Business First Magazine - November 2016

northern ireland’s business magazine

BUSINESSFIRST INFORM CHALLENGE INSPIRE

NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2016

Belfast Met

PLANNING THE NEXT 110 YEARS COVER STORY

Thought Leaders

Best Practice

Round Table

Belfast Metropolitan College: continuing to lead our future generations to work. Page 12

It’s time to make Northern Ireland the entrepreneurial capital of Europe, says Tina McKenzie. Page 30

Anne Philipson of the Leadership Institute’s Seven steps to successful talent development. Page 22

Along with TourismNI we brought together the main players to review the Year of Food & Drink. Page 19

Can you help us find NORTHERN IRELAND’S RISING STARS? Page 7

CONTENTS

Putting your Business First

WHAT’S INSIDE YOUR ISSUE

CLICK ANY PAGE TO BE TAKEN STRAIGHT THERE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & COMMENTARY It’s time to make We’re making WIll Brexit put In the midst of Northern Ireland headway but Data Protection on Brexit is it time to entrepreneurial there’s still more notice? rethink business Glenn Watterson, capital of Europe to be done support in Mills Selig Tina McKenzie Dawn Johnston, Northern Ireland?

Andrew Webb

Chartered Accountants Ulster Society

Staffline Ireland

Page 30 Page 40 Page 46 Page 62 Business needs a united Brexit front There probably isn’t any such thing as absolute certainty, but if there’s one thing we don’t need right now it’s uncertainty ­ and yet that’s what we’re being offered by our political leaders (I use the term advisedly).

Back in June you and I might have voted to remain, but four months on we have a political landscape strewn wtih indecision and lack of leadership.

So let’s start by deciding what is best for Northern Ireland and then go from there.

Well for a start we need to acknowledge that we’re just that wee bit different to the rest of the UK and so while not necessarily due special status, we certainly should expect special consideration. Any thoughts of restoring a land border in any guise should be swept aside immediately and our politicians should engage willingly and immediately with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland to ensure they are in­step on this and other areas of common interest.

Then we need to provide our migrant workforce a guarantee that they will be welcome to stay here for as long as it suits them as they provide outstanding service in both the public and private sectors.

And finally we need to create a political and business powerhouse that will effectively represent our views at Westminster. At the moment we have no place at the Brexit decision making table and frankly the Secretary of State will be of little if any use to us in this regard.

That will require Sinn Fein and the DUP along with the other major parties to work together ­ and with business ­ to present a united pro­ Northern Ireland front.

See you on the frontline!

Gavin Gavin Walker, Managing Editor

LEADING FEATURES Year of Food Belfast has what it Northern Ireland’s Great gadgets to and Drink takes to be a improve the Most Inspiring Round Table usefulness and big-hitter on the Women 2016 with Tourism NI effectiveness of international your PC conference stage

Page 19 Page 26 Page 35 Page 60 BEST PRACTICE On a Board?

Building Family Governance You just can’t play Maybeth Shaw it by ear!

Joy Allen Leading Governance

The tricky Personal business of development is litigation funding key to success in BDO Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland business Matthew Hawes Arthur Cox

Carol Magill CIM Ireland

Page 18 Page 24 Page 28 Page 58 In our Digital Issue you can click on any square to be taken directly to the article. Download it from businessfirstonline.co.uk

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YOUR BUSINESSFIRST TEAM Editor Gavin Walker gavin@businessfirstni.co.uk Sales Jenny Belshaw jenny@businessfirstni.co.uk Finance Margaret Walker margaret@twworks.co.uk Design Studio Tw2 studio@twworks.co.uk

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YOUR EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Articles from some of Northern Ireland’s most influential business leaders that will inform, challenge and inspire your thinking.

Iain Lundie UHY Hacker Young Fitch Chartered Accountants page 14

Anne Philipson Leadership Institute page 22

Matthew Hawse Arthur Cox page 28

Tina McKenzie Staffline Ireland page 30

Maybeth Shaw BDO page 24

Katy Best George Best Belfast City Airport page 34

Professor Simon Bridge Ulster University page 38

Dawn Johnston Chartered Accountants Ulster Society page 40

Roseann Kelly Women in Business page 42

Glenn Watterson Mills Selig page 46

Ian Laverty Ingenuity UK page 48

Andrew Webb Economist page 62

In our Digital Issue you can click on any picture to be taken directly to the article. Download it from businessfirstonline.co.uk

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IN THE HEADLINES

Martin McNaughton KBE named as Innovation Founder of the Year

SSE Arena launches new suites

he SSE Arena, Belfast, is launching three brand new luxury experience offerings for visitors: ‘Shared Suite,’ ‘Exclusive Suite Hire – per event’ and ‘Party Suite Hire.’

Shared Suite is a brand new initiative designed for those who would like to experience all the luxury of an evening in a suite but without the cost of purchasing a whole unit. For the first time ever, guests can share a suite, purchasing up to four tickets for an event and sharing the space with likeminded groups.

Party Suite Hire enables a group to book out a whole suite for a special occasion such as a birthday, hen or stag party. It provides a larger group with a luxurious private space in which to celebrate in style.

Exclusive Suite Hire – per event, where parties of 12, 16 or 28 guests can book an entire suite for just one evening, with the added benefit of catering options, allowing more people than ever to experience a night in a private hospitality suite.

This offering has been designed with both consumers and organisations in mind. The three hospitality options offer all the benefits of a private suite: unmatched views of the action, a dedicated VIP entrance so visitors can beat the queues, spacious sofa areas where guests can relax before, during and after the show, a Hospitality Manager to ensure the experience is seamless, dedicated cloakroom and bathroom facilities, access to a rooftop smoking deck, a private bar and waiter service.

The new offerings complement the current hospitality options of annual suite hire and lounge access, to one of two lounges: The Heineken Lounge and the West Lounge.

Ooptions are available to book now and guests can avail of them at upcoming shows such as John Bishop, Status Quo and Olly Murs at ssearenabelfast.com/hospitality.

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onnect has announced that Mr Martin Naughton KBE has been named the Innovation Founder of the Year.

In 1973, Martin Naughton opened a small electrical manufacturing operation with just seven employees, making oil­filled radiators in Newry. Naughton’s company acquired partners and rivals including Dimplex, Morphy Richards and Bianella to become the world's largest manufacturer of domestic heating appliances. Glen Dimplex Group now employs more than 10,000 staff across 22 manufacturing facilities spread all over the world. The business has annual sales of around €1.5 billion.

Each year, the Innovation Founder award goes to a person who has achieved distinction in founding, leading or building a celebrated local science­ or technology­based business.

Martin Naughton received his honour at the INVENT Award finals at the Belfast Waterfront.

He joins an esteemed list of previous recipients including Brian Conlon (2015), Dr William Wright CBE (2014), Dr Peter FitzGerald CBE (2013), Tom Eakin (2012), Dr Hugh Cormican (2011) and Prof John

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Anderson (2010).

“I’m humbled and honoured to join this list of founders, who have in their own ways changed the landscape of Northern Irish business,” said Martin Naughton.

The Innovation Founder Award is sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, Julie Ann O’Hare, Head of Strategy & Sectors, said, “Mr Martin Naughton joins an inspirational group of world renowned business leaders.

“We congratulate him and thank him for accepting this award. The Glen Dimplex story, driven by “the desire to make the impossible possible” is rich in learnings for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow from start up through to global excellence.”

Steve Orr, Director at Connect said, “Given the massive impact that our Innovation Founders have had on the local and international economies over the past several decades, this is our most important award each year.

“I’m delighted Martin Naughton is being given a much­deserved accolade for his contribution to NI’s innovation economy. He’s an inspiration to us all.”

Belfast One unveils new brand elfast One – Belfast City Centre’s Business Improvement District (BID) – recently revealed their new brand with the strapline – “Belfast One – Different Days”.

The new brand is part of the company’s strategy to promote Belfast City Centre as the number one destination in Northern Ireland to shop, eat, socialise and more.

Clare Maguire, managing director at Belfast One, said “The overarching goal of our five­ year marketing strategy is to drive domestic footfall into the City Centre by promoting the fantastic retail, leisure, culture and entertainment offering we have here and showcasing what a brilliantly unique city Belfast is.

“Our new brand marks the first step towards this goal and it has been carefully developed to reflect the diverse people, experiences and places that make our City Centre a friendly, eclectic and vibrant place.”

Belfast One’s new website also launched today, alongside a promotional social media video featuring first­hand testimonials from the people of Belfast stating what they think makes their city best in Northern Ireland.

Clare continued: “We have also collaborated with Visit Belfast as part of their ‘Find Your Belfast’ autumn campaign, which highlights the abundance of things to see, discover and experience in Belfast this autumn ­ world­class events and festivals, fantastic shopping and great food.

“This has provided an excellent opportunity

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Chris Suitor John McDermott and Clare Maguire

to increase our reach across our target audience with the common goal of promoting Belfast as a must­visit destination. We are delighted that this has helped make our brand visible around Northern Ireland for the past number of weeks.”

Clare concluded: “I look forward to continuing this partnership and the rollout of our fantastic new brand and campaigns in the weeks and months to come.”

John McDermott, brand director at AVB

Brand said: “I am delighted and very proud to have worked alongside Belfast One on the design and concept of their new brand.

“From the outset it was imperative that we capture the ethos of Belfast One and really engage and excite the audiences with their vision for Belfast – this is an brilliant new company with a very exciting strategy for our capital city and we at AVB Brand are thrilled to be part of this journey.”

Belfast Met launches The Linen Lounge elfast Met launched its Linen Lounge, Scullery and Yard restaurants to the public at its flagship Titanic Quarter Campus on October 7.

The event also saw the launch of the college cookbook featuring recipes from top local chefs Danny Millar, Niall McKenna, Simon McCance and Andy Rea (pictured).

The names Linen Lounge and The Yard hark back to old Belfast’s booming linen and ship building industry and the stunning design concepts inside are also stepped in our capital city’s history.

The Linen Lounge is the place to be for Fine Dining Thursdays from 6pm ­7.15pm. Food exactly as you imagine from a culinary training ground and service that ensures our customers will have a fantastic experience while enjoying flavours from award winning local producers. On Twilight Fridays enjoy a bottle of wine, charcuterie and cheese platter with homemade breads and chutneys £20 for 2.

The fully­licenced restaurants which are fully staffed by students offer the public a range of food and drink options to suit every palate. While the Yard and Scullery are casual eateries, the Linen Lounge offers a fine dining experience. Belfast Met has worked closely with employers to ensure each restaurant provides students with the necessary “real life” industry experience to make them as work­ready as possible and able to take up posts in any kitchen upon leaving the college.

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Top VA is a finalist for the UK-wide Virtual Assistant Awards ocal business owner Michelle Shaw and her virtual assistant company Top VA have been shortlisted as a finalist for the UK wide VA awards.

The awards are to recognise the high standards within the VA industry and to promote the value that virtual assistants bring in supporting business entities from entrepreneurs and start­ups to multi­national companies and PLCS. Michelle is in the running for the Best Newcomer UK when the finals take place on Thursday 17th November at The Great British Business Show in London.

Top VA was set up in September 2015 to provide expert marketing support for small business owners and entrepreneurs across the UK. Since its start up Top VA continues to grow and its client list includes a global training company, a national marketing company and various small businesses across a wide variety of industries.

Working from her home office in Bangor, Michelle assists business owners throughout the UK with Social Media Marketing, Lead Generation, Business Development as well as the day to day admin needed to drive her clients marketing campaigns forward.

Commenting on being shortlisted the Top VA owner says that “I am delighted to have reached this stage, these awards are highly

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regarded within the VA industry and it is an amazing achievement to have been selected for the shortlist, “I am passionate about helping my clients grow their business and always give 100 per cent to any work I complete for them.

“Im now looking forward to the finals and will be keeping my fingers crossed that I bring the award back to Northern Ireland”.

To find out how working with Top VA could benefit your business, call Michelle on 0786 730 9705 or email michelle@topva.biz or visit www.topva.biz

George Best Belfast City Airport helps Shortcross take off worldwide

eorge Best Belfast City Airport has facilitated a relationship between one of the world’s leading travel retailers and a local distillery for it to supply its awarding winning craft gin to a number of its stores.

Shortcross Gin has arrived on the shelves of World Duty Free in Belfast City Airport as well as further airport outlets across the UK including London Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK and Ireland and one of busiest in the world, London Stansted, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

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New partnership to grow charitable giving wo Northern Ireland organisations dedicated to promoting charitable giving have launched a new partnership to boost philanthropy over the next three years.

Giving Northern Ireland and Belfast Charitable Society will be working collaboratively on a series of events and projects looking at ways to increase awareness of giving for both businesses and individuals.

Belfast Charitable Society is the oldest philanthropic organisation in Northern Ireland while Giving NI is the youngest, started just three years ago. The new partnership brings together a shared skillset with the aim of driving strategic giving forward.

Paula Reynolds, CEO of Belfast Charitable Society said: “The Society is delighted to work closely with Giving NI to help encourage and promote philanthropy in today’s world.

“We have benefited hugely from others’ generosity since 1752, and in turn this has allowed us to help many others; from running the Poor House and Outdoor relief schemes to tackling disadvantage today.

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Pictured with the Belfast Charitable Society’s minute book dating back to 1752 are Belfast Charitable Society Chairman David Watters and Giving Northern Ireland Chairman Gary Mills

The partnership programme will include practical seminars and informative events about strategic giving.

Due to austerity measures, in recent years there has been a major shift in the availability of government funding for charities; in the years to come this may be compounded by the effects of Brexit, with uncertainty currently on what this will mean to the

voluntary and community sector.

Sandara Kelso­Robb, Strategic Advisor for Giving NI said: “We live in changing times and so it’s increasingly important for charities to look for support from individuals and corporates and not to rely on public funding from government or the EU. This project between will allow us to really focus on private giving.”

is your company one of

NORTHERN IRELAND’S RISING STARS? If so, you should enter the Rising Stars 2017 Awards.

A simple, effective way to raise your profile within Northern Ireland’s business community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO ENTER www.businessfirstonline.co.uk/risingstars sponsored by

The Rising Stars Awards provide a platform to showcase organisations that have solid rates of growth. In 2017, we open the Rising Stars awards to all indigenous Northern Ireland companies. The Awards programme is or any Northern Ireland company that: • is based in Northern Ireland • has shown growth over the past few years • would like to build its profile • wishes to inspire others to grow their enterprises ENTRY CRITERIA For participation in Rising Stars 2017 an applicant must: • Be a Northern Ireland enterprise • Exhibit growth in : turnover, profit and/or staffing numbers, digital statistics (eg usage, traffic, app downloads);

AWARD CATEGORIES: 1. STARTUP are businesses set up over the past 18 months.

2. MICRO businesses are organisations with less than 10 full time equivalent staff and trading for at least the last two financial years.

3. SMALL businesses are organisations with more than 10 but less than 50 full time equivalent staff trading for at least the last three financial years.

4. NOT FOR PROFIT / CHARITY businesses are organisations that are run as not for profit and/or have official charity status, trading for at least the last three financial years.

5. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES businesses are organisations that are in the professional services sector trading for at least the last three financial years.

Clearpath Finance gives SMEs Choice new Belfast based lending solutions platform, Clearpath Finance, is set to address the need for alternative finance in the SME sector in Northern Ireland. The new company will draw down its first tranche of loans totalling £15m by the end of October 2016, for a range of businesses across Northern Ireland.

Clearpath Finance provides an alternative source of lending as a commercial finance broker working with a number of major lenders across the UK. The company has established excellent relationships working with a select number of peer­to­peer lenders, equity and mezzanine funders and private lending consortiums to go some way to solve the current liquity crisis in the local economy.

Conor Devine MRICS of Clearpath Finance said; “The SME market has been seriously under­supported by the main financial institutions over the last ten years mainly due to legacy debt and balance sheet problems facing the local banks. We identified an opportunity in the market to provide third party lending to businesses and organisations looking for additional financial resources through our comprehensive experience and research.

“By bringing together a number of larger financial institutions that have the capacity to support the SME sector in Northern Ireland through Clearpath Finance, we will ensure that business lending for the SME sector is through a simplified, uncluttered and expedient path.”

Small and medium sized businesses are vital to the Northern Ireland economy and it

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James Gibbons and Conor Devine of Clearpath Finance

has been a challenging trading period for those organisations who wish to grow, support their business, employ staff and procure additional materials as they have found limited access to financial resources to do just that. SMEs are continuing to diversify their funding needs and Clearpath Finance is committed to providing those SMEs who wish to grow with the support and solutions that they require.

James Gibbons, Clearpath Finance added; “Many businesses in Northern Ireland are being turned down by the main street banks when asking for support for their business for one reason or another. From the hospitality sector to renewable energy projects, Clearpath Finance, depending upon each individual case, can offer up to 70 per cent of

the ‘loan to’ value, ensuring that SMEs have the access to funds when they need it, whether it is for additional cash flow, to fund an extension, or to grow their business.

“We have continued to make major investments in our portfolio of businesses including establishing Clearpath Finance to provide a new finance stream for businesses across Northern Ireland.”

Clearpath Finance, fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and a member of the NACFB, is a multifaceted finance brokerage specialising in property and business lending to SMEs in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The company is a viable alternative source of lending and is committed to servicing the needs of the SME sector.

Whose data is it anyway, asks CIM Ireland ew research released by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) reveals a shocking 96 per cent of consumers in Northern Ireland do not fully understand where and how marketers, brands and organisations use their personal information and data.

CIM’s ‘Whose data is it anyway?’ study surveyed more than 2,500 consumers and marketers nationally to gain their insight into the use of personal data for marketing purposes. It shows data discrepancies and concerns to be worryingly prevalent across the board.

More than half of all consumers in Northern Ireland reveal they do not trust an organisation to use their data responsibly – the biggest issue being that their information may be passed onto others without consent.

The report questions whether enough is being done by brands to follow correct data marketing practices and reassure consumers.

Chris Daly, Chief Executive of CIM, comments: "Customer data is essential for marketers to reach the right audience and

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Steve Woolley, CIM Head of External Affairs and Content, Julie McClean of PWC Research to Insight Team and Carol Magill, CIM Ireland Network Manager

Find out more details about the ‘Whose data is it anyway?’ report by visiting:

www.exchange.cim.co.uk/thought­ leadership/whose­data­is­it­anyway

IN THE HEADLINES

AMI announces 15 jobs and £1M investment

Philip McMichael, managing director, AMI

MI, Northern Ireland’s leading secure IT retirement company, has announced that it will invest £1M and create 15 jobs by 2018 as it grows its business and increases its team to 50.

The investment is funded by the director.

Available positions will include engineers, logistics personnel and warehouse staff as well as sales and business development professionals.

The company plans to triple its Republic of Ireland business to £2.5 million over the next three years.

AMI specialises in secure IT retirement services that can generate revenue back for customers from the safe disposal of older IT assets.

It is among the world’s top seven companies for the quality of its secure data sanitisation processes, according to the world’s leading IT disposal standards body, ADISA. One quarter of 200 largest IT user organisations on the island of Ireland already have their old IT devices retired by AMI. A major factor in AMI’s decision to invest in growth at this time is growing concerns over data security, stemming from the GDPR

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regulation which could see companies being fined four per cent of their global revenues if they suffer data breaches. A strong increase in the need for AMI’s services from the fast expanding data centre industry in Ireland is also key.

Philip McMichael, managing director, AMI, said: “We have grown by 20 per cent per year in each of the last three years, and while the recovering economy is part of this, a major factor is the volume of inbound multinational investment from industries where data security is critical.

“These include data centres, financial technology, and medical technology companies.

“We have also been retained by government bodies and a number of security specialists to manage IT disposal on their behalf.

“We’re always looking to grow and innovate, and the expansion in the technology sector in Ireland presents a huge opportunity for us.

“The IT retirement stage can leave data vulnerable if not handled correctly. The most security conscious companies choose AMI to be assured of the lowest risk of harmful data

leaks from old devices.

“We have invested heavily in being the most secure operator on the market, and as more companies become aware of the importance of security, AMI aims to become embedded within their businesses.”

Faye Thomas, business manager, AMI, said: “AMI has achieved steady year­on­year growth since it opened its offices in Dublin in 2008.

“The larger team is to ensure that we can continue to deliver on our commitment to be the most service and customer focused company in the industry.

“Our Irish operations currently account for 35 per cent of our overall business, and within the next three years we expect it to account for the majority of our business.

“We have already made a major investment in our data sanitisation technologies and systems so that we can securely process 3,000 devices and wipe almost 200,000 GBs per day.

“The focus now is now all about expanding our marketing and logistics capabilities to cater to customer needs.”

Fitzwilliam and Fitzwilliam are business hotels of the year, says Georgina Campbell he Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast and The Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin have been named Business Hotel of the Year 2017 at The Georgina Campbell Awards.

The Georgina Campbell Awards are Ireland’s longest running and most respected hospitality awards, seeking out the best in food and hospitality. They independently assess and award a wide variety of fine dining and casual restaurants, accommodation, chefs and hosts to culminate the annual ‘best in class’ list.

The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast has won the prestigious accolade of Business Hotel of the Year for its first class facilities and service.

Situated in the city centre, it boasts 130 guestrooms and four stylish meeting rooms overlooking Howard Street and Great Victoria Street, all equipped with state­of­the­art audio­visual equipment; some of the most contemporary meeting space in Belfast.

General Manager at the Fitzwilliam Belfast, Cian Landers commented on the award: “We are so proud that the Fitzwilliam Belfast has been recognised as one of the rising stars in Belfast’s hospitality industry being named Business Hotel of the Year 2017. This accolade is a fantastic achievement and we are very proud of our team who work seamlessly together every day ensuring the quality of our product and the levels of professional service exceed all our guests’ expectations.”

“Since opening in 2009, the Fitzwilliam Hotel has quickly established itself as the premier hotel in Belfast; this has been in part due to our exceptional location and our emphasis on providing warm hospitality,

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good food and excellent service. There is definitely growing demand in Belfast for luxury accommodation in a stylish yet welcoming setting. This prestigious award will inspire us to continue providing exceptional service for all our guests.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony on , Ms. Campbell commented; “Understated luxury is the hallmark of these city centre sister hotels in Belfast and Dublin, both of which are cool destinations for leisure guests thanks to their excellent locations, design­led contemporary style, good food and outstandingly friendly and helpful staff. These same qualities ­ plus thoughtfully designed guest rooms offering a comfortable in­room working environment, business back up services and high­spec conference and meeting facilities ­ also have

special appeal for discerning business guests.

Whether as a service for local businesses, or a residential destination for overseas businesses meeting counterparts in Ireland, these hotels also offer great downtime opportunities and are well placed for visitors to experience the best of their chosen destination. In short, they are just great places to stay, and to work.”

The Five Star Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin first opened its prestigious doors in 2001, and with a location that offers the historically imbued St. Stephen’s Green to one side, and Dublin’s most famous shopping destination, Grafton Street to the other, the hotel continues to attract the discerning international traveller and guest.

What’s the BIG IDEA at this years Pitch-Up event? ighteen of Northern Ireland’s most exciting start­up businesses took centre stage at Titanic Belfast recently as part of the annual Invest Northern Ireland Propel Programme ‘Pitch­Up’ event.

Following months of intensive planning, networking and mentoring, the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their big ideas to an audience of high profile business investors. From ground breaking drone technology and world­ leading healthcare innovation to artisan food and bespoke giftware, the diverse range of businesses pitched ideas of truly Titanic proportions in a venue honouring one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic exports.

Tracy Meharg, Invest Northern Ireland’s Executive Director, Business Solutions, is pictured with the group as they prepared for the big pitch.

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COVER STORY - BELFAST MET

BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE: LEADING FUTURE GENERATIONS TO WORK Belfast Metropolitan College has been serving Northern Ireland business for 110 years. With the opening of the Belfast Business College in 2017, it will position itself as a generator of talent for the next century

Damian Duffy (Director of Development), Marie­Thérèse McGivern (Principal and CEO), Steve McKee (Marketing expert) , Beverley Harrison (Department of Economy, Frank Bryan (Chair of Board of Governors)

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ince 1906, Belfast Metropolitan College has pioneered opportunity in Belfast by ‘Leading the City to Work’.

Established to answer the early 20th century’s growing demands for a workforce with skills relevant to Belfast’s emerging industries, Belfast Met has become synonymous with providing outstanding knowledge and innovation necessary for crafting the City’s workforce and contributing to the country’s economic success.

Now, as the College celebrates its 110th anniversary, it takes inspiration from its iconic legacy in paving the way for the future.

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Putting it in context Belfast Met began as the Belfast Municipal Technical Institute in a year which also saw the opening of Belfast City Hall and the Royal Victoria Hospital – two other inherently Belfast institutions.

1906 was at the height of the City’s industrial revolution and the aim of the College was to provide the skills necessary to propel vital trades forward.

Courses offered included engineering, ship building, textiles, general manufacturing, and many more, earning the College the reputation of providing the ‘workforce of tomorrow’ – people with the skills needed to meet job demand.

And skills weren’t limited to men – the college offered courses for everyone, to ensure that the entire community was equipped, prepared and ready to work.

Where we are now 110 years later, the focus of Belfast Met remains the same. Headquartered at the TQ building in the thriving Titanic Quarter and led by Principal Marie­Thérèse McGivern, the College provides full and part­time programmes that are accessible, flexible and industry­endorsed, with strategic links and partnerships to the local business community and employers, to help provide a ‘ready to work workforce’ – and maintain the college’s slogan, ‘Leading the City to Work’.

Coordinated with the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy, the College’s curriculum is developed to match the identified future economic growth areas and support them by providing high­quality courses required to equip a modern workforce.

Roadmap to the future The College’s new Corporate Plan (2016­ 2020) does just that, and foresees a period of great change in the wider government, economic and technological landscapes in Northern Ireland.

To accommodate this, the College will launch its new Belfast Business School in March 2017 – the first of its kind in the UK.

Students celebrate Belfast Metropolitacn College’s 110 years of service to Northern Ireland

Led by a team of industry experts, the Business School will feature a packed prospectus designed to provide students with the skills to compete in a demanding corporate market.

There will also be insightful masterclasses and workshops hosted by industry experts who have experienced emerging business developments first­hand.

Based in the e3 building at the Springvale Campus, the college is spending over £1m upgrading its teaching and training facilities to help execute the wide range of digitally­ delivered professional short courses that the Business School will offer.

Belfast Met continues to expand delivery of its Assured Skills Academy programme – a unique set of training programmes run in partnership with the Department for the Economy and Invest Northern Ireland.

The College works collaboratively with companies to identify skills needs and in turn develops a bespoke training academy to suit, with the aim of providing an upskilled workforce to facilitate new inward investors and provide existing employers with the skills required to enable business expansion.

Since launching in August 2013, Belfast Met has delivered 30 training programmes, working with companies such as Deliotte, PWC, AMS and Fintru, amongst others.

Most recently, Belfast Met has been recognised by winning a prestigious Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce Education and Business Partnership Award.

Over 110 years, Belfast Met has grown to be a £60m business, employing over 1,000

QUOTABLEQUOTE Over 110 years, Belfast Met has grown to be a £60m business, employing over 1,000 people and enriching the minds of over 20,000 students every year. people and enriching the minds of over 20,000 students every year.

These students graduate with vital skills that not only ready them for joining the workforce, but have the ability to transform their lives and directly contribute to the success of Northern Ireland’s economy. 110 years after first opening its doors, Belfast Met’s dedication to this mission has not shifted and today the College looks to the future of creating leaders, engaging businesses and ultimately, ‘Leading the City to Work’.

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BEST PRACTICE

Banking on Intellectual Property the underappreciated asset

by Iain Lundie, partner at UHY Hacker Young Fitch Chartered Accountants he World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) defines intellectual property as “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.”

Unfortunately, when we look to valuing creations of the mind, accountancy does not help much and intellectual property value tends to be a balancing figure which denotes a business value that cannot be explained by its tangible assets alone. Your business is worth more than the sum of its touchable parts.

The problem of undervaluing and underappreciating this value cannot be overstated. The issues involved in valuing and appreciating intellectual property across the full range of Business Owner issues, from Banking and Finance to decision and policy making through to taxation.

In 2013 the UK intellectual property office released the study "Banking on IP? The role of intellectual property and intangible assets in facilitating business finance" The study reported findings on how effectively Small and Medium Enterprises, described as “The lifeblood of the economy”, are able to use their IP assets to secure the finance they need for company growth and whether there was more that companies and financiers could do to leverage the IP assets.

The context of the report was the findings of the 2012 Breedon Report which estimated that shortage of finance for SMEs was between £84 billion and £191 billion and that, according to recent research published

by BIS: "If the situation is not resolved, output, investment and employment will be lower than would otherwise be the case, with adverse effects on economic performance in the short and longer term."

The study found that IP is an "under­ appreciated asset class" and is, in effect, "unbankable". However, the report noted that IP and intangibles are valued highly by equity investors and commercial lenders.

A 2006 ACCA report stated that "intangible assets provide the basis of superior profits and enterprise value beyond that determined by competitive market conditions".

However, IP was not considered the asset of first choice. Nevertheless, a high proportion of commercial lenders "felt more could be done with them ­ to improve control, inform appetite, or both" As we all know, finance, remains one of the key issues in maintaining the SME sector and the issue of identifying and valuing

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intellectual property needs to be improved so that the routes to finance can follow.

This is a process by which businesses must be educated in identifying and valuing intellectual property, primary funders must see the reliability and repeatability of these values and be able to bank this part of the business.

A further issue in undervaluing and underappreciationg intellectual property is that it is then left unprotected. It is crucial that your business is able to identify, value and protect its intellectual property.

This definition can encompass many areas of your business, such as its name, logo, designs, inventions works of creative or intellectual effort or trademarks.

Each of these make your business unique and in order to protect this ability to generate commerce the issue must be understood and protected where possible.

A simple example of where this may cause issues is with your website, a good question is “who owns it?”

This seems simple but reality may be different. You rent the domain name, you may own the visual design if you created it but if this is more of a theme amended to work for your business you may not own much of the look and feel.

You may own the source code of the site but be aware of some agencies who will claim ownership of this as well. You almost certainly won’t own the platform that the website runs on and you won’t own the web server database or browser.

How can you protect this intellectual property?

This should form part of your in­house procedures and processes. Identifying areas which can be legally protected, ensuring that registrations are regularly checked and risks are identified.

There should be action plans in place should you need to change provider or look to make changes and upgrades to your website.

This is an example of something which may be outsourced cheaply but can cause many issues.

It would be remiss not to discuss the tax reliefs which are available to those involved in generating intellectual property.

In line with the UK strategy of developing the “Knowledge economy” there are a myriad of reliefs available including: • Research and development tax credits • Creative Industry corporation tax relief • Tax relief on investment into IP focussed companies • Reduced Capital Gains Tax for Directors and employees • Business Property relief for inheritance tax • Capital Gains Tax deferral • Patent box corporation tax relief.

It is important to understand, harness, value and protect intellectual property rights in order to exploit these government reliefs and ensure that the maximum value of your business is being achieved.

MOREINFORMATION If there is anything in this article that you find of use or if there is anything that we can assist with please do not hesitate to contact either Iain Lundie i.lundie@uhy-uk.com) or Michael Fitch m.fitch@uhy-uk.com) on 028 9032 2047.

BEST PRACTICE

ON A BOARD? You just can’t play it by ear!

by Joy Allen CDir, managing director of Leading Governance Ltd, and Lead Tutor with IoD in London. She has specialised in board review and development processes for 14 years. very time we turn on the news, there seems to be another governance scandal. Whether its Volkswagen, Tesco, BHS or Sports Direct, there are frequent reminders of the need for company directors to be alert, engaged and trained for the job.

Continual learning is essential in the modern boardroom if risks are to be spotted and managed, and if strategic goals are to be achieved.

The most capable directors understand the relevance of the Chartered Director qualification, and the importance of continuing development.

The legal duties of directors are clearly enshrined in law, including in the Companies Act 2006.

We are required to exercise ‘care, skill and diligence’, which means we need to know Alan Taylor of Arthur Cox and IoD NI Director Linda Brown (seated) with Briege Bradley and Sheila Donaghy from Ulster Bank at one of the Institute’s Effective Board sessions what we’re doing! How many directors have a really good induction when they’re ranks of management, and familiar with the board that believes in continuing professional appointed? detail of day to day business. development is at the core of creating the Most get a tour of the premises, Better Directors, who build a Better Business Investing in continuous professional introduction to key staff, and maybe a pack of that leads to a Better Economy. development helps directors to raise their papers to read through. Very few, in our heads out of operational detail and think in a The IoD main objective is to help directors experience, get structured training in their more strategic way about how best they fulfil and business leaders to access professional legal responsibilities, and support to spot those duties. development opportunities and so offers a strategic opportunities and key risks. wide portfolio of one, two and three day The complexity of the role means that courses as well as the Chartered Director directors need to be well informed and A good director induction will Programme, which can lead to the award of energised in their role. include: the Chartered Director qualification as well as The UK Code of Corporate Governance • Familiarisation with the governing the Certificate and Diploma in Company guides the board to provide entrepreneurial documents – Articles of Association, Direction. leadership within a framework of prudent Shareholder Agreements, etc The next Programme starts in January 2017 controls.

• Previous Annual Reports & Accounts and anyone interested in this can contact the Both of those aspects require director IoD at iod.northernireland@iod.com for • Strategic Plan, Business Plan competence and a board that shows clear more information.

• Strategic Risk Register leadership. The culture of the company In Northern Ireland, the Competent should be led by the board, which should set • Pen portraits of fellow directors Director Series has been developed to meet the tone for everyone else.

• Role Descriptions for the board, board the needs of local business leaders with By investing in development of the board members, chairman, company secretary, and its members, a clear signal is sent that the support from Ulster Bank and Arthur Cox. MD The Competent Director Series provides an organisation values continual learning, and • Details about the delegation framework – accessible mix of half day workshops on guards against complacency. in a formal setting, there will be a Schedule topics such as finance for board members and That will encourage staff to continuously of Matters Reserved to the Board and a the role of a non­executive director, learn and develop, creating a vibrant learning Scheme of Delegation. In a less formal interactive boardroom sessions, the New organisation that will be the envy of business, people at each level should be Director Boot Camps, and for 2017, a new competitors. Really effective directors are clear about what decisions they can make programme of workshops on The Competent committed to continually developing (including spending limits) and what they Chair, covering all aspects of Chairing a themselves and growing in their role. need to bring to the next level up. company and its board. For information on They lead by example, recognising that this activity, go to www.iodni.com/events Induction is just the start even experienced executives have more to learn.

If the company is to maximise success and minimise the risk of failures, then induction Professionalising the board for board members is just the start ­ on­going training is also vital.

The mantra of the Institute of Directors is ‘Better Directors, Better Most of us come to the boardroom through Businesses, Better Economy’. Having a the executive route, promoted through the

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Year of Food and Drink Round Table with Tourism NI Year of Food and Drink is delivering strong partnerships and PR across Northern Ireland and beyond. We gathered a cross section of the sector at Tourism NI’s offices to gauge its success and look at potential next steps. Howard Hastings, managing director of Hastings Hotels and past chair of Tourism NI sets the scene. fter the success of the Giro d’Italia and the Irish Open we needed to create a year long programme of indigenous events.

Food and drink has capacity to do that and we wanted to build awareness of our food and drink sector locally and use it as a tourism driver while also developing the agri­ food industry.

The idea was to build food trails and festivals, dial­up existing food based events and revive the tired ones.

In 2014 we decided that we would make 2016 the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink. It was an ambitious timescale as we needed to create the delivery platforms and grow civic pride to the point of high engagement.

It was complicated because of the diversity of the sector which required buy­in from ministers of Economy, Agriculture and the then Department of Environment plus the new Councils along with involving Tourism Ireland to take the project internationally.

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What do we consider the achievements of the year to date?

Naomi Waite, Tourism NI There are several strands from a communications and PR angle: part export sales, part extending the reputation of Northern Ireland as destination. We set ourselves the target of generating £10m of positive PR and at half way point we’ve achieved £30m of positive PR with 61 international media visits.

The launch event at Ulster Hall was a real success setting the scene for collaboration across the sectors. But it was the development of the monthly calendar of activity with Food NI that has proven to be the best way to focus our efforts.

We’ve had numerous international successes, not least a nine page spread in Food Canada. Alongside filming at Foyle Maritime Festival and St George’s Market, and great social media levels of engagement, we can confidently say that the year is shaping up to be an outstanding success.

John Hood, Invest NI The food and drink sector accounts for 25 per cent of Northern Ireland’s export sales with 70 per cent of food production exported.

Back Row: Michael Jackson, Food Standards Agency: John Hood, Invest NI: Caroline Wilson, Belfast Food Tours: Glynn Roberts, NIIRTA: Niall Mckenna, James St South: Gavin Walker, Business First (chair): Howard Hastings, Hastings Hotels. Seated, John McGrillen, Tourism NI: Sharon Machala, Food NI: Naomi Waite, Tourism NI Of that, 97 per cent is consumed within the European Union and the Republic of Ireland is by far our biggest market accounting for 16 per cent of exports.

But ours is a competitive market and it’s hard to make profit, so the most important aspect of the Year of Food and Drink for us has been the enhancement of our reputation outside of Northern Ireland.

Where we have recognised a weakness, however, is that Northern Ireland doesn’t have a brand. Scotland plays on the Soltaire, tartan and thistle, and Wales is developing a brand around the Dragon. So we need to find our own identity. For us it revolves around three ideas: Purity: Natural: Quality.

We have a food fortress which guarantees food purity. Our natural environment is recognised across the world, and recent successes in awards such as the Great Taste Awards means that our quality has been measured independently.

In a recent Retail Grocer nine­page article the headline read: Northern Ireland Food and Drink is UK’s Best Kept Secret – but that’s about to change. The export dimension is an important aspect of the legacy of Year of Food and Drink.

Food and Drink creates employment opportunities across Northern Ireland and we have to make the sector more attractive to local people.

Sharon Machala, Food NI There’s no doubt the Monthly Calendar helped to focus industry and had their buy­in.

The calendar was based on existing festivals and has gradually gained momentum, with retailers like Tesco and Lidl getting on­board.

Councils and Invest NI have also been very involved so the year has allowed us to connect the dots and we look forward to continuing that in 2017.

Caroline Wilson, Belfast Food Tours I wouldn’t be here and my business certainly wouldn’t be as successful as it is without Year of Food and Drink.

I’ve noticed in particular the focussing of minds with the industry, retailers and the public.

Economic confidence in the sector is also growing with diversification and new businesses being set up across Northern Ireland. And that confidence is spreading to our students who are now convinced that the industry – food and tourism – has a future as a career choice.

Michael Jackson, Food Standards Agency Our job is to ensure that locals and tourists both enjoy a secure and healthy experience and we have continued to see an increase in

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19

ROUND TABLE

John McGrillen, Howard Hastings and Naomi Waite

levels of compliance within the industry. At this point we have 97 per cent of businesses rated at least three on the Food Hygiene Scheme which is the highest in UK. The Year of Food and Drink as provided us the opportunity to promote healthy eating and diet choices and the Calendar has allowed us to align the Eat Well Calendar with the Year of Food and Drink.

Niall McKenna, James St South There has been a definite uplift in business from around UK and a positive mentality from restauranteurs for collaboration and development.

Staff retention is also so much better and I have more international staff wanting to work in Belfast. Not only that, staff are now going to festivals to find out more about what is available locally and becoming more aware of the produce available to them. It’s been notable and impressive.

we both know that a successful town centre is a mix of retail and hospitality: happy restauranteurs equals happy retailers as they both feed footfall to each other.

John McGrillen, Tourism NI We’re all in the economic development business but sometimes we get stuck in our silos. What the Year of Food and Drink has done is allowed us to work together to meet our individual objectives but with an eye to the overall success of Northern Ireland.

There is a real opportunity to develop new businesses outside of the cities with development of businesses such as Kilmegan Cider in Newry.

These create real opportunities for smaller communities to become sustainable which makes for a better tourist experience and all

of this feeds into the success of the sector.

When we work together we get results. To some extent this isn’t a surprise to us. We had experienced it from the feedback from the organisers of the international events such as the Giro d’Italia who have all been impressed by the level of co­operation across all agencies and sectors to deliver a great experience for the client.

So we knew it could be done, and it’s great to have the success of our own Year of Food and Drink to put all of that to our advantage.

Tourism is an export business. We create an income of £500m per year. But more importantly we provide jobs across the country and in places like Belfast where over 35 per cent of the population is economically inactive and who are not being served by the FDI successes that require high level skills that these people don’t have.

At the same time there are always new destinations and tourism products being developed internationally and so while we have a great product in place, we can’t be complacent and must continue to invest in tourism infrastructure and marketing.

Howard Hastings, Hastings Hotels The success of the Year is hopefully showing politicians that they need to review the way they approach economic development.

Historically it is often the high­pay jobs that are transitory, lasting only until the machinery or technology becomes obsolete.

Contrast that with the reality that while the hospitality industry might not create as many high paying jobs, they are more sustainable.

So when we create jobs within places like Titanic Belfast, those jobs are going to be around for 50 or 60 years. That married with the fact that we are becoming better able to grow our domestic economy and grow the euro and dollar economy and you can see that

Glyn Roberts, NIIRTA As a result of the focus on food and drink, retailers have become more encouraged to source locally.

We now have more food processors as members and we are enthusiastic partners in the year.

But it’s all about the legacy of the year. Can we develop more indigenous businesses and increase the skills level to serve the expanding sector.

It’s great to see so many different players getting involved. Success will be measured by how many new businesses we’ve created, how many new visitors we’ve attracted and how many businesses have seen an increase in turnover and profit.

Hopefully the legacy of the year will be a greater development of our town centres. We work closely with Hospitality Ulster because

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Niall McKenna, James St South and Glyn Roberts, NIIRTA

the tourism pound is better recycled within the economy. You can see that from the new jobs and businesses that are being created.

It’s clear that when you are marketing tourism within Northern Ireland you are also selling Northern Ireland as a great place to live, study and invest. This is an exciting time for a new Programme for Government to re­ imagine their industrial policy and we have demonstrated how investment in tourism reaches so much further than within the sector.

So when the Year is finished, what will be its legacy and what are the Next Steps?

John McGrillen, Tourism NI We need to engage with tourists who are ‘culturally curious’. Typically they are well­ educated and focussed on the quality of food, heritage and culture.

We are perfectly placed for that sector and we can present ourselves as a food destination. It might not be the sole reason for visiting, but it provides an important added­value to these tourists.

The business to business and incentive market is growing in importance to us as well. They are looking for an integrated experience and we have proven that we can provide that. As a result, they are prepared to pay premium prices therefore making an even greater contribution to the local economy.

Howard Hastings, Hastings Hotels I get really excited when the Scottish Food and Drink Society asks, ‘What are you guys doing right’. Or when the Restaurants Association of Ireland put in their pre­ election manifesto that they want a Year of Food and Drink. The awards recognition for food and drink providers is exciting and the decision of the BBC Good Food Show to come to Northern Ireland is a significant event that would have been inconcievable only a few years ago.

We are demonstrating a new self­ confidence and that is the really positive narrative coming out of the year. We’re just in the foothills of where we can take this and we need to be sure to drive on into next year and the year after that.

Opportunities are extensive and exciting.

John Hood, Invest NI This year we have enhanced our image and reputation giving us access to new markets.

The most important thing now is to drive additional sales for our local food and drink.

This year we are looking for a £30m increase in sales and our next step is simple: drive sales of our quality produce.

Sharon Machala, Food NI We are focussed on having a collective approach through strategic partnerships. We have linked in with so many organisations and agencies to enhance Northern Ireland’s reputation for food and drink and we want to continue building on that.

Caroline Wilson, Belfast Food Tours Building on the support that’s going to producers and tourism providers on the North Coast and Derry will hopefully be extended across Northern Ireland. There is massive corporate demand for tours outside Belfast and I hope we will build on that.

But perhaps the most important next step is the development of a Made in Northern Ireland brand that makes us stand out from our competitors. The consumers want it and so we have to educate our locals and tourists of what is available locally and celebrate that uniqueness.

Michael Jackson, Food Standards Agency We have demonstrated that we can have a different dynamic that can drive the whole industry forward. We’re working to provide information to help people make a more informed choice when it comes to their food.

John McGrillen, CEO, TOurism NI

Niall McKenna, James St South The Calendar was a brilliant innovation for the Year. Now if we could look at the possibility of bringing some of the events closer together so visitors will have more than one event to visit once they are here, that would be a great next step.

Less fragmentation will encourage a longer stay and that can be set alongside theatre and the arts so visitors aren’t left saying ‘that was great, but what’s next.’

Glynn Roberts NIIRTA The legacy of the Year will be economic development and confidence but next steps are about connectivity with skills needs and provision. We need to get the right skills sets in place to serve what is obviously an exciting and growing industry.

Naomi Waite, Tourism NI I think there are a number of great areas we can drive on from here. We can build the relationships with international media. The calendar is a real success and we should continue to build on that. Visitors are looking for more information and the new collaboration will allow us to provide that.

We have developed a library of images, recipes and other collateral all available to journalists. New food trails for the visitor who wants a fully immersive food experience.

Caroline Wilson, Belfast Food Tours and Michael Jackson, Food Standards Agency

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BEST PRACTICE

7

STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL TALENT DEVELOPMENT

by Anne Phillipson, Programme Director, William J Clinton Leadership Institute, QUB structured talent development process. But for medium or small enterprises, it doesn’t have to be costly process and you don’t need to hire consultants to do this for you.

In fact, it’s much easier for SMEs to review their talent pool, since the relationships and connections across the organisation are much closer and so there is a real depth of understanding of the current performance across the entire team. While HR partners can help facilitate the process, managers must be central to the talent review.

Assess current performance.

1 eaders spend a lot of time thinking about the future. Without a crystal ball to assist them, they have to make an educated guess as to what the market will look like, how their customers’ demands will have changed, and how the entire environment they operate in will have shifted. Once they have stepped into the future, they have to return to the present and make a plan.

That plan has to involve developing the bench strength of their people, so that they have the talent to deliver that future.

Be honest, how many of you reading this article have invested in a meaningful talent development process so that you can state, with confidence, that you know who you want in key roles in the future and those individuals are working a personalised development plan to help them be ready when the time comes? If your answer is less than a ‘absolutely, yes’, then read on.

The risk of not having a development strategy is similar to not having a business strategy. There’s always a slight chance that you will be okay without it, but is that a chance you really want to take with your organisation’s future?

Wouldn’t it be better to assess your current talent, identify the critical roles that can’t be filled from the outside without a huge learning curve, and develop your own people now?

And what a positive message to be able to share with your team; we have great plans for you, we want to grow and develop you to be ready to take on greater responsibility, and we are investing in you. Retention; tick.

Engagement; tick. Successful transition; tick.

Large organisations usually have a

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Review how people are doing in their current role. This assessment is not just about whether they got the job done, but HOW did they get the job done.

Do people want to work with them again, or do they hit their targets but leave a path of destruction behind them. The WHAT and the HOW are important considerations in assessing current performance. Performance discussions should include asking people about their own desire for future roles in the organisation and their aspirations.

be known, so that you can take steps to keep your top talent, let them know you have big plans for them, and engage them in their own development to mitigate against flight risk.

Identify Critical Roles

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Which roles in your organisation are critical to your success? Which roles, where if the current post­holder left, would make you vulnerable? Which roles is it almost impossible to fill from outside without waiting months for the new start to get up to speed and perform?

Which roles do you not have time to wait, where you need performance from day one?

Identify Successors

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For those Critical Roles, you need to identify one, two or even three people to be on the bench. If it would take an internal candidate 12­24 months to be ready, what do you need to be doing now to begin that process?

The answer will be different for each of your potential successors, depending on their individual starting points, but that’s where the targeted development plans come in.

Assess potential

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When you review each individual, you will know how they are doing in their current role based on this year’s performance review, but you must also consider their potential. Can you see them getting to the next level?

What about the level after that? It’s okay to be a solid performer that won’t go any further up the ladder; in fact, you need people like that in most organisations.

That doesn’t mean they won’t get further development, they will. It will just look different than those who are expected to move into roles with greater responsibility and scope.

Assess Readiness

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Think about when the individual might be ready to make that move to the next level. In 12 months? 24 months? The length of time will influence the development plan, so think about the ideal timeframe.

Assess Flight Risks

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Is this individual likely to get poached?

Are there signs that they might be looking elsewhere? This information should

Targeted Development Plans

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Once you know where people are now, what their potential is, which roles need succession plans in place, and who could potentially fill those roles, you can then design bespoke development plans.

Those plans may include leadership development, training, secondment, mentoring, travel, extending networks, temporary assignments or strategic projects.

Whatever is required to give the individual the skills, competency and confidence to step into that future role.

And don’t overlook those individuals that aren’t going up to the next rung on the ladder.

They also need development, but they might be spending more time doing the mentoring than being mentored!

A thorough talent review takes time, but it is an investment in your organisations’ future.

And isn’t that what leadership is all about; futureproofing.

FIRST TRUST BANK

Speed is of the essence in business loan approvals W

hat if you’ve found the perfect business opportunity and you need to move fast – to secure a new customer or take forward an expansion plan, but you don’t have the finances in place?

Whether it’s in fashion, hospitality, IT or manufacturing ­ speed increasingly provides the competitive edge needed to succeed in modern business. It’s a fact of life today that we are all programmed to demand and expect things more quickly and the business world is no different.

On the other side of the coin, the banking sector would not traditionally enjoy a reputation for swift decision making when it comes to approving finance. But even that is changing.

Experiencing a significant increase in demand for business credit and a growing appetite among the business community for expansion, First Trust Bank recently announced a market first in Northern Ireland.

Targeting both new and existing customer they have given a commitment to make decisions on new business loans and overdraft requests up to £25,000 within 48 hours.

According to the Bank they are often in a position to beat that commitment following receipt of all required information to progress funding applications.

Speaking about the move Brian Gillan, Head of Business Banking, First Trust Bank said; “With over 118,000 SME businesses active in Northern Ireland, the ability to support their ambitions is vital to growing our economy as a whole and our latest 48­hour commitment is designed to do just that.

“In truth we often are able to beat that deadline if our customers can deliver all the required information for the applications.

We have a very broad client base across a

range of business sectors and we see first­hand just how critical a quick funding decision can be.

“It can sometimes be the difference between being first to market with something or securing new customers. It is also vital to take account of seasonal fluctuations, be they good or bad.

“We have been very pleased with the response to the commitment already which goes to prove that speed can be everything in today’s fast Spoilt Belle Boutique owned by Rachel Shivers paced world.”

Peninsula. We believe in the value and strength of ‘local’ and it is comforting to have Blend and Batch Coffee Shop a local Bank that shares our passion.”

Two companies who have benefited from the quick decision making are fashion retailer Spoilt Belle Boutique Spoilt Belle Boutique and contemporary Spoilt Belle Boutique is a clothing outlet coffee shop, Blend and Batch based in aimed at fashion forward women. With a Banbridge, County Down which is owned by keen eye for the latest fashions and the need husband and wife team Peter and Marion to stay on trend the owner Rachel Shivers Fairbairn. wanted to expand from her well established When the self­confessed coffee lovers, saw shop in Magherafelt and continue the growth a clear gap in the market for a coffee shop of its online presence. She needed money which would not only serve top quality coffee, quickly to support the opening of its second batch baked produce and made to order food, store in Coleraine, an expansion which also but would also become a popular meeting created seven new jobs in the process. point for the local community, they needed to Rachel explains how the quick turnaround move swiftly. was vital to her expansion plans; Emphasising the value of the quick decision “Given the fast­paced nature of fashion making from his Bank, Peter said; “We retail, it’s essential that businesses like mine spotted the opportunity to open a coffee have access to a flexible cash flow or we risk shop/ kitchen in Banbridge which had a losing out on opportunities. prominent location on the edge of the town “We were given our decision by First Trust centre. We needed a Bank which not only Bank well within the 48 hours which helped bought into our overall vision for the place, accelerate our growth plans so I’m thrilled to but which also understood have opened our new store in Coleraine and the need for speed in their create jobs in the local area. While having an response. increased physical presence in Northern “With First Trust Bank’s Ireland is important, much of our growing help we were able to move customer base is also owed to our online quickly to establish Blend presence across social media platforms; in and Batch as a particular Snapchat and Instagram. contemporary and “Having the support of a Bank who took the welcoming coffee shop in time to understand the quick nature of retail the town – and create a and the evolving needs of fashion conscious shared space for the local consumers helped fast forward our expansion community. plans.”

“Today we also deliver Further details about the 48­hour decision an appetising food range commitment can be found at based on local sourcing www.firsttrustbank.co.uk and seasonal produce, to First Trust Bank is a trade mark of AIB go with our top quality Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of coffee which is roasted by Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.)

Blend and Batch based in Banbridge, County Down owned by 38 Espresso on the Ards husband and wife team Peter and Marion Fairbairn

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23

BEST PRACTICE

Building Family Governance

by Maybeth Shaw, BDO Northern Ireland ecently, we have witnessed the formal announcement of the Government’s intention to trigger the UK’s exit from the EU by March 2017.

The announcement was met with mixed economic reaction with the weakening of the pound, but the stock market strengthening from the increased certainty, at least in terms of the formal timetable, for Brexit.

It is evident that strong government, and indeed strong governance, will be required to steer the country through the turbulent economic and political tides of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

The need for clear strategic direction, as well as the internal processes that support this, will be important not only in terms of the Government and its strategy for the country, but also, for businesses up and down the country, which will need strong leadership and governance to mitigate any fallout from Brexit.

In working with family owned businesses, we have come to realise that they have to learn to successfully manage two facets of governance: (a) Corporate governance, covering the direction of business operations; and (b) Family governance, providing a framework of rules that define family members’ roles and responsibilities, and how the family interacts with the business.

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The aim is to generally change from a system of informality to an environment where there are rules, procedures and structures in place.

At BDO, we have also come to appreciate that a strong sense of shared purpose among owners and the wider family is a source of competitive advantage for family businesses.

Each family needs to work through how this sense of belonging and teamwork will be reflected in their family governance system.

However, it is clear that there is no “one size fits all” and no two families or businesses are completely alike.

Family governance systems work best when they are tailor­made – shaped by the age, size and culture of the business, the family’s degree of involvement, and the personal dynamics amongst family members.

A formal framework and written rules of governance make it less likely that personality issues will divide the family and interfere in the business.

Through the mechanisms of family governance, families aim to build trust, ensure clarity and manage stakeholder expectations.

We have found a number of family governance documents and structures that can go some way towards supporting this goal. These can include:

A family constitution documenting This duality is complicated because in most family businesses, individuals will often have several roles. It is often not possible – or indeed desirable – to eliminate all personal interests or conflicts of interest, but family governance systems make it easier to identify and address these with reasonable objectivity.

Our experience in working with family businesses has shown that family governance needs to evolve to take account of developments, within both the business and the family circle.

Family firms become more complex over time as the business expands, the family grows and ownership dilutes.

What used to work for an entrepreneur and their nuclear family – i.e. informal governance based on understandings and assumptions – is less likely to serve the interests of a group of second­generation siblings (and their spouses).

As a result, it makes sense to organise governance early, while the family enterprise is young and the family group relatively small – and at a time when family relations are peaceful, while big issues like succession remain a distant prospect.

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• the family’s vision and objectives for the business; • key policies – for example, those relating to family members’ employment, management succession, and the ownership and transfer of shares; • a code of conduct governing how family members should treat each other; and • the role of family governance bodies and their relationship with corporate entities like the board of directors.

QUOTABLEQUOTE Family governance systems work best when they are tailor-made – shaped by the age, size and culture of the business, the family’s degree of involvement, and the personal dynamics amongst family members. members with a forum for discussion and help them develop a co­ordinated family approach.

Family council committees Working to foster family education, information, communications and social cohesion.

A family office Providing centralised wealth management services to the family, acting as an investment, liquidity management and administrative centre.

A shareholders’ agreement Often codifying certain provisions of the family constitution, such as listing the types of decisions that owners are entitled to make (as opposed to the board), rules on share transfers and how shares are to be valued.

Family governance bodies Including a family assembly, open to all family members, and a family council, formed of chosen representatives of the family. The council will typically set policies to balance family and business, and will act as the conduit between shareholders and the board of directors. These bodies provide family

We have seen the benefits of these formal structures in practice with several of our family owned business clients.

It is clear that they can prove invaluable in keeping the needs of the family and the business separate while also helping foster internal processes that aid in the future running of the company.

It will be important that businesses review their internal governance procedures and ensure that these are robust enough to cover both the strategic direction of the business, particularly in the current uncertain economic climate, and the expectations and ever changing needs of the family circle.

BUSINESS FIRST MEETS

BELFAST HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A BIG-HITTER ON THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE STAGE With the addition of 7,000m2 of conference space at Belfast Waterfront, the plethora of award-winning restaurants, the coming on-stream of world-class hotels and expanding air connectivity, are we ready to take on Paris, Barcelona and Berlin in the conference market? Belfast Waterfont and Ulster Hall Limited’s recently-appointed managing director Catherine Toolan thinks we are. Here she tells Gavin Walker why she’s prepared to bet £100 million on it.

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n our house planning a dinner party for eight seems to be a major exercise in logistics. So the idea of providing full conference facilities and three meals a day for 5000 (the maximum the newly expanded Belfast Waterfront can facilitate) seems quite daunting.

But after spending eight years in China with international facilities management company Aramark during which time she was responsible for their delivery of the Beijing Olympics ­ the biggest peace­time feeding event ­ those 5000 seem quite manageable.

So it’s all a matter of perspective and an understanding that whether you’re handling a meeting of 10 or a major international conference of 1000, the principles of success are the same: communicate your requirements to your staff: ensure you have the right people in the right place, and set the level of service bar very high.

With that philosophy in place and the experience to make it happen, Catherine Toolan is confident that the new Belfast Waterfront is about to make a major impact on both Belfast and across the Province.

“Belfast City Council has been visionary in its commitment to the expansion of the Waterfront,” Catherine began, “and I believe the five year, £100 million economic impact target is challenging, but achievable. And when we achieve that, the value of the investment for both Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland will be quite transformational.

“At the moment each international conference delegate spends around £400 daily. So one conference of 1000 delegates for three days creates around £1.2 million of a spend on hotels, food and entertainment.

“Multiply that by many, many conferences, and you start to get a sense of how much of an impact this new market which the expanded Waterfront has made possible for Belfast will affect our economy.

“Now add on a two or three day extended stay in Fermanagh or the North West, perhaps, and you begin to see how additional spending can be generated across Northern Ireland.

“We already have a brilliant product in place, but with the addition of new hotels and air­routes, that can only get better.”

Of course, it helps to have a state­of­the art facility to sell, and Belfast Waterfront is certainly that.

“Combined with the original facilities, the new space provides us with the scalability we need to work with international conferences of up to 5000 from across the world,” Catherine explained.

“A lot of time was spent ensuring that the new space allowed for an easy flow of people throughout the building, and behind the beautiful space is state­of­the­art technology

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QUOTABLEQUOTE Belfast City Council has been visionary in its commitment to the expansion of the Waterfront and I believe the five year, £100 million economic impact target is challenging for Belfast Waterfront, but achievable. And when we achieve that, the value of the investment for both Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland will be quite transformational.

and English as the first language, and you have the makings of a very attractive package.

“More importantly, we have a culture of collaboration in Belfast with Visit Belfast and TourismNI working closely with us to create a business tourism strategy that brings immediate access to all the best aspects of the destination right to the conference planner’s finger tips. That’s important and it helps us stand out from the competition.

“And other seemingly small things like potentially having the Lord Mayor of Belfast open or address your conference, means a lot to a conference planner. That’s not the kind of access they will get in too many other destinations!”

Working with Belfast that can meet and very often beat, any competitor.

“For example, we recently tested the wi­fi system and had no difficulty hosting 2000 devices online at the same time! That’s impressive and it’s only one of so many technological features of the building that simply wow visiting conference planners.”

Selling Belfast Catherine believes Belfast is now well positioned to take­on some of Europe’s leading conference destinations.

“Starting with the Lonely Planet Guide, Belfast has been feted as ‘one to visit’ by many commentators and publications. Add to that research that shows the city to be one of the safest in Europe, an international following for the Titanic and Game of Thrones, ease of access, affordability as compared to other European destinations,

The arrival of a facility the size of Belfast Waterfront creates a demand for new skills and job opportunities and Catherine hopes to see these maximised.

“This larger business tourism market creates a demand for people with specific skills and we want to work with the colleges to help them deliver the training to fill the demand. We’ll need more people with good language skills and training and experience in event planning, production and facilities management, for example, as well as staff to fill the new positions that will be created from the new hotels, restaurants and other services this market demands.

“I believe the success of Belfast Waterfront will help create many thousands of job opportunities across Northern Ireland, and I look forward to being a part of this new exciting phase in Northern Ireland’s economic development.”

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BEST PRACTICE

The tricky business of litigation funding in Northern Ireland Matthew Howse, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Partner at leading law firm Arthur Cox, explains the nuances of litigation funding in Northern Ireland. or professionals such as company financial directors, who deal largely in the ‘black and white’ of numbers, the risk and uncertainty associated with pursuing a legal claim can often be difficult to justify when evaluating the costs of running a case to conclusion.

The availability of third party funding to help meet litigation costs can often be something that is welcomed by those charged with keeping a steady hand on the tiller of a company’s finances.

That is certainly the case in England and Wales, where the growth in the use of ‘litigation funding’ products has been fuelled by changes to the legal position, and by large corporates and their representatives making active use of these changes.

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Risk Traditionally, a party to litigation funds its own legal costs, either on an interim basis as the case progresses or at the end of the case.

A party who has a lawful interest or some other close connection to the litigation – shareholders or creditors, for example – can legitimately fund a party’s case, although they should be aware that they risk being made liable for the costs of the litigation if the case is unsuccessful.

So what are some of the alternatives to the traditional funding model available in Northern Ireland?

Professional third party litigation funding is where a commercial organisation, unconnected to the litigation in question, funds the litigation with a view to making a profit.

Integrity Traditionally, such funding fell foul of the ancient rules relating to ‘champerty’ and ‘maintenance’, designed to uphold the integrity of the litigation system – namely to prevent trafficking in litigation for profit, and to prevent people with an improper motive influencing litigation.

In England and Wales, those rules have been substantially relaxed over time. And in the Republic of Ireland, a case has been appealed to the Supreme Court (likely hearing early 2017) which will address the question of whether the existing prohibition on third party litigation funding in the Republic should be lifted.

In Northern Ireland, reported cases are scant, largely because the statutory

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framework is not on all fours with that in England and Wales.

Whilst in England and Wales there is an Association of Litigation Funders, established in 2011 to regulate the conduct of its members, there is no such body in Northern Ireland.

Reforms This is because there is simply not an established market in Northern Ireland, for the legal and technical reasons mentioned above, as well as other factors including cultural reasons (“if I can’t afford to bring a case, I won’t bring it”); the legal aid system in Northern Ireland (although subject to intense review and reform, legal aid still remains more widely available than in England and Wales); and for other, less tangible reasons.

The “no win, no fee” system (conditional fee agreements), which TV adverts are fond of promoting, is legal in England and Wales (although greatly scaled back of late), but is not currently legal in Northern Ireland.

The recent ‘Access to Justice Review Part 2’ report has, however, shown support for introducing this practice in certain cases in Northern Ireland and time will tell how far these reforms go.

Finally, after the event insurance (ATE), a type of insurance enabling plaintiffs to insure

against the risk of having to pay a defendant’s legal costs, and cover their own disbursements such as barrister’s fees, is not only legal in Northern Ireland, but also increasingly common and there are providers offering these products. Existing insurance policies should be checked for the existence of pre­existing insurance cover for legal claims.

It remains to be seen whether support for alternative methods of funding litigation in Northern Ireland will grow.

What is clear is that there are changes on the horizon – at Arthur Cox we will give you all the guidance you need on this sometimes complex area.

MOREINFORMATION The Litigation and Dispute Resolution team at Arthur Cox is well positioned to advise on the emerging trends in the civil justice system in Northern Ireland. Please call 028 9023 0007 for further information from Matthew or your regular Arthur Cox contact.

Mastering the tools of marketing in a digital age Valerie Ludlow has recently joined the Board of ASG Ireland as Deputy CEO. This is after only six years with the company, most recently heading up the agency’s advertising and digital marketing client service, as Director of Strategy. Here she talks to Gavin Walker about the economic landscape, ecommerce, and why the company decided to work with external partners. e’re all working in a slightly fuzzy economic environment at the moment. One in which uncertainty is the name of the game and there’s no sign of a clear way forward for 18 to 24 months.

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So it was a pleasure to find that, as far as ASG & Partners recently appointed director, Valerie Ludlow, is concerned, there are still a lot of good news stories filtering through to her office.

“After some lean years, we were beginning to see confidence returning in late 2015 early 2016,” Valerie explained.

“And although we had some fears of the fall­out from the result of the referendum in June, so far they have been unfounded.”

Valerie reports more calls for pitches where the agency is called in to bid for new business. Add to that good news from her retail customers ­ particularly retail parks in the border area who are reporting more Republic of Ireland registered cars in their car parks ­ and there is a positive picture coming from many corners of our economy.

And of course the new economic realities of a weak pound opens up new markets for exporters.

“We are working closely with Linwoods and a lovely company in Magherafelt called Bloc Blinds to raise their profiles in international markets. And the beauty of ecommerce means that small companies like Bloc can venture into exporting at minimal risk and without having to send personnel across the globe seeking out new customers.”

The realities of digital For Valerie and ASG, digital marketing can be an important tool for some of their clients, but it is only a part of the marketing toolbox and not the be all and end all it was heralded as less than a decade ago.

“When I joined ASG we had a serious

conversation about whether or not to create our own in­house digital team.

“There were good arguments for and against, but in the end we decided that digital specialists are just that: specialists.

Whereas if we were to have our own team they would be required to be generalists and that would probably not satisfy either them or our clients.”

So instead ASG actively sought out digital specialist companies that reflected their ethos of putting the client at the centre of everything they do, and create a partnership.

“ASG Ireland became ASG & Partners when we teamed up with Loudmouth and Origin Digital ­ both specialists at what they do. So now we can work with our clients knowing that we are able to provide a full suite of marketing that best suits their needs.”

And Valerie knows of what she speaks as her experience in digital marketing has meant a number of digital firsts for Northern Ireland. She’s been responsible for more effectively integrating social media strategies and technologies – including app development – into client marketing campaigns.

business to make predictions about what the next 12 to 18 months might bring ­ and Valerie is no different.

“Regardless of how things are stacking up at the moment, we know there is uncertainty in the marketplace and none of us can be sure of what the next year will bring,” Valerie said. “But one thing I do know is that clients are asking agencies to be more of a partner in their business.

“Not simply coming in and making a pitch for business, but taking time to understand what their problems and aspirations are and helping them develop strategies to address them.

“I think that will be a growing factor within our industry. After the challenges of 2008/09 when many businesses simply turned off their marketing taps, they have learned that that is not a good strategy.

“Rather they need to ensure that they have a robust integrated communications plan in place ­ and that’s where we and our partners come in.

“Working with hoped­for aspirations and real­time budgets, we can help clients maximise their impact within the marketplace using the right marketing tools for the job.”

Gazing into the crystal ball It’s nigh on impossible to get anybody in

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

It’s time to make Northern Ireland the entrepreneurial capital of Europe Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is November 19th so how are Northern Ireland’s women doing on the global statistics asks Tina McKenzie, Managing Director of Staffline Ireland his year I have the privilege of being the European Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. The event is celebrated on the 19th November across 144 countries globally; empowering women to foster their entrepreneurial spirit and help their local communities thrive.

The mission of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is to alleviate poverty around the world.

An ambitious goal, I admit.

However the real power of encouraging entrepreneurship is the trickledown effect on local communities.

In the context of Northern Ireland, I believe we have the potential to become the entrepreneurial capital of Europe.

We’ve had some wonderful entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland. Sir James Martin, who revolutionized the idea of the ejector seat throughout the 1930s. John Stewart Bell, the man from Tates Avenue who proved Einstein wrong. Professor Frank Pantridge, who developed the life saving defibrillator in the 1960s; to name just a few.

But entrepreneurship isn’t just about invention. Brett Nelson, Executive Editor for Forbes Magazine has said entrepreneurs are ‘in the purest sense, those who identify a need­ any need­ and fill it.

It’s a primordial urge, independent of product, service, industry or market.”

So if you lead a business, you are an entrepreneur. If you started a charity, you are an entrepreneur. If you have the relentless spirit to do something new and innovative to solve problems, you are an entrepreneur.

When entrepreneurs are successful, communities and economies thrive. Increased entrepreneurship also helps to provide political stability, which is crucial in a post­ conflict society such as ours.

The Council on Foreign Relations has found that a 10% increase in labour­related spending is directly associated with a 10 per cent decrease in violence, largely by addressing the underlying causes of conflict.

The economic benefits are clear. For women in particular, we know that one in five who start a business or move into self­ employment were previously unemployed, increasing economic activity and production; key challenges for the Northern Ireland economy.

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The Northern Ireland Composite Economic Index reported a fall of 2.2 per cent in the Public sector index, with 1.6 per cent growth reported in the private sector over the same period from Quarter 1 2015 to Quarter 1 2016.

The Civil Service voluntary exit scheme and restructuring of the Government Departments has went some way in rebalancing our economy, in mind if not yet in numbers; but there is still a long way to go.

Shifting reliance from the traditional public sector jobs by encouraging entrepreneurship is the only way in which we can grow our private sector and create jobs.

According to the Enterprise Research Centre, more small firms in Northern Ireland hit the “magic milestone” of £1m in revenue within their first three years in business than anywhere else in the UK­ around 10 per cent compared with six per cent in England.

2015 saw over 13,000 new start ups in Belfast, up 32 per cent on the previous year.

In March 2015 there were 68085 businesses operating in Northern Ireland registered for VAT and/or PAYE, the first increase since 2008 (albeit just by 0.6 per cent).

Northern Ireland is a great place to start a business, but we need to support our entrepreneurs to get business ideas off the ground, to make them sustainable, and foster them into the global brands of the future.

So how can we encourage our budding entrepreneurs?

Studies have shown that people who have undergone some sort of enterprise training are twice as likely to be engaged in entrepreneurial activity.

Organisations such as Invest NI are important for providing support for new businesses, but more needs to be done to

target entrepreneurial potential.

Funding streams from government, councils and local Chambers of Commerce should be better advertised, and have an efficient application process.

Entrepreneurs should remember that corporate sponsorship shouldn’t be overlooked as a great way to get a new business off the ground.

With Brexit now looming, there is concern that foreign investors will move jobs to the Republic of Ireland.

However FDI is not a reliable foundation on which to build our economy. Putting a renewed focus on entrepreneurship will minimise our dependency on foreign direct investors, reducing uncertainty because local business owners tend to be loyal to their home nation; riding out the economic dips and turns out of love for their country.

Our market is small in Northern Ireland, so we have to work to our local strengths but think global. We must support and develop our local entrepreneurs and build stronger links with our European neighbours, regardless of Brexit.

We have everything it takes to be the most entrepreneurial region in Europe. As the European Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship, I will be working hard to encourage entrepreneurial values and pushing Northern Ireland to the forefront of the world business stage.

BEST PRACTICE

Automatic Enrolment YOU CAN’T IGNORE IT!

All Northern Ireland employers have legal duties relating to workplace pensions. Charles Counsell explains how The Pensions Regulator is helping more than a million small employers meet their duties. he first workers were automatically put into a pension scheme by their employers four years ago.

Since then, we’ve continually reviewed and updated the information we provide to make the process as smooth as possible for employers who may have little or no knowledge of pensions.

In excess of a quarter of a million employers have already completed their workplace pensions duties. This includes completing a declaration of compliance so we at TPR know what they have done to comply with the law.

In Northern Ireland over the next two years more than 24,000 employers will need to take action to comply with the law.

If you're not sure whether you have to put any of your staff into a pension scheme a key first step is to use the Duties Checker on our website. This tool will help you to understand exactly what you need to do and when.

It will take you around five minutes to work through the Duties Checker and to get tailored guidance that is right for you.

I know that choosing a pension scheme for your staff can seem intimidating but we have guidance to help you make the right choice for you and for them them, including a list of schemes who have said they are available to all employers.

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Automation and communication Many payroll providers already provide a module or an add­on for automatic enrolment that will help you to work out who to put into a pension scheme, which earnings to assess, and how much you and each member of staff needs to pay into the scheme.

Payroll software can help with your ongoing duties such as monitoring age/earnings of existing staff, and enrolling/writing to them as needed, as well as assessing new starters and processing leavers.

Our communications approach which includes letters and emails, work with trade associations and business networks, as well as a national advertising campaign in partnership with DWP is proving successful.

Compliance rates are consistently at the higher end of our expectations. We do not want to fine employers ­ and we know that most want to comply with the law – but we do have enforcement powers and are using them.

This month in addition to contacting small employers to tell them when they start their AE duties, we are contacting more than 5,000 medium employers with their first letter to tell them about their re­enrolment duties.

Re enrolment happens every three years.

Medium employers who want to quickly understand what re­enrolment entails can find step by step guidance on our website.

Plan ahead November and December can be exceptionally busy months for some businesses, especially those involved in retail and hospitality. The festive period can mean admin tasks are put on hold.

I’d urge businesses to plan ahead of the holiday season and make sure not to miss a deadline to complete automatic enrolment duties and to submit your declaration of compliance to us in good time. No one wants to start the New Year with a £400 fine because you forgot to complete your declaration.

We want to ensure business people across Northern Ireland have the information you need to help you comply and to give staff the pensions they are entitled to.

If you haven’t done so already, make sure you understand how the law affects you. We can help, so visit our website.

Charles Counsell is Executive Director of automatic enrolment at The Pensions Regulator

BELFAST CITY AIRPORT

Successful year for Belfast City Airport Katy Best, Commercial and Marketing Director at George Best Belfast City Airport, reflects on what has been a very successful year so far at the airport. networks, and will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the region to more than 100 airlines.

International Passenger Record Smashed Quarter 3 of this year saw the airport smash our annual international passenger record.

By the end of August we had transported 200,977 passengers on our direct European routes, compared to 171,270 in 2015.

There has been fantastic feedback on our new routes to Amsterdam and the Belgian capital with airline partners KLM and Brussels Airlines, and this has been reflected in their strong seat sales.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which began its Amsterdam Schiphol service from Belfast City Airport in May 2015, has reported an increase in monthly booking figures of 7.3 per cent and 4.4 per cent in July and August respectively from the previous year.

Meanwhile, almost 48,000 passengers have taken advantage of the sunshine routes operated by Aer Lingus which operate for the summer months.

These positive passenger figures across the board reflect our plans to further grow our European route network and they very much illustrate the public demand for such direct services from Belfast City Airport. ollowing an extremely strong summer across both domestic and European routes, we are looking forward to a similarly busy winter period at Belfast City Airport.

In 2015, Belfast City Airport reported a more than five per cent increase in annual passenger figures, with almost 2.7 million people using our airport for both business and leisure purposes. A further increase in passenger figures is expected for 2016.

Operating profit, before exceptional expense, at Belfast City Airport grew by 40 per cent in 2015 to £3,331,000 from £2,386,000 according to accounts filed at Companies House. Turnover at the airport also increased five per cent in 2015 to £20,799,000 up from £19,801,000 in 2014.

There was one exceptional expense which was due to professional fees of £412,000 relating to the Public Inquiry into the airport’s seats for sale restriction, the outworkings of which are still ongoing.

The commencement of the KLM daily service to Amsterdam and Flybe’s new services to London City and Liverpool

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witnessed passenger numbers steadily increase across our route network in 2015.

Looking Ahead Once again we expect 2016 to be a strong year with passenger numbers set to rise once again with the arrival of Brussels Airlines, the uplift in the Aer Lingus summer routes to Palma, Faro and Malaga and new Alicante service, plus our nine times daily service to Heathrow with British Airways and Aer Lingus.

Belfast’s appeal as both a tourist and business destination has grown considerably over the last number of years, with the region hosting world­class events and attracting investment from international corporations which have set up bases in the city.

The re­energised interest in the region attracted the attention of the Routes Europe organisers who selected Belfast as the host city for the April 2017 conference.

The event, which will see 1200 delegates descend upon Belfast for at least three days, is the largest European forum for aviation professionals to decide on future air route

Ongoing Success Despite the success across our European network, our core focus remains on the domestic market, with services operated by Aer Lingus, British Airways, Flybe and Citywing.

Flybe, our longest standing airline partner, reported three months of consecutive growth this summer with all routes to and from Belfast City Airport showing growth of 4.5 per cent, 3 per cent and 5.1per cent in June, July and August consecutively.

Within the terminal, we have welcomed Starbucks to the Departure Lounge creating 25 new jobs and further catering to the demand of our passengers.

We will continue to work closely with existing and potential new airline partners to ensure the route network from Belfast City meets the needs of the business and leisure travel market in Northern Ireland.

Improving the customer experience further is always high on the agenda and over the next 12 months we will continue to invest in our infrastructure with significant capital investment planned in the facility.

Northern Ireland’s Most Inspiring Women revealed and celebrated T

he names of the much­anticipated Business First Northern Ireland’s Top 20 Most Inspiring Women were revealed at a Gala Lunch held at the Malone Lodge Hotel in Belfast.

Open nominations were gathered in June with public online voting at businessfirstonline.co.uk resulting in 10,192 votes cast by the date of closing in early August.

After independent adjudication, the well­ kept secret was revealed to a hushed audience by Business First managing editor Gavin Walker who had kept the golden envelope locked in a bank vault for the preceding two weeks.

“Unlike many awards, the Business First Northern Ireland’s Top 20 Most Inspiring Women was driven by the Northern Ireland public,” Gavin explained.

“From the start we – along with Awards sponsors MGMPR Ltd – wanted to give men and women from across Northern Ireland the opportunity to vote for the women they felt were the most inspirational based on their own experiences.

“The result is a fascinating mix of well recognised names like Mary Peters, Sinead McLaughlin, Chief Executive of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and Louise Kelly, Partner at Grant Thornton, and other equally as inspiring, but perhaps less well known women such as Estelle Wallace – Pure Wellness or Julie Ann Muldoon from The New You Plan.”

Speaking after the event Eleanor McGillie, director of Northern Ireland's brand journalism agency, MGMPR Ltd, said; “This has been a wonderful event to be involved with.

“Women are now such a major force at every level and driving every aspect of Northern Ireland society so it’s a pleasure to be able to celebrate those women who are inspiring others to do something different or believe that they can achieve even more.

"Every woman nominated will have a great story to tell and this was an opportunity for those stories to be shared."

The Keynote Speaker at the Awards was Dorothy McKee, Senior Associate Lecturer at Ulster University Business School and principal at Dorothy McKee Consultants.

She spoke on the need for Mental Toughness but concluded by encouraging women to be strong in the conviction that they are special and that every one of the guests can be inspiring by believing that ‘I am who I am, because I am who I am.’ Dorothy presented the Award Certificates.

Business First Northern Ireland’s Top 20 Most Inspiring Women as voted for by Northern Ireland public

Charlene Bradley, Northern Health Trust

marie Lacy, Belfast Community Gospel Choir

louise Kelly, Grant Thornton

Estelle Wallace, Pure Wellness

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Northern Ireland’s Top 20 Most Inspiring Women 2016

Sharon Porter MBE, Bide a While

Dame Mary Peters, MBE, Mary Peters Trust

Janine Walker, Rink A Dink

Brenda Shankey, Jason Shankey Salons Group

Deborah McCann, Queen Bee

Nuala Campbell, Titanic Creative

Ciara Daley, Ciara Daley Make Up

Jacqueline Evans, Cafe Vic Ryn

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Northern Ireland’s Top 20 Most Inspiring Women 2016

Sinead McLaughlin, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce

Lorraine Nelson, Baker Tilley Mooney Moore

Karen O’Rawe, History Hub Ulster

Sinead Fox Hamilton, McKinty Associates

Stephanie Reid, ORTUS

Cathy McCann, Fujitsu

Michael Muldoon on behalf of Julie Anne Muldoon, New You Plan

Barbara McKeown, Fairy Tales Weddings

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BUSINESS Would you rather be a golfer or an exporter?

by Profesor Simon Bridge

iam Fox has suggested that many business owners would rather play golf than export ­ and he appears to regard this as deviant and unacceptable behaviour.

This is not, I suspect, because he subscribes to the unfashionable, but possibly correct, view that a game of golf is a good walk ruined. Instead he clearly thinks that businesses leaders have a responsibility to spend all their time maximising the export earnings of their businesses.

Liam Fox is currently (at the time of writing) a minister in the UK government and governments and those leading them generally want businesses to employ more people and grow their profits because that will provide more jobs and more taxation revenues – and governments want businesses to do it by exporting because that will bring income into a country, whereas domestic growth may be at the expense of other domestic businesses. However, because that is what they want, governments appear to have come to believe that businesses want it also.

Indeed there does seems to be an expectation clearly established in many people’s minds that there is some sort of onus on businesses to make money and therefore to grow in order to make more money.

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Thus many government schemes promoting business growth seem to treat it as a natural and in­built imperative which is sometimes constrained and which therefore can best be facilitated by reducing those constraints.

This belief that businesses exist to make money was famously reinforced by Milton Friedman when, in contributing to the debate about social responsibility, he stated that ‘the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits’.

Actually he said a lot more.

He pointed out, for instance, that there is a lack of rigour in discussions about business ‘responsibilities’ because, as he put it, while people can have responsibilities, businesses are only artificial people and can only have artificial responsibilities.

The people who are responsible are the people who own and/or manage a business – not the business per se. Hired business managers are responsible for carrying out the wishes of the business’s owners, provided of course that is within the law.

And it is a business’s owners who determine its objectives and task its managers to achieve them. In a company limited by shares the owners are the shareholders, of which there may be very

many or very few ­ but it is they who decide.

But on what basis should they decide?

Should they direct their businesses to achieve their aims – or just to deliver what we or our governments want? Businesses do not have to focus solely on profit. Indeed businesses evolved essentially for mutual benefit.

Early hunter­gather lived in very largely self­sufficient family groups where the group did everything necessary for their own needs and with little or no exchange with others.

However, once agriculture become established, we started to develop areas of specialisation in which people could concentrate on what they were good at, or well provided for, and exchange some of their produce for what others were good at.

Thus businesses evolved in which those concerned produced mainly not for their own consumption but to trade with others in exchange for the other things they needed. So businesses were about both sides benefitting from deals, not one side trying to maximise its take at the expense of the other.

Of course this involved an element of trust but, as Francis Fukuyama explained in his book Trust, it has been in relatively high trust

societies that business economies have best flourished. Therefore, for their longer­term benefit, business owners should want a fair exchange for everyone.

But that does not really address Lima Fox’s point. Should business owners concentrate on exporting rather than playing golf? Often business owners appear to want money – but not for the money itself but as a means to an end. Usually money is desired for what it can buy – but sometimes it appears to be sought an apparent score for how well the business is doing.

Money may not buy everything but it can buy a lot – and in particular it can help to satisfy many needs and wants. Needs, as Maslow explained, can range from basic survival requirements for food and shelter, through providing for one’s family and/or retirement, to esteem and self­actualisation.

Wants can also include enjoyment which itself can come from satisfying needs or just indulging senses.

Who is to say that golf is not a legitimate form of enjoyment and even, for some, a source of achievement?

In Northern Ireland we want to promote golf tourism by encouraging relatively wealthy people to come here to play golf.

Therefore it does not behove us to suggest that business people should not indulge in it.

If you are in business and earn enough to survive and provide for yourself and your employees, what’s wrong with wanting to relax a bit instead of earning more money than you need and, strange as it may seem to some of us, relaxation can include playing golf.

Governments want more taxation revenues in order to deliver more services to us, presumably to make our lives safer and/or more fulfilling. But if we earn enough to provide for our own needs (and not to have to depend on the government for handouts) what is wrong in also indulging in some enjoyment on our own initiative?

While businesses need to make money in order to sustain themselves, that does not have to be their overall aim. Of course a business should try to make enough money to survive and deliver its owners’ targets ­ but those targets do not have to be about making more money.

Many people actually have businesses for a wide range of purposes other than personal profit maximisation: including to support them and/or their families, to continue an inherited family business, to have a relatively independent economic existence without a

QUOTABLEQUOTE Should business owners concentrate on exporting rather than playing golf? Often business owners appear to want money – but not for the money itself but as a means to an end. Usually money is desired for what it can buy – but sometimes it appears to be sought an apparent score for how well the business is doing. direst boss, to test and develop an idea, or to compete with others – and they might move from one reason to another or have a combination of reasons. But I suggest that few do it solely as the best way to make more money for themselves.

But is Liam Fox suggesting that that is wrong and that, in essence, we should live in order to work rather than work in order to live? Of course the government would like there to be more work in order to provide more tax revenues – but businesses are not mirror images of government.

So – to go back to Friedman – should business, or rather their owners, acknowledge social responsibilities? As Doone famously wrote: ‘no man is an island’.

We are both mutually dependent on others and mutually influenced by them. Our

businesses exist in human society and humans are a very social species. So I suggest that for our longer term mutual benefit we should recognise and address this responsibility – but there are other ways of doing it than foregoing golf.

Underlying this is there another clash of perceptions? On the one side there is the traditional economic view that people essentially make rational decisions – and can therefore be viewed as behaving rather like clocks in that, once the mechanism is understood, the result can be predicted because they always behave consistently and logically.

On the other side there is a recognition that human beings are very susceptible to social influence and often behave, not as independent individuals, but as crowds or even clouds which are neither consistent nor predicable. According to Rowson and McGilchrist: ‘The notion that we are rational individuals who respond to information by making decisions consciously, consistently and independently is, at best, a very partial account of who we are.

A wide body of scientific knowledge is now telling us what many have long intuitively sensed – humans are a fundamentally social species, formed through and for social interaction.’

This has been summed up by Earls in the observation that: ‘independent thinking is to humans as swimming is to cats – they can do it if they have to’.

The trouble is that once we adopt one view of how we behave it is that hard to switch to another – and the more embedded a perspective is the more it acts subconsciously. As a result we don’t realise the assumptions we are making. So we assume both that businesses make decisions and that they act rationally to maximise their profits – instead of seeing them as creations of people who are subject to a wide variety of influences, many of which are not rational. As Kahneman puts it in explaining theory induced blindness: ‘Once you have accepted a theory and used it as a tool in your thinking, it is extraordinarily difficult to notice its flaws. If you come upon an observation that does not seem to fit the model, you assume that there must be a perfectly good explanation that you are somehow missing.

‘You give the theory the benefit of the doubt, trusting the community of experts who have accepted it. ... Disbelieving is hard work’.

www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

39

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

We’re making headway but there’s still progress to be made Dawn Johnston, Chairperson, Chartered Accountants Ulster Society ust before the curtain came down on September, we were hit by a welter of Government statistics ranging from household average income and cancer waiting times to the age profile of our population and the numbers killed and injured on our roads.

Behind the blizzard of numbers lay stories of hardship, pain, suffering and survival. I was drawn to one particular report not simply because it made me smile, but because it painted a picture of a society moving inexorably in the right direction.

The report was from the Executive Office with the curious title of ‘Good Relations Indicators: 2016 Update Report’. In addition to telling us about hate crime levels, it also gave us a glimpse into more positive Protestant/Catholic relations.

I’m not going to bamboozle you with everything that was reported in the update, but a few stats merit specific mention.

Two­thirds of young people now regularly socialise or play sport with people from a different community background – and that’s up three per cent.

Nearly nine out of ten people say they can be open about their cultural identity in their neighbourhood, and more than eight out of ten say the same about their workplace.

Fewer people were annoyed about murals, kerb paintings or flags. Most Protestants and Catholics (80 per cent­plus) felt their culture and traditions added to the richness and diversity of Northern Ireland.

So far, so good. These figures showed we were travelling in the right direction. Shared education has slipped back and there’s work to do on the Catholic­Protestant relationship side, but I think that overall, as a society, we are more at ease with one another, more willing to engage, share and appreciate. All of this augurs well as we confront challenges on the way to re­building the economy.

Happily, eighteen years on from the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement, tangible community progress is being made. We would dearly like to see it happen at a faster pace, but we have to be content that at least the graph is upward.

Elsewhere in this fairly dry bit of data is something more troubling for our politicians.

Less than a third (27 per cent) felt they had influence on local decision in their neighbourhoods. The figure slips to one in five (22 per cent) when it comes to decisions made in Northern Ireland.

More worryingly, only nine per cent and

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seven per cent of young people believe they have a say at local and regional level. That means the overwhelmingly majority of our young people feel on the fringes of the decision­making in Councils and the Assembly.

If young people feel marginalised, not listened to or valued, then our politicians have a serious, uphill battle on their hands.

Politics has to be made relevant to young people and engagement lies at the heart of that. Our recent elections did return a bigger proportion of younger candidates, so hopefully this will strike a chord with younger members of our society.

If nothing else, this report should set alarm bells ringing amongst Ministers and Opposition. Maybe the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister already realise the disengagement that there is, and perhaps that’s one of the reasons why they used the Royal Prerogative to appoint a new communications specialist.

Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink On a cheerier note, this is the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink – a celebration of what we produce and make, and the quality of what we sell.

We have a lot to be proud of ­ agriculture is our mainstay industry. We export more than £2 billion worth of produce to Great Britain and £708 million to the Republic of Ireland.

Total exports to other markets are worth more than £600 million.

These numbers are impressive but there’s ample scope to build on the success we already enjoy in agri­foods. We’ve seen massive growth in and development in poultry, largely at Moy Park. The company’s vertical integration with farmers is creating a massive supply base. The development of plants to deal with poultry litter will ensure growth is sustained.

A similar model is being taken to the pig sector. Two factories have won approvals to export to China and just as in poultry, the potential for export growth is impressive.

Getting our beef into the USA market is a work­in­progress, all underpinned by strong traceability credentials.

There are several exciting things happening in agri­foods, and one way the entire sector could be given a nudge forward is if we had a Food and Drink Marketing Body to promote Northern Ireland produce. The industry wants it and it’s an objective of the Agri­Food

QUOTABLEQUOTE If young people feel marginalised, not listened to or valued, then our politicians have a serious, uphill battle on their hands. Politics has to be made relevant to young people and engagement lies at the heart of that. Our recent elections did return a bigger proportion of younger candidates, so hopefully this will strike a chord with younger members of our society Strategy Board, but so far it hasn’t happened, which is a real pity.

Tourism on the rise Another sector making headway is tourism.

This July, we saw our Belfast hotels set a new record. We saw 97,000 rooms sold, something that is a remarkable turnaround when you consider that not too long ago, bedroom availability in July was anything but buoyant. In August alone, there were thirty cruise ships visited the city – eighty­three so far this year, and they delivered 150,000 visitors.

As in agri­foods, much more could be achieved. That said, I think it’s fair to say that Northern Ireland has found its feet. Now, we must deliver jobs and business growth to cement the progress.

BUSINESS FIRST MEETS

RONAN MCGUIRK ASM CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Ronan McGuirk is a Tax Director at ASM Chartered Accountants. and has been with the comapny for 18 yers. In this issue Ronan gives us an insight into his role at one of the top accountancy practices in Ireland. With six offices across Ireland, Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Dungannon, Magherafelt and Newry, the 160 strong team specialises in a range of accountancy disciplines including, corporate finance, insolvency services, forensic accounting, audit and accounting, consultancy services, internal audit, tax, hotel, tourism and leisure.

The best thing about working for ASM No two days are the same. We have a very broad client base on both sides of the border, from the small one­man band to the large company working all over the world.

By way of example, this week, I was advising one client on efficient set up in Belgium, closing a HMRC enquiry with no amendment, advising a small construction company on their Auto Enrolment duties, a large Irish construction company on Irish VAT and a high net worth couple on the cross border tax implications of a draft Will.

You can see what I mean!

What is your passion outside of work and family?

Sport is my main passion. There are very few sports that I don’t like, but I am most passionate about football, As a long suffering supporter of Arsenal I have had my fair share of ups and downs.

I also do a lot of reading…..mostly about sport!

What is your accountancy speciality?

I specialise in tax and work across all taxes, both sides of the border. Tax covers a very broad range and helps to keep my role interesting!

What kind of clients do you look after?

All types of clients in all types of industry, but the vast majority have one thing in common, they are family run business.

We really enjoy working with family companies as their advisors. A lot of our meetings are held at kitchen tables all over the country!

What is the latest thing in accounting at the moment?

The latest thing in accounting at the moment is cloud accounting. This is a real game changer for the profession and something that we have invested a lot of time in recently.

Cloud accounting will give business real time access to their records, saving them time, money and giving them valuable up to date information on their phone or tablet.

It is a really exciting time for the profession which will see a move away from looking back and reporting on how the business has performed, to consultancy work which will shape the future of the business and ultimately improve the lives of the business owner.

Has Brexit affected business at ASM? We haven’t seen the full effect of Brexit yet.

To date the major effect has been on the Euro / Sterling exchange rate, which although our clients are used to dealing with fluctuations in the currency, the post Brexit change has been sharp.

The main issue with Brexit is the uncertainty that surrounds it at the moment, although we now know Brexit will be triggered by March 2017, no one really knows what the outcome will be. Uncertainty is not good for business.

However, with all change comes opportunity, the trick will be to spot it, at ASM we are always looking out for the opportunity for our clients.

How is business in Newry?

Business in Newry is good. Newry has a long history of producing dynamic and adaptable businesses that are used to dealing with, and overcoming adversity. Brexit is just another challenge to be overcome.

If you weren’t an accountant, what would you like to be?

Something in sport, The next Arsenal manager maybe?

ASM Chartered Accountants has grown rapidly since its launch in 1995 and is now one of the largest accounting and management consultancy firms in Ireland, with offices in Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Dungannon, Magherafelt and Newry.

The 170 strong team comprises specialists in a range of accountancy disciplines and related skills that include: corporate finance, audit and accounting, internal audit, consultancy services, taxation, hotels, tourism and leisure, insolvency, and forensic accounting.

MOREINFORMATION To contact Ronan McGuirk, email: ronan.mcguirk@asmnewry.com or call 028 302 69933.

Alternatively, visit www.asmaccountants.com for contact details.

www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

41

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WILL DIVERSITY BE THE TOP KPI

OF A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY?

asks Roseann Kelly, chief executive Women in Business.

y goodness having harped on for a number of years about the importance of Diversity; is it about to be recognised as the key indicator of companies current and future success? Will investors ask for diversity stats before the P&L? Yes, I believe so.

Every week now there are articles about gender diversity in the mainstream media.

Although most of these articles are still negative, and highlighting continuing problems, what has changed and what is positive, is that gender diversity issues are being regularly reported and clearly acknowledged as a problem.

The recent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) gender pay gap report revealed that women earn 18 per cent less than men on average. It also found that the gap balloons after women have children, raising the prospect that mothers are missing out on pay rises and promotions.

The positive here is, they are measuring it, they are publishing it, and the media are reporting it!

Put please could I ask for better quality reporting? What did a radio station do with this story? They followed the same format as I have observed on many occasions when it comes to “perceived “women’s issues. They brought together two women with differing views on the accuracy of the statistics, encouraging an argument!

Seriously, does it matter if the stats differ from other reports; they all agree there is a pay gap! Positive, would have been a discussion with people who understand the problem, and who have solutions or who want to find solutions.

Positive also was the article about Jeremy

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Corbyn’s launch of a document detailing ten pledges to advance gender equality for women in the Labour Party.

He did get into trouble though when he talked about banning after hours drinking as this presumed that childcare was solely the role of the mother.

Labour MP Stella Creasy said while she agreed networking was gendered the answer was not ending after work drinks but for "fathers to do equal childcare so mothers can go out and enjoy themselves".

Again I would say it does not matter whose solution is right or wrong, what’s great is that it is recognised as a problem and people are seeking solutions.

Within a recent Sunday paper one found four stories related to gender (and this was without even looking in the magazines). First, Nicola Sturgeon spoke about the baby she lost, about how she was hurt by assumptions that she decided to put her political career before having children.

Although intensely private she goes public as she is conscious of her responsibility as a role model ­ she does not want girls to conclude that women must sacrifice part of their lives to climb the career ladder.

Another story is on the success of the number of blogs and books celebrating the “imperfect mum”, the “Brummy instead of Yummy mum” and the new book due out” Hurrah for Gin” mum.

It is right to take the pressure of all mums working, or not. If we took the pressure off trying to be the perfect parent (which is not possible, my kids inform me) then maybe more women would step up to higher roles.

Another article talks about the radical new guidelines at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

In response to their 1916 centenary programme which featured just one woman in the line­up of 10 new playwrights they have committed the Republic’s National theatre to achieving full gender equality within the next five years.

These new Gender commitments go beyond play wrights to include director, designers, actors, stage managers and more.

And finally, the best one, on the front of the business pages no less “FTSE firms face targets for women in top jobs”.

This is the one that confirms that the future of successful business is Diversity. It has been conceded by Sir Philip Hampton, chairman of Glaxo Smith Kline that companies will have to set tough targets if the campaign to put more women in top earning positions is to succeed.

This campaign although supporting gender equality is really about successful business.

The business case is driving the call for women at the top; the Future of Business is diversity.

BELFAST WATERFRONT

The new Belfast Waterfront six months on Friday 28 October marked six months since Belfast Waterfront’s new 7,000m2 conference facility opened its doors. Over this time, the staff have hosted nearly 40 events and welcomed over 28,000 delegates.

Thanks to the additional event space in the heart of the city, Belfast has seen a welcome rise in the number of visiting national and international conferences, not to mention an estimated £10m for the local economy.

However, this is only the beginning…

The big names keep rolling in In addition to delivering large­scale gala dinners, awards ceremonies, exhibitions and business meetings for local organisations, the Belfast Waterfront team continue to build a robust pipeline of national and international events as far out as 2019.

In the immediate future, the venue is set to welcome the Services for International Education Marketing Conference in December with many more prestigious events to follow including the Routes Europe Conference in 2017 and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Annual Congress in 2018.

An attractive destination for conferences The city is already reaping the rewards of the £29.5m expansion programme funded by Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund, through the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland, with the resultant influx of delegates.

Capable of hosting a much wider range of events than ever before, Belfast Waterfront has seen the return of many events that had previously outgrown the facilities, as well as a boost in new business.

The new state­of­the­art conference facility along with Belfast’s exciting new offering have enticed many organisations to consider Belfast as a host city.

Bhavnita Patel, General Manager of Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI), explains: “It had been traditional for the association to use a venue in the President’s home town.

“John Moorehead is from Belfast, but we had been using three other conference centres in the UK on a rotating basis, as Belfast simply didn’t have anything that could accommodate us. However, we found that the enlarged Belfast Waterfront…had everything we required…It was an absolute success and the feedback from delegates was brilliant.”

Likewise Dr. Frank Amoneit, Managing Director of Euro Fed Lipids highlights how having a new state­of­the­art conference facility at the heart of the city’s proposal was a real game changer: “Belfast Waterfront’s new expansion put Belfast on the table as a confirmed host city for the 16th Euro Fed Lipid Congress in 2018. In addition, the city’s overall package of facilities, a good spread of hotels nearby the venue and an extensive network of flights made Belfast an attractive destination for our annual conference.”

Accommodate a wider range of events Today the stunning riverside venue delivers a brand new event experience for up to 5,000 delegates. It can cater for large business meetings, banquets for up to 1,000 guests,

conferences with accompanying exhibitions, exhibitions with attendant meetings and conventions with separate break­out rooms.

Two multipurpose halls, together measuring over 2,500m 6 extra meeting rooms, and a stunning 660m2 riverside foyer have greatly enhanced its existing offering, comprised of a 2,200­seat auditorium, 360­ seat studio and 14 meeting rooms.

2,

New opportunities This may be a highly competitive marketplace but it is seen as very lucrative in today's business environment. According to the ‘UK Conference and Meeting Survey 2016’ (UKCAMS), the sector was worth an estimated £19.2 billion in venue and destination direct spend in 2015, and last year saw more business events being held at UK venues.

With this in mind, the contribution of local ambassadors in securing conferences for the city as well as raising Belfast’s profile on the world stage will continue to be invaluable.

Dr Sinclair Mayne, the local Visit Belfast Ambassador and Chair of British Society of Animal Science Organising Committee (BSAS), thanked the city for making the 67th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP) such a big success: “... EAAP is hosted in major European cities such as Nantes, Rome and Warsaw. Belfast is as good as any of these cities…it is a world­ class business tourism destination.”

MOREINFORMATION We’re ready to welcome you If you would like to book your next event at Belfast Waterfront, contact the sales team today: T: +44 (0) 28 9033 4400 E: conference@waterfront.co.uk W: waterfront.co.uk @BelWaterfront / #BelfastWaterfront. www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

43

TECH [2020]

P2V Systems Provides Local Procurement of Global IT Brands S electing IT services and solutions can be an overwhelming process if you aren’t clear on your requirements. And even if you know what you need, how do you go about finding it?

P2V Systems aim has always been to offer a complete IT solution to our customers. With that in mind, the launch of our new eShop takes our service the extra mile.

Our eShop offers businesses competitive prices & next business day delivery on over 90,000 Hardware and Software items.

Products include everything from Laptops, Tablets, Desktops, Phones and Peripherals, to Components, Servers, Firewalls and Networking equipment. The latest Security and Software programs are also available.

With global leading brands available including Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Dell, HP, VMware, Cisco, Lenovo, Palo Alto Networks and many more, it is a great resource for your IT and communications procurement requirements.

Benefits for our Customers With 24­hour access to the best technology solutions at great prices, the eShop will help businesses save time, money and resources.

Our products fit the needs of businesses of all sizes, from large enterprises to SMEs. Our eShop provides convenient access to solutions for IT security, storage, backup, networking, communications and general day to day business operations.

In addition to our competitive prices, our regular featured deals ensure there are always extra offers to benefit from.

Our fast deliveries are sure to be a huge and welcome benefit to customers who can’t afford to wait for their order.

And then of course, there is the security element. Customers can shop with peace of mind thanks to our secure online payments supported by Sage Pay, with flexible payment options available.

As with any of the services provided by P2V Systems, great customer care from our eShop is a priority.

Our local and personal customer service is another benefit our customers will love. Our in­house Customer Service Team ensures orders and queries are dealt with efficiently.

Customers will also love the user­friendly eShop platform itself. They can view pricing info, product specifications and availability.

They can also view their order history and order receipts, access shipping details and update their delivery and invoice details, all

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on the secure system.

The added convenience of these self­service features allows customers to make faster business decisions by offering access to the relevant product information and eliminating unnecessary phone calls and emails.

ISO Accredited Supplier Based in Lisburn, P2V Systems is an ISO 9001 and 27001 certified IT Solutions provider to businesses across the UK and Ireland. So regardless if you are a local customer or are ordering from further afield, you can be assured of a great service from a company whose processes and information management policies adhere to industry standards.

Visit shop.p2vsystems.com Whether you have any IT or Communications Hardware and Software requirements just now or not, check out our eShop at shop.p2vsystems.com and register as a user.

Make sure you join our mailing list and follow us on Twitter @p2vsystemseshop to receive updates on our great offers.

COMMENTARY

WILL BREXIT PUT DATA PROTECTION ON NOTICE? C

by Glenn Watterson, Solicitor in Mills Selig

hanges to the data protection rules are imminent which seek to improve the rights of individuals in an increasingly digital age. Will they affect businesses in Northern Ireland if the UK leaves the EU? The new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is scheduled to come into force on 25 May 2018, replacing the existing 1995 Data Protection Directive, and will be directly applicable in all Member States without the need for implementing national legislation.

These regulations aim to unify and expand data protection for individuals in the EU. They contain a number of new features – for example, the obligation to notify of a breach within 72 hours and the requirement for data portability. Fines and penalties for non­ compliance are significantly increased.

Will UK data controllers or processors be able to hide behind Brexit?

Although the post­Brexit picture remains unclear, it’s likely some if not all of GDPR will continue to apply in the UK and will affect an increasing number of businesses.

• The GDPR will apply in the UK automatically from 25 May 2018 ­ prior to the UK’s exit from the EU, which is now likely to occur in spring/summer 2019.

• The GDPR will apply to UK businesses that have an establishment processing personal data within the European Economic Area and/or that process the personal data of individuals who are resident in the European Economic Area.

• Many commentators believe the UK will leave the EU and join the European Economic Area thus remaining part of the single market. In this scenario, the UK would have to adhere to certain EU regulations which would include the GDPR. • The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU has stated that at the date of exit existing laws are likely to be adopted into UK laws, but with the power to amend or cancel any of these laws.

• The UK Information Commissioner is advocating that the UK adopt all EU data protection and privacy laws including GDPR so as to ensure consistent standards on the use of data and its flow between the UK and Europe.

It remains to be seen what approach will be taken, and there are two years of negotiations ahead, but it is clear that UK businesses need to be ready to comply with the new stricter regime of GDPR.

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How is GDPR different from the existing Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA)?

• Stricter obligations on both controllers and processors – but with separate responsibilities for each. Processors will have significantly more legal liability if they are responsible for a breach.

• Obligation on controllers to ensure processors guarantee they will meet the requirements of GDPR. • Data processors will for the first time have direct statutory obligations including: (i) maintaining a written record of processing activities; (ii) appointing a DPO as required; and (iii) notifying a controller on becoming aware of a personal data breach.

• GDPR contains suggestions as to what security actions controllers and processors should take – and if the approved code of conduct is followed, this will demonstrate compliance with the GDPR’s security standards.

• Data breach notification requirements – even if the breach does not lead to loss of information that could be used for fraud or identity theft (as is the case in the US).

• Data portability – the right for data subjects to transfer personal data from one data controller to another without hindrance.

• Subject Access Requests must now be dealt with within one month rather than 40 days.

• The scope of a person’s consent has finally been explained in detail. A data subject’s consent to processing of their personal data must be as easy to withdraw as to give.

Consent must also be explicit when

processing sensitive data. A data controller must be able to demonstrate that consent was given.

• Where personal data is processed for direct marketing the data subject will have a right to object. This right will have to be explicitly brought to their attention. The GDPR also provides a list of additional information that must be provided to data subjects.

• Penalties for non­compliance are increasing:­ • breaches of the key obligations contained in the GDPR (including the basic principles for processing and conditions for consent will be subject to administrative fines of up to €20,000,000 or, in the case of undertakings, 4% of global turnover, whichever is the higher; • other infringements such as failure to keep records or implement technical or organisational controls are subject to administrative fines up to €10,000,000 or, in the case of undertakings, up to 2% of global turnover, whichever is higher.; and • furthermore, the GDPR provides that compensation may be recovered by data subjects who are the victim of a breach of the legislation.

What should Northern Ireland businesses do now?

Businesses here should continue to prepare for GDPR. Consider what part of your operations may be affected by these changes and identify data flows from the EU to the UK as regardless of whether the UK adopts GDPR post Brexit, the Regulations will apply to that data flow The position will undoubtedly fluctuate over the next two years but harmonisation of data protection will likely remain a priority regardless of Brexit.

For more information contact Glenn at 028 90 243 878 or glenn.watterson@millsselig.com

www.millsselig.com

SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AS LONG-STANDING COLERAINE BUSINESS ACQUIRED Ulster Bank supports acquisition of Boyd and Logue practice on north coast

Ulster Bank’s Leona McNicholl with new owners Chris and Ruth Bloomer, announces the couple’s investment to acquire the longstanding Boyd and Logue dental business on the north coast, which employs 20 people.

husband and wife team is investing a significant sum, supported by Ulster Bank, to purchase and grow a leading dental business on the north coast.

Ruth and Chris Bloomer, who have a long track­record in the dental sector in Northern Ireland, are purchasing the Boyd and Logue practice which has surgeries in Coleraine and Portrush. Ulster Bank has provided finance to enable the deal.

Boyd and Logue has operated on the north coast for almost 45 years and employs 20 people. The Bloomers were associates with the practice and decided to purchase the business whenever Mr Boyd and Mr Logue retired.

A

Chris Bloomer says: “With 20 staff, Boyd and Logue is a substantial practice in the area, providing dental services to thousands of patients through two surgeries.

“Ruth and I are delighted to acquire such an established and well­run operation, and see it as an excellent platform to further grow the business, particularly in Portrush, where our mid­to­long­term plan is to expand the surgery.

“We are very grateful to Ulster Bank for their support and expertise in helping us make the acquisition.”

Ulster Bank relationship manager, Leona

McNicholl, says: “Boyd and Logue was a longstanding Ulster Bank client of more than 40 years, and we were very pleased to finance the purchase of the business by the new owners. It is one of the biggest practices in the Coleraine area, and Ruth and Chris have a vision to further enhance and grow the business into the future.”

For more information on Ulster Bank visit www.ulsterbank.co.uk For more information on Boyd and Logue visit www.boydandlogue.com

www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

47

INGENUITY

PIPELINE OR

WISH LIST? Ian Laverty, Managing Director, Ingenuity he nature of the sales profession has changed significantly over the last couple of decades. In that time, it has been aided and developed by learning from behavioural psychology, Neuro­Linguistic Programming, better customer research and, of course, technology.

In the main these changes have been positive and have led to the sales person being seen as a recognised professional within the organisation.

Previously it was often seen as a dark art and a poor relation to other disciplines (although I’m still at a loss as to why there are few, if any, recognised academic qualifications in sales to match the disciplines of marketing, business studies etc?)

There is one area where sales professionals continue to struggle however and the consequences for organisations are often significant. Pipeline assessment and sales projections.

You see, sales people by their nature are optimistic. They’re positive people – at least the good ones are. They have to be. They believe that every opportunity can be converted. They’re competitive. They talk themselves up. The size of a salesman’s pipeline is a measure of his optimism, hopes and wishes.

Most sales people have a process for estimating future sales based on the opportunities in their pipeline. This starts with all those leads that enter the sales funnel at the beginning of the sales process and follows those prospects through until they become customers (or not).

There’s usually an assessment of how likely they are to buy from us – often by way of a percentage estimate. Most sales CRM systems offer such a feature. You can then work out your ‘expected’ future revenue by adding up your weighted opportunities.

For example, a lead worth £100,000 with a 50 per cent chance of winning it will show as £50,000 in your future revenue stream. Of course you are likely to win all of it or none of it rather than £50,000 but if you have enough opportunities in your sales funnel then the system averages out and should be reflective of the overall situation.

Except it rarely is.

Projections of sales pipeline revenue are almost always over­estimated. They’re inherently inaccurate and unreliable, and that’s dangerous for an organisation. If

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projections are being used to estimate future revenue streams and therefore decisions, then the business is going to find itself in a difficult situation.

Why do fewer prospects filter through to the bottom of the funnel than we expect?

The problem is that our estimating system is flawed. A simple one category estimate of ‘how likely is the prospect to convert’ is too wide. It asks the sales person to weigh up too many factors to come up with a single figure.

There is evidence of our over­optimistic sales professional right from the outset.

We’ve conducted research on this over the last 12 months. When a new prospect arrives at the top of the funnel the sales professional often defaults to ‘50 per cent’ as the percentage chance of the opportunity being converted. This happened in 93 per cent of all cases. To exacerbate this, a sales person will rarely adjust an opportunity downwards after the initial assessment until it is lost whereby it is removed from the pipeline.

Often we find that no opportunities are ranked lower than a 50 per cent chance of converting. If that was reflected in actual results, then one in two opportunities going into the top of the funnel would be coming out the other end as customers.

The first thing we need to do therefore is be far more critical of our chances of converting a brand new opportunity unless there’s a compelling reason to look at it confidently (and 50/50 is optimistic for a brand new opportunity).

Secondly, we need to introduce a set of more robust opportunity assessment criteria.

These criteria should break down the elements of the sales process and quantified accordingly.

1. How well do we know the prospect?

2. How strong is our relationship with them?

3. How well do we understand their business?

4. How well does our product/service meet their needs?

5. How well does the prospect know/understand our product/service?

6. How well does the prospect know our business?

7. What is our competition for this opportunity?

These criteria should be scored and these scores should contribute to an overall probability of the prospect converting.

There should also be room for an element of ‘gut­feel’ but that should be one of the criteria rather than the only criteria.

A good assessment process will also guide the sales person as to the actions required to move the prospect through the pipeline – changing the wish list into an accurate pipeline.

Ian Laverty is the Managing Director of Ingenuity, a sales and marketing training and consultancy organisation. Please contact Ian at ian@ingenuityuk.com or 028 9187 1314

Are you prepared for the rising threat of ransomware?

ith almost 40 per cent of UK business reportedly being targeted, ransomware threats are increasing.

Organisations of all sizes are being attacked including universities and even NHS Trusts.

How do you ensure your business keeps going when you are targeted by ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents or limits users from accessing their systems. It does this either by locking the system’s screen or locking the user files.

Information is usually, but not always, returned after the ransom is paid. The

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ransomware is delivered in various ways and often unspotted by the user coming via websites, clicking on links or emails.

Comic Relief was a recent victim. The ransomware put the Comic Relief servers out of action for 3 days, with employees not able to access Internet services, email or their files. It isn’t just high profile organisations that suffer though, no business is too small to be hacked.

At Atlas, we offer backup and disaster recovery services to help in the event of ransomware or other cyber­attacks. Many companies we speak to recognise the threats but surprisingly few are seemingly ready to set up comprehensive defences against them.

What can companies do to tackle these types of attacks?

You should first assess the following three key factors; How sensitive is the data? How will your company profile be affected? Can you restore your data from another source?

These factors may take time to consider which could cause problems if your company isn’t fully functioning in its day to day activities.

Prevention is the best defence. With various

layered defences available such as firewalls, anti­malware and spam filters you can begin to lessen the threat. Vigilance is important, so staff training about the issue is critical with care taken over what emails and websites they open. Once the malware gets into your files, however, these measures become obsolete.

Backups and disaster recovery services are the most reliable method for recovering infected systems. If you have a second copy of your data held somewhere else and untouched, damage can be limited. The question then is how quickly you can restore the data safely. Being prepared to react, even having an outline of measures to be taken helps organise your response. Having a disaster recovery plan in place will ensure that you will not lose considerable amounts of time and money trying to recover when ransomware strikes.

Richard Simpson, Managing Director of Atlas Communications. Atlas provides in­ premises and hosted data, network and telephony solutions to businesses across Northern Ireland and can be contacted on 028 9078 6868.

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TECH [2020]

Ward Solutions – using home-grown security solutions to fight cybercrime very day 1.5 million people around the world become victims of cybercrime. A frightening statistic, and one that serves to highlight the threat that cybercrime poses to the global economy, as well as the need to fight back against it.

However, the increasingly sophisticated nature of security threats means that we have now arrived at a point where traditional approaches to cyber security are no longer effective. This highly evolved threat landscape means that it’s no longer a case of if but when your business will suffer a data breach.

Cybercriminals are constantly working to develop more advanced attacks to cause as much damage as possible and maximise their potential pay­out.

Today’s malware variants, for example, bear little resemblance to their original strains, having become increasingly complex and dangerous with each iteration. However, they still have a shared goal in common with the original versions of malware – the extortion of money from businesses through the use of social engineering and intimidation.

In this climate, preventative approaches to information security can no longer keep pace with the latest techniques employed by cybercriminals.

Organisations now need intelligent, integrated and automated security intelligence solutions to handle the ever­ increasing volume of events and ensure timely visibility into what is happening on their networks.

traditional ‘preventative’ approaches to information security are flawed and ineffective in the face of the sophisticated techniques currently employed by cybercriminals.

To tackle this, Ward developed the holistic model, which focuses less on traditional preventative forms of cybersecurity and more on the implementation and lifecycle of five key stages: identify, protect, detect, respond and recover.

QRadar augments the ‘detect’ and ‘respond’ phases of the lifecycle. Firstly, it helps to dramatically reduce mean time to detection (MTTD) by monitoring thousands of events and detecting anomalies that are not easily spotted by security teams as they search through system logs. This in turn enables businesses to respond quickly and effectively to potential incidents, stemming the flow of information and minimising resultant financial and reputational damage.

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Northern Ireland as a cyber­security hub Over the past few years Northern Ireland has become a hub for information security and technology; two sectors which support many hundreds of jobs in the region.

Solutions developed in Northern Ireland are helping to fight the growing threat of cybercrime and protect businesses both at home and all over the world. One example of a ‘home­grown’ security solution is QRadar, developed at IBM’s Belfast­based QRadar Lab. QRadar integrates security functions that have traditionally been disparate, including including risk management, log management, network behaviour analytics and security event management.

The result is a complete security intelligence platform, and the most advanced security intelligence and event management product available (SIEM). Using real –time analytics QRadar eliminates blindspots in your business environment, spotting anomalies that may otherwise have been missed.

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Alan McVey, Northern Ireland business development manager, Ward Solutions,

In order to help businesses to protect against and respond faster to cyber­attacks, Ward Solutions recently partnered with IBM Security to deliver the advanced QRadar Security Intelligence platform to companies throughout Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Utilising this best­of­breed technology has allowed Ward Solutions to build a highly innovative Security Analytics and Incident Response service to help customers to protect against cybercrime.

Advanced managed service solution As a next­generation managed service solution Ward’s QRadar­based SIEM offering provides businesses with 24/7 incident detection and response, giving early visibility and allowing them to respond quickly to incidents that may be occurring within their environment.

The service is delivered from Ward Solutions’ state­of­the­art Security Operations Centre, in which Ward invested £1M just last year. This pairing of cutting­edge software with the best and latest hardware infrastructure available can provide any business with the competitive edge on cybercrime.

QRadar and Ward Solutions holistic information security model Ward Solutions’ QRadar SIEM offering is specifically designed to integrate with its holistic information security model. This innovative strategy is based on research conducted by Ward Solutions that found that

Information Security is a journey, not a destination Organisations typically spend five to eight per cent of their IT budgets annually on information security, often ineffectively.

Availing of a managed security service such as Ward Solutions’ QRadar SIEM offering can help your organisation to make the most of its limited resources.

As a combined solution, QRadar reduces cost of ownership, cost of deployment and cost of operation, while also providing more accurate data at a granular level than other separate systems. Increased visibility and centralised control will give your organisation the advantage it needs to effectively combat cyberattacks that could otherwise put your business at risk.

As the most advanced solution of its kind, QRadar is a brilliant example of Northern Ireland’s rightful status as an information security hub. The fact that such a highly technical solution can be developed here highlights the level of talent on hand across the region, and is something that won’t go unnoticed by prospective employers and inbound multinationals. Further investment will allow Northern Ireland to continue to lead the charge in the fight against cybercrime.

Ward Solutions is currently offering a select number of companies a chance to win a QRadar trial worth £2,700, so if you’re curious about how QRadar can help your business to thrive in an age of increasing security threats there’s never been a better time to get in touch. www.wardinfosec.co.uk

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CHRISTMAS

The dos and dont's of the OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY ith the office Christmas party season about to be in full swing, how do you survive the festive season without

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mishap?

Tinsel, paper hats and cheap booze: the Christmas party season is underway Tinsel, paper hats and cheap booze: the Christmas party season is underway Dodgy dancing, loads of booze and loose lips: the office Christmas party is a minefield of potential embarrassing missteps and opportunities for demotion or getting fired.

How do you go about navigating these treacherous waters? Here are dos and don'ts from some etiquette experts who know the proper way to behave. Whether you heed them is another matter...

Stay away from office gossip Don’t gossip or spread rumours. Confessing your sins to colleagues or clients is never sensible.

Keep small talk general. Be armed with a few social icebreakers, families, children, holidays.

It’s far too easy to get caught up in the he said, she said conversations while having a good night with your colleagues.

However, office gossip and alcohol is probably almost never going to end well. It’s best to stay away.

Don’t drink too much The mistake that people make with office Christmas is that it is still a work event and I think a lot of people see it as, ‘Oh good, free booze, free food, well let’s be merry.’

Okay you can let your hair down but you are still being judged and watched by your superiors and your actions are still accountable.

The smarter people use the office Christmas party to present themselves in the best possible light as opposed to getting completely and utterly drunk.

Know your limit and stick to it, even if the boss is getting absolutely trollied, it does not mean that it’s acceptable for you to do that yourself.

Alcohol­fuelled romance is often in the air at holiday season events: according to a poll

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by blinkbox 20pc of staff admit to having kissed a colleague and 14pc said they flirted with the boss. One in 50 said they had quit their job at the office party.

Dress appropriately The Christmas party isn’t the place to wear that ‘a bit too’ slinky black dress, or that ill­ fitting suit that’s been gathering dust in the back of your closet.

Just make sure you know what the dress code is and stick to it. If you are really worried speak to other people in the office about what they are wearing.

Don’t trap people in very long conversations An easy trap to fall into is that you find someone you like who you want to talk to and you stay with them for the entire evening.

Well, that person probably wants to talk to other people and other people probably want to talk to that person.

Try not to hog people, ten or 15 minutes is fine.”

Don’t leave too early Always stay for a reasonable amount of time, especially if there is a sit­down dinner.

Leaving early may look antisocial or unappreciative.

In most cases, a lot of time and energy has been spent planning the Christmas party.

Don’t leave after the first hour.

The Christmas party is the ideal place to let your hair down and unwind after what’s most likely been a stressful year of work.

Do attend Although your attendance is optional, it is a good idea to make an appearance.

Even if you despise the thought of spending of a whole evening with the people you work with everyday, making an appearance shows that you are part of the team.

They’re great for company morale, and sometimes a great night out is all that’s needed to turn work mates into real mates.”

Mingle You should use the opportunity to talk to

people in the office, perhaps that are higher up, who you have been desperate to talk to for the whole year and haven’t been able to.

Use it to social network and to make a good impression, rather than thinking I am going to bond with my colleagues.

That’s marvellous but you can do that in your own time, this is perhaps the time to go and impress the bosses.”

Always have one hand free to shake people’s hand You need to ensure you have one hand free all the time, don’t have plate and glass, and if you are being sensible you will hold your drink in your left hand so you can still shake with your right.

It just looks rude if you don’t shake hands.

Hopefully your host will have the foresight to make sure there are plenty of surfaces available for people to put stuff on.

If the party is being hosted by someone at work, bring a gift and send a thank you If you are going to somebody’s party make sure you turn up with a gift, it does not look good to be empty handed.

Avoid flowers that are uncut because it gives the hostess a job as she has to then go and put them in water.

It doesn’t have to be a big present, a box of chocolates or bottle of champagne is fine.”

It is well­mannered to send a thank­you email the following day to bosses and those who helped organised the party.”

Don’t leave people standing on their own If you find yourself stuck with someone terribly dull and you want to get rid of them, it is impolite to leave them on their own.

What I would do is pair them off with someone else by saying, ‘You know I have just seen someone I must go and talk to but have you met so­and­so and introducing them to someone else before you escape.

Meet our gift Fairy and new bespoke gift finding service to Northern Ireland Shop Brownie Points We know what women want and men need!

Are you a man short on time to find the perfect gift for a loved one?

Are you a women tired of receiving the same gift every year?

The gift fairy of Northern Ireland is here to help. Shop Brownie Points is a new exclusive service, which aims to help men pick the perfect present. With Christmas fast approaching we promise to take the pressure away as we will do all the hard work for you.

From packaged bundles, weekends away or a spa day, a fabulous handbag or dazzling jewellery, Shop Brownie Points has a lot to offer. We will find you the ideal gift to win those brownie points all within your budget. All you have to do is provide us with your requirements and we will strive to source and purchase the ultimate gift, delivered to your door.

Here at Shop Brownie Points we know what women want and men need and we are all about giving, after your first purchase you can register for our loyalty card to keep earning those all important brownie points. The more you shop the bigger discount you will receive.

Denise Robinson

Your clients and your staff deserve the best - and that’s where we come in.

We can source that perfect gift and save you the stress and time.

From artisan hampers, luxury truffles, personalised gifts and localised gifts All beautifully wrapped and delivered on your behalf.

Our team of dedicated shoppers are here to help find you that personalised, unique or memorable gift all within your budget….. you take all the Brownie Points.

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www.shopbrowniepoints.co.uk

Ground Floor, 96 High Street, Holywood BT18 9HP

ON THE MOVE

Business First celebrates your success [1] Kirsty Scott has been appointed a Solicitor in the Corporate, Banking and Finance Department with Cleaver Fulton Rankin. She joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin in June 2015 having worked previously as a Paralegal in Manchester, London and in Holywood, Co Down. She became a fully qualified solicitor in July 2016. Kirsty advises on corporate finance, banking and commercial law, acting for public sector bodies, financial institutions and businesses in Northern Ireland.

[2] Stephen Goddard has been appointed as IT Consulatqant with P2V Systems. He will be focused on project work in a team of IT consultants. Projects can vary as they are tailored to the customer’s solution, such as deploying a new cloud infrastructure for a client to installing a new firewall. Previously Stephen worked for B9 Energy O&M Ltd where he provided end user support, infrastructure setup and maintenance services.

Belfast­based marketing communications firm ASG & Partners has announced the appointment of three new Directors to the company’s Board.

[3]Valerie Ludlow will join the Board as Deputy CEO, following six years with the company, most recently heading up the agency’s advertising and digital marketing client service, as Director of Strategy.

Also joining the ASG & Partners Board are its department heads, [4 ]Vicki Caddy, whose career with the PR division of the company spans over 20 years and who takes up the role of Director of PR; and [5]Emma Murray, who has led the Recruitment Advertising division for 6 years, and is now appointed as Director of ASG Recruitment.

[6] Fenix Solutions would like to welcome Chris Higgins to their business development team. Chris comes from a business communications and sales background with a wealth of experience within the Telecommunications Industry, having spent several years working as an account executive for a leading UK telecommunications provider where he was responsible for numerous corporate account sales. He also has a wide range of experience in developing tailored communications solutions, as well as providing IP, Digital and hybrid telephone systems to various clients in both the public and private sectors throughout Northern Ireland.

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[7] Grant Thornton NI has appointed Anthony McKibbin as Associate Director, Business Risk Services. A Chartered Accountant with considerable experience delivering internal audit and business risk services to both the public and private sectors in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, Anthony has led the delivery of services to clients in sectors such as health, education, environment, transport, energy and financial services.

[8] Davy McGerrity has been appointed Senior Security Consultant at Cyphra. Davy will be responsible for advising on information security risk management and compliance matters such as ISO27001, UK Government security and supply chain security. Davy joins Cyphra from BT Global Services where he was Head of Security Transition within BT Security [9] Ashley Morrow has joined Jago

Communications. Ashley has been appointed as a Senior Account Manager following ten years’ experience in the PR and Communications industry. She has worked across a vast array of external and internal communication areas locally, nationally and globally for companies such as Caterpillar and Liberty IT. As Senior Account Manager, Ashley is responsible for developing and leading creative PR and communications campaigns across the UK, Ireland and internationally, in line with core business objectives and priorities of clients.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Let’s talk about ENTREPRENEURSHIP

by Sinead McLaughlin, chief executive, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce e have a problem that we need to talk about. Enterprise. Quite simply we don’t have enough of it in Northern Ireland.

Look at the statistics. The rate of early stage entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland according to the latest available figures is 6.7 per cent. That compares to 9.1 per cent in England and 9.2 per cent in the Republic of Ireland. Surprisingly we exceed the rate in Scotland (5.4 per cent), while falling below that in Wales (7.1 per cent).

But worse than that, the North West has the lowest rate in Northern Ireland – despite, or perhaps because of, the weak state of its economy and high unemployment and economic inactivity.

While the rate in Mid Ulster is 6.6 per cent, in the Derry and Strabane council area it is a mere 4.2 per cent. This low level of entrepreneurship reinforces the weakness of our sub regional economy.

While the proportion of women moving into entrepreneurship has risen, it is still disappointingly low at less than half the rate of men.

Graduates in Northern Ireland are twice as likely as non­graduates to start their own business, which reinforces the argument of our Chamber that we need to increase undergraduate places.

migrates away from the city and region.

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Culture is important.

Knowing other people who have set up their own business can be vital. Self belief certainly is. There is a higher rate of entrepreneurship in some of our inward migrant communities than in the indigenous population.

Fear of failure is another major factor, as is expectation of success: while a quarter of Northern Ireland’s non­entrepreneurial working age population in 2014 believed there were good opportunities for starting a business in their local area, the figure was 36.8 per cent across the UK as a whole.

The positive news, perhaps surprisingly, is that there has been much more training of school children and young adults in Northern Ireland to encourage them to consider running their own business than has been the case in the rest of the UK. For this, schools, colleges, universities and Invest NI deserve praise.

Without a greater level of entrepreneurial activity it will be difficult to overcome two

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The Brexit affect

QUOTABLEQUOTE Without a greater level of entrepreneurial activity it will be difficult to overcome two other problems afflicting our economy: low productivity and low levels of exports.

If our economy is merely servicing our own people without attracting revenues from elsewhere, then our population and businesses cannot generate wealth. Indeed, with the retail sector dominated by companies headquartered elsewhere, much of the locally earned income naturally migrates away from the city and region. other problems afflicting our economy: low productivity and low levels of exports.

If our economy is merely servicing our own people without attracting revenues from elsewhere, then our population and businesses cannot generate wealth. Indeed, with the retail sector dominated by companies headquartered elsewhere, much of the locally earned income naturally

Brexit has added to the pressure to grow entrepreneurship. While the immediate negative impact of the referendum vote has been less than many feared, there are widespread reports that planned investment has been delayed or abandoned.

Anecdotally we hear of businesses postponing investment decisions," admitted the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, discussing the Brexit impact on Radio 4’s Today programme. Given this predicted loss of inward investment, the focus on promoting entrepreneurship becomes even more important.

When our former urban regeneration company Ilex commissioned an economy scoping exercise a few years ago, the shortage of entrepreneurship in and around the city was one of the issues raised by the consultants. Quite simply, if we are to economically transform our city in terms of wealth and job creation, then we must develop a culture and practice of enterprise.

We in the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce are determined to do what we can to change the culture.

Indeed, it will be a central theme of our activities over the next year. We have a series of workshops promoting entrepreneurship: looking at how to learn from others; observing best practice in innovation; how to lead; and being adaptable and flexible in business strategy. While we are short of new business entrepreneurs, Derry and the North West do have exciting, successful and growing businesses who are as keen as we are for others to learn from.

But more than anything, we have to persuade people to become entrepreneurs. It is only by people having the ideas to start a business, to have the confidence to do so, the skills and the drive that our city and region will do well. We must all do better.

BEST PRACTICE

Personal development is your key to success in business

by Carol Magill, CIM Ireland n today’s fast­paced, competitive business environment, business people can be so busy fighting fires and dealing with short term goals that opportunities for personal development can be pushed aside.

We are all so “busy” all of the time, answering emails, keeping on top of our organization’s social media, and making sure day to day projects are completed on time and on budget. But if we don’t step back, assess our own knowledge and build on it, then we will fall behind.

In this ever­changing digital environment, the business world simply moves too quickly for any of us to stand still. This is true in all industries and is something that CIM feels should be a priority for all marketers.

Those who don’t follow the latest innovations in the industry will be unlikely to react to new opportunities and challenges and may find that the businesses they represent are losing out to more savvy competitors.

To reflect changes in the industry, CIM (The Chartered Institute of Marketing) has recently made updates to its own continuing professional development (CPD) programme.

MyCPD is a new online platform that enables members to do everything online from identifying what new skills they need to submitting their annual CPD record.

It includes a directory of the learning and development resources available from CIM from professional qualifications, training courses to articles and webinars– everything to keep on top of the rapid changes in the industry.

CIM continues to recognize those who consistently seek to improve their knowledge by awarding the Chartered Marketer status, which recognizes those marketers achieving the highest level in their profession.

It demonstrates commitment to keeping up to date and is awarded on a combination of experience, qualifications and ongoing learning.

I spoke to one of Northern Ireland’s Chartered Marketers about the new programme and the benefits of having Chartered status. She has welcomed the changes, which she believes will make CPD more streamlined and user­friendly.

Nicola McCleery is Head of Marketing and Sponsorship at Danske Bank UK and has over 18 years of marketing experience.

She is enthusiastic about CIM’s new MyCPD programme: “Not only have the changes to

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the Chartered programme revitalised the award, but changes to the recording system and submission timings mean that the programme is more bespoke, user friendly and flexible, allowing members even more time to advance.

“CIM’s development framework has enabled me to keep my skills up to date, be a good role model for my team and to feel energised that I am maintaining a competitive advantage over others through my ongoing studies.”

Having achieved Chartered status for over two years, she fully recognises the benefits of achieving and maintaining this professional standard. She says that Chartered status acts as tangible evidence that you, as an individual, are committed to being the best in your industry.

“Our accelerating world means that marketers have to work harder than ever to be relevant, add value to consumers’ lives and be able to champion the customer’s voice in our respective organisations.

“The CIM CPD framework on which Chartered Marketer status is based enables me to identify, plan and fulfil any gaps within my marketing knowledge; it makes me accountable that the new knowledge I have acquired is being applied to improve my marketing capabilities and helps ensure that I strike the right balance of core and technical standards required to carry out my marketing role successfully.

“Maintaining your Chartered status also nurtures your ongoing relationship with CIM

and all the associated benefits such as access to a wide range of marketing knowledge, expert support and, for me, our local marketing community. However, the single most important benefit is the personal payback at the end of each CPD year, when I take stock of my new skills and assess how they have benefited my ability to do an even better marketing job and bring value to my organisation.”

To find out more about becoming a Charter Marketer go to: www.cim.co.uk/charteredmarketer

When Mona Lisa is looking at your laptop The province’s only accredited and award-winning matchmaking company, Soirée Society NI, can confirm what we all suspected – Work can get in the way of Love! Founding owner and professional matchmaker Claire Hughes explains more… any of my clients, particularly men, blame long working hours for the lack of love and romance in their lives.

And ironically the lack of a partner leads them to undertake more work than they would otherwise wish to tackle.

In my earlier career in Banking, I recall that my first training course when I was promoted to Bank Manager was a talk with the interesting title ­ 'There is no Tonight'.

A senior manager talked about the importance of work/life balance and advised us on good time management techniques.

One of the things I remember most was his advice that when faced with a heavy workload and multiple tasks it was best to focus and complete the most important things first.

He said many people fell into the bad habit of doing the small less important things first and often consigned the larger more important tasks to the brief case to be done 'tonight' extending the working day and leaving little time for relaxation, friends, family and romance.

I remember him saying that a laptop wouldn't keep you warm in bed on a cold winter’s night or be a good companion in your old age!

Despite the advice, I too was often seen carrying home the briefcase bulging with important lending applications that I intended to complete 'tonight'.

Without being irreverent, it came to the point that I gave my briefcase a name and referred to it as 'the Sacred Heart of Jesus' because just like the holy picture that adorned so many Catholic homes at the time, (or alternatively think of the Mona Lisa) ­ it gave the impression that the eyes moved and followed you no matter where you were in the room.

So in addition to the already busy and long working day, I could feel the 'eyes' of my briefcase glaring at me (even if in another room) making me feel guilty if it was left unopened. It stressed me out if those big important tasks didn’t get done that night as I would be in arrears the following day even before it started.

The situation certainly wasn’t conducive to a healthy work/life balance.

Now as a professional Matchmaker, I interview many unattached professionals

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who are similarly 'married' to their work/careers.

It's often the 'chicken and egg' situation of having a long day travelling and being too busy with work to have the time or the energy to date and find a partner. It is also the case where people state that the reason for the breakup of their marriage or relationship was due to one or both of the partners prioritising work over spending quality time together.

It is also clear that not allowing adequate time for the important things in life, like relaxation, relationships, friends, family, nutrition, health and fitness leads to a decline in quality of work as the pressure mounts and stress leaves people less focused and less effective.

I find it is most prevalent with men, as they tend not to have as large a circle of friends as women and don’t have the same opportunities to go out socially or to have someone to talk to about how they are feeling.

In addition, many of the same people who are too busy for love also find that being single leads to them taking on additional work, which creates a vicious circle as often more is expected of them, leading to even less time for the relationship they long for.

It's great to know the theory but not that easy to put into practice! To break a habit and to step of the wheel requires not only change but most importantly a reason to change.

For me it was to leave the briefcase at work and to spend the time connecting with family and friends and on more healthy outdoor activities like walking the dogs.

I found I was less stressed, healthier, slept better and became more productive at work as it made me focus and prioritise the most important things while in the office, and the even more important things when away from work.

It has been wonderful to work with some of our clients ­ to be the spanner in the works as it were – helping them to reflect on better use of their time out of the workplace, and matching them with someone able to bring about the positive change they were seeking in their life.

It’s a bit like people outsourcing work that is going to bring about an improvement in their situation where someone else is going to

work with you and for you – e.g. hiring a personal trainer to improve health and fitness, employing an accountant to save time and ensure you benefit fully from tax allowances.

We work with and for our clients to help find them that compatible partner to bring love and romance into their lives ­ giving them that reason to work less and live more.

We’re what you could call a recruitment agency for relationships, helping people to fill that vacancy in their lives and allowing our clients to have a more appealing pair of eyes following them around the room in the evening!

Soirée Society are also planning some exciting singles events, see Facebook and Website and Twitter for details soireesocietyni and @soireesocietyni For more information,please visit www.soireesocietyni.co.uk

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INSURANCE

Towergate Insurance Brokers joins push to protect SMEs from underinsurance risks T owergate Insurance in Northern Ireland has joined an industry­ wide push to warn SME owners that they could be at risk of underinsurance.

The issue could affect up to 80 per cent of business owners, who could receive far less than they need to restore their business when they need to make a claim, leading to potentially devastating results.

Towergate is today issuing advice for business owners who could have false confidence in their policies, highlighting issues such as the absence of business interruption cover or up­to­date risks like cyber attacks.

Check your insurance policy is up to date ­ especially if your property has been altered Make sure your premises is insured for its full up­to­date sum of a rebuild cost, not its original market value.

Account for any extra fees for reinstatement This includes paying architects and planning experts, site clearance, or the need for heavy plant machinery.

Remember to update the total worth of your asset If you have higher stock levels, new equipment or additional locations since you began trading, be sure this is added to your policy.

An alarming degree of underinsurance According to a study conducted by the Building Cost Information Service, part of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, up to 80% of small businesses in the UK could be without adequate cover.

The Financial Conduct Authority’s study in claims made by SMEs * found what it termed a “significant number of instances” of cover being too low. Some 20 per cent of the claims over £5000 which it examined did not provide enough cover for the actual loss the business had suffered.

The British Insurance Brokers Association has described the situation “an alarming degree of underinsurance.”

Commercial property owners are also thought to be underestimating the cover they require by a considerable amount. A study of underinsured businesses in 2015 revealed that more than four out of five underinsured their commercial property by an average of £486,000. ** Meanwhile government has found that only 37per cent of businesses have some form of cyber security insurance ***, despite the fact that two­thirds of large UK businesses had been hit by a cyber breach or attack in the past year.

The average cost of a cyber attack to a business with more than 250 employees in the UK is some £36,500 with the most severe attacks costing millions. For smaller businesses of between 50 and 249 staff, the average cost of a cyber breach was £847.

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Advice from Towergate Worried you’re underinsured? Towergate has issued these five pieces of essential advice for SMEs on how to protect themselves from risk.

Get your business assets valued by a professional appraiser It costs more to pay for a formal evaluation, but it’s crucial to get rid of any room for mistakes on your policy. Towergate Insurance Brokers can assist with introductions to a professional valuation company.

Review your existing business interruption cover and ensure you discuss adding this cover urgently, should you not have any One in five SMEs surveyed said they had problems getting back to normal business trading after a disruption, but fewer than a third had business interruption cover.* Factoring in planning permission, rebuild time, sourcing specialist equipment and the time it takes to win back customers, Towergate recommends business interruption cover of at least 24 months.

“As one of the biggest corporate and SME insurance brokers in the UK, we understand the devastating consequences an inadequate policy can have on an SME,” says Hugh McKinty, Area Managing Director (Towergate Dawson Whyte). “If you’re not sure if your existing insurance covers all your assets, we can recommend professional valuation experts and help you take stock through our trusted local team and network of experts.”

Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon registration now open! ntries are already coming in for the 36th Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon following the successful 4th Deep RiverRock Belfast City Half Marathon which, started and finished at Ormeau Park, just over two weeks ago with 3,000 competitors.

The 2017 Full Marathon event will be held on May Day Bank Holiday, 1st May 2017 and was launched this morning (Tuesday 4th October) by David Seaton, Chairman of the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon at the new Mencap Centre, Belfast, home of Mencap NI, the official charity partner of this year’s race.

Technical Race Director, David Seaton said “In the past number of years, we have seen our participant numbers grow as there has been a resurgence of running in the local community and further afield.

“Whether it is the full marathon distance or a leg in the relay event, many more people are signing up to get involved and more importantly get fit.”

“Following the success of our secondary event, the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Half Marathon on the 18th September 2016, we are confident that entries for the Main Marathon Run will increase, as entrants will want to push themselves to tackle the 26.2mile distance and set themselves a goal.”

Assisting the Chairman to launch the 2017 event at the new Mencap Centre, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Brian Kingston said: “36 years ago Belfast City Council took the decision to stage the first Belfast City Marathon and, over the intervening years, the event has gone from strength to strength.

When other marathons fell by the wayside, Belfast continued to grow.

“Now, with the resurgence of interest in running – especially as a free and efficient way of getting and staying fit – we are benefiting from record entry numbers each and every year.”

“While the marathon is undoubtedly a serious business, especially for competitive runners, it is also about having fun and enjoying yourself – whether you are a serious runner, or taking part in the relay with a team of friends or just cheering the runners along.

“Belfast, quite rightly, is regarded as one of the world’s friendliest marathons, and runners from near and far are always encouraged by the warmth of the support they find in all four corners of our city.

“Once again, I would urge the people of Belfast to turn out and support the runners on May Day – whether it be by offering a glass of water or a slice of fruit, or merely an encouraging word,” concluded Councillor Kingston.

In addition to the Deep RiverRock Belfast

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Miss Northern Ierland, Lord Mayor Councillor Brian Kingston and Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty encourage people to hurdle to the finish line

City Marathon being the biggest single participatory sporting event in Northern Ireland, it is also one of the biggest fundraising events, with almost every runner or walker taking part to benefit charity.

“I’m delighted to announce that, in 2017, we will again be supporting the magnificent work of Mencap, as our officially nominated charity,” announced David Seaton.

Margaret Kelly, Director of Mencap in Northern Ireland, said; “We are so excited to once again be the official charity partner for the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon.

“Last May we raised an amazing £125,000 and we are calling on everyone across Northern Ireland to help us raise even more in 2017.“ You don’t have to be a champion runner to take part on Marathon Day – anyone can get involved, whether that’s signing up a relay team or bringing the kids along to the Fun Run. No matter what the event, we encourage everyone to run or walk in aid of Mencap this year.”

Margaret continued “Funds raised from the marathon will go toward a number of initiatives including our soon­to­be­launched Family Support Programme, which will provide bespoke, one­on­one guidance for families with a young child with a learning disability.

“This innovative initiative is a first for our charity and we are launching it this autumn thanks to the money raised by the marathon.

However, we still need funds to help us extend this programme over the next few years and reach even more children and families who urgently need our help.

“We encourage everyone to ‘Step up for Mencap’ this year and we can’t wait to see everyone on Marathon Day!”

Also celebrating the 11th year as title sponsor, Deep RiverRock’s Sponsorship Manager, Rob Crabbe said: "As Northern Ireland’s favourite water brand with its roots in Tullynacross, Co. Antrim, Deep RiverRock is delighted to continue its long standing partnership with Belfast City Marathon in 2017.

“With a shared vision to encourage more people to lead active and hydrated lifestyles, Deep RiverRock’s partnership with Belfast City Marathon is a perfect fit. Deep RiverRock is proud to be associated with such a world class event that resonates so well with the local community and as a company we are honoured to have played a part in the success of what is now a key event in Northern Ireland’s sporting calendar.”

David continued, this year are giving participants an option of receiving their packs via post (standard or special service) or at one of the many race pack collection dates, which can be found on www.belfastcitymarathon.com.

This will enable us to ensure everyone receives their pack ahead of time allowing participants to dedicate 100% to their final few weeks of training and preparation. On completion of the event all entrants will receive their new finisher’s pack containing their race t­shirt and a number of goodies.

“We are delighted with these plans for Race Day as it sees us fitting in line with other main races in the UK and Europe. We want to create a celebrative atmosphere on Race Day with the assistance of all our sponsors and official charity, so will be making the entertainment at the finish area bigger and better, an event not to be missed.” David Seaton commented Entries now open at BelfastCityMarathon.com

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

In the midst of Brexit is it time to rethink business support in Northern Ireland? asks Andrew Webb, an independent economist and Managing Director of Webb Advisory Ltd ’ve followed and supported the calls for a Corporation tax reduction in Northern Ireland for over a decade. And whilst I haven’t wavered in supporting a reduced NI rate of Corporation tax, I have started to wonder if it could be used in a different, more targeted way.

My thinking here has begun to crystallise since Brexit, and questions over whether inward investors will want to come to Northern Ireland if we leave the single market.

I also recently conducted research for NICVA, looking at the range of financial supports that are currently available to businesses in Northern Ireland, and just how effective this support is.

It will come as no surprise that there are significant levels of business support provided from public funds. Some estimates suggest there are 2,000 business support programmes and 200 providers.

These range from business start programmes, support for exporting, grants for undertaking research, leadership programmes, green energy programmes or grants for locating here.

On top of that, the tax code is a maze of capital gains tax reliefs, investor reliefs business owner taxes and allowances, etc.

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How effective are our support programmes?

From my research, it’s clear that the focus of business support interventions is, rightly, on programmes that align to Northern Ireland’s economic ambitions of a more innovative, outward focussed economy.

In and of themselves, they can all claim some success and yet we still don’t create as many local businesses as other UK regions and we remain less productive than other regions.

That said, the needs of businesses and awareness of supports have been assessed through a recent comprehensive study undertaken by Ulster University on behalf of the Federation of Small Businesses Northern Ireland.

Across 200 businesses, the study queried the barriers and obstacles impacting on growth and what role government could play in addressing these barriers.

Almost half of respondents noted that cash flow/getting paid was the biggest obstruction

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to growth while profit taxes and competition made up the rest of the top three.

Twenty seven per cent of respondents noted a lack of suitable business support as being a significant barrier to their business success.

Several consultees in my research noted that there is far too much support but that small businesses do not know where to look for it.

Indeed, the FSB/Ulster University survey found that one in ten survey respondents did not know where to seek support.

What are the gaps in support?

There was a broad consensus that topics such as R&D and export have been a focus of business support.

A contrasting view offered during my research was that there is a gap in provision in the start­up capital stage and at the growth/scale up stage.

What’s clear from this research is that there will be an ever present need for people who wish to start, grow or maintain their business to need external advice and support to assist them.

Government has an important role to play to not only deliver but to enable, provide information, improve ease of access to non­ government support and address market failures.

Is it time to overhaul our business start support?

People moving from employment to self­ employment often do not have sufficient savings to see them through the initial trading period or being able to make the initial investment required to establish.

So, two potential policy responses suggest themselves here as a means to overcoming these hurdles and contribute to Northern Ireland’s policy ambition to be a more entrepreneurial economy.

The Startup Refunds for Entrepreneurs (SURE) is a tax relief incentive in Ireland where new business owner operators can apply for an income tax refund on up to €100,000 of income in the previous six years to the value of the investment made in establishing their business In addition, Startup Company Relief provides relief from corporation tax for new startups for the first three years of trading.

QUOTABLEQUOTE I also recently conducted research for NICVA, looking at the range of financial supports that are currently available to businesses in Northern Ireland, and just how effective this support is. It will come as no surprise that there are significant levels of business support provided from public funds. Some estimates suggest there are 2,000 business support programmes and 200 providers.

As with all taxes, there are eligibility criteria and exemptions but if Northern Ireland’s policy aim is to create a more entrepreneurial, private sector led economy, this may well be as effective, or more effective, than reducing the headline rate of corporation tax to 12.5 per cent.

Andrew Webb is an independent economist and Managing Director of Webb Advisory Ltd, an economic research advisory practice based in Belfast, specialising in sector studies, appraisals and impact assessments.

FAMILY FRIENDLY AWARDS

Belfast Trust is Northern Ireland’s most family friendly employer

his year’s most family friendly employer in Northern Ireland is the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. The organisation scooped the award amid a field of more than 40 entries.

The Belfast Trust employs more than 22,000 staff and is one of the largest such trusts in the UK. Marie Marin, CEO of Employers For Childcare, says winning the overall award is a tribute to the dedication of the trust to its employees.

“We are delighted by the Belfast Trust’s achievement,” says Ms Marin. “The judges faced a tough challenge as this year the field was tighter than ever. This in itself illustrates the degree to which employers are now committing to the highest possible standards and conditions of employment for staff with caring responsibilities, allowing them to strike a realistic and sustainable work­life balance.”

Northern Ireland’s Family Friendly

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Employers’ Awards have revealed an ever growing number of firms and organisations who have faced the diversity and equality challenges in the work place head on by providing their employees with the best possible work life balances.

In its sixth year, the Awards show the commitment being made by a broad range of small enterprises, public sector organisations and larger private sector companies to accommodate its employees.

“Firm and organisations across Northern Ireland are increasingly aware of the need to make their places of work as family friendly as possible,” says Ms Marin.

“It’s not just about being a decent employer; it makes commercial sense and secures the loyalty of staff better than many other incentives.”

The Family Friendly Employers Awards were secured in five different categories. The winners of each category are listed below:

Public Sector Organisation of the Year: Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Highly Commended: Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council Education Sector Organisation of the Year: Queen’s University Belfast Highly Commended: Aisling Daycare & After School Small Medium Enterprise of the Year: Aisling Daycare & After School Highly Commended: Progressive Building Society and Catalyst Inc. Large Private Company of the Year: Allstate Highly Commended: Lagan Construction Group Social Enterprise/Charity of the Year: MACS Highly Commended: Northern Ireland Hospice

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BUSINESS IN COMMUNTY

Taking your seat on the board….. nterested in getting involved with a cultural/arts organisation? Interested in taking the leap into the world of creativity and sharpening your business skills?

Then Arts & Business Northern Ireland Board Matching Programmes could be for you. The programme has two initiatives: ­ Board Bank and Young Professionals on Arts Board which place professionals from the corporate world onto the boards of arts organisations to enhance the development of both.

These programmes place seasoned executives, strategic thinkers and young professionals (21­30 yrs.), from local businesses onto the Boards of local arts organisations and help support cultural leaders.

The benefit is mutual – the new Board members develop their leadership skills in a different environment, while the arts organisation taps into the specialist skillset of their newest member.

Ryan Cornett, Associate Director, Investment Management, Cunningham Coates, shares his experience of participating on A&B NI’s Professional Development Programme and his involvement as Treasurer on the board of the John Hewitt Society.

“I chose to get involved with the local arts sector as opposed to another voluntary position in a different sector because I have always had a personal interest in the arts.

“However, after hearing more about how I could make a difference within the sector at a local Arts & Business NI event, I realised that I should get involved and wanted to find out how I could help.

“I feel that it is important that the arts sector thrives and I am happy to play any small part that I can.

“I first heard about Arts & Business NI’s Professional Development Programme through a colleague from the office who participated in the Young Professionals on Arts Boards initiative and he found it really beneficial. I then attended a few local events to hear a bit more and was thoroughly impressed.

“Before taking on a board position, I felt that it was important to be fully informed of all the relevant information, such as the scope of my duties and responsibilities.

“I really appreciated the information that was imparted to me on the training courses and it has helped me to effectively carry out my role now that I have a place on a board.

“I have been on the board of the John Hewitt Society for almost two years now and I hold the position of Treasurer.

“I am enjoying the experience so much that, if time allows, I hope to be able to consider an additional board position in the future.

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“As an individual there has been positive benefits participation on the programme and subsequent placement on an arts board has had for me.

“Having completed the training programme I feel much better equipped to play an active role on a board, confidence in knowledge and abilities plays a big part in effectively participating around a board table.

“I feel that my background in finance has helped not only with the number­crunching, but also in terms of bringing some more structure and helping to formalise the business practices of the organisation.

“Participation on the Young Professionals on Arts Boards initiative and in turn the introduction to the John Hewitt Society has had positive benefits for my career. Not only have I acquired new skills, but I have also met lots of new people and made some fantastic contacts.

“As a young professional who hopes to eventually have a seat at the board table in my day job, I also feel that having some real ‘hands on’ board experience is an invaluable asset.”

Many local business individuals advocate the participation on A&B NI’s Professional Development Programme to include several different sectors, the quotes below showcase the positive benefits and returns gained by volunteering on an arts board.

“It is all too easy to underestimate the work done in the Arts and their impact on our lives, environment, and community. The sector relies on folk from all backgrounds and experiences volunteering for positions on boards to support our local organisations. I have served on an Arts charity board for over a year and have been able to provide some of my expertise as an accountant while gaining great experience at board level and learning

much about the vibrant sector and the artists here. It is a great way to widen your experience, raise your profile while contributing to the arts community.” James Fair, chartered accountant, Harbinson Mulholland “When you join the Board of an arts organisation, you are essentially joining an SME, even though it isn’t focused on profit.

You may learn about marketing, debt management, social media, recruitment, local politics, fundraising, leadership, collective responsibility, public procurement… but you will definitely learn a lot about yourself.”

David Hill, director, Hill Business Growth Consultants Ltd “Does Arts & Business NI work? The answer is yes, our business has been working with A&B NI for eight years and it ticks all the boxes. Do you want to develop your staff? Do you want to train them? Do you want to brand and market your business whilst getting your name out into your market place?

“Then you need to work with Arts & Business NI and integrate the arts into your business. Our creative journey has been an eye opener for our business and I highly recommend getting involved now. The programmes are amazing and the results are second to none.“ David McClurg, practice manager, Edwards & Company, Solicitors Registration now open for 2016/2017 Professional Development Programme both Board Bank and Young Professionals on Arts Boards. To find out how to get involved contact Arts & Business NI, T: 028 9073 5150, www.ArtsandBusinessNI.org.uk

2016 Responsible The Big Business Summit Education

Debate

Pictured (from left to right): Thom Kenrick, Head of Community Programmes, Royal Bank of Scotland; Richard Donnan, Head of Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland; David Knott, Safety and Environmental Manager, Belfast Harbour; Gillian McKee, Deputy Managing Director, Business in the Community; Nick Coburn, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce; John Brolly, Marketing Manager, Irish News; Jorge Lopes, Country Director Diageo Northern Ireland.

undreds of business people gathered at Belfast Waterfront Hall on Wednesday 5 October for ‘Tomorrow’s World’ Responsible Business Summit.

The event, sponsored by Ulster Bank, was Business in the Community’s third major conference in Northern Ireland. It explored the challenges and opportunities that businesses will face in ‘Tomorrow’s World’, and looked at how local firms can plan responsible and sustainable approaches to meet those challenges.

Hosted by Financial Journalist and Broadcaster, Declan Curry, the event featured over 40 leading speakers and thinkers from a wide range of backgrounds. The day began with an exclusive CEO Breakfast Forum, delivered in partnership with the CBI. Over 80 Chief Executives attended to explore the ‘Question of Trust’ ahead of the main conference. More than 250 delegates were then given an insight into the key trends and megatrends predicted to impact on business in the next decade and beyond through a mixture of plenary and workshop sessions.

Business in the Community’s Deputy Managing Director, Gillian McKee said: “In a world that is constantly evolving, it is vital that local organisations are ready and able to grasp opportunities as and when they arise.

Anticipating the future isn’t easy, particularly as technological developments and changing business models continue to transform the business landscape at a tremendous rate.

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“This Summit provided the perfect platform for business people to discuss and debate the prospects and challenges that lie ahead, and consider how they can adapt to be sustainable and thrive in the future.

“Events like this are the ideal opportunity for businesses to come together and learn, not only from leading­edge thinkers and speakers, but also from each other. I hope everyone found the event valuable and inspiring.”

Richard Donnan, Ulster Bank’s Head of Northern Ireland, said: “We’re very pleased to support the Responsible Business Summit as a forum for engagement, new ideas and lively discussion about how business can innovate, adapt and thrive in a changing environment.

“It’s a great opportunity for businesses to understand that a large part of their license to operate comes from their local communities, and the need to genuinely listen and engage in dialogue so that they can sustain themselves over the long­term.”

The Summit was supported by a range of leading organisations, including ASDA, Belfast Harbour, Diageo and Carecall.

Business in the Community also partnered with the NI Chamber of Commerce on the Summit to help reach a broader base of business opinion and ensure the delivery of its corporate responsibility and sustainability messages to a wider audience.

For information on the Summit, visit www.RBSummitni.com

ith 55 per cent of businesses not confident that there will be enough people with the skills needed to fill their future jobs, an education system that is well informed and actively educating young people about changing economic needs, growth industries and alternative career pathways such as entrepreneurship is critical.

Equally important however is employer understanding of the expectations of Generation Z, their future workforce.

Qualifications are only one part of the armoury needed for the working world.

Research shows that young adults who have greater levels of contact with employers whilst at school are significantly less likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training) and can expect, when in full­time employment, to earn up to 18 per cent more than peers who had no such workplace exposure.

As part of the Responsible Business Summit, we invited more than 40 young people join us to present their ideas of the future workplace and challenge the panel with a range of questions. The session was interactive, with a voting response system used to reflect the thought of the future workforce. This is what we found: • 45 per cent of young people who attended believe their starting salary will be £10,000 ­ £15,000 • 41 per cent believe that the Northern Ireland education system is not effective in preparing them for the world of work

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BEST PRACTICE

A WORKABLE SOLUTION work·a·ble (wûr′kə-bəl) adj.

1. Capable of being put into effective operation; practicable or feasible: a workable solution 2. Capable of being worked, dealt with, or handled: workable clay he dictionary definition of workable also applies to the world of employment. However, for nearly 300 employees and 200 employers across Northern Ireland, Workable also means something else.

Workable (NI) is a supported employment programme which assists people to continue to maintain their employment where there are barriers due to disability or health conditions.

One of the providers of Workable (NI) is Supported Employment Solutions (SES) a partnership of locally­based disability organisations The SES partners are Action Mental Health, the Cedar Foundation, Mencap, NOW Group, the Orchardville , RNIB and Action on Hearing Loss.

SES provides individualised support to our clients and their employers focussed on helping them to overcome employment related barriers.

We help to identify ways of making a job more manageable, use technology to help employees with a task or enable an individual to make a successful return to work.

SES, through Workable (NI), provides a variety of support, both on and off the job, that can be tailored to each individual employee with a disability, their co­workers and the company.

Disability Awareness training for a staff team can also be very beneficial in dealing with any apprehension and stigma or to help the other employees understand a colleague’s disability.

In our experience openness around the subject of disability can increase team morale and can provide good training for staff who

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‘I have been supporting a staff member through the Workable (NI) programme for the past six months.

This has been an invaluable programme in getting my staff member back to work and sustaining her to stay in work. The level of communication, information and advice which I have received through the Workable NI have been of a very high standard’. (Large retailer)

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want to develop in their role.

Supported Employment is all about providing support to people with disabilities, or other disadvantaged groups, to secure and maintain paid employment in the open labour market.

A key part of this involves helping to create natural supports and promote reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

This can include support from other staff members, a change in the working hours of the staff member or a policy amendment which suits everybody better.

‘I have found the support through Workable (NI) to be invaluable both to the staff member and also at employer level. The combination of additional practical support and techniques has really made a difference to the staff member's confidence and ability to carry out their work role’. (Public sector) SES can provide an extensive range of support to meet the specific needs of employers and employers.

For instance, with modern technology, IT resources and accessibility improving daily, why do we all not use the accessibility functions that technology provides?

Specialist SES staff can provide support and advice on assistive technology such as speech recognition as well as how to customise the existing accessibility options on devices and software.

Almost 50 per cent of long­term absences from work are due to mental health issues.

SES Employment Officers provide support and guidance to members of staff and their employers in dealing with these issues.

Workable (NI) programme looks at 21 ‘key behaviours’ where support may be required.

These key behaviours can include ability to do the job, flexibility, confidence and time management. SES Employment Officers look at the job role and see how the individual can improve their reliability, adaptability and communication skills, while developing better team working and problem solving skills.

Identifying certain key behaviours focuses the individual, the team and the organisation

‘We are very happy to work with the SES programme it is great to see the development of individuals who need a little bit more help than some keep up the good work’. (Local restaurant)

to achieve better results. Breaking down tasks, dividing large tasks into manageable chunks and providing training can really enhance everybody’s working practices.

We identify five or six key areas where support needs to be concentrated to help ensure the individual can carry out their job role effectively.

This can involve a wide range of situations, for example, an individual may be struggling with workload, confidence may have been knocked, their ability to move between tasks needs worked on or their time management needs sharpening up.

It may also that, be due the effect of a person’s disability, certain tasks need to be explained further or in a different format.

The nature of a disability, how it affects the individual and the way they work will be different in every situation.

Our Employment Officers are skilled at working closely with the employer to develop the best level of support.

This can be delivered in a number of ways which best suit everyone, one­to­one in the workplace, within group training or discreet meetings with line managers.

Our Employment Officers work with each employee and employer to put in place and individual development plan which helps everyone to work towards and achieve agreed goals Local employers are very positive about Workable (NI) as the comments from SES’s most recent employer survey show.

If you would like to discuss how SES can help you as an individual, or support people within your company, please contact Peter Wilson 07791 075921 or Heather Gillen 07894 295246 to discuss or email workable@sesni.org.uk.

The Workable (NI) programme is funded by the Department for Communities.

BEST PRACTICE

Research provides first report into race equality in Northern Ireland Workplaces Ulster University’s Dr Lucy Michael

short study by Ulster University into race equality legislation in Northern Ireland has indicated significant work needs to be carried out to give employers more confidence in dealing with the issue.

The research carried out for the first time on a small amount of Northern Ireland employers found that they overwhelmingly needed more support to raise awareness of racial bias, communicate the value of diversity and maintain a focus of equality.

Funded by Business in the Community NI and CRAIC NI, the research is also supported by the Department for the Economy’s Northern Ireland Higher Education Innovative Fund.

Of particular concern was the impact of English fluency on the ability of highly skilled migrant workers in low skilled positions, to maximise their contribution to the economy.

However, of the small number of employers assessed most were able to identify at least one action which they could implement immediately to improve race equality in their workplace.

In addition, employers who implemented a zero tolerance approach to discrimination and harassment reported success in producing a strong team environment and respectful work culture, even where there is no significant training on racial or other biases.

Ulster University’s Dr Lucy Michael said: “This research is an important first step in understanding how people, however they might be identified, can participate in the workplace as equals.

“Although a small cross section, the findings will now enable us to engage further with the private and public sector to gain even more insight into racial equality in the workplace and how we can help employers deal with

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any challenges they may face.

“Employers should take great comfort that such a highly skilled workforce is available locally but they are unsure of how to implement race equality in the workplace and support migrant workers. They are seeking guidance on how to best implement it with positive effect, but they are afraid of getting it wrong.

“The small cross section of employers we spoke with stated that they would welcome support and as such we have now developed a toolkit which we will develop further as we continue to engage with employers across Northern Ireland.”

Business in the Community NI’s Denise Cranston said: "Progressive employers have for some time been integrating equality and diversity initiatives into core business functions, such as organisational strategy and talent management programmes. But this research shows that they need to do more to achieve greater race and ethnic diversity.

Business in the Community fully supports the recommendations in the report and would call upon all employers to commit to taking action to take full advantage of the opportunity that migrant and ethnic workers present. " CRAICNI’s Maciek Bator said: “As someone who is from the Black, Minority Ethnic community, I am delighted to see this report being launched. It is very encouraging to see more and more local companies recognising business potential in the skills and experiences that migrant and ethnic workers are bringing to Northern Ireland. However, there is still space for improvement and a need for sharing good practice amongst employers.

“At CRAIC NI, we are determined to promote race equality. A practical knowledge

of how to manage diversity in a workplace is key to success, Therefore we are taking the lead on developing the Employer’s Race Equality Works training pack available from November. It is the right time to make Racial Equality work for Northern Ireland.”

A full copy of the Race Equality Works for Northenr Ireland report is available: www.businessfirstni.co.uk/race equality

MOREINFORMATION The results have been used to develop a new toolkit for local employers, sharing steps they can take to improve race equality in the workplace, including: • Clearly communicating the value of diversity in an organisation • Committing to raising awareness of racial bias • Being aware of the wider context of high levels of racism in Northern Ireland, and that it is not the preserve of any particular group • Making sense of local demographics and the wider picture of race equality in Northern Ireland • Open and transparent communication, with consultation and feedback key to understanding how well established the message about diversity is • Being confident, knowledgable and comfortable talking about racial bias • Showcasing success creating visibility for diverse role models • Keeping equality on the table, considering how the value of diversity is reflected in business activities

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Luxury BMW 7 Series he sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series is a true flagship of the BMW range, blending comfort, style, dynamic ability and cutting edge technology in equal measure to create an inspiring mode of luxury transport.

The new BMW 7 Series is both stronger and up to 130kg lighter than its predecessor. This advanced construction is complemented by six­cylinder petrol and diesel engines taken from the latest generation of BMW power units.

I drove the 740 LD M­Sport. The LD is really a long wheelbase version of the 7 series and yes it is big. The exterior is smartly designed and somewhat understated, which is exactly what buyers of this size of car like preferring not attract too much attention whilst they are driving or being driven about. The 7 series certainly has a strong road presence.

The three litre, twin turbo diesel engine is quiet and eager, offering 320 Bhp it is capable of 155mph and sprinting to 60mph in 5.2 seconds and it does just sip diesel using a gallon every 50 miles or so, after driving the 7 series it loves munching miles with ease.

The interior is superb, not one bit of black plastic to be seen. The balance of dynamics and comfort so central to the new BMW 7 Series’ character is reflected in the design of the interior.

Whether it’s the driving pleasure generated from behind the wheel, or the sublime sense of well­being when sat in the rear seats, the ambience of the new BMW 7 Series is both modern and luxurious.

All the control and display elements share a new design that highlights their innovative functionality – such as the chrome buttons on

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by Ian Beasant, BUSINESSFIRSTMAGAZINE motoring correspondent

the multifunctional steering wheel and centre console, and the touchscreen surface for the control panel of the automatic air conditioning with four­zone control.

The controls on the centre console are – like the interior trim strip – framed by fine wood or aluminium surfaces. Both the trim strips and the instrument panel’s chrome surrounds which border them are made individually for each car; their dimensions are therefore matched to the nearest millimetre.

The accuracy and quality of the interior – whether you are driving or being driven is top class. The amount of leg room and space in the rear feels like you are flying first class.

The 7 series is a big car, but it is easy to

drive and handles well, with options to set the car in Sport, Comfort or Eco­ mode – these adjust the suspension, engine and gearbox response.

I found that Comfort was great and the 7 series just floated over our bumpy roads without trying to deviate from the direction I had pointed it in. The size of the 7 series is not noticeable when you are on the road as it is agile and I only noticed the extra length of 7 series when I was parking the.

The BMW 7 series is as good as what is on the market in this luxury sector it is well equipped and full of technology, I think this latest 7 series will give the Mercedes S­class some serious competition which previous BMW 7’s were not always capable of.

The BIGGER Tiguan S ports Utility vehicles or SUV’S are amongst the best selling vehicles in the market at the moment and drivers appetites for them shows no sign of abating.

The SUV in many ways has taken the place of the estate car and in other ways the need for a second car. All of this leads to a very busy and ultra­competitive market, it does not seem to deter the car manufacturers as they continue to build them and introduce new models.

The Volkswagen Tiguan in its previous form was only out sold by the Volkswagen Polo and the Volkswagen Golf. The new Tiguan is is a properly all­new product, featuring the latest MQB architecture, which replaces the Mk1 Tiguan – launched in 2007.

This brings many benefits. For starters, there’s a raft of the latest technology available ­ much of it familiar from VW stable. So you’ll enjoy niceties such as cable­free mobile phone charging, radar cruise control, waggle­ foot­to­open automatic tailgates and other life­easing gadgetry.

But it also brings a degree of flexibility.

Wolfsburg’s engineers can stretch the platform this way and that; hence you can expect a slightly longer, seven­seat version of the Tiguan in due course.

I drove the Tiguan at its launch in England and also spent a week with the new model fitted with a 150bhp 2.0­litre diesel engine and very sweet changing seven­speed Dsg gearbox.

The styling is fresher, crisper and sitting on its 19 inch alloy wheels a lot more sharper looking than the Mk1 and it's accompanied by a whole load of extra space.

This car is 60mm longer and rides on a

wheelbase stretched by 77mm ­ no wonder there’s so much room for families and their luggage (the boot swells to 520 litres, or 615 with the rear bench slid forward).

One thing for sure there is no denying Volkswagen's advantage in interior quality remains intact. This is a surprisingly luxurious cabin and we remain enthralled by the intelligent touchscreen infotainment.

There are a few harder plastics lower down the dashboard, granted, but it all feels well assembled and the switchgear operates with a satisfyingly well­damped action. The Led dash certainly adds to the premium feel and quality of the Tiguan.

The new Tiguan feels surefooted and agile,

but not especially sporty. Which is entirely in keeping with its purpose in life; it does feel a lot like a Golf in many ways which is no bad thing.

The elevated seating position does offer great visibility and the 2.0 litre diesel does not disappoint, it is smooth and quiet and will propel the Tiguan to 60mph in nine seconds and at the same time offering 53 miles per gallon.

The Tiguan's steering is light and relaxed.

This is a hushed, refined place to sit, with few thrills. The four­motion (four wheel drive system) keeps everything under control. The Tiguan does more or less everything well and it is a top quality vehicle.

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Style and Substance

he all new Renault Megane released this year is a real head turner; sleek, sexy, and stylish with a very strong road presence.

Renault has always done well in Northern Ireland and after driving the new Megane for

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by Ian Beasant, BUSINESSFIRSTMAGAZINE motoring correspondent

a week my mind has certainly changed as style was never in doubt and now the build quality is as good as any of the class leaders.

Under the bonnet you have a choice of two petrol or two diesel engines. My Megane was the 110 dci engine model, and it has a 1500 cc

Turbo diesel engine mated to six­speed gearbox driving the front wheels.

This is the model that Renault believe will be their best seller and I reckon they are spot on. The engine is quiet and delivers its power very smoothly. The six – speed gearbox (oh I do love manual gearboxs) has ratios that work the engine perfectly and the whole package feels a lot more lively than the figures of 11 seconds to 60mph would lead you to believe.

One figure I am sure about is the fuel consumption. Renault claims a combined usage figure of 76.4 miles per gallon but I was able to get 79 miles per gallon without trying.

So much so, I was actually a little concerned that the fuel gauge was stuck!

The interior is completely new and is very well equipped and all the controls feel to be just in the right place. You feel at home in this car. The quality of materials is super, right up there with best of its German rivals and maybe a little bit ahead. The new Megane will comfortably transport five people and all their bits and pieces about with ease and it does with style.

Renault has made a great effort to put the new Megane up against the German models that usually dominate this market and I reckon they have succeeded in every area.

This in my opinion makes the new Megane a very compelling all­round package.

Honda Magic T he new Honda HRV is the latest entry into a rather bustling and yet still growing market for small SUV’S. Our appetite for these vehicles shows no sign of waning as small and medium sized SUV’s are in great demand both new and used.

The HRV looks actually like a tall coupe with its dynamic lines, the rear door handles are recessed into the side windows, the roof swoops down at the rear­ it is a sporty looking vehicle and not one bit boxy looking like some of the vehicles in its class.

The Honda HRV is offered in either diesel or petrol form. I drove the 1.6 D­TEC engine model in the top of the range EX trim. The engine offered a wide range of torque was extremely well mannered and quiet; the manual six­gearbox suited the engine characteristics well.

Performance was good both in acceleration and economy as the HRV will propel to 60mph in 10 seconds and return an impressive 60 miles per gallon. The Honda HRV is one of the better small SUV’S I have driven when it comes to tackling a twisty road as it handles crisply and neatly with just a hint of body roll.

The interior is well made and well laid out;

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there is plenty of room in the front for both driver and passenger. Rear space in the HR­V isn’t quite as generous as it is in the front.

The real magic and innovative design comes to the fore with Honda’s Magic rear seat function, which means it’s possible to not only split the rear seats in a 60/40 configuration and fold them completely flat, but also raise the rear seat bases to leave a long, narrow space, between them and the front seat backs. It’s a useful space for

carrying thin, tall objects such as bicycles.

The front passenger seat can then be folded flat to allow long items to be pushed from the boot opening right through to the dashboard. This is simple and very practical to use. Behind the rear seats is a good size boot with a low loading lip and wide opening.

The Honda HRV is a good all­rounder with a nice bit of style and being a Honda it will never let you down.

The Final Word

Look ahead to Legislation, Policy and Plans

by Chris Brown, Director, MCE Public Relations Connect with Chris @CB_PAandPA rexit still remains all­consuming and the fact that the Programme for Government is still out for consultation has left the local business community here in Northern Ireland asking lots of questions about how their interests will be protected and enhanced.

We still won’t know until the UK Chancellor announces his Autumn Statement in late November just how much money we will have to play with for the next year. Many business people don’t have the gift of time to see how things go however.

So what legislation, policies and plans are coming down the track that business needs to be aware of early in this new Assembly mandate. Here’s a brief overview of what has been outlined so far.

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Local Development Plans Local development plans are currently being advanced by each of the super councils to ear mark land in their relevant areas to be designated for development for up to the next 15 years. This will set the policy for determining future planning applications and is a really important issue for the property development and construction sector.

Preferred option papers are being brought forward by some Councils already, with draft plan strategies starting to emerge from early 2017 onward.

Northern Ireland Investment Fund The Finance Minister Mairtin O’Muilleoir MLA has stated that he is committed to the establishment of a Northern Ireland Investment Fund and sees it as an important lever in promoting economic growth.

He has identified that the delivery of the Fund has been delayed due to uncertainty around the European Investment Bank role in advancing the Fund in the aftermath of the EU referendum, but that officials are currently considering alternative delivery models. One of the alternative delivery options is currently

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with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) for a classification decision. Once ONS has provided its determination, the intention is then to move to procurement of an external fund manager which is likely to take at least 6 months.

North West The leader of the SDLP Colum Eastwood MLA has stated that he is planning to develop a Private Members Bill to ensure that any new investment decisions made in the interest of Northern Ireland are ‘North West proofed’ so that the area has the best chance to compete for business.

Organised Crime Justice Minister Claire Sugden MLA has stated that the review of the legislation relating to serious and organised crime in Northern Ireland is now underway with a view to introducing draft legislation to the Assembly in the current session.

Officials are currently scoping existing legislative models and the Minister expects to be in a position to consult on policy proposals by the end of this financial year in order to determine the appropriate next steps regarding draft legislation.

Regulatory framework for business The Economy Minister Simon Hamilton MLA has committed to improving the regulatory framework for business by reducing red tape and streamlining regulatory functions by taking forward the Better Regulation Action Plan.

The plan seeks to develop a modern regulatory regime that will allow business to grow while ensuring that people, workers, consumers are appropriately protected.

Employment Minister Hamilton is also expected to take forward early conciliation provisions under the Employment Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

to enhance opportunities for resolving workplace disputes without the need for legal action, and making improvements to employment tribunal regulations to improve processes for those who do require a legal remedy.

He has outlined that he will engage with Executive colleagues in consideration of policy options to tackle abuses in zero hours and non­guaranteed hours contracts.

Insolvency In the course of the current Assembly, Hamilton will introduce an Insolvency Bill which will further modernise and streamline insolvency legislation for the benefit of creditors and the wider business community here.

Apprenticeship Levy The introduction and collection of the Apprenticeship Levy is a reserved matter which will be imposed by the UK Government on employers with a pay­bill in excess of £3 million.

Whilst it will be a matter for the Executive to decide on the allocation of those funds, the Minister is currently considering how they might be best used for skills and apprenticeship training in Northern Ireland in support of our Economic and Skills strategies.

He has stated that it will be his intention to issue a short consultation paper, which will primarily seek the views of the business community, on how any revenues available from the Levy might be implemented to support skills development in Northern Ireland.