Entrepreneur & Investor - Issue 8

Creating and Living the Life You Desire

SUMMER IN THE CITY

INVESTING IN ART & ANTIQUES THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS GOING GLOBAL LUXURY TRAVEL, CARS, YACHTS, DINING & MORE

Issue 8 | £4.95 www.entrepreneurandinvestor.com

A BRAVE NEW DAWN

HOW TO START A WINE BUSINESS

CROWD FUNDING l SECURING INVESTMENT l PITCHING

T HE V12 VA N TAG E S EXTREME SPORTS

POWER:

ACCELERATION:

SPEED:

565BHP

0-60MPH IN 3.7 SECONDS

205MPH

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S urban 12.6 (22.5); extra-urban 27.7 (10.2); combined 19.2 (14.7). CO2 emissions 343 g/km. The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing and they are for comparability purposes only.

WWW. ASTONMARTI N.COM/EXTREME

Swiss movement, English heart

C9 H A RR ISO N BIG DAY- DATE AU TOM ATI C

Made in Switzerland / Modified ETA 2836-2 automatic movement with Big Day-Date complication by Johannes Jahnke / 38 hour power reserve / 43mm, Hand-polished, 316L stainless steel case / Anti-reflective sapphire crystal / Exhibition case-back / Italian leather strap with Bader deployment

EDITOR’S LETTER

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lisa Curtiss editor@entrepreneurandinvestor.com

ART DIRECTOR AND CHIEF DESIGNER Adam Woodgate aw@adamwoodgate.co.uk

STAFF WRITERS Emma Ridley Gemma Jones Gayle Penny Jason Penny

DEAR READER, Welcome!

This year has certainly been an eventful one so far, for both good and not so positive reasons. The feedback we receive demonstrates whatever the political climate and unrest, the spirit of entrepreneurship is still very much alive, with more and more of us taking the bold step to start our own businesses and live life on our own terms. Thankfully, there are an everincreasing array of opportunities to gain investment too.

editorial@entrepreneurandinvestor.com

DESIGNERS Justin Earle Rebecca Libby design@entrepreneurandinvestor.com

This issue of our magazine reflects this and is crammed full of advice features on setting up and being successful in a host of exciting industries.

And also top tips and case studies on expanding businesses overseas and building your investment portfolios, including articles on how to invest in art, antiques, property and diamonds and of course about the psychology of success and leadership – about being the best you can professionally be.

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP

As always you’ll find an inspirational luxury lifestyle section to tempt and motivate you – featuring our experts’ favourites in travel, dining out, cars, yachts and more. Do look out too for our new website and magazine Fortune & Lifestyle, launching in September this year. This will showcase the best in all things luxury and also feature extra content on buying investment classic cars, jewellery, art and antiques.

adam.ican@btinternet.com

Wishing you all a productive and successful summer Very best wishes from myself and the E&I team.

LISA 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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sales@entrepreneurandinvestor.com

DISTRIBUTION Adam Long SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@entrepreneurandinvestor.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Andrew Clough, Andy Phillips, Chloé Nelkin, Claire Kelly, Colette Ballou, Cynthia Corbett, David Cliff, Dessy Ohanians, Evdokia Pitsillidou, Herbie Dayal , Ilana Brandwain, Jerry Brand, Joel Hughes, Lars Kroijer, Laurent Noël , Lujaina Kharusi, Mark Borgman, Mike Lewis, Nandik Barbhaiya, Paolo Zanelli, Paul Haydock, Paul Nulty, Phil Beadle, Phil Mitchell, Phillip Adcock, Rachel McGrath, Raj Dhonota, Rebecca Gordon, Reuben Singh, Rich Williams, Stephen Frost, Tal Orly

Published by Fortuana Limited

CONTENTS 22

24

36

62

72

80

102

114

ENTREPRENEUR 12. How to Get Noticed with a Digital Start-Up 14. Starting a Successful PR Agency 16. How to Start a Successful Consultancy 18. How to Break into the Travel Market 20. Thinking About Breaking into The Wine Industry?

22. How to Start an Ethical Activewear Brand 24. Perfect Time to Start a Watch Business 26. How To Set Up and Run a Successful Record Label 28. How I Made It 30. How to Define Your Company Vision and use it to Create

Your Success 32. The Rise of ‘Mumpreneurs’ Founding Successful Online Businesses 34. Innovative Crowdfunding Business Launches Added

Incentive for Investors 35. Crowdfunding: Why the Size of Your Business Doesn’t Matter 36. Bank Finance vs Investment 38. Top Tips For Winning Angel Investment 40. Are You’re an Intrepreneur, Entrepreneur or Child Prodigy?

42. Home Workers Are More Productive Than Those in the Workplace 44. Top Resolutions for Traders 46. 5 Top Tips on How to Build Successful Teams in Your Business 48. Is It Time for Small Businesses to Cheque Out? 50. The Rise of Millennial Entrepreneurs 52. How to Grow and Protect Brand Reputation 53. Digital Marketing and Social Media – Focus and Succeed 54. How to Build a Meritocracy 56. How to Overcome Your Own Complacency 58. How to Build a Strong Business Mind 60. Importance of Activating the Off Switch 61. Key Causes of Disharmony in Businesses Today

INVESTOR 62. Rise of Millennials Investing in Diamonds 64. Why This is the Year to Invest in Gold 66. Investing in Antique Silver 69. Pre-Prod 575MM Ferrari and 1926 Bugatti Type 37 in Coys

Summer Auctions 70. How to Rev Up Your Returns 72. How to Get Started in the World of Collectable Investment 74. Investing in Wine 76. 8 Tips on Buying Antiques Online 78. Top Tips for Investing in Jewellery 80. How to Invest in Art 84. How to Buy, Collect and Invest in Art 86. The Fine Art of Investment 88. Top Tips for Becoming an Angel Investor 90. How to Invest Once Accepting You Probably Can’t Out

Perform the Market 92. Boston’s Luxury Property Boom 94. Brexit: Investing in Property is Still a Good Bet 96. The Dos and Don’ts of Property Management 98. Holiday Lodge Investments FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE 100. Room with a View 102. Aguas De Ibiza Lifestyle & Spa 103. Dukes Dubai Opens 104. Park Hyatt Mallorca 105. Travel in Style 106. Spa Time 110. Award-Winning Chef Anna Haugh Turns up the Heat in the

BBR Kitchen 111. Hush: Mayfair’s Best Kept Culinary Secret 112. Jaguar XJ R-Sport 114. Super Stylish Volvo S90 116. Alfa Romeo Giulietta 117. Seat Leon 118. Jeep Renegade 119. DS-5 120. Caterham 270 R 121. New Look Fairline Squadron 65 Revealed 122. The New Manhattan 66 123. Sunseeker’s 95 Yacht 124. Summer Scents 125. Looking Your Very Best this Summer 126. A Sparkling Summer

ENTREPRENEUR

HOW TO GET NOTICED WITH A DIGITAL START-UP The internet is the single greatest leveller since the Stone Age. Or is it? On the face of it the 21st century has seen tiny start-ups housed in damp garages sweep the globe with their growth, innovation and, in due course, dominance. Yet the digital land grab – like the great American land runs of the 19th century – have ultimately morphed into a first-come, first-served world.

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ENTREPRENEUR

Now search engines are the new gate keepers and audiences exist in vast social swarms. So how can a start-up get the kind of traction needed to make even the tiniest dent?

JUST DO IT Where the digital economy really is a great leveller is in the resources needed to just get out there.

Before the internet, if you wanted to launch a new publication or business, you needed deep pockets and serious infrastructure. Nowadays, anyone can simply throw up a blog, launch a new site or fling themselves into the YouTube generation.

No matter what form your digital start-up may take, the first rule is simple: get it live.

Iteration is part of the nature of the web, so don’t overthink it and just do it. We launched the first version of TripHistoric with just £3,000 and a wing and a prayer. It wasn’t perfect, it didn’t cover everything we’d have done in a perfect world, but it was live, it was fit for purpose and it allowed us to start conversations.

Today, the industry tagline for this process is launching a ‘Minimum Viable Product’ or MVP. And while another digital acronym may be about as welcome as an out-of-service train thundering past an overpacked platform, it’s nevertheless exactly what you should aim for. What’s the simplest version of your product you can take to market? That’s the question to ask yourself. Everything else can take a back seat.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO TALK TO THE BIG BOYS When it comes to making an impact, you mustn’t be afraid to talk to the biggest brands. You don’t need to be a well-established company with an army of staff to get noticed. If you’re offering something unique with a quality product then there’s no harm in reaching out to the biggest companies in the world – the worst they can do is say no.

One of our biggest successes was connecting with people at Google and having the opportunity to showcase our products to them. Through good research and polite follow ups, we were able to talk to teams such as the Google Cultural Institute, and worked with them on a number of their flagship projects.

The key is to have faith that what you’re undertaking is worth shouting about – have confidence in the concept. Don’t approach anyone and everyone, but if you feel your product is relevant to the work of even the biggest tech companies then it’s worth reaching out. The top executives of global tech giants are often among the most approachable, conscientious and enthusiastic people out there. If they like your ideas, chances are they’ll be happy to help.

CAPITALISE ON TRACTION Traction comes in all shapes and sizes. For a digital start-up, it can take the form of user numbers, search impact or even positive PR coverage. But

IF YOUR CUSTOMER ACQUISITION STRATEGY RELIES ON THE WORDS ‘GOING VIRAL’ THEN YOU CAN PACK UP AND LEAVE RIGHT NOW when it happens, whatever form it takes, it’s vital to seize on this success and use it to take the next step. When it comes to the digital economy, the ecosystem morphs so swiftly that if you stand still for too long you’ll miss out. Just look at the tale of Friends Reunited, who took too long to wake up to the true potential of their early success and ended up being unceremoniously obliterated by Facebook.

So, when you gain those early wins, take the story of success to investors and – if appropriate for your business model – then don’t be afraid to raise funding. This is never more key than when operating in a fast-moving competitive space. If you can’t scale swiftly, then you may be drowned out – just look what Airbnb did to HouseTrip.

Giving yourself the resources to take the next step is crucial to ensuring you don’t lose momentum – and if you lose momentum, things can go stagnant very swiftly.

BUILD THE RIGHT TEAM Raising money can bring huge benefits when it comes to the practical things – paying people, keeping the lights on etc. But if you raise money from the right people, then you can exponentially increase the benefits. Don’t just ask whether the investor has the money, ask whether they love the product and share your vision.

During our initial seed round, we talked to a host of different people and organisations, but ultimately the team we brought on board were those individuals who genuinely shared our vision and made sense to the overall proposition – like Dan Snow, the historian and TV presenter, who has spent half his life discovering fascinating historical places. Fundraising is naturally a period of transition for any tech start-up, if you can use that opportunity to also build the right team to take you forward, you’ll magnify that success.

TARGET THE RIGHT AUDIENCE You’ve got the money and you’ve got the team. But what about the audience?

Well this is where we came in – the internet is not the great leveller. You can’t build a start-up on a ‘build it and they will come’ philosophy. Many people have brought great products to market only to be puzzled when no-one uses them.

If your customer acquisition strategy relies on the words ‘going viral’ then you can pack up and leave right now.

And don’t be misled by the fact your start-up is digital. Just because you exist in the virtual world is no guarantee of success. Like any startup anywhere, you need to identify your target audience and engage them in a practical way. For without a cohesive, achievable plan to gain customers, you’re just another tech start-up on a trajectory to obscurity.  Mike Lewis, CEO and Founder Trip Historic.

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ENTREPRENEUR

STARTING A SUCCESSFUL PR AGENCY

Chloé Nelkin is the founder and director of the buzzing arts PR Agency ‘Chloé Nelkin Consulting’ in the heart of Soho.

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I

’ve always been a bit of a workaholic; I love being busy. At school I was always involved with various committees and societies. I began work experience aged 16 and initially secured placements at Tate and the Sir John Soane’s Museum and then went on to work with various organisations including Christie’s and English Heritage, where I returned year after year. I continued interning on and off over the next six years and, through this work, I gained valuable experience and made some great contacts and friends.

I studied history of art at The Courtauld Institute of Art graduating with undergraduate and Masters degrees. During my time there I chaired the East Wing Collection, a student-run biennial exhibition and it was through this that my PR skills rapidly developed and I began to get a flavour for the industry. I’d always known I wanted to work in art but the variety of my experience in different areas of the art world made me realise that PR excited me the most. I also knew I wanted to be my own boss and that it was the right time to give it a go. So, in

ENTREPRENEUR

March 2010 I founded my company, Chloé Nelkin Consulting, specialising in arts PR, consultancy, marketing and events.

In terms of resources I didn’t need much at the beginning – having chosen to use my own name for the company, I worked with a fantastic designer to come up with an instantly identifiable logo and colour – CNC’s strong pink is now very much our branding. Next my web designer was able to work the branding into our website. While I believe the key to a successful start -up is having confidence in your own abilities, it’s also important to respect the skill and expertise of others and these two designers remain crucial to me.

CNC now employs five members of staff at its Soho office, in the heart of the arts and media world but, at the beginning, all I needed was myself and my commitment. I don’t believe that start-ups need huge amounts of investment. Even today I don’t spend money on press cuttings services or press databases, I prefer to manage all this in-house and know exactly what service we’re getting and therefore what service we can provide.

which we get invitations to bigger tenders. Even though the business is now established, the power of networking and follow-up remain important tenets and I make detailed notes whenever I meet someone and always follow up.

From the company’s early days, I had faith in the way I worked and CNC’s clients now include art galleries and fairs, West End and Fringe theatre, the National Trust and other heritage organisations and well-known opera companies. What started at my kitchen table is now a highly respected PR firm in the arts.

I truly believe the reason CNC has grown is because I love my job, and that is one of the things that has made the business the success it is today.

I have an amazing team and every day in the office is fun. Whenever we’re hiring a new candidate it’s easy to be dazzled by the calibre of the applicants who approach us. But, for me, one of the key things is personality. We’re a small team and everyone needs to get on! I believe in having a friendly and encouraging leadership style; it’s important that everyone in my team feels comfortable with each

I LOVE MY JOB, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS MADE THE BUSINESS THE SUCCESS IT IS TODAY Initially, in common with many companies, our focus was on one specific genre, but I decided to spread our reach across the arts, both visual and performing, optimising a gap in the market. This enabled a number of benefits – clients were able to meet and collaborate with each other and, crucially, this reach means my team stay fresh and excited by the diversity of their projects.

Everyone in business knows the importance of finding your USP, especially in an over-saturated marketplace. I set CNC apart by insisting on a personal approach and every email the company sends out is personal. I founded the firm embracing old-fashioned values and, in this vein, CNC send thank you emails on the evening of their events to every member of the press who attends. We treat people with the same respect we all like to receive.

Everyone who works for me, prides themselves on honesty and good communication. And, in a demanding arts industry, rather than compromise the company’s ethos, we only work on projects we love. Our attention to detail and the fact we get to know all our clients personally means that we understand what they want.

The large majority of our business comes through word of mouth; our successes have led to a model of organic growth whereby good results equals repeat business and recommendations.

This has led to a growing reputation through

other and works in a happy atmosphere. I try to draw on people’s different skill-sets to give them confidence within their roles but I do require high work output and lots of organisation and efficiency.

I run a fun but tight ship. We often go out for drinks and outings as a group and always find reasons to celebrate – cake and champagne are quite often involved.

Whenever I speak to another business owner, expansion seems to be at the forefront of their mind. I strongly believe that it is very important not to over-stretch your business capacity or the team’s capacity. In my opinion, one of keys with a small-medium business is not to be greedy and to remember that loving what you do must be your priority. I don’t have set time markers for when I want the business to grow. I want it to grow when it’s ready, when the right big project comes in, when I feel we’re ready to make that step. For me, this isn’t something to set in stone in advance. Trusting my gut is a big thing for me; it’s something that’s taken me a while to accept but my first feeling is normally the right one and normally the one that works. It’s taken me a few years to really appreciate this but, as when I formed the company, it’s my confidence in my own abilities that has put CNC where it is today and I hope that my drive and skills will see us continue to grow and excel in future years. 

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ENTREPRENEUR

HOW TO START A SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANCY I’m an architectural lighting designer. A creative. What do I know about starting my own consultancy? That’s what I asked myself back in 2011 when I was in line for an equity share in the business where I was working, and had been for 11 years.

But I had a gut feeling that I couldn’t shake and kept saying to myself: I could do this differently, my industry needs some disruption, something fresh. I thought I knew just how to go about it, even though I had no savings, no projects, no business plan and no training on how to run a company.

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Roll on six years and I’m heading up – with the help of an amazing team – an award-winning lighting design consultancy (we’re now one of the UK’s largest) with an office in London and Dubai, and have recently launched a bespoke, handcrafted lighting business.

Here’s how we got started and what continues to help us thrive; some things we’ve learnt, and how we’re looking for opportunities, and realising the challenges, in today’s economic climate:

ENTREPRENEUR

RESEARCH You really need to understand your competition.

I analysed our competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. The former acted as a benchmark for everything from team structure to business and development. The latter presented the greatest market opportunities, informing our marketing strategy – this has been the foundation of our success.

TEAM Key and trusted people in the right positions – aiming for a common goal – are essential. Never be afraid to employ people better than you. My aim is to be the worst person at everything in my business.

I think the true measure of our success will be when we become a truly autonomous company.

You have to empower your team and provide a workplace that’s enjoyable and comfortable. If people are happy at work they become emotionally invested. If they’re emotionally invested, they care and provide exceptional customer service.

One steep learning curve has been HR. No one ever took me aside and said this is how to blend different skillsets and personalities, react

If, to start with, budget doesn’t permit, learn quick and do it yourself (I did). You’ll be able to focus your message and then shout about it. If you don’t take pride in what you’re doing, you can’t expect others to take an interest.

FIGURES AND THE FUTURE You need a very good financial strategy and dashboard, and even more so in the current economic environment. Understanding the ratio between turnover, profitability and overheads means you can better understand when and how to grow your team.

We started as the economy was climbing out of recession (but still in it). Clients were looking for the best value, and being a new, lean and keen practice, with experienced leadership, afforded us that position – we were able to grow with the expanding economy. Early on, I was also brave enough to say ‘yes’ to projects and then worry about how we’d support them after. That pipeline of work and great visibility from our financial dashboard has been the driver behind our well-considered growth.

Brexit may mean many things, but it’s important to try and focus on the opportunities. The weak

WE’VE CULTIVATED A CHARISMATIC APPROACH TO THE WAY WE DO THINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT PERSONALITY PERMEATES EVERY PART OF OUR BUSINESS CULTURE to individuals’ needs (big or small) and see how different people are motivated in different ways.

If you’re building a team, I recommend reading up on intrinsic and extrinsic motivators – it’s key to retaining a focused and loyal support network.

BUILDING AND MAINTAINING TRUST As a design consultancy we effectively sell our team’s time, so put a huge emphasis on building and maintaining relationships. If people don’t like you, they won’t work with you – no matter how good you are.

We’ve cultivated a charismatic approach to the way we do things and make sure that personality permeates every part of our business culture. Every client touch point is considered and reflects our values and the way we wish to present ourselves.

This stands you in good stead when developing new relationships via networking and recommendation.

Inevitably though things go wrong and the measure of being an excellent business is based upon how you react to difficult and dynamic situations.

MARKETING, PR AND BRANDING All three have allowed us to consolidate our core values and understand the message we want to promote to clients, competitors and the wider world.

You have to work ON the business as much as IN the business.

pound is a positive in winning more overseas work – we’re able to offer great British design and expertise at a discount. But, on the flip side, there’s more competition to win the increasingly limited number of projects coming in, and to be more competitive on fees.

For UK-based projects, cost cutting is on the agenda so you need to combat this by educating and securing your position in your industry. We’re fighting for our designs whilst remaining flexible and proactive in value engineering our work where necessary.

Like most businesses, we’re streamlining things, better identifying and managing our risks, looking at efficiencies and how to lose any ‘fat’ we’ve gained over the years. I don’t see it as a bad thing – it’s provided opportunities to re-visit who we are and what our proposition is.

Nulty is a nimble yet mighty architectural lighting design practice, with a healthy selection of awards and a diverse roster of clients across the commercial, hospitality, residential and retail sectors. Its emphasis is on creating innovative, sustainable and energy-efficient lighting schemes that aim to delight, excite and inspire those who use them.  Paul Nulty, Founder of Nulty. www.nultylighting.co.uk

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ENTREPRENEUR

HOW TO BREAK INTO THE

TRAVEL MARKET

THE $40 BILLION ADVENTURE MARKET As an economist, I know that travel is one of the most competitive markets there is. But the changing technological, economic and cultural landscape means it also offers unrivalled opportunity too. I’ve watched with rapt fascination as smartphones have changed the travel industry with the emergence of disruptors like Airbnb, and in other marketplaces too. And I’ve tracked the arrival of what were always very niche segments such as adventure travel onto the main stage. In Europe alone, the tours and activities market is worth over 40 billion, nearly half that of hotel reservations. Whilst the numbers of travellers booking adventures through their smartphone has increased exponentially by over 1700% from 2011 to 2015. Envago is an app for the 21st century; it’s for travellers who want to make their travel plans from their smartphone whilst on their lunch break, it’s for the millennial traveller who wants to experience the unique and authentic when they travel and it’s for small, independent adventure planners who want to make money from their passion for adventure.

TAPPING INTO 21ST CENTURY ADVENTUROUS TRAVEL For me, Envago is about allowing people to make better choices, giving them access to many, readily available options that previously would have been 18

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nigh on impossible for them to find and book. This is opening up the world of adventure in a way that resonates with what the modern traveller wants.

They are looking for authentic travel experiences, off the beaten track adventures and exhilaration when they travel. And they are willing to pay for them, with research stating that travellers will spend more on tours and experiences than on shopping, nightlife and souvenirs combined. In fact, after ‘sun and sea’, ‘mountains and nature’ is the second most appealing vacation type. Through Envago app, they can book a 12 day survival experience in the Amazon where they learn the tools and techniques of jungle life, go paragliding in Pokhara, kayaking in Croatia, trek up Jebel Shams in Oman or myriad other exciting activities.

HOW WE BOOK IS CHANGING Unlike the days of old when booking travel involved copious amounts of brochures, nowadays we rely on first hand reviews with estimates that up to 95% of travellers rely on reviews before booking travel.

That time that would once have been spent poring over printed brochures is now spent poring over online reviews, up to seven before booking and up to twenty in the planning stages. It made enormous sense for us to incorporate reviews into the app, allowing travellers to peruse adventures, compare and read reviews before booking.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENVAGO HAS BEEN A LABOUR OF LOVE AND THAT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE ENTHUSIASM I HAVE FOR TRAVEL

IT’S EITHER IN YOUR BLOOD OR IT ISN’T From the initial research to the development of the very first iOS version of the app to the subsequent android versions, building the website, bringing adventure planners on board, creating the systems, Envago has been a labour of love and that wouldn’t have been possible without the enthusiasm I have for travel. From a young age, living in the UK and later in Oman we always travelled and it’s something I’m still passionate to do with my own four children.

Whether it’s camping in the desert in Oman or trekking up glaciers in Iceland, I want to encourage my children to experience the world, and this is something that will resonate with many parents.

CONSIDER LONGER TERM TRENDS In our research another key trend that dominated is that of ‘voluntourism’ with 1.6 million Brits heading abroad to volunteer each year, whether that’s for a solus volunteering experience or combining a holiday with time volunteering. We designed Envago to include adventures across a range of themes, including volunteering. We have opportunities to work in the community in Nepal or help to save the endangered green turtles in Lang Tengah Island off Malaysia, and these are the type of adventures that will appeal to not only millennials but Gen Zs with their desire to change the world.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ENVAGO? More adventures, more planners, more choice. Our challenge perhaps is the scale, with adventures offered around the world and multiple markets. Our focus right now is the Middle East as we build our portfolio of adventures in Oman and beyond.

HOW ENVAGO WORKS: Adventurers can search by category of adventure (Air, Earth, Water, Rock & Ice or Volunteer), listed activties or by map. Adventure Planners can become verified within the app, then create a profile, events and adventures for people to buy. Activities range from thrills like trekking to the ‘lost world’ in Venezuela, adventures like staying in an Aurora dome to see the northern lights to ‘voluntourism’community based activities like volunteering projects in Nepal. Find out more at www.envagoapp. com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Download for free at iTunes or on google play for android.  Lujaina Kharusi, founder of adventure travel app Envago www.envagoapp.com

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ENTREPRENEUR

THINKING ABOUT BREAKING INTO THE WINE INDUSTRY? HERE’S HOW…

Pulp’s CEO and in-house sommelier Paolo Zanelli shared an insight with us about the company’s beginnings, current challenges and top tips for others thinking about breaking into the wine industry.

I

was born and raised in the Italian countryside surrounded by vineyards, so a passion for wine was instilled in me very early on. At first wine was just a hobby, but my passion was eventually transformed into a business plan when I saw a gap in the market. Wine consumers are bewildered by too much choice and scattered, confusing information on how to choose wine on one end of the scale. On the other, you’ll find small wine producers who are struggling to bring across the quality of their product directly to the consumers while breaking even on it.

The wine industry is one of the most fragmented and diversely supplied industries in the world, where having a list of over 700 different products in one wine shop is not uncommon. So, from a customer perspective, wine is a classic example of the paradox of too much choice.

Choosing it makes a lot people uncomfortable. Many feel vulnerable to being cheated with expensive wine not worthy of the hefty price tag – and this is sometimes, unfortunately, what’s happening.

When it comes to wine producers, it’s the recognised brands with big marketing budgets that end up dominating the industry. They stay in front of everyday customers all the time. This creates nothing short of a blood bath for small producers that don’t have the big bucks to spend on marketing.

They find themselves fighting a price war with much bigger players, despite the fact that the quality of their product may be much higher. Hence the small producers’ need and desire to decommoditise their wines – i.e. have a direct, more personal channel with which to present their wines to everyday consumers and winning them over by making their quality levels apparent. New technologies and sales channels are starting to make this possible.

The idea of Pulp came from filling this gap: give consumers knowledge to crack the snobbish, ‘smoke

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and mirrors’ wine world and be able to speak to and hear from wine producers directly; and at the same time give small producers a chance to speak directly to customers, in a language they understand.

Pulp combines wine with technology. On a monthly basis, we ship wine boxes with four 375ml wines, sourced directly from producers, to our customers, together with simple and straightforward online lessons, to give them the right tools to understand and appreciate wine.

THE JOURNEY I set up Pulp in 2016 after having worked in banking and investments in London for 8 years. Although it may seem like an unusual starting point, my finance career provided me with the skillset that I needed to step up as a manager. Last year, I decided to finally put this skillset to work on a project that I had been nurturing in my mind for a while and was truly passionate about.

Initially, I was alone developing the boxes and online lessons. After a few months four amazing, passionate people joined me in my adventure. They saw Pulp’s potential to shake up the wine industry and quickly became valued members of our small team.

The product was tested with two rounds of beta versions, where we had two groups of early adopters trying it out and giving us direct customer advice.

Pulp took part in incubator (Founder Institute) and accelerator (MassChallenge) programmes.

To qualify, we were selected out of thousands of applicants for each one. Initially self-funded, we’ve now concluded our first seed round with £100k in pledged investments and we’re now getting ready for an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign launching at the end of June.. Interestingly, a few of our investors bought into the investment having experienced the project first hand as beta testers. 

ENTREPRENEUR

5 TOP TIPS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE 1ST YEAR OF A STARTUP JOURNEY

Setting up startup and running it throughout the 1st year can be a daunting task. So, I’ve prepared a few tips from my personal experience that could be useful to those hoping to embark upon a similar journey.

1. NURTURE YOUR TEAM Always remember that your team is made of people and you have to nurture the relationship with them, according to their different character types. A startup is a complex being and every team member needs to be placed in the right position to shine and contribute their best.

2. INSPIRE PEOPLE AROUND YOU A good friend of mine once told me that leading a company isn’t just giving orders but, more importantly, giving their team a reason to keep pushing and do the right things. They need to be inspired all the time, especially when they may be struggling to deliver.

3. DIVERSITY It’s much easier to find a very cohesive group of people with similar backgrounds. They’ll likely get along better and appear to act as a more cohesive whole. Unfortunately, they’ll all be likely to push in one single direction and little challenge will be brought to the mainstream approach they may share. This is a potential road to disaster as you’re relying on the luck of getting things right from the get go. With a group of like minded people, if things are going the wrong way, you will be much less likely to recognize the need to pivot and you risk getting stuck on a dangerous path to disaster.

4. DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR PRODUCT SERVICE As a startup, you have to critically reassess your product after each round of feedback from customers. Customers will dictate your success so they should be the centre of your attention and care, not the product.

5. NEVER GIVE UP Things can go wrong and, when trying to innovate, they invariably do at some point. Keep trying and be confident about your ability to succeed.

Pulp Wine is a new wine subscription company that combines wine and technology to make wine tasting accessible to people in the comfort of their homes – or indeed everywhere. Every month, they send a box with two sets of wines to compare and discover; and each set has two half bottles so that our customers can try them together at the same time. To aid learning, they have created an online learning and rating tool to allow them to learn about wine and build their personalised wine profile. Ultimately, Pulp’s aim is to demystify and “desnobify” wine – they’re all in for a no-nonsense approach. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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HOW TO START AN ETHICAL ACTIVEWEAR BRAND We caught up with Daniel Puddick, CEO of exciting and ethical activewear brand Sundried to learn about his journey, commitment to operating responsibly, and what advice he would offer others considering breaking into this fast-moving industry.

I left my first business The Sunglasses Shop when it had successfully become Europe’s largest online sunglasses trader, knowing that it’s successor had to be something special. Entering the business this time as a father, I knew that my next business had to be personal, with strong ethical values. As a triathlete balances training and my work/family life, what I really wanted was sophisticated high quality activewear, made in a way that would protect the planet for my children and so taking inspiration from my favourite sport and athletes, Sundried was born.

It didn’t happen overnight, but after 4 years in the making I formally started Sundried in November 2015. I put together a team of designers, production specialists and brand creators at the top of their game, with excellent experience in premium activewear. I challenged them to deliver a stylish and superbly functional collection, which was ethical through and through.

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Flash forward to where we are now and our pilot collection is live, we have a team of dedicated staff, sponsored triathletes and Personal Trainer ambassadors.

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED SO FAR? One of the biggest challenges we faced was keeping our production ethically responsible, however we sourced all our fabrics from Portugal, where our staff are respected and paid fair wages.

THINGS YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN? Never leave your trolley unattended at trade shows, or it will disappear like magic. Haha!

HOW DID YOU ACHIEVE FUNDING? We are partially funded by the Low Carbon Innovation Fund, who meticulously checked our production was in line with their strict guidelines

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before making their investment. We are now crowdfunding with CrowdCube to raise the capital to start production of our 2017 collection.

HOW ARE YOU PROMOTING YOUR COMPANY’S SERVICES/PRODUCTS? We have a great team of ambassadors, including personal trainers and leading triathletes. We regularly attend trade shows and sponsor local triathlon and running events, such as the Maldon Triathlon and Southend Half marathon.

AWARDS /RECOGNITIONS GAINED? At Sunglasses Shop we won our fair share of eCommerce awards. Prior to that I won a Student Web Award from the Times. For Sundried, it is too early to win awards, but we’re working hard and I’m proud of where we are so far.

WHY DID YOU START YOUR FIRST VENTURE ?

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR IT? My first venture was a web design company called Scratch New Media. While at Central St Martins in my first year I really wanted some professional work experience. I wrote to about 50 agencies and the response was the same. Come back with your degree. So I used my student loan to buy a

computer with the goal to pay for it before leaving university. That year I picked up several clients and paid for the computer. When I finished my degree I sold my company before starting an eCommerce company that lead on to develop Sunglasses Shop.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR SO FAR… Essex Uncovered was an interesting site and print magazine. We had club photographers and created a website with over 40,000 members. Before the days of FaceBook. I almost sold it to Newsquest, but in the end the site faded away as eCommerce took over my life.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR? Sundried are currently raising the funds on Crowdcube for our developing 2017 collections. We also have the Brighton and Hove Triathlon to attend as well as other sporting events.

WHAT ARE YOUR LONG TERM PLANS? I want Sundried to be known as an activewear brand with impeccable ethical credentials, with a handful of stores and then global expansion. 

TOP 5 TIPS IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT SETTING UP AN ACTIVEWEAR BRAND SECTOR ECOMMERCE UNLESS YOUR MODEL IS BUILT AROUND IT, DON’T OVERSPEND ON TECH My last business we spent £40k+ p.a. On hosting.

Now you can get industry leading platforms for a few thousand a year. You may have to compromise on a few bits but if you develop your own system, you will always have to compromise.

KEEP THINGS LEAN Unless you have unlimited cash (very unlikely) then use friends, family, personal contacts to develop your logo, designs, photos. Of course they need to look professional.

APPS In the early stages of business you may get overwhelmed from cloud based solutions that promise to improve conversion. Things can really get out of control. There is an app for everything and each service will demand a small percentage and

convince you they are essential to your business.

Unless it is something you personally need and go out looking for, the chances are you can survive without it.

REPORTING Data and metrics are wonderful. But, they are only wonderful if you have the time to look at the data and the resources to implement the changes. It is pointless paying for the data or an analyst if you don’t have the capital to use the data to change your system.

GOOGLE WEBMASTER GUIDELINES My background in eCommerce has grown up with Google. Their webmaster guidelines are free. In fairly plain English. The cheats and tricks to boost and promote your website may give you a quick win, but typically you will get caught out if you try and artificially boost your website’s ranking. Stick to the rule book and be prepared for a slow journey to the top.

www.sundried.com entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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PERFECT TIME TO START A WATCH BUSINESS In an age of weekly smart watch launches it’s all too easy to write off the traditional watch – especially those priced in the industry’s awkward middle ground (between a few hundred and sub one thousand pounds) but that’s exactly what Elliot Brown set out to do three and a half years ago.

There’s nothing like starting a business with the odds stacked against you, says Ian Elliot, Co-Founder of Elliot Brown watches.

Alex Brown and I met at extreme sports brand Animal where Alex was the in-house horologist and I was Co-Founder. We learnt just about every cause of watch failure due to the extreme situations our customers and watches endured, resulting in a pool of totally unique watch-building expertise.

We met for a coffee one day and had one of “those” moments where we imagined how durable a watch could be if we started with a blank sheet. We spent two and half years working nights, obsessing over every single detail, no corner cutting, no focus groups, just a single-minded mission to build the most beautiful, most durable watches at an affordable price.”

We ditched our comfort blankets and opened the doors to Elliot Brown in March 2013, exhibiting our first collection at the London Watch show. We felt like a couple of country bumpkins and were extremely nervous as to how our offering would stack up. As it turns out it went down rather well and we picked up an industry award.

According to Alex creating a range of watches with unique features and character is almost the easy bit. Finding the right audience for them is where the real hard work and dedication eventually pays dividends.

We took a long term view that if we stick resolutely to the mission of building the best every day watch money can buy, creating the right partnerships and collaborations with the right people and retailers and telling as many people as we know about our exploits, then we’ll have the most solid foundations for a brand and that it would find its own audience over time.

It would be easier to recruit a celebrity and make an instant brand story around them but that can be short term and somehow feels rather disingenuous.

Instead, we have supported grass roots adventurers 24

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and athletes on immense journeys such as rowing the Pacific, summiting remote peaks, enduring both poles and travelling around the world in a yacht race, as these people are the best advocates we could ever have.

As we are growing out of the start-up phase we continue to immerse ourselves in arduous events and respected people who need to rely on a watch in

THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF TELLING THE TIME BUT THERE IS A STRONG DESIRE TO OWN A WATCH OF A CERTAIN STATURE AND FUNCTION the harshest of conditions. That led us into a strong association with Mountain Rescue England & Wales with whom we make a special edition watch and donate £36 for each one sold. It’s also why we were approached by the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race to become their timing partner – spawning a limited edition watch worn by skippers on their circumnavigation. A watch even survived mounted to a boat for the entire 41,000 nautical mile, 11 month

circumnavigation. Putting our watches through such extremes helps us to learn and develop new innovations such as the protected, recessed crown on our new Tyneham automatic collection or it’s case hardened outer bezel that is virtually scratch proof.

Our activity naturally generates some incredible stories. Telling a wider audience through great PR and social media is a cornerstone that has resulted in us carving out a niche with customers and retailer numbers rapidly increasing as the appreciation for our watches reaches a broader, receptive audience.

You could liken what we’ve achieved to a recipe where all the ingredients need to have the right provenance, combined together in accurate quantities and cooked perfectly to taste amazing.

There are many ways of telling the time but there is a strong desire to own a watch of a certain stature and function and that’s all we do – create desirable time pieces with the kind of attention to detail normally only found on watches costing 10 times the price, with genuine hard-won credibility and honesty. So if you were to sum up our recipe ingredients they would be: • Best of both worlds watch functionality • Affordable price (but not cheap) • Fastidious engineering • Totally fit-for-purpose • Respected ambassadors and advocates • True stories of survival and endeavor • Relentless PR and social media activity • Cheeky advertising deals • Unwavering focus and dedication We are an island nation so we have a natural affinity with objects designed to thrive in harsh environments be they at altitude in the height of summer or crashing through freezing waves in the dead of winter.

For us it’s this kind of latent capability that gives a sense of pleasure in owning and wearing a watch.

Working 11,12,13 hour days doesn’t feel like hard work when it’s your business and if you were to ask us what we’d change if we had a second bite, the answer would genuinely be nothing at all – we’re loving every minute.”  www.elliotbrownwatches.com

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HOW TO SET UP AND RUN A SUCCESSFUL RECORD LABEL AS A BUSINESS Running a record label as a successful business is a dream venture for many budding music magnates.

The independent market is a fast-growing sector of the music industry, and there are now more musicians and entrepreneurs than ever before asking how to start a record label and achieve longterm success.

In recent years, leading global music distributor Ditto Music has provided a new way to establish an independent record label, giving even those with limited business experience the opportunity to pursue their label-owning ambitions.

It’s called is Record Label in a Box, and it’s the brainchild of two brothers – Ditto Music CEO and Founders Matt and Lee Parsons.

Record Label in a Box contains all the tools and services needed to set up and run an independent label in one easy-to-use package and has already helped to establish hundreds of new labels across the world.

Described by The Times as “a one-stop shop for musicians and budding record label moguls”, it offers all the tools and services required to start and run a record label, including official registration 26

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as a limited company with Companies House, pre-arranged business banking and your own web domain, as well as access to a range of contracts, a personalised management suite, a networking calendar and more.

While Record Label in a Box can give you a head-start in the music industry, it’s not a golden ticket to success. Running a prosperous indie label takes hard work, dedication and careful planning.

Here’s Ditto Music’s advice on how to set up and run a successful label as business using this innovative new option.

SET REALISTIC GOALS IN YOUR BUSINESS PLAN Writing a detailed, carefully-considered and realistic business plan is the best place to start when establishing your own indie label.

Your business plan gives you the opportunity to set goals, develop a clear path for the future of your label and, most importantly, address any issues early on before they become a problem further down the line. A compelling business plan is also a useful resource to demonstrate your potential value to prospective investors.

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As with any business plan, you’ll need to start with several key topics, including your executive summary, SWOT analysis, aims and how you’ll measure your progress. It’s also important to address the operations and management of your label, financial forecasts and contingency plan if things don’t work out as you’d originally hoped.

ESTABLISH A BRAND If you want music fans and industry bods to take your label and your artists seriously, you need to look and sound the part. Get all your artists tracks professionally recorded and hire an experience graphic designer to develop your logos and artwork.

Quick fixes and hack jobs will get you nowhere in the music industry.

An eye-catching and consistent brand for your label can also help garner attention. A website offers a place to showcase your signings, successes and events to fans, music journos and even possible investors.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CONTRACTS Creating legally-binding contracts and signing new artists can be complicated and expensive, especially if you need to hire a lawyer to draw them up for you. Necessary contracts range from Management Agreements, Artist Development and Sound Recording Licenses, to Synchronization Licenses, Merchandising Agreements and 360 Deals.

This is where Ditto Music’s Record Label in a Box offers an easy alternative. Record Label in a Box owners gain access to a helpful Contract Wizard, complete with a range of customizable templates and easy-to-follow advice on each contract’s unique purpose and implications.

SET UP DISTRIBUTION & LICENSING Royalty payments are an essential revenue stream for independent record labels, so setting up distribution to online stores, as well as licensing your artist’s songs, is vital.

You can release your artist’s music to iTunes, Spotify and other major stores through an independent distributor like Ditto Music. A year’s free distribution comes as standard with the higher tier Record Label in a Box packages.

It’s also important to register with a Performing Rights Organisation to collect any mechanical and performance royalties you’re owed if your artist’s music is played on the radio, performed or broadcast in a public space. Also, make sure to sign up with a reputable music publisher. They can help you land synchronisation deals for your music with visual media including TV shows, games and movies.

NETWORKING IS KEY Record Label in a Box may offer everything required to officially set up and efficiently run an independent record label, but in the end, it’s up to the individual owner to make their company a success.

Effective networking is a vital part of running a label. As a label owner, you’ll need to make influential contacts and forge connections with a range of music industry professionals, including promoters, venue owners, managers, musicians, tastemakers and more. These connections will help to spread the word about your artists, create buzz around your new releases and take your label venture to the next level.  As the music industry’s independent sector continues to grow, now is a great time for entrepreneurs with a passion for music to set up their own label. You can learn more about Record Label in a Box at www. dittomusic.com/record-label-in-a-box

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HOW I MADE IT SAMI BELBASE PRESIDENT OF ENCORE JETS

We caught up with talented young entrepreneur Sami Belbase, President of exciting new company Encore Jets which is setting the benchmark for top notch service and convenience, and gaining the reputation as the best private jet booking and full service private aviation company around.

HOW I MADE IT: Born from an immigrant family who started a life for me in the US, I was always driven for success through their values and the privilege of seeing the and experiencing the world. My father worked for the United Nations, so every few years we would move to another country and I would have to start from the beginning.

New friends, new schools, new cultures.

Some may see this as problematic, for me it opportunistic, and gave me the privilege of broadening my scope, and teaching me how to adapt – whether I was in the Savannah deserts of Southern Africa, or the poverty stricken streets of Nepal,

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where my family originates from. Nepal, being one of the poorest countries in the world reminds me and balances me with my roots as I work in one of the most luxury global markets of private aviation.

I grew up as a teenager mostly in New York City, the concrete jungle as they say. It’s truly the perfect environment for sharp, young, hungry entrepreneurs. At a younger age, I also was involved in the hospitality and nightlife scenes of NYC, where I created relationships and made connections – I was a socialite who knew everything, about everyone. It’s not who you know, it’s not what you know – it’s what you know ABOUT who you know.

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WE WILL ALWAYS KEEP THAT HUMAN TOUCH AS ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES I attended Brown and Bryant Universities for my bachelor in Global Marketing.

After University, the world was waiting for me.

I took my first job at Blue Star Jets, formerly the pioneer and largest private aviation brokerage.

There, I landed my first major business accounts, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do the next few years. Aviation was always a dreamy, exciting and profitable business in my mind, so it came naturally.

I then worked at a Google affiliated start up, to end my non-compete term from my previous employer. It was during that wait that I met my current partner Christopher Bannister, and us together launched our own private jet company through an angel investor. We were in business, literally overnight. Today we are the youngest executives in the industry, operating one of the fastest growing companies, Encore Jets.

Within weeks, we opened relationships and started flying notable celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, the Saudi Arabian royal family, and world famous DJ Mike Posner. I was able to get mentorship from successful entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, which taught me majority of what I understand in business today. Today, our focus has shifted to more corporate clients, with a diversified portfolio of services including on demand charter, aquisitions and sales, aircraft management and a global concierge. We are also currently developing a proprietary technology and will be entering series A round of investment at the end of 2017.

Known mostly private jet booking service, our competitive advantage is transparent and direct pricing, with the highest level of customer service possible. These two are the most inconsistent and lacking problems in the private jet world. Private jet flyers were seeking more, thus we came up with the brand name Encore. For our members, we don’t apply mark ups or broker fees to any charter. They receive pricing directs from thousands of private jet operators worldwide. My clients know me not only through the Encore Jets Brand, but through my intimate business relationships with them. When they think of Encore Jets, they think of me. I prioritize them at every hour of the day. For example, I set an alarm on my phone every hour when I sleep to check my email in. It is all about quick responses, a strong work ethic and focus. I have had clients tell me the most valuable thing they find in Encore Jets, or myself is my attention to detail and accessibility.

As we develop more technology to evolve this outdated marketplace, we will always keep that human touch as one of our core values. This together, offers clients the best of both worlds. It’s the Encore way.

TOP TIPS: • Find what motivates you and make it your fuel: For me, it’s my family and those all around the world who are less fortunate. My goal is to make a difference with the money and power I can acquire. Find your motivation, and let it fuel you every day.

• Be patient, stay focused: You don’t have to be a genius to be a successful entrepreneur. Just find what works, do it times ten, and keep a strong work ethic. Remember, what you do today is your future.

• Get a Mentor: Business is like a sports. If you wan’t to be a great basketball player, you find a coach. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, find yourself a relevant and useful mentor. I’m grateful to have mentors like sir Richard Branson, I owe everything to them.

• Disconnect: There’s two types of business entrepreneurs; those who start a business they are passionate about, such as restaurants, and those who start a business cause they are focused on the most profitable opportunity. I have a friend who started restaurants but struggles to become operationally profitable, then I have a friend who manufactures and sells steel to major Asian television manufacturers. Steel manufacturing and selling may be the stalest business one can imagine, but one friend is a multi millionaire and the other is broke. I’m sure you can guess which is which. Sometimes it’s important to disconnect with your passions, to first find a cash cow. Then maybe follow your dream business. Those who can harmonize both, are the happiest. I’m lucky to be one of those entrepreneurs. 

Encore Jets is a full service private aviation company proposing a combination of on-demand private jet charter, a full lifestyle concierge with global partners, and a membership program specializing in direct worldwide wholesale access for its exclusive members.

Instead of making money off the sale of a private flight, Encore Jets functions per an annual membership premium that inducts members into a lifestyle partnership, where preferred rates are transferred directly from the company to the client— cutting out the middleman; therefore, excluding the extra costs. This, in turn allows Encore Jets to offer charter pricing with no markups, no broker fees, and no hidden costs.

The $10,000 yearly membership premium not only covers on demand charters in real time and wholesale pricing, but also gives access to concierge, travel agents and complimentary flights, Encore Jets has the ability to track thousands of aircrafts, nationally and internationally, to not only guarantee the best price, but to see if they can match a flight at no cost, with the occurrence of an empty leg.

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HOW TO DEFINE YOUR COMPANY VISION AND USE IT TO CREATE YOUR SUCCESS Your company vision is what your business might be one day. A good vision sketches out a picture of where you might be, it doesn’t concern itself with the how. This is an important definition. It’s all too easy to discard the visioning process and whittle it all down to the word success with a set of figures alongside and get down to the all-important strategy of how to make it all happen. But this attitude and approach misses out the potent stage of focusing on the why and where.

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t’s important to set a time frame, where will you be in five or ten years’ time, and then talk about that in the present tense. ‘We are empowering optimum nutrition in millions of individuals by supplying superfoods to them’. Don’t use any over descriptive language that is too abstract, make it be a description that says what it does on the tin.

‘We supply 100% pure nutritionally rich superfoods to people and contribute significantly to their wellbeing both physically and mentally’. Don’t make this vision dry either, keep it real but keep it juicy, let it trigger emotion and passion. ‘We defeat the horrors of the food industry by selling delicious high energy foods to

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people at a price they can afford, therefore changing their entire life experience from lethargy to vitality’. But most importantly you need to really visualise this future reality and flesh out the picture and see the size of your business premises, the number of employees, the satisfied customers, the change in culture you are creating.

When we first started Indigo Herbs in 2005 we really wanted to make superfoods and prepared herbs such as herbal tea leaves, herbal powders and herbal tinctures available and affordable to all. We were using some of these products ourselves and we found them tricky to get hold of at a good price. It seemed like these natural health ingredients had become short in supply and were overpriced and rarefied. When we found suppliers we discovered that we could sell them at a realistic price and quantity and make them available to people like us.

This wasn’t just a sales plan we were passionate about people taking responsibility for their own health by becoming aware of the power of optimum nutrition and the effects of a plant based diet.

So not long after setting up the basics to trade on line and launching a small range of products simply packed by hand we decided it was necessary to sit down and craft our vision. We turned to what Saatchi & Saatchi call organising ideas and we used these questions to draw out our company vision.

A lack of vision can be the root cause of your organisations woes. Having a context of why the company exists and where it is going can inform so many of the activities henceforth and a lack of it can be the reason for the pain points that occur. It’s important to craft those organising ideas and write them down clearly and concisely and then of course make them available for all eyes to see. These ideas have the potential to inform the place your company might take up in the market, the unique selling point of your brand and your outgoing communications.

You could be a dentist who is technically brilliant, you could be a dentist that cares but are you the dentist that is on a mission to make all his patients leave his consultation room laughing and even singing! These organisational ideas are not just influential in communications and brand definition they also have a considerable amount of power in company culture, managerial styles and motivation. Singing from the same hymn sheet on the questions of why you are doing this and where you are going to, does wonders for company motivation, tenacity and determination.

At Indigo Herbs we have found that the vision we crafted some ten years ago remains strikingly true, it has guided us in hiring and firing and defined how we build our organisational structure.

We turned to it for our inspiration during our packaging redesign project in 2015, and by expressing more overtly the company vision on the pack we substantially increased sales and discovered that this unique story of ours was exactly what our customers wanted to connect with. We continue to share our vision at our bi-annual staff presentations in which we allow this vision and its impact on the world we influence, and most importantly the roles every company member plays in achieving this vision, to be the driving and uniting force. This has provided a guiding light for us over the years and given purpose and meaning to the hard graft that needs to be done to achieve our goals. It means everyone is navigating towards the same star, and there is a certain amount of cosmic design to that.

GETTING YOUR HEAD AROUND WHO YOUR COMPANY IS AND BEING ABLE TO CATCH HOLD OF THE SPIRIT BEHIND IT IS IMPORTANT WORK

• Dream … why do we exist?

• Spirit … who are we?

• Beliefs … what do we stand for?

• Character … what are our attributes?

• Greatest imaginable challenge What was really important was that we allowed ourselves to think big and channel our passion into crafting this vision.

Understanding why your company exists is mind expanding stuff, what really is your dream here – being an entrepreneur is an opportunity to allow your dream to fuel what you do. Dream big but express it in a real way. Getting your head around who your company is and being able to catch hold of the spirit behind it is important work. So what is the essence of your company endeavour? Feel it, breathe it, and catch hold of it. Knowing what you stand for in the world, what badge you are wearing is an opportunity to answer the big questions. When you are involved in the minutiae of decision making months or even years after setting this vision you will need to reflect on your core beliefs and have that yard stick to guide your decisions and know what opportunities are the right ones for you. You should try and understand the character of your business, who they would be if you met at a party and what attributes will still be true in five or ten years’ time? Then last but not least it is very important to allow yourself to pick the greatest imaginable challenge. You need to really believe in this. Indigo Herbs wants to see superfoods on every food retail store counter, featuring in all the prime positions and be as prevalent as Coca Cola.

Dream big but keep it real.

So what are your organising ideas?  Claire Kelly, Indigo Herbs.

Indigo Herbs supplies a broad range of Natural health ingredients including herbs, superfoods, wholefoods and natural botanicals. We are passionate about supporting people on their journey to optimum health and wellbeing. Sourcing the finest quality ingredients from around the globe since 2005 it is Indigo Herbs mission to make good quality, 100% pure, natural health ingredients available and affordable to all. Indigo Herbs also publishes a natural health guide, blog and recipe collection as we believe that empowerment is the key to optimum health and that begins with information and inspiration. www.indigo-herbs.co.uk entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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THE RISE OF ‘MUMPRENEURS’ FOUNDING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE BUSINESSES The number of self-employed women increased 50% from 2008 to 2016 according to “Women and the Economy”, a government briefing document released this year. ONS figures show the proportion of working mothers has increased steadily since the 1990s. Given these developments, attention has turned to how parents – particularly so-called “Mumpreneurs” – can run successful businesses from home whilst balancing family demands.

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nline marketplaces, such as Amazon Marketplace, allow Mumpreneurs one method of selling their products from home. On Amazon Marketplace, independent third party sellers operate through the Amazon website, benefitting from the millions of customers who use Amazon. Sellers can also take advantage of the various specialist Amazon Marketplace services available to sell both across the UK and abroad.

Helen Rolfe and Coco Groves are two mothers who founded their own businesses and sell on Amazon Marketplace. Both have taken advantage of the various services offered, including Fulfilment

by Amazon (FBA). FBA allows entrepreneurs to outsource the logistics of their business more cheaply than if they did it themselves, taking care of warehousing, payment processing, delivery returns and customer service, listing products across all of Amazon’s European sites from one account. This frees up entrepreneurs to concentrate on finding and developing new products and marketing them to potential customers.

Helen and Coco explain how they run successful businesses and balance family life by selling online.

HELEN ROLFE, FOUNDER OF LENTE DESIGNS, NOW EXPORTS 5% OF HER PRODUCTS TO THE US AS A RESULT OF HER EXPOSURE ON AMAZON MARKETPLACE “I’d been in the same field for 12 years, working long hours with little opportunity for personal creativity.

I felt it was time to search for a different way of life.

I wanted to build a new career that would allow me to do what I loved most: working with colours and fabrics.”

Lente Designs is a tablet covers and accessories company, based in Buckinghamshire. Helen is a mother-of-one, who wanted a better work-life 32

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balance while working in London. She decided to use her natural eye for patterns to venture into the start-up world.

Helen’s first piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to identify a gap in the market, and then to “start small. Don’t risk too much to start with”. She spotted a potential gap in the market for “a range of tasteful, more British” tablet cases to appeal to a female audience, when she herself was looking for a case for her new iPad. “I was very keen to minimise the risk associated with investing in a new venture, and selling on Amazon felt like a safer way of expanding and selling our products to a captive and ever increasing audience. It helped us check that we had a solid product that customers liked,” Helen comments.

Helen also recommends that small businesses looking to sell online try to: “learn from competitors as well as being secure in your own beliefs and brand. Also, don’t be afraid to talk. Sometimes as a small business owner you don’t want to admit you don’t know something but actually most people have learnt from mistakes so it pays to listen and ask for advice.”

Helen adds that as well as asking for advice on a one-off basis, it makes sense to consider outsourcing or setting up time-saving processes where appropriate; “when you are running a business you soon realise what is taking up most of your time and you look for a way to reduce that time, whether it’s an app for all your social media, software to manage your inventory, or arranging for deliveries to customers. As the business grows, these sorts of issues crop up and you have to respond!”

Ultimately, through a careful approach to entrepreneurship, Helen has been able to run a successful business while maximising time spent with her family and helping out at her son’s school.

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COCO’S ADVICE FOR OTHER PARENTS LOOKING TO SELL VIA AMAZON MARKETPLACE IS TO “GO FOR IT” DR. COCO GROVES, FOUNDER OF TOYS OF WOOD, OXFORD, CAN NOW SHIP HER PRODUCTS TO 26 EU COUNTRIES “I would not have set up this business without Fulfilment by Amazon. I have the perfect work-life balance. The FBA service gives me time, freedom and flexibility to enable me to have it all: lifestyle, family and business.”

Toys of Wood Oxford is an Oxford-based online wooden toy company, founded by Dr. Coco Groves when she grew tired of the hectic 9-5 working life and wanted to spend more time with her sons.

Since starting with a small investment of under £1,000, the business has grown year-on-year by 30% and has now expanded to Europe and the US. Coco sells her products exclusively on Amazon Marketplace.

Coco’s advice for other parents looking to sell via Amazon Marketplace is to “go for it”. She had initially been put off the idea of setting up a toy business, on the basis of how much time it seemed that could entail, and says, “My 18 month old son liked to play with wooden toys. I thought every child should have affordable wooden toys. However I didn’t want to open a shop or become a wholeseller because it would not only take my time away from my family but also would be a high set up cost. I thought of selling online but did not want the trouble of having to warehouse, pack the toys every day and so on.”

Having spotted her elder son selling his university books on Amazon, Coco decided to look into this option, and came across the FBA service: “I decided instantly that I was going to do the wooden toys business with Amazon FBA. Two weeks later I was in China checking suppliers”.

With Amazon looking after sales and fulfilment, Dr. Groves can focus on running a family-oriented business. Coco draws on her experience of working

with large corporations and focuses on design, product development, sourcing and customer service. Her husband, a Chartered Accountant, assists on the financial side, and her youngest son helps out as inspiration, models and (in addition to the usual CE toy safety standards and testing by international accredited labs), informal ‘testers’!

Coco advises that, “if you are worried about not knowing how to do it, you can start with selling used books, for example, to learn how easy it is to sell on Amazon. Amazon seller support is just a phone call away. They will guide you through step by step.

I learnt to do it with Amazon seller support, and, of course, by having the right products, with good quality and reliable suppliers.”

Coco also advocates a customer-first approach to drive sustainable success: “My mission is to provide the best quality products at competitive prices. All customers are guaranteed to have a great experience. I look at customer feedback before I check my sales figures.”

Coco concludes, “This is a dream business model for most mothers who want to spend more time with their children and family and at the same time feel fulfilled.” 

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INNOVATIVE CROWDFUNDING BUSINESS LAUNCHES ADDED INCENTIVE FOR INVESTORS

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tart-ups will always find a way of getting their business up and running, but finding investors isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. That’s why more and more fledgling businesses are turning to alternative financing to get a foot on the ladder, with crowdfunding becoming more popular than ever.

For investors themselves, crowdfunding represents a fascinating opportunity for those who are looking to back the projects they have an interest in or are passionate about.

Crowdfunding platform Crowd for Angels (CFA) is a flagbearer for entrepreneurs looking to find investment via “Crowd Bonds”. Crowd for Angels is an FCA regulated crowdfunding platform and its goal is to bring innovative and appealing products to investors and to provide funding for companies throughout their growth cycle.

While Crowd Bonds have proved an effective investment tool for many start-ups – many people are still unsure as to what exactly they are. Put simply, Crowd Bonds are debt securities, which allow investors to lend money to UK companies. They are secured against the borrowing company’s assets and provide a regular flow of income, which can help in financial planning. Because Crowd Bonds can be included within the new IF-ISA “wrapper”, investors can also look forward to tax free returns – the IF-ISA

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(Innovative Finance Individual Savings Account) is a new category of ISA, which launched in 2016.

As an added incentive, Crowd for Angels recently announced that a 2% Annual Equivalent Rate (AER) is to be calculated on any IF-ISA cash balances from the date of opening until 15th June 2017.The interest payment (which does not qualify for a tax-exempt status under ISA rules), will be paid into a client’s IF-ISA as a single payment within three working days of the June deadline.

The Crowd for Angels’ ISA is free to open, available online 24/7 and offers a choice of UK companies to lend to. It takes less than five minutes to open. Clients can invest part or all their ISA allowance into an IF-ISA each year and can also transfer in any existing ISA funds from previous years.  Crowd for Angels CEO, Tony De Nazareth, comments: “With interest rates on Cash ISAs currently at an all-time low, we expect to see high demand for our Crowd Bonds. Investors willing to take on extra risk by lending to companies have the opportunity of making tax free returns of up to 12% per annum on our asset backed bonds, which compares to an average interest rate of just 0.64% on a Cash ISA.” *The tax treatment of ISAs is subject to change and dependent on individual circumstances.

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CROWDFUNDING

WHY THE SIZE OF YOUR BUSINESS DOESN’T MATTER

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rowdfunding has come a long way over the last few years. What started as a way for startups and entrepreneurs to gain access to capital has transformed into a successful industry that has raised over $34 billion. As crowdfunding has evolved, businesses of all sizes are using it for a wide variety of reasons.

Crowdfunding began to help early stage businesses fund their businesses without involving banks or VC’s, but recentlyit has become popular with larger and more established businesses.

Crowdfunding provides a unique opportunity for larger corporations to connect with new and existing customers and gain valuable insight into their latest products and services. They are able to gain product feedback, market validation and engage with their customer base. Crowdfunding platforms such as Indiegogo have launched programs to support these larger businesses as they embark into the unknown world of crowdfunding. From brainstorming campaign ideas, to analytics, to strategy, there is help along the way.

Hasbro, the global play and entertainment company, launched two successful crowdfunding campaigns on Indiegogo. The Next Great Game campaign looked to the community to find the next innovative party game idea, and as a result, “Irresponsibility, the Mr. Toast Card Game” was created and launched in 2015. After receiving so much interest during their first campaign Hasbro launched another challenge, calling on game designers in the US, UK and Canada. By getting potential customers involved in the creative process, Hasbro was able to build relationships with their customers, gauge customer interest, and gather feedback throughout the creative process.

Here are a few reasons why your business should consider crowdfunding, regardless of whether it’s a startup or already well-established: MARKET VALIDATION Product validation is crucial when creating something new in order to assess demand and potential success. Crowdfunding gives you access to real-time customer feedback – whether you’ve created a product or are still in the planning stage.

The funds you raise can help you measure how excited customers are for your product or service.

If a campaign has reached its funding goal, there is clearly a desire for it in the market. On the other hand, a campaign with little or no funding might need to take their product back to the drawing board to fine-tune it.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Focus groups and surveys were once the cornerstone of research and development, but are both expensive and time consuming. However, most businesses had no choice when it came to getting insight from consumer to guide their decisions.

Another major benefit of crowdfunding is a faster and more streamlined approach to collecting feedback from customers. Successful campaigns are generally between 30 and 60 days long, which allows businesses to collect insights from real customers.

For example, your customers may decide they want your product in green rather than red, or they may ask for a feature that your team would not have thought of. Unlike ever before, you can incorporate the improvements that your customers want before manufacturing your product.

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS PROFILE Regardless of the stage and size of your business, continued success is impossible without finding new ways to reach customers. A successful crowdfunding campaign can be an effective way to generate publicity and build your brand, and your success will show potential investors and competitors the strength of your market share and the positive relationship you have with your customers. The campaign can also be a great hook to get media to spread the word about your new product or service and increase your potential customer base.

By getting real customers involved in the process your business builds a community, promotes customer loyalty, and makes your consumers more likely to support you and provide feedback on future product and ideas.

Crowdfunding is still a great method to fund young businesses, but it’s becoming an integral way for companies of all sizes to build strong relationships with their fans and create products that consumers are excited to purchase.  Joel Hughes, UK & Europe Head of Technology and Hardware at Indiegogo entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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SOURCING START-UP FUNDING BANK FINANCE VS. INVESTMENT Sooner or later, any business with ambitious growth plans will need to source external funding. You can bootstrap with savings or help from friends and family for a while, but when it comes to scaling, taking on staff and ramping up your sales and marketing, an injection of cash is the best way to make it happen.

Like many entrepreneurs, up until 2008 I did all my business on bank debt, which was relatively easy to get hold of in those days. But when the financial crisis hit, things immediately became a lot more challenging and it made better business sense to work with external investors. Although I do still take out bank loans from time to time.

Both routes have their pros and cons and every entrepreneur must ultimately decide which is the best option for their business and stage of growth. Here’s a few pointers I’ve learned over the years on how to choose the right partner for you: 36

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BANK LOAN The big advantage of a bank loan is that you can source the funds you need while keeping 100% of the equity in your business – for most entrepreneurs, this is a major plus point. After all, it was your idea and you’re doing the hard graft, so it’s understandable that you don’t want to give that up. Instead, you will pay interest on the loan, but it’s likely to be less than you would sacrifice in the longrun by giving away equity investment.

On the flipside, bank finance is arguably the bigger personal risk, as most lenders now ask for a personal guarantee, which means you are personally liable if your business fails. The bank will also ask you to back the loan with an asset such as your home.

Before the financial crisis, it was quite common for companies to be founded on the back of releasing home equity, which does still happen, and you might be fortunate to be able to do this.

However, if you don’t have enough equity to release, you can still use your home as security but it’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly as you are putting your property at risk. Although the essence of being an entrepreneur is taking risks that others won’t, you need to weigh up whether you can accept this level of risk, not only for your business, but as a choice that may affect others in your life.

Another big downside is that with debt finance, you are committed to start paying back the debt immediately, which can put unwelcome pressure on your cash flow, when you’re still getting your business off the ground. Other risks include the possibility that the bank will suddenly call in the loan, as happened to many businesses during the financial crisis, which meant a lot of companies were left high and dry. You could also be at the mercy of interest rate fluctuations, depending on the type of loan you choose.

But despite these potential issues, bank lending can be a good choice for early-stage businesses, particularly if you don’t have a track record to convince potential investors. However, if you do opt for this route, it’s vital that you do your due diligence, by checking around the market for the best deals and meeting potential lenders to understand more about their approach. You will also need a fully-fledged business plan, with P&L, forecasts and as much detail as you can provide, to give the bank confidence that you are going to use their money wisely.

INVESTMENT Working with third party investors, such as business angels, venture capital or private equity firms, is in many ways a less risky option. You usually don’t need to provide security or personal guarantees, which means if the business fails, you won’t be required to pay the money back. Investors know how it works and are fully aware of the risks of investing in early stage companies. However, it can be much more intense in terms of reporting and the amount of free-rein you’ll have with business decisions. In contrast, banks don’t normally get involved with how you operate your company – they only require you to make your payments on time.

Equity investment is also advantageous from a cash flow perspective, as you don’t need to pay the

money back (in the form of selling the company or your investors’ shares) until you’re in a position to do so – in most cases, that’s three to five years into the future. Working with investors also means you gain an ambassador for your company, who can also act as a mentor or even get involved in running the business. Many entrepreneurs find this support invaluable.

The big downside is having to give away a chunk of equity, which can add up to a lot of money in the long-run. So, in the excitement of securing an investor, be careful not to give away too much, as it can feel disheartening when you’ve put in all the initial sweat equity. However, the old adage, that’s it’s better to have 10% of something than 100% of nothing springs to mind. It’s all a risk, and you have to work out what makes sense for your business and what you’re comfortable with.

THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU WANT TO RAISE AND GO FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT YOU CAN GET It’s also vital to find the right investors, and remember, it’s a two-way street – you have to want to work with them, as much as they want to invest in you. Ultimately, it’s a partnership, so be clear about roles from the start, make sure your expectations are aligned, and that they are fully on board with what you’re trying to do. Don’t overinflate your financial projections and be realistic about your goals for the business, or it could cause friction later.

Finally, think carefully about the amount of money that you want to raise and go for the maximum amount that you can get and can justify for what is required to grow your business. Finding investors is time-consuming and you don’t want to go through the whole process again after six months, or run short of the cash you need to take advantage of business opportunities. It helps to find a partner who is committed for the long-term, and who can invest additional funds if you need them.

Having tried a variety of approaches, I’ve personally found a blend of debt and equity works best, so you aren’t too reliant on one or the other and can enjoy the benefits of both. But whatever your choice, don’t rush into anything, do your research and go into it with your eyes open.  Andrew Clough, Founder and Managing Director, The Brew entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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TOP TIPS FOR WINNING ANGEL INVESTMENT

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ngel investment funding has become an increasingly popular route for startup companies as traditional finance from banks remains difficult to obtain.

After advising many clients who have successfully pitched for angel investment, and helping to set up an angel investment group in Gloucestershire, we have insights into both sides of the process. Our experience extends to having two of our clients appear on Dragons’ Den – one was offered investment, but subsequently turned it down when offered an alternative source of funding.

Companies looking for investment need to understand that there is no secret to being successful. It is all about making you and your business as attractive as possible to your potential investors. This means explaining your company’s proposition and the potential return on investment clearly and succinctly so that your target investors understand your offer and find it attractive. You may think you have an amazing idea, but unless you can present it well, others may not take the same view.

Business angels are usually individuals who have made money through other business ventures and may provide other added value by giving time and experience as well as funds. They may invest on their own or as part of an angel network, and typically offer funding in the £100,000 to £500,000 range. The majority are not uber-rich people who do not care whether they lose their investment; many are simply trying to obtain the best return on their hard-earned cash. They are taking a risk by investing into your business, so they don’t buy any old idea; they need to see a good proposal that is well packaged and attractive. In the short space of time you have to pitch (in person or in writing), you need to impress on them how good your product or service is, that you are impressive and will make it work, that you have a market which can generate a profit and that the risk they would be taking is minimised.

Some angels will be passive investors, which may suit you, but those that bring additional skills can sometimes outweigh the investment benefits. An investor who was previously successful in your sector 38

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can often bring far more in terms of experience, contacts and general business acumen.

The tips below will help you make your pitch for investment a success. You are unlikely to meet all of these points as they may not be relevant to your business or the stage it is at, but meeting as many as possible will strengthen your cause. Remember that business angels see many propositions, so you need to make yours stand out and capture their attention for the right reasons. No one is going to read a 30 page business plan with detailed financial forecasts.

This comes later once you have their attention!

Many of these points will already be familiar to those who have watched Dragons’ Den and other

THE STARTING POINTS FOR ANY INVESTORS ARE THE IDEA AND THE INDIVIDUAL similar programmes. However, watching others squirm and thinking “of course I’ve researched my potential market size” is one thing; actually being in front of potential investors and presenting a coherent, convincing story is another!

A CLEAR VISION The starting points for any investors are the idea and the individual. Angels will be attracted by someone who can explain clearly the idea behind their business, their vision for taking it forward and the market potential – for example, is it disruptive, or original, or does it solve a problem? Not everyone is going to have the vision, drive and single-minded ambition of Steve Jobs, nor the extrovert style of Richard Branson, but you will impress potential

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investors by explaining in an exciting yet realistic way the potential for your business to grow. They will also be impressed with personal commitment by putting your own money into the business, as well as the many hours which you have no doubt invested.

If you don’t have one already, start to develop a good network of connections who will help drive your business. Showing that you have a good network of connections indicates that you are serious about taking the business forward and about developing routes to market.

ROBUST FINANCIAL PLANNING Potential investors need to be convinced that their money will be valued and treated with respect. They will be looking to understand where the sales are going to come from. Can the idea be copied and is there any way that it can be protected? Do you have the systems in place for the growth you hope to achieve on the basis of their investment?

You should aim to have: • A business plan for investors, written as a concise information memorandum • An accounting system producing management accounts • Professional advisers already engaged • Financials, including P&L, balance sheet and cash flow forecast, if at that stage • A realistic sales forecasting system • The first order delivered and paid for • Product design protected and intellectual property protection under way • Details of how you intend to spend the funds.

• A clear brand identity, including a website that is fit for purpose • Testimonials from existing and prospective customers • Evidence of social capital and associated media reviews • A bridgehead marketing plan for key export territories/new market sectors.

HAVE A CLEAR EXIT STRATEGY The investor wants to know how they are going to get their investment back (hopefully with some profit), commonly referred to as an ‘exit strategy’. Are there competitors who are likely to buy you out or another business which your company would complement?

Although it may seem that you are doing all the work, making your business as attractive as possible will help you get the best deal as regards the level of equity you give away (although be realistic) and give you a greater chance of attracting an angel who brings more than just cash to the business.

Happy hunting!  Phil Mitchell, Director, Harbour Key For further information please visit Harbour Key at www.harbourkey.com

AN OUTLINE MARKETING PLAN You may require the angel funding to help you get your product or service to market. While you may not be a marketing expert, provide details of any actions you have taken to date, try and gain some profile for the business via social media, trade press etc. and have as a minimum an outline marketing plan.

Angel investors would ideally like to see: entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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ARE YOU AN INTREPRENEUR, ENTREPRENEUR, OR CHILD PRODIGY? The definition of a typical entrepreneur has morphed into something quite different from what it meant 20 years ago and now covers many different groups of people although, there is some confusion in my view, as to what is really meant by the word ‘entrepreneur’. The traditional entrepreneur is the individual who starts a business idea from scratch as opposed to the ‘intrepreneur’ who gets the idea through trying to better the organisation they work for. That said, sometimes the intrepreneur takes the idea outside the organisation if there is no board level appetite.

A true entrepreneur is all about the ‘CLICK’: Creativity, Leadership, Impact Confidence and Knowledge.

Entrepreneurial traits usually include charisma, a focused mind, positive energy and a ‘never say die’ outlook on life.

They are also experienced, broad minded and good listeners who will take advice but stick to their guns and have the courage to make their own decisions.

LIKE A DOG WITH A BONE Of course, the entrepreneur can sometimes frustrate the hell out of everyone around them because they can be like a dog with a bone, but the successful entrepreneur is rarely wrong when it comes to gut instinct. On the flipside, they are also the first in the queue to put their hand up if they made the 40

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wrong decision, or think there is something wrong in their grand master plan – and that is an important trait. Too many people go down with the boat while continuing to argue they are right.

But as mentioned, the world of the entrepreneur has evolved beyond all recognition and today we will often hear the term ‘intrepreneur’ too. An intrepreneur is usually already working for a business as an employee. They might be an experienced corporate manager who sees an idea and seeks strong financial backing and instant resources. Intrepreneurs tend to own up to 20% of the shares of the business vs. the traditional entrepreneur who owns close to 100% by the time the business is established. You also wouldn’t expect an intrepreneur to show all of the characteristics associated with

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OF COURSE, WHATEVER THE DEFINITION, ENTREPRENEURIALISM ITSELF IS A GREAT WAY TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE LARGE CORPORATES AND GLOBALISATION a traditional entrepreneur. Instead, somewhere there will be some kind of security or terms and conditions when they launch the business, especially if it is as an offshoot of the organisation they work for.

LESS RISK BUT LESS REWARD But the truth is this is a growing area in terms of the founding of new businesses today. We are seeing more and more intrepreneurs coming to the forefront and there is good reason for this. Namely less risk, but some might argue less fun and far less reward than going it alone. That said, the risk factor is what stops many people from taking the plunge to move forward with a new business idea – so intrepreneurialism is one way of getting around that.

The fundamental differences between these two groups of potential ‘innovators’ are that intrepreneurs are not 100% risk takers, otherwise they would be out there on their own, driving around the M25 in freezing conditions in mid-winter, in their partner’s old beaten up Beetle (with no heating) and parking the car well away from their potential client’s car park in case they are seen leaving! The intrepreneur would have a warm, C-Class Mercedes company car at the very least.

THE RISE OF THE CHILD PRODIGY When looking at the entrepreneurial spectrum, its important to recognise the rise of the child prodigy too – the future entrepreneurs of our world. I suspect there are more child prodigies out there than we imagine, some with pretty great ideas too. Of course, some won’t manage to get off the ground at that stage in their life for varying reasons parental permission, school demands, lack of cash etc. Or they may not be cut out for the world of the entrepreneur.

A real entrepreneur is very instinctive; they don’t simply have an idea and then get an urge to do something about it.

The urge comes first (which is instinctive), and then the ideas come (and many of them won’t have legs), but eventually they will find the right idea and then their success is based on how much of the ‘CLICK’ they have through natural ability as opposed to education.

THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR The social entrepreneur is the latest buzzword in the entrepreneurial sector. This is essentially related to doing good things for the world and the local community or environment. It is a really nice concept with good potential and is something I see as being important in the future certainly from the perspective of helping tech start-ups with social entrepreneurial ambition. However, with the apparent ‘social enterprise’ debacle this will definitely need to be better regulated, otherwise it will become just another ‘label’ without meaning for entrepreneurs.

Of course, whatever the definition, entrepreneurialism itself is a great way to bridge the gap between the large corporates and globalisation because these larger companies will eventually buy the rising new businesses. With regards to intrepreneurship many commentators agree that this is not really supported in large global companies mainly because

it generates risk and disruption. How many times have you heard the word ‘disruption’ associated with an entrepreneur?

A CHANGING LANDSCAPE Today there are far more ‘hangers on’ in the world of entrepreneurialism. You often hear of mentors who ‘help’ start-ups (but one has to question why they aren’t they too busy doing it for themselves)? Funding is also more difficult to obtain today, but less so if you have the right idea and the entrepreneurial get up and go to make it happen.

Some things however, never change. The cost/income ratio is still vital and is balanced by the value for money factor – you don’t make sales if you are too expensive and if you don’t control your costs you go out of business. That’s the ‘real’ entrepreneur’s world and that hasn’t changed, no matter how far you look back over the years.

What has changed with the Internet and technology advancements is the speed of coming up with related ideas to share your initial overheads with your initial business idea; but the fundamentals are still there. Also, I suspect the average age of the entrepreneur must be early twenties by now, whereas back in the late 1980’s when I kicked off my first business, I was 31 (and considered a young upstart!)

TAKING THE STEP Over the next 10 years, I expect to see rationalisation within the entrepreneurial world. It will evolve through what is happening right now. We are going to have the mentors/ funders/investors getting more involved and then those real entrepreneurs out there may realise they’ve not been getting value for money from them (so they will get pushed onto intrepreneurs plus the companies will start to buy up each other).

What the future does need is a free modeling and forecasting system that people with business ideas can use to road test their idea before they shed cash – this will help with the current 90% attrition rate of startup failures and perhaps encourage more people to take the more risky step of becoming a true entrepreneur.  Jerry Brand, founder of entrepreneur’s charity, The Brand Foundation.

The Brand Foundation is a registered charity (no. 1165700) that is providing a free to use, secure online app, to give all budding entrepreneurs with a great business idea, the chance to succeed; regardless of personal circumstances. Members can register online and model their business idea/s for free using BizKit, a specialist tool that will allow them to forecast their first three years’ trading figures with no future commitment.

The Foundation aims to help individuals avoid the common mistakes that so often lead to start up failure.

The Brand Foundation is a not for profit organisation funded through sponsorship and upgrade fees to BizTik (an advanced application that provides full funding analytics and offers access to potential funders). entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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HOME WORKERS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN THOSE IN THE WORKPLACE Business owners who would like to increase their staff’s productivity should allow them to work from home, new research suggests.

A study of 1,096 British workers, including those who work from home and those who work from the office, carried out by CartridgePeople.com in their SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) Workers Report, revealed that 57% believe they manage to get more work done when they are based at home, compared to when they are at their place of work.

Indeed, just 5% of workers report that working from home has a negative effect on their productivity.

And only a minority of 12% of workers feel they are more easily distracted.

Home working is championed by business leaders including Virgin’s Richard Branson and is offered by many leading companies including Amazon, Dell, Apple, Salesforce and more.

The data shows 30.5% of UK employees work from home every day, whilst 14% do so every week.

This scale increases even more when it is considered that 38% of workers admit they work from home outside of office hours with 22% doing so from home in the evening and 18% at the weekend.

However, research by Virgin Media Business estimates that these figures are set to drastically increase – with the proportion of home workers set to increase to 60% of the workforce over the next decade.

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34% OF BUSINESS LEADERS SAID MORE THAN HALF OF THEIR BUSINESS’ FULL-TIME WORKERS WOULD BE WORKING REMOTELY BY 2020

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This prediction was echoed by a survey of business leaders at the Global Leadership Summit in London, which found 34% said more than half of their business’ full-time workers would be working remotely by 2020.

Andrew Davies, spokesperson for CartridgePeople.com, commented: “When people think about home working, it is easy to wrongly assume that many home workers spend their days getting easily distracted or procrastinating by watching TV or chatting to family members. This data has proven the opposite is actually true – home working clearly allows workers to focus more, with fewer distractions such as the temptation to join in on tea rounds or having unnecessary meetings with colleagues.

“This data suggests that employers could face worse requests from staff than queries about more flexible hours, which would see them working from home. Obviously processes and parameters need to

be put in place so that both sides agree how and what will be achieved when staff work outside of the office, but clearly there is an argument that this can actually result in productivity increases.”

The South of England and the Midlands are currently leading the way for home working in the UK, with just one northern city – Manchester – making the top 5 home working capitals of the UK, and just two – Newcastle and Leeds listed in the remaining top 10.

Davies continues: “It could be argued that employers should be encouraged to accept staff members’ requests to work from home. Granted that parameters are set in place to monitor the productivity of home workers, businesses could benefit from adopting a more flexible approach to the working day. In such a competitive business environment, any measure that can see you improve results should surely be explored.” 

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TOP RESOLUTIONS FOR TRADERS GET YOUR WORK/LIFE/TRADE BALANCE RIGHT In order to succeed at trading, you need to get your priorities straight. This means setting aside sufficient time for work, life and, in the case of a part-time trader, trading. By making a resolution to spend enough time away from the screen, you are making a commitment to balancing and improving your lifestyle. This will actually help you focus on your trading goals, avoid distraction and maximize your time while you’re actually trading.

READ MORE A learned trader is a more informed trader, and being more informed may help you succeed.

The only way to become an informed trader is to read more, and then apply what you’ve learnt.

This means reading anything and everything related to trading: fundamental analysis, technical analysis, trading books and news headlines are just a few examples.

PLAN EVERY TRADE Every trade you take should be carefully planned. Successful traders don’t trade on a whim. They assess the markets, anticipate upcoming events and monitor the trends to understand a solid entry point. Before you go long or short on anything, ask yourself if you planned your move ahead of time. If the answer is no, stop right there.

DIVERSIFY Every trader knows they need to diversify their portfolio to limit risk exposure, but few actually do it. Take a long hard look at your trades this past year and ask yourself whether you actually invested in more than one or two asset classes.

At the end of the day, diversification is to your benefit. Your ability to smooth out risks from your portfolio can often mean the difference between success and failure.

A lot of traders don’t diversify because one or two asset classes are all they know. As a trader, it’s important to dip your hand in different markets from time to time; this will not only 44

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help you diversify, but also may capitalize on opportunities provided by other markets. By the end of the year, you should be comfortable trading at least one other asset class.

Remember to approach new asset classes very conservatively at first. You may consider trading in a demo account before you put down real money.

TRADE THE ECONOMIC CALENDAR We all know that technical trading is the bread and butter of most successful traders, but that doesn’t mean they rely solely on the charts to pick winning trades. Today’s financial markets are more influenced by the economic calendar than at any time in recent memory. Economic data and monetary policy news matter. Your ability to react quickly to news events and predict the outcome may set you up for some positive gains. Try to start each day by reviewing the economic calendar.

DEFINE YOUR LOSS LIMIT What if I told you that successful traders don’t always pick winning trades? This happens more often than you think. The point is, losses are bound to occur in trading. Picking a bad trade isn’t the end of the world if you’ve defined your loss limit. If you’ve failed repeatedly, at some point you may need to stop trading and reassess your strategy. What’s the maximum loss you can absorb? Figure it out. That’s your loss limit.

You can also use tools like dealCancellation to recover some losses.

BE PROFITABLE Remember, the purpose of trading is to make money. Before you dream about millions, ask yourself whether you’ve broken even in the past calendar year, let alone made a handsome profit. Being conscientious about the bottom line will keep you focused and motivated. It’ll also teach you to master your trading psychology.

This goal is so simple but so fundamental to trading. Don’t lose sight of it!  Evdokia Pitsillidou, director of risk management, easyMarkets (www.easymarkets.com)

© 2014 TUMI, INC.

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TOP TIPS ON HOW TO BUILD SUCCESSFUL TEAMS IN YOUR BUSINESS If you’ve noticed your employees taking more and more personal days off or there’s a general lack of interest in office work, this may be a sign that your corporate culture is beginning to depreciate.

Research from Queens University of Charlotte states almost 40% of employees believe people in their own organization don’t collaborate enough. When communication

MAKE YOUR TEAM ACCOUNTABLE Continuously check the ‘pulse’ of your organization and that your own team is aligned with its overall goals and values. This is also an opportunity to reflect on what’s going well, identify what’s not working and the obstacles facing your team.

Ask yourself the question; has the team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish this? If not, you should encourage your team to meet these objectives together.

Teams work better when they feel invested in their work and its outcomes and play a part in overall decision-making. Introducing more accountability empowers employees, boosts their confidence and makes them more eager to excel.

Allowing your team members to take accountability is all good and well, but this will only work if leaders support the team’s decisions as well. In short, you must show willing to boost responsibility amongst team members, but also be aware you may need to oversee this and gently steer them, if you think they may be going off course.

SUCCESSFUL TEAM MANAGEMENT COMES WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Employees today are much more aware of whether or not they are a good fit in their workplace culture. Beyond career advancement opportunities, people want their supervisors and leaders to ensure their career track is in proper alignment with their personal and professional goals.

Team leaders need to show maturity along with their passion, and be more empathetic to combine the job requirements with human spirit. For the most part, employees don’t need a boss that holds their hand; they just need to be reminded of what is expected of them. If this 46

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breaks down we start to see a lot of redundant or duplicate work, decreasing quality and aggravation amongst team members. Teamwork is like shining a light on all the nooks and crannies in which such problems can linger, but how can we ensure we give teams the skills they need to grow? I’ve compiled some tips on how to build successful and happy teams in the workplace.

is done with proper tact and good heartedness, employees will excel within their teams.

PICK THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE TEAM BONDING In light of the lackluster reputation of team building, you probably won’t be astonished to hear that research from Citrix has shown a third of office workers say they dislike team-building activities.

This negative association is a shame, because team building activities can have huge psychological benefits, by making employees feel more valued, according to research from the American Psychological Association. Team building exercises also allow staff to forget about hierarchies and socialize informally.

The best activities for boosting team relationships are those the entire team feels proud to participate in. Volunteering can be a highly rewarding experience both personally and professionally and sports make for excellent outings, allowing staff to work together and get physical exercise. However, pick your sport carefully as milder, non-contact options (e.g., bowling, ice skating) are often more well-received. Quality workshops give teams the opportunity to develop professional relationships in new settings—all without the stigma or the awkwardness of solo networking.

ENCOURAGE EVERY SKILLSET A 2006 Harvard study discovered the work of heart surgeons improved over time when they were able to consistently work with their usual team at the main hospital they performed in.

Findings such as this highlight that perhaps your star employee, who seems to flourish off natural talent may be more dependent on your team than you think. Managers must prioritize all unique skillsets for their team to thrive as a whole– it’s our differences that fuel our unique

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outlooks and nurture both originality and opportunity.

Learn how to incorporate and leverage those differences when people bring their unique talents and abilities to certain situations.

For example: having an analytical thinker on the team is a must to balance out big-picture strategists, and your quieter, more detailedoriented employee is a great complement to the broad thinkers who concentrate on executing overall strategy.

COMPANY ‘MICROCOSMS’ SHOULD BE KEPT IN CHECK If you thought cliques were something from your school years—think again. 43% of workers say their office is populated by cliques—which are tightly knit groups of co-workers who socialize in and outside the office, often excluding others.

Varying degrees of friendship are bound to form within teams and it’s often common for closer bonds to be formed among team members who share similarities based on their social identity and by the department they work in. While private friendships are obviously fine, office cliques and inter-departmental rivalries aren’t ideal for a positive, goal-minded environment.

When you as the manager need to assign team members to work together, you should aim to avoid putting the naturally clique-prone together and giving them a reason to separate from the rest of the team. Watch for ‘clique creators’ too. Sometimes these are people, but they’re often events or trends happening in your company. Intense changes in your work situation can shake the team’s foundations enough to create cliques, which can be detrimental to both team productivity and wellbeing.

No resource is more powerful in an organization than a high performing team.

There are challenges every day in any workplace, and a strong team environment is the support mechanism needed for staff members to foster a fulfilling, meaningful way of working together.

These bonds increase trust and productivity and give teams the confidence to tackle difficult challenges in the future.  Rich Williams, Senior Vice President of Growth Markets, Colonial Life

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IS IT TIME FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO CHEQUE OUT? Paul Haydock, CEO of DueCourse, the innovative invoice financing service for SMEs, looks at the long-standing and complicated relationship between businesses and cheques, and looks ahead at the future of business payment technology.

Like the A-Z road maps refusing to leave our glove compartments and the traditional calendars still hanging tough on our office walls, the traditional paper cheque remains ingrained in our lives, despite the technological alternatives now available to us.

A stalwart of the payments industry, the cheque celebrated its 350th birthday in 2009 and still clings on today.

Businesses both large and small have been using cheques as a method of making payments ever since their inception, though the overall use of cheques in the UK has been on the decline for the past 20 years, falling by 79 per cent.

Despite this decline and the parallel development of financial technology (Fintech), businesses the world over are still showing signs of clinging on to their old friend, the cheque, but why?

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT CHEQUES? A survey of 1000 UK businesses by the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company (CCCC) shows that over half are still making and receiving payments by cheque. And chief economist at Payments UK, Adrian Buckle, says that cheques are still popular amongst businesses for making ad-hoc payments to other businesses and for paying their trade suppliers.

The leading reason for this lingering popularity, according to the CCCC study, is simply because cheques are a familiar payment method that they’ve always used, with 30 per cent giving this reason.

The second biggest reason, given by 29 per cent of respondents, was that cheques are good for managing cash flow, and the third biggest reason, given by 25 per cent, was that the payee requests cheque payment.

Beyond this, another huge benefit of the cheque is the delaying power it gives small businesses that may need to make a payment before they officially have the funds to do so. 21 per cent of the businesses in the CCCC study said that they use cheques because the money leaves the account slowly.

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TODAY’S TRENDS Despite the 79 per cent decline in cheque usage and the evidence that over 50 per cent of UK businesses are still using cheques, it is also evident that the number of companies preferring not to receive cheques from other businesses has risen by 15 per cent from 2008 to 2015, indicating a steady shift in attitude towards alternative payment methods.

FinTech, from the introduction of the credit card in the 1950s right through to Apple Pay and the emergence of cloud technology, has slowly but surely been chipping away at the popularity of the cheque. The payments sector of the UK FinTech industry alone is currently estimated to be worth £10bn, a figure that is only going to increase as time and technology march on.

With the launch of the Faster Payments Service (FPS) in 2008 – an electronic same-day payments clearing scheme – online banking and mobile payments have become faster and much easier to use. In a single minute, around £2.2 million worth of Faster Payments are made in the UK alone, a mindboggling figure when you think about it.

Addressing the security fears of the chequeloyal businesses, the migration to EMV payment standards (more commonly known as chip and pin) has provided increased security and protection against fraud for small businesses and their customers. This would explain the increase in businesses not wishing to receive payments by cheque any longer, as they are steadily beginning to trust the tech alternatives and appreciate their convenience.

THE FUTURE Should small businesses finally consign their chequebooks to the shredders once and for all?

There is a very big case for businesses moving all of their activity, including payments and accounting, to the cloud. It’s fast, it’s convenient, and it’s affordable.

Ease of access and flexibility are the two biggest pulls of cloud FinTech services for payments and

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AT LEAST 75 PER CENT OF THE UK POPULATION WISH TO DEPOSIT CHEQUES USING THEIR SMARTPHONES

accounting, with 43.4 per cent of people using these services doing so because of the level of convenience they offer. The sheer range of products, like accountancy platforms SageOne and Xero, transfer products like TransferWise, or mobile wallets like Yoyo Wallet, along with the improved online experience are other key reasons for the popularity of this technology.

But wait, there’s a slight twist to this tale; a technological advancement that brings us full circle when it comes to the competition between cheques and tech: Mobile cheque imaging.

By no means a newcomer to the landscape, mobile cheque imaging is a tempting new mobile feature that has been on the radar since 2014, but has not yet been fully launched.

The technology will allow small business owners and consumers to take photographs of cheques using their smartphones and deposit them with their bank without the effort of visiting a branch.

Research by financial services software provider, Intelligent Environments, has revealed that at least 75 per cent of the UK population wish to deposit cheques using their smartphones, rather than wasting precious time visiting bank branches. When it does eventually launch, this new technology is predicted to be a big step forward for businesses making payments.

Could this be the best of both worlds for the UK’s small businesses reluctant to let go of their long-standing relationship with the cheque? Time will tell.

What this does tell us is that there really isn’t much that technology and cloud services can’t help us with, and managing finances and cash flow can be hassle-free, secure and convenient. Alternative finance provider and champion of small businesses, DueCourse, are big advocates of cloud services. We have been chosen to partner with two of the UK’s leading online accountancy packages, SageOne and Xero, making it as easy as possible for more and more SMEs to manage their finances in the cloud and keep ultimate control over their cash flow. 

For more information on how DueCourse can help SMEs make the jump from cheques to tech, visit their website at www.duecourse.com

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THE RISE OF MILLENNIAL ENTREPRENEURS When we think of entrepreneurs we envision individuals looking to make their mark on the world. Designing, planning and starting a business and rising from the ground up.

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hilst entrepreneurs have been around for some time the term millennial generation, and subsequently millennial entrepreneur, was recently coined to describe people who were brought up using digital technology. This naturally had a profound impact on the lives of the generation and led to a rather novel skillset. This skillset accompanied with a rose-coloured view of the business world and sheer determination are the basis for any millennial entrepreneur, or millennipreneurs, as they are commonly referred to.

Unsurprisingly there is a difference between business leaders of previous generations and the millennipreneurs who have forged a new route on the well-trodden path. Whilst there are certain skills younger professionals may have learnt from previous entrepreneurs, which are crucial to running a business such as communication, sales, strategy and finance to name but a few, the method of which these are now carried out has itself changed.

GROWING UP WITH THIS THING CALLED ENTREPRENEUR An ever-increasing number of millennials are referring to themselves as an entrepreneur, with more individuals opting for this term. But why is this the case? This could be due to many reasons, for instance many parents, who were the products of the baby boom generation, also ran successful businesses, and the younger generation aspire to be like them. Additionally, millennials have also grown up with icons such as Mark Zuckerberg who created a social media sensation whilst only in college

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and Virgin tycoon Richard Branson, this made the entrepreneur character appear more human-like and relatable.

A GENERATION OF DIGITALLY CREATIVE PEOPLE The main difference between the two generations of entrepreneurs is age, as many professionals nowadays are starting their business at a much earlier stage in their lives. This is also universal, if you head to Israel, for example, you will soon notice small start-up bars and restaurants run by recent graduates with, more interestingly, no previous bar or managerial experience.

This trend in Israel is evidence of another trait which is typically pinned to millennials, eagerness.

Gone are the days of individuals slowly rising through the ranks of the corporate machine. Millennipreneurs have this perception of ‘why wait’, and armed with an idea, they more often than not just go for it.

Another characteristic of the younger business owner is boredom. Technology has created a generation of impatient people who often get bored quickly, the most annoying online symbol is arguably the buffering sign and why buffer through your life?

This impatience amongst millennials consequently breeds ideas and these ideas often lead to a start-up.

Granted entrepreneurs have historically had a nature of wanting to make a difference, but it is this want, alongside the above-mentioned traits, which make the millennial entrepreneur so young when starting their business.

Technology has also led to a sense of independence, with individuals wanting to have more control over their fate and work for themselves. Again,

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technological developments have aided this, working for yourself is now entirely possible and as we now have a roaming office tucked away nicely in our bag working remotely is easy. The constant development in technology has had another crucial impact on the millennial entrepreneur – they’re now digital maestros. Growing up on technology and, perhaps most importantly, social media has led to these skills becoming second nature, and fortunately these platforms have become ideal for marketing strategies for any business, big or small.

listen to is testament to the growing entrepreneurial spirit. The platform UniJobApp is a good example of an innovative company run by millennipreneurs. A start-up run by two students, it aims to help with the common issue faced by students and recent graduates when looking for a job. Co-founders Zane Powell and Lewis Pour are students themselves and can relate to this common need – a similar age to the potential users, they utilise this fact and use social media effectively.

Fundamentally, they have the skillset which sets millennials apart and makes them ideally suited to being entrepreneurs.

They are digital whizzes with sky-high aspirations and excellent rag-to-riches role models.

MILLENNIALS FOUND THEMSELVES OUT OF A JOB AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH AND SO USED INNOVATION, PRIMARILY WITH THE HELP OF THE INTERNET AND DOTCOM BUBBLE TO CREATE ONE INSTEAD

THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Many view the economy crash of 2008 as another contributing factor adding to the increasing entrepreneurial snowball.

Millennials found themselves out of a job as a result of the crash and so used innovation, primarily with the help of the internet and dotcom bubble to create one instead, This is yet another example of the millennial resilience which ultimately makes millennials such good entrepreneurs.

As part of the business environment, we have witnessed a rise in female business leaders. The generational success of women is not only inspiring for young people but also shows what kind of impact millennial women can have on society.

AN EXAMPLE I currently work with a vast portfolio of ventures, which includes start-ups, and witness the millennial entrepreneur daily. The sheer volume of pitches I

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE Whilst it is possible to describe the millennial generation as impatient, idealistic, eager for control and easily jaded, it is these traits -alongside the traditional characteristics of an entrepreneur and digital proficiency, which makes them so successful. They are experts in making the previously impossible, possible. After all, as a millennipreneur would say, why not? 

Raj Dhonota, a season one contestant on The Apprentice, is a prolific investor, working mainly with pre-seed companies in the tech space. On top of managing his investment portfolio he also runs his own business, Igniva, a provider of web software development solutions. Raj currently has 50 investments to date. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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HOW TO GROW AND PROTECT BRAND REPUTATION Building brand reputation is like running a marathon – you must be prepared to commit to long hours of work and you should not give up when it gets tough.

Growing a brand requires companies and people to prove themselves over and over again, so that their clients put their trust in them and become loyal.

Once achieved, protecting your brand reputation is again a skill that should not be ignored as reputations are frail: one single incident can destroy a good reputation that has taken many years to build.

Professionals define brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these, intended to differentiate the goods and services of multiple sellers. In my experience, it is a good idea to answer the following questions when formulating your brand: • Who are we?

• What do we do?

• How do we do it?

• Why do we do it?

For smaller companies, one of the key tools for building brand reputation is to link to the culture and the people behind the brand. Digital channels have made many companies ‘faceless’. Trust is built between people, not between email addresses; ‘People buy people’, as the saying goes, and larger, faceless corporates struggle to reach the hearts and minds of their customers. If a business owner – a hairdresser, restaurant owner or retailer – has a trusted personal reputation, then people are more likely to do business with them. Trust creates credibility and makes customers more likely to recommend the business to their network.

One of the biggest advantages of personal branding is that it doesn’t require a lot of financial investment. Building a strong brand will depend on how aligned there three key points are with the outside world: what you do, what you say, what you are.

As long as these three areas are broadcasting the same message, the brand will be perceived as authentic, trustworthy and reputable. Customers, potential customers and employees, suppliers and competitors are creating an image of your company at every point of interaction, from the way you answer the phone to the quality of your products or services.

It’s important to consider what impression you want to convey and then make sure it’s managed carefully. Being consistent with who you are and what you’re all about makes it easier for people to understand your brand and buy into it.

When formulating a brand, it is good to keep the following in mind:

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FOCUS ON WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE PLAYERS IN THE MARKET Be clear on what you stand for and what you are promising your customers. If you aim to be a high end beauty salon, then aggressively cutting prices and participating in endless promotions will not portray your business as the quality provider with the excellent experience you are hoping to be known for.

BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD AND DO NOT FALTER A consistent brand message and customer experience are critical elements to building your brand, especially when you hope to gain momentum through word of mouth. Your audience needs to believe in you and your values. Every available channel needs to be employed to spread the message. For example, a building company can make sure that the messages they disseminate – from website to flyers – all enforce the same core values of the business – quality, fairness, peace of mind, etc.

BECOME A LEADER IN YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE HEARS ABOUT IT That is, of course, easier said than done. We spend most of our time actually working on the business and not developing our skills, or the skills of our employees. To become a leader in any industry, time must be dedicated to activities that will allow you to be innovative, to experiment and to improve. That is what makes one player stand out in the market over the rest.

HAVE INTEGRITY AND HONESTY If you offer something you can’t deliver, then the work of building your brand will be in vain and almost impossible to repair. Do not offer response in 24 hours unless you can do it 100% of the time. Do not offer nationwide service when you only have the capability to do that locally.

BE PERSISTENT – GET YOUR BRAND MESSAGE OUT THERE Then get it out again and again and again. Some statistics say that customers begin to recognise your brand just as you are getting tired of repeating it. People are inundated with a myriad of messages each day. It’s not only critical that you try to stand out from the competition, but it’s equally important that you are not forgotten.

There is one more key element that is likely to influence the development of your brand, and that is time. Business doesn’t wait, customers and clients don’t like to be put on hold: but they all know time is the one issues we all have in common.

You can’t control time, but you can learn how to make the most of what time you have by putting all you have into growing and nurturing your brand. The dedication and effort will come across, adding extra value to your work.  Dessy Ohanians is the Managing Director of London School of Business and Finance(LSBF) Executive Education. Her role is to define the strategy and oversee the implementation of that in the area of Professional Development and certificate programmes. Dessy has been working in the education industry for over 20 years, with extensive experience in the private and public sector.

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DIGITAL MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA – FOCUS AND SUCCEED As a brand owner and owner of businesses which are in consumer products, I am regularly asked how I deal with digital marketing and social media. The questions normally centre on the issue of which platforms to use, how much to spend on paidfor media, how much time to spend on organic content and how to use more creative messages, video, affiliates, bloggers…the list is endless! In the corporate world, this seems to be the only conversation.

Therein lies the problem – there is a bewildering array of possibilities for any brand today and very rapid change in technology creating ever new opportunities for tomorrow. I don’t hear anything else. In this environment I don’t believe we, the brand owners, should be the experts nor do I think we can be. If we did not know about Snapchat till recently how can we be an expert in its use? If we do not know how Facebook Augmented Reality is going to look, or how Google’s VR will pan out or what use we will see being made of AI in marketing platforms then how can we be experts in the use of these opportunities? We can’t be.

SO WHAT DO WE DO? WITH MY TEAMS I TRY TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON TWO CLEAR AREAS: 1. Spend more time on looking at your Brand, Tribe and Business (BTB) 2. Ensure that you are business-like in accessing outside expertise for marketing programmes.

In BTB (point 1 above) we are looking to ensure that our brand is able to generate customer loyalty. This can only be done if the core offering is appropriate and attractive (Brand), if we understand our customers (Tribe), their needs and what job we are doing for them. Finally, we need to take care of our company (Business) – all of the elements of margins, overheads, stock management, supply chain, human resources etc. which make up the profitability of our business and its ability to continue supplying great products.

This is obvious to me, but it nevertheless amazes me that this is not part of the daily conversation, that it is overshadowed by talk of digital marketing and other such communications issues. If your brand (product, packaging, pricing etc.) is not right it does not matter how well you communicate. If you don’t understand your customer, or if you don’t get the business structured

properly, your social messaging is not going to be of any use to you. In fact, customer loyalty and repeat purchases take place solely because your product experience is really good, your brand is admired and because you understand what your tribe actually wants. And then structuring your business appropriately allows you to make money doing it.

When it comes to marketing (point 2 above) we need to be rigorous in evaluating all and any outcomes. I get really bored listening to how many likes we got, how many shares we had and all this talk about engagement. I want to know what this has done for our sales. There are too many campaigns that get great reach and perhaps even create a buzz and maybe “go viral” – but if you don’t measure what that has done for your sales and therefore for your bottom line you could be wasting a lot of creativity for no gain. Of course, there are times when we want to get reach, when we want to build a cool message for raising awareness or sharing brand values etc. and this is hard to measure. But this should be the exception – most of the time we should be measuring return on investment in whatever we do, no matter how new or sexy the medium is.

I said earlier that we are not the experts in communications and nor did I think we could be.

This means we need to access expertise from companies who make it their job to be abreast of trends and who have the right people in their organisations to understand what is suitable and relevant to our requirements. In my companies the skill that I need to foster is the ability to identify and use outside professionals/agencies, create marketing and communications programmes with them and then to rigorously evaluate what has worked and what has not. These outsiders bring their skill and know-how and let us get on with the BTB tasks that are so vital to the success of the business.

As a very new example we keep improving our male grooming portal Ilklondon.com because we know there is no point getting 30,000 or 40,000 people to the site every month if the site, its content, the offer etc. are not valued by those people.

Similarly, our Fishsoho.com website relies on tone of voice and a ‘Soho look’ which needs to chime with its cool customer base. Otherwise, we could spend a lot of time, money, creativity in marketing activity which is pointless if the core BTB issues are unresolved.  Herbie Dayal is Founder and CEO of KMI Brands Ltd, the fast growing beauty business which owns brand assets such as Ted Baker, Orla Kiely, Fish and Scott Cornwall. KMI Brands is an expert in both male and female beauty products and its £40m+ retail sales are achieved in the UK and also in USA, Australia, Middle East and various other international territories. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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HOW TO BUILD A MERITOCRACY Meritocracy is a term that was coined by Michael Young in 1958. It describes a system whereby people are appointed based on their (intellectual) talent, so it makes sense that this should be the optimal way for a business to succeed.

The interesting thing is that people towards the top of almost any organisational tree are far more likely to believe that their organisation is already a meritocracy. If you take a random poll from people at all levels in the same organisation, however, and the result may be very different.

True meritocracies don’t just happen. They need to be built, but this often meets resistance from people that think they are already the product of the meritocracy. They are happily sitting high up in the organisation, so they don’t want to upset the apple cart.

But the truth is, if you are going to build a meritocracy you must upset the apple cart.

Repeatedly. Disruptively.

First, you have to open up the supply of talent to raise standards through open competition. Then you need to increase demand for all talent, whatever it looks like, and subject decisions to rigour and transparency. Here are five techniques you can adopt to achieve this.

RECRUIT FROM THE WIDEST POSSIBLE POOL You need to challenge your preconceived notion of what ‘talent’ looks like. Reach as far as you possibly can to find talent that might not otherwise compete with your existing supply pipelines. This is all about getting people to raise their game and not take any job for granted. Diversity is the enemy of mediocrity.

The more talent pools you fish in, the more competition for industry insiders and the better chance you have of avoiding suboptimal hiring.

Similarly, scrap any barriers to entry such as nebulous job descriptions and restrictive working practices. You could also consider setting up a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants, a returners programme for those who have left the workplace and apprenticeships to capture new talent.

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MOTIVATE EVERYONE A meritocracy requires that talented people can see a career path open to them, so champion diverse role models who have successfully navigated the system (without compromising their identity).

Top down promotion is about pulling talent through. Bottom up development is principally concerned with creating an efficient labour market and building organisational capability and thus sustainability. Organisations need to make specific changes to their development interventions bottom-up in order to adopt an inclusive talent strategy. Doing so will help their staff to feel valued and appreciated, in turn creating a greater sense of empowerment that will help people to take more responsibility for their development.

certain individuals would not have been promoted if the decision maker had to stand by their decision in a public forum.

Objections to such transparent structures usually range from time commitment to other decision makers not knowing the person/business case. The response to the first challenge is the cost benefit of time investment versus the cost of a bad hire, especially at senior levels. The response to the second challenge is that if the candidate is good enough, they should stand up to scrutiny by people who have the whole organisation’s interests at heart.

MANY COMPANIES TEND TO MERELY FOCUS ON SPECIFIC CONTEXTS, SHORT-TERM RESULTS AND COMMERCIAL RETURNS, AND DON’T CREATE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE GREAT TALENT CAN THRIVE AND FLOURISH

APPLY PROPORTIONALITY One of the most demotivating elements of organisational culture is a secretive promotion process.

Proportionality is the simple and hard to refute concept that promotion should be in proportion to the talent available – for example, if a company is 30% female, it would be reasonable to expect 30% of promotions to be for females.

The concept’s simplicity allows it to be scalable across the entire organisation. It’s a nudge that doesn’t require much training. Its power lies in challenging previously held assumptions about the fairness of our promotion systems – it’s a check and balance to see if the perceived fairness is justified.

Referring to data around promotions allows an organisation to challenge subjective decision-making and gain credibility through data transparency. People will often use ‘positive discrimination’, or non-merit based promotion, as an excuse to avoid promotion based on what’s actually available. It’s more likely that positive discrimination has occurred in the opposite direction, in the absence of proportionality.

INCENTIVISE THE RIGHT BEHAVIOURS Apportioning accountability for decision-making is a business efficiency imperative. Transparency is one of the best tools we have to challenge poor decision-making. We know from experience that

DEVELOP EMPATHY Just as in a relationship, people want to feel listened to, but there’s a huge empathy deficit in many large corporations. Many companies tend to merely focus on specific contexts, short-term results and commercial returns, and don’t create environments where great talent can thrive and flourish.

Those in management positions need to develop the empathy that allows them to appreciate what it might be like to come from a different background.

An empathic culture is particularly important for millennials who are demanding a different kind of working experience. They’re looking for connections, and want their voices — and their workplace requirements — to be heard.

People are inspired by leaders who believe in an inclusive mission. It’s more effective to lead by example and show rather than tell.

Implement the above five techniques and move your organisation further towards the meritocracy Michael Young originally intended. The more you can open your doors, the more you can let diversity in, and the faster you can enable progress.  Stephen Frost is the founder of Frost Included, a consultancy dedicated to helping people understand diversity and inclusion. His latest book, Inclusive Talent Management – How business can thrive in an age of diversity, is out now, published by Kogan Page.

For more information go to www.frostincluded.com

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IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE:

HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR OWN COMPLACENCY There’s a line in the ‘Change’ chapter of my latest book, ‘Rules for Mavericks’, that starts, “If you fail to learn the lessons of David Bowie’s career, you know little.” The chapter then ends with a reference to the work of change expert, Richard Gerver, who states, “The minute you feel comfortable … Find a harder cushion.”

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oth perspectives – those of the recently deceased rock polymath and of the well respected educationalist – seem to suggest that change, in life and art, as in business, is not only inevitable, but is vital for our personal growth and for that of our business life. It is through trying out new things that we (and indeed all things) evolve, and it’s an interesting perspective, as Tim Harford has noted, that the Soviet Union eventually failed, not because communism was innately flawed, but because of a lack of experimentation.

There are solid reasons (of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ variety) that might lead us to keep our focus entirely on the key component of our core business. But what can tend to happen if we expect to maintain a long career playing the hit that first made us famous is that either people grow bored of it, others write a more efficient, better version of it, or that fashion and technology move things on to the point where we’re left desolate in an empty arena wondering why no one is attending the gigs any more and that sales are non existent.

If we can accept, therefore, that change is a vital part of business growth, and we can also accept that complacency is likely to cause our eventual bankruptcy, the question occurs, how do we recognise when we have become complacent, and what versions of change are useful and which potentially destructive?

John P. Cotter’s book ‘Leading Change’ is a useful text here and outlines the external signals that any institution, entrepreneur or investor might want to keep an eye on in order to check that they are not,

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THERE IS A SENSE IN OUR BUSINESS LIVES THAT, IF WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT SOME POINT, THEN THE RECIPE THAT BROUGHT US SUCCESS WILL BE ETERNAL in fact, guilty of complacency and that whatever change is to come is not going to be forced on them by redundancy. Anyone who has been previously successful might want to view the presence of any of these seven indicators as a sign that their laurels have had rather too much weight on them recently.

They are: • No highly visible crisis.

• You measure yourself against low standards • Whatever you have in the way of accountability

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systems are rigged to make it easy for you.

• Feedback is not encouraged.

• Any evidence presented that change is needed results in finger pointing.

• You focus on marginal issues.

• You believe and buy into your own mythology.

There is a sense in our business lives that, if we have been successful at some point, then the recipe that brought us success will be eternal, and if I might share my own biggest failures in business, they have all been caused by one or a combination of the above: all of which speak of arrogance. It is arrogance caused by our former successes that leads us into the darker places as, just at the point we are most successful, we bet the farm on a hunch or move into an area of business that serves our interests rather more than it does any sensible business acumen. There is no visible crisis at this point but one is certainly dawning. Personally, it was at the point my company was having its most successful year in the relatively un-sexy realms of providing valuable consultancy for educational institutions that I decided now might be the jumping off point to spend an enormous amount of money on recording an album that, thus far, has sold in its tens. Sensible people had provided well meant feedback that this was an insensible idea, but, as Cotter has pointed out above, this advice was not only ignored but taken as a treacherous lack of belief in my multi faceted abilities.

So yes, it is vital that we experiment and that we keep our antenna open to new realms our businesses might inhabit, but one must maintain a balance between this experimentation and maintaining your core business – experimenting around the margins of the core business and not making gigantic imaginative leaps based on the overconfidence success has given you! The temptation, given that you have been successful in one field, is to believe that you are an all encompassing genius and that anything you touch will turn to gold. This is called arrogance (or complacency) and it is entirely misplaced.

The things that made you successful in the first place were your humility, your gratitude for any opportunity you received and, specifically, your hunger. The complacent person has none of these. These values have been lost and it is this complacency, this departing from your core values that will lead to the version of change that you don’t want: the version that is inflicted upon you by circumstance.

The lesson, therefore, is that if you want to be in charge of the new shape that you mutate into so that you do not become an ossified figure of the past, then, yes, you should change, but that you should focus on business very closely related to the business you have been successful in and should remember what values and qualities that brought you that initial success. You were lucky the first time. It is only being aware of this that means you might remain lucky on the second, third or fourth venture. 

Phil Beadle is an award-winning teacher, author and broadcaster. His new book Rules for Mavericks – A manifesto for dissident creatives is out now, published by Crown House Publishing, priced £9.99. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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HOW TO BUILD A STRONG BUSINESS MIND Human behaviour expert Phillip Adcock shares seven things you can do to help you build a strong mind. When working on your career and business aims and targets, it’s important to remember the power of the mind in preparing yourself too. If you feel that your thoughts and beliefs are stopping you from reaching your goal, here are a few ways to go about making some positive alterations.

300,000,000 YEARS OLD First and foremost, recognise that the human mind has evolved over 300,000,000 years. And evolution is a very, very slow process. What this means is that a lot of how you’re wired mentally has nothing to do with modern business or careers.

Humans are emotional and are primarily driven by 3 primal urges: Fight, Flight or Find a mate. In other words, if left alone the human mind makes decisions primarily on whether to fight something or someone, whether to run away from it or whether to mate with it. Sorry but it’s true.

If you want to build a stronger mind, you have to understand emotions. At a rational level, you may have techniques and strategies for meeting goals and advancing your career, but if they aren’t emotional, then you might as well not bother.

FEELINGS MATTER For example, recognise that once you give your mind the right emotional motivation, it is a much more powerful ally. Supposing you want to win at that next job interview or sales presentation, then you need to provide your mind with the right emotional payoff. This may be in the form of the importance of loving your family. When your mind knows that you want to love and care for your family, then it will give you the tools to deliver just that. So next time you go for an interview, have a picture of your loved ones visible to you during the interview. I tend to have one in the inside of my briefcase so that only I can see it.

WALK TALL! Next, did you know that your mood and mindset are a result of how you think and how you look?

What this means if that your very posture alters your mindset and mood at any given time. When you walk, stride confidently, when you sit, sit proudly, when you communicate non-verbally, do so with purpose. If you sit slouching down in the interviewees chair, shoulders rounded and breathing in a shallow way, then guess what, you’ll 58

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feel down, depressed and shallow. So it’s a case of not only walking your talk, but sitting it too.

What about your internal mental dialogue: The way you talk to yourself influences how you feel about yourself. Here’s a nice exercise. Write down a 1 or 2 page of how you think the next interview, presentation, sales pitch or meeting will go. Write in detail, don’t worry about spelling and grammar, and just write it as if you are saying it.

Now take a look at what you have written and using a different coloured pen, highlight every negative word. And in a different colour underline every positive word. Now count up how many negatives and how many positives you used. The

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN FOR SUCCESS: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH TRAPPINGS OF SUCCESS more negatives, the more negative you are. Finally, go through your manuscript and change all the negative words to positive alternatives. Reading it back to yourself will be transformatory in that you’ll suddenly feel much more confident and upbeat.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS Here’s another proven way to train your brain for success: Surround yourself with trappings of success. Did you know that if you write with a heavy pen, your brain thinks that what you are writing is ‘heavier’ and more important? Also, when you sit on a harder surface you become a ‘harder’ negotiator.

Oh, and when you look at the vista you see when sat at your desk, what do you see? You need to

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manufacture a view of success. A messy cubicle with a photo of you in your speedos on the beach in Benidorm is much less effective than say an image of you surrounded by opulence and luxury (even if the latter is created in Photoshop).

Finally, the emotional part of the brain doesn’t language. So you need to give your brain both an emotional reason to deliver on your goals and a pictorial representation of the things you want to achieve. In other words [pun intended] communicate with your own mind in pictures for optimal effect.

This also means that what you look like in the mirror has meaning to your mind, so if you want to be successful, then you need to look successful: Smart, appropriate dress sense and good personal grooming.

WHY, WHY, WHY? And finally, if you ever catch yourself doubting that you will be successful, play a game called ‘The Why, Why, Why game’. This entails learning how to catch yourself having negative and debilitating thoughts, such as “I’ll never get that deal, job, etc”. When you catch yourself thinking one of these, ask yourself why. ‘’Why will you never get that deal?” Perhaps the answer is something like: “This Company never buys from me”. So ask yourself why that is. This time the response might be “ I have quoted 3 different projects and lost all 3”. Then ask why is that? Now the response might be: “Twice they didn’t go ahead and the last time, they went with a different solution.

One more time, why is that? “The person buying plays golf with the person selling.”

In truth, you only missed out on one deal and that was because the 2 parties transacting were mates. You now also know that the buyer likes golf.

Suddenly, “This Company never buys from me” translates to: “Here’s a company who I failed to sell to once, but the buyer likes golf…

In summary, one of the main reasons why you’ll fail in business or in your career isn’t so much that you have a weak mind, but more that you are using your brilliant mind incorrectly. Between your ears is the most amazing super-computer ever created. But like just about any computer, it is only as good as the way it is used. Spend time investing in learning how your mind works and it will pay you back many times over.

And if this sounds too easy, then that’s simply because it is! 

Phillip Adcock is a commercial psychologist and author of Master Your Brain: Training your Mind for Success in Life. Available now on Amazon.

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IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVATING THE OFF SWITCH

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want to share with you a great new technological advance. One that will take humankind forward in ways never before imagined and afford us an opportunity to realise a capacity for deep reflection, mutual connection, and to live and experience in ways that have not occurred in at least the last 50 years.

It’s a subtle, underestimated technological advance. It’s been in front of us, staring back from our technology for many years. Occasionally we take advantage of it but in a 24/7 culture, with every incentive to integrate technology into all aspects of our lifestyle, we fail to take advantage of this technological wonder.

The “off” switch…

A statement of the obvious, you may say! But the fact of the matter is that technology has become so abundant we are reluctant to switch it off. We are terrified of missing something, we feel obliged to check our mobile phones around 150 times a day and our emails almost as frequently. We often respond a bit like conditioned rats in an experiment every time a new email flashes upon our screens.

We jump to attention when the little box calls out to us. Our televisions are often left on even when we are not actively watching anything. We cannot stand silence, to be cut off, to be left with our own thoughts.

What does this say in terms of our mental wellbeing, when we are expected and expect others to be connected round the clock? Friends fretting when a text is not responded to at lightning speed, the concern when someone is not answering their mobile when, in your opinion, they should be free to talk, leaders who check their office email on an iPhone before they’ve even brushed their teeth. It is incredibly difficult to have a healthy approach to your work when technology means you never leave your office.

Our millennials have led us to integrate technology in such a way as they are hyperdependent upon it. People no longer integrate information internally through the use of actively processed human memory. They simply become experts at searching for it in cyberspace, accessing a brief overview of knowledge bases and disciplines that have taken many generations before to master.

This results in the belief that somehow an “edited highlights” approach to knowledge somehow equates with expertise. It can certainly equate with breadth of an issue, but not necessarily depth, and there is a subtle difference between knowledge as data and knowing as an experience.

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Technology has fostered such a stimulusresponse society, that we insist on Amazon delivering the next day, or, as will be the case shortly, within a matter of hours by drone. We simply work on an ever-increasing approach to instant gratification, where if we don’t get what we want, we simply switch providers until we do.

We never realise that many choices are made on impulse and rapid sense gratification. This action does not promote long-term discernment and judgement in the choices we make. Instead, it encourages a propensity to make more bad choices even more quickly.

Minimalists tend to understand this idea best.

They recognise that things rather than people are now occupying the world more, and the love of objects rather than family and friends actually underpins much of the malaise that exists in our societies. Relationship breakdown, unfulfilling interpersonal relationships, mental health problems, social anxieties and the like all come from this increasingly materialistic phenomena where, in our secular world, we abandon values of love, harmony and acceptance in exchange for communicating with by materiality or simply the ubiquitous “like” on social media.

Well, the technological solution is here. Switch it off. Have periods of your life without technology around you. Become re-sourced and re-connected to your inner self, reliant upon communicating with people on a face-to-face basis or at least by the good old-fashioned telephone. Begin to realise and interpret people’s needs. Acquire introspection into yourself and understand yourself more fully.

Meditate, think and be involved in deliberate acts.

Switching technology on should be a deliberate act, as should switching it off. This will restore control and sentience to you, rather than leaving you some conditioned ape, worshipping at the secular altar of Techne and all of its demigods, such as Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft.

In a busy world, humanity needs to define itself. A world of acquisition, materialism and unsustainable growth will create not only have and have-nots, they will impact upon the planet in ways that will impoverish us all.

I wonder if you’ve operated the “off” switch in your head to this instead of perhaps now operating the “off” switch to the medium upon which you are reading it and going and doing something else. Both off switches exist. The choice is yours.  David Cliff, Managing Director of Gedanken

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MICROMANAGEMENT AND MORE: KEY CAUSES OF DISHARMONY IN BUSINESSES TODAY The old cliché of problems in an organisation is reflected by the phrase “there’s trouble at t’mill.” This old chestnut from the industrial era was generally an appeal by a worker to the boss to come and sort out the problem.

The problem is, in modern companies, many bosses contribute to the cause of the problems rather than the solution. Let’s look at some of the reasons for this although, the list could truly be a lot longer than we have space for here!

Firstly, micromanagement is an issue in many offices, and often occurs when leaders have not developed trust in their staff. They continue to see themselves in terms of the expert skills and aptitudes that created the business, but do not necessarily manage it in a way that supports the best needs of the organisation. They fail to develop others who are demonstrating those skills as the company grows and becomes more complex. Micromanagement is a by-product of poor leadership development and an inability to let go of a past wherein a leader had ultimate control. The head of the company fails to accept a new present where they must learn to relinquish past professional and trade skills, and become instead a strategic and operational manager. They must loosen their grip on the reins to allow talent within the ranks to flourish.

Then, some leaders have an inability to manage the relationships between key players in the company. Classically, this could manifest itself as a board that has unclear leadership processes, or via innate tensions that have not been dealt with and left to fester.

As an example of the former, where an unclear leadership process is present, consider a trading partnership that evolved into a limited company, when no one person is nominated to be overall leader. Here, different collectives of fudged leadership emerge from within, each group thinking that they’re doing what is right for the overall strategy of the company, however ultimately, there is no direction.

There is an inability or an unwillingness for the company to elect someone able to make a casting decision. Roles and responsibilities may have been assigned early on, when the business had limited staff, with directors taking on a plethora of tasks. They then fail to properly delegate these out to new functionaries as the business grows, and the leadership structure appears undefined and lacking clarity.

An example of the latter, where innate tensions are left unchecked, is an organisation formed based on friendship or a shared strategic consensus, and the key players’ objectives have moved on without referring back to one another. At the top of an organisation, the importance of space to allow interpersonal communication to occur to ensure people are on the same wavelength, or at least understand each other’s differences, can be a massive way of reducing powerful tensions that can otherwise ensue.

Also, there are the issues caused by the lack of succession strategies. I really have problems with people who

quote Latin ad nauseam, but this is really the ‘sine qua non’ of business strategy! Planning one’s succession is essential, no question about it. Many people actually act as if they’re going to live forever or they are so yoked to the day-to-day grind of keeping the operation running, they fail to take a strategic view which includes what will happen as they age, potentially become infirm and/or expire. Companies in maturity cannot be growing, thriving entities without the time to think and plan ahead. The scenario just described places a premium upon over-dependency on the leading lights of the organisation. It creates a sense of time-based hierarchy, that cannot be replaced easily by successive generations, who are undermined in their autonomy by owners, leaders and managers who effectively act as if they were “tribal elders”, eliciting worship rather than initiative from their staff as they go.

The problem with business is that it is intertwined with the ego. This, in turn, is interwoven with effective functioning, self-actualisation, good and bad mental health and satisfaction. That applies, not only to the leading lights of the organisation but everybody right down to the office cleaner! While everyone would love to think the world would stop turning without them, we must accept that indeed, it will.

Sensible leaders are the ones that understand their finiteness with some humility, maturely recognising the need to plan for the longer game; that they do not feature at the centre of it forever more. With this realisation, the “ego” in business evolves into “managerial maturity and leadership insight.”

Of course, would that these issues were so simple to consider. They require dedicated time and though to be effectively addressed, talking to a coach or mentor can help in examining the multiple layers of these processes. The truth is simple: all leaders have the potential to be the solution to business problems rather than their cause.

The fact that this time to reflect is an investment only rarely committed to by some leaves small wonder that so many businesses experience “trouble at t’mill” times.

Ee bah gum!  David Cliff, Managing Director of Gedanken Gedanken is a leading edge executive and business coaching organisation, providing businesses and individuals with the thought processes and strategies for personal and professional advancement. The company was founded by David Cliff, 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.

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RISE OF MILLENNIALS INVESTING IN

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IAMONDS

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adore diamonds. No surprises there, considering diamonds have been in my family’s business for over three generations, but I am not alone. It never ceases to amaze me just how pleasure comes from wearing these iconic stones, mined from the soul of the earth from their humble beginnings as a carbon deposit, millions of years ago. Diamonds capture our heart in a way that no other precious stone can – and that includes the hearts of the next generation of diamond buyers – the Millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, and who represent the largest living population of our time.

The youngest Millennials are on the cusp of adulthood and, with adulthood, comes the inevitable life milestones of gaining an education, forging careers, falling in love and having children. A survey

by Goldman Sachs* found that 70% of Millennials want to get married and 74% want to have children.

The difference? They don’t intend to do it as early as their parents, opting to postpone parenthood until their 30’s. It’s human nature to want to celebrate landmark occasions like graduation and engagements with something unique and meaningful, and for many that means investing in a piece of diamond jewellery.

Diamonds rarely lose value and are a long term investment. A beautiful blue diamond worth thousands today will hold its value tomorrow. And the next day. And for the next generation. We often get requests from both men and women who love the sentiment of owning a piece of jewellery passed down to them from an older family member, but who want it customised to suit their own modern tastes.

Adapting your offering in this way and ensuring you appeal to a new, different generation is all part of accessing the economy’s future spenders.

But I know what you’re thinking: aren’t Millennials meant to be so pre-occupied with shunning status symbols and gaining their experiential, life-fulfilling opportunities that owning a diamond seems somehow a bit crass and superficial by comparison? I don’t think so. My customers span all ages but this new generation of bright young things is just as captivated by the diamond as their ancestors. Millennials are prepared to invest in diamonds, but it comes with terms and conditions.

Millennials have grown up in digitally connected world and that means their awareness of brands and businesses and how they operate is literally at their fingertips. As business owners, we must be totally open and transparent about our practices, where our diamonds come from, how we treat our workers, how we invest back into the mining community and how we help secure the future of these precious stones. Global awareness of ‘conflict diamonds’, used to finance insurgency and war, has helped to regulate the industry and prevent the corruption and exploitation of some of the world’s most vulnerable workers. It’s only right that we are held to account – and Millennials aren’t afraid to ask difficult questions.

Recently, I returned from my brother’s diamond mines in Sierra Leone and saw first-hand how the workers live and work together with the mines at the heart of their community. Diamond mining is a skill that requires physical graft, tenacity and perseverance, yet the workers also take great pride in the job they do. What I witnessed there is all part of the experiential service I pass on to my client. I can reassure them about the ethical origins of our

diamonds but I can also tell them my story of what it was like to be there; what the people were really like, how they feel about mining, how the work is carried out and so on. I posted on Instagram whilst I was there, sharing my experience with my customers and showing them the roots of our business. Understanding how Millennials want to buy is just as critical as what they want to buy. Staying socially connected with them, such as via Instagram, is essential. Millennials are thirsty for this kind of insight because it gives them a real sense of who and what they are really buying into.

This level of personalised service is something customers are increasingly seeking out as they move away from big, bland identities and generic service. Millennials are spending their money in a very different way to the hey-day of the eighties, when people were eager to show off their wealth and flash their cash. To be successful, you have to build a relationship with your customers before you can expect them to place their trust – and their money – in you. From our base in Antwerp, I meet our clients wherever they are and we go through the process of creating their ideal piece together. I advise them on every stage of the process, including the best design and stone for their budget, and keep them updated throughout. It’s this level of service commitment,

INVESTING IN DIAMONDS IS OFTEN DRIVEN FROM THE HEART wrapped around a personalised experience, that I believe will secure the custom of future Millennials; it’s not enough to have a great product any more. I’m sure it won’t be long before some of our customers come out to Sierra Leone with us to experience the diamond process for themselves.

Investing in diamonds is often driven from the heart, a desire to own something beautiful and unique. However, all diamonds are not equal and some are undoubtedly worth more than others.

Just like any other sector, tastes and trends do also influence the market value. Yellow diamonds, for example, weren’t popular about 20 years ago, but are now one of the most in-demand variations. Today, the most valuable diamonds come in blue, yellow, pink and red; I don’t doubt that we will soon see younger generations investing in them.

From my experience of the Millennials, their desire to own something beautiful and special is no different to older customers. Diamonds will never lose their worth but, for this generation, the worth of the diamond goes much deeper than just its monetary value.  Ilana Brandwain of Noble Fine Jewellery

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WHY THIS IS THE YEAR TO INVEST IN

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Nandik Barbhaiya, Head of E-commerce at Forextime, provides insight as to why investing in gold this year, and using the commodity as trading collateral could be beneficial to businesses worldwide.

This insight comes ahead of a new partnership between FXTM and online gold trading platform, BullionVault, allowing traders to use gold as collateral.

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he investment landscape is facing significant changes in 2017 on the back of an unpredictable and, at times, chaotic political environment in 2016. The extent of the repercussions of the ‘Leave’ vote in Britain’s EU referendum, Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential election, and Matteo Renzi’s Italian referendum defeat all remain unclear at present, but a considerable impact worldwide on business and trading can be expected. Here, we look at alternative trading options for 2017 with a focus on gold investment.

WHY GO FOR GOLD? Gold is often referred to as the “safe haven” for investors, due to its retention of value, rarity, and immunity to interest rate policies which can frequently be influenced by political and economic movements. As one of the oldest forms of currency, its simplicity and transparency as a commodity have clear longevity. Gold is a sensible option as part of a diversified portfolio.

Whilst the price of gold can be pushed up in times of uncertainty, its retention of value is consistent even if the markets are fluctuating. As a commodity, although it won’t eliminate potential for loss, it can help spread the risk, particularly if you are using gold as trading collateral that is utilised across several assets.

In times when the supply of artificial forms of money is virtually unrestricted, nothing is a more reliable source of purchasing power than gold, due to its rarity and an almost fixed quantity of growth (approximately 1.6% per annum).

The popularity of using gold as an alternative trading currency has grown in recent years, with many traders looking to it as a hedge against inflation and a stable storage of value. The trading method for gold is over the counter, which is a common form of trading in the Forex market, so combining the two in your portfolio makes sense in a number of ways.

As commodity trading online has grown in popularity, enabled by real time commodity quotes and live charting services, online gold trading allows the trader to benefit from the inherent characteristics of gold without physically owning it as such.

WHY IS 2017 THE YEAR TO INVEST? There are suggestions that emerging markets will be the best option for investment in 2017, given the growth seen in the Bovespa and MICEX, as well as

gains in Peru, Thailand and Argentina. However, the changes unfolding in essentially sound economies lend themselves to favouring commodities with a consistently solid value, such as gold.

In a Trump administration gold could shine, certainly until his agenda becomes clearer, and since 2008 buying Euros to defend against the dollar’s decline has returned 47%, where gold investment has returned 131%. Post-Brexit, a ‘lower for longer’ strategy could be advisable as the outlook for growth is generally reduced – this could present an opportunity for investors to review their portfolio, and gold would be a sound inclusion.

TRADING TIPS AND WHY THESE WILL WORK IN 2017 With demand for gold in November 2016 reaching its highest level since the end of 2011 due to steep price drops following Trump’s victory, trying to get ahead of the curve and utilising your investment in gold with your trading tactics in 2017 will be crucial.

This is where using an online trading platform can be beneficial as it enables the individual to buy and use your gold in as little as four steps and there is also no maximum limit, so buyers are able to utilise gold, partially, or in full, as collateral to trade in your trading account.

Contract for Difference or CFD trading, can also be effective in this context as a gold CFD is a theoretical order to buy or sell a certain amount of gold. As one of the most commonly traded and most liquid commodities, CFDs allow for manoeuvrability in the market. The profit that you make comes directly from the change in value in the commodity, so the key is find the right risk at the right time.

Learning when not to trade is equally important as knowing when to trade.

Another option that has proved effective, not only with gold trading but across numerous markets, is trend versus index value analysis, with one of the main benefits being its simplicity. When the index value of your stock – gold, in this case – is above the trend, you want to own stocks because typically you will make money at this time. When trend is above the index value, you don’t want to own stocks.

Since 1971, when in “buy” mode, gold went up at a compound annual rate of 16.8% and when in “don’t buy” mode, gold lost money at 2.8%, proving that a simple, sound approach can be as effective as any.

There is a high likelihood of similar political and economic turbulence in 2017, so diversifying your portfolio by going for the stability of gold will be an option worth taking.  entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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INVESTING IN ANTIQUE SILVER

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ince the beginning of civilization silver has played an important and enduring role in society, a valuable commodity, which, through the ages, has been and still is revered and judiciously used by man on so many levels. Quite aside from its important role as a means of currency, silver has also been transformed by skilled craftsmen into religious reliquaries to help with worship, or on a far more practical level into the production of decorative items and household wares. Whatever its purpose, silver is invariably associated with wealth, standing and importance.

Hence the meaning behind the old phrase “born with a silver spoon in their mouth”, an expression which directly links silver to affluence.

Little was to change over successive centuries, although with the introduction of silver plate in the mid-1800s, silver did begin to lose some of its exclusive allure. The social upheavals and the decline of many large aristocratic houses which followed on from the World War I, combined with the economic hardships of the 1920s and early 30s, all contributed to a fundamental shift in collecting taste. For a number of years and for a variety of reasons, both social and economic, European society started to fall out of love with silver.

Gone were the days of stately homes such as Downton Abbey, with their armies of staff on hand to clean the family silver. We were entering

a modern age of convenience – formal dining was increasingly to become a thing of the past. In post-World War II Europe, the wonderful antique silver masterpieces, which had graced the homes of previous generations were frequently regarded as too old-school and frankly too hard to maintain, hence either laid aside or even sold.

As a result through much of the 1950s and 60s silver was commonly sold and purchased at a price dependent on its weight, with little or no account for maker, provenance nor the quality of design and workmanship. It took the emergent new-wealthy Americans to start to re-appreciate the artistry of antique silver. Taking advantage of the deflated prices, they started buying silver from the royal and aristocratic families of Europe. In particular their focus of attention centered on great silversmiths of the mid-18th to early 19th century with prize works by masters such as Paul de Lamerie , Benjamin Smith and Paul Storr being assiduously sought out.

Amongst the many collectors who helped to revive the appreciation of traditional silver, two names immediately come to mind for the depth of their knowledge and the passion of their eye: Morrie Moss of Memphis with his predilection for the work of Paul Storr, and Arthur Gilbert the Anglophile -American whose considerable collection was recently bequeathed to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.

TODAY’S SILVER COLLECTORS ARE HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED CONNOISSEURS. NOT ONLY ARE THEY EXTREMELY WELL INFORMED, THEY ARE CONSTANTLY REFINING THEIR TASTE AND APPRECIATION. THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKER

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At the same time a number of important American museums began to focus their buying power on European silver, resulting in major collections for the public to admire, notably to be found in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Portland Museum of Art, Philadelphia. Not surprisingly America continues to be an important market for the antique silver trade.

Today one of the leading dealers in antique silver is Koopman Rare Art. Founded by brothers Jacques and Eddy Koopman in 1952, Koopman Rare Art has traded from its luxurious premises above the Silver Vaults in the City of London since 1969.

Now recognized as the pre-eminent dealers in antique silver, over the years they have helped form some of the most celebrated collections of silver in the world. These include those of His Excellency Mahdi Mohammed Altajir, the Whiteley Trust and the Australian Kerry Packer, in addition they have sold important silver to major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Lewis Smith, who together with Timo Koopman, the grandson of Eddie is joint director of Koopman Rare Art, explains: “In terms of quality, workmanship,

art historical context and often highly distinguished provenances, the antique silver market today is definitely under-appreciated compared with other collecting fields.”

This opinion has also recently been confirmed

by Barnebys the world’s largest art and antique search engine. Pontus Silfvertoolpe, co-founder of Barnebys is reported as saying “Antique silver is a bargain at current prices”.

Lewis Smith continued: “It’s been slow in coming, but we are starting to see a long-over due re-appreciation of these superlative art works.

What is clear, however is the fact that today’s silver collectors are highly sophisticated connoisseurs.

Not only are they extremely well informed, they are constantly refining their taste and appreciation.

They understand the importance of maker, provenance, quality of design and workmanship and are prepared to pay for it. Collectors are simply not impressed with mediocrity – they will only buy the best and will also pay a premium for a blue-chip provenance.”

So where are these buyers and collectors based? “In terms of location, the silver market is becoming ever more global, with serious buyers from China and the Middle East entering into the collecting arena” says Lewis. “This interest is driven

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WHAT MAKES EXCEPTIONAL SILVER STAND OUT, HOWEVER, IS QUALITY AND DESIGN, ALL OF WHICH REFLECT THE STYLE, FASHION AND TASTES OF A PARTICULAR ERA

by a rapidly increasing appreciation for European art and antiques and silver helps to complete the refined and sophisticated look. One also has to take into account that most countries in the Far and Middle East have a strong metalwork tradition so there tends to be an ingrained appreciation for works in silver. Silver-gilt pieces for example are particularly sough-after in China where gold is highly regarded.”

One of the many appeals of antique silver is it caters for all tastes and is also an obvious area for cross-collecting. People who buy silver tend to collect in other fields as well be it paintings, furniture and even contemporary art. Classic silver pieces work well in sleek, minimalist, modern interiors and, as we all know, mixing old and new invariably adds a new dimension and creates an element of dynamism.

And of course with the reassessment of the mid-20th century, which is now much in evidence in contemporary interiors, there is an increasing demand for signed pieces of designer silver, by the likes of more contemporary silversmiths such Stuart Devlin and Gerald Benney, to name but two.

Another huge advantage of silver is much of it is practical. It wasn’t all about ostentation. Silver was designed to be used and enjoyed, and by its very nature is pretty robust and durable.

“The majority of the silver we deal in is elegant and usable,” explains Lewis. “We have stunning trays, candlesticks and candelabra, dinner services, tea and coffee-services and important canteens of cutlery. I am pleased to say most of our clients use the silver they buy – whether it’s in their main home, chalet, beach-house or even on their superyacht or private jet. Encouragingly formal home dining with stunning silver on the table is once again becoming a feature of 21st century elegant living.

Even informal kitchen suppers can be improved upon with the addition of a stunning pair of silver candlesticks.

For example we have one of the earliest silver coffee percolators, made by English silversmiths Emes and Barnard in 1809, the design is elegant,

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practical and almost modern. On top of which it makes delicious coffee, far better than any machine.

The asking price is a mere £7,500 and it will clearly last for a couple more hundred years. What could be better value? That’s another great thing about silver – the entry level is accessible compared with other collecting areas. For example you can buy a small piece by a distinguished silversmith such as Paul Storr from as little as £2,000.”

What makes exceptional silver stand out, however, is quality and design, all of which reflect the style, fashion and tastes of a particular era. It is the exquisite, naturalistic observed modelling, the attention to detail and the breathtaking skill of the silversmith, which takes the trays, soup tureens, candelabra, tea and coffee services, the cutlery excetera out of the realms of the ordinary and mundane and turns them into masterpieces steeped in history.

“Although there is a limited supply of really top quality silver treasures, there are still thrilling new pieces coming onto the market. All these factors help maintain value, interest and excitement.

While the majority of collectors buy for pleasure and enjoyment, often the intrinsic value of top quality silver and its investment potential gives an additional feeling of security. It’s quite simple, buy the best antique silver you can afford and you really can’t go wrong,” concludes Lewis.

Barnebys offer the same advice: “It is now time for new generations to start using silver again, to understand and appreciate the value of quality and durability and the intrinsic beauty of this ancient and much valued precious metal.

“There are bargains to be had out there that are both stunningly beautiful works of art and also quite often very functional as dinner services or as decorative objects with intriguing histories.

Given that silver prices will doubtless rise again its investment value is another reason to buy silver.”  Koopman Rare Art – www.koopmanrareart.com Follow Koopman on Instagram @Koopmanrareart www.barnebys.com

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PRE-PROD 575MM FERRARI AND 1926 BUGATTI TYPE 37 IN COYS SUMMER AUCTIONS

A pre-production 575MM Ferrari worth £200,000 and a 1926 Bugatti Type 37 worth £600,000 will be going under the hammer at Coys auctions at Fontwell House and Blenheim palace on June 29th and July 15th respectively.

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he 575MM will be offered at Coys auction in the elegant gardens of Fontwell House in the heart of the Sussex Downs, just a few miles away from the action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The car is likely the earliest of the ‘preproduction’ cars made by Ferrari with chassis number 123761. Despite being built in June of 2002, the factory kept it in storage after using it for marketing and promotional purposes before finally registering it in 2006. It was then sold as a ‘new’ car in 2008 to a VIP client direct from the factory.

This 575MM reads less than 13,000km on the odometer, comes with full history file, original manuals Ferrari Classiche and is estimated at £150,000 to £200,000.

Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys, said: “Just miles away from the action at the Festival of Speed, enthusiasts and collectors will find at Fontwell House a fabulous selection of classic, sports and racing cars, including this pre-production Ferrari 575MM.” The Type 37 Bugatti will be going under the hammer at Coys auction at Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and one of England’s greatest palaces, on July 15th. In addition, Coys will host their traditional and prestigious summer Concours d’Elegance of rare and unusual motor cars.

The Bugatti was one of the three that world speed record holder and London Bugatti dealer Malcolm Campbell purchased from the works in the Spring of 1926. It was then sold to W. B. Scott (Bummer to his friends), a regular competitor at Brooklands and very well known in the racing scene at the time. He raced it at Brooklands in 1927 before concentrating on his Grand Prix Sunbeam for the 1928 season.

The car changed hands a few times over the coming years before being purchased by R. MacLeod-Carey in 1934. In 1940, he sold it to Mr. Dudley Gahagan, who owned the car for a somewhat incredible 57 years before bequeathing it to the current vendor in 1997.

Gahagan was well established in the classic car world, being involved in the early days of the Vintage Sports-Car Club and running the classic restoration business Rees Brothers of Aldershot in Hampshire for many years. He campaigned his beloved Type 37 at numerous hill climbs, time and speed trials, and embarked on various continental trips, including the Prescott Hill Climb, Goodwood, Brighton Speed Trials, and at the newly created Silverstone track on over 20 occasions from 1949 through to 1992.

The Type 37 enjoyed a well-earned comprehensive restoration from 2002 to 2008, and since then has been used sparingly. It is also still offered with its original chassis, gearbox, and both front and rear axles. It is estimated at £400,000 to £600,000.

Routledge said: “COYS auction at Blenheim Palace is one of the most well established classic car sales in the British auction calendar. This year we return to the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill with an important selection of classic and sport cars, including this well known Type 37 Bugatti, one of the most iconic cars of the last century and a unique opportunity for the serious collector.”

Entries are invited for both auctions. More details and full catalogues will be released soon. www.coys.co.uk

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CAR INVESTMENTS HOW TO REV UP YOUR RETURNS Reuben Singh – car collector, entrepreneur and CEO of alldayPA – explains how to accelerate your profits.

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ars aren’t typically a go-to category when it comes to investment options, with property, stocks and business ventures tending to take precedence. However, investors could be missing out on a hugely profitable market. This is especially true at the moment, as cars in general currently have excellent yield projections – both in the short term and long term – as long as you know where to put your money.

Of course, the potential returns are dependent on how much you have to invest initially, but there are a number of lower cost options that could generate a healthy profit, so the benefits aren’t reserved only for multi-millionaires. Car investments range from under £20,000 to over £5 million and many of the returns are outperforming other asset classes at the moment.

The reasons behind such a buoyant market vary from low interest rates, meaning car enthusiasts are able to fulfill their dreams, to the increased scarcity of iconic, traditional cars and modern classics. We’re in the middle of a motor evolution, with cars moving from manual gearboxes to automatic transmissions, and now even conventional petrol engines are being replaced by hybrid or fully electric systems. This leaves people wanting to purchase a piece of history and see its value grow.

The primary investment option when it comes to automobiles is the ‘supercar’ category, in which cars are typically worth over £100,000. The top one per cent of supercars are generally considered to be what we call ‘hypercars’ and are generally worth over £1 million. At this level, the cars that have seen a 100 per cent increase in their values over the last two years include the Porsche 918 Spyder, which sold for £700,000 originally and now sell for over £1.4 million. The Bugatti Veyron has also proven to be an extremely fruitful investment option, along

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with the new LaFerrari and McLaren P1. All of these cars have outperformed every other comparable investment category in the last two years and their values are still growing.

If you’re looking to invest in a supercar, as opposed to a hypercar, then it would be advisable to put a deposit down on a new, limited edition car as soon as its launch is announced. Being on this list is a one-way ticket to significant yields. An example of how lucrative this can be is the new Porsche 911 R, which was launched last year with a £130,000 price tag and is now selling for over £400,000.

Alternatively, you could buy a very low mileage Ferrari or Lamborghini from the 1980s or 1990s.

These are highly sought after, not least because so few of them are still left, with most having been crashed or written off.

If you have under £100,000 at your disposal, it has to be a well maintained iconic car from the 1980s, such as a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini or Aston Martin. Naturally, the value growth is relative, but cars in this price bracket have still seen their worth rise by over 20 per cent year-on-year over the past few years. And when it comes to cars under £20,000, the best strategy would be to look at purchasing a low mileage iconic sports car from the 1980s or 1990s. However, in this lower price category, it’s worth bearing in mind that this will be a longer term, more stable investment, so if it’s a speedy return you’re after, other investments may be more appropriate.

Whether your funds are in the thousands or the millions, turning to the automotive market is a hugely viable route to profitability and shouldn’t be overlooked. A sizeable investment could see you double your initial outgoings within just a couple of years, while a more modest one may take a little longer – either way, the current climate in the world of cars is very encouraging indeed. 

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TOP TIPS ON INVESTING FOR YOUR BUDGET • Over £2 million – Bugatti Veyron or LaFerrari • Over £1 million – Porsche Spyder or McLaren P1 • Over £250,000 – Very low mileage 1980s Ferrari Testarossa or Lamborghini Countach • Over £100,000 – New, limited edition Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini • Over £50,000 – Very low mileage Escort RS Cosworth or Mercedes 190E Cosworth • Over £20,000 – Any well maintained, good condition and low mileage sports car from an era – if you can find one!

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FROM CLASSIC CARS TO CLASSIC CONSOLES

HOW TO GET STARTED IN THE WORLD OF COLLECTABLE INVESTMENT

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hether it’s Swiss watches, fine wines or even video game consoles, there is a whole world of collectable items out there. Everyone may be aware of classic car collectors, or those interested in fine antique jewellery, but in today’s world there is a market for just about any rare, unique or even, simply, nostalgia-inducing object. At Catawiki we have seen a phenomenal appetite for not just rare objects but truly special items. Just this year we have sold the world’s most expensive Lego block which was made of solid gold and went for £15,750 as well as a record-breaking Panini football-card album which went for £10,450 against an estimation of just £5,000.

Although there is plenty of excitement, the world of collecting can appear impenetrable and intimidating for those new to it. Where do you start? How do you know what is worth your time and investment? How do you distinguish between which objects from that dusty box in the attic are genuinely going to be worth something, and which are genuinely due a trip to the tip?

Every investment comes with at least a sense of risk – to an extent, it’s part of the appeal. However, there are plenty of steps that can be taken to minimize that risk and help you make the most well-informed decision possible when it comes to the world of collectables.

A classic car must be one of the most universally appealing collectable, antique items out there.

Whether it’s a Jaguar E-Type or a humble Volkswagen Beetle, many have a dream motor they’ve had their eye on since childhood. However, with a massive market for second hand and vintage cars of wildly varying quality it can be one of the hardest investments to make an informed decision on.

Nevertheless, they can make for incredible investments, if you get it right. For example, if you had put the money down for an Aston Martin DB 25 years ago, you would have seen a value increase of 72

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around 1000% by now! Hindsight is priceless, but for a solid bet on a classic car you still can’t beat Ferrari; without fail these Italian supercars will rise in value.

However, if Porsche is more your style why not take a bet on a 1997 model; they have recently stabilised in price, which is a good sign a future rise is incoming.

The simplest way to prepare for this car investment is research, research, research. These cars may have gone through tens of owners and hundreds of maintenance checks. At one time or another there will have been a paper trail for every part of its history, try and get access to as much of that trail as possible. It may be tedious, but you’ll build a much better picture of the vehicle by delving into its past than by taking the word of an owner who has only known it for 6 months out of its forty-year lifetime.

Wines are another area well known to investors and experts but which also appear intimidating and obscure to those new to the world of collectables.

Following on from Brexit, fine wines have seen a massive increase in investment value. Alongside this, climate change and access to more versatile vines has meant that the UK is starting become something of a modern winery hub, so now is the time to increase your knowledge.

Checking vintage charts is a simple way of finding out about the quality and character of the wines from a region in a specific year. In such reports, you’ll find information on every vintage including details on the wines, growing seasons, weather reports, harvest conditions, style and character of the wines and vintages from the past 50 or so years!

This will help you to make the right choices when faced with unfamiliar wines, and will help collectors determine the optimum times to drink their wines.

If you are looking for a hot tip, one area to watch for wine investment may be Switzerland. Bottles are often hard to come by, as little stock is generally exported, however the quality is fantastic.

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While wine investment is seeing a serious rise now, it still falls within the realm of traditional investment and collecting. Other areas, such as street art could prove the next big thing, and offer very appealing prices for those who are willing to take a risk on investing in new talent. The global superstardom of artists such as Banksy or Shepard Fairey has meant that this art can skyrocket in value in just a matter of years. At the same time, there are thousands of artists out there and it can be tough to distinguish between the imitators and the real deal.

Try artists such as Mr. Brainwash or SEEN for a good place to get started in the world of street art.

Finally, electronics and technology is probably one of the most unlikely but lucrative areas for investment today. While it often feels like gadgets lose value as soon as you’ve purchased them, tech that one day appears obsolete can suddenly have a resurgence in today’s market. Computers from brands such as Commodore or MSX are worth holding onto and even pre-iPod Mp3 players have suddenly soared in value as gadget collectors look to get their hands on these obscure pieces of tech history.

It can be a wild world out there for those looking to invest in the burgeoning market of collectable goods. However, with a few precautionary steps and a little bit of insider knowledge what begins as a small investment can become a significant money maker.

The traditional sectors: cars, wines and watches can provide stable investments but the riskier areas; those less pored over and dominated by established collectors, can provide the greatest rewards. At Catawiki we have a team of experts checking our lots to provide a better insight into the unique objects found on the website, especially for new collectors.

Eventually, however, the key thing is to enjoy yourself; pick a collectable you like and if the investment goes sour you still have an item you appreciate.  Mark Borgman, Global Head of Marketing, Catawiki

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AN INTRODUCTION TO:

Investing In

Wine

This is the first in a series of articles on fine wine as an investment from experts The Wine Investment Fund. Future features will look in more depth at particular aspects of this fascinating market.

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here is nothing new about fine wine as an investment. Ever since wine was first bottled under the ‘brand’ of the château that produced it (Haut Brion in the 1660s, referred to by King Charles II as ‘Hobriono’ and Samuel Pepys as “Ho Bryan”), connoisseurs have sought out the finest names and been prepared to pay escalating prices for them.

The following 350 years saw slowly increasing sophistication. The first wine auction took place at Christie’s in 1766. However, it is only in the last ten years that the market has reached a level of maturity which has made it a genuine ‘asset class’. Today, the fine wine landscape includes properly constituted investment funds, a 24/7 online stock exchange and a wealth of data and analysis.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF FINE WINE The truly unique characteristic of a specific fine wine as an asset is that its supply tends naturally to diminish over time as the wine is drunk, thereby pushing up the price. However, fine wine also has several other features which make it attractive as an investment: • While supply tends to fall, demand tends to rise, for two reasons. First, growing global wealth: in recent decades consumers from the USA, Japan, Russia, China and other economies have all entered the market for fine wine. Second, as a fine wine matures it improves in quality and therefore becomes more sought-after.

• It is a physical asset. Like gold, it acts as a hedge against uncertainty and its value cannot be eroded by inflation. This is particularly interesting when global markets are insecure: for example, in the financial crisis of 2008 and, more recently, following the UK’s vote to leave the EU (discusse further below).

• It has lower volatility (i.e. lower risk) than equities gold and oil.

• In most market conditions, fine wine has a low correlation with the returns from other asset classes, meaning that a holding within an investment portfolio provides diversification, reducing overall risk. The correlation between the longest reliable wine index, the Liv-ex Investables, and the FTSE 100 is just 4% – and this data goes back to 1988.

• Despite this low volatility and low correlation, fine wine has shown relatively strong returns. The annualised return of the Liv-ex Investables, is 10.5% since inception in 1988. Over the same period the comparable figure for the FTSE 100 is 4.6% and for gold 3.8%.

HOW TO ACCESS THE MARKET While the above features suggest that fine wine can be an attractive asset, it can be intimidating to access. It has sometimes hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, with not all market participants being reputable. Therefore, any entity, fund or merchant, to whom you entrust your investment must be thoroughly researched. It should have a physical (not virtual or serviced) office; above all, avoid cold callers or unsolicited mail. It should take physical possession of all wines purchased in a UK Government authorised bonded warehouse, fully

insured at replacement value. All costs, including the buying and selling of wine, and of redeeming and managing the holdings, should be clear and transparent at the beginning of the process and you should receive regular, independent valuations.

Even using reputable dealers, the unwary investor can often face very high transaction costs. Many merchants will take a commission of at least 15% (and sometimes more) on any sale, while auctions will take an even higher cut. There is, then, a risk that an investor does not benefit fully from any market uplift and suffers disproportionately from a downturn. This can be mitigated by ensuring that the interests of the fund manager or investment advisor are aligned with those of the investor: for example, via a transparent fee structure which has lower entry, management and exit costs but compensates with an element of performance-related reward.

THE MARKET TODAY Where is the market today, and what we might expect for the future?

There are, of course, no crystal balls, and market timing is not as critical to fine wine returns as it is in some markets. However, the current position is intriguing.

Following the bull market of 2009-2011 (caused largely by the emergence of China as a major fine wine consuming nation), the next four years saw a long and deep correction. However, prices stabilised in 2015, and the first half of 2016 has seen the beginnings of an upturn: the

THOUGH IT REMAINS AN ‘ALTERNATIVE’, WINE HAS MANY OF THE FEATURES OF A MAINSTREAM ASSET Liv-ex Investables index was up 9% in the first six months of the year.

However, as the graph below shows, prices are still well below their long-term trend level.

Moreover wine has reacted well to the result of the UK’s vote to leave the EU. Fine wine is predominantly a sterling-denominated market, and the fall in sterling of 10%+ against all major currencies has made it substantially cheaper for buyers based overseas. That, and its defensive nature as a physical asset in times of uncertainty, caused a surge in demand. As a result, prices have risen some 8% since the referendum.

A LEGITIMATE ASSET CLASS FOR INVESTORS Fine wine has matured into a legitimate asset class. Though it remains an ‘alternative’, wine has many of the features of a mainstream asset including a well-developed exchange and investors of all sizes from large institutions to private individuals.

Wine has a number of promising characteristics as an asset, and the historical data shows that these have borne fruit in reality: returns have been high relative to, for example, equities, gold and oil, with minimal correlation, while volatility has been lower than for these assets. Put together with the current attractive valuations, there appear to be strong arguments for adding a small proportion of fine wine to an investment portfolio. 

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8 TOP TIPS ON BUYING ANTIQUES ONLINE

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Rachel McGrath owner of online antiques business, Hobson May Collection offers some advice to entrepreneur and investment readers on what to keep in mind when buying antiques online.

ith more antiques dealers selling online, and all the big auction houses offering online bidding services, browsing for antiques has never been so easy.

But while shopping from your sofa might seem like the easy option, particularly if you’re not sure of exactly what type of item you’re looking for, the increased risk of fakes and misleading provenances requires some shrewdness.

Rachel gives us her top tips for antiques shopping online: When purchasing antique furniture, always buy from a respected, established antiques dealer. Check that they are members of the national antique trade associations such as The Association of Art & Antiques Dealers (LAPADA) or The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA). Their knowledge can help inform your choice and will assist in your decision making.

Only bid in marketplaces that offer help for antiques hunters. Buying and selling guides as well as instruction videos are all indicators of reputable sites. Easily accessible customer support contacts are also a good sign.

When purchasing antique furniture, really look at the quality of the item; by buying the best you can possibly afford, it will enable you to enjoy it for many years to come. The higher the quality of the item you purchase the more longevity there tends to be in the piece, in turn this saves you money as you do not have to re-purchase such items in the near future.

The condition of the item is imperative. The description of the piece should provide you with all the available information for the item; the circa age, period style, timber, condition of the piece, any restoration that has been undertaken, and the provenance of the piece.

Ask for a condition report detailing any damage, repairs, and restoration. This way you are able to determine the authenticity of the item and guarantee it is not a replica, or whether it has not been restored to a high standard.

It may sound obvious, but only purchase items that have clear, detailed descriptions and photographs. As photographs of the item of furniture can be digitally enhanced, ask for extra pictures, for complete peace of mind. It is better to check everything thoroughly before buying the piece, you can specify what angles you want to see or if there are any details on the item you wish to take a closer look at.

To check the furniture will fit into your room, cut a template to place on your floor. This will help you to visualise the impact the item will have in the space.

Remember that when buying online you’ll need to consider the shipping costs. Always ensure that the seller uses reputable delivery companies and make sure you understand return policies; as you can’t see or touch the item before purchasing, think about how easy the item will be to return if you’re unsatisfied when it arrives.

Protect your identity and your cash. Look for secure payment solutions such as Auction Payment Network (APN) and PayPal. Systems like this ensure that all transactions are secure. In addition, to ensure your online safety, only buy from marketplaces that offer up-to-date fraud protection software, therefore ensuring only trustworthy sellers.

If you have any questions or concerns when the item arrives, contact the seller immediately. Most sellers will provide their contact information in their auction listing, and when you make a purchase, always ask for a receipt from the dealer with their name, address and contact details. Not only is this evidence of the purchase, but it means the item of furniture is easily able to be traced back to the dealer should any issues arise.  Whether you need help in starting a collection, adding to an existing one or simply finding a one-off purchase, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Hobson May Collection regarding any query you may have on 07768 304056 or email: sales@hobsonmaycollection.com entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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TOP TIPS FOR INVESTING IN JEWELLERY

Investing in jewellery can be extremely rewarding, if you have the knowledge and the confidence in the pieces you buy! For novice investors, knowing where to start can be an overwhelming task.

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our purchases must be able to retain their value over time in order to reap the rewards of an investment. Moreover, it’s important to be aware of the significance behind the precious metal or stone piece that you’re planning to buy.

From antique jewellery to pieces made by the most covetable jewellery designers from across the globe, Joshua James Jewellery share their expert know-how on what you need to know before embarking on your new investment.

I’M READY TO INVEST, WHERE SHOULD I START? One of the most fundamental things to remember when investing in jewellery is that it’s not just what you buy, it’s where you buy it. High street jewellery stores impose a high mark up on new jewellery, this includes margins for both the wholesaler and the manufacturer. It’s common for investors to purchase a piece in the hopes that its value will increase over time, however with new jewellery it can take up to 30 years to get back the initial price of the piece thanks to VAT and other costs imposed at point of sale. New jewellery does play an important role in the industry, particularly when it comes to highlighting the emergence of trends and fashion movements, however for those looking to reap the rewards of their investments, we’d advise to avoid the high street.

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WE’VE RULED OUT THE HIGH STREET, SO WHERE SHOULD I BE LOOKING? As a general rule, you need to look to the past if you’re serious about jewellery investment. Second hand jewellery is the best investment as this term encompasses both antique and vintage pieces, which is where the real money lies. Auction houses and reputable second hand jewellery stores are your first post of call for finding those valuable previously owned gems. If you buy well and approach the buying experience with an in-depth knowledge of what it is you’re looking for, you can start to identify the pieces that will form the basis of your portfolio.

OK, SO WHAT PIECES SHOULD I LOOKING OUT FOR? When you’re investing in jewellery, you should look to diversify your collection. Yes, diamonds may be a girl’s best-friend, however it’s essential to be industry savvy and branch out. For instance, the value of jewellery is influenced by a number of factors. The value of certain pieces of high-quality jewellery can be determined by specific parts – a ring with a significant stone (such as a high carat diamond) is worth more than its component materials. Some investors will bare this in mind, as many are known to remove precious stones out of their own fixings and reset them in more valuable material to increase their overall value.

In terms of style, we recommend sticking to period pieces, especially anything Art Deco,

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YES, DIAMONDS MAY BE A GIRL’S BESTFRIEND, HOWEVER IT’S ESSENTIAL TO BE INDUSTRY SAVVY AND BRANCH OUT

Georgian or from the ‘Belle Epoque’. These pieces are instantly recognisable, Art Deco due to its strong linear designs, Georgian for it’s asymmetrically placed gemstones and ‘Belle Epoque’ for the stunning diamond tendril details and it’s use of platinum. The actual designers of the jewellery can significantly increase the value of your collection, also. Names such as Arpels, Boucheron, Cartier, Van Cleef and of course, Tiffany, are all in high demand.

DO THESE ASPECTS SIMILARLY APPLY FOR INVESTING IN WATCHES? Investing in watches presents some very different challenges to purchasing general jewellery. The vintage style tends to hold less importance, whilst the focus tends to be reinstated on those wellrecognised, classic brands and designs. Try avoiding risky purchases, as safe bets are those most likely to bring in the rewards. In contrast to the previous advice of expanding your collection of jewellery, we suggest that narrowing your focus is the way to go.

Particularly this applies, when considering which brands to pursue. Specifically Rolex are renown for producing financially attainable watches that will hold and in many cases, appreciate their value. Their increase in worth can be attributed to both their reputation to quality, as well as the consistent brand principles that are reflected in their products. This continuity in design also means that when certain models evolve or limited editions are produced, the intricate changes in detail can become an attraction for some investors.

I’VE FOUND THE PIECE I WANT TO BUY, WHAT NOW? As with all investment opportunities, it’s always best to be on the cautious side before making a decision.

Never purchase a piece unseen and be aware of some of the most common investment traps that you can fall into. In particular, don’t confuse sentimental value with actual monetary value.

Pieces that have been handed down within a family still need to be valued by an independent, skilled jewellery valuator. It’s often the case that a piece has been over exaggerated as it’s been passed along the family line. That’s not to say that your great grandmother’s diamond engagement ring isn’t real, we just advise getting second opinion!

IS JEWELLERY INVESTMENT ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE ME ANY MONEY? If you know what you’re looking for and you follow our tips for finding the pieces that matters most, then yes! Jewellery investment is just like any other form of investing, the markets will fluctuate but if your stock is of a high quality, you’re on your way to creating a very attractive portfolio. Spend time learning about these fascinating periods in history, the brands and designers that hold greatest significance, and most importantly, from the experts. Like any major purchase you should consult with others to make sure that you’re making the right decision, as well as vetting who/where you’re buying from. 

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Fabiano Parisi Il Mondo Che Non Vedo, 2016 C-Type photograph mounted on Dibond in tray frame 39 2/5 × 59 in 100.1 × 149.9 cm Edition of 6

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HOW TO INVEST

in Art

By Cynthia Corbett, Director of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery.

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n my work as an international gallerist I spend a big proportion of my time travelling the world to seek out new talent and present artists’ work to discerning crowds of collectors, curators and art lovers. I particularly enjoy the process of identifying trends and supporting and nurturing artists; I like to say that in my career I went from working in emerging markets to supporting emerging artists. I meet so many people on my travels who want to build up their own art collections and invest in art but who simply don’t know where to start.

Before starting an art collection, you might ask questions like where do I find the right art? Whose work should I buy? Should I only invest in work by big names? How much should I spend? Is art really worth investing in? Should I buy work by living artists? Is it better to buy painting or sculpture? To an outsider, the art world can seem like a daunting world to navigate, reserved for those already in the know.

When I started my gallery in 2004, after completing a postgraduate in art history at Christie’s in London, I realised that I could only represent artists whose work I genuinely loved and believed in, an ethos that is still central to the success of my business.

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A PIECE OF ART SHOULD MOVE YOU IN SOME WAY AND GIVE YOU JOY. BUY SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE AND CAN AFFORD AND BE PREPARED TO KEEP IT JUST FOR YOUR OWN PLEASURE

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I am sharing this because I think it is also true when buying art: first and foremost you need to love what you buy. A piece of art should move you in some way and give you joy. Buy something that you like and can afford and be prepared to keep it just for your own pleasure. If the artist then becomes really famous and successful – that is fantastic for you from an investment point of view.

However, if the artist does not become famous you will still love the work.

So how do you seek out art that you like and that’s also worth investing in? Galleries, auctions and art fairs are good places to get a feel for art and the type of art work you might want to buy, so I would encourage any budding art collector to get out there and see as much as they can before they do anything else. Fairs like London Art Fair, Frieze and COLLECT, the international art fair for contemporary objects at the Saatchi Gallery, are good starting points.

Rather than fixating on work by famous artists, I recommend focusing attention on artists at the early stages of their careers who are already getting critical recognition; this will make the collecting process all the more interesting and rewarding.

How do you do this? Work with reputable galleries who represent artists whose work you like. Given how busy people’s lives are, internet browsing of gallery websites can provide a short cut.

Prizes and initiatives like New Contemporaries, the Young Masters Art Prize and Jerwood Painting Fellowships celebrate new and emerging talent and give a platform to artists at a pivotal stage in their creative development. Artists selected for these sorts of prizes – as opposed to something like the Turner Prize which rewards artists at the height of their careers – will be worth paying attention to as

Deborah Azzopardi Love is the Answer…, 2016 Limited Edition Silk-Screen Print with Platinum Leaf 121 x 87 cm 47 5/8 x 34 1/4 in.

Edition of 15

Tom Leighton The Lakes, 2015 C-Type digital print, perspex mounted 160 x 276.4 cm 63 x 108 3/4 in.

Edition of 5

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Andy Burgess Kaufman House, 2016 Oil on Canvas 152.4 x 203.2 cm 60 x 80 in.

they will have been chosen by a panel of art world experts who are on the look-out for the art stars of the future.

To provide an example, I launched the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009. It’s a not-for-profit initiative of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery that gives a platform and recognition to artists who pay homage to the skill and innovation of the Old Masters and art of the past. The Young Masters artists have, without question, benefited from being involved in such a high profile, international initiative both in terms of their career development and in terms of establishing the value of their work. Never underestimate the power of inside connoisseurship when it comes to assisting artists with their success.

One of the finalists of the first Young Masters Art Prize, Lluís Barba was very well known in Latin America and Spain when he entered the prize but was unknown in the UK. Following his exposure, the value of his work has increased five-fold. Matt Smith, the winner of the ceramics strand of the Young Masters Art Prize in 2014 has since gone on to do a residency at the Victoria and Albert Museum and his work is sought-after by many international collectors. These sorts of prizes really are a barometer for future success.

Building on this idea of identifying talent at an early stage in an artist’s career, I advise looking at artists who have recently graduated from the most

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prestigious art institutions – schools like the Royal College of Art and Royal Academy Schools in London or the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Parsons in New York. In addition, you should identify galleries that regularly attend the final-year and graduate art shows and have experience of assessing who to watch and be guided by them.

This can be a very wise way of beginning an art collection and a work costing a few hundred pounds could well end up being very valuable in years to come.

Auction houses are the benchmark of value in an established art market i.e. Old Masters, Impressionism and high-end contemporary art. For investors who have the time and resources, trading within the auction houses can be very rewarding, but knowledge is power. However, if time is scarce there is great value in finding an artist who is still in the building stages of their career and at the cusp of becoming established. These artists won’t have a major auction record, for example, so this won’t need to be maintained in the subsequent sale of their work. Again, the right gallery will be able to guide on this and help to educate on the dos and don’ts of investing in art. Ultimately, someone wanting to invest in art should think carefully about where value is still to be found in the ever-growing and ever-changing art market. 

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Lluís Barba Gallery of Views of Modern Rome.

Giovanni Paolo Pannini, 2012 C-type print, Perspex mounted 45 × 59 in 114.3 × 149.9 cm Edition of 6

IDENTIFY GALLERIES THAT REGULARLY ATTEND THE FINALYEAR AND GRADUATE ART SHOWS AND HAVE EXPERIENCE OF ASSESSING WHO TO WATCH AND BE GUIDED BY THEM

Cynthia Corbett is the Director of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, founded in 2004, which has an annual art exhibition programme in London, Los Angeles and New York. Prior to this Corbett, having received her MA in International Relations from Tufts/ Harvard Universities, spent 15 years as an international economist with various investment banks. Her speciality was debt restructuring in emerging markets.

In 2009 Corbett launched the Young Masters Art Prize, a not-for-profit initiative that gives a platform to both emerging and established artists who pay homage to the skill and innovation of the Old Masters and art of the past. An exhibition of work by the artists shortlisted for the 2017 edition will be held at Gallery 8, 8 Duke Street, London SW1Y 6BN from 19 to 24 June www.young-masters.co.uk and www.thecynthiacorbettgallery.com

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HOW TO BUY, COLLECT AND INVEST IN ART There has never been a better or more easy time to buy art and think about starting a collection! The ever rapid rise of the online art world, independent artists using social media channels to showcase their work, and the growing art fair scene means that there is an inflation of aspiring collectors and art lovers.

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ore and more of us are looking to take the plunge and gone are the days where the cold, sombre art gallery was the only place to go looking. However, with all this accessible art, we still have the challenge of finding ‘the perfect piece’, which frankly, can be as difficult and frustrating as trying to find the perfect partner – art is personal, it’s all about the connection!

BELOW ARE SOME TIPS TO CONSIDER BEFORE EMBARKING ON YOUR SEARCH: THE SECRET TO BUYING ART The secret is there is NO secret. If you see a piece of art that you absolutely love and you want to buy it, then buy it. You don’t need special credentials or a degree in Art History, all you need is the desire to buy and the means to do it. There is no right or wrong when it comes to buying art.

BUYING VS. COLLECTING There is a significant difference between the two.

Buying is a random activity which comes about through individual tastes and attractions as and when the individual comes into contact with an artwork they connect with. Collecting art is a purposeful act which through certain research and evaluation skills results in the owner forming a meaningful and coherent collection of artworks that speak to each other individually and as a whole.

Image: Marwa Al Khalifa FLOWERS 3 ACRYLICS ON CANVAS 84

ART AS AN INVESTMENT Whether you should buy art for art’s sake or as an investment is consistently a big question. The good news is that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The first rule of thumb is to buy what you like, because you will be living with this work – it should intrigue, excite, challenge, and uplift you.

And if, in addition, you are interested in collecting up-and-coming artists whose work might appreciate, then firstly buy early. Try to familiarise yourself with the artist’s résumé and background, like what art schools they have attended, the awards they have received, any collectors of note who bought their work and also what they have planned for the future – solo or group exhibitions, residencies, and the like.

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BE PREPARED AND INFORMED Regardless of the motivation behind buying art, you can help yourself by being prepared and informed.

Do some research: visit galleries and museums, read reviews, and train your eye. Know your taste and budget, and take your time – but not too much time!

The wonderful thing about art is that much of it is one of a kind. Excluding prints and multiples, an artwork is a unique object – so if you hesitate for too long you may miss out on something you love.

KNOW THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE PRICE OF ART Primary vs. secondary market: Pieces bought on the primary market (that is, you are the first owner) tends to be less expensive than those bought on the secondary market (that is, previously owned works being sold privately, through a gallery or at auction).

Rarity: Is the piece one of a kind, or one of an edition of 100?

Medium: In most cases a work on canvas is more valuable than one on paper – however this is not an absolute, rather it is contingent on the artist and the market for their work.

WHERE TO FIND ART Traditional Galleries: The best way to train your eye – and it’s free! Take as many opportunities as you can to visit commercial galleries and see what is new and on view.

Art Fairs: Art fairs are a great hunting ground. Within them you are provided with a huge selection of curated artworks, all under one roof.

Graduation Shows: Some of the most exciting locales to view contemporary art are at art school graduation exhibitions. Prices are reasonable, there is often an exceptional range of works on view, and you often get to meet the artist whilst looking at the work. However, please bear in mind that this is very immature work; the artist may change their style radically as he/she develops. That being said, we love the adventure of it all.

Auctions: Familiarising yourself with an auction house’s buyer’s commission is essential. Auction house pre-sale exhibitions are usually exceptional displays of art – and they’re free to the public! We think they are a wonderful way to train your eye, so plan a walk through the galleries each auction season

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and relish the visual feasts on offer.

Online Galleries: Unlike the fashion and music worlds, the art market is yet to be wholly revolutionised by online buying, however, there is no doubt that it is just moments away, as the art industry continues to rapidly grow and gain momentum on the internet, with the medium being recognised for the transparency and democratisation that it provides to this new wave of art collectors. The Hiscox online art trade report has recently been released and the findings confirm that despite the slowing global art market, online art market sales are up 15% from 2015.

Therefore, it is time to familiarise yourself with the online marketplaces and some of their benefits over the bricks and mortar establishments: • Exceptional selection of artwork available in one place where you can search with the aid of specialised filters from the comfort of your home.

• Not intimidating and often there is a free ‘Speak to a curator’ service available for you to consult with a professional for added support and suggestions, and to allay any fears of the unknown.

• Try-before- you-buy, rental and often free returns services are offered in order to give the customer reassurance when purchasing an unseen work.

• Trusted sites are generally curated by a Selection Committee to ensure a high quality of art.

• Professional and affordable framing service is often available so the customer avoids this extra step and receives the artwork looking it’s best.

FOLLOW YOUR GUT The golden rule, follow your gut and buy what you love! Do not overthink it or try to follow trends, identify the latest breakout artist or invest purely for a monetary return. Art was not created to become an object of speculation. Instead, collect art that brings you joy and speaks to you personally – that is where the real value of collecting art lies, regardless of whether you are buying in person or online. If you follow these guidelines, do some exploring and a little research, have the added comfort of discovering the art you love through a reputable, trusted source and lastly choose from the heart, you will never be disappointed.  Rebecca Gordon is the Head Curator at Rise Art. She is predominately focused on recruiting talented emerging and established artists to the site and managing Rise Art’s board of art world insiders.

She also advises corporate companies and private individuals on their art collections.

She has previously worked for a London based Modern British dealer in 20th century art, as well as for a 17th century Dutch Old Master dealer on Bond Street before moving her expertise in to contemporary art. She has an M.A. in History of Art from Edinburgh University.

EMBRACE INSTAGRAM Instagram is the holy grail of visual aesthetic right now, confirmed by Hiscox to have overtaken Facebook as the preferred social media platform for visual art. It is a great and powerful tool that artists as well as auction houses and museums are using to showcase their work to increasing effect in the best, most immediate light possible, and collectors in turn are responding by buying works that they find through this pictorial platform. Follow commercial and online galleries to discover the latest emerging artists and find the hashtags that you love, it’s a great place to explore, and explore you should! The more time spent looking, the more you’ll get to know what you like or don’t like.

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Ghada Khunji Maria Myself and I

The fine Art of Investment B

aumol, Goetzmann, Locatelli, Mei, Pesando and Shum: just some of the respected researchers who over the years have analysed the question of art investment.

Far from the emotions produced by works of art, these experts have tried to understand what affects the price of a painting or sculpture and how best to invest in them.

The riddle everyone seeks to answer is how sound an investment is art investment, especially

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when compared to other forms of placement.

In early studies the focus was firmly on the overall art market and more precisely on painting. In this way, there was no attempt to make a distinction between styles and artists. In addition, research took account of a timeline of sometimes more than three centuries of art buying and selling. Clearly, the criteria were too vast.

More recently, this very general approach has been replaced by studies taking into account the

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constraints of certain specific art market segments and looking at shorter periods of time which show better cyclical market fluctuations.

In an attempt to evaluate the worth of art investment one technique is to measure the level of correlation between the art market and financial markets. Such research applies the theory of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to works of art therefore considered as “art assets”.

In practice, this means that a work of art must offer a minimum return greater than that of a risk-free investment and that it must be in line with the world’s stock market values. If these two requirements are met, investments in art can be considered as effective tools that can make a placements portfolio more varied.

The problem here comes from the very nature of a work of art: it is unique. In this way, it is the polar opposite of company shares which are issued in massive numbers. How can we therefore compare price trends of areas with such vastly different characteristics?

All the studies in the field carried out since the mid-1970s reach similar conclusions. Firstly, that whether or not comparable with risk-free investments, even in the equity markets, the rates of return of the art market are higher than inflation.

However, investments in art are always more risky than traditional placements meaning that profits can be significantly lower or higher than the average.

Another widespread finding is that return on investment in art depends very much on the periods and art schools concerned. The most obvious way to approach this in terms of measurement would be to try to set up an index that allowed each ‘school’ or period of art to find its place on an investment range. Here, once again, the unique nature of artworks poses a basic problem. The very fact that each work of art is one of a kind makes it paradoxical to try to establish an index that would consist of goods with common characteristics.

Even the sources of data on art prices and profits do not lend themselves to a scientific analysis. The most obvious path would be to take account of auction house prices which are easy to track. However, the specific origin of this data raises several problems.

In reality, auctions only account for a minority of art market sales. Between 33 and 50% of the world’s fine art sales pass through the hands of these experts. What about sales made by gallery owners, antique dealers or even the artists themselves?

Added to this there is no indication that the public part of art investment that takes place via auction houses is representative of the whole. On the contrary, these public auctions tend not to concern the upper and lower parts of the market such as works which have disappeared from circulation after being acquired by museums or those which have lost almost all of their market value.

One big difference between classic stock market shares and art sales is the assumption that the selling goal is one of financial return. While this can be applied to financial markets such a notion does not reflect what really motivates those selling artworks. Sotheby’s auction house illustrates this point when it states that its business is founded on

four main reasons for selling art: death, divorce, discretion and debts. It could be argued that the profit aspect can be found in the term ‘discretion’, but even if this is conceded return on investment is far from being the only motivation for selling. It seems to be rather life’s ‘accidents’ that push owners of artworks to sell.

Such a complex and shifting environment means that choosing fine art as a principle means of investing is far from simple. Care then needs to be taken over what kind of artistic production is concerned. In this way, investments should be made in niche art sectors where the level of quality is accepted by all. It also means buying art that is at least several decades old so that the views of the

HOW SOUND AN INVESTMENT IS ART INVESTMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER FORMS OF PLACEMENT market (high prices) and of museums (exhibitions) converge to create wider buying interest. Works that are not acknowledged as classic and those yet to be recognised as such belong more to the unstable market of contemporary modern art. This means that very recent works cannot claim to be safe and liquid securities. As a result, prices might be disconnected from basic artistic value.

Perhaps the best policy to adopt is that of the collector. Collections of a certain branch of art have proved themselves to be very strong in terms of return on investment. Several factors explain this success. The collection is overall a guarantee of quality and highlights a selectivity that appeals to buyers. What is more, if the collection is a large one then few other works from the school of art in question will have been brought to market recently.

This makes the collection to be sold more attractive due to the comparative rarity of what is being offered.

Art, like fashion, is a volatile environment which can scare off investors who seek to impose wideranging investment rules on a world that cannot be easily generalised. However, for those with the patience and passion to build up a stock of desirable and well-targeted works it can be a means of adding a new angle to an investment policy that otherwise risks being too closely tied to the moods of the world’s stock markets.  Laurent Noël is Strategy Professor at Audencia Nantes School of Management, France entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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TOP TIPS FOR BECOMING AN ANGEL INVESTOR

Colette Ballou, founder of Ballou PR, explains how she became an angel investor and entrepreneur in a male-dominated landscape

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he technology industry is always under heavy scrutiny for its lack of gender equality, with companies like Google accused of paying women less than men, and most leading technology companies dominated by male employees. Unfortunately, this pattern is also present in angel investing – only 7.4% of angel investors are women.

Why aren’t there more women angels? Well, a large proportion of today’s angels are former VCs and venture-funded entrepreneurs, and the vast majority of those are men. But the barriers to women investing are the same barriers to anyone investing – they don’t know how to get started or don’t have the confidence. Here are some of my tips for anyone looking to start angel investing.

MENTOR, MENTOR, MENTOR I’ve been a mentor for over 10 years, and have been involved with startup accelerator programmes like Seedcamp, 500 Startups and Techstars. Not only does mentoring help with networking, it also teaches you key lessons for angel investing.

As a mentor, you need to quickly assess a start-up and formulate a SWOT analysis based on your meetings, and help them work through their challenges and capitalise on their strengths. This process also applies to investing, so mentoring is a great way to get practice.

BE PICKY Many investors can get carried away by FOMO (fear of missing out) and dazzled by the possibility of joining a round with celebrity investors. Don’t

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be. Instead, have an investing strategy in place. My guidelines are few, but important to making sure I invest wisely.

I only invest in companies that have a straightforward business model that makes sense to me, companies to which I can bring more than just money, and more than just PR experience. I also prefer to invest in companies with teams that I’ve known previously, although I’ve been known to break this rule. These guidelines make sense to me because of my background. I built Ballou PR as a single shareholder, on cash flow alone, and expanded it into three foreign markets. I like to invest in companies where my background is valued, and where my experience will be key. Obviously, these guidelines will be different for everyone – perhaps you have a passion for health, and would prefer to solely invest in health tech, and that’s great – just make sure you set the guidelines in advance.

KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO SPEND It doesn’t matter how deep your pockets are – if you’re going to invest, you should know how much you’ll be spending ahead of time and make sure your cash flow allows to invest. It’s very easy to keep investing, or to promise something which you then can’t follow through on. To avoid this, you should set aside a budget for investing every year.

You need to remember that when you angel invest, you’re investing in someone else’s dream.

Setting a budget and planning your cash flow ahead of time assures that you don’t accidentally torpedo their dream as the result of financial glitches on your part.

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ALWAYS, ALWAYS COLLECT THE PAPERWORK

I ONLY INVEST IN COMPANIES THAT HAVE A STRAIGHTFORWARD BUSINESS MODEL THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME

It may sound very obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many angels don’t do this. Imagine having a great exit, but no proof that you ever invested.

These four tips should help you get started in angel investing. It’s always going to be a learning process. Years on, I continue to learn by investing every day. 

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HOW YOU SHOULD INVEST ONCE ACCEPTING YOU PROBABLY CAN’T OUTPERFORM THE MARKET

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s investors we are bombarded with stock tips about the next Apple or Google, read articles on how India or biotech investing are the next hot thing, or are told how some star investment manager’s outstanding performance is set to continue. The implicit message is that only the uninformed few fail to heed this advice and those that do end up poorer as a result. We wouldn’t want that to be us!

What if we started with a very different premise? The premise that markets are actually quite efficient. Even if some people are able to outperform the markets, most people are not among them. In financial jargon, most people do not have edge over the financial markets; they can’t consistently outperform the market by picking different securities / sectors / geographies from the market as a whole, especially after costs. Nor are they able to pick which of the thousands of fund managers have the ability to do it for them.

Accepting, embracing, and acting on this absence of edge should in my view be a key moment in most investor’s lives.

The absence of edge does not mean that you should avoid investing. Doing so would exclude you from potentially exciting long term returns in the equity markets, or benefitting from the security of highly rated government bonds. Also, what else were you going to do – leave your money under the mattress or in a bank at zero interest? Instead we should assume that the current market prices of securities capture all available information and analysis, and that the price reflect that security’s future risk/return profile. In equities we should then pick the broadest possible selection of stocks because just like we don’t know which one stock will outperform, we don’t know which sector or geography will outperform.

And what is broader than an index that track equities from all over the world in the proportion of value that market forces have already put on them? With a world equity index tracker we maximize diversification and minimize exposure to any one geography, sector, or currency. And since we simply track an index (like the MSCI All Country World, etc.) it is very cheap to put together for a product provider like Vanguard, iShares, etc., and thus cheap to us. If an all equity exposure is too risky, you can combine this world equity portfolio with government bonds in the proportions that suit your risk profile. The lower the risk desired, the more bonds you want.

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SO MY KEY TAKEAWAYS TO MOST INVESTORS CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS: • You almost certainly do not have edge in the financial markets. That’s ok. Most people don’t, but you should plan and act accordingly.

• There is an easy and cheaply constructedportfolio which is close to optimal. It combines the highest rated government bonds in your currency (so £ for British investors) with the most diversified possible world equity portfolio. Get close to that in the right proportions, which depend mainly on your risk tolerance, stick to it and in my view you are doing better than 95% of all investors. That’s it – two securities: one being an index tracker of world equities and the other a security that represent government bonds of maturity and currency that match your need. Both equity and bond exposure perhaps via an ETF. Simple perhaps, but you capture an incredible diversification of exposures via the equities and the portfolio is at your risk appetite when you incorporate the bonds in a proportion that suit your risk. You can add other government and diversified corporate bonds if you have appetite for a bit more complexity in your portfolio, but the portfolio is very powerful even without those.

• Your specific circumstances do matter a great deal. Think hard about your risk appetite and optimizing your tax situation. But also pay attention to your non-investment assets and liabilities – many people already have a disproportionate exposure to their domestic economy through their house and some sector via their jobs. Don’t add to this concentration risk with your investment portfolio.

• Be a huge stickler for costs, don’t trade a lot, and keep your investments for the very long run. The portfolio above should only be implemented via extremely cheap index tracking products that charge 0.25% per year or less.

Follow these steps and I think you will have a personal portfolio strategy that lets you sleep well at night, knowing that you have created a powerful and diversified portfolio cheaply, tailored to your risk appetite. To emphasize the point of costs, suppose you are a frugal saver who diligently put aside 10% of £50,000 annual income from the age of 25 to 67 that you invest in world equities.

Further assume markets return 5% real per year in line with historical returns (ignoring taxes).

Considering a typically 2% annual cost difference between an index tracking product and an actively managed fund (potentially in addition to the cost of an advisor), as you get ready to retire at age 67 the difference in the savings pot is staggering. You are left better off by perhaps £250,000 in today’s money simply by investing with an index fund as opposed to an active manager.

If you think you have great edge in the market and think you could easily make up this 2% annual cost difference then by all means pick an active manager or your own stocks. If not, then the sooner you shift out of the expensive investment products or active stock picking and into cheap index tracking products the better off you will be.

To put things in perspective consider that these additional and unnecessary fees for just one saver over their investing lives could buy 6 Porsches.

And paradoxically this is money paid to the finance industry from a saver who could typically not afford to drive a Porsche.

To illustrate some of these ideas I have created a Youtube channel where I expand on some of the thoughts mentioned in this article. You can find the channel under “Lars Kroijer”.  Lars Kroijer is the author of “Investing Demystified – How to Invest Without Speculation and Sleepless Nights” from Financial Times Publishing. He founded and ran Holte Capital, a London based hedge fund in 2002. You can follow him on @ larskroijer.

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Image courtesy of Y.Sawa

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BOSTON’S LUXURY PROPERTY BOOM

Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences One Dalton Street, transforming the Boston skyline, leads the way in luxury real estate boom.

Boston has long been associated with a rich history and a legacy of arts, culture and education but only recently has it started commanding the attention of global investors. With 83 new projects currently under construction in 19 of the city’s 23 neighbourhoods, Boston is currently undergoing its biggest residential boom since the 1920s.

Fondly referred to as the gateway to New 92

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England, Boston is an academic hub with over 30 colleges and universities including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, two Ivy League universities that welcome a host of high-achieving international students each year. This exceptional selection of educational institutions have attracted a significant movement of industry to the city, cementing

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its status as a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. In recent years Boston has seen General Electric and IBM relocate to this buzzing metropolis, whilst Microsoft is looking to expand their operations in the city and Amazon is intending to lease up to 200,000 square-feet of office space in the first quarter of 2017.

But it’s not just technology and utility companies that call this city home. Boston is a world centre for medicine, scientific research institutes and biotechnology companies, with over 20 hospitals and medical schools currently operating.

With more than 50 international direct flight routes into the city, Boston is becoming increasingly accessible, aiding its transition into a thriving multinational city. Attractive flight prices from airlines such as award-winning Norwegian Air, only further contribute to the city’s new stature as an international hub.

As one of the most historic cities in the United States, Boston is renowned for its traditional Victorian brownstone townhouses and vibrant neighbourhoods rather than the skyline. However, times are changing in this ‘city of neighbourhoods’, as developers recognise an opportunity to introduce some glitz and glam to Boston in the form of gleaming, amenity filled, luxury residential towers that rival some of the best options in New York City.

Carpenter & Company is leading the way for developers who have chosen to build in one of Boston’s charming neighbourhoods, with the development of New England’s tallest residential tower in Boston’s Back Bay. The prestigious Back Bay, rich in history and with access to first class shopping, dining and culture, is Boston’s most coveted neighbourhood and home to Boston’s high

society. “What we are creating at One Dalton will be unlike anything the city has ever seen, we have enlisted top visionaries such as renowned architect Harry N. Cobb, legendary designer Thierry Despont and the incomparable Four Seasons brand to build a true 5-star residential building in Boston” notes President and Chief Executive Officer of Carpenter & Company, Richard L. Friedman.

Standing at 213 meters tall, One Dalton Street will comprise 160 ultra-luxury condos and a 215 key Five Star Four Seasons hotel, which will, upon completion in 2018, redefine the city’s skyline, setting a new standard for luxury living across Boston as an iconic addition to the Back Bay neighbourhood. This will be the second Four Seasons hotel to grace Boston, making it one of only a select few cities worldwide that will be home to two prestigious Four Seasons hotels.

Boston, ranked fifth in the City Momentum Index 2016, the annual report created by Jones Lang LaSalle, which tracks the speed of change of a city’s economic base and its commercial real estate market, is now recognized as one of the world’s most dynamic urban economies. In good company, Boston joins London, Silicon Valley, Dublin, and Bangalore in the top five, cementing the city’s position as one of the most important innovation hubs in the world. Driven by unprecedented job growth in knowledge-intensive industries, Boston has become a critical and strategic location for global brands that together create a stable economy and a safe haven to invest, particularly amongst foreign investors.

Prices start from $2.75 million to over $40 million in the Four Seasons Private Residences One Dalton Street.  entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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BREXIT INVESTING IN PROPERTY IS STILL A GOOD BET

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n the months that followed the UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), the housing market has been impacted by a rise in consumer inflation, a deflated sterling and higher stamp duty. We’ve seen property buyers, investors and developers exercising greater caution with their spending.

As the government prepares negotiations for our exit from the EU, property investors are looking for clarity on the potential impact on their investments. The unprecedented nature of Brexit makes it difficult to be certain of the future, but we can say with certainty that a thriving property market needs a healthy economy. If Brexit negotiations progress well, the market should remain strong and house prices could rise at a faster rate than expected. However, if extracting the UK from its web of long-standing, complex agreements and EU deals proves problematic, house prices could falter.

The latest Halifax Price Index shows that house price growth has increased by 5.1% in the year to February, the lowest since July 2013. Although, this outlines the slowing growth rate, property prices are still rising. This continuous rise in the cost of housing has not only made it difficult for people to get on the property ladder, but also increasingly harder for investors to be sure of where they should be putting their money.

Despite this, property investors have a number of reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the future, given how resilient the market has been since the referendum. This is partly due to foreign investors taking advantage of the fluctuating pound, renewed interest in regional cities and continuing investment in the UK as an international business hub.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS The pound is at its lowest value since 2007, depreciating 18 per cent against the American dollar and 12 per cent against the euro. The pounds postBrexit vote slump has triggered a wave of interest from overseas buyers in London’s property market.

Beauchamp Estates’ 2017 Wealth Report showed that the number of dollar-based buyers

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from America and the Middle East looking to spend between £2m – £6m on London property in neighbourhoods like Kensington and Chelsea, is rising swiftly. The sterling drop has meant that the average house price of a Mayfair flat has decreased by approximately 10.6 per cent.

The surge in demand from overseas buyers and investors reinforces the recognition that property will be a stable and safe market over the next few years. No longer the elephant in the room, the boom in foreign investment will not only make up for any absence of domestic demand, but will help anchor the sustained growth of the nation’s property market.

REGIONAL HOTSPOTS As prices increase in London’s property market, investors will start to look elsewhere for markets that can yield stronger returns. This has created regional investment hotspots like Reading and Manchester.

Reading has exceptional infrastructure making the area an attractive place to buy property. Trains generally take only half an hour to reach Paddington station, making it a popular destination for buyers priced out of London. As a result, Reading has seen one of the biggest house price increases, with the average price rising by 18.5% within the last year.

After Theresa May pledged a £556m cash boost for the North, Manchester has seen an uptick in investor demand for property. This investment has put Manchester in the spotlight, which has had a positive impact on its property market. At the same time, Manchester’s low levels of property supply has meant that it’s not meeting the rising demand, which in turn is pushing prices up. According to Hometrack, Manchester has seen a house price increase year-on-year of around 8.3 per cent, superseding London by 1.9 per cent. The pledge from the Prime Minister and the lack of housing supply makes Manchester a prime location for investors looking to expand their property portfolio outside of London.

It’s important to note that the lack of housing supply is an issue across the UK. This shortage of housing, alongside ultra-cheap borrowing rates

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THE UK’S REAFFIRMED STATUS AS A LEADING GLOBAL BUSINESS NATION MEANS INVESTORS CAN BE CERTAIN THAT THEIR PROPERTY ASSETS WHETHER IN LONDON OR OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WILL BE A STABLE SOURCE OF RETURNS FOR YEARS TO COME means we’ll continue to see house prices rise and defy the doom-mongers and doubters.

Growing investor interest in cities across the UK helps paint a more optimistic picture about the postBrexit property market. Property investors are now looking beyond London for properties that will offer higher yields and lower rates of stamp duty.

THE UK IS AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS HUB Even though the Brexit vote and subsequent negotiations may dampen enthusiasm for the UK in the short-term, the country is still a popular nation for investment. The UK remains one of the top three countries to invest in (only behind the US and China).

Multinational corporations, such as Dyson and Apple, have given the UK a vote of confidence with recent expansions of their business presence in the UK. Such moves signify that fears of Brexit leading to many jobs being moved to other European cities are overblown. Business ventures like this will increase the number of regional locations seeking to attract foreign and local investment in the future.

A rise in the number of corporations investing in the UK is indicative of the ongoing strength of our economy. The UK’s reaffirmed status as a leading global business nation means investors can be certain that their property assets whether in London or other areas of the country will be a stable source of returns for years to come.

BEYOND BREXIT There can be no doubt that the next two years of Brexit negotiations will be characterised by market volatility and uncertainty. The property market will not be immune to this turbulence. However, property investors can find assurances in the sound economic foundations of the market that have underpinned its strength thus far. Forwardthinking investors will consider Brexit an opportunity to invest in a market that has naturally been the nation’s most resilient.  Tal Orly, CEO and Founder of Cogress

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THE DOS AND DON’TS OF

PROPERTY INVESTMENT

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ith Brexit and Article 50 officially triggered, we can look back on the predictions of economic disaster forecast during the UK’s EU Referendum last year. Despite these predictions, the UK is yet to experience the drastic changes to our economy and to the property market that were anticipated. Instead, we’ve experienced labour market growth, unemployment rate improvements and household income acceleration

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– along with house price increases and a continued rise in rents.

Although the rental market faced a mass of changes during 2016, from stamp duty surges to Wear and Tear Allowance changes, residential property in the UK remains resilient and continues to hold its position as a sound investment, whatever the financial climate.

With a growing population, tenant numbers climbing and an evident shift towards a PRS-centric

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landscape, the UK is set to experience a surge in demand for rental properties over the next few years, so it’s little wonder that investors are looking towards buy-to-let to strengthen their portfolio.

Buy-to-let is a highly attractive investment, particularly when compared to low savings rates and stock market volatility, offering a stable income and long-term returns, but whether you’re a veteran landlord or just starting out, it’s equally important to check off a few things to maximise your return and minimise risks.

TEST YOURSELF How much do you know about the market? Do your research and familiarise yourself with an understanding of buy-to-let and the UK rental market. You’ll need to know the current status of the market before investing in order to weigh up the return. Also it’s advisable to conduct due diligence on the responsibilities of being a landlord and what this entails. For example, if you don’t have time to fully manage your investment property, be sure to have a professional ARLA-accredited lettings and management company in place to operate on your behalf. However, be sure to factor in the fees involved, which can range between 8 and 10 per cent of the property’s rental returns.

LOCATION Location is key, so find a property that is in a reputable location with high tenant demand and high-performing yields. Be sure to look at the performance of the local housing market in the last few years, as well as assessing future development in the area, as this could often be indicative of future growth.

IDEAL TENANT Find out what kind of tenant you want to attract and use this as a starting point. It could be students, young professionals or families. Put yourself in their shoes and consider their different needs, and ensure your property fulfils their expectations. For example, if you’re targeting families, a big garden and being close to schools is desirable, while students and young professionals benefit from close proximity to major transport links.

CALCULATE Do rough calculations of how much it will cost to buy and manage the property you are considering. Much like knowing your responsibilities as a landlord, it’s important to consider the financial risks associated with buy-to-let from potential void periods, for example.

If you are unfamiliar with the market or unsure of any of these elements, be sure to speak to an industry professional like an estate agent or a buyto-let specialist for expert help and advice.

Here is an outline of the dos and don’ts for landlords and aspiring property investors.

DO: • Seek specialist advice from estate agents or property professionals on local market demands.

You may have done your research on the market

in the UK as a whole, but don’t assume that all areas follow the same rule.

• Ensure you have a sound financial plan in place, not just for the purchase but also for a contingency fund. It is advisable to save two to three months’rental income for maintenance work, so include this in any preliminary calculations.

• Furnish and decorate the property to a high standard, but keep it neutral in order to attract the best quality tenants quickly.

• Use an ARLA-accredited lettings agent that has necessary insurance like Client Money Protection and Professional Indemnity Insurance. ARLA trains agencies to have high standards, keeping them up to date with the latest legal and regulatory requirements.

DON’T: • Treat the property like it’s your home – personal tastes shouldn’t cloud your judgement, so ensure that your property meets market requirements.

• Purchase a property that may require a lot of maintenance and upkeep. Maintenance work is a necessary evil for any landlord, but choosing property wisely can help to reduce the workload, save you time and avoid eating into your profits.

• Subcontract any due maintenance work in your property to friends and family. Tenants expect and require a full management service by someone who knows what they are doing, so make sure you have a trustworthy property manager on hand.

• Leave all documentation to the last minute – ensure you have all the appropriate paperwork checked over by a professional and signed by both yourself and your tenant.

• Try to cut corners by furnishing your property cheaply – all furniture in rental accommodation has to comply with the Furniture and Furnishings Regulations.

Whether you are an ‘accidental landlord’ or a professional buy-to-let investor, investing in property requires careful consideration to ensure you are making the right move at the right time.

The potential returns in the buy-to-let market are evident but – as with any investment, be it stocks and shares, government bonds or crowdfunding – having a clear and carefully thought-out strategy is essential in order to achieve the desired yields and capital gains from your asset.  Andy Phillips, commercial director at Knight Knox – a Manchester-based property investment consultancy.

Knight Knox is a specialist property investment consultancy, providing buy-to-let developments to the private investor market. They are specialists in sourcing investment opportunities in both new-build residences and high-end refurbishment projects, Knight Knox boasts an impressive portfolio of both completed and future stock. The team works in partnership with four highly experienced developers – X1, Fortis Developments, Forshaw Land & Property Group and Crossbow Investments. Nurturing relationships with these developers has allowed Knight Knox to build a track record of over 75 successful buy-to-let developments, including prime new-build residential buy-to-let apartments and high-yielding boutique student accommodation projects in major cities throughout the UK. entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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HOLIDAY LODGE INVESTMENTS RETURNS AND ENJOYMENT

Investing in a holiday lodge - something you might not have considered, but it could definitely be worth investigating. The Dream Lodge Group is the expert in the field with over 50 years experience in building, selling and renting a range of stunning properties in some of the most sought after and prettiest locations in the UK. A family run business which truly believes in the values of service, expertise and excellent customer care, they currently own 8 of these beautifully located parks throughout the UK, covering Devon, Cornwall, Cambridgeshire, Berkshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex.

Each of their lodges are beautifully tucked away within these parks and offer light spacious open plan living with a high degree of luxury, and top

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quality furnishings, fixtures and fittings. Owning one of their luxury lodges is an easy way to escape from it all at a moment’s notice and break free from the stresses of busy city and corporate life.

Anyone buying one of their lodges receives an excellent return on their investment plus access to a superb holiday home. They have a number of investment options which enable you to choose between a regular monthly income or a lump sum plan. This means you can either enjoy a guaranteed 8% return per annum over three years (paid monthly) or, you can take a three to four year term which provides a lump sum at the end of the plan.  For further information visit thedreamlodgegroup.co.uk

ADAM WOODGATE WEB & PRINT DESIGN Web Design Adverts Posters Signs Logos Artwork

WWW.ADAMWOODGATE.CO.UK

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FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

ROOM WITH A VIEW PRATI PALAI ON LAKE GARDA SHORES

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rom Dante to Tennyson, history’s most celebrated poets have been seduced by the beauty of Italy’s Lake Garda. Today those who flock to the area are similarly entranced.

But for travellers looking for somewhere to escape the crowds, bijou luxury hotel Prati Palai not only offers an oasis of calm, but a whole different travel experience.

Prati Palai is a lovingly restored 16th century farmhouse, offering just eight spacious suites and one double room. Set in 18 hectares of woodland, gardens and olive groves, this unique rural retreat co-exists within the soul of one of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes.

Prati Palai isn’t your conventional hotel however; its idea of hospitality towards guests is closer to a private country house, with all the comforts and services of a resort, but with a personal touch.

With their picture-perfect views of the lake, Prati Palai’s rooms combine rustic beamed ceilings and polished wooden floorboards with contemporary amenities such as air conditioning and satellite TV. Rooms are painted in pastel tones (more than 100 different colours have been used throughout the hotel), while the bathrooms feature wine-red oxide floors. One of the suites offers a pentagonal shower and, in the upstairs living room, a roll-top bath, whilst another boasts a striking circular window that looks out onto Punta San Vigilio.

Outside guests will find a charming swimming pool surrounded by olive trees, together with meadows, woods with hiking trails and picnic spots.

Although Prati Palai has no restaurant, guests can enjoy breakfast on the terrace or in their rooms. During the day simple dishes such as salads and sandwiches, made with local and homemade products, are available on request. Picnic hampers can also be ordered. Guests are obviously free to explore the local area for themselves, but help is always on hand when it comes to restaurant reservations, wine tours and private visits to the best spots around the lake.

Ideally located just a 30-minute drive from

Verona and 90 minutes from Venice to the east and Milan to the west, Prati Palai is the creation of Domenico Ferrari Barettoni. Not a hotelier by profession, his family are landowners with properties on Lake Garda and in the province of Verona. Six years ago Domenico decided to restore one of their best positioned farmhouses to its former glory. At the same time he wanted to demonstrate how it was possible to create a tourist facility that had respect for both a building’s history and the local landscape.

An encounter with architect Giuseppe Tommasi, once a pupil of the legendary Carlo Scarpa, showed Domenico how his dream could become a reality.

Together with local craftsmen, he set about renovating the abandoned house, a project that would take him nearly three years.

The original building has not been altered, but simply refined using ancient materials in keeping with the period. Interiors have been furnished with a melange of antiques, artefacts and bespoke pieces made by the area’s artisans.

Prati Palai’s amenities include a small library, helicopter landing area and honesty bar (the home-made limoncello, from the main villa’s own citrus fruit, is a particular favourite). From this season, guests wishing to enjoy some period-style sightseeing can also hire Domenico’s classic Italian four-seater Riva Super Florida motorboat, along with pilot.

The sportier inclined meanwhile can take advantage of the mountain bikes available for hire at the hotel. The lake itself offers windsurfing, waterskiing and canoeing and there are tennis courts nearby. The area is also home to several renowned 18 hole golf courses, including Golf Cà Degli Ulivi and Golf Club Paradiso del Garda.  Room rates start from just 200 euros per night. Prati Palai is also available for exclusive hire.

Prati Palai, Strada Palai, 11, 37011 Bardolino (VR), Italy www.pratipalai.it/en/ @pratipalai entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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AGUAS DE IBIZA LIFESTYLE & SPA LUXURY HOTEL SETTING NEW STANDARDS ON THE WHITE ISLE ocated in the Santa Eulalia Bay marina, with breath-taking views of crystal clear waters and colourful streets lined with boutiques and hippy markets, Aguas de Ibiza Lifestyle & Spa is an idyllic five star resort for those who want to have fun, relax and escape in an atmosphere of understated luxury.

Centred on nature, harmony and tranquillity, with its impeccable sustainable credentials and absolute respect for the environment - the hotel has a 35 percent lower energy consumption than similar properties - Aguas de Ibiza surrounds its guests with an intense experience of rest, balanced sleep and freedom.

The building’s 112 light and airy guestrooms have been designed by Kim Castells and Jordi Cuenca from Barcelona’s renowned Triade Studio.

They have taken their inspiration from Ibiza’s special qualities of air, water and light, utilising materials such as natural stone and iridescent tiles that mirror the look of sea shells.

The ultimate in luxurious living is undoubtedly the magnificent Presidential Suite. With its fabulous views to the island of Formentera, hardwood floors, exclusive furnishings and private terrace with bathtub, it makes for a truly unique and unforgettable experience!

All rooms in the Aguas de Ibiza are equipped with the latest technology, including Bang & Olufsen televisions and state-of-the-art, energy-saving domotics for lighting and curtain control.

Every self-respecting Ibizan hotel has to have a chill-out space, but once again Aguas de Ibiza presents something truly one-of-a-kind. The Vi Cool cocktail bar is situated on the vast, adults-only rooftop space, which also features a magnificent swimming pool with underwater sound system. The bar’s design includes innovative touches such as pergolas boat rope and Huguet ceramic floor tiles.

Here guests can imbibe a signature cocktail, such as the Ibiza Sling, or choose from the wine list compiled by sommelier Daniel Poveda, all whilst enjoying front row seats for the spectacular Balearic sunset.

The rooftop is also home to Aguas de Ibiza’s celebrated restaurant Vi Cool by Sergi Arola. Here the globally renowned Michelin-starred chef has created an innovative, modern and informal take on the traditional tapas. Depending on the appetite and 102 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

time of day, guests can opt for a light bite or order an array of plates, featuring such artfully presented delicacies as deep fried prawns with mint & curry; sardines marinated in dried tomatoes, oil & fresh oregano and patatas bravas.

The Alabastro Lounge meanwhile presents a varied menu of healthy dishes made with local ingredients, including carpaccios, salads and fresh fish.

Aguas de Ibiza also houses a boutique featuring collections by celebrated local designer Charo Ruiz, whose beautiful handmade creations are sold all over the world. It also offers an exclusive image consultancy service for customers as well as brides looking for that special dress.

Also setting the Aguas de Ibiza apart is its Revival Spa by Clarins, an 1800 sqm oasis of calm that has become a benchmark for beauty and wellbeing treatments.

Facilities at this minimalist, all-white space include three indoor pools, featuring a wave machine, jet-massages and underwater circuit with 11 separate Jacuzzi effects; Roman bath; Finnish sauna; hammam; ice fountain and rain showers.

Signature treatments such as Essence of Ibiza (an indulgent medley of exfoliation using rosemary, a relaxing bath with essential oils of basil, petitgrain and chamomile and a massage using Ibizan herbs) are complemented by an extensive menu of antiageing facials, scrubs and blissful massages, each combining the finest quality Clarins products with gorgeous Mediterranean ingredients.

For the more energetic, the hotel also houses a brand new high-tech gym together with a yoga and Pilates studio, offering a wide array of classes.

Aguas de Ibiza belongs to the prestigious Design Hotels brand, encompassing hotels around the world that stand out for the quality of their architecture and interior design. Currently, the group has more than 250 members in 50 countries, of which only 20 are in Spain.

The hotel is open from April until October.

Room rates start from just £250 per night.

Aguas de Ibiza, Salvador Camacho, 9. 07840 Santa Eulalia del Rio, Ibiza, Spain www.aguasdeibiza.com

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

DUKES DUBAI OPENS

Cited as the city’s most hotly anticipated new opening, this quintessentially British hotel is located on the west trunk of Palm Jumeirah, five-star luxury with the and exceptional levels of service its sister property DUKES LONDON is famed for.

The property comprises 279 luxury guestrooms, including 64 suites , 227 hotel apartments and a ladies-only Liberty Duchess floor, with 20 rooms which have been styled by the DUKES team using Liberty Fabrics.

Foodies will love the wide choice of dining experiences which include its signature Great British Restaurant (GBR), and traditional Northern Indian restaurant Khyber, marking the first international outpost for Mumbai-based family restaurant group.

Other F&B outlets are the world- famous DUKES Bar, West 14th, the Champagne and Tea Lounge for afternoon tea and the Cigar and Whisky Lounge, offering a sophisticated selection of fine cigars and malts.

Guests can enjoy a large attractive beach-side infinity swimming pool, lazy river, a Beach Club, DUKESY kids club for those travelling with little ones, and private Beach access.

DUKES DUBAI showcases products from a host of ‘Best of British’ partners. These include exquisite fabrics from world-renowned British textile designer and manufacturer, Liberty Fabrics; stylish furniture from Andrew Martin; beautiful bone china from William Edwards; bespoke DUKES candles and amenities from Floris London. And not forgetting delicious cheeses from one of the oldest London cheesemongers, Paxton and Whitfield accompanied by classic English Wines; and a continued alliance with London’s iconic milliner for men and women, Lock & Co Hatters. These partnerships come at a time when DUKES is expanding into the Middle East as well as refurbishing the London flagship property as part of a multi-million pound refurb project.  www.dukesdubai.com entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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PARK HYATT MALLORCA 5 STAR LUXURY AND LOCAL CHARM

The perfect place to stay for those who love Mallorca, but want to be far from the summer crowds – the island’s 5 star Park Hyatt is a welcome luxury retreat adored by those in the know.

Styled in a way that reflects a picturesque and traditional village, it has wonderful views across the Canyamel valley, and is surrounded by natural beauty.

The luxurious guestrooms have furnished terraces, and the 16 suites are spacious and beautifully styled.

There are a selection of high quality restaurants offering an authentic gastronomic experience by making the most of the wide range of wonderful locally grown produce found in the region.

The Serenitas Spa is the perfect place to wind down, relax and be pampered and guests can enjoy the hotel’s terraced pools to soak up the Mediterranean sun after exploring the rich culture and nature of the eastern part of the island.  www.mallorca.park.hyatt.com 104 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

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Style

TRAVEL IN

For those with trips coming up, why not consider choosing from Swedish brand Thule’s range of high quality, durable, lightweight and stylish range of luggage and laptop bags and sleeves? Each comes with an array of practical and clever features to keep your items safe and secure and they all come with a Thule warranty for peace of mind. www.Thule.com

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Thule Subterra Carry-On 55cm/22" A sleek and durable 2-wheel carry-on complete with a compression panel to maximize packing space and minimize wrinkling. £200

1 Thule Subterra Carry-On 40L A versatile, soft-sided carry-on designed to help maximize packing space.

Includes a separate sleek laptop sleeve for travel convenience. £155

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Thule Subterra Luggage 55cm/22" A 3-in-1 piece of checked luggage that conveniently splits into two independent carry-on compliant pieces. £260

Thule Subterra Luggage 70cm/28" A spacious rolling duffel with widemouth access and divided main compartment to easily pack and organize your travel essentials. £235

2 Thule Subterra Backpack 30L A large and durable travel backpack with electronics protection and a PowerPocket to manage cords between your device and mobile charger. £110

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Thule Subterra MacBook Attaché 15" (other sizes available too) Durable attaché for a 15" MacBook plus iPad, documents and accessories. £70

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SPA TIME

NEW UNIQUE ANTI-GRAVITY FACIAL IN KAMEHA GRAND ZURICH’S SPACE SUITE Guests at Kameha Grand Zurich will have the chance to experience an amazing anti-gravity facial in the otherworldly surroundings of the Space Suite designed by Michael Najjar.

The facial is a combination of face exercises, face massage, face acupressure and face relaxation using soothing La Biosthetique Paris essential oils. This effective

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combination is designed to give safe, natural anti-ageing results believed to be better than Botox as they stimulate collagen and elastin production in the middle layer of the skin giving guests a smoother, suppler, tighter-looking skin.

To truly complete this out of this world experience, guests will be able to witness an anti-gravity spa amenity display with spa products floating in mid-air around the Space Suite. kamehagrandzuerich.com

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

NEW PROBIOTIC FACIAL AT MARBELLA CORFU MarBella Corfu is leading the way in probiotic wellness skincare with a new facial treatment harnessing the probiotic power of Greek yoghurt and pure honey.

This Soothing Skin Saviour Facial is rich in vitamins and nutrients with the added probiotic boost to combat facial bacteria and soothe redness and inflammation.

After an initial gentle exfoliation featuring apricot extract, the treatment includes a selection of face masks including cucumber, aloe and pomegranate and then probiotic elements are added according to skin type and requirements. marbella.gr

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RESENSE SPA LAUNCHES SOON AT KEMPINSKI GOLD COAST CITY, ACCRA What is billed to be one of the largest and most impressive spas in West Africa opens in just a few months time.

Located in the luxurious Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, the spa will cover a space of no less than 3,000 meters and feature a comprehensive and cosmopolitan menu

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of the very best holistic treatments for rejuvenation and relaxation to be found.

The hotel itself is definitely worth a visit in its own right, featuring an art gallery and state of the art meeting and conference facilities, and is located in the heart of Ghana’s thriving cultural scene. kempinski.com/en/accra/hotel-gold-coast-city

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REVOLUTIONARY NEW ANTI-AGE FACIAL AT DANI BEACH RESORT SPA The new ‘Vitality of the Glaciers’ treatment is a biological lift and deep hydration face treatment with spectacular results based on Swiss tradition in cellular rejuvenation.

A patented pure native collagen mask is used along with specific massage technique for the face, smoothing fine lines and restoring the skin’s natural tone and glow.

Danai Beach Resort’s Spa offers a wide array of treatments and recreational activities including a trilogy room with reflexology bed, Cleopatra’s bath and a double bed for relaxation as well as a beach-side sundeck for a private massage or yoga class. And, after a day of beautifying activities, guests can make use of the resort’s fitness pavilion, professional tennis court, or pool. danairesort.com

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AWARD-WINNING CHEF ANNA HAUGH TURNS UP THE HEAT IN THE BBR KITCHEN

S

ince Bob Bob Ricard opened its doors in late 2008, this Soho favourite has become known around the world for its exuberant style.

Eccentric design, joyful, meticulous service and, of course, those ‘Press For Champagne’ buttons, have always been a guarantee, but now a new menu will ensure Leonid Shutov’s restaurant is as much recognised for its food as for its ambience.

Under the helm of executive chef Anna Haugh, one of London’s most distinctive menus has been skillfully finessed, with flavour, technique and refinement led by one guiding principle – that the fun of Bob Bob Ricard’s food remains.

So, the starter of beetroot and goat’s cheese has become a playful little gateau, a layered miniature cake of golden beets and curd, topped with pecans.

Chicken Kiev pokes gentle fun at a childhood memory whilst the Crispy Pork Belly towers over the plate in all its pyramid-like glory. But some things remain constant: Anna loved the granddaddy of the menu, Beef Wellington, believing that the only fine-tuning needed was the sourcing of a rich-flavoured, marbled fillet from her native Ireland.

As his chef began to work on the food evolution, so Leonid spent months scouring Europe for the perfect manufacturer for his bespoke crystal champagne and wine glasses and fine bone china.

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The fruits of both their labours are about to be unveiled to the public.

Commented Anna, “Leonid launched Bob Bob Ricard to be glamorous and eccentric but also great fun. Coming to work here has been like a breath of fresh air. We have worked very hard to create a menu that will please our regulars but appeal to die hard foodies too. We can’t wait to show it off.”

Bob Bob Ricard opened in November 2008 in Soho, leading the vanguard for an area that has since seen an avalanche of acclaimed restaurant launches.

Leonid Shutov, whose Russian heritage influences many of the dishes on the menu, is, by his own admission, a design addict and the beneficiary of a mild case of OCD. Anna Haugh has worked in many top kitchens in her years as a chef, picking up skills and techniques from some of the world’s greatest Michelin-starred cooks. She opened Gordon Ramsay’s London House bringing it three AA Rosettes in very short order.

Anna recently starred in acclaimed BBC1 series Royal Recipes, which saw her cook British regal food from past to present. She began working at Bob Bob Ricard in May 2016.  Bob Bob Ricard, 1 Upper James Street, Soho, W1F 9DF. www.bobbobricard.com

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

HUSH MAYFAIR’S BEST KEPT CULINARY SECRET

Hidden away in a cobbled courtyard, just a few steps from Bond Street, is Mayfair icon Hush. The townhouse, which has remained a firm favourite on the capital’s dining scene for nearly two decades, turns 18 this year, and what better way to mark the occasion than with a major facelift - and an equally impressive new menu?

Working his magic on the interiors, is the unparalleled Russell Sage. The creative force behind the likes of The Hospital Club, Little Social and The Zetter Townhouse, he has marked Hush’s “coming of age” with another impeccable design imbued with his customary flamboyant twist.

Russell was asked to create an atmosphere reflecting Hush’s central ethos: to be a “private members’ club without the membership,” and this ambiance is evident from the moment you cross the threshold.

As you step through the courtyard of this glorious townhouse, so you will immediately find yourself in the spectacular new ground-floor brasserie, which switches seamlessly from buzzy daytime bistro to dazzling evening restaurant. At the entrance, Russell has created a striking new bar and counter seating – perfect for a post-shop pick-meup – whilst the bold, jewel-toned banquette seating and mismatched tables and chairs throughout give diners a different experience in each area they dine.

Bespoke hand- painted murals, antique planters and clever use of mirrors have succeeded in creating a space that is in keeping with Hush’s relaxed but chic identity, ideal whether you’re popping in for a business lunch, or a stylish dinner celebration.

The Brasserie is also the place to enjoy the ultimate food theatre, as Hush have re- invented this season’s “must have” dish, Cacio e Pepe, serving it table side...in a giant cheese wheel..

Succeeding in elevating a simple dish to extraordinary levels, this is one of the many surprises on the new menu. Diners can now select from an array of small plates and sharing dishes -

ideal for enjoying the convivial atmosphere - from Pao de Queijo Hot Breadsticks with sundried tomato tapenade and Polenta Crusted Avocado to Pan-Fried Octopus with spiced cauliflower, ginger and yoghurt.

Worried those Hush classics may have disappeared? Fear not, there is always a place for much-loved favourites like Lobster Taglierini, Duck Confit Shepherd’s Pie, Aspen Fries (originally created

by Hush, and regularly voted the best in London) and of course, the legend that is the Mars Bar Cheesecake.

Ascend to the first floor and yet another surprise awaits in the ultra-glamorous shape of the new Aviator Bar. Here, the Hush team were inspired by the sensual, “hotel bar” feel of the original bar to create a setting reminiscent of the golden age of travel, where discerning guests could hang out at any time of the day or night.

The space has not only been redesigned, but reconfigured by Russell Sage, ensuring even greater levels of comfort. Dining at the bar is now a lot more relaxing, with lower lighting and clever use of colour. The overall design is tighter and more focussed, offset with fun travellers’ ephemera in illuminated cube-shaped display cases, and sketches of hot air balloons on the walls. Little touches like retro pilots’ key fobs in place of bar tabs, and cosy private “boudoir”, bedecked with model planes and christened the “Concorde Room”, add to the aviation theme.

Complemented by familiar elements such as the townhouse’s intimate first floor Italian restaurant, Blades, and one of the best outdoor dining spaces in London, the all-new Hush will delight regulars, offer a whole new level of experience for first-timers and ensure it celebrates many more milestone birthdays to come.  Hush, No.8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, London W1S 1EY www.hush.co.uk entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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JAGUAR XJ R-SPORT

If there is such a thing as a perfect luxury motorway cruiser that seamlessly adapts to daily local life too, Jaguar’s XJ R-Sport has to be it. Offering effortless yet potent power, a spacious, cosseting ride and also a rewarding and dynamic driving experience, whatever your travelling needs, this model never disappoints.

On test the 3-litre V6 SWB on loan is as easy on the eye as it is to drive. Muscular, imposing and rather majestically sleek, it looks the part – and is arguably a touch more stylish than its premium Germanic rivals. Sweeping flanks and touches such as a gloss black radiator grille, gloss black lower grille, front splitter, rear spoiler, gloss black rear valance and ‘R’ style aerodynamic side sills hint to this Jaguar’s sporting capability.

Slip inside and you’re spoilt with top quality fabrics throughout. Look as hard as you can but you won’t find anything rattly, scratchy, shoddy or frankly less than perfect. Thoughtful and useful features can include individual, stowable pin-sharp 10.2 inch HD screens and a centre armrest housing multimedia and front and rear seat controls. Silksoft grain leather upholstery is offered in two bold colourways and features adjustable side bolsters that provide the driver and passenger with exceptional lateral support during hard cornering.

And the exclusive 'R-Sport' logo appears on the steering wheel, tread plates and side power vents.

In terms of infotainment, safety and other gadgets and gizmos, the XJ R has plenty – all the very latest in audio and visual wizardry and a Wi-Fi hotspot to provide a truly connected experience.

From digital TV, heated front windows, mirrors, heated and cooled front and rear seating to all 112 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

your ASPCs, ASls, EPBs and DSCs – you’ll find as standard. The test car had 20-inch Venom wheels, and Air Quality Sensor, Parking Assit and also Black Packs and privacy glass, jet leather and Glacier White metallic paint too taking the cost from £70,975 up to £72,510 – still competitive against key rivals.

There’s acres of head, knee and shoulder space – something appreciated on the long journeys to Wales, ‘up North’ and back to the South Coast undertaken during the test with a full quota of passengers young and not to spritely. Appreciated too by the kids on night-time journeys home was the excellent soundproofing against wind, road and engine noise and supportive yet comfortably soft seats. The boot is large and able to carry a plethora of cases, general baggage and even the odd saddle, golf bag and big Waitrose shop.

To drive, the way in which it can power away from lights and others makes its not unsubstantial weight seem inconsequential. Jaguar’s highly acclaimed 3.0-litre diesel with its 8-speed box, 2993cc, 700Nm of torque delivers a sprint of 5.9 secs, and economy-wise, a respectable combined of 48mpg with 155g/km CO2. Out on the motorways the drive is smooth to a fault and there’s a pretty exciting surge on demand when overtaking lanehogging numpties. The steering is precise and consistent and nicely weighted. Negotiating tight ‘b’s left little to niggle about either. The exhaust notes are deep and satisfying.

All in all the XJ R is one hell of a car. Versatile, cosseting yet exciting and of course of a quality that’s made to last. www.jaguar.co.uk

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

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SUPER STYLISH VOLVO S90

A refreshing alternative from the plethora of super-bland saloons on our roads, Volvo’s effortlessly elegant S90 would grace any driveway with style.

It’s not all style without substance though, particularly with the introduction of the performance-inspired R-Design model recently introduced. An advanced sport chassis and full complement of state-of-the-art dynamic-enhancing tech makes for an engaging and responsive drive.

Safe as houses of course too, as you’d naturally expect from Volvo.

Features-wise, the R-Design S90 sports a new front-end design with spoiler-integrated fog lights, unique grille and piano black trim front and rear, a new five-spoke matt black diamond-cut wheel, sporty contour seats, plus a high-level interior illumination package to just give it that extraspecial touch.

On test, the S90 proved a true all-rounder.

Made light work of hours of motorway driving, and was equally ideal tackling local errands. The space, airiness and all-round comfort and quality in the cabin is excellent, there was barely any road or wind noise, contour seating supportive and comfortable and all controls right to hand. This slick S90 certainly gives even much more expensive rivals some seriously stiff competition.

Style, safety, space and performance. The total package.  www.volvocars.com 114 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

Volvo S90 R-Design

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ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA

Long-standing leaders in the style stakes, Alfa Romeo’s continued this legacy with its eye-catching Giulietta.

This five-door hatch is compact yet spacious, full of design flourishes and is a super car to drive.

A striking car, there’s no mistaking Alfa DNA with those curves, angles and face. There are a host of new sporty features inside and out too, to further enhance its impressive visual appeal. Distinctive alloys, over-sized tail pipes and carbon effect headlights on the outside are complemented

by Italian-design upholstery, matt black grain dashboard, and chrome flourishes.

A wide range of engines are available to satisfy every driving style: petrol engines from 120 to 240 hp, diesel engines from 120 to 175 hpm and the new 1.6 JTDM-2 120 hp engine with ALFA TCT gearbox offers an ideal balance between economy and performance. All engines come with Stop-Start and Eco-Drive efficiency.

Very well equipped for the price, highlights as standard include 16” Turbine design alloy wheels; Uconnect™ colour touchscreen infotainment system with DAB radio, Bluetooth, CD, smartphone 116 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

connectivity and Live services; Leather steering wheel with phone and radio controls; manual air conditioning; front & rear electric windows; electrically heated and adjustable body coloured door mirrors; velvet floor mats and satin chrome handles.

The top spec Veloce Flagship with its 1750 Tbi 240 hp engine comes with 18” Dual 5-spoke alloy wheels with titanium finish; leather & Alcantara® sports seats with integrated headrest; Alfa TCT semiautomatic transmission; Steering wheel paddles for ALFA TCT; lowered sports suspension; oversized twin exhaust pipes; sound intake generator and Veloce exterior badging.

This car isn’t all about looks though. It’s a practical every day vehicle for commutes and local errands, and isn’t fazed by longer motorway hikes and family use. A host of dynamic enhancing features ensure the Giulietta is a delight to drive.

Punchy, nippy and agile, it has precise steering and a decent ride.

A striking and refreshingly different choice that’s great to drive.  www.alfaromeo.co.uk

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

SEAT LEON

This is one of those cars that sneaks up on you – unassuming, sensibly priced, not overly promoted – and, you don’t see tons of them around. Yet once you drive one, and live with it for a while, you actually fall a little in love. There’s so much to like – an attractive and sleek design free from superfluous bells and whistles, spacious interior with excellent visibility, ergonomic controls and dash design, and it drives really rather well.

The new 5Dr Leon is also a hell of a car for the money.

Our FR Technology 2.0 TDI 184 PS 6-speed DSG-auto test car might have had £3,420 worth of options, but it still came in at under £29,000. Compare that to rivals, and it trumps pretty much all. There’s a stack of features as standard too. And averaging at a thoroughly decent 61.4 mpg, yet capable of a 7.5 second sprint, you’ve performance, economy and thrills.

The FR Trim of our model adds a little extra dynamic style. This includes exclusive interior upholstery, optional 18” alloy wheels, an FR leather steering wheel and finishing touches like an aluminium door sill and unique FR designed bumpers – all alluding to its sporting prowess.

Innovation-rich, there’s Kessy keyless entry, connectivity hub with wireless charger, rain sensing wipers, an 8” infotainment touchscreen with Full Link Technology, and even multi-coloured ambient lighting which allows you to choose between eight interior lighting options to create your own perfect cabin mood.

You’ll discover plenty of on safety features too, including Pedestrian Protection and Emergency and also Traffic Jam Assist, which cleverly calculates the distance to the other vehicles and regulates the acceleration and deceleration while keeping in your lane.

Out on the road, this Leon is a delight to drive. The acceleration is instant and powerful, the gear-changes undetectably rapid, ride firm but buffering and there’s plenty of feel through the steering wheel.

A solid, well made, clever, compact, nippy and stylish car we thoroughly enjoyed.  www.SEAT.co.uk

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JEEP RENEGADE

Quirky, cool, compact and remarkably spritely, Jeep’s new Renegade is perfectly suited for both city and country driving. It’s an ideal model for someone who wants something a little more interesting and fun to live with than the norm, that’s spacious, versatile and tough too.

This bold and innovative SUV comes with a host of firsts, including a super-slick nine-speed gearbox, economy boosting real axel disconnect, and a seveninch full colour multi-view display. It’s also unique in class thanks to a large sunroof with panels that can be removed to give its occupants a genuine open-air driving experience.

Small yes, but still capable, Renegade combines best-in-class off-road ability with excellent on-road driving dynamics. Choose from two or four-wheel

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drive, and six engine combinations, each offering a combination of efficiency and performance. Making driving and parking in the city super easy and safe, Renegade comes with Forward Collision Warning Plus with Crash Mitigation which automatically prevents or reduces the impact in low-speed shunts; ParkSense Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist that automatically parks the car.

For luxury lovers, it may not be the most expensive small SUV around, but it features high quality design touches, and is fully loaded with the very latest in entertainment, dynamic gadgetry. In all, a refreshing and good-looking alternative to the norm, that’s fun to live with and drive.  www.jeep.co.uk

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

DS-5

FRENCH STYLE & SUBSTANCE

An expression of French sass and style, the DS-5 is a refreshing alternative to the plethora of bland boxes on wheels clogging our roads.

A kind of coupé/hatch/sporty estate hybrid, this bold and eye-catching model offers the versatility needed for everyday life – whether used by a small family, busy commuter or girl boss, it meets the brief.

Gracing the driveway whilst on test, it has a degree of presence, and although certainly unusual, is thankfully not too weird or so quirky you feel a whiff of embarrassment when venturing out. With a sabre-like chrome strip from headlamp to windscreen, striking lighting, sculpted front grille or the integrated tail pipes at the rear, DS-5 is certainly unique.

The Performance Line range topping model boasts sports styling features such as subtle tricoloured touches in red, gold and white.

The good looks continue inside. The layout of DS 5’s cockpit is aeroplane inspired. Slip into the supportive leather seats and you’ll find all the switches and buttons ergonomically placed. Made from beautiful brushed aluminium, they give the dashboard an uncluttered and premium feel. The three glass roof panels have electric sunshades to let you set your own interior light level.

Entertainment features include a Denon sound system which, with its 10 50-watt channels, eight speakers and boot-

mounted subwoofer gives an excellent acoustic experience – aided by innovative noise reducing glass at the front too.

Rather than replace your own mobile device, the DS-5 cleverly uses a system that works with them. At its hub is a 7 inch touch screen which uses Mirror Screen and the MyDS app to mimic whatever is on the screen of your smartphone when you connect it. It’s simple to use and makes life easier by keeping you connected wherever you go. The same screen also includes the navigation system and DAB radio you might expect in a premium car. It even acts as the monitor for the reversing camera.

Out on the road, our test car was smooth, swift and agile, thanks to a host of dynamic features and excellent engine.

There's a wide choice of Euro6 compliant THP petrol or BlueHDi diesel powertrains with manual or rapid changing auto gearboxes – all coupled for maximum efficiency and economy.

Safety-wise, there’s even a DS CONNECT BOX which works with an online portal and mobile app to give tailored eco driving tips, helps access service records and also locate your car. It even allows DS5 to be tracked should someone covet it as much as you.

A remarkably clever and capable car.  www.dsautomobiles.co.uk

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CATERHAM 270 R TRUE CAR ENTHUSIAST’S DREAM

Cart-like feel, pin sharp steering, turn on a sixpence, super-swift and head-turning to the max. Caterham’s 270R may be small but it’s most definitely mighty.

The model we tested featured a new engine and specification 1.6 Litre Ford sigma Ti-VCT engineered to release improved power and performance, giving the Caterham 135 BHP. This may not sound much, but as the car weighs in at a mere 540 kg, it’s all it needs to reach from 0-60 in just 5 seconds, and go onto 122mph.

Sitting so low down and open to the elements, it feels much, much faster. But speed’s just part of its appeal.

Out on the road in the winter sunshine, it’s a genuinely super- exhilarating and engaging drive and lives up to the hype.

The exhaust praps and growls deliciously, you feel every nuance of the road, and it’s good.. so damn good. The closest

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you could come to experiencing an open cockpit, single seater race car in production car form.

In terms of kit, the ‘R’ pack adds limited slip differential, lightweight flywheel, rear anti roll bar, sport suspension, 15″Orcusalloy wheels with Avon tyres, uprated brake master cylinder, carbon fibre dashboard, composite race seats, Momo steering wheel, 4-point race harness, unique key, gearknob and instruments, a choice of 4 paint finishes and more.

A genuine true driver’s car, this is everything you could wish for in a small package. Packs a mighty punch!  www.caterham.co.uk

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

NEW LOOK FAIRLINE SQUADRON 65 REVEALED Luxurious furnishings and hand-worked cabinetry are hallmarks of the Squadron range and nowhere is it more elegantly expressed than in the latest Squadron 65, which features a new foredeck entertaining area offering uninterrupted sea views, spacious seating and sunbeds, dining table and sky canopy.

Spectacular new windows which sweep elegantly across the Squadron 65’s hull, are a styling cue from renowned superyacht designer Alberto Mancini. Enabling the interior of the lower deck to be bathed in natural light, this style of hull window is set to become a feature across other Fairline models including the eagerly anticipated Targa 63 GTO, launching later this summer.

Everything about the newly designed Squadron 65 epitomises refined, uncomplicated, single-floor living that’s usually the territory of a much larger yacht – from the free-

flowing saloon area to the generously proportioned and wellequipped galley – both of which also boast a newly-designed layout that maximises the sense of space on-board.

Russell Currie, Managing Director at Fairline Yachts, says, “We are passionate about continually evolving the style of our much-loved models. This latest edition of the popular Squadron 65 is inspired by our belief that nothing should get in the way of the perfect escape – not noisy crowds, busy beaches or overbooked hotels. The luxury and pleasure of an owners’ vacation should be absolutely and beautifully uninterrupted. And for that reason we have designed the ultimate private getaway in the form of the Squadron 65.”  For more information about Fairline Yachts, please visit: www. fairline.com

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THE NEW MANHATTAN 66

Following the run-away success of the Manhattan 52 which has so far secured £30m worth of retail sales since its introduction last autumn, Sunseeker International has launched its all new Manhattan 66.

This important new model signals Sunseeker’s intentions to maintain its strong position in this critical segment of the market, and underlines its commitment to producing an unrivalled portfolio of luxury performance motor yachts from 50-155 feet.

This innovative new model is designed to maximise entertainment options with exceptional panoramic hull and saloon windows providing lightdrenched living spaces throughout. Its brand new deep V hull offers signature Sunseeker performance and impeccable seakeeping whilst its open-plan layout provides enough space on board to rival much larger yachts.

Throughout the main deck there is a strong focus on creating generous, useable sociable spaces. Her exterior lines flow effortlessly from the Portuguese-bridge bow seating and sunbathing areas to the expansive cockpit adjoining the wellequipped aft galley and saloon on the main deck.

Optionally, the galley can be specified below creating even more entertaining space in the main saloon.

The newly configured flybridge also creates the feeling that you are on board a much larger craft and has been designed with both entertaining and relaxation in mind with extensive seating throughout, large sunbathing areas forward and a well-equipped wet-bar. The sociable layout 122 | entrepreneurandinvestor.com

continues through to the wide bathing platform (capable of launching a Williams 385 Jet RIB) and transom ‘beach club’ where an optional barbecue, fold-away bench seat and overhead ‘rain- shower’ truly set the Manhattan 66 apart from its peers.

The twin berth crew cabin, with private access through the transom, enjoys a dedicated en suite and ample stowage. Thanks to the galley being situated on the main deck, there is room enough for four very spacious cabins below including two large twin cabins, a forward VIP suite and standout full-beam master cabin with its own private stairway access from the saloon; a first for Sunseeker in this size range.

Powered by twin MAN 1000hp/1200hp engines on shaft drive or Volvo Penta IPS-1200, the Manhattan 66 can cruise comfortably at 25 knots or achieve an exhilarating 34 knots at full throttle.

Sean Robertson, Sales Director at Sunseeker International said: “We’re really looking forward to launching the all new Manhattan 66 which is already generating substantial interest and sales, even before its official world debut. The show is a real highlight of the international boating calendar and a great opportunity for British brands to showcase the very best of what they have to offer to the world. Following the success of the Manhattan 52 which was the first in a series of new Manhattan models, it underlines our ability to keep giving our customers the best in class across every segment we operate in.” 

FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

SUNSEEKER’S 95 YACHT PERFORMANCE & CUTTING EDGE DESIGN Sunseeker’s 95 Yacht is a magnificent performance craft, which exemplifies the latest in cutting-edge design and innovative build processes that Britain’s largest boat builder is implementing across its range of stunning yachts.

The 95 Yacht’s striking lines and innovative layout, showcase the fresh design direction that Sunseeker’s next generation of larger models will take and underlines the brand’s commitment to continually develop new and exciting products.

Combining a superyacht feel with all the practical advantages of a yacht in this size category, the 95 Yacht demonstrates a clever use of space that gives even greater flexibility and freedom on board.

Whilst its design has evolved to perfectly emulate

the new design of the brand’s larger models, it still remains unmistakeably a Sunseeker.

A stand out feature, which truly sets the 95 Yacht apart, is its unique main deck layout with a special master cabin triplex configuration for even greater flexibility and space from a class above.

With the luxurious master stateroom berth on the main deck, a forward staircase leads to a mid-level dressing area and sumptuous en-suite.

The raised pilot house offers greater flexibility contributing to the more expansive main deck layout. Whilst above deck, the spacious flybridge is well equipped with a second helm, bar, optional hot tub and plenty of seating for guests to be entertained in style.

As with all of Sunseeker’s new wave of models, the 95 Yacht is based on the classic deep V hull which has performance at its heart, enabling it to cruise at up to 24 knots or accelerate up to 28 knots, depending on engine option.

The 95 Yacht is yet another stunning illustration of how striking lines can still be combined with a voluminous interior, making it a firm favourite amongst those looking for a practical, yet elegantly spacious model.

Sunseeker prides itself on producing the world’s finest luxury performance motor yachts, and its new generation of craft are achieving that goal in exquisite fashion.  www.sunseeker.com

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ummer SScents FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

We’ve cherry picked the latest and best fragrances for her, perfect for this time of year, with notes of rich rose, other seasonal florals and sensual musk to suit daytime spritzing and evening events.

ALAIA BLANCHE 100ML - HARRODS

CARTIER BAISER FOU 75 ML - £95, HARRODS

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH FIRST INSTINCT FOR WOMAN EDP 100ML - £68, DEBENHAMS

VCA BOIS DORE - £126 , SELFRIDGES

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FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

LOOKING YOUR VERY BEST THIS SUMMER This time of year means many of our diaries are filled with special occasions where we want to look our very best. It is possible now to have some highly effective enhancements made even a few days before an event. Dr Tatiana Lapa at her Harley Street located, ‘The Studio Clinic’ www.studioclinic.co.uk/ collections/face/products/facial-sculpting offers a facial sculpting package which works wonders.

The treatment takes around an hour, and comprises a consultation to discuss areas of concern and what can be achieved, followed by number of virtually painless injections of firstly local anaesthetic, and then advanced and safe fillers (which can be dissolved if wanted). Typically, these would be to the cheekbones, chin and jawline to sharpen and define and bring other features into proportion and symmetry.

The results are instant and long lasting, and as there is little or no bruising or swelling, you could head back to work straightaway and look amazing at an event within a day or two.

Dr Lapa is an expert in her field, and you would be in very safe and artistic hands. She is a Doctor (BSc Aerospace Physiology, MBBS, MRCGP) and an experienced Aesthetic Specialist with a background in Surgery, Dermatology and General Practice.  www.studioclinic.co.uk entrepreneurandinvestor.com |

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A SPARKLING SUMMER Who doesn’t love some sparkles to celebrate summer with? We’ve selected some mouth-wateringly delicious bottles to suit any occasion.

TAITTINGER BRUT RÉSERVE NV - RRP: £42.00 Simply put Taittinger Brut Réserve defines the Taittinger house style. Dry, light and graceful with small, fine bubbles. Fresh citrus fruit and subtle, weightier notes of peach and brioche combine to provide elegance in a glass.

Majestic, Amps Fine Wines, Vino Wines, Laytons Wine Merchants, North and South Wines, Fenwick, Hedonism Drinks, www.champagnedirect.co.uk

TAITTINGER BRUT PRESTIGE ROSÉ NV RRP: £50.60 A vibrant rosé with a vivid aroma of red summer fruit, enticing wild strawberry and raspberry dominate the stylish and elegant palate.

Waitrose, Wine Rack, Majestic, John Lewis, The Oxford Wine Company, North and South Wines, Bacchus Wines, Harrods, Fenwick, Ann et Vin, The Leamington Wine Company, www.champagnedirect.co.uk

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FORTUNE & LIFESTYLE

BOLLINGER ROSÉ NON VINTAGE – RRP £48.00 Crisp, toasty rosé with subtle berry fruits and a long finish. The first new Bollinger release in 30 years and a cracking champagne.

Waitrose, Majestic and more www.waitrosecellar.com

MOET CHANDON ROSE IMPERIAL - RRP £39.99 Zesty, supple and lively with a lingering finish, with hints of with soft strawberry and a fresh almost lemony aroma.

The Whisky Exchange, Drinksupermarket.com, 31Dover.com and more www.drinksupermarket.com

LAURENT PERRIER CUVEE ROSE BRUT – RRP Bursting with berry fruit – red currants, rhubarb, raspberries and strawberries. Elegant and crisp with biscuit notes and a lingering finish.

Sparkle & Pop, Honest Grapes, www.champagnedirect.co.uk

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LIFESTYLE

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COMING ST 1 SEPTEMBER 2017

porsche design Timepieces

FIRST IN BLACK. THE NEW ORIGINAL.

Timepiece No. 1 | www.porsche-design.com/timepieces