Business Eye October November 2020

Issue 201 Oct/Nov 2020 ÂŁ2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Johnny Hanna A Year Of Change In KPMG Top Role Features:

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Close Brothers Commercial Finance - Growth During Crisis

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Avison Young New Name For Experienced Team

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AIB Business Eye Awards 2021 Are Launched

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Contents

Nov/Dec 2020 ISSUE 201

EY Tax Incentives Team – A Avison Young – Same 12 Specialised 34 Team, Approach For Business New Name A unique team within EY’s Belfast tax operation providing a highly specialised approach to helping business clients make the very best of tax incentives helping clients generate millions in cash savings.

Analysing The Covid 18 Crisis & Its Effects

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Danske Bank’s Robert McCullough argues that the Covid crisis doesn’t have to lead to lasting change for Northern Ireland. Let’s keep the benefits of the lockdown era, and do away with the negatives.

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Christmas With A Difference

It will be a very different corporate Christmas this year – with no office parties, no big nights out and a distinct lack of festive fun around the office. So what can local organisations do to look after their customers and, most importantly, their people for Christmas in the Covid era?

Johnny Hanna – A Year Of Change In KPMG Top Role

Johnny Hanna, Partner-In-Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, talks to Business Eye about the evolution of the firm and how the business world has changed one year on from taking up his role.

Close Finance – Helping 24 Customers Through The Crisis It’s a measure of just how many SME’s in Northern Ireland need support more than ever that the Belfast office of Close Brothers Commercial Finance has just notched up its best quarter since its establishment. We catch up with Close Ireland MD Ciaran McAreavey.

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One of Belfast’s leading firms of chartered surveyors and commercial property advisers has become part of the fastgrowing Avison Young global network. The team at the former GVA NI, led by Jago Bret, alongside their counterparts at GVA’s Dublin operation, are now known as Avison Young.

A Prognosis For Our Pandemic Pancession

Ulster University’s Professor Mark Durkin and entrepreneur Philip Bain argue the case for government taking a different approach from that of repeated lockdowns which are critically damaging the Northern Ireland economy.

Buckley Publications 20 Kings Road Belfast, BT5 6JJ Tel: (028) 9047 4490 Fax: (028) 9047 4495 www.businesseye.co.uk

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AIB Business Eye Awards 2021

The AIB Business Eye Awards for 2021 were launched recently at a hybrid event hosted from NIAVAC’s studio in Belfast. Northern Ireland’s biggest and best business awards are scheduled to take place on 13th May with a closing date for entries of April 9th.

Sector Faces 58 ACharity Perfect Storm Gareth Kirk, Chief Executive of Action Cancer, writes for Business Eye about the very real funding crisis facing his and other charities in the midst of the Covid pandemic. Businesses in Northern Ireland can play a significant part in keeping vital work going.

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Efficiency Is The New Normal

The creator of a new and ground-breaking smart phone App, Dale Orr of Kipling Data talks about the changing face of business and why he’s passionate about improving business efficiency.

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Design Hexagon Tel: (028) 9047 2210 www.hexagondesign.com

Photography Press Eye 45 Stockmans Way Belfast, BT9 7ET Tel: (028) 9066 9229 www.presseye.com

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement that the Job Retention Scheme, better known as the furlough scheme, is to be extended until the end of March next year was a very welcome piece of news for many.

Comment

“Over recent months, our politicians have been quick to impose restrictions upon restrictions on businesses here.

But they’ve been extremely slow to engage with the businesses concerned.”

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ore than anything, though, it’s a very clear admission by the government that we’re in this for a longer haul than most of us could have imagined a few short months ago.

Back in the summer, re-opening was the name of the game, we were all being incentivised to eat out, and there was a real and genuine hope that Covid-19 could soon be a thing of the past.

How times have changed? To be fair to those who consisently predicted a second wave, they were right and we were wrong (not for the first time). In particular since our schools and universities swung back into action, we’ve seen a significant uptick in cases and deaths as a result.

But, as we work our way through Northern Ireland’s form of a second lockdown, a lot more business organisations, public representatives and others are asking if the knee-jerk policy of locking down, opening up and locking down again is the right way ahead.

Recently, four of our more progresssive business organisations (Belfast Chamber of Trade, Manufacturing NI, Retail NI and Hospitality Ulster) called on the Northern Ireland Executive to develop a strategy which moves us away from the present approach of repeated lockdowns.

It’s an approach which certainly appeared to be backed by both the First and Deputy First Ministers several weeks ago.

What is crucial is that our political leaders must take on board the views of business and the economy in the same way that they take on board the views of public sector scientists and medical experts.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

Over recent months, our politicians have been quick to impose restrictions upon restrictions on businesses here. But they’ve been extremely slow to engage with the businesses concerned.

As we head through November and towards December, the economic effects of lockdown are hard to over-estimate. We’ve already seen job losses and we’re set to see more of them, only on a larger scale.

The economic carnage has hit the hospitality sector first and hardest.

But it’s already impacting on other sectors. The recent news of hundreds of job losses at Caterpillar might not be easily attributed to Covid directly, but it is an indirect result of the crisis.

The sad thing is that it won’t be the last.

These are workers, don’t forget, who won’t have the cushion of furlough to tide them through the winter months.

Government has to listen to its scientists.

But it should always remember that it, its people, its elected representatives and its scientists will be paid whatever storm is raging outside its public sector doors.

That’s not the case in business.

Businesses have been the whipping boys of the Covid crisis to date. That’s something that has to change.

There must be a better way forward.

RETURN TO WORK SAFELY RESET STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS MODELS REBOUND AND EXPLOIT NEW OPPORTUNITIES Help is on hand with the advice and support your business needs in one place.

BUILDING BUSINESS FOR A STRONGER ECONOMY Learn more at nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Eye on News

Electric Ireland Wins £13 Million Local Authority Contract Electric Ireland has been awarded new contracts with 10 Local Authorities in Northern Ireland worth £13m, as part of their commitment to supporting a renewable recovery post Covid-19.

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hese 100% green energy contracts will see Electric Ireland provide 45GWh per year over the next two years, as an integral part of the Local Authorities’ energy strategy roadmap and climate pledge, committing each authority to reduce carbon emissions to net zero to meet government targets.

Through the partnership, electricity will be provided to council buildings across Local Authorities including: Antrim & Newtownabbey, Ards & North Down, Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon, Causeway Coast & Glens, Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh & Omagh, Lisburn & Castlereagh City, Mid and East Antrim,

Mid Ulster and Newry, Mourne & Down.

Commenting on the Local Authorities climate change commitments, Karen Philips, the Director of Environment and Regeneration from Derry and Strabane District Council said: “It is vital to have a trusted energy supplier on board who recognises our priorities to deliver both environmental and economic benefits and we welcome Electric Ireland’s supply of green energy from 100% renewable sources, which is an integral part of our strategy to have more sustainable operations.

“As we seek to overcome the considerable challenges of Covid-19 over the coming months, we will reduce our carbon emissions through energy efficiency, smart energy management and the introduction of alternative energy sources, as well as a range of other measures across our operations minimising the impact of climate change.”

Commenting on the contract, Dermot McArdle, Head of Business Markets for Electric Ireland, said: “Working in partnership with Local

Authorities across Northern Ireland and providing them with innovative renewable energy solutions at such a critical time for society, reflects Electric Ireland’s expertise and commitment to supporting the transition to a low carbon future.”

“We know that innovation and efficiency are key for our customers and we develop and create long-term relationships with our broad range of public and private sector customers throughout Northern Ireland, providing valuable insights and support.”

“We are looking forward to working closely with each Local Authority over the next two years, providing them with 100% renewable energy, to facilitate and accelerate a more sustainable future.”

As part of their roadmap and climate change pledge in addition to addressing the energy efficiency of buildings, Local Authorities are working towards decarbonisation of their fleet of vehicles, while also piloting electric vehicles. https://www.electricireland.com/ business/home

Slieve Donard Resort Named NI’s Best Golf Hotel At Global Awards The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa has been named Northern Ireland’s Best Golf Hotel at the 2020 World Golf Awards.

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ow in its seventh year, the prestigious awards, held in Park Hyatt Dubai, celebrates and rewards excellence in golf tourism.

Chris Frost, Managing Director of the World Golf Awards said: “Despite the

many challenges that the golf tourism and hospitality industries have faced in this most unprecedented of years, votes were cast by hundreds of thousands of golf consumers from a record 129 countries. This year’s World Golf Awards winners are more deserving than ever before. Rewarding your commitment to excellence, whatever the challenges, and the determination to become the undisputed market leader.”

Michael Weston, General Manager of the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa said: “We are delighted to have once again been named Northern Ireland’s Best Golf Hotel at the 2020 World Golf Awards.

The resort is renowned with golfers around the world which is no surprise given our proximity to the province’s leading golf courses, our first-class facilities and service and breath-taking surroundings with views overlooking the Mourne Mountains. Congratulations

to our neighbour, Royal County Down Golf Club, which picked up the award for Northern Ireland’s Best Golf Course.”

Other winners included The Belfry which was named England’s Best Golf Hotel, the Golf Course at Adare Manor was named Ireland’s Best Golf Course, Gleneagles picked up the gong for Scotland’s Best Golf Hotel and Ireland was named Europe’s Best Golf Destination.

Eye on News

Arthur Cox Appoints Four New Trainee Solicitors To Belfast Office Leading law firm Arthur Cox has appointed four new trainee solicitors to its Belfast office.

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he latest cohort to join the firm’s industry-leading programme comprises recent graduates, Alannah McKeaveney, David Greatorex, Hannah Foulsham, and Patrick Loughridge.

Working closely with Partners and Associates, the trainees will gain invaluable experience and exposure across each of Arthur Cox’s four main practice areas, Corporate, Finance, Litigation and Property.

Catriona Gibson, Manager Partner, Arthur Cox commented: “Each year, we look forward to welcoming a new group of trainee solicitors to our Belfast office.

Individuals are chosen because they display the qualities that make

them among the most innovative and diverse law graduates.

“As one of Northern Ireland’s bestknown and respected law firms, operating at the top of contemporary legal developments, this makes them the perfect fit for Arthur Cox. “Investing significant time and resources into developing our trainee lawyers, it is our privilege to once again work alongside them as we aim to provide unrivalled insights across our vast range of service areas.”

Arthur Cox is also planning ahead for future intakes of trainee solicitors with applications to the 2021 programme now open with a deadline of 30th October.

Arthur Cox Managing Partner Catriona Gibson, centre, welcomes four new trainee solicitors to the firm’s Belfast office, from left, Hannah Foulsham, David Greatorex, Patrick Loughridge, and Alannah McKeaveney.

BRICK AND MORTAR RETAIL MUST INVEST IN DIGITAL

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he retail sector must scale up its digital capabilities in the recovery phase of the Covid-19 pandemic if it is to attract people back to brick and mortar stores quickly, according to leading shopper engagement agency Velocity Worldwide.

In a survey of over 2,000 UK consumers, the company found that 52 percent would visit a shopping destination more frequently if they could pre-book their shopping trips.

Responses to the questionnaire revealed that it is imperative that retail destinations are able to report on live store queue times in order to motivate people to physically come in to shop regularly at their destinations.

The research also highlighted that feeling safe while shopping was the most important priority for shoppers when in both the high street and shopping centres.

The next most important consideration for consumers was being able to find out that the products they are looking for are available in store in advance

of their shopping trip, to encourage them not to simply shop online.

Velocity Worldwide is a customer engagement specialist that develops personalisation and insight technologies designed to grow retail businesses.

With offices in New York, London, Belfast and throughout the UK, the company has delivered a combination of creative marketing and retail technology services through its proprietary platform Darius for Retail, which is designed to generate revenue and build a better customer experience.

This month, Velocity has launched Darius-Q, an advanced reservations app for shopping malls and retail brands, which is designed to reduce queue times for shoppers, regulate visitor numbers, help retailers with track and trace and increase the amount of time and money shoppers spend in stores.

Enda McShane, CEO, Velocity Worldwide, said: “The global pandemic has escalated a path that shoppers were already

on towards a physical shopping experience with supporting digital capabilities. What we have seen in the last few months is that the retailers who are investing in this space now and preparing for the future are the ones who are going to be in the strongest position during the recovery phase.

“This Christmas is going to make or break a lot of retailers, and in order to reclaim lost footfall, shopping centres, supermarkets and retail brands need to take the uncertainty out of the physical shopping experience. Queues are set to be one of the biggest barriers and by offering customers the option to reserve and plan their shopping trip in advance, they will provide the security that many shoppers want in order to visit physical stores.”

Enda added: “A number of our shopping centre clients – including large portfolio clients like Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) – have listened to this research and have already adopted our queue management products across many of their centres, to ensure they

Enda McShane, CEO, Velocity Worldwide

can respond to this requirement by providing a simple and safe physical shopping experience. They also recognise that things that were initially deemed temporary because of Covid, will now become permanent because shoppers have responded well to new digital services in their physical retail locations.”

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Eye on News

V12 Vehicle Finance and Wilsons Auctions launch WilPay stock funding finance V12 Vehicle Finance – powered by Secure Trust Bank – has partnered with Wilsons Auctions, the UK and Ireland’s largest independent auction company, to launch WilPay, a stock funding proposition.

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ilPay will seek to provide unrivalled stock funding finance, helping dealers source, fund and finance vehicles more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

Esteemed for its quick decision making and fast payouts, V12 Vehicle Finance’s powerful technology-led hub, provides dealers with reliable and responsive financial support so that they never miss out on a great deal and allows them to immediately fund purchases online or at physical auctions.

WilPay will provide dealers with key benefits including a single-funded value ceiling of £50,000 for independent dealers and £65,000 for franchised dealers and up to 120 days financing to ease the burden of cash-flow. It also offers 100% of hammer price on cars and LCVS, a simple monthly Direct Debit for fees and interest charges and it will fund VAT on qualifying cars and commercial vehicles.

Refurbishment and smart repair costs will be included within the funding of up to £1,000 or 10% of the invoice price if lower and 100% of the hammer price including auction fees, delivery charges and VAT on commercial vehicles which can be fully funded.

Managing Director of V12 Vehicle Finance, David Mercer, comments, “Being part of the Secure Trust Bank family means that we have the financial backing and stability to make our pricing, products and services work in tandem with Wilsons Auctions and its customers.

Armed with Secure Trust Bank’s rich heritage and V12’s Vehicle Finance’s digitally-led approach to stock funding, we’re confident that our partnership with Wilsons Auctions will be highly successful and we look forward to growing our businesses together.”

Wilsons Auctions has significantly grown in recent years, both geographically - offering a national coverage across the UK and Ireland - and digitally with the innovation of new online auction platforms. The auction company holds over 2000 auctions each year, achieving an annual hammer total in excess of £310 million.

Wilsons Auctions Group Operations Director, Peter Johnston added, “I am delighted to see the launch of WilPay as a result of the joint partnership with V12 Vehicle Finance and Wilsons Auctions. As an innovative and forward-thinking company, it made sense to utilise V12 Vehicle Finance’s best-in-class

David Mercer, MD of V12 Vehicle Finance.

platform. Through our work together, we will be providing our buyers with an unrivalled, unique fast and efficient digital buying and funding journey.”

For further information on V12 Vehicle Finance go to www.v12vf.co.uk

Carson McDowell Appoints Sinead Keavey As Head Of Dublin Office Carson McDowell has appointed a new head of its Dublin office as part of an ongoing expansion of its specialist legal healthcare team in the city.

Sinead Keavey Carson McDowell.

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eading healthcare lawyer Sinead Keavey has joined the firm as a Partner and will also take on the newly created leadership role in Dublin.

Sinead was previously a partner in William Fry’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department, where she represented a wide range of clients in the healthcare and regulated sectors in Ireland.

Sinead’s core practice involved defending clinical negligence claims brought against consultants and general practitioners, and representing healthcare professionals before the Irish Medical Council. She also holds a Masters in Ethics from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Jacqueline McAleese, Head of Clinical Claims at Carson McDowell, said: “We have one of the largest, if not the largest, healthcare team on the island of Ireland and we continue to expand in response to the growing demand for medical indemnity legal expertise in both Dublin and Belfast. Sinead’s

appointment is a signal of our intent in the market.”

Roger McMillan, Managing Partner of Carson McDowell, said: “We are delighted to have Sinead joining us as the head of the Dublin office to help the firm continue its growth trajectory. She is a highly regarded lawyer with vast experience of working with clients that the firm represents. Sinead will provide leadership to our growing team in Dublin.”

Sinead Keavey said: “I am excited to be joining Carson McDowell and am relishing the opportunity to drive the development of the firm’s presence in Dublin. Healthcare continues to be a growth area across Ireland and I look forward to working with the firm’s clients and sharing our expertise to help them address the challenges they face. The firm has a reputation for an innovative and robust approach to managing clinical negligence claims in Ireland and I hope that I can enhance that reputation further.”

Carson McDowell has over 110 solicitors and more than 180 staff across its offices in Belfast and Dublin and is the largest independent law firm in Northern Ireland. It opened its Dublin office in 2016 and expanded into new offices in Windsor Place last year.

Eye on News

Maxol Launches Annual Festive Fundraiser FOR AWARE NI

Maxol CEO Brian Donaldson with Jacob Stockdale and Clare Galbraith of AWARE.

Maxol, Northern Ireland’s leading family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer, is planning to raise thousands of pounds with its annual festive fundraiser which launches this week at selected service stations throughout Northern Ireland.

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ver the next eight weeks, Maxol will donate 10p to AWARE for every hot drink bought at participating Maxol service stations across Northern Ireland until the 31st December 2020, with the aim of raising £20,000 for the charity.

The launch comes as AWARE revealed that during March to September of this year, it experienced a 46% increase in demand for its support services via WhatsApp, Zoom and face-to-face. During the same period, the number of people reached by AWARE’s services via Facebook rose by 306% and on Twitter by 119% while the traffic to their website also increased by nearly a fifth when compared to the same period last year.

Maxol has been supporting local communities in Northern Ireland

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for 100 years and is committed to continuing that support, explained Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer, The Maxol Group. He said: “This has been and continues to be for so many a very difficult and challenging year. We know that AWARE has seen nearly a 50% increase in demand for its support service this year, so it makes our support and our annual Christmas Coffee Cup fundraiser more important than ever before.

“We are extremely proud of our partnership with AWARE who provide much needed services to those who suffer with mental health issues. Supporting good mental health is of huge importance across Northern Ireland especially currently as people continue to deal with the impact of the Covid-19

pandemic on their mental wellbeing.

“I would like to thank our customers who I know will support our fundraising efforts. So, if you are out and about in the coming weeks and you’re in need of a warm cuppa, pop into a participating Maxol station and buy a hot drink and you’ll be helping to make a positive difference to many people’s lives.”

The money raised by the campaign will go towards AWARE providing support, education, and information for people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder and mood related conditions which have been severely impacted by Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

AWARE has been operating for over 20 years and has a network of 23 support groups across the country, as well as delivering mental health and wellbeing programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces.

Clare Galbraith, Interim Fundraising Manager for AWARE said: “I am delighted to see our Christmas campaign for AWARE 2020 underway once again this year.

We’re very grateful to Maxol for providing AWARE with this fantastic fundraising initiative. It is a brilliant opportunity to help us raise the profile of the charity and the funds needed to run the work we do in schools, communities, colleges and workplaces across Northern Ireland. We hope that people will choose to buy a hot beverage at Maxol this Christmas knowing that it’s going towards a great cause.”

Jacob Stockdale, professional rugby player and Maxol Brand Ambassador, said: “The positive impact AWARE has on people’s lives in Northern Ireland cannot be overstated. They provide services that are even more vital now due to the current pandemic that is providing new challenges to people’s mental health. I’d like to thank Maxol and its customers for supporting AWARE and I know that the thousands of pounds raised will be put to excellent use helping people across Northern Ireland.”

To find out more about Maxol and their partnership with AWARE, visit www.maxol.com

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Eye on Tax

EY Tax Incentives Team – A Specialist Approach For NI Businesses

R&D Tax Team.

A unique team within EY’s Belfast tax operation providing a highly specialised approach to helping business clients make the very best of tax incentives helping clients generate millions in cash savings.

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ith the onset of Covid and a need for business to gain access to that all-important cash resource, EY’s team of specialists have developed a unique approach to help with that need.

EY’s Tax Incentives Team, usually based on one of the floors of EY’s Bedford House operation in Belfast city centre but now spread

around team members’ homes, is the only team of tax and industry specialists of its kind. It’s a team that includes qualified engineers, quantity surveyors, software developers and a number of individuals qualified in, industry disciplines accountancy and tax.

“We know that we’re not the only team of advisers providing a tax incentives service,” says EY

Tax Partner Ian Edwards, who heads up the specialist unit. “But we’re proud to be the only team with the level of experience and expertise across the board.

Exceptional and diverse people are a key pillar of EY globally, and our team encapsulates this.”

The EY Tax Incentives Team also includes Director Nick Small, a qualified chartered quantity

Eye on Tax surveyor; and Senior Managers Lauren Porter, Louise McElhone and Neil Kelly, each of them both a chartered tax advisor and chartered accountant.

Ian Edwards, himself an engineer, a chartered accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, reckons that there are a number of factors which help make this team distinctive advisors. “First up, there’s the fact that we have so many specialists in our team, specialists who are able to talk to manufacturers and other businesses on a level about their businesses, their innovations and their processes,” he says.

“Our integrated approach and our combination of tax expertise with other skills sets means that we can make accurate and robust claims on behalf of our client companies.

Along the way, we can talk to technical people and understand what lies behind each case.

“Secondly, we maintain a strong working relationship with HMRC. It might seem counter intuitive to some business people, but we’ll often get HMRC involved along with our clients right from the start of a process, often bringing them out on site to let them see what a company is doing.

“Thirdly, we’ve embraced technology in all of its forms, both external and that specially developed by our dedicated technology team. Especially during the pandemic when we’ve all been home working and we’ve even used technology to visit factories and view processes remotely.”

The EY Belfast team focuses on three key areas each of which generates cash on behalf of its clients:-

“Our integrated approach and our combination of tax expertise with other skills sets means that we can make accurate and robust claims on behalf of our client companies.”

Ian Edwards, Tax Partner, EY. R&D TAX CREDITS – designed to encourage innovation and R&D and a scheme which allows up to a third of a company’s R&D spend to be recovered as a reduction in corporation tax or as a cash repayment.

PATENT BOX – designed to encourage companies to develop and commercialise intellectual property and to achieve a lower rate of corporation tax on profits earned from patented inventions.

CAPITAL ALLOWANCES – businesses can claim a range of capital allowances to provide tax relief when buying assets to use in the business, including equipment, machinery and vehicles.

“Integrity, global teaming and inclusivity is a core value of EY and as part of a global team, we are a highly connected network built on the latest emerging technical, accounting and digital expertise. It means we can bring all off the combined knowledge and resource within this global network and make it accessible and relevant to local clients of all sizes.”

“We have to look at every client individually and tailor our methodology to suit,” adds Lauren Porter. “Quite often, that can mean multiple site meetings and, depending on the exact nature of the claims, we’ll bring in our in-house industry experts as we need them. In some cases, we’ll spend a lot of time working alongside our technology teams to enhance the client experience, as client centricity is at the core of EY’s global values and we see the effective use of data and technology as playing a key part in delivering this. It’s all about understanding the business and essentially becoming a stakeholder. That’s the foundation of our claim methodology and key to success.”

The EY team sees a three-way approach to claims, involving EY, the client and HMRC right from the start. “Our methodology has been specifically and carefully crafted to ensure robust claims are always prepared in a way that addresses HMRC questions”. adds Louise McElhone. “We’re proud of our working relationship with HMRC, we work hard at it, and we like to get them involved with our clients too when the situation calls for it.

“Involving all of the key stakeholders and keeping them involved is essential to a smooth

and effective process. But, most importantly, it’s a process which is always relationship-led.”

“There is always a danger,” Ian adds, “that a claim will simply home in on the low-hanging fruit. Our approach means that we look past the low-hanging fruit right from the beginning.

This approach has allowed us to build some of the largest successful claims in the UK.” “As part of this methodology, we’ll also work with our clients right from the beginning of their projects,” adds Neil Kelly. “In fact, it works best if we’re called in right at the start and can advise on the tax implications of the project as it takes shape. That kind of approach allows the creation of a tax-efficient process and greatest value to the client. Across EY globally, our focus is on creating long-term value for our clients as trusted advisors and we try to bring that on a daily basis to N.I. ” Northern Ireland’s geography brings distinct factors into play for businesses here, according to Lauren Porter. “Our companies are operating close to and, in many cases, across a land border and so they need advisors who can reflect that and tailor their advice.” she says.

“Integrity, global teaming and inclusivity is a core value of EY and

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Eye on Tax

Team members (l-r) Neil Kelly, Lauren Porter, Ian Edwards, Louise McElhone & Nick Small.

as part of a global team, we are a highly connected network built on the latest emerging technical, accounting and digital expertise.

It means we can bring all off the combined knowledge and resource within this global network and make it accessible and relevant to local clients of all sizes.

That kind of expertise is vital when it comes to maximising claims. When you work with our team, you get the option of all off EY and that goes well beyond tax incentives. We’ve used this to help growing clients expand internationally where otherwise they may have stalled, but we’re also comfortable working alongside local accounting advisors in the right situation.”

Louise McElhone emphasises the importance of working in partnership. “The bottom line is that we won’t submit a claim that we can’t stand over,” she says. “We’re there from start to finish in each case. Even if HMRC comes knocking a few years later, we’re on hand to provide the back-up that is required.

A core value of EY is building

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“We’ve embraced technology in all of its forms, both external and that specially developed by our dedicated technology team. Especially during the pandemic when we’ve all been home working and we’ve even used technology to visit factories and view processes remotely.”

relationships based on doing the right thing, and we put that into practice in each of our projects.”

“We never lose sight of just how powerful good R&D can be for our client companies and the NI economy in terms of financial and social value.” Ian adds. “And it really can be a team effort. We set out to maximise robust claims, HMRC has a stewardship role but it will also work in harmony with us and our clients to make the system work, and encourage more R&D spend within the local economy. That’s the aim after all.”

Beyond R&D tax credits, Nick Small is the EY team’s qualified quantity surveyor and works

with local companies on tax incentives as they pertain to construction and building projects.

“A single building project can have thousands of component parts,” Nick explains, “and some of those component parts can attract tax relief. “Where we can add the most value, is through our early involvement with a project. This allows us to work with designers and the construction team as the building works progress” “We’ve developed and work with a software platform that can analyse the components in a building and their tax implications in seconds.” It’s a complex area but it’s one that can lead to

real benefits for our clients.

The Covid crisis, says Ian Edwards, has accelerated the EY team’s adoption of technology, as is the case in many organisations.

“It has changed the way we do things, but it has also opened up new lines of communications and new methodologies.” he says. “Although we’ve made great progress in our technological journey to date, we are investing heavily to ensure we continue this pace of change long term as we know our clients need agile and innovative advisors to secure the cash funding they need more than ever.

Looking forward, we see technology as being central to enhancing our methodology and client delivery whilst also enabling us to remain true to our core principle of robust, effective and fundamentally relationship-led claims that are built on doing the right thing.”

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Eye on Banking

WHY A CRISIS ALONE WON’T LEAD TO LASTING CHANGE FOR NI BUSINESSES

By Robert McCullough, Head of Business Sector Engagement, Danske Bank

Whether in life or in business, we have all learned a lot about what we can and can’t do from the coronavirus pandemic. At Danske Bank, we’ve also learned more about what our customers expect of us.

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ike every business, we have adjusted the way we work, the way we engage with colleagues and the way we engage with customers. But one big question I continue to hear from colleagues and customers is, how much of what we’ve changed will stay in place once some version of our old normality returns?

It’s a question that was addressed recently by the excellent Dutch leadership speaker and human behaviour expert Thimon de Jong at an event organised by MLN and supported by Danske Bank.

Thimon told an audience of Northern Ireland business leaders that while all the research shows that most people believe the pandemic will fundamentally change human society, what people think will stay changed can be very different.

He said that most people answer such a question based on the “desired future” they’d like to see and that’s influenced by everything from how and where you work, to your political views to your general outlook on life. If you’re someone who likes remote working, for example, you’re more likely to believe that remote working is here to stay.

In fact, Thimon was of the view that history shows only a small percentage of the changes which we’d class as “desired futures” actually become reality. The

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pandemic has gone on so long that many behaviours have changed, but it might only take a similar time frame for them to reverse.

It’s an interesting view, particularly when thinking of businesses I’ve spoken to who – having ridden out the initial shock and many of the immense challenges caused by Covid – are beginning to take the view that the crisis has caused them to find better ways of working.

“Danske has gone more or less virtual in our interactions and it has worked well. Many organisations have reported productivity gains from remote working and have stated they’re never going back.”

While acknowledging how commendable that sort of positive response is, Thimon noted that the crisis situation itself won’t embed those positive changes in an organisation. In crisis situations people are open to change and, for many industries, the technology exists to help them change, but it requires effort to embed change for the long term.

Much of the responsibility of how we do this lies with leaders and Thimon advocated what he called a “nurse mentality” where caring for employees and customers is at the heart of your approach. That means

checking in with direct reports more regularly on a one to one basis, asking them about what’s going well and also what isn’t. He asked the audience “how would you like to be remembered after the crisis?”

In a world of Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams calls, getting a sense of how your colleagues are feeling isn’t as easy as it is in person.

Danske has gone more or less virtual in our interactions and it has worked well. Many organisations have reported productivity gains from remote working and have stated they’re never going back. But Thimon noted that studies show

both engagement and creativity suffer in a purely remote working environment unless you deliberately build in space for both to happen.

He suggested mixing the virtual and manual in creative ways – is there any reason a certain meeting each week can’t take place on audio only while everyone walks in a green space near their house?

We are all aware of the toll that 2020 has taken on people’s mental health. There can’t be many of us who haven’t experienced a time of “fading batteries” as Thimon put it.

While many organisations have rightly focused on getting through the crisis and some have embraced the changes it has forced, it seems clear that we shouldn’t just take it for granted that this is how things will stay. We need to intentionally keep the changes we like from a life in lockdown, and create options for people to deal with the ones they don’t.

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Eye on Cover Story

Johnny Hanna A Year Of Change In KPMG Top Role Johnny Hanna, Partner-In-Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, talks to Business Eye about the evolution of the firm and how the business world has changed one year on from taking up his role.

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hen Johnny Hanna took over the reins at KPMG’s flagship offices in Belfast’s Soloist building a year ago, he’d just returned from a sabbatical and no one had heard of terms like Covid, furlough or lockdown.

“Little did I know that within months of taking on my role I’d be asking all of our people to work from home “Since the beginning of the pandemic our response has revolved around supporting and protecting our people, our communities and of course our stakeholders, in particular ensuring we provide continuity of the service which our clients expect from us.” He took over a Northern Ireland operation in good health. “We had achieved strong growth over the past few years we’d no reason to believe that 2020 wouldn’t be another busy year, particularly given the extent of change anticipated within the business environment especially arising from Brexit. It has certainly turned out to be busy, but perhaps not in the way that we might have expected.”

Like everyone else, he and his teams have had to adapt to a new way of working, a working life populated by Zoom calls and webinars. “I used to be hopping on and off trains and planes fairly frequently, but I haven’t set foot in either since February,” he says.

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All in all, I’ve been really impressed by the response of our people and their ability to adapt almost overnight to a very unique working environment – helping our clients, supporting our colleagues and of course balancing important priorities at home”. On top of that we were delighted with the phenomenal success rate in the various Chartered Accountancy and Chartered Tax exams which were held in very difficult circumstances during the lockdown period.

It has been tough but we’ve stayed connected with each other and with our clients, we’ve worked hard on our lines of communication and we’ve also been very, very busy.”

That’s not surprising. Back in March, when the Covid crisis hit home in earnest and lockdown was imposed, client companies were turning to their professional advisers for much-needed help and advice.

“We found ourselves dealing with clients in a very stressful situation right at the start of the crisis. Then, as critical government support initiatives like the Job Retention Scheme were announced, we advised on how best to make use of them. While for a period the focus moved to more forward planning, it was still against a very uncertain background. With the likelihood now of further lockdowns over the coming months, the continued availability (and the adequacy) of

government supports for businesses and workers across all sectors in Northern Ireland will remain critical.”

In common with others, KPMG had been planning to bring a proportion of its staff safely back to its city centre offices during the autumn months. But the rise in positive tests across Northern Ireland and the recent introduction of new restrictions has put paid to that.

“We have about 5% of our total headcount currently working from the office, and these are people who’ve chosen to do so. Clearly, we’ll keep on reviewing the situation, but nothing much will change for the rest of the calendar year.

That much is clear,” says Johnny.

KPMG has become so proficient at remote working (including a successful virtual summer placement programme) that it is confident in its ability to successfully onboard the annual intake of graduates over the coming month.

A total of 370 new graduates are due to come on board across the island. But, instead of turning up in new suits at KPMG offices, they’ll be working – and studying – remotely.

“We are very fortunate to have an incredible Business School within KPMG and fantastic IT support and technology. So I am very confident in our ability to run a comprehensive virtual induction programme for our new graduates. It will be a bit strange for them without any

“We are very fortunate to have an incredible Business School within KPMG and fantastic IT support and technology.

So I am very confident in our ability to run a comprehensive virtual induction programme for our new graduates.�

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Eye on Cover Story

“We all have to look well beyond the normal horizons to plan our futures.

Corporate citizenship, and all that it entails, should be important for all of us and it is certainly something that our people are very focussed on.”

Johnny Hanna, Partner-in-Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, pictured, left, with Betty Brown, President of the RUA, launch the Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition 2020 at the Ulster Museum

face-to-face interaction for the first few months, but we’re determined to make it as normal as we possibly can and their successful integration into KPMG is a key priority for us right now.

Like many others, he’s had to adjust his expectations on how long the Covid crisis will last and feels we could be in the midst of it for another 12 months.

“Everyone has had to look at how they do things, and we’re no exceptions to that. We’ve assessed how we work with technology, what the future of office working might look like and how we can work more effectively going forward. But I think we all accept the fact that we’ll be doing this for a while.”

Johnny Hanna is keen to look further than the Covid crisis. He points to the KPMG CEO Outlook Report 2020: A Northern Ireland Perspective which says that environmental and climate change has risen to be named as the most significant threat to growth ahead of a return to territorialism, emerging and disruptive technology risk and supply chain risk.

“We’re reacting to that with our Sustainable Futures services offering which we launched earlier in the

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year, a dedicated decarbonisation and sustainability advisory team of experts led by my Belfast partner colleague Russell Smyth, who help corporates, family businesses and public sector clients plan and execute programmes addressing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics, decarbonisation and long term value creation.”

Can it be kept near the top of the agenda during the Covid crisis? “Yes, I think it can,” he says. “It has to be kept front of mind and that has been our experience throughout the year.”

The KPMG CEO Report also showed that Northern Ireland’s CEOs have invested in technology during the lockdown period, perhaps not surprisingly, and are betting on digital transformation to make their companies more resilient, agile and customer-focused.

Two thirds of CEO’s, meanwhile, say that they will continue to build on their current use of digital collaboration and communication tools whilst 80% believe remote working has widened their available talent pool.

He’s also watching the Brexit

negotiations with more than a passing interest. “It’s hugely frustrating that there’s still no certainty on key issues for Northern Irish businesses,” he says. “The net result could have profound implications for Northern Ireland and for a lot of our clients. So, the bottom line, I think, is that common sense simply has to prevail. Let’s hope it does.”

“In some ways, the future of work and sustainability are intertwined,” says Johnny Hanna. “We all have to look well beyond the normal horizons to plan our futures. Corporate citizenship, and all that it entails, should be important for all of us and it is certainly something that our people are very focussed on.

In the recent CEO Report, Northern Ireland leaders said that their organisations will have a larger role to play in society with just under half recognising that the public are looking to businesses to fill the void on societal challenges.

“We’re committed to our CSR role and during the year we had a lot of staff actively involved in various skills-based volunteering initiatives

helping local school kids from various backgrounds with literacy and numeracy,” says Johnny Hanna.

“We’ve also supported the Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition for 12 years and were delighted to support this year’s transition to a virtual exhibition and bring the exhibition to a global audience. We’re also immensely proud to be part of the 20x20 campaign, one of the most successful and transformative movements for women in sport across Ireland.

“Notwithstanding the undoubted challenges which lie ahead as the economy, businesses and the community recovers from Covid-19, there is no change in my ambition to continue to grow our practice in Northern Ireland and to add new service offerings to meet the changing needs of our client,” Johnny said. “I also remain confident in our ability to continue to hire the best talent available and ensure we maintain the right culture and environment to help them fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions with KPMG whether in Belfast or in one of our other locations.”

Eye on Law

Powering Northern Ireland – At The Forefront Of The Clean Energy Revolution

By Andrew Ryan, partner at UK law firm TLT

We are at a significant crossroads in the development of clean energy in Northern Ireland. Targets set in 2010 have been met and indeed exceeded, but without new policy and support from the Regional Government, there is a real risk that NI will be left behind.

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here are many reasons to be proud of the way that Northern Ireland has embraced the clean energy revolution over the last decade. In 2010 the Strategic Energy Framework set an ambitious target of 40% renewable generation by 2020 and this was met with some to spare. Recent statements from the Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds, have indicated much greater ambitions to 2030, with targets of 70% renewable generation being proposed.

There is also an ambitious local and wider clean energy sector that is more than ready to take the challenge head on.

But this will take a major step change in both policy along with the technologies and infrastructure that will need to be developed. The challenges are huge, but so are the opportunities for the local economy and the environment.

A future-proof energy network Clean energy development over the next decade will contain some of the same hallmarks as the 2010s; a further step-up in generation, with wind still leading the way (albeit increasingly from offshore), but there will also be significant new developments. Battery and other storage projects are already developing at pace, and co-location of generation and storage will maximise output from existing and new developments. The greatest change – and challenge – will be the electrification of the vehicle fleet. With the UK government targeting a ban on petrol/diesel vehicles by 2030, the infrastructure, commercial

and cultural changes will now come rapidly. Unfortunately, the lead in charging infrastructure taken by NI in the early days of electric vehicles has long been surpassed in GB and NI now lags seriously behind.

TLT’s recent report ‘Powering the UK – a multi-faceted approach’ looks at the prospects for creating a futureproof energy network for the UK – one that both utilises the full range of clean energy technologies and embraces the transition to electrification of the transport fleet. The report focuses on trends over the next year; the role of storage in driving e-mobility; funding issues and the prospects for co-location.

The key message for NI is that all of these necessary and inevitable developments must be policy led. The local and wider clean energy market is ready to respond, but in order to move forward and – most importantly – secure the confidence of investors, clear policy signals to the market are vital.

These require a joined up approach across NI Departments, covering such issues as planning policy, infrastructure investment and financial incentives.

Subsidies and incentives In the past a lot of focus has been placed on subsidy, and rightly so. Without financial support, primarily from the NI Renewables Obligation (NIRO), we would not have reached the 40% target.

This was recognised in the October 2020 report from the NI Audit Office on the NIRO. Unfortunately the report

also identified numerous shortcomings in the NI approach and questioned whether it has delivered value for money. Certainly, if new subsidies become available they must avoid the ‘ash for cash’ pitfalls of the RHI and the grey areas in legislation that led to exploitation of numerous loopholes.

Subsidies and incentives are still an important part of the mix, but all the subsidised generation in the world cannot operate without adequate infrastructure. It is great news that the North-South electricity interconnector has finally been approved by the Department for Infrastructure, but delays in that project have knock-on delays for other vital infrastructure and investment. With the increase in EV comes the need for a whole new set of electricity infrastructure and upgrades, from smart metering to storage and co-location, and, vitally, charging points. There are developers rolling out major charging point projects in GB and there is a desire to do the same here, but the key message is always the same; at present the electricity infrastructure in NI is not up to the job.

These issues need to be addressed,

and quickly. In particular the DfE must publish the new Strategic Energy Framework for NI, and further delays risk that this will not properly dovetail with other key policy, for example by the Local Area Plan process, which is another critical element in facilitating clean energy infrastructure development.

Ireland has stolen a march on NI for developers and investors as it pushes ahead with its generation auctions under their new ‘RESS’ scheme, meaning that investment and opportunity is heading rapidly south of the border. It would be a real pity – and commercial disaster – for NI to squander its vibrant and proactive clean energy sector and be left behind in the race to 2030 and beyond. For those of us who have been heavily involved in the sector over the last decade, we all know that 10 years goes by very quickly.

Andrew Ryan Partner | TLT NI LLP +44 (0)333 006 0967 andrew.ryan@TLTsolicitors.com www.tltsolicitors.com

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Eye on Finance

Close Brothers Commercial Finance Helping Customers Through The Crisis

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Eye on Finance It’s a measure of just how many SMEs in Northern Ireland need support in these times that the Belfast office of Close Brothers Commercial Finance has just notched up its busiest quarter since its establishment.

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lose Brothers Commercial Finance has been providing new lines of finance for its existing customer base, and adding new customers on a daily basis throughout the Covid crisis.

“These are the highest levels of business we’ve hit since Close Brothers Commercial Finance first opened its Belfast office close to 15 years ago,” says Ciaran McAreavey, the company’s Managing Director for Ireland, responsible for offices in both Belfast and Dublin.

Across the island of Ireland, Close Brothers provides a range of finance services to business and retail customers across asset finance, invoice finance, motor finance and insurance premium finance.

In turn, the operation in Ireland forms part of a leading UK merchant banking group employing over 3,000 people and providing lending, deposit taking, wealth management services and securities trading.

“Our role, first and foremost, has been to help our customers through what has been a really difficult time.

Back in March and April, there was real distress and a lot of concern in the marketplace.

“A significant number of our client base needed urgent help.

Some had to take repayment holidays, others were seeking new lines of finance to tide them over. None of us knew how long this crisis was going to last. We still don’t.” he says.

“Our role was to be there and to respond and that’s exactly what we were able to do.”

All of this despite having to up sticks from its office in Belfast’s Centrepoint building and operate remotely. No mean feat for the 30-strong team based in Belfast.

“We started testing how remote working would work

the day after St. Patrick’s Day and we moved out of the office to our homes a couple of days later,” says Ciaran McAreavey.

“Like a lot of other organisations, we were surprised at how quickly and how effectively we were able to work remotely. Fortunately, we had invested in new telecoms and IT systems which have allowed us to connect with our colleagues and customers. Now, in the midst of a second lockdown, we’re well used to it.

on its door as business customers absorbed the impact of the first lockdown.

But that has changed over the ensuing months and new customers have been an important factor in the record quarter recorded since the start of August.

Like others in the financial sector, he underlines the importance of the role played by the Government’s business support initiatives from CBILS loans through to the furlough scheme.

“A significant number of our client base needed urgent help. Some had to take repayment holidays, others were seeking new lines of finance to tide them over. None of us knew how long this crisis was going to last. We still don’t. Our role was to be there and to respond and that’s exactly what we were able to do.”

“In common with others, I think all of us miss the human aspects of office working...the camaraderie, the craic, the ability to talk about things over the desk or over a coffee. But, all in all, it has worked well.”

Of those clients needing payment breaks or additional support back in the spring, most customers have now returned to normal repayment schedules, says the Close Brothers MD. “A small number require some medium-term support, and they are all in the hardest hit sectors of the local economy such as tourism, leisure and hospitality.”

Back in the spring, the company witnessed a rapid drop-off in the number of new customers knocking

“We’ve been accredited by the British Business Bank to provide CBILS loans to customers and that new line of funding has been instrumental in supporting the businesses we work with – both existing and new.

“Tax forbearance has also been an important part of the picture for companies here, and so has the forbearance provided by the pillar banks, who’ve all had to deal with an enormous volume of customer demands and requests.

“But it won’t go on for ever. We have to look at how things are going to change and develop as some of these support schemes start to unwind and businesses once again move back to growth,” he says. “It’s going to be a major challenge for the economy as a whole, but

we will be here to help our customers thrive again.”

Ciaran McAreavey stresses that there is plenty of resilience in Close Brothers’ books. Their latest set of numbers to the end of July still showed a profit and the bank is well-known for its steady, reliable approach in challenging periods., “We have a crucial role to play in the local economy,” he says. “We are in a position to offer business finance quickly and effectively, whether that is some contingency funding that can sit alongside their existing banking facilities, or a full refinancing package.”

And he adds that Covid isn’t the only challenge facing businesses here.

The real effects of Brexit could soon be felt.

“We still don’t know what’s going to happen,” he says.

“Depending on whether some form of trade agreement is reached or not, NI could be significantly affected, or much less affected. It’s a hard one to call and all most business owners want at the moment is some form of clarity.

“Here at Close Brothers, we’ve been preparing for Brexit for some time. We’re ready to help our customers, old and new, to get through whatever Brexit brings just as we have been doing throughout the Covid crisis.”

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Eye on Energy

Power NI: Leading the way in innovation Mark Liggett, Commercial Manager at Power NI, reflects on the journey over the last year to become Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier to commercial users.

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ower NI is now the largest electricity supplier to business customers in Northern Ireland following a corporate restructuring of Energia Group last year, which was previously known as Viridian Group.

Mark explains: “The restructure was another step in our evolution as a modern European utility. We consolidated the knowledge and experience of Power NI and Energia, which were our two brands in the local non-domestic energy sector, to help us grow market share and offer customers a wider range of products and services.”

“The two supply businesses had evolved to become leaders in their respective environments, with SMEs and larger energy users, developing products, services and expertise to meet their customers’ energy needs. Following full deregulation of the market in 2017, Power NI and Energia were competing for the same customers in the same market place. We therefore made

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the strategic decision to consolidate the two supply businesses to provide a unified offering to NI’s business customers.”

As part of the restructuring, Energia’s 7,500 business customers in Northern Ireland transferred to Power NI last year on 1 October 2019. As a result, Power NI now has the largest market share with over 40,000 commercial customers on their books. Importantly it brings together Power NI’s specialism in serving smaller farms and businesses with Energia’s 20 years of experience in the larger industrial and corporate sector.

Mark continues: “For almost 90 years, Power NI has become embedded in the local business marketplace, building a reputation as the number one electricity supplier, particularly for SMEs. Now with last year’s consolidation, Power NI has been building on Energia’s strengths and now offers larger users tailor-made packages that are even more competitive than before.

“With an ever-increasing focus on renewable technology, innovation is critically important to us. As a Group, our aim is to grow sustainably, with over €1 billion invested in the energy market across NI and ROI. Energy markets are changing, and Power NI is actively building solutions to ensure our customers can optimise their energy use, as well as lead the fight against climate change.

Power NI and Energia Group have several major projects underway including a partnership with Translink and The Bamford Business Company to supply Belfast with the first ever hydrogen-powered double decker buses in Ireland.

The Group will supply renewably sourced hydrogen fuel to the buses from their on-shore windfarm in North Antrim. They are also set to be the green supplier for a zero-emission electric hydrofoil ferry project led by Artemis Technologies, revolutionising the global maritime transport sector.

Mark concludes: “We are delighted to be involved in so many of these pioneering new projects alongside launching our own new Green Energy product where businesses can source clean energy from a generator local to them.”

“All these advancements have reinforced our position as a key player within the energy industry and as one of Ireland’s Top 50 businesses. We encourage any shape or size of business to get in touch to discuss their energy needs and see what Power NI can do to power your business.”

Find out why over 40,000 businesses are trusting NI’s leading energy supplier by visiting www.powerni.co.uk/ letsgrowtogether

Eye on Opinion

A Prognosis For Our Pandemic Pandession

Professor Mark Durkin (left) with Philip Bain.

Professor Mark Durkin, Executive Dean at Ulster University Business School, and leading businessman and author Philip Bain reflect on the need for a different approach to the pandemic to protect the economic health of the economy.

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Eye on Opinion

A

ccording to economist David McWilliams we are about to feel the full force of a recession stemming from the pandemic – indeed he has coined the term ‘pandession’ to capture this phenomenon.

As you read this the likelihood is you have woken up from what Irish author Kevin Barry has called ‘an uneasy sleep’ and through your day ‘you’ll be rattling along calm enough, thinking about Netflix and making soup and then all at once you’re blind-sided by a sudden stab of awareness.’ This seems to be life now – we’re rattling along in a largely online universe and then are suddenly blind-sided by that sudden stab of (COVID-19) awareness. So, cognitively we are questioning everything, over-thinking, being paralysed by uncertainty, deliberating around action or inaction and becoming more and more exhausted through our collective tension and anxiety.

We are in what the Germans would call, ‘Weltschmerz’ - a term used to describe the feeling of melancholy and world-pain.

In some way counter-balancing this terrible fear is the UK government’s scientific advisers who believe that the chances of dying from a coronavirus infection are between 0.5% and 1% .

As we’re presented with daily statistics around the spread of the virus, hospital admissions, ICU numbers and worst of all those COVID-19 related deaths, we can consider ourselves very well informed, some may say even over-informed, about the impact of COVID-19 on our lives. The power of the individual to make a difference in all this is crucial, but our sphere of influence to effect change can be limited.

So, yes of course wear a mask, socially distance, wash hands, take necessary precautions – we all know this and compliance is a separate issue – but one wonders if the continual reporting is actually de-sensitising parts of our community to where we find ourselves with respect to non-COVID related pressures which are only recently starting to find a voice.

For example, the primacy

of COVID-19 communication appears to be limiting our ability to hear the information with respect to the drop in cancer referrals and screening as a result of COVID, the impact on waiting lists for a wide range of chronic conditions and the number of people becoming ill or dying at home having elected not to call an ambulance. The Lancet published figures in July indicating that in England there are substantial increases in the number of avoidable cancer deaths to be expected as a result of diagnostic delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

the number of redundancies rising from 2,370 (Feb 2020) to 6,790 (August 2020) .

It’s important to remember that economic health also relates to the physical and mental health of citizens and while a balance must be struck between the health of the economy and the health of the individual, these are not mutually exclusive. The economy is human and not an abstract construct – it is made up of us, our confidence, our well-being and how we behave around purchasing as well as the ability of company owners to make goods available and to sell to us.

“The economy is human and not an abstract construct – it is made up of us, our confidence, our well-being and how we behave around purchasing as well as the ability of company owners to make goods available and to sell to us.”

The expected rise in nonCOVID related illnesses and deaths as a result of delayed diagnosis or treatment is tragic and harrowing to contemplate in itself. But it is also important to consider the economic health of the nation and the pandessionary impacts on firms, their employees and the subsequent decline in spending and tax receipts which will make the borrowing the UK has taken all the harder to repay. Where in March the UK government was looking at tax receipts of £800b these are now expected to fall by 16%; where government forecasted a £45b deficit this year, and at time of writing, this has now risen to £372b.

With UK unemployment on the rise to a forecasted 12%, GDP falling by 12% and more lockdowns possible, in what ways will this spending be paid for? Locally, the NI unemployment claimant count was 29,800 in March and in August had grown to 62,700, an increase of 111%. The increase in claimants aged 16-24 years is higher at 142%. The Department for the Economy has recorded

Going forward, there is hope of course and it is at the micro level that we can firmly and assuredly place that hope. In times like this our gaze is often, and understandably, directed toward the macro messages of government policies, stock market performance, debt and deficits, GDP growth numbers and the like. However, all of these macro messages, though interesting and relevant, are often too big for us as a business community to do anything about; to translate into meaningful action in our companies.

As a regional Business School with representation on all four Ulster campuses across Northern Ireland, UUBS has engaged with businesses from the onset of the pandemic offering a dedicated business support initiative involving mentoring, support, offering a listening ear, specific business recovery modules and also acting as a focal point from which businesses can get relevant and timely information.

Our department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, ranked 1st in the UK by the Complete University Guide, has

been working intimately with the hospitality sector to help as a support, a guide and a thought leader – perhaps illustrated best by our own Academy Restaurant operating as an example of good practice. The SOS model which staff there adopted was to help businesses ‘Survive’, then ‘Open’ and finally to ‘Sustain’.

With unpredictable lockdowns businesses which moved from Survive to Open, have to close again and then are back to survival mode. Naturally this is not a sustainable model.

There is much that the business community can and will do at the micro level. This is where small businesses have a lot of power and a lot of control to move things forward. History tells us that the business community, in this part of the world, has proven extremely resilient and adaptable to seismic challenges - from the troubles to Brexit.

We have, and will in the future, make the necessary changes at the micro level to grow our businesses - through innovating and adapting, changing our business models, developing new products and services and looking to new markets.

Those who seek to survive and thrive will look to find new relevance in the new world - we have done it before and we will do it again. Our best chance of predicting the future is to create it; to resist being defined by the present and with a sense of hope create new possibilities together.

On-off lockdowns create uncertainty, destabilise confidence, damage sustainability and as important, undermine any sense of possibility held by business leaders and entrepreneurs. In turn this will damage economic health and by extension individual health and well-being.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Ulster University Business School.

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Eye on Law

CHALLENGING TIMES HERALD A FLIGHT TO QUALITY

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Eye on Law Lynsey Mallon, Head of Corporate and Commercial at Arthur Cox reflects on a busy period for the leading law firm as it advises organisations across all sectors, providing clarity against an uncertain backdrop.

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year that will live long in the memory for those that experienced it, 2020 has – for businesses – presented challenges on a scale not seen since the financial crash of 2008 and subsequent recession.

The enforced downturn caused by restrictions, enacted in a bid to stem the spread of Coronavirus, has brought economic hardship across all sectors.

However, more than a decade on from the last major commercial contraction, Lynsey Mallon believes lessons learned in the years that followed the crash, provide a firm foundation for a return to a much more prosperous future.

Joining Arthur Cox in 2007, Lynsey has operated at the coalface on behalf of a broad range of indigenous and international clientele, guiding them throughout that period.

Lynsey said: “There is no doubt that this year has been a challenging one, not just in Northern Ireland, but across the global economy.

“However, many of the obstacles that organisations are

facing today, such as increased unemployment and suppressed demand, are the same as those confronted in 2008.”

Lynsey, who earlier this year was promoted to Head of the Corporate and Commercial Department at Arthur Cox’s Belfast office is among the most experienced lawyers in her field operating locally.

She leads a group of highly respected senior Partners, and a strong team of Associates representing the most dynamic and forward-thinking practitioners in the sector.

“The depth of our team, and the breadth of its skillset, provides us with an unrivalled level of experience,” she said.

“Our senior lawyers advised clients throughout the last recession and we are using that knowledge in the current economic climate, for the benefit of organisations, large and small, both in Northern Ireland and internationally.

“Across the world, businesses ranging from large international corporations through to

family owned indigenous firms, are seeking out the highest quality legal advice.

“We are seeing the same trend in Northern Ireland too.

“Organisations are responding to the pandemic and preparing for Brexit by reviewing their existing company structures and supply chains. In some cases, manufacturing or distribution channels may be at risk and it is critical that these organisations get it right first time.”

The Corporate and Commercial Department provides legal advice on a broad spectrum of company and commercial law matters to businesses and organisations from a wide range of sectors including agri-food, energy and renewables, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, consumer goods, retail, aerospace, transport, manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, media and telecommunications, shipping, technology and real estate.

And although Lynsey admits this year will likely remain subdued in terms of overall mergers and acquisitions activity, there are still transactions taking place.

She added: “Arthur Cox continues to receive instructions for a range of corporate transactions, a strong marker of continued positivity in certain sectors.

“This has included acting for German mobility solutions firm Sunrise Medical on its recent purchase of Leckey Design in

Lisburn and advising Oaktree Capital on the sale of international haulier Argo Merchants Group.

“Key industries, particularly in technology, renewables, energy, and early stage firms remain buoyant and very active in the M&A space.”

As Arthur Cox marks its centenary year, for Lynsey, the 100th anniversary serves as another reminder of the value of longevity and experience.

“The world has changed immeasurably since 1920 when Arthur Cox was first established in Dublin.

“Even in the years since our Belfast office was first set up in 1996, there has been a sea change in the Northern Ireland social and economic landscape.

“We have operated throughout that period, experiencing rapid growth against an often difficult backdrop, ideally placing us to provide expert and nuanced counsel at a time of unprecedented challenges.”

Comprising some of the most experienced lawyers on the local landscape, the Corporate and Commercial team at Arthur Cox is well positioned to advise on a vast range of legal matters.

For further information, call Lynsey, or your usual Arthur Cox contact, on +44 28 9023 0007.

31

Helping Northern Ireland grow again danskebank.co.uk/business 9467 Business Eye Profit 200 Strip 210x20mm PRINT.indd 1

10/08/2020 16:22

Eye on News

Nadiya Hussain Announced For IoD Women’s Leadership Conference Former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has been unveiled as a guest speaker at the IoD Women’s Leadership Conference 2021.

T

he leading business organisation will once again unite a community of inspiring and innovative leaders for two virtual events, sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills, on Friday 5th and Friday 12th March to coincide with International Woman’s Day on March 8th.

Now in its 14th year, the conference will see an impressive line-up of speakers to include IT entrepreneur turned ardent philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley and spacecraft operations engineer Nagin Cox who is part of the team that operates NASA’s rovers.

Hundreds of delegates are expected to join the virtual conference, which is open to women, men as well as IoD non-members.

IoD NI Chairman Gordon Milligan, commented: “Northern Ireland is fortunate to benefit from a multitude of successful business leaders and we look forward to gathering them together for the 2021 Women’s Leadership Conference.

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Lisa McLaughlin, right, of Herbert Smith Freehills, joins IoD NI Chairman Gordon Milligan and National Director Kirsty McManus to launch the event.

“The event will be held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic but shall remain one of the most significant annual events on the business calendar.

“For 2021, the event will take the theme of ‘Great Leaders Rise out of Adversity’ and that is exactly what our leaders will be showcasing.

“We are eager to hear their stories of success and are sure the keynote and panel sessions will be thought-provoking, engaging and inspiring for us all.”

The virtual conference will also include panel sessions across both dates from a range of speakers, and the 4k Pitch competition, which provides entrepreneurs with a chance to win funding for their start-up business, will also return.

Nadiya won series six of The Great British Bake Off in 2015 and since has been honoured with an MBE for her services to broadcasting and to the culinary arts.

A columnist for The Times Magazine and a children’s author, Nadiya has also signed contracts with the BBC for a range of cooking series as well as her own documentary.

She has also been included as one of the 500 most influential people in the UK and

featured on BBC News’ 100 Women list.

Lisa McLaughlin, Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills, Alternative Legal Services, UK & EMEA added: “Herbert Smith Freehills is proud to once again sponsor the IoD NI Women’s Leadership Conference. The theme of ‘Great Leaders Rise out of Adversity’ is one which really resonates with many businesses given the particular challenges we have all faced this year.

“There have been so many examples this year of leaders meeting these challenges and tackling huge changes head on, and it is great to see a lineup of speakers who will undoubtedly inspire us with their own experiences and how they have overcome adversity to succeed.”

Associate sponsors of the event include The Open University, Translink, NIE Networks, Investec, SONI, and KPMG.

For further details about the conference and to book, visit www.iod.com/ni.

Helping Northern Ireland grow again danskebank.co.uk/business 9467 Business Eye Profit 200 Strip 210x20mm PRINT.indd 1

10/08/2020 16:22

Eye on News

GRAHAM records strong financial performance for 2020

G

RAHAM has reported growth in revenue to £853.3m in its latest published accounts for the financial year (up to 31st March 2020).

The headline figure represents a 16% increase on the privately-owned contractor’s previous performance for the same period in 2019 (£735m).

The company has also posted an £11.3m profit before tax, which is a 38% rise on 2019 (£8.2m), and has recorded a £10m improvement in cash at bank and hand (£72.9m).

Each GRAHAM division, categorised into building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management, and investment projects, has remained profitable throughout this accounting cycle.

GRAHAM Group Executive Chairman, Michael Graham, praised the collective efforts of the 2,000-strong workforce for the strong financial performance. He said: “It has been a particularly challenging year given the unprecedented uncertainty arising from Covid19 and Brexit. Market conditions are also extremely competitive. Against this backdrop, it has been particularly satisfying to record a rise in revenue to

£853.3m and a profit before tax figure of £11.3m in our latest accounts. This is only possible because of the hard work and dedication of our teams. So too, our divisional strength, sectoral expertise and regional presence provide a well-balanced service offering. Undoubtedly, difficult challenges remain on the horizon, but this solid financial platform positions us well to look forward with confidence.”

Moving into 2021, GRAHAM has a record order book and a healthy £1.8bn pipeline of opportunity.

Notable projects include the construction of the Baird Family Hospital and the ANCHOR Centre (£161m) in Aberdeen, the continued development of student accommodation at the University of York (£140m), and the design and build of Phase One of Eton College’s new indoor sports facilities.

The £26.5m Poynton Relief Road highways scheme, and the interior fit-out of The Hut Group’s new headquarters in Manchester (£16.5m), are further high-profile projects under way, while the GRAHAM FM team continues to provide a range of essential services to leading clients such as Severn Trent Water.

Michael Graham, Executive Chairman, GRAHAM Group

Almac Group Continues HLA Scheme for Aspiring Scientists, Technologists and Engineers

A

lmac Group, the global contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing organisation, is continuing its successful HigherLevel Apprenticeship (HLA) programme enabling students to earn a salary whilst developing their experience, maximising their career development potential and completing a structured programme of tailored on-the-job training.

The multifaceted scheme offers HLAs in Applied Industrial Sciences (Chemical Sciences), Computing and Mechatronic Engineering giving access to key departments and globally respected experts across multiple disciplines. Available for both existing and newly recruited employees, Almac’s programme has been operating for the last five years and is delivered through the ApprenticeshipsNI programme, in association with Southern Regional College (SRC).

To date, Almac’s intake has been extremely popular with over 30 HLAs being recruited in various departments by the global organisation. Apprentices who participate in the programmes

can work in a high-quality, customer focused, innovative environment and are fully supported by both an expert Almac mentor and a personally assigned assessor from SRC. Almac’s HLA programme illustrates a shift in the employment of apprenticeships by employers across the UK. While the total number of apprenticeships has been declining for several years, new schemes are being created to attract school leavers to highly technical roles or provide practical training for existing employees.

“The success of our business depends on having a diverse workforce of suitably trained and qualified staff,” said Dr Frances Weldon, STEM Outreach Manager, Almac Group. “Offering different pathways into the various opportunities available at Almac is a fundamental part of that and we have no doubt that the incorporation of apprenticeship programmes to recruit staff into our labs, engineering and IS teams will mean we can grow a talent pipeline from within our organisation.”

Michelle McKinstry graduated with

a BSc Degree this summer having completed her HLA in Applied Industrial Sciences (Chemical Sciences) with Almac Sciences over the past 4 years. Now employed full time as an Analytical Chemist, Michelle reflects on her pathway: “The HLA is a brilliant experience, challenging, but very rewarding and it has enabled me to earn while I learn, without paying any tuition fees or running up any student debt. I have developed new skills and increased

my knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. The experience I have gained has been invaluable and working at Almac has given me the confidence to progress and succeed in my chosen career path.”

For further information regarding the various HLA opportunities available at Almac visit almacgroup. com/careers/apprenticeships.

33

Eye on Commercial Property

Avison Young Belfast Same Team, Same Values, New Name One of Belfast’s leading firms of chartered surveyors and commercial property advisers has become part of the fast-growing Avison Young global network.

Pictured L-R Gavin Weir, Scott Adam and Jago Bret

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Eye on Commercial Property

T

he team at the former GVA NI, led by Jago Bret, alongside their counterparts at GVA’s Dublin operation, are now known as Avison Young. The affiliation, announced recently

by Avison Young’s Toronto-based Chair & CEO Mark Rose, is the latest strategic step forward by the global group.

Avison Young now has 5,000 members of staff spread across 120 offices in 20 countries.

“It’s a great fit for us as a business with this affiliation adding global scale and expertise to the local knowledge that we have on the ground here in Northern Ireland,” says Jago Bret ” The Avison Young brand brings with it a challenger mentality and this fits well with our ethos here in Belfast” The city centre based Belfast team includes Jago Bret and his fellow directors Gavin Weir and Scott Adam as well as Associate Directors Liam McAuley and Barry McNally.

“Our team in Belfast brings a wealth of experience and market knowledge with a diverse client base – local, U.K. and international corporates – across the private and public sectors. Formalising the relationship with Avison Young allows us and our Dublin colleagues to serve our existing clients with the same level of service, backed by the platform, best practices and technology of a global firm,” adds Jago. “Avison Young sees technology as one of its key business objectives and has invested significantly in technology and innovation, as evidenced by the recent acquisition of a software business to drive further growth in this arena and bring greater insight and market intelligence to the advice we provide to clients”.

“We’re able to work with colleagues globally across consultancy, transactional, valuation and landlord and tenant services. But what’s also important is that this office can act as an access point to the Northern Ireland marketplace as well as playing an integral part in providing advice to clients and colleagues throughout the UK and Ireland.

“We’re still seeing a lot of interest in Northern Ireland from investors, both property investors and companies considering locating operations here.”

The GVA brand has been active in Northern Ireland for 20 years. “We’ve evolved over the years into a team of highly experienced property consultants.

We’re less focused on making sure that our boards are visible everywhere, and more focused on offering high quality advice to our clients.”

Gavin Weir says that it was the right time to become part of a strong global

operation. “The world is facing up to some significant challenges at the moment, so it’s reassuring to be part of a global network strong on technology, strong on sector expertise and capable of providing incisive market analysis across all sectors”.

“Access to the North American market is crucial,” he adds. “There are a lot of North American companies operating here in Northern Ireland, and that’s likely to grow in the future.

We are already providing consultancy on some potential transactions, and we’re confident that we’ll be doing a lot more of that going forward.”

Presently, all three Avison Young NI directors agree that a lot of their consultancy work is around cost containment for clients, assisting companies to manage their current and future property requirements against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There is no doubt that the current pandemic has caused many businesses to re-evaluate their property needs and for some companies’ requirements will change,” says Scott Adam. “For some operations, it might mean larger space requirements to allow for effective extra space. For others, it will mean reducing their footprint as parts of the workforce continue to work remotely. We’re here to help and advise companies as they seek to navigate through this re-evaluation process.”

Jago Bret and his colleagues don’t buy into the school of thought which is predicting the end of office working as we know it.

“Things will change in the short to medium term, but we’re firm believers that offices form an integral and important part of how almost every company operates. Reports of their death have been greatly exaggerated,” says Jago. “I don’t think there are too many people out

“Things will change in the short to medium term, but we’re firm believers that offices form an integral and important part of how almost every company operates. Reports of their death have been greatly exaggerated.”

there who really think that the traditional office is dead.” Indeed, a recent Office for National Statistics survey found that 25% of firms that had shifted to home working had experienced a decrease in productivity. The office environment post-pandemic needs to bring people together and solidify culture, create social connection, combat loneliness and isolation, support young talent and foster innovation and creativity” Gavin Weir adds that there is likely to be a marked flight towards quality in the office market. “I think we will see some companies working towards smaller but much higher specification office spaces, in order to entice office staff back to the workplace as a well as to attract and retain staff in the future. Health and well-being will be front and centre in the post-pandemic world, he says.

“There’s no doubt that some sectors will need a system reboot,” he adds.

“The hospitality sector is one and some aspects of retail are also really struggling, whilst others are doing well. Meanwhile, the industrial and residential markets remain strong, resulting in a mixed picture with some winners and some losers.

“Notwithstanding the current economic climate, demand from investors for commercial property assets remains strong given its ability to provide attractive financial returns and it’s a case of adapting and reacting to the changing market conditions as they evolve. Undoubtedly,

we will see a re-calibration for some market sectors, most notably retail.”

The Avison Young team in Belfast has several specialist areas of expertise beyond the traditional sectors of office, retail and industrial including hospitality, leisure, healthcare including nursing homes, dental/ doctor surgeries and pharmacies along with public sector consultancy.

The Belfast team regularly provides valuation consultancy to the major lending institutions across the UK and Ireland as panel valuers and this will continue to form a core part of the Belfast business under the new Avison Young brand going forward.

In recent years, under the GVA name, the team has been involved in a number high-profile transactions including Belfast City Council’s site disposals to Allstate Insurance and Concentrix at the former Maysfield Leisure Centre and the Giant’s Park development on Belfast’s North Foreshore in Belfast as well as handling the and the sale of the former Massereene Barracks site in Antrim to Randox on behalf of the MoD. Avison Young’s mission statement is to create real economic, social and environment value as a global real estate advisor, powered by people.

“The last bit is the most important bit,” says Jago. “Our people drive what we do, whether it’s internationally or here in Northern Ireland.”

Contact Avison Young on 028 9031 6121 Visit www.avisonyoung.co.uk/ni Follow Avison Young on Twitter @AvisonYoungNI and on LinkedIn @AvisonYoung-NI

35

Eye on Cloud Communications

SMEs Tap Tech Potential in Face of Covid-19 There’s no getting away from it. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, revolving restrictions and ongoing uncertainty, businesses in Northern Ireland are fast adapting to a new way of working for the future, according to a study by Rainbow Communications, the region’s largest independent telecoms and IT solutions provider.

T

he survey of more than 100 of its leading SME clients demonstrates a growing reliance on connectivity, security and increased cloud capacity for staff, customers and suppliers, as well as greater demands not only for bandwidth but for new, more robust IT technology options to allow for greater agility, capacity and innovation.

“Covid-19 and its impacts have accelerated a renewed focus on telecoms and IT infrastructure that already existed but was certainly not anticipated,” Rainbow Communications Sales & Marketing Director Stuart Carson said.

“Until March, investment in remote working technology was an important, growing feature in future business planning but this ongoing crisis has shown that planning for the future has now become an essential part of business continuity and resilience.”

The survey showed that since the beginning of 2020, more than 80 percent of SMEs which have invested in their telecoms and IT infrastructure moved to access the cloud and a range of cloud services, giving all staff the ability to work from any location where they can get online.

Rainbow Communications said the number of companies investing in a secure leased line – a high capacity dedicated internet connection not shared with anyone else – had also doubled since March as the

36

An accredited Microsoft Silver Status partner, Rainbow Communications is Northern Ireland’s leading cloud telecom and IT provider. For more information on its full range of services, including bespoke solutions, visit www.rainbowcomms.com

number of employees accessing remote working services jumped by 300 percent.

“As management and staff moved home, firms were quick to put in place secure integrated software solutions such as Microsoft Teams to support

including firewalls, endpoint security and remote data backups.”

Rainbow Communications said the impact of Covid-19 meant many SMEs moved forward their investment plans in telecoms and IT or were undergoing a significant business restructuring

“SMEs and thousands of our micro companies remain the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy and are well versed in adapting to challenge, change and risk. However, resilience remains a key strength and with forward planning, ambition and ingenuity, there remains plenty of opportunity ahead.” routine video conferencing, a chat function and file sharing which made doing business easy, safe and reliable,” said Stuart.

“As weeks became months, more security features were added,

and adding new solutions to fit the new working environment and market demands.

A recent survey by Belfast Chamber suggested that about 35 percent of office staff were now

working from home all the time, with the rest splitting the time between home and the workplace.

Only five percent had returned to their workplace full-time.

Current government guidance in Northern Ireland advises working from home “where possible.”

“This crisis underscores the need for more flexible, resilient business models that allow staff, customers and partners to reliably and safely communicate in a way that works for every member of the team,” said Stuart. “The technology, which is easily and readily available now, also allows companies to scale up their telecoms and IT infrastructure in a way that can help in saving money while at the same time futureproofing for every eventuality.”

Working closely with companies across Northern Ireland, Rainbow Communications said the Covid-19 crisis was confronting companies with enormous challenges but that

Eye on Cloud Communications the value of operating a business remotely, or at least a proportion of staff, had been realised.

EY said in a recent report that remote working was an opportunity for companies to change their way of working sustainably and reap the benefits over the medium to long term.

“Think of less office space, less commuting, fewer business trips and greater focus for employees.”

“SMEs and thousands of our micro companies remain the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy and are well versed in adapting to challenge, change and risk. However, resilience remains a key strength and with forward planning, ambition and ingenuity, there remains plenty of opportunity ahead,” Stuart said.

Lockdown Success: Surviving & Thriving: Able to adapt and diversify, many business, including these local companies, have not only weathered a storm none of us saw coming, but have come out the other side stronger than ever with the help of targeted IT and telecoms support from Rainbow Communications.

Delap & Waller

Find Insurance NI

Caulfield Insurance

Based in Antrim, Dublin and London and with more than 40 staff, specialist building service engineers Delap & Waller remains optimistic about the future.

Working with Rainbow Communications, the company moved quickly to ensure its staff could efficiently and effectively continue their work remotely as part of a future-proofing business continuity plan which provided built-in flexibility for all staff, project teams and clients across the UK and Ireland.

“Adapting quickly to the new world scenario, working with Rainbow, we prioritised our IT and telecoms systems to ensure they were resilient, secure and integrated and could provide capacity for growth. Incorporating Microsoft 365, a managed email service, superfast broadband and a hosted telephone system with full access for all meaning there’s no excuse anyone cannot be in touch no matter where they are,” said Director Ryan Scott.

“The investment we’ve made in these areas has been a confidence in the systems we need to deliver our work and to grow in the months and years to come.

Working with teams across the island of Ireland, Delap & Waller continue to grow its business in all jurisdictions. More recently, the company won a place on Peabody’s £85 million consultants’ framework, joining several big-name firms to share in the UK housing association’s four-year investment plans.

One of Derry City’s longest-established businesses, Find Insurance NI, has built a strong brand due to its reputation for delivering competitive commercial and personal insurance cover across Northern Ireland. The locally owned insurance broker employs over 35 staff and is recognised as one of the city’s best business success stories and one of the largest independent insurance brokers in Northern Ireland.

“Delivering the best customer service is our number one priority,” said Managing Director Colin Mullan. “Ensuring that we had solid, secure and reliable telephony systems in place to ensure we maintained that contact during lockdown and beyond was pivotal, which is why we invested in a new hosted VoIP and leased line connection.

It meant all our staff could operate remotely with speed and reliability and ensure that our customers get the service they need and expect.”

Colin said the new hosted phone system means employees can work from anywhere where there is an internet connection and that because the system is hosted by Rainbow Communications, few internal resources are required to maintain it. “It’s a simple solution,” said Colin. “It’s been easy to use with no need for specialised training, also giving us the capacity to grow.”

With branches in Cookstown, Draperstown and Belfast, Caulfield Insurance specialises in providing a range of insurance products for business and personal use.

Founded in 1954 by John Caulfield in Cookstown, the family-owned business prides itself on its first-class personalised customer service and now employs more than 40 staff.

“As a multi-site business, reliable connectivity and regular communication with our staff teams and customers is critical, which is why we continually invest in our IT and telecoms infrastructure,” Caulfield Insurance Associate Director Peter McVey said.

“By installing a comprehensive suite of innovative solutions and additional IT support, we’ve added significant flexibility to ensure we can cope admirably in any eventuality. Our customers come first.”

37

Eye on Brexit

Brexit - What we do know From 1 January 2021 a new VAT regime and a new Customs regime will exist in Northern Ireland (NI), irrespective of the outcome of any trade deal between the UK and the EU.

B

elow we have outlined the changes that we know will take place on 1 January 2021 in relation to the movement of goods and given you some actions to consider.

VAT reporting for the movement of goods across the Irish border and into the EU will largely remain the same.

NI businesses will be given a special VAT identification number due to its special status within the EU, this will be an “XI” prefix to their current UK Vat number.

NI businesses moving goods from NI to GB will class the goods as exports, with the GB Importer accounting for VAT on their VAT returns rather than paying immediately on importation.

So far so good.

However, the major changes arise when goods are moving into NI from Great Britain. Such movement of goods will be classed as imports / exports, rather than at present, intra EU dispatches. This means that VAT and import duties are potentially due when goods arrive at the NI port from GB, which is an additional cost to the business. However, the “postponed” method of accounting for VAT should be available meaning that VAT registered businesses in NI who import from GB would account for the VAT on their next VAT return instead of paying immediately.

On the customs side, goods moving from GB to NI will require import declarations plus safety and security declarations and EU Tariffs will apply if the goods are “at risk” of being moved across the Irish border and into the EU. Goods will be considered “at risk” unless it can be proved that:

1 The goods will not undergo commercial

processing in NI; AND 2 The goods meet certain criteria which is

to be established by a joint committee of the EU and UK representatives.

Note that the EU tariffs are paid upfront and reimbursed if the goods are proven to be stay in NI. This all means additional administration for NI businesses who move goods to and from GB. Recognising this the UK Government has launched a new Trader Support Service (TSS) which will take the administrative burden from the NI business and deal with the paperwork required when importing from GB. A welcome new service and you can sign up at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trader-support-service Ronan McGuirk, Director, ASM Chartered Accountants

What actions should I consider now? t 3FHJTUFS POMJOF XJUI ).3$ GPS BO &03* number as you cannot trade without one; t %FDJEF IPX ZPV XJMM NBLF DVTUPNT EFDMBSBUJPOT t $IFDL JG ZPVS JNQPSUFE HPPET BSF eligible for staged import controls; t $IFDL JG JNQPSU 7"5 JT EVF BU UIF CPSEFS t %FDJEF IPX ZPV XJMM BDDPVOU GPS JNQPSU 7"5 when you make a customs declaration; t *G ZPV JNQPSU HPPET $IFDL UIF 6, HMPCBM UBSJGG MJTU t 4JHO VQ GPS UIF 5SBEFS 4VQQPSU 4FSWJDF if you import goods from GB;

t 6QTLJMM FYJTUJOH XPSLGPSDF PS IJSF OFX TUBGG to support your business in fulfilling these new VAT administrative obligations t &OTVSF ZPVS TZTUFNT BOE TPGUXBSF BSF VQ UP date and in line with the new changes t $POTJEFS UIF JNQBDU PG UIF 7"5 DIBOHFT PO ZPVS business models, supply chains and cash flows t &OTVSF UIBU ZPV IBWF B MJOF PG DSFEJU UP EFBM with the customs duties that may arise t $MBTTJGZ UIF HPPET UIBU ZPV JNQPSU PS FYQPSU for customs duties and know their origin t $IFDL XIFUIFS ZPVS DVSSFOU DFSUJGJDBUFT MJDFOTFT or authorisations will be valid in 2021

Summary of the new rules

38

VAT

Tariffs

Documentation

GB – NI

Goods will be treated as imports.

Postponed VAT accounting should be available.

If such goods are deemed “at risk” of being subsequently moved into the EU, EU tariffs will apply

Import declarations, safety and security declarations required.

Trader Support service available

NI – GB

Goods will be treated as exports

Unfettered access with no Tariffs

None

NI – EU

No change. Although NI businesses will be given a special VAT number

No change

If goods move from NI to the EU using the UK as a land-bridge, it is likely that customs transit procedures will have to be undertaken as the goods are leaving and re-entering the EU’s customs territory.

EU – NI

No change

No change

No change

NI – ROW

No change

No change

No change

ROW - NI

Goods will be treated as imports

Goods subject to the UK’s Global Tariff Schedule If such goods are deemed “at risk” of being subsequently moved into the EU, EU tariffs will apply.

No Change

Eye

onCorporate Gifts

Eye on Corporate Gifts

‘Shop Local’: Support Independent Off-Trade This Christmas While we remain rather unsure of what Christmas will look like this year, we know it will be a festive season like no other.

B

ut for many, one thing is certain - wine will continue to play its part in marking Christmas a little bit special.

One person who is dependent on that premise is Seamus Bonner, Managing Director of Mundus Wines, a Belfast-based wine wholesaler which has been supplying NI’s licenced trade since 1999.

Reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector, and ultimately on his own business, Seamus admits it has been hugely challenging time: “When the lights went out in our hotels and restaurants, Northern Ireland lost its sparkle. We’re famous

Jolie Terre, France Rosé wines from the South of France have captivated the market over the last few months – but some are very over-priced.

Jolie Terre is a recent addition to my portfolio, and it is simply stunning with aromas of fresh fruit and white flowers, offering a delicate balance, which exudes the Fresh Riveira. Enoy Jolie all year round, with or without food.

for our local pubs, our hospitality and our love of socialising so when those doors closed last March and in October, the impact was felt far and wide.”

However Seamus also believes the lock-downs have enabled the sector to demonstrate its resilience, not least the local independent off-licenses which galvanised, diversified and delivered, quite literally, to their customers.

“Some of our top independents really came to the fore by increasing their ranges and offering home delivery services. I’m very grateful to them for their business as they’ve certainly helped to keep the

Zonin Prosecco Cuvee 1821, Italy Even a Covid-Christmas wouldn’t be complete without fizz, and Prosecco ticks every box in terms of value and taste – but beware, you get what you pay for.

Based in NE Italy, Zonin uses 100% Glera grapes to produce a beautifully balanced, fruity and aromatic sparkling which is an excellent aperafit, and can also be served throughout a meal.

lights switched on at Mundus!”I In support, Seamus is asking for the ‘Shop Local’ message to be extended to the sector this Christmas.

“The supermarkets have changed the way we shop, and that offers many benefits. But the ‘everything in one trolley’ approach is not always the best option when it comes to buying wine.

“As well as some of the leading brands, independent off-licences will

Woolshed, Sauvignon Blanc, Australia Sauvignon Banc remains the most popular white grape variety, but by stretching your budget slightly you’ll gain so much in taste and flavour.

Cultivated in Australia’s Murray Darling region Wooshed never disappoints.

Fresh green apples, gooseberry and zesty lime aromas combine with citrus, passionfruit and lychee notes to create a taste sensation. The perfect dry white for Christmas dinner.

Please note these wines are available from leading independent off-licences across Northern Ireland.

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always offer something niche, special or different. They also provide expert advice, helping you find the right wines to suit your taste or occasion.

“Now, more than ever we need to support this sector and ensure they remain part of the fabric of our high streets, town and villages.”

Seamus is recommending four of his most popular wines for Business Eye readers to enjoy this Christmas.

Alto De Mayo Malbec, Argentina Be bold and head to South America this Christmas with this full-bodied red which, like the Mendoza region, is crying out to be explored and savoured.

Fast growing in popularity, this particular Malbec combines flavours of plums, cherries, blackcurrant, violet and just a hint of chocolate…. rather like Christmas in a bottle!

The Brian Boru Hamper

The perfect Christmas gift We’re there when you need us this Christmas for hassle-free gifts. Discover our fantastic range of hampers to suit all budgets, with great value gifting options from only £15. Beautifully presented, our hampers will show your gratitude to colleagues, staff, friends and family in style. Delivery service also available from our Belfast branch for a real hassle-free gifting experience.

See our full hampers and gifting range:

www.musgavemarketplace.co.uk

41

Eye on Corporate Gifts

Will Callow Events Save Christmas?

Guests enjoying the party atmosphere at the 2019 Lord Taverners Christmas Lunch.

(L-R): Erin Miley, Operations Director Callow Events, Leslie Hughes OBE, Nathan Carter and Phil Alexander, CEO Cancer Fund for Children. Daisy Ball 2019.

At a time when we have returned to take-away restaurant meals, at home hair cuts & working from home, Belfast based Callow Event Management are having to get creative this Christmas.

“W

e have not delivered a live event since March and would normally be knee deep in business awards and corporate events at this time of year as well as putting the final touches to a jam packed programme of company and charity Christmas celebrations next month” said Callow Events Operations Director, Erin Miley.

Instead Erin and her team of seasoned event professionals, more used to dealing with rogue elves and diva style demands, are having to figure out a way to save the staff Christmas party and help well known local charities like Mencap, Cancer Fund for

42

Children and the Lord’s Taverners, move their events online.

Thinking that COVID restrictions were likely to get worse before they got better, the company has reached out to its extensive team of local suppliers and harnessed their collective thinking into creating a network to deliver a number of COVID proof events, “ this is not just about doing something rather than nothing, everyone is fed up with Zoom meetings and Teams chats and really want to get together at this time, all be it virtually, for a laugh and some Christmas Craic!” said Erin.

Callow Events has been leading the way in creating several hybrid

events, with the help of their production partners NIAVAC, to allow teams to come together and have some fun as well as reach out to colleagues that they have not been able to socialise with for months. “Recently, working with the fab Pete Snodden as our host, we used NIAVAC’s hybrid studio to deliver an innovative Halloween party via YouTube for a corporate client wanting to engage with their staff and their families. We even managed a pet fancy dress competition, with photos and videos submitted in advance and then screened for judging on the night, to the whole audience online” said Erin. “We are now working to cast the same magic spell over Christmas, with imaginative and innovative solutions”.

Leo Callow the founder and MD of Callow Events had to get his thinking cap on too “ I never thought when I was doing an MBA at Queens that all those business mantras, like flexibility, paradigm shift and constant re-evaluation, would become a reality – well they are now. We have had to re-invent ourselves almost daily to keep up with new digital demands and virtual solutions”. Leo, Erin and

the Callow team have sourced some really innovative corporate Christmas ideas, such as a drive in Christmas movie experience, complete with company branded popcorn or an on-line bespoke Christmas Gift portal, where staff can order the present of their choice and you never know, the Boss might even tingle the jingle bell and deliver it in person!

“Our show-piece Christmas event is the Lord’s Taverners Christmas charity lunch, which has been attended by hundreds of businesses in the Europa for over 20 years. This year, when the Taverners would normally be up on their chairs signing along to Queen, ‘We are the Champions’, we’ll be officially closing our online Christmas Auction, our virtual ode to this amazing event”. The auction goes live on Friday 4th December- Wed 16th December and hopes to raise money for this fantastic charity, supported of course by the amazing dedicated annual audience.

Hopefully all will be back to normal next Christmas but until then, Callow Events are certainly providing the slice of magic & excitement we’re all craving!

Christmas is not cancelled, not at Callow Events.

We really want to ensure that this special time of year is not missed and that your loyal staff are not forgotten. Callow Events have a number of exciting COVID proof Christmas party alternatives ready to go, for your team to enjoy!

Our COVID Friendly Events Services: Corporate Present Portal Who doesn’t love a surprise? We can organise bespoke presents delivered right to your staff’s doorstep.

Virtual Christmas Party An interactive & fun filled virtual event.

Think Saturday Night Takeaway from your living room!

Exclusive Christmas Movie Drive In Exclusive Christmas movie drive in for your staff and families. You pick the movie and we will sort the rest!

Get in Touch for your FREE no obligation proposal today T: 02895210004 E: erin@callowevents.co.uk W: callowevents.co.uk

Eye on Corporate Gifts

Branded Gifts... Make Giving Work For You four people and has expanded to a 2,500 sq.ft area including stockrooms and office.

Ashleigh’s marketing background has been invaluable when it comes to working with customers.

“I understand their needs when it comes to merchandise and branded garments, and I’ve been able to help lot of companies to get creative.

“We can create everything from coffee mugs, to laptop bags and uniforms. We have developed a unique selection of corporate gifts to make sure staff feel more valued than ever after a year of hard work.”

Branded gifts could be described as gifts given by those with marketing in their blood.

They’re looked upon by even the largest of organisations as a highly effective way of keeping your brand front of mind with customers and potential customers.

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apping into the growing branded goods marketplace is a dedicated local company. Ibrand was set up back in 2017 by 23-year old entrepreneur Ashleigh Averell.

Based in Newtownabbey, the company specialises in garment print, embroidery and a wide range of branded merchandise aimed at the business marketplace.

“I came from a marketing background,” says Ashleigh.

“But I couldn’t shake the feeling

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that I really wanted to ‘make things’. My father owns a sign firm, Catchy Signs, and after much persuading he agreed to let me use part of his workshop bench to print t-shirts.

“As the business got a little bigger, he helped me to create a business of my own. The conditions of ‘his agreement’ was that I had to financially back the business myself, and pay rent!”

Since those early days, the business has grown to employ

“We have worked with global brands such as Christian Dior, Google and Johnson Controls to name a few on creating custom merchandise for their teams & events.”

Ashleigh has also launched a sister ecommerce company called treasuregifts.co.uk which provides personalised items directly to consumers rather than to the B2B market. It’s a very different product line, and caters for individual personalisation and individual purchases.

“Our customer base is mainly outside Northern Ireland, and a massive 58% of our turnover comes from Europe, America and Australia,” Ashleigh adds.

“This means we hve two substantial customer bases, ibrand is both local and international companies, and treasuregifts.

co.uk is a more consumer market operating online only.

So in times when B2B would be quieter, we have a B2C market to take center stage!

What can iBrand offer corporate customers? “We can create everything from coffee mugs, to laptop bags and uniforms. We have developed a unique selection of corporate gifts to make sure staff feel more valued than ever after a year of hard work. In quieter moments, I love to test our machinery and bring new ideas to life; a brand new product for this year is a personalised Christmas decoration, which is a great alternative than the normal Christmas card! We also can store, package and distribute on behalf of companies, to take away the stress of posting them all out to those working from home.

It’s a business which has survived the worst effects of the Covid crisis.

“We’ve been fortunate because our customers are already online,and we have two main customer bases. The spring lockdown was much quieter than usual, however we became much more resourceful with our time, and I invested more capital into the business for new machinery, as well as renovation of a larger workshop to enable staff to social distance whilst working.”

“This year has taught us two things, one is that we never know what is around the corner, and the other is that we are much more resilient than we think! As a team we are continually planning our next move, fresh products or new machinery to bring us to the next level. For myself, the next 6 months to a year will involve implementing any changes that Brexit brings, as well as getting the systems in place to ensure the business is as efficient as usual but doesn’t lose any of it’s magic.”

brand

BUILD YOUR

IDENTITY BECOME AN

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ibrandeverything ibrandeverything.co.uk

Eye on Corporate Gifts

JN Wine’s corporate gift catalogue is a ‘corker’

Jim Nicholson of JN Wine

Finest wines selected from the very best artisan producers Raise a glass to the staff, clients and customers who stood by your side during 2020 with a corporate gift from JN Wine’s excellent Christmas Catalogue.

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he team at JN Wine have scoured the globe for some of the best wines and spirits which have been directly sourced from family and artisan wineries. You won’t find these wines in the supermarkets.

This year’s catalogue is bulging with fantastic bottles to suit all tastes and budgets with an early Christmas present of a £20 off voucher when you spend £150 or more on 12x75cl bottles of wine.

Let JN Wine take the hassle out of corporate gifting. Simply make your

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selection from the brochure or let the team create a bespoke package which can be delivered straight to the recipient. Delivery is available throughout the UK and Ireland and you can also personalise your order further with a selection of gift boxes and packaging.

You can choose from a selection of custom-made cases or from an excellent offering of port, gin and whiskey. It wouldn’t be Christmas without bubbles and JN Wine is spreading the cheer with 15% off a wide selection of

Champagne and sparkling wine.

The catalogue also includes personal selections from Jane Boyce MW along with some of Jim Nicholson’s favourites from the past year.

Jim said: “As always the wines selected are bottles I have enjoyed at home over the past 12 months.

Whether it’s a kitchen supper or a special dinner with friends (when permitted) they should bring immense enjoyment.

“Hopefully this season will bring some much-needed cheer after one of the most difficult we can remember. Our team at JN Wine wishes you good health and happiness.”

Quality and provenance are two of the vital ingredients the team at JN Wine look for when selecting

new winemakers. As always, they have selected wines from small producers often farming less than 50 acres of vines.

Jane said: “This Christmas most of us will be toasting a welcome farewell to 2020 and looking forward to better times in 2021.

My wine selections include a few old favourites along with some stunning new discoveries.”

The last date for guaranteed delivery ahead of Christmas is December 16.

For expert corporate gift advice from JN Wine contact 02844 830091 or email shop@jnwine.com

WHY NOT DONATE YOUR WORK PARTY POT THIS CHRISTMAS? Help protect, detect and support people affected by a cancer diagnosis living in Northern Ireland The countdown to Christmas is on...

Action Cancer has been hit hard by the pandemic with practically all fundraising events cancelled and our retail outlets hugely affected by restrictions and footfall. This Christmas we are encouraging businesses to support Action Cancer’s lifesaving services by donating part or all of your Christmas Party Fund to a wonderful cause.

Every year Action Cancer helps to save and support 50,000 people across NI through the delivery of our services.

Here are some figures to give you a snap shot of the difference we are making:

s¬ !CTION¬#ANCER¬SCREENS¬10,000 women a year for breast cancer. s¬ &OR¬EVERY¬1,000 breast screenings, 6 or 7 women have their cancer detected when it may have gone unnoticed. s¬ 4HE¬"IG¬"US¬TRAVELS¬TO¬200 locations across Northern Ireland every year. s¬ 3INCE¬OVER¬500,000 children have taken part in our Health Action schools’ programme.

On average 2440 people are supported every year through our support and therapeutic services.

For more information on how you can make a donation contact lmccusker@actioncancer.org

Eye on Technology

5 Things You Ought To Know About Microsoft Teams

By Michael Hutchinson, Director of Operations at Nitec Solutions

The Internet is awash with ‘Things you ought to know about articles’ - far too many to list here. But if you’ve ever stumbled across one that relates to ‘your thing’, then you have probably either enjoyed testing your knowledge against the guru who has poured over the fine details for everyone else’s benefit, or realised that you are hardly scratching the surface in its use.

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eptember saw Microsoft host the last of its ‘big three’ conferences, all held online this year. Microsoft Ignite, for IT pros, had a jampacked line-up of announcements right across its cloud services and none more so than for its flagship communication and productivity Hub – Microsoft Teams.

From custom meeting layouts and breakout rooms to meeting recaps and a new relevant search results experience, Microsoft are piling on the value to the fastest growing application in its history.

Many of the new features are contained here in this Microsoft Ignite 2020 blog - https://news. microsoft.com/ignite-2020-book-of-news/ However, before you go poking around for the latest bells and whistles (many of these features will be rolled out gradually over the next few months), let me ask you: how are you getting on with what’s already in there?

And so, in keeping with the introduction, here are Nitec’s top five tips you definitely ought to know about straight out of the gate.

1. Upgrading from Skype for Business Microsoft Teams is the enhanced replacement for Skype for Business, which is due to be retired in 9 months’ time. If you’re still using Skype for

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Business or running Teams in ‘Islands’ mode, you need to do something about that NOW. Apart from the obvious need to avoid taking this migration down to the wire, moving to Teams Only mode will give you the richest video calling experience and much more besides. You will, of course, still be able to join SfB meetings from third parties, so there is no reason not to upgrade immediately.

2. Simplified internal and external communications Are you using Teams for the occasional IM? Great! But why don’t you insist that your organisation only ever communicates internally using Teams? The advantages over email are numerous; but never having a chain of emails in your inbox as long as your arm again about the same subject, as well as freeing up your inbox for external communication only, will revolutionise your day.

3. Enhanced storage security Whilst Teams usage has really taken off during the pandemic for comprehensive communication and collaboration between colleagues and customers, one of its most powerful features is its ability to tidy up those messy old file shares with easy to

manage permissions, whilst simultaneously moving your files to the Cloud to be accessed securely at any time, in any place and on any device.

4. Streamlined business processes Microsoft Teams has a wealth of built-in connectors that can take almost any business process and ‘Teamify’ it so that the workflow can be executed and reported on right within Teams itself. So, for example, when Nitec eventually opened up its offices in Antrim and Coleraine for Covid-friendly use, we were able to produce a simple but automated check-in process that allowed staff to book into the office, self-declare they were free from Covid symptoms and subsequently see who was in the office on any given day, all by just using Teams’ Connectors for Microsoft Forms, Power Automate and Power BI and without any need for complex code.

5. Unified communications for better productivity Finally, as the government exhorts us once again to work from home if we can, there has never been a timelier opportunity to unify all your communication requirements by extending Microsoft Teams to be your phone system. There is simply no need to run two communication systems side by side anymore. Microsoft Business Voice will accelerate your productivity, whilst maintaining the enterprise security we have all come to rely on within Microsoft 365. What’s more, it’s available from 1st November at a 25% discount for a year.

For more of our security and productivity blogs, please visit www.nitec.com/blog

AIB Business Eye AWARDS 2021

AWARDS 2021

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AIB’s Head of Northern Ireland, Brian Gillan, with Richard & Brenda Buckley of Business Eye.

AIB Business Eye Awards 2021…

NI’s Leading Business Awards Are Launched

Northern Ireland’s leading business awards haven’t been able to take to the stage in 2020, but the 15th annual AIB Business Eye Awards have been launched for the spring of 2021.

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he 2021 AIB Business Eye Awards were launched at virtual event streamed live from NIAVAC’s hybrid studio in Belfast. Business Eye’s Richard Buckley and Brian Gillan, Head of Northern Ireland at AIB, hosted the event which also included a live interview with Darragh McCarthy, Founder and CEO of FinTrU. The Awards will take place on May 13th and the closing date for entries is April 9th. The AIB Business Eye Awards 2020 were originally planned for 26th November but along with all other major events were postponed as

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a result of the Covid pandemic.

“We are hopeful that, by May of next year, we will be able to welcome award winners, companies, business leaders and guests back to the kind of awards event we’ve all enjoyed so much over the year,” says Brenda Buckley, Director of Business Eye. “The Covid crisis has hit the economy and the business community hard here in Northern Ireland, as it has elsewhere, but it’s really important that businesses and their employees can have something to look forward to, as well as something that recognises the hard work they put in day

after day...whether they’re doing that from the office or from home.: The AIB Business Eye Awards have been honouring our leading companies, organisations and business leaders for the past 14 years.

Last year’s awards showcased an impressive array of winners at a memorable awards night held at ICC Belfast venue in front of a 750-strong audience.

Newry-based First Derivatives, one of the leaders in the dynamic fintech sector in Northern Ireland, lifted the coveted Company of the Year award, while Brian McConville, Chairman of the MJM

Group, was named as Business Personality of the Year.

Other key winners included Lisburn’s Creative Composites as Manufacturer of the Year, Armagh food processors Davisons in the Family Business category and Harbinson Mulholland as the Professional Services Firm of the Year.

The 2021 AIB Business Eye Awards will include span 16 categories and include some new awards.

“We felt that it was important that we recognised that we have been through the Covid era, so we’re setting out to

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Darragh McCarthy, Founder & CEO of FinTrU, talks about the challenge of the Covid pandemic and the company’s continued growth in Northern Ireland.

honour business leaders and companies who have risen up to and above the challenge of the pandemic,” adds Richard Buckley, Editor of Business Eye. AIB, a key supporter of the Northern Ireland business community, has partnered Business Eye on its business awards for the past four years.

AIB, a key supporter of the Northern Ireland business community, has partnered Business Eye on its business awards for the past four years.

“These awards are an excellent

platform to showcase and celebrate success and in doing so, encourage more organisations to prioritise growth, particularly in these difficult times.” says Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB UK “A key pillar of AIB’s focus is to support businesses to overcome adversity and grow. In the past year, we’ve come across even more inspiring and innovative Stories of Brave from local companies as the tackle the double pronged challenges of Brexit and Covid. We encourage all our local business leaders to enter the awards

and help celebrate success stories and best practice.”

The closing date for entries is Friday, 9th April 2021, with the judging panel due to meet shortly

afterwards. Companies and individuals will be able to enter no less than 16 different categories covering most aspects of the local economy and business life.

Full details are available online at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

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Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Company of the Year

Covid Business Hero Award

Northern Ireland’s overall company of the year in the opinion of the judging panel. Companies can be of any size/scale, number of employees, and must be able to exhibit exceptional performance, especially but not exclusively during the 12 month period to 28th February 2021.

A new award reflecting the Covid era and recognising the outstanding contribution made by an individual on behalf of a specific sector or the wider business community during the crisis.

Sponsored by AIB

Young Business Personality of the Year

Employer of the Year This category sets out to recognise those local organisations exhibiting best practice in terms of people management. The judging panel will look for clear evidence of class-leading initiatives designed to make the organisation a better and more caring employer.

Sponsored by Lockton

Covid Response Company of the Year A second Covid era award, this time spotlighting innovation, adaptation and/or a change in business direction of leading NI companies in direct response to the challenges of the coronavirus crisis.

Research & Development Award The Research & Development (Innovation) project which, in the opinion of the judges, is the best example of how companies can harness research, development and innovation to further their business aims and objectives.

Sponsored by U105

The category is open to senior managers and leaders in businesses and organisations across the private, public and voluntary sectors, whose leadership and achievement can be clearly demonstrated.

Tourism & Hospitality Award The company or organisation making the most valuable contribution to the continued development of tourism & hospitality here in Northern Ireland. Possible entrants might include hotels/hotel groups, other forms of accommodation, tourism development organisations, restaurants, travel facilities, etc.

Sponsored by Visit Belfast

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Medium/Mid-Sized Business of the Year

Covid Era Innovative Company of the Year

This category will recognise a leading player in the 50-250 employee sector of the Northern Ireland economy, a key sector which includes a number of our leading private sector companies. As with Company of the Year, entrants must demonstrate exceptional performance across the board.

Innovation has taken on a whole new meaning during the Covid crisis. This award sets out to recognise outstanding product or service innovation by a local company as a response to the pandemic.

Sponsored by NIE Networks

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Business Personality of the Year

Community (CSR) Award

Family Business of the Year

The keynote award will honour Northern Ireland’s outstanding business personality over the past 12 months, an individual whose leadership achievements have contributed to business success and to the wider local economy.

Corporate social responsibility plays an important role for NI companies and this specialist category sets out to recognise an organisation from the private, public or voluntary sectors making a clear and impactful contribution to its local community as a whole.

Northern Ireland’s economy is built on family business success and this key category will recognise the family-owned business, of any size of scale, which can demonstrate exceptional achievement during the year to 28th February 2021.

Sponsored by Harbinson Mulholland

Sponsored by Community Foundation NI

Small Business of The Year The organisation with 50 employees or less which, in the opinion of the judges, exemplifies best practice and achievement across the board. Evidence of growth and development, clear vision and strategy to deliver growth, commitment to superior customer service, demonstration of innovation across the business.

Professional Services Firm of the Year This category sets out to honour Northern Ireland’s leading accountancy, legal or other professional services firm working with and providing key advice to clients in the local business community.

Manufacturer of the Year

Executive Support Professional of the Year This award will honour one of the ‘unsung heroes’ of the business world here, Northern Ireland’s leading Executive Support Professional, a key member of staff in any organisation providing exemplary support services to management within the organisation.

A very important category, this one is open to all manufacturing organisations, of any size and scale, operating in Northern Ireland. The judging panel will look for evidence of innovation, attention to detail, state of the art engineering and product market success.

Sponsored by RSM

Sponsored by Honeycomb

Sponsored by Davy

Full details are available online at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

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CASHFLOW SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS Vicki O’Toole: Managing Director JJ O’Toole Ltd.

TALK TO OUR SPECIALIST TEAMS TODAY

0345 6005 925 LINES ARE OPEN 9AM TO 5PM MON-FRI OR TALK TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

Backing Brave The AIB logo and AIB (NI) are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Customer received a gratuity.

Eye on Finance

Upstream – Supporting “Fearless” Growth …

By Judith Totten MBE

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ts been a while since I last sat down to write something for Business Eye, and I realise how different the world is looking for all of us – professionally and personally.

We have all endured months of uncertainty and challenge, but as ever the NI population has proven its resilience and determination to ‘batten down the hatches’ and get through to the other side and to a more optimistic future once more.

Two things throughout this whole period have not changed though – the need for cash and the need for happy, safe and motivated teams.

Whether cashflow has been supported by the helpful government interventions, business reserves or personal savings, everyone has kept going, but now as we see the landscape changing, with the various schemes coming to a conclusion – we need to start actively planning for 2021 and how we recover and rebuild our vibrant economy.

Upstream has operated throughout 2020 on a more or less ‘Business as Usual’ basis.

We have worked from home and worked flexibly, whilst supporting our clients and partners, and we have maintained our focus on service, empathy, and creativity – finding Invoice Finance and Trade Finance solutions to some unique problems at times! There certainly weren’t any ‘manuals’ for Covid!

Getting our people safely and comfortably back into a more balanced and sociable setting – to encourage the ‘water cooler’ moments, the team building and the innovative discussions around the desks has been a priority too.

Without this creativity I believe we could lose the DNA of our wonderful business community.

Surprisingly, in Upstream, we transacted some of our largest ever deals during this last six months, and the key takeaway from every transaction was the importance of cash. Whether unlocking the supply chain, or stock value with our Trade

Finance offerings or releasing cash tied up in the debtor book, through our Invoice Finance suite, the laser focus of business owners and advisers alike on these areas was remarkable.

As business owners, we can make all the plans we like but if we do not generate real cash, we cannot repay facilities , we cannot pay our staff and critically, we cannot grow our brands in our chosen locations – and these hubs are vital for the mental health and well-being – and therefore the productivity – of our people.

In Upstream, we have worked tirelessly to bring a positive message to a weary marketplace, fatigued beyond measure with the endless fear and worry of Covid and its impact on our lives, our businesses, and our families. We have used the power of social media to inject some humour into our Twitter and LinkedIn messaging – you may have noticed some of our changes of late.

The reality is that we must learn to co-exist with this virus and work safely around the restrictions imposed.

Upstream is most assuredly ‘Open for Business.’ We are committed to providing working capital in a positive and supportive way to your business as you plan your recovery and your future.

Our original message many years ago was that “Upstream supports fearless growth.”

Somehow that seems more poignant as we look for 2021 to deliver so much more than 2020 – and I haven’t even mentioned BREXIT!

If you’d like to contact us you can do so by phoning 02890 999450 or emailing info@ upstreampositive.co.uk

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Eye on News

PURE FITOUT HITS MILESTONE OF CREATING 80 JOBS

UK and Ireland specialist contractor Pure Fitout has reached its five year target of creating 80 jobs and securing £15m turnover by delivering bespoke interiors for luxury brands, leisure operators and blue chip corporates.

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he Belfast-based company, which was established in 2015, is one of the fastest expanding fitout contractors in the UK, with continued year on year growth.

Pure Fitout has recently invested in its headquarter and manufacturing base in Mallusk, with the premises comprising 55,000 sq ft. In-house capabilities include bespoke joinery, metal fabrication, modular buildings and metal glazing systems fabrication, providing full end to end project management.

Working across hotels, restaurants, bars, fastfood establishments, leisure, heritage regeneration projects and offices, Pure Fitout has delivered high-quality interiors for The Mayson Hotel in Dublin, EastCheap Records in London, Five Guys in Belfast, Craigavon and Dublin, BOOJUM, The Grayson in Dublin, the award winning Stella Theatre in Dublin and office space for the wellknown Press Up Group in Dublin and London.

Ronan Higham, managing director of Pure Fitout, said: “We are pleased to reach our fifth anniversary in such a strong position, with a high volume of exciting projects under our belt across the UK and Ireland. With over 80 employees already on

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site every day, we are continuing to recruit for skilled metal fabricators, joinery craftsmen,project managers, quantity surveyors and site managers to support the delivery of a strong pipeline of work as we move into 2021. We are currently on site with a number of projects including two new hotels in Ireland, gyms and co-working spaces, as well as signature venues in London, Yorkshire and France.

“From the start we have believed in continuous capital investment in the latest technologies to allow fast, innovative and effective responses to client needs. Bespoke delivery of interiors can often be required at a quick timeline and we are well used to working to a high standard, under these conditions.”

Pure Fitout has invested in the next generation of craftsmen through its apprenticeship programme which has taken on over 20 young professionals during the last five years in all construction-led

skills, including joinery and metal fabrication.

He continued: “This year has been challenging for all businesses, adapting to the restrictions put in place to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, and the protection of our employees was at the fore of all of our operations. We have added in new safeguards and put Covid-19 officers in place to ensure that our sites are managed in line with new measures. Brexit has been another complex area of change this year, but we are well prepared.

“Our client relationships have been fundamental to our success to date and this is reflected in our repeat business. We are always looking at our expansion options and during the next year we will be targeting new opportunities across Europe. I would like to thank our employees who have worked hard to deliver quality fitouts with exceptional attention to detail.”

Eye on Marketing

MARKETING IN A PANDEMIC

Grainne McGarvey

Linda Macartney

We hear from Pulse PR managing director Grainne McGarvey and freelance events professional Linda Macartney about why continuing to invest in marketing your business is important during these turbulent times.

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ith many companies trying to pay wages and keep the doors open it is understandable that marketing might not be front of mind.

However, the business landscape as we know it is unlikely to return to the way it was pre-pandemic. Businesses will have to pivot and diversify as new competitors will have entered the market. With everyone hungry for business and in need of income, your market is likely to be more competitive than ever. Although marketing spend can be the first thing to be reduced when the going gets tough, it should actually play a key role in retaining customers and building long-term brand value. t Get started: If you are unsure about when to start and what activity will give you the most return, my advice is start now. You need to proactively attract new customers and to make sure your existing ones don’t decide to take their business elsewhere or do without your product or service for a while. t Communication is key: Stay in regular contact with customers to let them know you are still

available to support them when they need you is the first step to maintaining good business relations. t Have a digital strategy: This is a no-brainer, but pivoting and innovating while remaining socially conscious is very important.

Messaging will increasingly focus on video, with advertising on this platform becoming an ever-larger part of your marketing strategy. t Partner up: Use your network of strategic business partners.

Find out if you can work together on new marketing ideas. Cross promotion can be a strong way to get new customers on board, particularly if you aren’t a wellknown business. Share information, contacts and split the cost if you create joint campaigns. t Be Bold: Don’t be put off by the ‘what if’s’ or ‘maybe’s’ – now more than ever you need you believe in your business and your team. Play to your strengths and go for it!

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ith events having taken a battering of late, we are now seeing everything from physical concerts to conferences being replaced by virtual ones. In the process, many businesses are realising that moving events online isn’t just about fulfilling contractual agreements for scheduled events; going online actually brings marketing benefits of its own in terms of online reach, geographical spread and engagement figures. To be successful with virtual events the main thing to remember is have interesting and topical content, be mindful of timings and making your event stand out. Physical events do have the edge on virtual as nothing beats seeing and engaging with people in person, so to have an edge remember to make your event a reason for people to tune in to watch.

t Stay Updated: Follow leading industry associations such as SITE, MPI and AIPCO and reach out to people in online groups such as The Delegate Wranglers and general updates on the world of events in all forms. t Seek Advice: Most of my peers will say that nobody is an expert in this yet, there’s a lot of learning to do so don’t be afraid to ask for advice and/or learnings!

E: Grainne McGarvey: grainne@pulseprni.com E: Linda Macartney: lindamacartneyevents@gmail.com

t Get Connected: It’s more important than ever to connect with people in the industry, to work together to inform each other on what’s out there and share the pitfalls and advantages to this new virtual world.

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Eye on Charity

Charity Sector Facing Unprecedented Challenges In The Covid Era

By Gareth Kirk, Chief

Executive, Action Cancer

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or nearly 10 years I have had the privilege of being Chief Executive of Action Cancer, Northern Ireland’s leading, local cancer charity. For 20 years previously, I had the pleasure of working in our Transport, Tourism and Hospitality sectors, sectors that are so vital to the success of our economy and the long-term health and welfare of so many. And so, my comments are very much framed within the context of understanding the challenges and devastation being caused by COVID-19 on our private sector and on the many people now facing a bleak future.

Action Cancer is passionate about delivering on its Mission of “Saving Lives and Supporting People”. As you may be aware, we are the only charity in the UK and Ireland providing lifesaving breast screenings to younger women aged 40 to 49. We also provide a comprehensive range of therapeutic and physiological supports for children, young people and adults, even more critical at this time of heightened fears and anxieties, for people affected by a cancer diagnosis.

All of the services we provide are free of charge to the end user. With no public sector support, we are required to fundraise £4m per year, a monumental task at the best of times but now impossible in a COVID-19 world. From the start of March 2020, our income started to dry up and whilst our long-standing corporate partners SuperValu, Centra, Gordons Chemists, M&S and its4women, have been very supportive, without the government support available to the charitable sector, our future was looking bleak.

As I write, it is however good to be able to share with you the fact that most of our services, including our mobile clinic, the Big Bus, with

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its onboard breast screening and health checks, are back up and running; albeit with reduced capacity, longer times for each appointment and at more expense, due to PPE and sanitising measures.

COVID-19 has delivered a hammer blow to our charitable income. Along with many businesses and charities, we have had to significantly reduce costs, to weather the storm. Despite the incredible challenges that lie ahead, we are nevertheless cautiously positive about our future. Having successfully fundraised £500k in 2019 for a replacement second generation Big Bus, a contract was signed prior to COVID-19 for the design and build of the new vehicle, now scheduled to begin service to 200 locations each year from Spring 2021. With an annual operating cost of £600k our huge challenge now is how to raise the estimated £300k shortfall brought about by COVID-19.

We are currently reaching out to the incredibly generous and supportive people of Northern Ireland to partner

with us in saving the lives of local women, through breast screening and in providing much needed therapeutic interventions across Northern Ireland to help address the very challenging mental health and wellbeing issues being faced by people impacted by cancer. Could you partner with us? If so, we would love to hear from you.

Partnership Opportunities Action Cancer has a range of partnership opportunities on offer which include in-kind benefits.

The new Big Bus will be operational

from April 2021, with a daily running cost of £1,644. Could you partner with Action Cancer to keep the Big Bus moving, bringing lifesaving breast screening and a cancer prevention MOT health check service to the most socio-economic deprived areas of Northern Ireland?

It now costs Action Cancer £120 to screen a woman aged 40-49 or 70+ (outside of NHS screening age range) for breast cancer. In lieu of your staff Christmas Party this year, could your business make a donation to Action Cancer and help save a life?

Action Cancer’s therapeutic services offer support to families affected by cancer regionally throughout NI. Further compounded by the mental health challenges brought by COVID-19, these services have never been needed more. At a time when the charity is facing a reduction in funding, could your business provide these vital services with a much-needed boost?

Contact Action Cancer’s Corporate Fundraising Manager Lucy McCusker on lmccusker@actioncancer.org or call 07743 416325 to find out more.

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Eye on Branding

The Power of Brand in Building a Business

By Neil McLeese, Managing Director, BeyondHR

“Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you’re not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.” – Geoffrey Zakarian

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n 2014 my business partner, Helen Hardy, and I acquired Personnel & Training Services based in Ballymena. As now, the business was predominately a provider of retained HR and Health & Safety services. It was a good business with a great team and clients but as time went on it became clear that the Company’s name didn’t really explain what we did. I lost count of the number of times I went to networking events where people would ask what we did, what training we provided or what personnel meant.

Always ambitious to grow our business we came to realise that our brand, rather than helping us, was becoming a barrier to growth that needed to be addressed if we were going to be relevant to today’s audiences. We engaged Kaizen Brand Evolution to assist us with the process of rebranding and the

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process we worked through was both interesting and eye opening.

Having gone successfully through the process we have come to fully appreciate just how important a brand is when trying to build a business.

Brand, of course, is much more than a logo or name for that matter.

These may be the public-facing elements, but a brand embodies who you are. David Brier describes it as ‘the art of differentiation’.

A strong and consistent brand, driven by a clear sense of purpose and fully embraced by your team, drives a business forward and helps an organisation stand out from its competitors both locally and nationally. It’s important a brand is relevant and authentic too. Careful attention must be given to ensure it evolves over time so as not to become outdated.

Rebranding to BeyondHR has

made it easier for prospective clients to understand a bit about our business before they even have a conversation with us. We no longer need to provide lengthy explanations about what it is that we do (or what personnel means).

Since rebranding 18 months ago we have noticed that the number of enquiries about our services from prospective clients has more than doubled. Our proposition is now clearer than ever before.

Employees are key to the success of all businesses, large or small, so anything that can be done to motivate or engage your workforce can only be good for business. An organisation’s brand, when done well, is something that employees will be proud to be associated with and keen to promote amongst their families and friends. We have also found that a modern distinctive brand helps

in attracting higher levels of top talent to the business as it can give a positive impression of a Company as a prospective employer.

Our biggest learning through our rebranding has been that a brand is more than just a logo.

It is a powerful asset in building a business that epitomises the perception of a business’s customer service, culture and presentation. It can increase the value of a company while helping to deliver true standout in a very cluttered marketplace.

In the words of John Hegarty: “The first lesson of branding: memorability. It’s very difficult buying something you can’t remember.”

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Eye on Technology

Efficiency Is the New Normal…

Creator of a new and groundbreaking smart phone App, Dale Orr of Kipling Data Ltd talks about the changing face of business and why he’s passionate about improving business efficiency.

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orking in software and IT for over 40 years Dale has a wealth of experience creating systems to assist business processes, Dale explains; “My first job was in 1979 as a production scheduler at Barbour Threads in Lisburn. Personal computers simply didn’t exist back then but working at the mill introduced me to the world of software development and set me on a path which has led me to where I am today. Even in 1981, in my early days of coding, most output came in the form of reams of reports produced by weekend routines which took all of Sunday to run. Thousands of pages would be printed and distributed for departmental managers to dissect and digest over the following week. The experience of creating this information and being involved in how it was used, has provided me with a life-long desire to continually find better and faster ways of keeping aware of our commercial performance.

After 40 years of technology advances, business today is undoubtedly different, decisions are made at a much more rapid pace with information overload a real issue.

“Often I would see business owners and managers battling to break down masses of information on a daily basis so I set about creating a solution, one which streamlines that process and provides them with real time data sliced and diced as only they need it and accessed from anywhere via a mobile phone or tablet.

“Kipling5 allows managers to keep their finger on the pulse of business at any given time from

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Dale Orr, Kipling Data Ltd

“Through the years, I have created hundreds of systems and at no time have I ever been commissioned to provide software which replaces a person’s job, the objective has always been to give people a tool to become more effective.”

any location – In today’s world this flexibility of access to instant knowledge is key to success” Dale goes on to explain; “The app focuses on three key aspects which can improve the day to day running of any organisation; time management, access to information and the ability to respond quickly to change. Satisfying these requirements will move managers away from rushed reactions and more towards planned, proactive decision making.

“Kipling5 will put clients in control of their critical data in real time. It will revolutionize how sectors such as manufacturing, retail, construction, health, hospitality, sports, education

and agri-food interrogate and utilize important data.”

Reflecting on his long career, Dale continues by saying that he is most proud of the fact that his software creations have always existed to support people in their jobs and never to replace their roles.

“This is something I am proud to have achieved. Through the years, I have created hundreds of systems and at no time have I ever been commissioned to provide software which replaces a person’s job, the objective has always been to give people a tool to become more effective.

I consider it a privilege to have worked with some of our sharpest business minds, under whose

direction I created systems which became the core of their commercial infrastructure.

In Kipling5 I believe I have created a tool which enhances any infrastructure, it adds value to investment by enabling users to save time, they become better informed and pro-active in real time – Access to relevant knowledge can be a game changer for any organisation or business.”

“Despite the fact that Kipling5 app was created pre-covid-19 I believe it’s relevance has now been heightened due to the changing way in which businesses operate today. This year has shown us all that real time access to important information is invaluable as businesses navigate these uncertain times - the ability to get answers to questions quickly can mean decisions can be made faster and more efficiently from anywhere in the world.”

A natural born problem solver and independent forward thinker, Dale left school with 13 O-levels and set along a path of learning by experience including multiple computer languages which are still continuously evolving. He has many longstanding clients most of which have commissioned him to write their entire software suites and he enjoys loyal business relationships lasting decades.

“For me it’s important to strike a balance knowing that while negotiating with business owners and operators, the promises that I make as a sales person are commitments I have to honour as a developer – this has really driven me to be the best that I can be and has ensured that the relationship I build with my clients is one of trust and a great understanding.”

For further information or to book a consultation please visit www.kiplingdata.com

Eye on News AIB has raised a total of £169,000 for local charities in 2020 through several fundraising initiatives including the auctioning of rare banknotes, which raised an impressive sum of £122,815 under the hammer.

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his week saw the third of three specialist auctions take place at the Dix Noonan Web (DNW) London auction room, with a rare collection of old Provincial Bank, Allied Irish Bank and First Trust Bank notes up for auction. The final auction raised £54,146, attracting buyers from all over the world, with the final lot fetching £8,500 - 14 times its pre-sale estimate.

The monies raised through the three auctions will be split evenly between Age NI and Alzheimer’s Society – with each charity receiving £65,000.

This includes a contribution by DNW, who donated 5% of the buyer’s premium (£6,141) to AIB’s two chosen charities.

As well as the funds raised through the auctions, AIB raised a further £24,000 through local branch fundraisers, with money donated by staff being match-funded by the bank. AIB also donated £1,000 to each of its 15 NI-based branches (£15,000), with each branch selecting its choice of charitable cause to receive the monies.

Commenting on the successful fundraising initiatives, Heather Stewart, Head of Sales & Service Enablement at AIB, said: “We are delighted with the funds raised at the auctions of these rare banknotes, with the amount raised exceeding initial estimates and resulting in a significant amount of funds for two very worthy local charities – Age NI and Alzheimer’s Society.

We are committed to supporting the Northern Ireland community and this initiative has enabled us to support these vital charities to continue to deliver important services to those most in need.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff who were responsible for driving

AIB Strikes a Positive Note for Local Charities

Heather Stewart from AIB is pictured with Tracy Smyth from the Alzheimer’s Society and Linda Robinson from Age NI. The charities have received £65,000 each from the auctioning of rare Allied Irish Bank and First Trust Bank notes.

AIB has raised a total of £169,000 for local charities in 2020 through several fundraising initiatives.

charitable activities across our branches this year. Despite the challenging times we face, they have devoted enormous energy and dedication to raising funds for causes, at a time when this help is most needed.”

Thomasina Smith, Banknote Specialist at Dix Noonan Webb, commented: “Over the past year, we have enjoyed handling, cataloguing and learning from the Collection, which gave a fascinating insight into the printing processes and evolution of the Bank’s paper money before it ceased issuing in 2019. We would like to thank everyone at AIB for helping us organise this special event and for their generosity towards two exceptionally worthy causes.”

Bernadine McCrory, Country Director NI, Alzheimer’s

Society, welcomed the AIB donation, saying: “Coronavirus has had a major impact on people living with Dementia and the demand for our services has soared since lockdown began. For example, our Dementia Connect telephone hub service has received over 25,000 inbound calls from the start of lockdown until 21st September. At the same time, the Covid-19 crisis has, and will continue to have a major impact on our income streams.

Given these challenging times, the support we have received from AIB is phenomenal and we are so grateful to everybody involved. This will go such a long way in making sure that the Alzheimer’s Society can be there for as many people affected by dementia as possible.”

Linda Robinson, Chief Executive, Age NI, added: “We’d like to thank AIB for this generous donation which will enable us to respond to more older people detrimentally impacted by winter and Covid19. AIB is playing a major role in helping us raise awareness that Age NI is here to help. We know this year has been hard on everyone but with strict rules on social distancing, and 78,000 older people living alone, many have been feeling very cut off and withdrawn. These funds will make such a significant difference to local older people, helping our advice and care services to be there for more older people who have no one else to turn to. If you or an older person you know is in need of help call 0808 808 7575.”

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Eye on News

Aflac celebrates one year in NI ahead of targeted recruitment goals Aflac Northern Ireland (Aflac NI), a subsidiary of Aflac Incorporated, a leading Fortune 500 company, has officially marked its first year in Northern Ireland.

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he company has opened a new stateof-the-art hub at Belfast’s City Quays 2 and confirmed that with 65 employees now on board, it is well ahead of its three-year target to recruit 150 local tech staff by 2023.

A leading provider of supplemental insurance helping protect more than 50 million people in the United States and Japan, Aflac established its Northern Ireland footprint in October 2019 with the support of Invest NI, opening its first global technology innovation centre.

The new office helps power the company’s international business, delivering world-class technical expertise and innovative, emerging solutions to increase information security and support the needs of customers.

Officially marking a full year since establishing an initial temporary office at River House in Belfast, Aflac NI has signed a 10-year lease with Belfast Harbour for more than 11,000 square feet of premium office space at Belfast’s City Quays to establish a

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Keith Farley, Managing Director of Aflac Northern Ireland and Virgil Miller, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Aflac U.S.; President, Aflac Group.

Global IT and Cybersecurity Innovation Centre.

Aflac NI marked its achievements and its latest milestones as part of a global high-tech virtual celebration, incorporating executives, staff and stakeholders from Northern Ireland and the United States. Northern Ireland Economy Minister Diane Dodds also joined the celebration.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds said: “As the Minister responsible for the development and growth of Northern Ireland’s digital sector, I’m delighted to be directly involved in Aflac NI’s global celebration and to personally congratulate the experienced team here in Belfast for their contribution in delivering exceptional work, and their achievements in supporting Aflac’s growth.”

The Minister continued: “Despite these extraordinary global economic challenges, Aflac NI have made considerable achievements in a short space of time. These achievements, along with their recruitment ambitions and the talent they have already employed through the Assured Skills Academies, demonstrate just how attractive Belfast and Northern Ireland is as a highly-competitive destination for investment.”

Aflac NI is continuing to recruit ambitious, talented staff at a variety of levels to support its growth and remains focused on developing a highly creative and dynamic workplace culture. When fully operational, the premium jobs created at Aflac NI in areas including mobile and cloud development and

intelligent surveillance technology will contribute around £7 million in salaries to the local economy.

“We’re pleased with the exceptional progress and success so far in Belfast and delighted with how well our teams are working on a global basis, delivering exceptional technical solutions that directly benefit our growing customer base,” Aflac Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and President of Aflac Group Insurance Virgil Miller said. “Our people and our culture are important to us, and with the local team we have on board in Belfast, we are confident that we made the right decision to invest in Northern Ireland.”

Established in 1955, Aflac currently employs around 4,700 employees in the U.S. and 11,000 globally. In addition to being recognised as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for 20 consecutive years, last year, Fortune also included Aflac on its list of the World’s Most Admired Companies for the 19th time.

“We have painted the words ‘Resilient, Reinventive and Adaptable’ on our office walls because that is the experience we have had in Northern Ireland, particularly as we initiated our program here immediately prior to a global pandemic,” Aflac NI Managing Director Keith Farley said. “Belfast has quickly become a part of the Aflac story, and we hope to play a part in Belfast’s story in return. We’re proud of our achievements in our first year – and we’re only getting started.”

Eye on News

7Spice opens but prepares for lockdown Belfast’s newest restaurant, 7Spice in St Anne’s Square, had its official ‘soft’ opening last night (Wednesday), less than forty-eight hours before it goes into lockdown.

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he Bangladeshi restaurant represents a £500,000 investment and employs 25 employees.

A key feature of the restaurant is the construction and installation of five outdoor ‘pods’ capable of seating up to six people.

The ‘signature’ restaurant is the brainchild of Belfast restaurateur, Luthfur Ahmed, who forged ahead with the development despite Covid-19 restrictions and uncertainty.

He says the new four-week lockdown, effective from Friday evening, is a body-blow for the hospitality sector that is still reeling from the earlier closure of sit-in restaurants.

Luthfur said: “We’re devastated by the decision of the Executive. We have created something special in 7Spice which we know would have been very popular.

“Our staff are also hugely disappointed as they all thought we could get through the pandemic without any further restrictions.

“Obviously, safeguarding people’s health is the main priority and when all of this is over, 7Spice will be there to deliver top-class cuisine and exquisite wines.

“Now, we have to improvise and do the best we can. At the end of the four weeks, hopefully, we can open our doors to customers.”

Eye on News

Belfast Software Firm To Double Workforce AFTER £1MILLION INVESTMENT

WorkPal, a mobile workforce management software company, has welcomed an influx of new business as more firms seek better communication solutions.

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Belfast-headquartered software company will double its workforce over the next two years to meet unprecedented demand for its unique communication software product which allows businesses to communicate effectively and efficiently in remote working setups.

The decision to grow the firm and invest heavily in all areas of the company came after increased demand for WorkPal. WorkPal is a powerful mobile workforce management software tool which is revolutionising how businesses operate in increasingly remote working setups. It replaces

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traditional methods for keeping track of teams and operations with software that streamlines the arduous processes of times gone by.

The investment will allow WorkPal to double its team to over 50 employees in the next two years. The jobs will span software development, consultancy and technical support roles that will allow a larger team to reach even more clients locally, nationally and internationally.

To complement the recruitment drive, WorkPal has injected £250,000 into a marketing campaign that will strategically target new customers and expose the new way businesses can work and communicate

effectively when working remotely.

This will help grow the existing client base that spans over 500 businesses here and abroad.

Ian Megahey, Sales Director at WorkPal said: “Our customer base has grown rapidly this year as significant numbers of businesses actively look for innovative ways of communicating with their teams in increasingly remote working setups that have otherwise been foreign to their usual way of working.

“As a result of this new demand, we attracted a huge boost in customers, from not just local nations but globally so we have invested £1million and embarked on a recruitment campaign to double our workforce in a programme that will allow that growth to continue at the speed and vigour it’s at now.

“We have also invested because while we believe remote working is a by-product of the current pandemic, it is very much going

to be a legacy of it too. The quick move into lockdown earlier in the year has made us all aware of how important it is to be adaptable and have the right tools onboard.”

Set up in 2011, WorkPal’s most recent financial results for 2019 show a turnover of £3million. This year those sales are expected to be in excess of £5million.

Mr Megahey continued: “We have just completed our golden quarter with Q3 of 2020 representing our best ever performing financial period. We’ve seen the uptake of WorkPal surge by almost 350% during the last year alone but we are confident that a new realisation of keeping communication tight among workplaces is key no matter what the social and economic climate.”

WorkPal is part of the Barclay Communications Group, which has been at the forefront of business-tobusiness mobile, hosted and fixedline telecoms for more than 20 years.

Eye on News

Larchfield undergoes £117,000 refurbishment through Rural Development Programme Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA has officially opened a £117,000 redevelopment project on the Larchfield Estate near Lisburn.

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arah and Gavin Mackie, the owners of Larchfield Estate, redeveloped the ‘Old Piggery’ following an award of £50,000 through the Rural Business Investment Scheme under the LEADER element of the NI Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020. The project, which was administered by Lagan Rural Partnership (LRP) Local Action Group, enabled the redevelopment of an existing old building and landscaping of the surrounds to meet the growing demand for a unique, exclusive location for corporate events and special celebrations.

Speaking at the event, Minister Poots said: “Larchfield Estate has a long history in this local area and in recent years has become well renowned as a leading wedding and corporate

event venue within Northern Ireland.

The £50,000 of LEADER funding invested into the redevelopment of the ‘Old Piggery’, together with match funding from Larchfield Estate, has enabled the creation of a new facility which will encourage more guests to come along and enjoy the enhanced experiences that will be on offer.”

Minister Poots added: “Across the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area the Lagan Rural Partnership Local Action Group has invested over £2.6million of LEADER funding in rural initiatives and I’d like to pay tribute to those Directors of the Local Action Group who give up of their time freely to implement rural development in their local area. Without them my Department could not invest this money.”

Gavin & Sarah Mackie said “Larchfield Estate is a place of exceptional heritage and beauty, a family home and a business we are passionate about. We are delighted to welcome Minster Poots and delegates from both his office and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to mark the redevelopment of The

Old Piggery into an experience room, ideal for smaller parties, conferences and group stays. As an apex business we are proud to work with a fantastic network of local suppliers and we look forward to a bounce back to business in 2021 for all our clients and suppliers affected by Covid in 2020.”

Ormeau Road Restaurant Expands Premises in £150,000 Investment

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espite pressures on the hospitality sector over the last seven months and the recent closure of all sitin establishments for the second time this year, the team at Shed Bistro are preparing to reopen their newly expanded restaurant on Belfast’s Ormeau Road.

Investing over £150,000, Shed Bistro will take over the retail unit next door, more than doubling the size of its kitchen and floor space in the restaurant, and increasing its seating capacity and facilities. As well as protecting 12 current roles, the investment will also create up to eight new roles and provide apprenticeship opportunities for aspiring chefs.

The expansion is being undertaken by husband and wife duo, Jonny and Christina Taylor, who have over 15 years experience in the hospitality sector.

Speaking on site at the new restaurant, Christina Taylor, Owner and Front of House Manager at Shed Bistro said:

“We are really excited to unveil our ambitious plans to expand Shed Bistro. As well as a beautiful, stylish new space, our customers can expect more fantastic food, delicious drinks and homely hospitality.

“It has been a tough few months for us and so many others in our industry, so

we are really proud that we have been able to not only sustain our business, but to grow Shed Bistro. We couldn’t have done it without our dedicated team and our loyal customers who gave us the drive and determination to overcome the challenges, so we want to thank them all for their support.”

Shed Bistro had previously planned to relaunch at the end of October, but is now hoping to open its doors to the public again on Sunday 15th November. Christina continued: “We may have been delayed, but that only gives us a little more time to perfect our new premises and master our menus. Our new layout will allow us to provide an even more effective socially distant dining experience, so guests can feel comfortable and relaxed when they visit us.

“We can’t wait to show everyone what we have done with the place and to welcome you all back to the new and improved Shed Bistro.”

For more information and to follow the progress of the new restaurant, visit shedbelfast.com or follow @shedbistro on Instagram.

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Eye on News

Belfast Based E-Commerce Firm Drives Growth For Major Fashion Retailer

Emma Lavery, DV8 & Leanne Blair, Built for Growth Digital.

A Belfast-based e-commerce firm has been instrumental in a sales surge at a popular fashion retailer during lockdown, by revolutionising its online retail offering and predicting trends over the period.

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uilt for Growth Digital supported the fashion retailer DV8 at the infancy of lockdown and throughout the closure of its 48 bricks and mortar sites by providing strong data driven insights to promote sales, expand product variety and drive customer loyalty.

Lockdown provided an opportunity for the retailer to capitalise on online sales by leveraging an e-commerce specialist amid a backdrop of economic uncertainty.

Leanne Blair, Head of Operations at Built for Growth Digital, which has a number of high profile retail clients on its portfolio, said: “At

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the outset we were in touch with DV8 with measures and guidance on what it should do to stay relevant and promote online sales such as tailoring promotions and campaigns for products in demand.”

“In addition to ecommerce strategy, this also included ecommerce tactical trading advice on key website content such as specific messaging across the site providing reassurance to consumers on returns policy, delivery times, customer care availability and digital marketing guidance on activities such as how to position the brand in the market and how to boost sales of alternative products when stock was running low on some items.”

“It was a combination of trend analysis and forward planning plus quick reactionary measures that allowed DV8 to strengthen their foothold in the online fast fashion market during a time when many other high street retailers struggled.”

By May, Built For Growth Digital further accelerated online sales at DV8 by introducing Klarna, the Swedish financial services firm that offers retailers the ability to provide credit but receive payments upfront.

“This flexible payment option was a very useful sales driver during what has been a very economically fragile climate for shoppers,” continued Ms Blair.

Emma Lavery, Website Marketing Manager at DV8 said: “We have been resolute in strengthening our ecommerce to ensure our offering is strong in meeting the demands of consumers. Insights provided by Built For Growth Digital allowed us to expand in-demand categories

such as leisurewear and extended gift voucher validity periods”.

“The loss of revenue from our shops meant that the online business was our lifeline and Built for Growth Digital’s ecommerce expertise was essential to our survival. If we hadn’t the online business running efficiently things could have been very different. We’re continuing the positive momentum moving into Q4 and gearing up for the Christmas trading period.”

Ms Blair added: “There has been a shift to more people buying online than ever before that we anticipate will continue to significantly grow.

With this in mind, it’s crucial that all retailers, big or small, ensure they have a reliable ecommerce presence that moves and reacts with trends to safeguard their profits now and in the future.”

Eye on News

BT And Belfast Harbour To Build 5G Network In Port

BT and Belfast Harbour have announced a landmark partnership to build a state-of-the-art 5G ecosystem within the Port.

The partnership will deliver a series of 5G-led innovations to accelerate Belfast Harbour’s digital transformation and help deliver its smart port strategic ambitions.

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n a UK and Ireland-first, BT will build and manage a live 5G Private Network designed specifically to achieve the highest levels of ultrafast mobile connectivity, coverage, reliability and security across the port’s main operational areas. The highly secure and scalable network will enhance safety, security and sustainability across the Harbour Estate and is expected to go live across large parts of the 2,000-acre site early next year.

The strategic partnership follows a successful UK-first trial of 5G technology by BT and Belfast Harbour last year and supports Belfast Harbour’s ambitions to become the world’s best regional smart port.

Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for BT’s Enterprise division in Northern Ireland, said: “Our UK and Ireland-first 5G trial with Belfast Harbour last year was a powerful illustration of how 5G-led technology can transform the port’s operations, propel the success of local businesses and drive economic growth. Today’s deal with Belfast Harbour will make these benefits a reality, with the creation of a sophisticated digital ecosystem comprising of 5G as well as other emerging technologies such as AI,

BT’s Paul Murnaghan with Joe O’Neill, Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour

IoT and Connected Vehicles. This will act as a springboard for Belfast Harbour to achieve its ambition to be the world’s best regional smart port and an innovation hub for the region.

“Ports are fundamental to the UK economy, and Belfast Harbour handles approximately two thirds of Northern Ireland’s seaborne trade. With the rising demands on transport and logistics, and the growing need for operations to be safe, secure and sustainable, we’re excited to work with Belfast Harbour as its technology partner, building 5G-led innovations to unlock the productivity benefits for the port and contribute to the region’s green recovery ambitions.”

Joe O’Neill, Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour added: “One of Belfast Harbour’s key strategic ambitions is to become a smart port that engages creatively and effectively with customers, visitors and employees. Following a successful test programme last year, we are pleased to have engaged BT to bring 5G technology into Belfast Harbour and delighted that this private network is a first for the UK and Ireland.

“The smooth and efficient running of our Port logistics network relies on the accurate tracking and integration of data gathered from multiple sources. We believe the increased capabilities of 5G

technology can have a beneficial effect on our operations, helping us for example to capture, process and interpret data in real time and giving insights that will speed decision making, better manage vehicle traffic through our Harbour Estate and improve productivity across our operations and services.”

Belfast Harbour is an important gateway to trade and a significant contributor to the regional economy.

Every year, more than 1.75 million people and over half a million freight vehicles arrive and depart through the Port, while 24 million tonnes of goods are managed and carried by ferries, container ships and general cargo vessels.

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For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On

1 Gareth Brown

2 Dan Bayston

3 Rachel Keenan

4 Andrew McCorry

5 Rory Potter

6 James Kelly

7 Nicola Donnelly

8 Eimear McCracken

9 Joanna Walsh

LK Communications has announced the 1 appointment of Gareth Brown as their new Client Director. A regular columnist and commentator, Gareth has previously worked in a communications consultancy in Edinburgh, in the Cabinet Office and Number 10 Downing Street. Gareth will support the company’s growth in strategic corporate communications and public affairs.

Almac Sciences has announced the appointment 2 of Dan Bayston as Vice President of Small Molecule API. Dan has been a key member of the company’s global Chemical Development and Scale-up team for the past 17 years. Prior to joining Almac in 2003, Dan completed a BSc at the University of Sheffield, a PhD at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) and held a Post-doctoral research position at the University of Oxford.

3 4 5 6

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Leading insurance risk and commercial law specialist BLM has announced four promotions across its Belfast and Derry offices, including one appointment to partner. It comes as the firm recently appointed John Guerin, former President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, as Head of both the Belfast and Derry offices. In total, BLM promoted twelve associates to partner and 23 solicitors to associate level this year, across nine of the firm’s thirteen offices. The latest promotions in Belfast and Derry are Rachel Keenan (partner, Belfast); Andrew McCorry (associate, Belfast); Rory Potter (associate, Belfast) and James Kelly (associate, Derry).

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On

10 Fiona Dornan

11 Alex Devenney

12 Michael Hewitt

13 Harrison Ash

14 Jonathon de Mendonça

15 Mark Hicks

Belfast One, the Business Improvement District for the city centre, has made two appointments.

8 Eimear McCracken has been appointed Operations Manager, working with agencies in the city to create a cleaner and safer environment for businesses and visitors. She was previously a Business Liaison Officer with Belfast City 9 Centre Management. Joanna Walsh becomes Marketing & Events Manager. She was previously marketing and PR manager at P&O Ferries.

16 Frank Coffey

7 Conservation Architect Nicola Donnelly has been promoted to the position of Associate of Hamilton Architects LLP. A Chartered Architect and RIBA Accredited Conservation Architect, Nicola has been with the practice for five years and has worked on many prestigious projects during that time. She is currently working towards her Specialist Conservation Architect qualification.

BGF has further strengthened its investment team for Central Scotland and Northern Ireland after appointing a new investor to support with ongoing business growth in both regions.

10 Fiona Dornan takes up the role with BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor, which has been completing on average an investment per week in 2020. A qualified chartered accountant, Fiona has extensive and diverse experience working for both a FTSE 50 company and within professional services across a variety of financial sector specialisms, including business development and mergers and acquisitions.

11 Alex Devenney has been promoted to the role of Marketing Manager at Corvus, a Belfast based Consulting firm who specialise in bespoke Executive Recruitment solutions. She has 4 years’ experience in marketing and joined Corvus in 2017 as a Marketing Executive. Also at 12 Corvus, Michael Hewitt has been appointed as a Director. He has 9 years’ experience in the recruitment industry and joined Corvus in 2019 as a Senior Recruitment Consultant.

13 Harrison Ash has been appointed After Sales Manager at Hagan Homes, one of Northern Ireland’s largest homebuilders. A University of Salford graduate, he acts as a post-handover liaison point that ensures the aftercare of buying a home with Hagan Homes is a smooth and streamlined affair. Working with contractors and customers, Mr Ash also ensures all homes comply with NHBC standards.

Willis Insurance and Risk Management (Willis), one of the UK’s largest independent and family owned insurance brokers, has made two strategic appointments having set their sights firmly on London and on further expansion.

14 Jonathon de Mendonça joins the team as Group Market Management and Development 15 Director and Mark Hicks has been appointed to lead a new London brokerage, Arden Insurance Brokers. The Belfast based firm, which was established in Northern Ireland in 1978 by Robert Willis, has grown exponentially over the last five years and has offices in Hull, Leeds, (following the acquisition during 2019 of Hale Kavanagh Insurance Brokers under the Kennett brand), and now in London.

16 Frank Coffey has joined the Belfast office of Close Brothers Commercial Finance as Sales Director for County Antrim. Frank has over 22 years of experience in finance. He started his career at Bank of Ireland and most recently held the position of Relationship Director at Lombard North Central, based in Belfast.

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Eye on News

Entrepreneurial Spirit Drives Distillers to Address Hand Gel Shortages

Leading Belfast drinks industry consultant Anita Farmer ensured that Northern Ireland led the way in producing hand sanitiser during the pandemic by guiding local distilleries to manufacture much-needed supplies.

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he owner of AF Consultancy, based at Innovation Factory on the Springfield Road, immediately approached the individual distillery owners across Northern Ireland in order to discuss how they could pivot to meet demand when it became evident there was a global shortage.

“Our distilleries were uniquely placed to adapt production quickly to produce hand sanitiser. Northern Ireland really led the charge to fill this gap, converting production to de-natured alcohol using the World Health Organisations approved recipe,” she said.

Before they could do this, HMRC needed to grant a new approval for each distillery. What normally would be a 45-day process was turned around quickly as Anita was able to guide HMRC through similarities of the information needed and information already held regarding current approvals. As a result, allowing them to shift to the production of this new product with minimal delay.

“Everyone worked together, and we were

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Anita Farmer AF Consultancy

able to get into the market really fast. I know many of our distilleries gave away upwards of £50,000 of hand sanitiser free, it really was a united effort,” she added.

Her work during the pandemic has led to her being named Belfast Ambassador for the Homecoming 2020 event held recently.

“It’s an amazing honour and I’m very humbled.

This is just what I do but I really appreciate the unique role I was able to play. It had been a very difficult time for me personally as both my sister and her partner were very ill with Covid-19 and I lost two cousins to the disease. I was determined to help if I could.”

Based in an office at Innovation Factory, Anita has already taken on a new member of staff in recent months and plans to recruit another in the coming months to meet demand for expert advice to set up new distilleries and help existing businesses develop and grow.

“I love working from this unique building because there are so many opportunities to collaborate with creative, entrepreneurial people and the

support that I’ve received from the Innovation Factory team has been invaluable. The one thing we learned during the pandemic is that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help and that by working together we are stronger,” she added.

Majella Barkley, Centre Director of Innovation Factory said: “Anita has brought so much to the community here. Her unique experience and connections around the world are an inspiration to the small business community, which is vital to the economy of Northern Ireland.”

As a former HMRC auditor, Anita set up AF Consultancy just three years ago to advise businesses in compliance and she now works with 24 of the 34 distilleries in Ireland.

As a consultant she helps distilleries comply with all the rules and regulations in this industry, meeting all the legal and technical requirements to set up and trade successfully.

But she explains that she does much more than that, working to help her clients with a huge range of issues such as sourcing products and services and connecting them to new contacts.

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Eye on Motoring

New C Series Model Targets Business Users Mercedes Benz has added what could well be a popular new model to its C-Class line up, particularly – dare we say it – amongst business users.

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t’s the hybrid C300e, first launched in some markets last year, but only now in right-hand drive UK format.

Pitted up against the new BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 cars, it could be a serious competitor in an important sector.

It puts out a chunk more power than the old car, mating a new generation 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit to a much

healthier 120bhp electric motor (the C350e’s was a mere 80bhp) with all power put through the rear wheels.

Crucially, the battery has more than doubled in size, from 6.2kWh to 13.5kWh. That takes the quoted range from a rather measly 19 miles to a much more useful 34. The gearbox has also been improved and the car has been described as ‘decently quick’ by some early reviewers.

Maybe a bit too reliant on its combustion engine at times, it seems, although some potential owners won’t be too concerned about that.

Even as the competition ups its game, the C-Class remains the default choice for those who value comfort more than agility.

One area you might expect this C-Class to falter in the face of fresher

rivals is in the cabin. But it’s still a welcoming, user-friendly environment (slightly fiddly infotainment aside), with enough perceived quality and plushness to satisfy.

One black mark, however, is practicality, and that’s quite a key one for any estate, regardless of size. Up front, bar a slightly cramped footwell for taller drivers, it’s fine, But rear seat space is starting to fall behind the best, and more importantly the electrical gubbins drops the 490-litre boot to a measly 315-litres. The same is broadly true of plug-in rivals, however.

But we must acknowledge changing public attitudes towards diesel fuel, and its plummeting popularity. That

might not bother you, but with the expectation that the residual values of newer diesels will start to suffer the increased cost in depreciation might make the economy benefit less valuable. The C300e is more enjoyable to drive and more refined, too.

It wouldn’t be our first choice of plug-in compact executive, with the 330e providing a broader range of dynamic talents and a more modern feel inside and out. But don’t discount the Mercedes - and on that note, with the new generation C-Class arriving on the scene next year, you might find some favourable bargains out there on this one.

Genesis Prepares For Launch

The ramp-up towards Genesis’s European launch continues with the reveal of its latest model, the GV70 SUV. Genesis is the new stand alone luxury brand from the Hyundai stable.

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he new Genesis GV70, Genesis’s fifth model after the G70, G80 and G90 saloons, and the larger GV80 SUV, is intended to compete head on with the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3

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and Mercedes-Benz GLC in the booming mid-size premium SUV segment.

As such, it is set to be one of the key models in Genesis’s European launch, which was originally intended for this

year but will likely now happen next after Genesis only recently started assembling a senior executive team headed by former Audi sales boss Dominique Boeschto to oversee the launch. It will include right-hand drive cars for the UK. Genesis, the premium arm of Hyundai launched as a standalone brand in 2015 in the likes of the US and its native Korea, is basing all of its models on a rear-drive architecture with optional all-wheel drive, and the new GV70 is no exception.

Other technical details for the new model have yet to be confirmed, however, for the GV70, although engines are likely to mirror the recentlyrevised G70 and include a 249bhp, 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 199bhp, 2.2-litre diesel.

Official pictures of the new GV70 reveal an exterior design familiar from that of the larger GV80, and an interior that borrows plenty from the G70.

Two versions will be offered and have

been pictured at the car’s reveal - a standard version and a Sport model.

Europe is considered a crucial market in the automotive industry for giving a premium brand global credibility, although new entrants have typically found it a tough one to crack, most recently seen by the axing of Infiniti here.

However, Hyundai and its Kia sibling have been one of European industry’s biggest success stories of the past decade and Hyundai will be hoping to mirror that success with Genesis by giving it a competitive, Europeanfriendly model range from launch.

As such, the launch of Genesis into Europe is also set to include an estate version of the G70, which has recently been spotted testing. Along with the GV70, the G70 estate will be a key model for European buyers.

The first all-electric Genesis is also planned next year, according to Hyundai’s Strategy 2025 roadmap, with more to follow from 2024.

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Eye on Motoring

Electric BMW Comes Direct From China

Here’s some significant news from BMW. The German maker is to launch a new iX3 model which isn’t just another electric Beemer, it’s the very first BMW model to be produced in China for export to other markets.

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t’s an electric SUV which is based on the same platform as the recently facelifted petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions of the third generation BMW X3, not one of BMW’s best-ever cars by a long stretch but a vehicle with a steady group of followers in the family marketplace.

It’s a move we’ll apparently be

seeing a lot more of in coming years as BMW rolls out electricpowered models based on its current platforms, including next year’s production version of the i4 concept based on the 4 Series cars.

The iX3’s single electric motor is mounted within the rear axle in quite a compact drivetrain

Hot Golf Breaks Cover

For those of us of a certain age, the old Volkswagen Golf GTI was the car to have – and the car to beat – back in the day. So we always love to read of the latest incarnation of the best hot hatch that ever lived...arguably.

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he new, eighth-generation Golf R is the fastest and most powerful series-production version of Volkswagen’s family hatchback yet. It will

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arrive in dealerships this month as the fifth member of the brand’s significantly expanded performance line-up.

The latest hot Golf takes 316bhp and

housing that’s claimed to be up to 30% smaller and a good deal lighter than that used by the i3.

Described by BMW as a fifthgeneration eDrive system, it delivers 282bhp and 295lb ft to the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox and an electromechanical Performance Control differential, with three driving modes: Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport.

Despite its rather modest torque, there’s urgency in the new BMW’s stepoff qualities, as evidenced by the iX3’s official 0-37mph time of 3.7sec. But as speeds rise and aerodynamic resistance builds, the performance begins to trail off, resulting in a 0-62mph time in Sport mode of 6.8sec, which is 0.7sec slower than that of the four-wheel drive X3 xDrive30e plug-in hybrid.

This isn’t to suggest that it’s at all slow. Put your foot down and it responds with brisk acceleration, as its official 50-75mph figure of 4.1sec shows. But with 2185kg to haul, its single electric motor lacks the strength of the dual-motor systems of some admittedly larger premiumbrand electric-powered SUVs. What the iX3 lacks in outright

performance, though, it more than makes up in refinement. Even by electric car standards, its motor and associated power electronics truly are whisper quiet. At meaningful speeds, it is the persistent lick of wind around the exterior mirror housings and the roar of the tyres – our test car had 245/45-profile front and 275/40 rear Yokohama Advan tyres on optional 20in wheels – along the bitumen that you notice most.

Should you want it, you can have a synthetic motor sound that rises and falls in volume in unison with throttle inputs in Balanced and Sport modes.

Bot quite sure why you would, though.

Right now, the iX3 is pretty much out on its own. It’s positioned above crossover-style SUVs like the new Volkswagen ID 4 and upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQA but below larger and more powerful offerings such as the Audi E-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC. Its most obvious rival is the Jaguar I-Pace in terms of price in the UK, where pre-orders for the new £61,900 iX3 Premier Edition have already opened ahead of the planned start of deliveries next summer.

310lb ft from an evolved version of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that has powered the R-badged model since way back in the mists of time. 2009, to be precise.

The power and torque boosts for the fourth iteration of the EA888 unit – dubbed the Evo4 – bring the Golf R’s 0-62mph sprint time down by 0.2sec to 4.7sec, plus Volkswagen claims peak torque is available from 2100rpm all the way through to 5350rpm.

The focus hasn’t been solely on improving outright performance, however, with a series of tweaks to the drivetrain aimed at improving agility and responsiveness over the previous car. The Golf R receives the same upgraded version of Volkswagen’s torque-vectoring system as fitted to the hot Arteon and Tiguan, meaning drive is distributed variably between the rear wheels for the first time, rather than just between the front and rear axle.

Using a pair of electronically operated multi-disc clutches, the system is said to balance output across the axle from 0-100% within milliseconds.

Some 1.2kg of unsprung mass – whatever that means, - has been

shaved from the braking system, too, while the front aluminum subframe has been lightened by 3kg. The brake discs have been expanded by 17mm in diameter on the front axle for improved stopping performance and an uprated master cylinder gives a “crisp, precise” pedal response.

The Golf R is different from the average Golf, and so it should be.

Look out for the 20mm suspension drop, motorsport-style front splitter, sizeable black rear diffuser, quadexit exhaust and bespoke wheel designs. Blue brake calipers and a new illuminating blue strip across the grille round off the exterior upgrades Inside, the upgrades include sports seats with blue inserts, a sports steering wheel, stainless-steel pedals and a selection of R-specific displays for the touchscreen infotainment system. A new R-view, for example, displays a horizontally oriented rev counter and gives gearchange recommendations when the car is driven in manual mode.

There’s no word on prices yet, but a subtle jump is to be expected, meaning the new Golf R will likely cost from around the £40,000 mark. Ouch.

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Helping Northern Ireland grow again • Dedicated Relationship Managers • Innovative digital solutions • Fast local decision making

It’s always crucial to choose the right financial partner, one who is quick with support and proactively works to help your business grow.

Our commitment now is to normalise local business as much as possible and help businesses grow out of the current crisis.

Working with Danske Bank, you get strong local leadership and quick decision-making - vital elements to help your business remain confident, resilient and better equipped to move forward.

Working together, we can help Northern Ireland grow again.

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