind you. If you are in an office with glass walls and doors, it can be distracting for your audience to have people walking behind you. Whenever possible a clean background is best.

You need to ensure ample lighting for your face, particularly if your background is very bright (as it will darken your face) or the room is dingy. Does any of the lighting cast shadows on the wall behind you? If it does, change it.

Look your best!

Just like meeting people face to face, you have to look the part; your appearance matters. Consider how to take the shine from your forehead, taking out redness from the face or concealing dark circles under the eyes. The camera picks up all those blemishes and to you, they will seem to be magnified and you will focus in on them. Be confident and use makeup if you need to.

Any questions?

If you are pitching or running a webinar/meeting you’ll be expecting questions so make sure you’ve got to grips with your technology. Some systems allow attendees to message you rather than interact vocally. How will you manage this? You may want to consider having support to deal with the online questions as they arise. If you are managing the live stream and the questions by yourself, pause after key points. This is a good time to ask for questions, which you can then be addressed before you move on. As you are the presenter you control this – you may decide to take certain questions offline after the event.

Reading between the lines: Try to avoid reading from notes. You will look down and your audience will have a great shot of the top of your head. If the notes are on screen, the movement of your eyes will look odd. Know your presentation inside out, so that you appear natural.

Having prompt cards with key words on that you can glance at can help if you feel you need some additional reminders. My favourite trick it to have notes stuck at eye level on the side of the screen.

Getting ready to start: t is worth conducting a run through of any presentation you give. Treat online presentations the same way and practice with a test session. If you are handling technical aspects, it’ll give you one less concern when you are delivering. For webinars, definitely consider recording and watching the test session. You can use this to make any necessary changes. Also, if you have technical problems on the day, you can use this version to send to the attendees of your webinar later.

Finally, remember to keep a steady pace of speaking, take pauses at transition points and breathe. Endeavour to engage with your audience by checking in with them and addressing their questions. Be aware of your non-verbal communications, your eye contact, body language and facial gestures. Allow the best of your personality and your business acumen to shine through that small screen.

And, by the way, ‘put some jam on your shoes’ is an old English insult about the length of a person’s trousers. 

ABOUT HELENA BREWER Helena Brewer is from Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. Visit www.toastmasters.org

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Minority Shareholders Power & Protection

By Katie Philipson Senior Associate at Stevens & Bolton LLP

Do you know what rights and protections minority shareholders enjoy? Every entrepreneur and investor should understand the answer to this question: minority shareholders have the power to cause irreparable damage to a business if relationships break down.

Whilst the complexities of company law can seem like technicalities, understanding the rights of shareholders is important to help avoid conflicts and manage those that do arise.

P

roactive and careful management of the power balance at incorporation and/or upon taking investment will help minimise the risk and impact of disputes in the future.

Where do rights come from and what do they cover?

Shareholders’ rights arise through the Companies Act, the company’s articles, shareholders’ agreements and the terms of the issue of shares.

In general, ordinary shares give shareholders a right to influence the conduct of the company by attending general meetings and voting, a right to a dividend if one is declared and a right to the return of capital and to share in any surplus assets if the company is wound up.

The percentage of the issued share capital held by a shareholder can make a real difference and being aware of the different thresholds can be important.

For example, usually shareholders holding: • at least 5% of the share capital can require the circulation of a written resolution, the calling of a general meeting and the circulation of a statement relating to an impending vote; • 10% or more can require an audit of the business (where it would otherwise be exempt); and

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•

25% or more can block a special resolution (i.e. a vote on an issue that requires 75% of votes to be in favour of it in order to be passed).

When considering thresholds note that several minority shareholders could band together to reach the requisite threshold. Other rights also exist or can created through the adoption of additional or replacement rights in the company’s articles (including preferential rights).

How can minorities enforce their rights?

Entrepreneurs are often surprised at how shareholders can enforce their rights. Shareholders could consider: • Bringing a claim to enforce compliance with the company’s articles and/or remedy an abuse by directors of their fiduciary powers; • Presenting a petition to the courts claiming that the company’s business is being conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to shareholders; • Bringing a derivative claim against a third party (which can include a director of the company) on behalf of the company; and • Presenting a petition for the winding up of the company on ‘just and equitable grounds’.

the use of these mechanisms, spanning everything from breaches of the company’s articles and/ or shareholder agreements, illegal conduct and misuse of the company’s funds to payment of excessive remuneration and more.

Exercising shareholder rights can be expensive but the very threat of disruptive proceedings can yield results as a company can never truly predict the appetite that a disgruntled shareholder may have to take action.

Can entrepreneurs or investors take steps to make management easier?

Entrepreneurs and investors would be well advised to think about things upfront, pre-empting issues before they arise and laying sound foundations for the business.

In particular, thinking about the end-game, spheres of responsibility, whether unanimity is necessary or desirable for certain decisions and what should happen if you or your business partner(s) or investors decide to leave the business either temporarily or permanently, will hopefully mean that a consensual agreement can be reached and documented.

It can be a good idea to enter into agreements with dove-tailed articles of association that are wellstructured to set out clearly how the management and decision-making will work at director and shareholder level, including how deadlocks will be resolved and what rights (if any) shareholders have to financial and other information. These are areas in which disputes often arise. In addition, with friends and family investors it is prudent to document how and when they will exit, perhaps providing for drag-along or tag-along rights.

The precise form of agreements may be driven by issues such as confidentiality, the number of parties involved, any external funding received and any expectation of future changes to the shareholders.

What happens if disagreements arise and how can I protect the business?

Inevitably, trying to resolve issues after they have arisen is much more difficult those involved are usually focused on their own interests by then and not the greater good of the company.

It is worth nothing here that ultimately, if the majority shareholders make a decision in good faith, they are protected by both common law and statute. English law generally recognises the principle of ‘majority rule’ in companies so courts tend not to interfere with decisions made by the majority of shareholders in good faith. There is also no concept of a ‘no fault divorce’ in English law when it comes to shareholder claims.

Accordingly, as majority shareholders it is essential to make decisions in good faith to protect yourself and the business. An understanding of the contractual arrangements you have in place and the legal position and merits of both parties’ positions is desirable. You can then approach any negotiations and decisions about next steps with an understanding of the parameters in which you need to work.

Ultimately though, if issues cannot be resolved, the parties can seek assistance of the court. There are different avenues open depending on the nature of the complaint. Courts have wide discretion when exercising their powers and determining the form of relief to grant. The court will often assess the extent of any unfairness, so how parties conduct themselves in a dispute can be pivotal.

Obtaining appropriate legal advice can therefore be advantageous in the longer run.

With all this information in mind, businesses should be able to avoid falling foul of disputes with their minority shareholders, maximising their chances of entrepreneurial success. 

There is a need for a delicate balance to be struck - being too restrictive can have the unintended effect of burdening the business with bureaucracy, in turn impeding the dynamism the business needs to succeed.

A wide range of conduct can be regulated through entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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What Do You Need to Create an Award-Winning and Profitable Restaurant

By Louise Palmer Masterton, founder, Stem + Glory

Opening a restaurant can be an exciting business – but also a risky one. Having opened two successful, award winning and profitable restaurants, I want to share with you what I have learnt along the way.

Here are my top 10 tips for success and survival:

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2.

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Passion. For me everything starts here.

My current business, Stem + Glory, is a vegan restaurant brand, coming from my own 35year personal story with plant-based cuisine. So, first rule always follow your passion. That way it will be a love affair.

Niche. With Stem + Glory. I had spent years trying to find a decent vegan restaurant; so it was clear there was a huge gap in the market. As the movement grew the opportunity also arose to test this out. But it was still the passion to share plant-based eating with the rest of the world that compelled me to take my ideas to trial; I don’t believe a gap in the market is sufficient on its own.

USP. Every business must have one.

With Stem + Glory it is ‘delicious’. Again, based on my experience trying to find decent vegan food, I knew that what was available was all too often rather bland and boring. By providing exciting and delicious plant-based foods we knew we would very likely be on to a

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4.

5.

6.

winner!

Outstanding customer service. In hospitality this is essential. Making other people feel good is pretty much the answer to everything. One kind word can change an entire day. Recruit on the basis of competence, confidence and kind disposition; the rest you can train. Your team are vitally important to you, nurture and care for them and they will care for your customers.

Location. Our first location is very unusual and perhaps it was its obtuseness that somehow worked in its favour! That said, believe that more important than location is having a mechanism to drive people to your location. It’s not enough to have a good location and wait for people to pitch up at your door. Always best to be a destination Themed nights / special events. This is hugely successful for us. Look at the calendar and create specials and special menus around events. For example, Valentines, Mother’s Day, Burns night,

8.

9.

Cinco de Mayo etc. A themed special event menu with two courses for xxx or three courses for xxx is tried and tested and works. You can run elements of it for a few days around an event to maximise its power. Remember to market your event outside of your restaurant though –don’t just put it on and not tell people! Our special fine dining events have also proved very popular at Stem + Glory and for those we literally run a special menu for one night only and presell all the tickets in advance. It’s been a winning combination.

Photography. Spend money on this and get great images of your dishes. We are hugely image focused; you have to be able to entice people on social media with great images. Images of our food drive our Facebook campaigns and our recent successful crowdfunding campaign.

Specials. Having specials on gives you something to market on social media.

We have literally filled our restaurant with a special dish. It also gives your chefs the chance to be creative, which is what they love most.

Opening hours. Analyse your sales per hour and costs to open. Every location will have its own rhythm and flow.

Experiment with opening hours - don’t just open at 8am because you think

someone might come in for coffee!

Look at your peak times. Our restaurant opens at 12midday for lunch and 5.30pm for dinner. Our café opens 10-5 winter and 9-6 summer. In London we will look at early-late opening and see how it works. Marketing. Market the restaurant – and then market it some more. There is a direct relationship between marketing and success. At Stem + Glory we are fascinated by marketing, and we literally do not stop.

With the new GDPR rules this year, there will be a need for ever smarter marketing. If you can embrace new ways of marketing and new tools, you’ll be on to a winner.

I believe that being successful is as much about you as it is your product. If the going ever does get tough, approach things with curiosity to find solutions. Be authentic and stay true to your own vision and passion and let this passion infect your team. Be persistent, be ambitious, be bold, and above all, be kind.

Stem + Glory has two restaurant locations in Cambridge and will be opening a third location in London later his year.

ABOUT LOUISE PALMER Louise Palmer-Masterton is founder of multiple award-winning restaurant Stem + Glory; a hip and trendy but accessible plant-based restaurant, serving delicious gourmet vegan food from locally sourced ingredient 100% made on site. Stem + Glory offers all day casual fine dining, fast breakfast, brunch and lunch, juices, smoothies and great coffee. All available to eat in or take away. Stem + Glory also offers mouth-watering and hugely popular tasting menu evenings and special event menus. The restaurants have an extensive vegan bar, offering the best craft beers and fine wines, alongside cocktails, mocktails and smart drinks. www.stemandglory.ukTwitter: @stemandglory Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/stemandglory/Instagram: @stemandgloryLinked in: /louisepalmer-masterton

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What Motivates the Two Types of Crowdfunding Investors to Back a Campaign?

By John Auckland

What are investors looking for when deciding whether to invest in an equity crowdfunding campaign? What makes the difference in their decision to invest or not? The answers to these questions depend a lot on their motivations behind investing via crowdfunding. TribeFirst’s John Auckland explore the different types of investors and the factors that play into their decision making, and reveals some of the things to do to improve your chances of a successful outcome for any equity crowdfunding campaign.

RETAIL INVESTORS AND SOPHISTICATED INVESTORS - WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? In general, you can catagorise investors into two types: retail investors and sophisticated investors.

Retail investors are investing more emotionally, basing their decision on the cause or brand, or because they know the people involved.

Sophisticated investors typically invest more than retail investors, but, contrary to popular belief, the amount they invest doesn’t necessarily reflect their level of sophistication. For the purposes of this comparison, a sophisticated investor can be either a private individual or an institution - they tend to exhibit the same characteristics.

While it’s definitely more a spectrum than two clearly divided camps, there are some common identifying features: • Retail investors want to be part of a journey, to tell their friends they’re involved / Sophisticated investors are investing only to make a return.

• Retail investors = heart first / Sophisticated 52

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•

•

•

•

investors = head first A retail investor will go with a gut decision / A sophisticated investor will have a process for appraising opportunities.

Retail investors make their investment decisions based on their emotional attachment / Sophisticated investors made decisions based on their rational attachment.

Retail investors are (or at least should be) gambling some of their disposable income / Sophisticated investors view crowdfunding as one of the riskier assets in their diverse portfolio.

Retail investors will typically look for reasons to invest / Sophisticated investors are looking for excuses not to invest.

Now, I didn’t talk about their level of investment.

And that’s because, in reality, I don’t think it matters. I’ve seen a retail investor put more than £150,000 into a company without even requesting the business plan. Equally, I’ve known a number of investors on both Seedrs and Crowdcube to exhibit all the signs of a sophisticated investor, but regularly only invest

in the low hundreds.

Some of the vocal critics of crowdfunding have claimed that retail investors shouldn’t exist at all. I find this view incredibly patronising. Firstly, as long as you are aware of the risks, then it’s your money to do with as you will. Who are they to tell you how you should spend your money? Secondly, I’ve seen many well-managed and institutionally-funded companies still go on to fail. Risk exists everywhere. But is it any less noble to invest in something because you believe in the idea, rather than investing simply to make a profit?

And the crowd has proven it has greater foresight than you’d think. It turns out that the major crowdfunding platforms have similar success rates as typical VC funds. The data suggests that the crowd is often as good at predicting the future success of a company as professional analysts. It’s not surprising, really. The crowd is representative of the market, and crowdfunding is akin to the market voting with their cash for their favourite ideas.

HOW TO STAND OUT IN THE CROWD? Now that you know a bit more about your audience, what can you do to make sure you appeal to both kinds of investors? Firstly, you can go into your campaign with your company in an already healthy state. You should be able to prove that there’s market interest in your idea and you’re already able to generate sales.

Even better, if you can organise a consumer marketing and PR campaign to hit at the same time as your crowdfunding campaign, you’ll be able to update investors with your progress in real time. Having a buzz about your company during your raise will drive retail investors to your campaign and give sophisticated investors confidence in your forecasts.

WHAT WILL TURN INVESTORS OFF? There are some faux pas that you need to avoid entirely as they can quickly turn off either category of investor. These include: • Not doing your homework. Find out who your competitors are, how big your market is and how much penetration you’re likely

•

•

•

to achieve.

Not including a financial model. Retail investors want to see that you’ve done your homework. Sophisticated investors will want to scrutinise your assumptions and check if you still make money even if you don’t hit your forecasting targets.

Not answering questions openly on the public forum. I’ve seen campaigns stall completely because a founder refuses to answer a question. At best, it makes you seem unprepared; at worst, untrustworthy.

Not making yourself available during the campaign. Appear in your own video, no matter how shy you are; have an open office, investor event or webinar. Investors are investing in you, and want to know you’re not trying to hide from them.

PASSION VERSUS PROFIT INVESTMENTS We’re living during an exciting time in history.

We’re starting to see the potential for many of the world’s problems being solved by innovative startups that are powered by the crowd, projects that, for example, recycle plastic into oil, or that use stem cells to regenerate damaged heart muscles. These startups are known as passion projects, or passion investments. They’re exciting, they’re world-changing, and they’re predominantly supported by retail investors.

But, I believe, companies that can attract the full spectrum of retail investors and sophisticated investors have the best chance of success. Not only do businesses need savvy investors, they need people who feel passionately about their cause.

The good news is that all companies can make efforts to appeal to both kinds of investor.

Solid financial forecasts and world-changing ideas can combine to create projects that are full of passion and generate a good return. The question is, how will your business attract both passion- and profit-led investors? 

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When Walking Away is Powerful

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By Alva Einsworth

Have you ever fancied just giving up and leaving? A tricky meeting, another difficult argument with your business partner or a commercial problem that simply feels too hard to solve? We all have but most of us tend not to act on it; not all the time anyhow. You don’t get to run a business successfully by walking out every time it gets hard!

T

his may sound a little Reginald Perrin-like but it’s true. Successful entrepreneurs get results by sustained and energetic commitment – by facing obstacles head on and building resilience to deal with difficult people and tricky problems. Businesses only get started through dogged hard work and full-on commitment and only survive usually by doing the same better than others. But sometimes walking away is the right thing to do and totally aligned with your priority commitment. In fact, instead of being the weak action, walking away can be the most powerful and transformational thing you can do and can lead to surprising results. This article describes a four-step methodology to dealing with resistance which illustrates how this can happen.

Changing Behaviours: Let’s imagine you are wanting someone in your business to change the way they are behaving.

Perhaps they are being too abrasive with clients, or too distracted by unimportant activities. You have given them feedback but there has been no change.

They don’t seem bothered and they are resistant to your request. The first thing to see is how natural this resistance is. Do you recall someone telling you to do something you did not want to do? Parents do it a lot – work colleagues less often – probably because it’s a rather ‘parental’ thing to do.

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Do you recall that feeling you get? It shows up as anger, frustration, defensiveness, upset, silence or resignation – none of which is very helpful or pleasant. It takes something to bring yourself back to a place of creativity, positive thinking and calm. For some people this can take just a few minutes, others can take years! This is a natural resistance, and a helpful form of self-protection you might think, but it can be difficult to break through. After 25 years of working with difficult feedback by coaching senior leaders on their 360-degree feedback data, this technique emerged which allows you to handle this resistance with accelerating steps. With this approach you will not need to pressure or push aggressively but instead you will find people magically doing what you need them to.

Here are the four steps: 1. Listen hard and reflect back their position Listen to what they are saying and what they are not saying. Listen for their fears and concerns and question their reasoning and their assumptions. This takes an intention to explore beyond anything else. Once you have heard their true position you can then reflect this back to them with accuracy and respect.

They will have been heard and understood.

3.

This may be enough and their resistance may fall away but, if not, then go to level two.

Question and challenge in relation to their personal goals In order to do this, you need to be clear on their goals so this may need checking or discussion first. This in itself may be appreciated! Once clear you can then connect the request you have with these goals.

Perhaps they want the business to grow?

Or perhaps they want less stress at work?

Whatever it is, you can ask how “being abrasive with clients” for instance, fits with these goals.

Asking this question may be all you need to do for their guard to come down but, if not, you can go to the next step.

Share your own personal experience and to explain and describe the impact on you By telling them that you feel embarrassed or ashamed for instance might now help;

not at the beginning (when you have the other conversations to try first anyhow) and not at the end as your action to walk away does not obviously change things. Once again, you need to be calm and clear, not upset or cross and then explain “I’m not sure it is worth our time and energy continuing like this - I suggest we call it a day and part as friends,” and then literally get up and walk away. This is then a crucial moment – they will either accept it happily and you part as friends, or they will change position and work with you further.

Only stay if you are inspired to – you don’t have to. Either way you leave in a powerful position and a new dynamic is created. Both of you have been valued and your commitments are not aligned. Time to move on.

You may be used to getting your way at work but

“Powerful leaders create ‘followship’ not ‘followers’”

4.

as might sharing how you think the client would feel faced with their behaviour. You need to deliver this message clearly and dispassionately, as if it is an observation not an upset. It is more direct perhaps than you might normally be so usually it works shockingly well and gives them food for thought but the hard nuts will withstand even this and require you to go to level four.

Threaten to walk away; and be ready to follow it through This is bold and risky, but it works! It works because you are accepting their commitment – they are clearly more committed to being abrasive than they are to you. Timing is key with this. It is only powerful when it is done mid-way through a process,

there may be occasions when you struggle with an individual or a team. So, when you detect a lack of openness or resistance to what you want, try this step-by-step approach to ensure everyone is clear about your wishes and leaves with you, or without you, and everyone is left feeling valued and respected. Powerful leaders create ‘followship’ not ‘followers.' 

ABOUT ELVA AINSWORTH Elva Ainsworth is the founder and CEO at Talent Innovations. She is also a leading author and expert in feedback and supports organisations in introducing continuous and 360 feedback processes. She is a published author of several books on the subject including ‘Reboot your Reputation’ which has just been published

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A New Business Model Where Gamers Earn a Living Doing What They Love Best

By Dean Anderson Gamestatix

As every entrepreneur knows having a true passion for something means knowing it inside out – becoming an expert. This is a worthy skill, particularly if the knowledge gained is used to improve the art itself. Anyone who’s tried to nail every challenge in Myst, complete the epic journey that is Dark Souls, or get the better of Mike Tyson in Punch Out!! on the NES, will understand the skill and dedication gamers have.

THE VITAL ROLE OF PLAYERS IN GAMES DEVELOPMENT Developers need dedicated players with the insight and experience to review their work and provide crucial feedback at different stages throughout the creation of their games. Players are also needed to create game mods and additional in-game content to extend the life of titles, and, increasingly, to help in the promotion of games themselves.

ADDING VALUE SHOULD AND CAN BE REWARDED The time, attention and skills of players add significant value to the games industry, and I believe it’s time this value was fairly recognised and rewarded across the board. There are many sites that reward users with virtual currencies for various activities such as playing and reviewing online games. However, without being pegged to cryptocurrencies, these rewards can be used only on the site itself, or, at best, be converted into retail vouchers.

Thankfully, some platforms working to change this system by allowing anyone to sign-up and start making money.For example, Steemit is a blogging and social networking ecosystem fuelled by blockchain56

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generated Steem and Steem Dollars for creating and engaging with content.

Gamestatix will use a similar model, allowing developers and players to find each other and collaborate on many innovative titles. And for every value contribution, players will receive cryptocurrency rewards that can be used to buy games or be exchanged for traditional fiat currencies. Anyone will be able to make ‘real-world’ money simply by playing games, and by taking part in games-related activity.

FINDING SKILLED PEOPLE To make it easier for developers to connect with the right players, players will be listed in a directory that details their skills and expertise. So, whether a player’s forte is in finding bugs, exploring every inch of a map, or knowing exactly how a game engine can be used to its full potential, they’ll be listed as such. As players make a name for themselves on platforms such as Gamestatix, they’ll attract more and more opportunities to work with developers.

Think about all that goes into the creation and promotion of a game, and it’s clear that a connected global talent pool of players could make all the difference. Experienced players are already making masterful additional content that can be used in a variety of different games, and players are constantly sharing social content around their favorite titles, but they have, until now, rarely seen financial rewards for their efforts.

‘The time, attention and skills of players add significant value to the games industry, and I believe it’s time this value was fairly recognised and rewarded across the board’ A NEW MODEL Players will be soon able to establish themselves as third party developers, playtesters or micro influencers, and earn a living doing so. Communities have always been the lifeblood of the games industry and rewarding such community action is long overdue. This new model will be a revolution for the industry, and for the millions of dedicated players who have fuelled it for decades. Although there are already a number of ways for players to monetise their gaming skills and insight today, they all come with limitations: Livestreaming - as soon as internet speeds allowed it, players began broadcasting their play sessions to thousands of transfixed entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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users. Twitch is the most well-known platform, but it’s being rivalled

by YouTube gaming. Charismatic players can also make ad and subscriber revenue through podcasting, vlogging, or creating detailed game guides. However, players can only make decent money by building a huge following and allowing ads to be run off the back of it. And due to the masses of competition, only the most popular commentators manage to make a living from such activities.

Tournament gaming - another way to make money solely from playing games, but you’ll have to be world-leading to beat the competition and win any cash prizes.

In-game currencies – these could be seen as evidence of players getting paid, but they are often redeemable only inside the platform and lack any real-world value.One of the few exceptions to that rule is the Sims-esque SecondLife. In this online virtual world, players are able to get a job or set up digital businesses to sell clothes, property and everything in between for Linden Dollars, which are exchangeable for real world currency. Amazingly, this really paidoff for one person, Anshe Chung, who became a millionaire via her SecondLife virtual assets.

Playtester - arguably the most sought-after way to make a living from gaming is by becoming a playtester. Its popularity makes for fierce competition, and jobs are offered only by multinational studios, or in piecemeal form by agencies. Playtesting is also quite an isolated process, with no real opportunity to work directly with developers to co-create and promote games, or even interact with them in a positive way. In the future, I imagine a system where players are financially rewarded for their contributions to the video games industry as a standard – a worker’s right. The fruits of their labour, such as additional content, will be protected by smart contracts, securing the ownership and licensing of such digital assets.

Eventually, skilled players will benefit from financial rewards offered for playing and promoting games, creating content of all kinds, and also for collaborating with developers. It’s a new model. Once it’s in place it will be possible for a player to make a good living, just by playing games. 

Hitting The Business Goals Canadian ice hockey star Wes Myron was destined for the top when he was drafted to the NHL, until injury robbed him of his sporting destiny.

However, using the techniques drilled into him his whole life from elite sporting coaches the hockey kid became the fitness guru, building an international health and lifestyle business. We took a trip to British Columbia to find out what entrepreneurs can learn from the science of sporting success.

They say you only find out your true resilience when things go wrong. After all, if everything goes to plan, you’ll never have the opportunity to stare into the abyss, and find out if you’re a fighter or a flighter.

It’s one of the reasons why sporting stories seem to impact us as emotionally as they do. We see someone, usually young, who has given up so much to be standing in that stadium at that moment. Then, at the absolute point of delivery, they’ve got to show the world what they’ve got.

If they have what it takes, they win the gold, lift the trophy, score the goal. This elation is glorious, of course, but ultimately short lived. However, when our hero doesn’t make it we feel the well of despair they fall into more profoundly. The missed penalty, the millisecond they missed out on a medal by and, worse of all, the career ending injury.

It’s the latter which packs the hardest punch, as it’s not today that’s gone for this driven young kid, but the path they devoted themselves to for their whole life. The superstar one day, yesterday’s news the day after.

This is the story of Wes Myron - a Canadian ice hockey player you will know well if you follow the NHL - the pinnacle of world ice hockey.

Myron was that most precious of sporting things - talented beyond belief, but with the humility and work rate of someone who was raised by a grounding and loving family. He came to prominence before he was ten years of age, and sure enough, a decade of top youth coaching later, he achieved the dream of being drafted to the NHL. However, that’s only the first part of the movie, because the second is where the tragedy skates in. The young Myron suffered the one thing every sportsperson dreads - the injury that just won’t quit. Years of agonising and heart-wrenching physio, surgery, and solo rehabilitation work couldn’t rebuild his body. Myron was on the hockey scrap heap, at the tender age of22 Myron slipped into a deep depression, causing him to question all the sacrifices he had made. The Canadian was at the abyss. And the abyss was staring back.

Fight or flight. This is the time to find out what’s really inside.

ABOUT GAMESTATIX Dean Anderson is co-founder of Gamestatix, an upcoming social platform for the co-creation of PC games that recognises, encourages and rewards user contribution, whilst giving game developers access to global pool of talent to efficiently generate, curate and promote their content. The company was founded in 2016 by Dean Anderson, Visar Statovci and Valon Statovci.www.gamestatix.com

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Like any decent sports movie, this is where the music starts to change.

E&I: Wes, your story is remarkable. Did you always have a business mind?

Myron woke one day after the devastation of the retirement with a vision in his mind. He realised that he had been given all the tools he needed to succeed in whatever he turned his hand to, after fifteen years of top class coaching.

That same day he started his business.

WM: That’s kind of a funny question, because if I think about it I guess my business mind subconsciously started a long time ago while I was playing and training for hockey.

All the years of experience gained through sport around how to eat, sleep, train, recover and focus lead me to starting my business!

He created a framework of the consolidated learnings he had drilled into him all those years, identifying four pillars - fitness, nutrition, focus/motivation, and sleep/recovery.

If anyone could achieve mastery of these four elements then it wouldn’t matter what their dream was - they could achieve it.

He began by trying it out on friends and family, and the word spread. Within weeks he had people getting in touch from far afield wanting to experience the physical results and success Myron’s method could achieve. It was then that he brought all this into one plan that could be activated from wherever the person was in the world - The Elite Performance Lifestyle Plan.

This brings us up to speed, and we caught up with Myron in his home town of Victoria, British Columbia. It was here that he realised how to rebuild his life, and here where he had his EPL vision. It’s a special place for him.

E&I: Does it surprise you that the fitness industry is now booming so strongly?

WM: Not at all! I think people have become more aware of how important a healthy lifestyle is. It’s not just great for the body, it does wonders for the mind as well. People start to read and hear things about health and wellness and it can be a lot to take in, but the realise they need to start to incorporate it in their own lives. That’s where I love to come in and simplify it for them and get them headed down the correct path.

E&I: Does it surprise you that the fitness industry is now booming so strongly?

E&I: You’ve been super successful twice now - once with pro sports and now with your fitness business. What is the biggest trait in successful people?

WM: Not at all! I think people have become more aware of how important a healthy lifestyle is. It’s not just great for the body, it does wonders for the mind as well. People start to read and hear things about health and wellness and it can be a lot to take in, but the realise they need to start to incorporate it in their own lives. That’s where I love to come in and simplify it for them and get them headed down the correct path.

WM: Everyone can be successful, but some people aren’t because they don’t plan for success. I believe having a strong foundation and a repeatable routine are key to finding success. This is because no matter what you try and door whatever comes your way, you can apply your proven routine to it and feel organised, strong and confident in tackling whatever it may be!

E&I: Wes, your story is remarkable. Did you always have a business mind?

E&I: You say that elite success is all about focusing on the goal. What’s the secret to elite focus?

WM: That’s kind of a funny question, because if I think about it I guess my business mind subconsciously started a long time ago while I was playing and training for hockey.

All the years of experience gained through sport around how to eat, sleep, train, recover and focus lead me to starting my business!

WM: I think a few things play a big part in finding elite focus. You need a solid foundation so that things around you aren’t a mess or stressing you out and pulling your mind off of the task at hand. Also, you need to know your ‘why’, so I work with my clients a lot to help them truly discover why they are doing something. It doesn’t really matter what your ‘why’ is, but it matters that you are honest with yourself and can write it down and always look back to it to keep you one hundred percent focused on your goals!

E&I: Why is staying in good health and fitness so important for business success?

WM: Your business starts to boom as you suddenly become way more productive due to proper sleeping habits, cleaner foods and correct amounts of exercise. My clients often tell me that life in general becomes so much easier and more enjoyable once they get their physical and mental health to good places!

E&I: It’s not just sports and fitness you have succeeded in.

You were spotted on Instagram and labelled as The Next Big Thing 2018 by model industry experts, before signing to a top New York model agency. What can E&I readers learn from you on how to use social media to stand out?

WM: Honestly I was pretty shocked to be found through my media channels but it has been an amazing experience and I’m so thankful for it! I am definitely no expert yet, and that world is constantly changing, but I would say to be yourself and enjoy it. It’s called ‘social’ media for a reason, people want to interact socially and get to know you so the more open and honest you can be the better!

E&I: Tell us about your new product Elite Performance Lifestyle?

WM: The EPL is all about helping people build a strong foundation so they can go out and live a happy, healthy and successful life! I work with my clients to build this foundation in the four key areas of sleep, nutrition, fitness and focus/motivation. I give them a personalised and easy to follow plan that they now use to guide them to their goals and ultimately new life success!

E&I: What’s next for Wes Myron Fitness?

WM: I did a soft launch of the EPL and found so many great clients that all got amazing results, and they were also able to give me wonderful feedback. I am currently using this feedback along side new found knowledge to further develop the EPL. Then we will be gearing up for a big launch of the updated version and I cannot wait to have it at this point where it’s ready to share with the world!  The Elite Performance Lifestyle 2.0 launches later this year. Follow Wes Myron onInstagram @wes.myron.

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10 Things in Business I Wish I knew When I Was Younger

As part of a new, regular series meeting some of Britain’s best businesspeople, we caught up with the serial entrepreneur and investor Matt Haycox, AKA the Funding Guru, at the launch of his latest venture Harlie’s Restaurant to find out what business advice would give his teenage self.

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2.

3.

4.

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5.

Learn to love the stuff you don’t.

6.

It takes time, a lot of time.

7.

Sales is so much more important than marketing.

8.

Focus and don’t spread yourself too thin.

9.

Unless it is fuck yeah, then it should be no.

Quality staff are like rocking horse shit.

It’s something that baffled me when I first started and still annoys me to this day. You have to realise that getting hold of quality people is very difficult. When you do find them you really need to find a way to hang onto them, because the cost of hiring and the time lost when replacing people is astronomical and never truly factored in for the cost of training and recruiting. There’s probably only 1, 2 or3%of hires are going to be really good, and in all honesty are probably going to be working for someone else.

Sales guys mostly can’t sell.

This is an extension of my first point I guess, but people assume that salespeople can sell and anyone who has been working in sales is a salesperson. The reality is there are many order takers out there, but not many true salespeople. Whatever your product is, you’re going to need skilled people to help you sell it. Unless they believe in it like you door unless they have a very rare skill set you are going to be pushing water uphill from day one!

Professional advisors can’t necessarily give business advice.

In the early days you’ll spend the vast majority of time doing everything other than the tasks you want to do. You might have created the best possible product, but you’re going to be required to work every hour, and probably only 25% of those are going to be on selling your product. Instead, you’ll be mostly doing accountancy and legal work, dealing with landlords, staff, and suppliers, and everything else that goes into running a business that other people never see. If you’re lucky enough to make a success of it, put a team together around you and grow it, and finally you’ll be able to delegate some of this stuff.

I’m still the worst for this. The realist in me knows that success is going to be 2,3,4 years down the line, but the optimist in me always thinks that you’ll be able to make great money overnight. Of course, there are the well-publicised overnight success stories, but what isn’t publicised is that most overnight success stories are 10 years in the making. We live in that instant society where everyone expects instant results, but it is going to take a long time before you get the snowball momentum, so be prepared for a long slog and make sure you’ve got enough capital behind you to weather that journey.

In the early stages of business people confuse the two as they are often referred to as one. Sales and Marketing are two very different things. In the early stages of a business where your capital is most limited, it should be prioritised with sales. I see marketing as people coming to you and sales is you going out and finding them. Marketing maybe good for awareness, but in the early stages it’s all about picking up the phone to make business happen.

I am guilty of this myself, and always will be, but when people start a business they have a product/service that does a specific thing. However, it is very easy to be dragged away from this core to start doing a bit of this and a bit of that, and before you know it you’re spread too thin. This is not efficient for the art of making money. Stick to your knitting. Find something you believe in and see it through, and don’t worry about trying to extend the offering until you have got success and a foundation in what you started with initially.

When asked to do something, are you gonna say yes or no? I’ve only learned this recently but it is too easy to say yes to things and keep people happy–but then you find yourself getting involved in stuff that doesn’t make you money AND takes you away from your family and friends. It’s not worth it. I’ve discovered the best way to monitor what you should and shouldn’t do is unless it makes you think ‘fucking hell, yeah’, then just say no. Saying too much yes leads to average outcomes. Unless a big yes. Go with no.

Far too often I see lawyers, accountants etc trying to tell their clients how to run their businesses, and far too often the clients take it all in. When you need your returns filed use an accountant, when you need a contract drafting use a lawyer, but other than listening to common sense advice, these advisors are just like any other person. Just because someone has a fancy office, it doesn’t automatically qualify them to tell you how to run your business.

10. Don’t listen to the haters.

Nobody works as hard as you do.

Matt Haycox is always on the look out for great investment pitches. To find out more about his investment advice visit matt-haycox.com. If you’re seeking investment or funding, pitch your idea to Matt via a 60 second or less video on Instagram, tagging him, and using the hashtag #investagram. 

To avoid disappointment you’ve got to realise that nobody will put the hours in that you do. Maybe they shouldn’t either, as they’re just a worker and this is your dream, your passion and you’re the owner of this. You need to find ways to bring people into that dream and keep them motivated from very early on. 90% of staff will be out of the door at 5.30pm and not give your business a second thought until the following morning. When you can passionate staff you have to hold onto them with everything you’ve got.

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Know your dream. Vision it and follow it. There are going to be so many people on the journey giving you ‘advice’. Chances are they are just negative waffley bullshit people telling you why your idea won’t work.

These people have probably achieved nothing, never will and need avoiding like the plague. You know your plan. You know what you want to do. Go do it.

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How Can Blockchain Revolutionise The Equity Market?

By Sascha Ragtschaa

CEO and Co-Founder of Chainium

It was back in January 2009, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse, that blockchain first came to prominence as the underlying distributed ledger technology that powered the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Since then, multiple global banks – including UBS, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley – have poured millions of pounds into Blockchain technology in a desire to future proof their offerings.

It’s not just the banks though that are showing interest and boosting adoption of the technology. One of the reasons Blockchain technology has become so popular is that it has a transparent digital ledger of transactions and records that are immune to change or deletion.

By offering additional traits of increased security, lower costs, time efficiency, and error resistance, Blockchain is transforming multiple industries.

An underlying reticence to change The global equity market is an essential part of the wider global economy. In fact, for many it provides the ultimate litmus test of the overall financial health of the world in which we live. The adoption of blockchain technology within the equity market will not only pave the way for streamlining transactions but will increase the speed of trading and settlement processes between businesses and investors.

However, until now the global equity market has been remarkably slow on the uptake.

There is an underlying reticence to change within the global equity market. It is not only struggling to come to terms with blockchain, but finding a way to better align the wider cryptocurrencies trend with the paper money of old. For some reason, emerging equity such as cryptocurrencies are still viewed differently to legacy stocks, funds and securities. The situation hasn’t, of course, been helped by the fact that governments have been so slow to ensure regulations and taxation for cryptocurrencies are brought in line with traditional currencies. It is clearly time for them to bridge this gap.

Need for a digital transformation

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“WHEN THE GLOBAL EQUITY MARKET WAS CREATED TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO THE WORLD WAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE”

Not only is buying and selling shares expensive and restricting, it has significantly fallen behind advancing developments within the wider financial sector. As one of the most vital areas of the market economy, it is essential the equity market drags itself into the 21st century. When the global equity market was created two hundred years ago the world was a very different place. Whilst there was something of a revolution in the 1980s when the computerisation of the trading floor caused trading volumes (along with volatility) to skyrocket, another step change is required. Whilst country-specific stock exchanges made sense once, today the world has got a lot smaller and the equity market needs to take advantage of a global investment pool.

The sector needs to ensure that trading becomes a more seamless experience and promote continued digital transformation within the industry, rather than resisting against it. The solution is staring it in the eyes. Blockchain is both transparent enough to ensure democracy and visibility, whilst being private enough to protect businesses and investors alike. The technology is an enabling force to removing the middle layers, administration and reconciliation steps currently hampering today’s global equity market.

Cutting out the middlemen A modern equity network needs to be built with the interests of both investors and business owners at its core. Blockchain technology can help to revolutionise the equity market, bringing influence and power back to the individual investor through decentralisation and the use of increasingly popular cryptocurrencies. Blockchain can help to remove the shackles of traditional stock

exchanges, government regulation and the institutional and corporate stranglehold.

Cutting out the middlemen so that business owners, of both private and public businesses, can sell shares in their companies direct to investors not only gives them greater control to be able to steer their business forward, but ensure that businesses and investors become more indelibly linked.

Into the 21st century A revolution in the equity market is needed. One that removes the barriers to entry and the barriers to investment. No more stock exchanges or trading through banks, brokers and intermediaries. No more expensive fees and slow clearing processes. Thus, promoting global innovation and reinventing the entire processes in trading shares so that it is something that is accessible to all.

There is no limit to how blockchain can improve costs and efficiency, lower risks and heighten security within the global equity market. By using blockchain to revolutionise the way we all buy and sell shares, a global equity market worth US$76 trillion can truly be unlocked. The adoption of blockchain can create a faster, effective and more reliable equity market that will unlock a new era of efficiency and innovation and bring the equity market firmly into the 21st century. 

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The Rise of the Intrepreneur

By Will Read CEO and Founder of Sideways 6

The rise of groundbreaking technologies in recent years has produced a mass culture of constant innovation, as businesses look to stay ahead of the game and differentiate from their competitors. While this responsibility used to lay heavily upon the shoulders of the decision-makers within the business, the ever-growing demand for new ways to improve has made way for a new kind of employee - the intrapreneur.

Pioneered by some of the world’s largest companies, the rise of the intrapreneur has encouraged more and more employees to be innovative within the company they work for.

Today, many of the biggest breakthrough ideas from some of the world’s largest companies have come as the result of the initiative shown by employees, with a desire to make a difference and drive the business forward.

From Apple’s Mac to Google’s Gmail, encouraging an intrapreneurial mindset amongst staff has proven invaluable for accelerating innovation and opening up new opportunities for success. Given its huge potential to generate such impactful ideas, companies around the world should now look to these success stories in order to embrace their own intrapreneurs and drive innovation in all corners of the business.

vesting ideas and skills into helping an existing business to improve, before moving on to their own ventures. Therefore, it is vital that companies provide these employees with the time and space to develop and ensure they are happy to help build that company for as long as possible.

It comes as no surprise that individuals who are recognised for their dedication to helping the business develop are most likely to serve as long standing pillars within that company, with the knowledge to spot new ways for the company to progress and the experience to know how best to implement them. Therefore, ensuring that employees feel valued and their hard work appreciated in their role is essential in achieving this.

However, embracing the creativity and determination of these employees is not only essential for thinking up new ways for large businesses to remain both innovative and agile.

Giving intrapreneurs the time and resources they need to create and nurture ideas for business transformation is also incredibly effective in making employees feel valued and motivated within a large workforce.

Although it becomes increasingly challenging as companies grow and workforces expand, listening to the ideas of employees, understanding them and finding ways to act upon them is fundamental to enabling intrapreneurship in business of all sizes. For these employees to flourish, decision makers must show the commitment required for employees to feel as though ideas are being heard and that they can make a tangible impact on the future of the business.

For those just beginning their careers, finding a company which supports their ability to generate ideas can be the starting point for a very successful intrapreneurial journey.

Businesses who look to take on candidates with the skills and abilities to take ownership, hungry to earn results and creative enough to come up with different routes to achieve this will build a solid foundation for a successful cohort of intrapreneurs.

With the emergence of new technologies and businesses able to invest more into their employees, decision makers are now presented with many ways to easily embrace the ideas of their staff. It is important they understand the positive effect that even just one small change can have when it comes to getting the best from their staff and taking their business forward. 

That said, not only is employing the right people important for enabling this, keeping those same employees motivated and committed to the business is key for ensuring this culture is maintained. My own experience shows that entrepreneurs often start by in-

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Miami-A Property Investment Hotspot

By Johana Graterol www.Millionandup.com

Luxury property has become one of the main reasons why more and more wise investors are seeing Miami as the perfect spot for business. Responding to this demand, world-renowned developers, designers and architects have created an array of fabulous luxury residential developments. Here are some of the most desirable on the market at present..

Bristol Brickell

Blue and Green Diamond Set on a in a prominent oceanfront location in Miami Beach, Blue & Green Diamond is a luxury residential complex rising two beautiful twin towers considered to be the tallestbuildings in Southeast Florida. The residential community has 630 units in total, ranging from 1,100 Sq Ft to 2,050 Sq Ft. Breathtaking water and city views, perfectly finished interiors, over-the-top luxury penthouses, two amazing pools, his & hers saunas are just some of the marvels this condo has offer.

Muse Residences Located in the heart of sought-after Sunny Isles and boasting an arresting beachfront line, Muse Residences is a high-end boutique condominium offering only 68 exclusive residences. The building is set right between the coastal waterways and the Atlantic Ocean, so some of the most awe-inspiring vistas in the area. Also, state-of-the-art technologies , expansive terraces with summer kitchens, panoramic floorto-ceiling windows and indulging amenities including The Muse Spa and a stunning infinity-edge pool, are perfectly set to pamper residents every day.

South Pointe

Enhanced with an expansive tennis court, an exclusive clubroom, a stunning swimming pool, and relaxing sauna – Bristol Tower offers nothing but club-like living. This is a This is a 40 story luxury condominium located on the southern part of Brickell Avenue offering panoramic views of Biscayne Bay and the most elegant interiors. Services and amenities at Bristol are at par with 5 star hotel facilities and this residence is also gated – providing extra security to its elite residences.

Boasting breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, South pointe condominium is set in one of the most elite waterfront neighborhood, the sought-after South Beach. The beautiful tower delivers the most pampering amenities like a relaxing Jacuzzi and two stunning pools plus a gym and expansive tennis courts, among others.

Continuum South Beach

Santa Maria Brickell

This is a two-tower oceanfront address that rises on the southernmost tip of Miami, the South of Fifth neighborhood. The stunning complex prizes its lucky residents with 5-star amenities and services including an expansive freeform lagoon swimming pool, a private tennis club and a full-service beach club, among others. Residences in the towers enjoy 10-foot ceilings, over-the-top kitchens, private elevator foyers, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean and the city.

Soaring fifty-one stories into the sparkling Miami skyline and located on a prime waterfront setting, La Santa Maria one of the most desirable addresses on Brickell Avenue. The impressive tower portrays top of the line finishes and fixtures and it delivers breathtaking vistas of Biscayne Bay and the city. Also, one of the building’s polls are its landscaped grounds that include an oak and gumbo limbo tree hammock plus the bay front swimming pool and marina.

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Eighty Seven Park This exclusive building was designed by Renzo Piano, the famous Pritzker awarded architect, with a modern architecture, design and landscape approach. Eighty Seven Park is located in surfside, Miami Beach, right on the oceanfront and by boasting 18-stories, the building delivers the best water and city views. Residences count with lavish open spaces, full of light and air and the most exquisite fixtures and finishes.

Icon South Beach Icon South Beach is an iconic s-shaped condominium rising 40 stories over the splendid Biscayne Bay in South Beach.

The building pampers it residents with opulent amenities like the Icon Grill – an exquisite restaurant that promises to delight your palate, two amazing pools, and a state-ofthe-art gym. Also, residences are created to indulge owners every day with high-end features and fixtures like 9-foot high ceilings and expansive terraces.

Auberge Fort Lauderdale Located on 4.6 acres, and a massive 450 feet of oceanfront in Fort Lauderdale, Auberge is the epitome in luxury. The building’s on-point amenities include a barefoot butler service, fine dining, a fitness center, pool deck, and full service spa. The property is being developed by the Fairwinds Group, Carlos Mattos, Auberge Resorts, Fortune, and Related so expect nothing but lavishes style and exclusivity.

Gran Parasio With gigantic condo units, elevated residential features and expansive balconies facing the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay, this spectacular residential masterpiece has redefined luxury living in the elite South of Fifth district of Miami Beach.

As a resident of Murano Grande you’ll also enjoy a pool & resort area with restaurant service, a heated bay front swimming pool and spa, and lighted tennis courts. 

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Corporations Are Making More Big Property Investments Than Ever Earlier this year Google agreed to buy a property in Lower Manhattan, Chelsea Market, to the tune of $2.4 billion, a spectacular amount of dollars even for such a large conglomerate as Google. However, there are reasons behind this outlay, corporate prestige is surely in the mix with Amazon seeking its second HQ with the possibility of a further 50,000 high-paying positions on offer –Google has marked its territory in the very must-be-located area of Manhattan.

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owever, despite Google’s many billions of dollars, there is of course a purpose to this move to Manhattan and enlarging its footprint, as Google is not alone in seeing this area as the place to be as companies such a JP Morgan being another.

The banking giant is also relocating to Manhattan and building a 70-storey tower on no other than park Avenue, an area sure to impress its corporate clients.

talented workforce they wish to attract. A company such as Google for instance, whose net worth is almost a trillion dollars and rising, the sum of $2 billion is surely a drop in the ocean and indeed it certainly adds to the image of the company – which of course is extremely important if they wish to attract the right workforce to take the company forward in the future, and a big footprint in a key international centre such as Manhattan is certainly the way to go.

Jamie Johnson of FJP Investmenthas said that companies such as Google and JP Morgan are investing heavily in high end real estate as they are competing for the most talented employees who consider the working environment and area a major player when moving from one company to another.

Outdated and older properties are not deemed to be ideal workplaces for the kind of workforce that these companies are trying to lure, so spending $2 billion plus can certainly have a positive impact on the extremely

Within the haloed New York district, the value of property investments has attracted companies such as Wells Fargo, Times Warner, KRR just to name a few, all residing in 2.3 million square feet in Hudson Yards, again, showing the need to be seen ‘on trend’. The long running ‘bull’ market has of course allowed these corporate giants, it would seem, never ending liquidity, allowing the companies to place their capital into real estate especially in such areas as New York.

Let’s look at another player in this field, Facebook, reportedly looking to build a 1.7 million square foot office space for itself in California, going one step further and building 1,500 apartments for its employees.

This of course makes financial as well as commercial sense; it will not only give the employees a reason to move over to Facebook but the tax advantages of corporate ownership of the properties along with depreciation and maintenance costs will be offset against its tax liabilities, along with the fact they know their costs from the onset so there will be no surprises in years to come such as having to relocate. Basically, it makes sense to own your building as it is an investment in many ways and shows commitment to your workforce and the outside world that you are in the game for the long term. 

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Five Investment Rules To Make Your Money Work Harder Do you have a dream for the money you are investing?

There are five rules to follow to get there quicker.

PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE MARKET The global market is an effective information processing machine. Millions of participants worldwide buy and sell securities in the world markets every day. The real time information they bring to the market helps set the market price. With more than 98 million trades a day, the probability is miniscule that a committee sitting in a board room will spot a favourable discrepancy in a stock price.

It’s possible, yes, but highly improbable.

So, instead, of buying retail funds selected by a fund manager, buy a diversified basket of global index tracker funds and let the markets work for you. A wide basket of stocks from around the world linked directly to market returns can reduce the risk of trying to outguess the markets or worse, paying somebody else to outguess the markets.

THEIR PROFIT VS. YOUR BEST INTERESTS Conventional wealth management institutions have internal systems set up to deliver a particular service in a particular way. They are far happier when the status quo prevails; it’s more profitable for them and their shareholders. Why would they provide you with an opportunity to move your money to a competitor at their expense, even if it was in your best financial interest? These corporates are in business to maximise shareholder value –not your investment returns.

It is therefore essential to take back control of your money and ensure that the ‘hidden’ ongoing portfolio costs are kept to the bare minimum. Aim 72

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to keep the costs of managing your portfolio at under 1%. The industry average is in the region of 2.3%, so if you save yourself even 1% a year you will have made a substantial amount of money using compounding interest over the life of your portfolio.

For example; if you invested £100,000 with a traditional financial services company paying a total fee of 2.3%, and you received a 7% return on your money for 25 years, you will have a projected future value of £329,332. As £100,000 was yours to start with you will have made a £229,332 profit. The overall cost to you, to make that profit, will have been £109,912.

If you invested £100,000 in a low fee portfolio, paying a total fee of 1.11% and received a 7% return on your money for 25 years you will have a projected future value of £441,601. As £100,000 was yours to start with you will have made a £341,601 profit. The overall cost to you would be £63,718.

This additional £112,269 can be used by you and your family, rather than just giving it away to an industry that feeds the ‘fat cats’. Remember it’s your money ... don’t give it away.

REDUCE THE RISK THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION Investment returns are random; they cannot be predicted with any certainty. Therefore, limiting one’s investment universe to a handful of stocks, or even to one stock market, is a concentrated strategy with high risk implications.

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Holiday Home Investment Advice You cannot be certain which parts of the world will outperform others, or whether bonds will outperform equities, or if large stocks will outperform small stocks, so, don’t let your financial adviser visit you each year moving and changing your funds to justify their existence and their fees.

They are wasting your money.

Don’t gamble. Instead, buy the global market using a diversified basket of index tracker funds and leave the speculation to the gamblers.

DON’T LET YOUR FEAR LOSE YOU MONEY When there is a long slow decline in markets, investors want to jump ship and wait for the markets to recover before jumping back in. However, market timing cannot be predicted. Taking your money out in falling markets means you lose real money – thanks to fear. Most people don’t reinvest until they get their optimism back, which is often too late; by then the stocks have risen, you’ve missed out on the gains, and you still have your losses to make up.

SAVINGS VS. INVESTMENTS Although the banks’ advertising agencies tell us how wonderful these institutions, I am still reminded of the chaos and misery they caused when they needed bailing out by the tax payer. This was due to what was described by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, as a ‘systematic breakdown in accountability and ethics’.

Your capital deposited in a Bank is being eaten by inflation at 2-3% every year. Over the last 10 years, whilst the stock markets have gone up, the buying power of your bank deposited savings has decreased dramatically and will continue to do so for the immediate future.

My advice is to look at investing, rather than ‘saving’ with a bank; diversify your portfolio; let the markets work for you; and ensure you keep your management fees to around 1%. By following these rules you’ll increase your fund faster and the day you can retire (or splash the money on your dream) will arrive much sooner. 

Manage your emotions by investing in a risk portfolio that is correlated to your capacity for loss. Not one that is based purely on your search for the highest returns. Remember, investing is for the longer term. History shows that you will be rewarded for your bravery –and your patience.

ABOUT HANNAH GOLDSMITH Hannah Goldsmith is founder of Goldsmiths Financial Solutions and author of ‘Retire Faster’. Hannah specialises in Low Fee Investing and is challenging the way financial services are delivered to consumers in the UK, by enabling each client to understand the nature of investment costs and the impact these costs have on their future lifestyle. Goldsmiths complimentary ‘‘Second Opinion Service’ reviews investors’ existing portfolios and makes recommendations on Risk, Diversification, Performance, Cost and Tax efficiency, making investors’ money grow in a more transparent and financially efficient way. Web: http://goldsmithfs.co.ukTwitter: https://twitter.com/hannahgfs LinkedIn: https://www. linkedin.com/in/hannahgoldsmith/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldsmithFinancialSolutions/

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Sarah Wood – CEO and founder of Mulberry Cottages, shares her top tips for gaining the best returns from holiday letting – and what to consider when purchasing your property.

DESTINATION Staycations are very popular now so there’s a huge interest in the UK selfcatering properties. When thinking of where to holiday let, bear in mind that holidaymakers often want idyllic and remote locations which are different to where they live so they can relax and unwind. Also consider honeypot destinations which attract larger numbers of tourists.

Holiday letting is completely different to those renting long term who consider distance to work, good schools, and local transport links. Holiday letting of a second property is an income that can often be overlooked but our owners are seeing a great return on investment. For example, a Mulberry Cottages 1-bedroom cottage in rural Sussex earned £20,500 in the past year, it would have achieved £8,200 net as a long-term rental.

WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR HOLIDAY COTTAGE Holiday letting offers the flexibility to earn an income whilst also using the property.

There are two distinctive ways people are using their holiday homes flexibly. The first is a holiday house, giving the great mix of a special holiday home in a much-

loved location and earning income at the same time and the second is people who holiday let their main homes.

For example, the owners of Mulberry Cottages property Woodmancote Farmhouse let their home to fund their travelling, letting out their home enables them to keep the family home they love and go away for extended holidays.

PHOTOGRAPHY Guests won’t have visited your house before their holiday so it’s important that the photography shows off the property well. At Mulberry Cottages we use a professional photographer for all our holiday homes so that we show our properties at their very best.

DESIGN We handpick every property on Mulberry Cottages and design is a huge area for us. The market is flooded with holiday rentals, so a striking design will make your property stand out. Design is very important nowadays and what holidaymakers want has changed. Guests want aspirational properties where they can escape the everyday, they want somewhere interesting but comfortable, giving them a wonderful experience. We

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Managing Your Wealth For Living to 100 If you made it into the Century Club, what impact would it have on you – and on your wealth? Sarah Allatt, Head of Wealth Planning Advisory, UBS Wealth Management explains..

In my line of work, it’s a question that often crops up in discussions with clients. In an effort to better understand how people are thinking around this topic, we recently spoke to over 5,000 wealthy investors and entrepreneurs across the world to find out more.

find that our properties with outstanding and unusual designs are the most popular.

THE EXTRAS Guests want to stay in a cottage which offers extras that they can’t get at home.

For example, our owners with hot tubs or swimming pools see a significant extra earning from bookings. Our recent statistics shows that due to the warm weather compared to Summer 2017, we’ve seen an increase of 234% on searches for properties with swimming pools, and an increase of 140% on hot tub searches.

Remove personal items such as photo frames but leave books and games for guests to use. Spend money on a good bed – guests are more likely to remember your property after a good night’s sleep!

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

To ensure that guests remember your property and return, it needs to stand out from the crowd. Perhaps leave your guests a personal note, a local gift or produce or even bake them a cake!

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Find out more by visiting https://www. mulberrycottages.com/holiday-cottageowners/ or talking to the property team on 01227 464958.

Mulberry Cottages, a boutique holiday lettings agency, comprises over 600 unique, handpicked, self-catering properties across the South of England.

Founded by property expert Sarah Wood in 2011, the independent agency specialises in luxury breaks away, helping guests not only to secure their perfect holiday house, but also helping to arrange an array of other elements for the holiday, including catering, babysitting, group activities and full celebration solutions. 

One thing was immediately clear – while the idea of living a century had once been confined to science fiction, it’s now an outcome many expect. Lots of people, in particular entrepreneurs, are already banking on the assumption they’ll live a very long time, maybe even as far as 100.

Recent data from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests people are right to recognise this possibility.

While the proportion of the population destined to reach 100 is still less than 20%, the number who will make it to at least 90 is now closer to 40%.

That’s a remarkable span of life, and a serious length of time likely spent in retirement drawing down on your assets.

Most people, including many of our clients, would naturally find the idea of planning financial decisions over such long lifespans to be highly challenging. Indeed, our data suggests that making plans more than 10 years into the future is when things become difficult.

An 80, 90 or even 100-year lifespan makes it a necessity though.

If you’re going to think about this challenge (and we’d really encourage people to do so), then start by considering three things in particular.

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First, the big one: just how long might your retirement be? Today, 20, 30 or even 40-year retirements are not uncommon.

The earlier you can start thinking about your likely spending appetite during this period, the better.

A long retirement could also mean some specific expenses that you will need to plan for. Care at the end of life, whether in your own home or a special facility, can be expensive. Costs upwards of £50,000 a year aren’t uncommon for good quality or specialist care.

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Insider’s Guide to Buying a Private Jet 2

Second, the liquidity question.

When can you see yourself needing access to portions of your wealth quickly to pay for your lifestyle or expenses. Once you have a clear view, you can plan your investment decisions with more clarity.

Just as you need access to capital in the earlier part of your life at different times, so your needs will vary during retirement and later life. The cost of care in particular requires certain investment choices as you will need liquidity to pay for this towards the end of your life. will already be in their 50s, 60s or possibly early 70s. If your children are already at or nearing their own retirement, how much value will they realistically enjoy from the wealth you pass them?

They’re likely to have far less need to spend it on a property or fees relating to education for example.

Faced with this reality, two options naturally open up: either share your wealth with them sooner, at a point where its impact is highest; or share it with others who will benefit more at their relative stage in life, such as your grandchildren.

What are the primary benefits of buying a private jet?

Of course, if you choose the former, it does then leave the delicate balance of how much you give away at what age. Thirty or even 40 years in retirement is a long time in which to draw down on assets.

Firstly, consistency - by owning your own aircraft, you can enjoy the comfort and efficiency of a consistent experience every time you fly. From cabin layout to on board amenities, you know the ins and outs of the plane you will travel on and can take full advantage of its offerings. As an owner, you can also choose to hire a consistent crew that you know and trust, and that know you and your preferences.

Even with all the technology we have in the world today, accurately forecasting your own longevity remains next to impossible. The facts don’t lie though, and very long lives (maybe even as far as 100) are becoming more and more common. Forecasting longevity may still be impossible. But planning for it is essential.

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With frequent international travel being fundamental in modern business for UHNWIs and Fortune 500 companies, more and more are investing in owning a private aircraft. Navigating jet ownership is a complex process in today’s environment and few people know the ins and outs of buying and selling Jets better than Jahid Fazal-Karim, Owner and Chairman of the Board of Jetcraft, a global leader in business aircraft sales, marketing and ownership strategies.

Finally, legacy.

Or to put it another way, your succession and inheritance plans. By the time you reach 90, or even go on to reach the century mark, your children The interplay between work and health

Then, personalisation—just like owning a home, owning an aircraft allows you to configure it exactly to your personal taste and needs. It also offers the ability to tailor the flight experience to meet the specific trip requirements.

Finally, you have complete control. The only way to be in full control of your private-flying experience is to acquire your own aircraft. Owners have the freedom to make changes or extensions to a trip at the last minute without having to ask if the charter company can accommodate. Ownership also provides you the autonomy over your aircraft maintenance and crew training, ensuring everything meets your level of specifications. Buying and selling business aircraft is really buying and selling ‘time.’

Longevity also has an impact on your working life. In our research, we found that many are already considering working for longer, past the traditional retirement age.

Interestingly, this might not be as bad as it sounds. Our data shows that many see work as key to a long healthy life. A clear majority actually want to work for as long as possible because of the health benefits they believe it brings, a view that is particularly prevalent among entrepreneurs.

The right balance is important though. Many are actively taking steps to balance their work and personal lives. More than half of the people we surveyed have cut working hours, ditched weekend work and switched off emails on holiday. In other words, working longer also means working smarter. 

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Should you purchase new or pre-owned?

Second hand and previously owned in most other industries has some negative connotations but that doesn’t apply here.

Almost all aircraft are meticulously looked after by their owners – more like a live-in art piece –and pre-owned aircraft, especially under 5 years old, are often in high demand.

Buying a new aircraft allows you to customize the aircraft to your specific needs. The interior – what it will look like, and including selecting who will complete it for you, (as not only the manufacturers finish the interiors in today’s private jet market) are both important decisions. Not simply because you have to pay for and live with it, but because resale values will be directly linked to the decisions you make at this point. Some clients are fortunate not to have to worry about that hugely, but most do!

I’ve seen some – let’s just call them rather ‘individual’ choices of interiors – that have then stayed on the resale market for not just months, but even longer in some cases.

What about depreciation and running costs?

Regarding depreciation, the average period of ownership is one decade, and typical depreciation in aircraft value drops about 10-15 percent in the first year with a further 10 percent each subsequent year. However, due to low inventory and high demand for pre-owned aircraft, the Jet craft Market Forecast predicts depreciation rates will improve over the next 10 years.

With regards to running costs, this would obviously depend on the size of the aircraft. Following the initial transaction, costs are then divided down into the fixed and variable figures. Fixed costs include parking the aircraft, storage, pilots

and maintenance costs, but again, these depend on the size of the aircraft. In operating a private aircraft, the largest variable factor is of course fuel; the price of which varies significantly.

Are they a sound investment?

Our clients – including businesspeople, CEO’s and HNWI’s - are all after the same thing; saving time and maximising convenience. Buying may well be worth it in terms of time saving, comfort, safety and convenience for those that determine that their life/work needs it. In terms of investment, for the frequent flyer airborne for at least 150-200 hours a year, buying a jet can be a smart decision. If it’s the right plane and properly managed, it can make more sense than chartering or part ownership.

What are the best aircraft to buy at present?

I’m excited about the Global 7500, simply because so many of our clients have them on order. It’s a beautiful aircraft with a four-cabin environment, an apartment in the sky. You can work in one cabin, sleep in another, dinner in another.

Dassault builds a lovely aircraft; they’re efficient, and they’re technologically advanced.

What are the key trends you’re seeing?

As identified in our annual 10-year Business Aviation Market Forecast, the private aviation industry is at a new beginning point. A decade on from the recession, business avia-

A trend identified is the shift towards larger, more expensive aircraft. Throughout the past decade, the average aircraft list price has increased by 56%. Our latest forecast sees that number growing by an additional 16% in the years leading up to 2026.

Why are customers moving towards larger aircraft?

We’ve seen more and more customers preferring larger, long-range aircraft to support their needs in today’s global business environment - Jetcraft predicts 98% of new models over the next 10 years will be wide body aircraft. Our clients’ regular trip used to be Minneapolis to Chicago; now it’s Minneapolis to London. The more longer distances, the more foreign visits, the bigger the need for larger-cabin aircraft to suit that mission. 

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Rarity is an attribute awarded to the most authentic, bespoke and highly-desirable creations of luxury. None more so than expressionism on the road, where modern cars can be accused of lacking the sheer exhuberansce of those of a time gone by, a new breed is on course to turn heads in the world’s most exclsuive locations.

It depends on the day. We’ve sold over 10 G650s in the last two years. The G650 has been a hot model. Lately the Falcon 7X – we have two 7Xs and have multiple offers of both. We did 50% of the Global 5000s and 80% of the 6000s last year.

tion has good reason to be optimistic, as we’re well-positioned for several years of steadier, healthier growth.

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Car Investments - the Rare Zeclat by Eadon Green

Eadon Green has the creative drive to design and produce the world’s most exclusive coach built cars and its latest creation, Zeclat, is a tangible taste of savoir-faire the automotive world has lacked of late. We spoke to the creator and designer Felix Eaton about the passions behind creating bespoke modern car influenced by a previous era.

Zeclat is a modern interpretation of classic automotive designs and pays homage to famous coach builders of the 1930s, ‘my interest in 1930s cars was sparked and I found a number of books that showcased the amazing French carrosserie houses such as Figoni & Falaschi, Chapron and PourTout’ said Eaton. ‘These prestigious houses created some of the world’s most beautiful examples of automotive art, most famously based on Delage D8, Delahaye Type 135 and TalbotLago Type 150 chassis.’ A unique, artisan genesis from Eadon Green founded upon these most ambitious, creative and uncompromising design houses into the modern automotive world.

How did the designer start his love of art deco automobiles?

‘It all started with Poirot! Watching an episode in late 2013, I fell in love with a beautiful 30s convertible driven by the Captain Hastings character. The car turned out to be an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900, it was simply beautiful!’

A limited run of seven cars makes Zeclat one of the rarest breeds within the automotive world today, all with the hope of becoming daily driving experience, ‘I quickly realised that there were very few cars for sale from that inspirational period and that, when they had come up for sale, they were so expensive as to have become an investor’s piece rather than a car that one could use on a daily basis.’

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tailored for. This is a truly unique supercar.’ Demonstrating the choices of the connoisseur, a conception of a personal vision is commissioned throughout. The interior demarcated with Eadon Green stitching in the headrests and a palette of colours available to suit those who require the finest in individualism.

How does Felix sum up the experience of recognising his love of art deco auto cars to designing, engineering and producing them? ‘I struggled to understand why no one was designing a car in the modern age which uses the influences from another era. The cars of the early 20th Century were, in my opinion, simply some of the best looking cars ever. It’s not easy, but the smiles seen by those on the streets as Zeclat blasts past is worth all of the design hours. I only hope we can enter a new era with these artworks on the road!’ An unrestrained masterpiece. 

The devotion of to create a car to be seen on the road for some of the globe’s highest profile collectors is seamlessly integrated with a wealth of bespoke capabilities, from tailoring, engineering and design. Eaton continues, ‘We wanted to engineer objects of beauty and of desire and one that is a genuine world class product.’

A renaissance in contemporary classic design, the meticulously engineered car is a groundbreaking creation, which oozes grace and poise, built with discerning patrons in mind. ‘I wanted to offer something that not only turns people’s heads in the street, but engages in debate. Modern art may not be to everyone’s taste, but if it promulgates discussion, it has succeeded.’

Devoid of restraint, Zeclat truly possesses this head-turning appeal which endorses the its place as artwork on the road. With every element of the car meticulously constructed, engineering and design is equalled by performance with Zeclat boasting a 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 powerplant, the car is capable of a 0-60mph time of 3.6 seconds and a truly rewarding driving experience with a body design that works in concert to stabilise the car at speed and through cornering.

Following its truly remarkable launch at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, Zeclat has become a synonymous talking point with automotive figureheads, inhabitants of ultra high net worth areas and carspotters alike. ‘It goes without saying, it has found a place in today’s market. Zeclat is rare, it has been talked about and when sat amongst some of the biggest, most recognisable hypercars, it gets a fair share of the attention!’

Eadon Green are purveyors of the highest quality, developed with meticulously crafted materials, engineered with a carbon composite material and aluminium structure. ‘It’s not just aesthetics, the car is engineered to the very highest standards, akin to those you would expect of a mass market luxury brand. Every element has been thought of, every owner requirement

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INDIAN OCEAN ODYSSEY SPA TIME LUXURY CARS AND YACHTS DINING OUT AND MORE...

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Anantara Kihavah Pearl of the Baa Atoll

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’d heard about Kihavah long before I became blissfully acquainted. It had a lot to live up to – from the glowing reviews on the likes of Trip Advisor, to rarely given effusive praise from fellow luxury travel hacks. My anticipation was as high as my sea plane flight the first time I visited, wondering would it be as amazing as everyone said?

The second time – even more trepidatious, as little is worse travel-wise than venturing back to a favourite haunt, only to be so disappointed your long cherished memories shrivel to dust.

But oh, what needless worry – it was as awesome as I’d recalled – actually, even more so this time round. Despite having visited over 15 Maldives top 5 star resorts to compare against, Kihavah’s pearlescent sand seemed even more talc-soft, the island’s spectacular views and orchid-bejewelled interior even prettier, the villas more luxurious and larger, and the dining... too delicious to easily describe.

Kihavah is located a sea plane away from the main Maldives international airport, at the heart of the Baa Atoll, famous for its variety and abundance of underwater species, all protected thanks to its classification as a UNESCO Biosphere reserve. Like neighbours

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Dusit Thani and Amilla Fushi, it is a circular emerald green tropical gem, fringed with white sand beaches and crystalline shallows of incredible turquoise hues. But it has its own distinct character, and unique style.

Flying in, the approach quite takes your breath away. It seems small, and perfectly formed –with large villas perched like a string of pearls out on a sea so clear you can see rainbow coloured fish swimming below even before you land. The arrival jetty leads you past one of the Maldives loveliest and longest main pools – which has artfully placed tiny lights in its depths which at night, make it seem you are diving into a star-lit galaxy far, far away. Next to this is the main restaurant where you’ll enjoy sumptuous breakfasts with more choice than you could imagine and another serving very good Italian fare.

The buggy journey through the heart of this tropical paradise takes you through frangipani and exotic jasmine scented pathways, and past lovely and very private beach villas, to the jetty where all the over-water villas are to be found. Heading out to the West they offer their guests incredible sunset or sunrise views, and a serene and private haven to truly relax and unwind in luxury. The villas at Amilla Fushi are large, but these are also very spacious, with stunning bathroom areas with large baths, steam rooms,

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in and outdoor showers and floor to ceiling windows and doors leading out to a huge private pool.

The deck area is split level – with stairs down to an almost sea level platform perfect for stretching out and watching the fish swim below. There’s plenty of shade too – unlike some villas in the Maldives, where you have no choice but to brave the uncomfortable sharp heat of the tropical sun. The pools at Kihavah are among the very best you’ll find. Much larger than most, with iridescent pretty tiling, and practical gently sloping stairs and seating ledges, meaning you don’t need to fully submerge to enjoy the cooling water. The views are mind-bendingly beautiful too – the colour of the sea here seems even more turquoise than others.And you can spot neighbouring islands on the horizon, and pleasure excursion and dive boats meandering by.

This special island has a super spa -perched out on its own jetty, with high vaulted roofs and individual spacious treatment rooms, and lovely outdoor relaxation area with its own pools. Treatments are excellent, as you would expect, and a wide choice offered too.

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When the sun starts to set, head to the Sky Bar, again perched over the sea on a jetty, for creative cocktails, a wonderful view and fine champagne, before being spoilt for choice with the restaurants Sea. Fire and Salt. Japanese fare fans head to Fire, for teppanyaki dining; Asian cuisine lovers enjoy Salt, and the unbeatable signature restaurant Sea offers incredible multi-course lunches and dinners, meters below the sea in what is definitely THE best under-water restaurant the Maldives has. Floor to mirrored ceiling windows reveal an incredible array of pretty fish, sharks, moray eels and turtles on a mature reef system. This coupled with an excellent cellar of over 6,000 fine wines, and the quality of the food is impossible to beat. The resort has an observatory now at the top of Sky Bar – so you can view the planets and stars with expert guides.

Anantarah Kihavah is special. I will return soon - with confidence, knowing 3rd time will be just as good as the last. A staggering percentage of guests agree, with most returning again and again – often bringing new generations with them to experience its heartwarming delights. https://www.anantara.com/en/kihvah-maldives. 

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Huvafen Fushi Blissful, Beautiful, Extra, Extra Special Have you ever arrived at a place, and within just a couple of hours felt such an affinity it feels like home from home? Even if it is so far away, and very different to anything you are used to, in your daily life? Blessed to have spent much of my career travelling the world, usually after a week or so, I am more than happy to head back to the comforts and familiarity of home, but this time it felt different... I wanted to stay.

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ew and glamorous resorts open every year now in the Maldives. Each one striving to be different, to be better, to offer new and exciting things, even all-inclusive premium packages luring guests in with almost unlimited champagne.

And whilst some are very good – Ozen by Atmosphere as an example, others fall short. Huvafen Fushi is one of the more established resorts, and one that maybe in the past has been overlooked by those clamouring for this all-bells and whistles super-inclusive package approach. But...it has survived and thrived for a very good reason.

It offers something most others can’t. Genuine, honest, welcoming, unpretentious, luxurious and tranquil bliss.

On the very first evening, myself and a few newlywed couples enjoyed a sunset cruise on a traditional Maldivian boat hosted by the resort’s fantastic general manager Jean-Christophe, his wife and operations director Inaz. So friendly, down to earth and welcoming were they that my fellow guests and I felt we’d all known each other for years

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instead of hours! Nothing was forced, it just felt natural and easy. And this relaxed and warm vibe continued throughout the duration of my stay.

Huvafen has that very special something. You feel right at home.

A small, intimate and adults only resort, you can stroll around Huvafen in less than ¾ of an hour – having said that, it usually took me two because you cannot help but stop at every corner to take in a new and dazzling view. It features just the one long jetty, home to an array of modern, excellently appointed and furnished, roomy over-water villas, each with a very large lounge area, super-spacious bedroom and separate luxurious bathroom.

Floor to ceiling frontage with doors to the outside from all rooms allows light to flood in, and the deck has two separate lower areas as well as a main raised section where the large infinity pool is. All completely private, this means you’ve places to enjoy both sun or shade whenever you want.

With uninterrupted views across the ocean, and flocks of tiny acrobatic terns and shoals of rainbow

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fish to watch, the hours just pass by. Especially if like me, you enjoy your private pool best with a glass of bubbly in hand. And here, it happens to be Bollinger. The pool is large and practical, with shallow ledges and steps leading you in, so you can choose how submerged you want to be - something I always appreciate as it’s much better than those flimsy feeling metal steps many pools have.

My villa seemed to be a firm favourite of the local heron gang (or should I say siege). Characterful and cheeky they are always a delight and fun to watch.

These large and majestic birds skulk and scowl at the edge of your pool like some hunched and spindly character from a Dickens novel, and stay motionless until with no warning, they dive into the sea and pluck and gulp a fish for dinner in a blink of an eye. f you can tear yourself away from your gorgeous villa, you must try the excellent and beautifully positioned spa. This one is super special as it actually has underwater treatment rooms and a relaxation area – each with views of a myriad of sea-life swimming by. Was absolute bliss relaxing

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after my signature massage, nibbling on healthy treats and sipping fresh ginger tea, watching all kinds of fish and even a shark.

Talking about nature – someone had mentioned I had to see the stingrays at sunset. Not quite sure what to expect, I wondered to the beach where I was amazed to spy a handful of seriously large ones – literally inches from the shore. ‘Chocolate’ and his ladies apparently have been coming every day for years for a fishy treat at tea-time from the resort’s conservationist watersport centre staff. If you are feeling brave, you can feed the rays too – but just be prepared for them to get a little over excited occasionally and flap their way up over your feet and legs and give you a soaking! A fun and wonderful experience.

Dining wise, Huvafen again excels. Not relying on flashy huge buffets to dazzle guests, the restaurants offer delicious and excellent quality cuisines – all in stunning settings. The Japanese restaurant, Feeling Koi, perched out on its own jetty is wonderful – and is a great place to enjoy a glass of champagne at sunset.

The island has an absolutely incredible wine cellar called Vinum, the first to be created in the Maldives, where you can enjoy special tastings and exclusive dinners too.

Or, you can destination dine – on the beach, under the stars, or outside your own villa, as I discovered when spending the night in Huvefen’s incredible and affectionately named ‘Playpen’.

For guests wanting a truly show-stopping, super-stylish and spacious private villa/penthouse, this is truly one of the most amazing in the Maldives. Set in its own private gardens with gorgeous views and direct access to the beach, and an enormous picture-perfect pool, the Playpen offers every luxury, oodles of space, and privacy too.

Arranged on two floors, there;s a large kitchen area, complete with full champagne fridge, perfect for invilla dining preparation, a beautifully arranged lounge, and upstairs an expansive luxurious to a fault open plan bedroom with large walk in closet, steam room, sauna, and raised whirlpool bath with views to the beach and ocean beyond. The resort will arrange truly memorable private dining experiences for you too

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at this villa. I was lucky enough to ‘host’ such an occasion on the beach area by the pool. It was decorated so beautifully with lanterns and candles in the trees, pavilion and shore, and we enjoyed full waiter service over several delicious courses including a table-filling array of totally delectable appetisers, together with wines of exceptional quality. F&B Director Sunny Chuang was totally charming and huge fun, and along with Chef Brandi, absolute masters of their game.

Huvafen Fushi and the wonderful management and staff there have given me memories I will cherish for always. This is a truly special resort that I would love to return to, time and time again. I fondly think of it as my cherished home from home – even if it is half the world away. 

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Amilla Fushi Sophisticated, Luxurious and Serene Another wonderful resort located in the Baa Atoll is the celebrity favourite haunt of Amilla Fushi. Nestled within sight of two other excellent resorts, Dusit Thani and Anantara Kihavah, Amilla is instantly recognisable because of its stunning white villas, contrasting beautifully against the turquoise and azure blues of the sea.

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hese villas are undoubtedly some of the very best the Maldives has to offer and if you prefer clean, crisp white lines, solid ‘proper’ walls and acres of space instead of rustic thatch, this is definitely the resort for you.

Strung on a long jetty, the fabulous over-water villas have large private pools and decks with a welcome amount of shade, wonderful sunrise or sunset views and great snorkelling direct from their decks.

If you prefer your island home to be on the water but closer to land, there is another string of stylish and spacious villas just a few meters from the beach and a short bike ride or stroll to the main dining areas and large main infinity pool.

For total privacy, you can opt for a treetop villa, complete with own spa treatment room and pool perched high in the canopy, out of sight from other guests.

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And not forgetting a number of super-luxe and large private residences too, located right on the pristine and beautiful beach – perfect for families or friends. Amilla is an island of contrasts, offering plenty of different activities and vistas to enjoy – something always welcome, but particularly on longer stays.

The arrival side of the resort is where the villas are, together with the dive centre, eateries and main pool, but cycle across the island through the lush and tropical greenery, and you’ll find the excellent Javvu Spa, salon and gym – plus the cute little Bodyism Café offering healthy delights and smoothies to die for.

This part of the island feels super tranquil and serene and is the perfect place to find a comfortable seat in the shade under the trees fringing the beach, and while away the hours immersed in a

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good book, or just watching the teddy-bear like bats and seabirds flit by, listening to the gentle ebb and flow of the sea.

Dining-wise, Amilla Fushi really does excel. You cannot visit without at least a few dinners at the wonderful Japanese restaurant, Feeling Koi, which offers Japanese izakaya dining with a playful Latin touch. Also located out on the jetty is the 1 Oak Lounge, and if you can prize yourself away from your villa, this is the perfect place to relax before dinner and watch the sun set, with a glass or two of fine champagne.

All of the other eateries are first rate too and combined, offer a refreshing and welcome variety – from fantastically fresh posh fish and chips and baked while you wait gourmet pizzas, to mouth-watering Asian, Italian restaurants and more. And definitely don’t miss a chance to enjoy a tasting in Amilla’s Cellar Door – you’ll be astounded at the amazing array of thousands of fine wines from around the world.

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For those feeling energetic, the diving and snorkelling from Amilla is among the best in the Maldives. The Baa Atoll is a protected UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve with an incredible array of vibrant reefs and underwater life, including majestic Manta Rays which feed each year at nearby Hanifaru Bay. Sunset and dolphin cruises are a must too – wonderful ways to round off blissful days in the sun.

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standards and choice of dining, picture-perfect setting, and plenty to see and do – yet still remaining tranquil, private and peaceful. A true Maldives delight. 

Having spent just a few days and nights here, it’s so easy to see why this beautiful resort consistently receives excellent reviews and returning guests.

Stunning benchmark-setting villas, excellent

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Finolhu Maldives Unique, #Insta-Cool & Rather Fabulous If you thought all Maldives resorts were a bit on the stuffy and boring side, Finolhu will change your mind. From ‘mermaids’ to fire eaters, blinged out golf buggies, record players and special champagne ordering phones –around every corner there’s something quirky to smile at.

This is a resort that on the surface, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s irreverent, frivolous, funky and fun. But.. there’s more... much, much more, to make this uniquely individual and totally Instagram-adored resort one that guests return to and talk about time and time again.

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ocated in the Baa Atoll, a 35 minute-ish seaplane jaunt away from the Maldives’ main international airport, you’ll be dazzled as the plane swoops down to land when you’re treated to a bird’s-eye view of a stunning sandbank meandering off towards the horizon. Many Maldives’ resorts are little round emerald dots seemingly lost in the heavenly ocean blues but having a sandbank means you can take a long and leisurely stroll, decent sunrise jog, or romantic sunset pootle and still really feel like you’re in the middle of a vast ocean, under an endless sky. This postcard pretty sandbank has something extra special too -the one and only and #Insta-famous Fish & Crab Shack. Bare feet in the sand, cool sea view, succulent coconut-sprinkled tiger prawns followed by whole brown crab curry, and lashings of expertly chilled prosecco or champagne – hell yes! Pinch me now.

If you can tear yourself away from lunch, pop into one of the blinged out buggies and head up the long jetty to your private over-water villa. Blessed with large infinity pools, comfortable and tasteful interiors and all mod and retro-cons you could want, they allow you to tuck yourself away totally uninterrupted and enjoy pure unadulterated ‘me time’. Sipping champagne wallowing in the refreshing cool of your own large pool, and watching fish of every colour swim below is heaven. There are gorgeous super-spacious and very elegant 2 bedroom over-water villas too – each with its own stunning extra-huge pool and blissful views across to the beach and sandbank beyond. And there are intimate and ever so peaceful beach villas too, nestled in pretty tropical gardens, with their own open air bathrooms and pools.

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Spa lovers will adore the facilities here, offering excellent signature treatments and very chilled vibe. There are all sorts of watersports to enjoy if you are feeling energetic and a host of excursions also – including highly recommended sunset dolphin cruises, and day trips to Amilla Fushi -Finolhu’s ‘grown up’ and elegant sister resort also located in the Baa Atoll, a speedboat trip away.

Dining wise, the Fish & Crab Shack was an excellent find, but the culinary delights don’t end there - the island is home to multi-award-winning (and rightly so!) Kanusan. This over-water sumptuously decorated Asian restaurant boasts a prime position, perched over turquoise shallows where you can watch baby lemon sharks glide by, and also the evening entertainment of rather terrifyingly good fire dancers and acrobats. All bars and dining at Finolhu were great - but these were particular favourites.

Over all, this is such a fun and cool luxury resort with oodles of personality, and one which welcomes you warmly, captures your heart and makes you smile. Visit www.finolhu.com for full information. 

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Portugal in Style with Tivoli

By Rosie Kinsella

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luxury journey into the rich culture of Portugal is only right to experience through a stay with Tivoli Hotels. As the group of Hotels and Resorts celebrate their 85th anniversary this year, Tivoli Carvoeiro in Algarve and Tivoli Avenida Liberdade in Lisbon encapsulate the heritage, hospitality, and culture of both the brand and Portuguese roots, in a way that immediately grants you an understanding as to why this celebration is so well deserved.

Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the Vate Covo cliffside, Tivoli Carvoeiro which is located in the southernmost region of Portugal and has been a landmark hotel for a quarter of a century. After undergoing a 5-month refurbishment, the hotel ensures every aspect from rooms, to service, to

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the food is of five-star status. Tivoli Carvoeiro holds 248 stunning bedrooms, suites with balconies and family rooms for larger groups.

One of the biggest attractions to this hotel in Algarve is the experiences available to visitors in the area. Whether you’re seeking golden sand filled beaches a 5-10 minutes’ drive, tourist attraction points in the likes of old villages for the intellectually hungry, waterparks for the kids or wine tasting experiences for the parents, are activities are in decent range of the resort.

Other elements of leisure involve the indoor and outdoor pools, both kid friendly, or a round of Golf which can be organised via Carvoeiro’s golf desk as they will tailor any specific needs you have.

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Qatar - Business Class Review Ladies –if you’re seeking an exquisite pampering experience, Tivoli Spa Carvoeiro offers fantastic wellness treatments that involve a blend of holistic healing and time-honoured techniques. Whether a massage scrub, a deep replenishing treatment or a steam room session, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Dining experiences are also a unique element to Tivoli Carvoeiro, with the opportunity to sample local wines and fresh catches at Med Food & Wine, which is one of the restaurants featured in the hotel. If you’re craving a diversity of Portuguese treasures, The One Gourmet Mare Bistro offers light and delicious bites that liven your palette. Not to mention another key element, being the Sky Bar, which delights guests with gorgeous views of the royal blue sea and scenery in the day, which then lights up at night under the stars accompanied with music, great cocktails, and appetisers.

After a pool-side filled day with all the drinks and delicious foods you could ever want, guests are able to return back to their deluxe rooms for a comfortable night’s sleep – how could you not with exclusive signature bed linen too? Lazy evenings on your balcony or unwinding in the spacious showers, comfort is at the heart of your overnight experience. All rooms are equipped with an iron and ironing board, hair dryer, safe, LCD Television, Free Wifi, Bath robes and Slippers, tea, turndown service, and free Nespresso. No matter the room or suite, the five-star service is equally distributed amongst visitors.

Moving onto Tivoli Avenida Liberdade, which is located in the heart of Lisbon has been another capital landmark. It was built in 1933 and was re-designed by architect Pardal Monteiro later on in the 1950s. Today it offers 255 luxurious rooms and suites, and also features its famous Sky Bar which overlooks the whole of the city.

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the surrounding sky scraper buildings and apartments. Tivoli Avenida Liberdade is in the heart of Lisbon, surrounded by a diversity of shops and restaurants, activities, and history.

Venturing out to eat for Portuguese cuisine is always a good idea, but if it’s a five-star dining experience you’re seeking with fantastic wine and catches of the day that have been sourced from 800 kms of the Portuguese coastline, the hotel’s restaurant Cervejaria Liberdade is the place you want to be. If it’s just deluxe drinks you want, the lobby and pool bar both offer a menu ranging from cocktails, champagnes, and appetisers alongside soft drinks and tea’s if it’s a business meeting you’re hosting. Not to mention, the pool bar is only accessible exclusively to guests during the summer months.

External activities in this area of Lisbon are an investment of significant memories, whether taking a tour around the city in a tuk-tuk, exploring the shops, visiting museums and special sites, there is something for everyone to learn and enjoy.

The other fantastic things about each of these hotels is they are a place of preference for special events such as weddings.

Large wedding parties are able to share large presidential suites with the option of couples sharing an executive suite with private hot tub, as well as the possibility of renting out the sky bar as the location where your reception is hosted.

Being wed opposite the Vate Covo cliffside overlooking the sea is a truly remarkable setting for such a special day.

Every element of Tivoli Hotels is spectacular and unique, as they constantly tailor their services to the needs of customers, and always go the extra mile. To book your next stay, head over to www.tivolihotels.com. 

Little beats flying business or first class to your holiday destination – especially when you have a long journey ahead. Some airlines just do things better than others, and having experienced excellent Qatar’s business class offering from the Maldives to LRH, it’s clear to us just why the airline continues to be rated right at the top of the flight comfort, quality and service charts. of all meals excellent. There’s a very good selection of wines to accompany your choices too – and all dietary conditions and preferences catered to with a smile. The transfer on arrival in Doha airport was super-slick and effortless and as you’d imagine, the airport is state of the art and spotless, and offers a plethora of rather fabulous fashion, jewellery and tech outlets to entice you to spend, spend, spend.

My journey enabled me to try out two types of seating experiences – one being the highly acclaimed Qsuite, and the first, the shorter stretch to Doha, in spacious and airy comfort ensconced on one of their class-beating 22-inch wide seats, which quickly and effortlessly recline to an 80inch flat bed with just a few touches of a button. Aligned in a 1-2-1 configuration, privacy is afforded by discreet partitions, but frankly no one bothers to look at anyone, as they are too immersed enjoying the prompt and most welcome champagne and excellent Oryx One entertainment system with large 27-inch flat screen TVs. Spoilt for choice – there’s thousands of viewing and listening options ensuring regardless of your language, nationality or amusement preferences, there’s guaranteed to be plenty to enjoy. Navigating your way around this super-sophisticated system is a breeze too – both touch screen and hand-held device are easy to use.

Dining and drinks wise, my expectations were high, and certainly not disappointed. Not surprising really as Qatar Airways have teamed up with the iconic restaurant Nobu to create an on-demand a la carte menu. Being able to dine when I wanted was great – and the piping hot and delicious quality

From Doha to London, it was the excellent Qsuite all the way. These are cabins, with sliding doors for entry, which are large enough for you to stretch out completely in, making the most of wide seat which folds fully flat into a bed. The cabin’s walls are high enough for almost complete privacy – the only disturbance being cabin crew peering over occasionally to check if they can help you with anything, and if you happen to have a very tall passenger in front who may glance your way whilst heading to use the facilities. Each cabin comes with high quality toiletries and chocolates too -and the Oryx InFlight entertainment system, the same as before. The ambient lighting, peace and quiet all contributed to a real feeling of calm. There’s plenty of storage space too and a media panel that comes with an all-access power port, with USB, HDMI and NFC capabilities for your convenience.

It’s not just the comfort, space, dining and privacy though that sets Qatar’s business class apart – the service is near on impossible to beat too. The staff seem to have a six sense as to when you might fancy or need something, when they discreetly and politely appear as if by magic. Nothing appears fake – but just genuinely warm, friendly and helpful.

They even do a turndown service if you’re on a long-haul overnighter.

A class-leading business class offering, and one I would opt for above other airlines. www.qatarairways.com  entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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Travel Tales Looking for a little inspiration for your travels? Here is a quick round up of some of the new and best openings, unique activities, plus established favourites with fabulous facilities.

The Royal Blue, Crete A paradise for thrill-seekers, hikers and bikers; Crete boasts an infinite list of adrenaline-fuelled activities, whether it’s on land, by the sea or in the sky. Offering wild natural beauty and thousands of years of culture, history and exquisite cuisine, The Royal Blue provides the perfect sanctuary for travellers looking to explore Crete their own way.

Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain This winter, escape to your own slice of paradise at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain and discover a juxtaposition of the old and the new as you delve into the history and culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Inviting discerning tourists from around the globe, allow the hotel concierge to devise a family-friendly itinerary to discover all this exciting destination has to offer.

For the destination explorers, discover one of Bahrain’s biggest mysteries that has been captivating locals for centuries; Bahrain’s ‘Tree of Life’. Profoundly alone with no obvious water source and no other tree in sight for miles, families can discover the myths and legends surrounding the only tree amongst an otherwise barren landscape.

Those wanting to immerse themselves in the local culture, located just three kilometres from the capital city of Manama makes The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain an ideal base to discover the metropolis of traditional Bahrain. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site is the Bahrain Fort re-constructed in the early 16th century and home to archaeological treasures now displayed within the fort’s museum. With over 6,000 years of local history, the Bahrain National Museum is one of the Kingdom’s most insightful attractions with stories of the traditional souks, pearl diving and the evolution of the country’s position as the Arabian Gulf ’s major trading hub. Also found in the city centre is one of the largest mosques in the world; the Al-Fateh Mosque leading guests on an enlightening journey of Bahrain’s history.

Back at the hotel, The Ritz Kids Club introduces the little ones to cooking classes, face painting, arts & crafts while the grown-ups can have some much deserved time out at the sea-inspired retreat; The Ritz-Carlton Spa which uses minerals from the Dead Sea and home to thalassotherapy and plunge pools. www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/middle-east/bahrain.

Perfectly positioned in the middle of Crete, the largest and most popular of the Greek Islands, The Royal Blue is unquestionably the gateway to an exhilarating expedition of unique experiences; all of which can be booked directly through the hotels dedicated concierge team – from off road safari’s through the picturesque Cretan mountains and cave hopping between over 4,500 mystical caves, to hiking one of Europe’s longest gorges.

Visually striking and arguably the best way to explore Crete’s mountainous region, guests can cycle up, down and around the land of the legends whilst taking in spectacular views. Whether conquering the White Mountains or taking a leisurely cycle through wineries, olive groves and charming Cretan villages, Crete offers tours for both biking beginners and peddling pros.

The longest gorge in Greece and one of the largest in Europe, the limestone peaks of Crete’s White Mountains are slashed with dozens of gorges, but the mightiest of all is Samaria. Willpower and determination will take guests on a challenging yet rewarding hike along lucid lagoon-like waters and steep rocky cliffs dusted in lush green forestry.

If it’s the Cretan blues guests wish to explore Crete by, sea kayaking is the ideal way to take full advantage of the islands rugged coastline made up of hidden abysses, caves and reefs.

Not for the faint hearted, the western town of Avdou is home to Crete’s most popular paragliding spot. World famous, the vast deep slopes form the ideal landscape for adventure seekers willing to plunge into the air whilst reaching altitudes of up to 1200m; taking in views of the city of Heraklion, Hersonissos, Malia and even Santorini on clear days.

Located between the Venetian Harbour of Rethymnon and historic Heraklion, the 5* luxury resort allows for easy exploration. Recently benefitting from an extensive refurbishment across its rooms, waterfront suites, seafront outdoor gym, bars and restaurants as well as additional facilities and marina, The Royal Blue has reopened as Crete’s most luxurious hotel.

With 190 elegant rooms, luxurious waterfront suites and exclusive villas, The Royal Blue lends itself to families, couples and solo travellers seeking a blend of adventure, relaxation, seclusion and enriching experiences. www.royalblueresort.com

Truffle Hunting, Olive Oil Making and Wine Tasting - Istria – The Croatian Riviera Thriving in the valley of the river Mirna and Motovun Forest, Istria has ideal ground for growing truffles, and is in fact the only place in the world where both white and black high quality truffle varieties can be found. Take a three hour truffle tour with the Karlic family and one of their sharp-nosed hounds to forage for this Istrian delicacy, before indulging in a culinary feast of truffle-infused treats.

Oenophiles will not be disappointed, home to 130 indigenous grape varieties, some of Croatia’s top wineries are spread throughout the tiny peninsula of Istria. The phenomenal wines include Teran, the region’s most popular red wine, typically deep ruby in colour and often blended with other grapes. Fruity, fresh and fragrant, and one of the

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oldest grapes in Croatia, Malvazija dates back to Ancient Greece, and is the most common white wine in Croatia.

Proudly boasting some of the world’s best olive oils, and awarded the Best Olive Oil Region in the world for the past three consecutive years, olive oil is perhaps the most highly valued Istrian ingredient. A tradition so rooted in family history, Istrian families still hand pick the olives themselves today and invite guests to discover the process from tree to bottle.

Unforgettable Croatia (unforgettablecroatia.co.uk) offer a seven-night stay at five-star Hotel Lone on a B&B basis from £1,695 per person. The price includes return flights from London Gatwick or Manchester to Pula, private airport transfers, private walking tour of Rovinj, truffle hunting at Karlic Truffles, tastings at Aura Distillery and a tour of Motovun, Grosnjan and Pula, and wine tasting at Meneghetti. www.istra.hr/en/home.

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Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, Morocco Boasting an old-worldly Moroccan feel and set in 20 acres of palms, banana trees, roses and bird-song, Es Saadi Marrakech Resort is an oasis of tranquillity in the heart of Marrakech’s Golden Triangle. Home to over 400 works of art in their newly opened art gallery, Es Saadi is a veritable feast for the soul and the perfect place for a cultural break this winter.

Other highlights include the Es Saadi Palace Spa featuring an Oriental Thermae, as well as the brand new PHYTO Hair Spa, and the lavish resort is also home to the only Dior Institut outside of Paris. The Es Saadi Palace offers 92 suites and 10 private luxury villas dotted around the gardens, as well as 8 Ksars surrounding the pool. www.essaadi.com/en/.

Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Florida Offering ocean breezes and year-round sunshine in the glamour capital of the world, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach is a food lover’s paradise set in a stylish retreat, bursting with the dynamic combination of Japanese refinement and upscale Miami vitality. Here waits an exclusive Nobu pool, Esencia Wellness Spa and a state-of-the-art fitness facilities; offering everything from Surfset lessons to in-room yoga sessions in the Nobu ‘Zen Suite’.

Foodies will delight in the iconic Nobu restaurant serving Chef Nobu’s famed Japanese fusion dishes, the brand-new farm-to-table ‘Malibu Farm’ restaurant and ‘Playabar’, a retro airstream trailer serving Mexican style cantina bites. www.nobuhotelmiamibeach.com

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Aleenta Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Thailand

Nobu Hotel Marbella, Spain

Ideally situated on the pristine and golden sand stretch of Pak Nampran Bay, Aleenta Hua Hin is a boutique luxury resort and spa, perfect for those looking for a winter wellness break. The resort is made up of 25 unique residences, most with private pool and all located within steps of the beach and striking views of the Gulf of Thailand.

Undoubtedly the sexiest European hotel to launch this year, Nobu Hotel Marbella is bringing style and sophistication to the ‘Golden Mile’ of Marbella.

For guests looking for some pampering in paradise, the Ayurah Spa at Aleenta Hua Hin uses a Farm-to-Facial approach to wellness, using natural ingredients such as ginger, lemongrass, mint and ylang ylang which are all grown on the resort’s own 25-acre organic farm and used for bespoke treatments including scrubs, wraps and massage therapies with specific healing and health benefits. www.aleenta.com/huahin/.

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Exclusively for grown-ups, this glamorous hotel offers guests the best VIP offerings in one of the most vibrant parts of Spain including; access to a private concierge with links to the hottest seats in the house at neighbouring restaurants as well as the infamous La Suite nightclub, 24-hour in-room Nobu dining, and a roving mixology cart to create signature Nobu in-room cocktails at sunset. Relax and detox by day and party at night, Nobu Hotel Marbella has everything covered for a sophisticated party weekend. www.nobuhotelmarbella.com 

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CARS ON TEST

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Credit: Luke Penny

More known for its spritely and oh so pretty run arounds and race-honed design masterpieces such as the 8C, the introduction of an imposing SUV is a brave departure for Alfa Romeo.

It’s a risk that’s paid off though, as the Stelvio has been largely very well received as a stylish, sporty and spacious model perfect for busy family or corporate life –and a viable alternative to premium priced models from likes of Porsche and BMW. With plenty more kerb appeal than most of its rivals, it’s evident Alfa’s aim to produce cars with stunning lines continues. Out on the road our Stelvio received plenty of admiring glances and was the instigator of many a conversation about this exciting brand moving in to SUV territory with ease. Striking and a refreshing departure from typical boxy cars of this type, the model stands out in all the best ways.

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stylish 20-inch alloys, large aluminium pedals, and an abundance of attractive and durable looking materials throughout. Space wise, there’s ample up front, but, because of the sloping sleek lines, it can feel a little on the dark and cosy side for large and tall rear passengers. The seating position is lower than competitor models though and adds to the over all sporty feel.

Out on test the car proved smooth, slick and rapid. With a respectable 6.6 second 0-62 sprint and excellent gearing, acceleration is a breeze and it’s a rewarding model to drive.

Economy is pretty good too – achieving around the 45mpg mark during the loan – beating most in its class. Handling and ride-wise the Stelvio feels centred and agile, with remarkably good traction even through fast and tight bends – much more like a ‘normal’ car than a pretty sizeable SUV. It’s well worth paying the extra for all-wheel drive. For well under the £50,000 mark, Alfa’s Stelvio represents a lot of car for the money and would grace any drive.  www.alfaromeo.co.uk

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CARS NEWS Hot hatches, slick saloons and special editions – here’s a quick round up of a few of the best new models.

New Mercedes-Benz A-Class Saloon The new A-Class Saloon from Mercedes-Benz launches soon. Compact, sporty and spritely, it’s the perfect model for those wanting a small, spacious, stylish and luxurious car.

With ample cabin room and 420-litre boot, this new saloon is capable of easily carrying the spoils of a serious shopping spree or boxes of business stuff during a daily commute.

Available in state-of-the-art diesel and petrol forms, both are efficient and frugal runners, and the model features an abundance of comfort, safety and performance innovations, as you‘d expect from this luxury brand.

Mini Clubman City Aimed at those who live life on the go, with low emissions, WLTP compliance, competitive running costs and benefitin-kind tax rates, the new Clubman City is destined to be a firm favourite of the city set.

BMW i8 Roadster A technological trail-blazer since its launch and the world’s best-selling hybrid sports car, the BMW i8 is now available in stunning roadster guise.

This latest Mini model may be small but looks and feels solid and the use of premium materials is evident throughout. It can seat 5 passengers and their bags with relative ease. Two petrol and one diesel model are available, all slick, smooth running and spritely.

Sleek, fast and supremely eye-catching, this new i8 Roadster model offers an enticing combination of emissions-free high-performance motoring coupled with luxurious opentop thrills.

As you’d expect from Mini, the cabin as creatively designed and loaded with the latest and best innovative tech. Features as standard include satellite navigation with a 6.5” display, Apple Car Play, DAB, Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) and Intelligent Emergency Calling (E-call). There’s also Rear Park Distance Control (PDC), Bluetooth hands free function, air con and Cruise Control. MINIMALISM Fuel Saving Technology is fitted to every Clubman model, with features including Automatic Stop/Start function, Break Energy Regeneration and Shift Point Display.

Discovery Sport Landmark Edition A new Landmark Edition of the acclaimed Discovery Sport – the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time – has been launched to coincide with the brand’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

Audi TT 20th Anniversary Limited Edition New from Audi comes a very special limited edition TT – launched to mark this iconic and award-winning model’s 20th anniversary. J Just 999 ‘TT 20 years’ cars will be produced, each luxurious and stylish, with special features to distinguish it from others. These unique touches include ‘TT 20 years’ badges on the steering wheel and gear lever knob, statement stitching, stainless steel tailpipes in a specific design, Matrix OLED rear lights and matt-finished Audi rings above the side sills.

Available in both coupe and roadster body styles, each are guaranteed to be on any true Audi fan and investment collector’s wish list.

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Powered by Land Rover’s excellent TD4 180PS diesel Ingenium engine, Landmark offers the best of the Discovery Sport range with a unique colour and trim combination – Narvik Black, Corris Grey or Yulong White, all crowned with a Carpathian Grey contrast roof. All enhanced with a sporty and dynamic front bumper, Graphite Atlas exterior accents and 19in Style 521 ‘Mantis’ wheels in Gloss Dark Grey.

Enter the luxurious, durable and state of the art cabin to find Ebony grained leather seats and headliner, complemented by dark grey aluminium finishers around the centre stack, a panoramic roof, MeridianTM sound system and heated steering wheel.

Of course this edition retains all the class leading on and off road ability and versatility which has ensured the Discovery Sport remains on the wish list of most wanting a fantastic all-rounder for busy countryside or urban life. 

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NEW PET PACKS FROM LAND ROVER

Over half of all Land Rover owners have dogs. Mindful of this, a highly practical range of Pet Pack products has just been launched, to make travelling for their pooches as comfortable and safe as possible - whilst also neatly protecting their car from being covered in dog slobber, hair and grime at the same time.

Each pack includes a selection of specially chosen durable and high quality accessories to suit a range of requirements. For example, there’s a premium quilted load space liner to protect against paw prints, a foldable pet carrier, an access ramp to help any older, arthritic or titchy breeds, spill-resistant water bowl and a portable rinse system for those muddy walks.

The Pet Packs are available for every model in the Land Rover range and are priced from £360.37.

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Pet Load Space Protection Pack, £482.

Includes quilted load space liner, full-height luggage partition and spill-resistant water bowl.

Pet Transportation Pack, £360.37 Includes foldable pet carrier, spill-resistant water bowl and load space rubber mat.

Pet Care and Access Pack, £887.56 Includes full-height luggage partition, quilted load space liner, pet access ramp and portable rinse system.

Accessories will also be available to purchase as part of the Pet Packs above or individually dependant on customer choice. Visit www.landrover.co.uk for more info. 

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CARS ON TEST

Jeep Compass

The all new Jeep® Compass is a compact and versatile SUV delivering excellent 4x4 capability, world-class driving dynamics and a distinctive, authentic Jeep design.

Substantial and safe looking, the 1.4 MultiAir II 170bhp auto Limited on test held its own against rivals twice its price – and coming in at a starting price of under £30K, - especially when you consider all the features included as standard, a buyer would certainly get a lot of car for the money.

Here in the UK the Compass comes in a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines and Sport, Longitude and rangetopping Limited specifications. All are tech rich with a raft of state of the art safety, performance and comfort gadgetry.

Highlights include an 8.4-inch high definition touch screen (or 5.0-inch in the lower specs) Uconnect NAV system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Jeep Skills -an easyto-use application which provides off-road-specific indexes to you to allow monitor and thus improve your performance on trails.

Spacious throughout, the Compass can ferry even tall and broad occupants with ease, and has a boot large enough to cope with numerous bulky and awkward items. A power tailgate makes loading and unloading quicker and easier too. Visibility is excellent, and the cabin is well insulated from road, wind and engine noise, and generally a very comfortable and pleasant place to be, front or rear, for even long tedious motorway journeys.

Out on the road the fully independent suspension, segmentexclusive frequency damping front-and-rear-strut system, and precise electric power steering combine to deliver superior on-road driving dynamics. The model on test with Stop&Start delivered 140 bhp with 250Nm of torque.

4x4 systems - Jeep Active Drive and the Jeep Active Drive Low, the latter with 20:1 crawl ratio, each of which can send 100 percent of available torque to any one wheel when needed. Both Jeep Active Drive and Active Drive Low 4x4 systems include the Jeep Selec-Terrain system, providing up to five modes (Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud modes, plus exclusive Rock mode on the Trailhawk model) for optimum drive performance on any surface, and in any weather condition.

There are more than 70 available advanced safety and security features too including Forward Collision WarningPlus, LaneSense Lane Departure Warning-Plus, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines, Automated Parallel and Perpendicular Park assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, electronic stability control (ESC) with electronic roll mitigation and six standard air bags. For added protection, Compass boasts a ‘safety cage’ construction with more than 65 percent high-strength steel. All of this has combined to see the all-new Compass awarded the highest five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2017.

The all-new Compass comes with - over 70 exclusive accessories to enable you to customise your car to your particular tastes and requirements. Over all, a stylish, ruggedly handsome SUV that really can handle the rough stuff with ease. It’s the ideal choice for those whose occupation or family life demands more than tarmac pootling. The Limited spec is worth opting for. Driving engagement-wise – arguably it could do with more feel through the wheel, however, given it’s a pretty sizeable SUV, it handles pretty well. www.jeep.co.uk. 

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CARS ON TEST

Land Rover Discovery Notching up award after award, Land Rover’s Discovery has rightly earned its place in the 4x4 hall of fame.

Few if any others in its class can take on the awesome allterrain-busting capability, ease of use, space, quality and versatility – at the price. Little wonder it has become quite a global phenomenon.

The latest model on test is a more elegant and athletic evolution, enabling it to shed a hefty 400kgs and thus prove more economical and nippy – as evident in the introduction of a spritely and frugal new SD 2.0-litre 238bhp diesel, averaging out 35mpgs during its time with us. The 500Nms of torque help boost the Discovery in this guise to an 8.3 second 0-62mph sprint.

Slip inside and you’ll find a cabin that’s quiet, refined, luxurious and comfortable, with minimal road, wind and engine noise, making it one of the best cruisers in its class. It’s easy to forget you’re not in a Range Rover. Material quality is very good, bar the switchgear which doesn’t quite meet the standards of Volvo’s XC90 and the Audi Q7. But we’re nit-picking really here.

Out on the road it certainly doesn’t feel underpowered and coupled with Land Rover’s silkysmooth gearing, is a smooth and willing ride. There’s ample engagement, minimal wallow and roll and despite its size, feels remarkably agile even when pushed on narrow and twisty ‘B’s.

In the centre of the dash is the easy to use 10.2-inch control screen – you’ll have to upgrade to SE trim if you want Sat Nav – which seems a bit petty in a car of this calibre.

Take it off for a play, and honestly – a few hours ploughing through rivers, deep ruts, steep and slippery hillsides is much more fun than you’ll have on a track. You’ll be in awe at just what the Discovery can tackle – even with the odd wheel off the ground and leant at a severe angle. You don’t need to be an expert at off-road driving either – every car comes with terrain response, hill decent control, adjustable air suspension and a two-speed transfer case with high and low range. The odd bit of flooding won’t stop you either –thanks to an impressive ability to wade in up to 900 millilitres of water. Browse through the options list and you’ll spot Terrain Response 2 and all-terrain progress control – worth going for if you tend to head off piste on a regular basis. All the off-road information is displayed on infotainment system allowing you to see the position of the wheels, suspension travel and the angles of the car – confidence giving and providing extra safety.

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Storage in the discovery is excellent with large door cubby and huge centre compartment and even secret storage behind climate control. However, the boot space is its wow factor with a maximum capacity of 2,406 litres which is almost the size of the van. Safe to say, even when needing to lug enormous and hefty loads the Discovery won’t let you down.

Over all, the Discover just makes sense. It’s an impressive decathlon of a car – master of many disciplines and more than capable of meeting pretty much everything you could demand of it.

Starting at under £50K, it’s well priced too. 

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CARS ON TEST

SEAT Arona

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SEAT’s Arona, joins its larger sibling, the Ateca SUV, to become the fourth new model the Barcelona-based brand has introduced in just 18 months, and is its first foray into the lucrative compact crossover class. Attractive, roomy, solid-looking and stylish, this is a car with ample appeal.

One of the key draws is the easy and convenient way it can be purchased. Everything’s nice and straightforward and stress free. To find their ideal model, customers simply choose from three elements: trim level, engine and colour. It’s that easy. There are no myriad options or packs to compare and confuse, and this will definitely appeal to nervous and hesitantly cautious buyers.

upholstery, the SEAT Drive Profile, front parking sensors, a rear-view camera and Park Assist.

But for the no-holds-barred Arona indulgence, the XCELLENCE First Edition packs a powerful Beats Sound System, the Winter Pack and all you need for safe and simple parking manoeuvres – front sensor, rear-view camera and Park Assist.

The New Arona is being offered in six trims, each equipped with features today’s customers want and which will help the vehicle retain its value. The grades dovetail with other SEAT models, with SE, FR and XCELLENCE, but, with each level expanded into additional versions that add in more equipment: SE Technology, FR Sport and XCELLENCE Lux.

SEAT’s comprehensive safety and driver assistance features include Front Assist, Multi-Collision Braking, Hill Hold Control and Tiredness Recognition System. That’s all in addition to cruise control, a full complement of front-side-curtain airbags, active front head restraints and ISOFIX child seat mounts.

The SE grade may be ‘step one’ in the new Arona range, but it’s several rungs up the specification ladder compared to many entry-level models, including metallic paint as standard, usually a £500-plus extra with its competition. Exterior features include 17-inch alloy wheels, bi-colour roof, black roof rails, chrome front grille, power-adjustable door mirrors, LED daytime running lights and tail lights, front cornering fog lights and automatic headlights. Inside, there’s air conditioning, height-adjustable front seats, split-folding rear seat, handy double boot floor, electric windows front and rear, chrome detailing and leather trim for the gear knob and handbrake. SEAT’s Media System Colour provides a five-inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio with FM/AM/DAB radio, Bluetooth and aux-in/USB connections.

Engine wise, there are three petrol and two diesel. Our car on test, the SE 1.0 TSI 115 PS 7-Speed DSG, proved willing, smooth and swift. It’s agile and engaging too. One small gripe would be the level of road and wind noise whilst at speed. The cabin is comfortable and nicely designed nevertheless.

Over all, this is a great compact crossover, blessed with good looks, a willing and smooth engine and decent feel and reward. More than worth the asking price - the Arona is a serious contender even to those costing twice as much.  www.seat.co.uk

Jumping ahead to the top spec you’ll find 18-inch Performance alloys, black Alcantara

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CARS ON TEST

SEAT Leon CUPRA R Hot hatch aficionados have been in the know about SEAT’s excellent CUPRA range for some time.

The announcement of a limited production run of a superspecial R model has no doubt proved particularly enticing – especially as only 799 models were built during the first half of 2018, and a mere 24 of them destined for our shores.

If you’re not one of the lucky ones familiar with this compact and stylish power-house, you’re seriously missing out. Propelled by a masterful 310PS/ 6-speed manual box combination, the front-wheel-drive R delivers a 0-62mph sprinting speed of just 5.8 seconds, and a top flight limited to 155. A new steering system, modified camber angles on the front axle, four piston Brembo brake callipers and crucially, a retuned exhaust system with even racier note all contribute to its performance prowess.

Inevitably, as the flagship of the Leon CUPRA range, the R also ushers in an upgraded interior.

The copper treatment continues on the inside, with the hue being carried through to the detailing on the dashboard, centre console, door panel stitching and steering wheel CUPRA logo.

Rounding off the sport-oriented look and feel is Alcantara® for the gearstick, steering wheel and front bucket seats with copper stitching. Underlining their exclusivity, each car will also feature a numbered plaque.

It’s a car you just have to tear around in, it’s impossible not to hang back in traffic until you have a nice gap to race into, and go out of your way to find bridges and tunnels to drive through to hear the delicious roar of the exhaust. It’s exhilarating, fun and addictive. It’s not all about the performance though – one thing that also sets this model apart from the other hot hatches around, is its understated good looks.

The equipment specification of the Leon CUPRA R is as impressive as its looks and performance. Over the Leon CUPRA 300, the new flagship receives KESSY (Keyless Enter & Go with Wireless Phone Charger), Winter Pack (heated front seats and headlight washers), rear view camera, Safety Pack (Tiredness recognition System and rear seatbelt reminder), BeatsAudio sound system with 10 speakers, adaptive cruise control and lastly, Navigation System High (eight-inch touchscreen, Full Link, dynamic route guidance with 3D map display and 3D emblematic buildings, 10GB hard disk drive).

There are plenty of details though to set this model apart from other Leons. There’s carbon fibre details for the rear spoiler, lower lip spoiler, side skirts and rear diffuser. Newly extended wheel arches and the front benefit from a more powerful design around the air intakes. Copper colouring is also a key theme and comes into play on the door mirrors, CUPRA tailgate lettering, and copper and black 19-inch CUPRA R alloy wheels. Two metallic paint options are available, Monsoon Grey and Midnight Black, both of which are included in the car’s price.

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Over all, the CUPRA R is a thrilling car gifting real driver engagement, and also, dare we say it, a pretty practical one to own and live with too. This is one model I really was pretty gutted to hand back at the end of the loan.  www.seat.co.uk

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CARS ON TEST

VOLVO XC40 ‘What car would you buy with your own money’ is a question I’m frequently asked. It shouldn’t be an easy one to answer, given the high number of models tested over the last two decades. At the risk of this sounding like a sponsored post (which it is not).. for practical everyday use and enjoyment (requiring more boot and interior space than a sports car can offer) it’s a close-run thing at present.... The Discovery is just so good...

But this latest and possibly greatest from Volvo’s current line-up, its XC40 is right at the top of my list too.

Since its fairly recent launch, it’s already snatched awards world-wide from quality competition, so I’m certainly not alone in my sentiments. Compact, handsome and capable, spacious, safe, economical and versatile – and at a touch under the £40K mark for the Firs Edition D4 AWD on test – what’s not to like.

This is a car that’s really demonstrated Volvo has its fingers on the pulse design wise now. The XC40 may be compact, but in the metal it has real presence. It’s striking, bold, even bordering on aggressive looking, and appears solid and well built too.

The cabins of all of today’s models from this Swedish institution are a master class in clean lines, space and resistance to pop in anything that doesn’t function or give understated and tasteful flair - and this is no different for the XC40. It’s a haven of uncluttered calm –which happens to be full to the brim of advanced and useful technology, including Volvo’s pioneering semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system, available on all models, and the Sensus nine-inch touchscreen and voice-activated control systems that allow easy access to the car’s infotainment and connectivity functions.

Engine-wise, this model is a delight to drive. Its 190hp D4 plant produces 00Nm of torque, available all the way from 1,750 to 2,500rpm, for effortless, flexible performance, even when fully laden and towing. The all-wheel drive gives reassuring grip on all surfaces and even in our typically British changeable conditions. And, with a raft of innovative safety tech too, it’s no surprise this is one of the highest rated cars for safety in tests.

The XC40’s relatively compact dimensions make for easy and agile manoeuvring, while the cleverly designed interior provides plenty of space for passengers and cargo. There are 460 litres of luggage space available behind the rear seats, which extends to an impressive 1,336 litres with the rear seats folded down.

You can specify your XC40 for life in the great outdoors with a wide choice of accessories, including roof boxes ranging in volume from 320 to 430 litres, special carriers for bikes, skis and canoes, and even a dog harness for the back seats.

Volvo’s XC40 is an excellent car. A cracking all-rounder and one we’d highly recommend. 

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Luxury Yacht Edit

SUNSEEKER PREDATOR 50

PREDATOR 74

Setting a new benchmark for the smaller performance format, the innovative Predator 50 is remarkable in offering both open and closed capabilities complete with tender garage; no compromise required.

Sunseeker’s largest Predator model is back with a 40 knot capability. Sporty and sleek, it 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.

Exemplifying the latest in Sunseeker’s cutting-edge design, every detail of the Predator 50 has been designed to perfection, but this new boat’s hidden treasure is the entertainment space that it affords. The Predator 50’s design is enhanced by the addition of a fully opening hardtop roof and beautifully executed cockpit glazing providing an open plan cockpit/saloon. This is complemented by forward and aft cockpit seating which can be folded down to create an enlarged sun bathing area. The spacious saloon makes an equally idyllic setting for entertaining guests in opulent luxury with panoramic views. This makes the Predator 50 a truly open or enclosed cockpit boat, unusual in this size of sports boat.

The interior is just as impressive, with a combination of fine materials and large windows ensuring the full-beam master stateroom, which comes with a generous en-suite, achieves the perfect blend of comfort and elegance. The forward VIP cabin exudes a light yet luxurious feel and features a scissor berth for complete flexibility. Up to four guests can be catered for in style and comfort on the water or an additional bunk cabin can be created in lieu of the lower saloon thereby providing accommodation for six.

Another key feature for this model is the ample exterior space. A stylish and highly sociable deck boasts a spacious foredeck seating and sunbathing area complete with optional retractable pram hood canopy. Moving aft, Sunseeker’s ‘Beach Club’ concept offers an inviting space for family and friends to enjoy the optional built-in BBQ, overhead shower and folddown transom seating. Finally, but most importantly, the integral garage which is synonymous with the Predator can, where specified, accommodate a Williams 325 Jet Tender launched via the hydraulic bathing platform.

While the Predator 50 boasts truly class-leading design and luxury, performance is still at the heart of this true sports cruiser which is fitted with the new Volvo Penta D8-600 engines mated to shaft drives with optional electric steering and joystick manoeuvrability.

Central to its appeal, the cleverly engineered cockpit door mechanism allows it to open conventionally, but also lower itself into the sole of the yacht. Depending on the 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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Three Top Tipples A French classic celebratory pink fizz, outstanding Brit newcomer, and a decadently delicious red – these are three of the E&I team’s favourite wines at present.

Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé NV The perfect accompaniment for appetisers, and wonderful for any celebration, this berry and cherry-rich classy champagne has real depth of flavour and a long lasting delicious finish.

Stockists: Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, John Lewis, Majestic, Amazon RRP £50.60.

Jenkyn Place Brut Cuvee 2013

Wine & Champagne Savers Have you ever wanted to enjoy just a glass or two of wine with dinner and preserve the rest for another occasion? Or have you received good news and want to celebrate with just a glass without having to worry about the rest going to waste? The answer has now hit UK shores - zzysh® Wine and Champagne preservers help protect open bottles of wine and Champagne from oxidation and loss of fizz for weeks. Using a unique Swiss patented technology, zzysh® replaces the air in a wine bottle with a protective atmosphere of inert argon gas, and in a Champagne bottle with a mixture of argon and CO2 gas.

Designed by Manfred Jüni, these are among the most innovative and easy to use drink accessories on the market. The zzysh® system is compact, portable and cost effective. Unlike vacuum pumps, classic stoppers or wine pouring systems that merely reduce oxygen, the zzysh® system completely eliminates it with argon gas (and CO2 for Champagne). This preserves a liquid’s quality, natural flavour and fizz after opening, ensuring the exact same tasting experience next time.

zzysh® Wine Preserver

A wonderful marriage of smoky flints, sharp green apples, delicate florals and richness, this effervescent star from Jenkyn Place proves anything the French can do – they can match if not even better!

Stockists: www.Jenkynplace.com and many more RRP £29.50.

This Swiss technology replaces the air in a bottle with 100% food-grade argon gas to protect wine from oxidation and loss of flavour. Unlike vacuum systems, zzysh® creates a protective film on the wine’s surface to preserve a wine’s colour, aromas and flavours. Argon is the third most abundant gas in the earth’s atmosphere, is heavier than air and has no reaction when in contact with wine.

Enveloped by this argon gas atmosphere, and shielded by the innovative zzysh® Wine Stopper, wine is perfectly protected.

The stopper fits on all kinds of wine bottles, and each zzysh® Wine Cartridge can be used for up to eight applications.

Aconcagua Alto Carmenere 2016

zzysh® Champagne Preserver

Beautifully rounded, medium to full bodied, this elegant wine delights the senses with decadent chocolate, figs, dates and cherries, artfully tempered with soft caramels and toasted coffee bean notes.

Stockists: The Vinorium RRP £21.95. 

Opened sparkling wine bottles are pressurised with a mixture of 100% food-grade argon/CO2 gas and shielded by the zzysh® Champagne Stopper, to protect sparkling wines from oxidation and loss of fizz. The stopper works with a wide variety of sparkling wine bottles. Each zzysh® Champagne Cartridge can be used for up to four applications.

Each cost £79.90, with additional products also available from www.zzysh.me/uk. 

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Champagnes for all Seasons

By Brooke Sealey

The summer may almost be over, and winter festivities a way off yet–but why wait for weddings and Christmas to enjoy the finest fizz? Here’s a little reminder of some of the best bubbles to be savoured all year round.

Dom Perignon is described as vintage and prestige, with fresh and intense flavours, enhanced by only the best grapes chosen within one year. It retails from under £50 to the highest price at £800. Not only does Dom Perignon cater for the most classic champagne connoisseur, it also produces Rose, Vintage and Customisable champagnes to meet everyone’s particular taste.

Veuve Clicquot Champagne is a very established and well-known brand since 1772. Selling extra old, rose, rich, demi-sec and traditional champagne. With flavours being described as strong and silky, the brands taste ranges from vanilla to white fruits. The differentiation of bubbles (as seen in the golden-yellow champagne, which produces tiny ones) adds to the character of the champagne’s individuality. This is accentuated through the breadth of price ranging from £25 and up to nearly £2,000.

Taittinger, founded in 1734, has been adored by the rich, famous and royalty for generations. From light, effervescent and fruity, to bold, decadent and creamy, they produce an excellent range of truly delicious champagnes. In a venture with top UK wine agents Hatch Mansfield back in 2015, Taittinger purchased land in Kent to plant over 40 hectares of vines -the very first venture of this kind for a champagne house.

Armandde Brignac’s’Ace of Spades’ is one reportedly loved by Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter. The New York based brand is crafted by the 13th generation of champagne growers. From the price of £240 to almost £15,000, it is safe to vouch for the fact this champagne filled with fruit and luxurious grape flavours is one of the most prestigious.

Bollinger Champagne, established back in 1822, is harvested in the finest and ancient vineyards. The pinot noir grapes are grown in the bestgrands: Ay, Bouzy and Verzenay. It is predominantly known as James Bond’s favourite champagne. The sophisticated legacy itself has flavoursome tastes ranging from subtle blends of fizz, black grape varieties and rose scents.

The champagne bottles themselves start from£44, and the bold blend of fine bubbles is one that is said to be never forgotten. A timeless and rich champagne.

Last but certainly not least, we have the Cristal. Hollywood royalty, flash rappers, Cadillac escalades and jewels are what springs to mind when we approach this infamous bubbly refreshment. With its intense and delicate flavour consisting of honey, cocoa and hazelnut aromas, it is easy to say this champagne is the perfect tipple whatever the time of year or occasion. 

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INTRODUCING WINEBUYERS-EXCLUSIVE WINE & CHAMPAGNE CLUB Winebuyers is a disruptive, ever evolving, e-commerce platform bringing vineyards, wineries and merchants directly in contact with wine lovers.

It is an online members club with a difference, with no cost to consumers to join. Acting as a shop front for producers and merchants, who simply pay a monthly subscription fee, Winebuyers provides its members with access to over 30,000 (and counting) bottles sourced from vineyards and wineries in 38 countries, all in one place and it is growing.

The company doesn’t mark up prices or charge commission on any item sold. Wine lovers can access an unrivalled collection of some of the best wine producers and the most exciting wines available on the market, for no extra cost.

Winebuyers uses custom built API technology, developed over 18 months to bring the wine industry into the 21st century by connecting wine lovers directly with some of the best vineyards, wine producers and wine merchants in the world. Winebuyers instantly integrates with producer websites for automated realtime stock updates.

For more information on membership or trade enquiries visit www.winebuyers.com

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Spa Time A luxury yoga retreat and a fabulous underwater spa here’s where we’re heading to relax and recharge...

PEARL at Huvafen Fushi The legendary spa at Huvafen Fushi has been resculpted and transformed as part of this top Maldives resort’s year-long transformation.

Few spas in the world have such a beautiful approach – perched at the end of a jetty above a turquoise lagoon, fringed with white sands and scented tropical greenery.

There’s a new air-conditioned reception pavilion, where guests are greeted with lemongrass scented cooling towels, and refreshing ginger tea. This leads torenewed overwater treatment rooms, the new Vitalisation relaxation area featuring his ‘n hers wet areas, steam and sauna rooms, and the new RAW café specializing in ‘Revitalising Additive Wellness’ cuisine.

At the heart of Huvafen Spa, the famed world-first underwater treatment area is reborn as PEARL, a unique otherworldly treasure for wellness connoisseurs seeking a deeper experience. Guests can immerse themselves in a curated

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collection of rituals and treatments, as abundant tropical fish and marine life dance over the coral outside. PURE Massage brings Beata Aleksandrowicz’s celebrated combinations of Eastern and Western massage traditions; while exclusive world class treatments from renowned facialist to the stars Teresa Tarmey include her signature TT Facial.

Huvafen Spa has also created a brand new Maldivian signature treatment based on a secret traditional local healing recipe. Meaning wellbeing and sensuality, Dhimaalis is a 90 minute treatment that begins with a gentle body scrub using sand from Huvafen’s own shores and Maldivian Dhivi beys herbs grown on the island. The scrub is cleaned through immersion in the salt water of the lagoon, leaving the skin purified and spirits reawakened.

Huvafen Fushi is one of the most luxurious and best resorts in the Maldives – see the full review in the Travel Pages of this magazine. Visit www.huvafenfushi.com.

Autumnal Yoga Retreat Against a backdrop of fiery hues that set Capability Brown-designed landscapes ablaze with colour, embark on a two-day yoga journey (12-14 October) at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa. Partake in four yoga classes, two meditation sessions and refreshing morning walks. Further nourish the body and mind with delectable dining, a spa treatment and historical tour of Luton Hoo, led by resident historian Zena Dickinson.

Celebrating ten years as a luxury hotel this year, Luton Hoo was previously a private home for 400 years. It was owned by a diamond magnate, redesigned by the architects of the Ritz Hotel, frequently graced with Royalty, and honoured with a visit from Sir Winston Churchill.

With this glittering legacy in the background, immerse yourself in self-restoration and meditation with expert yoga instructor Paula Malloy. Paula teaches a range of alignment-based postures using Hatha Vinyasa flow, focusing on the connection of breath and movement with energetic sequencing to build strength and purify the spirit.

Suitable for all levels, the two-night yoga break costs £660pp including two nights’ accommodation, four yoga classes, two meditation sessions, five-star dining throughout, pre-dinner drinks on both nights, spa treatment and historical tour of Luton Hoo. For more information, please visit: www.lutonhoo.co.uk/yoga-retreat. 

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Dining Out An exciting and striking new dining experience in Vietnam and two great British classics. If you’re a fan of art deco, French inspired fresh fish dishes or a fine gin or three, you’ll certainly enjoy the these stunning eateries - each firm favourites of ours.

PINK PEARL - NEW ART DECO DINING DELIGHT Bringing a new level of experiential fine dining to Vietnam’s paradisiacal island of Phu Quoc, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay welcomes the grand opening of its Pink Pearl mansion this October. Another new chapter in the fictional backstory of this award-winning resort –purportedly the former French colonial Lamarck University - Pink Pearl will tell its own fabled story through an immersive gourmet experience that will surprise and delight guests in a truly elaborate setting.

Created by the resort’s Master of Ceremonies, designer Bill Bensley, Pink Pearl is inspired by the legend of Madame Pearl Collins, the great-great-grandmother of the current ‘Dean of Lamarck University’, Ty Collins – AKA the resort’s general manager. The story goes that Madame Pearl loved to host friends and dignitaries at this beachfront art deco mansion for extravagant gastronomic soirees. Interiors ooze retro glamour with a bold mix of pinks, sumptuous prints, artefacts, extravagant gilt-framed portraits and a grandioso central chandelier, all crafted bespoke for the space.

Now Madame Pearl’s mantle has passed to Chef de Cuisine Amine Ouameur Lakhdari, who has taken inspiration from her treasured book of classic French recipes - and over 10 years’experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants (including The Ritz Paris L’Espadon, Apicius and La Truffe Noire) - to create a fabulous French fine-dining menu that recaptures the glamour and decadence of Pink Pearl’s heady 150 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

1920’s heyday.

Evoking memories of the roaring twenties, the immersive experience of Pink Pearl begins from the moment guests are welcomed at the door by flapper girls. A guided tour through the six enchantingly styled private dining rooms is punctuated by pianists, violinists and classical chanteuses.

Each room tells the story of Madame Pearl and Lamarck University through charismatic photographs and vintage pieces. Staying true to the saying ‘it’s not over until the fat lady sings’ guests are seated in the opulent main dining room upon the sounds of the singer reaching the heights of her operatic chorus. The feast for all the senses reaches a crescendo with the arrival of dinner, with Madame Pearl’s favourite classic French recipes deconstructed and given a modern twist by Chef Amine. Combining premium local products and a farm-to-table ethos, the menu showcases signature dishes such as: Nha Trang spiny lobster with cherry; Charolaise Beef Pithivier; and the extravagantly indulgent masterpiece Opera Sphere Marou Chocolate.

THE MIRABELLE - FRENCH FAIR AND SUPER SERVICE The Mirabelle Restaurant at The Grand Hotel is the jewel in the crown of dining in Eastbourne. Following a £300,000 refurbishment earlier this year, the restaurant offers stylish and contemporary dining with classical French flair, with weekly changing menus designed by head chef Stephanie Malvoisin. Stephanie is passionate about showcasing the local fish and seafood landed on the Sussex coast, using her suppliers’ catch of the day to inspire new dishes such as plaice fillet with apple and lemongrass purée and cobnut foam and rainbow trout fillet, crushed vitelotte potato and white crab meat with a shellfish beurre blanc.

Service at the Mirabelle is second to none – from the moment you arrive at the palatial five-star hotel on the seafront you’ll be treated as a true VIP, thanks to the dedicated restaurant team working under restaurant manager Benjamin Warren.

Enjoy drinks in the cocktail bar while you peruse the menus, which include both a la carte and six course tasting menu options, before being guided to your table in the restaurant, with its striking new décor and fittings and views of the sea.

The Mirabelle is open for lunch and dinner TuesdaySaturday, starting from £46 for three courses. www. grandeastbourne.co.uk

GIN, DINE & STAY AT THE TORRIDON Visible from Earth, Arcturus is a first-magnitude star in the constellation of Boötes and, accordingly to mythology, hind stags can only conceive at the rising of Arcturus. Fittingly, Scottish Highlands’ retreat The Torridon decided to name its new handcrafted gin after this powerful star, and has launched a new Arcturus Gin package to boot.

Arcturus is distilled with foraged botanicals from the land, sea and mountains surrounding The Torridon, including Scots lovage, kelp seaweed, rowanberries and blackberries. It is served best with Gregor Scottish Tonic and a spiced dehydrated orange slice in the colder months.

The Torridon, a former Victorian shooting lodge located on the edge of a sea loch, provides a luxurious setting for its new two-night gin-infused getaway. Succumb to a gin afternoon tea with blackberry jam, gin cake, and gin served in a glass teacup, a gin tasting with an expert, a complimentary bottle of Arcturus, guided flora and fauna walk with a picnic, opulent accommodation and sumptuous dining. From £212pp per night (two-night stay) inclusive of breakfast, four-course dinner, gin activities, guided walk & picnic, and accommodation. For more information: www.arcturusgin.com and www. thetorridon.com. 

Pink Pearl also boasts Phu Quoc’s best-stocked wine cellar.

Exuding Gatsbian drama, a spiralstaircase entrance opens onto monochromatic glazed cabinets containing a vast selection of French wines, alongside New World favourites and a collection of fortified wines. Pink Pearl’s sommelier is on hand with expert recommendations to pair with Chef Amine’s extraordinary dishes. For more information visit: www.jwmarriottphuquoc.com.

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BEAUTY & GROOMING GADGETS & GIFTS

CITY TO COUNTRY CASUALS

A selection of some of the best, most innovative and effective beauty and grooming gadgets and luxury gifts around.

Argos Inno Silk’N Silhouette Body Toner £199.99

Why not escape the city and head to the coast and countryside this season? Remember to pack a jacket that’s as stylish as it is versatile, so you can enjoy the great outdoors what ever the weather has in store.

Argos Inno Silk’N Silhouette Body Toner £199.99

Barbour Almanac Jacket £189.00

Barbour Harbour Casual Jkt £159.00

Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer £299.99 John LewiS

Barbour Blair Zip Thru £109.00

Barbour Tempo Casual Jacket £229.00

GhD Pink Blush Styler £124.99 variouS

Barbour Twine £189.00

YSL Nude Lipstick £28.00

YSL Touche Eclat GBP 25.50 Betty Barclay 44 Outdoor Jacket £220.00

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Betty Barclay 47 Jacket £210.00

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AESTHETIC APPEAL

FINE FRAGRANCES

From Botox to vampire face lifts, fat freezing to peels, there’s a ‘tweakment’ for just about everyone these days - and many are conveniently possible during a lunch break. The challenge can be just what to choose. One of the most popular is localised fat reduction – sometimes called body contouring – for when you want to remove a little extra padding on your thighs, hips, tummy, chin or arms.

Neroli, Roses and fresh forest foliage – these sumptuous scents are guaranteed to delight.

Moresque Rosa Ekaterina - A daydream and dive into the past. It is a window that opens onto a flowering garden; a graceful woman walks resolutely through green paths holding an open book in her hands, while nature blossoms around her. A woody, floral fragrance Top: Pink Pepper, Elemi Heart: May Rose Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Cumin, Cinnamon Available at Harrods. EDP 50ml SRP £290.00

Chelsea based, The Cadogan Clinic, winners of Best London Clinic Award last year, offers SculpSure™, regarded by many as the most effective of the non-surgical fat reduction treatments available.

This is an FDA approved laser treatment which works by heating up and destroying fat cells in targeted areas, known as lipolysis.It works particularly well on those stubborn areas of fat which frustratingly don’t seem to ever shift despite diet and exercise.

Whilst you relax, special applicators are positioned on the areas to heat the fat layer whilst also cooling the skin’s surface for comfort. There is no down time with this laser treatment, and you can return home or to work straight away. During your consultation, you will be very honestly advised as to whether it is likely you really will see the results you hope for. If the amount of fat is more substantial than usually treated this way, it could really be worth considering a surgical liposuction alternative.

These days it can be done in some areas with just local anaesthetic – under the chin for example to really effectively give a much improved and defined jawline. Even with general anaesthetic, you can be treated and home in the same day and a in some cases, a couple of troublesome areas can be reduced at the same time – ankles and tummy for example.

Since introducing liposuction to the UK over 30 years ago, Cadogan Clinic founder, Mr Bryan

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Mayou, has pioneered its use of it here. He assembled a team of world-class surgeons and now, due to their extensive expertise, treat more liposuction patients each week than any other clinic in London, and have really perfected their technique to ensure the procedure is as minimally invasive and effective as possible. They offer what they consider to be the best types of lipo: Traditional liposuction: The area where the tube will be inserted is numbed with local anaesthetic, and a large amount of an anaesthetic solution is injected into the fatty tissue before the procedure is started.

MicroLiposuction: Local anaesthetic is used to remove small pockets of fat - a fast and effective method to ensure the patient has very little downtime and is back to normal as soon as possible. Suitable for smaller areas such as chin, underarms and jawline.

SmartLipoMPX or Laser-Assisted Liposuction: This technique works by liquefying fat with a laser and removing the fat with cannula. A laser then also smooths and tightens the skin and seals blood vessels, reducing swelling, bleeding, and bruising. 

Roos & Roos In the Wood for Love A new freshness, the scent of the nature under the shelter of the woods, after the rain, clean and precious. A mischievous fragrance Top: Bergamot, Mandarin Essences Heart: Orange Blossom, Iris Absolute, Violet Base: Cedarwood, Patchouli, Vetiver Nationwide: Available now EDP 100ml SRP £170.00

Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Rouge Rose Rouge is Inspired by the ‘Queen of Flowers’, the exceptional Rose. A Chypre, floral, gourmand fragrance Top: Pink Pepper, Blackcurrant Absolute Burgundy Middle: Turkish Rose Essence, facets of Rose, Cocoa Absolute Base: Vetiver, Patchouli Harrods Exclusive: EDP 75ml: £130.00

www.cadoganclinic.com

Collection Extroardinaire Neroli Amara Néroli Amara breathes new air into the Collection, making it more aqueous and botanical. A citrus, floral and woody fragrance Top: Citrus Trio: Italian Lemon, Mandarin, Bergamot Heart: Black Pepper, Cypress Base: Orange Blossom Absolute. EDP 75ml SRP £130.00  entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

SKIN CARE

FIT TO WEAR

Creams, masks, exfoliators and more... everything you need to prep your skin for the seasons ahead.

From smart watches to athleisure wear, looking good whist working out is easy. Here is our pick of some of the top fitness tech and clothing around.

Fitbit Alta HR Special Edition Fitness Tracker Harvey Norman £169.90. jpg

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 100ml at House of Fraser £110.00

Braun silk-expert IPL BDPulsed light epilator for Face and Body, for use in your home £789.75

FRÉNÉSIES Facial Hair Removing Cream £195.00

House of Fraser The Cooling Gel Creme de la Mer 30ml at House of Fraser £120.00

Lift & Lustre Golden Antioxidant Elixir MZ SKIN by Dr Maryam Zamani

Oliver Bonas SAND & SKY Mask £39.00

Rio Sonicleanse Pure Facial Cleansing and Exfoliating Brush £99.99

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Fitbit Flyers Headphones Harvey Norman £129.90

Fitbit Ionic Charcoal Harvey Norman £349.00

ESC SS18 Women’s Collection

Strike Sportsbra Every Second Counts GBP 65.00

Every Second Counts ESC SS18 men - running GBP 110.00 entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

HEALTHY ENERGY BOOSTERS FOR BUSY ENTREPRENEURS

By Dominica Rozsko Helath expert and founder www.vegerasta.com

Marketing campaigns inform us that we need extra energy for just about all aspects of life – for our working day, going to the gym, and even for social events on our days off. Indeed, it is a miracle that we managed to exist before energy drinks and coffee chains became the norm!

The Healthy Replacements Luckily, once we look beyond the marketing hype, there are a number of healthy alternatives that can increase energy without encouraging an addiction cycle.

Like most business people, the need for a caffeine boost used to be a regular part of my daily routine – an early morning and mid-afternoon coffee were essential to keep my energy levels high... or so I thought.

Licorice is known as ‘the universal herb’ and has many beneficial attributes. Most importantly, for anyone suffering from low energy levels, licorice works to restore adrenal glands which have been worn out by too much stress. In addition, it is also an anti-stress mood booster, and can stabilise blood sugar levels so you don’t experience an ‘energy crash’ in the late afternoon.

Ginkgo Biloba is very popular in Chinese medicine for its ability to increase blood-flow to the brain – improving both concentration and memory-retention naturally. It can also enhance energy levels generally, and stimulates the circulatory system which helps with fatigue.

An important point to note is that Ginkgo has the ability to raise blood pressure if taken in large quantities over time, so it is best to avoid if you have high blood pressure.

Amazing Adaptogens

Popular Energy Boosters Look at the ingredient list for the main brands of energy drinks.

Caffeine and sugar are likely to be included on many of them, and unfortunately, when consumed in excess they both have detrimental health effects. Caffeine can limit iron absorption from food by up to 50%, which could have serious implications for those individuals who already have low or borderline iron stores. It is especially worrying for females who exercise regularly – an energy drink full of caffeine is likely to harm rather than help athletic performance.

Adaptogens are a unique group of herbs that help to balance and restore nutrients within the human body. They contain an abundance of essential minerals and vitamins that we need to thrive, and help us to become less reliant on energy boosters. Medicinal mushrooms are a great example of this. Modern diets generally lack the required amounts of B vitamins, which are crucial for energy production.

Medicinal mushrooms like Reishi are full of B vitamins - they contain B2, B5, and B6 (An added bonus of consuming medicinal mushrooms is that they also assist in the balancing of hormones, creating less stress in the body.)

I regularly add Reishi to my smoothies and vegan hot chocolate. It is non-toxic and in doing so I can restore my body to its natural state, enabling all organs to function normally.

Adrenal fatigue is another concern. The highs and lows that caffeine produces eventually wears out our adrenal system, making us suffer from tiredness that only encourages us to consume more coffee or energy supplements. It is a vicious cycle that is easy to become trapped in.

Rhodiola is another natural compound that is a great defender of the immune system, and protects general health and well- being to a massive degree – its anti- stress and fatigue-fighting properties make it one of the most popular adaptogens.

In many ways, it is ideal for entrepreneurs and those in stressful jobs, as it can boost blood supply to the brain, helping with mental clarity and focus.

High levels of sugar in energy beverages are also worrying. Many brands commonly contain more than 10 teaspoons of sugar in a single can, meaning that people who drink them on a regular basis will be creating a sugar-spike roller-coaster that will send blood glucose levels soaring.

One of the many incredible characteristics of Rhodiola is that it encourages the body to burn stored fat as fuel.

It contains an active compound called Rosavin that has been proven to trigger a fat burning response in the body. 

High blood glucose is associated with diabetes, obesity, and kidney damage.

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TEALS & GREENS Items from John Lewis

Elegant and decadent, these jewel tones add a real sense of glamour and drama.

Indigo and malachite velvets work wonderfully with gold highlights, vintage wallcoverings and paints, and combine to give a modern accent to stately home chic.

Furniture Village Blue Morpho Didus Wall Art £129.00

John Lewis Croft Collection Sorrel Reactive Stoneware Jug £25, Turquise pitcher £38, Glass Tumbler, £6

Amara Hibernica Collection Jungle Vinyl Floor Mat £95.00

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John Lewis Mini moderns Pluto wallpaper Lido & Copper 55 per roll, Georg jensen Cafu Vase Blue £80

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