EXPOS EXPLAINED
INTERNATIONAL EDGE
LOCAL IS BEST
Show off your business Pages 7 and 15
Customise your website Page 19
Even for buying insurance! Page 5
1
Issue two • Spring 2014
It’s our business to inspire your business
MAIN FEATURE
“Redundancy was my springboard” Sue Larrett Thomas pages 12 and 13
Increasing Velocity New funds for firms Read our report on page 5
Take control
Run your company or it will run you Turn to page 9
Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Welcome to the region’s
newest and best
business magazine Issue One
Page kindly sponsored by
Publisher:
Community Communications, 12 Alexandra Avenue, Luton Beds, LU3 1HG
Editor:
David Tooley inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk
Advertising:
Design:
Heather Ellis heather@communitycommunications.co.uk
Cover Photograph:
Jane Russell Photography www.jarphoto.co.uk
Printed by:
Bartham Group www.barthamgroup.com
Disclaimer
Any views expressed in Inspire Business Magazine are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. No part of the magazine should be copied or distributed without the prior consent of the publisher and remains the property of the publisher.
Follow us on Twitter @INSPIREBizMAG
Green shoots in need of nurturing and Inspire business magazine is here to help What a fantastic time to be in business. In 2013 more than half a million new companies were formed, and that trend is continuing apace. It’s a social revolution of gigantic proportions. Some people are thrown into working for themselves through redundancy or family circumstances. Others decide to take the plunge and go it alone. They can do it better than their old companies. Many will fail, dust themselves down and, as the song goes, start all over again. They will be better for the experience. But help does exist to support and inspire people in their businesses, to lessen the chance of failure and heighten the chances of success. World famous scientist Albert Einstein is quoted as saying “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Some people know about marketing, others finance, printing, commercial law. To be successful in business you need to know specialists who can advise. Who knows about the Growth Accelerator programme, for example? Free money to help companies grow. Or local authority procurement. Or the plethora of networking groups. Or the benefits of being a member of the Federation of Small Businesses. It’s Inspire Business Magazine’s stated intention to “inspire your business”. We see ourselves as networking on paper, bringing together the best advice and inspiration from our brilliant expert advertisers and expert columnists. Inspire Business Magazine is new itself. We are learning, too and want to know how you have overcome issues and gone on to succeed. Here’s to an inspiring and successful future.
In this issue 4 Richard Cooper column 6 Mediation is better than litigation
David Tooley, editor.
we are listening
7 Time to enter awards 12
3
welcome
Mostaque Koyes mostaque@communitycommunications.co.uk
4
welcome
Telephone: 01582 608601
10 Dunstable’s looking up 11 It’s not all about the internet 12 Sue’s inspiring story 16 It’s all in the image 21 Luton’s time to shine
Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
We want to hear from you: perhaps your expertise would be of help to others, or our advertising opportunities are perfect for you or you simply want to give us some feedback.
inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk We’re listening.
Issue Two
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advice
Break down the
barriers with GrowthAccelerator Your business is ready for the next stage of growth but something is holding you back. Richard Cooper, of ASA Business Consultancy knows a service that can help
A little-known but valuable service is available to help ambitious businesses step up to the next stage and go for growth. GrowthAccelerator is aimed at successful companies that have passed the start-up stage and are now thriving and raring to go to the next level. Leading private sector business growth experts, Grant Thornton, Pera, Oxford Innovation and Winning Pitch, backed by
Spring 2014
Government, have teamed up in the unique GrowthAccelerator service to help firms find new connections, new routes to investment and the new ideas and strategy for your business to achieve its full potential. Richard, a registered and approved Growth Coach for the GrowthAccelerator, said: “Whatever your business size or status you need to have a comprehensive strategic plan that identifies the key steps that you need to take to achieve your business and personal goals. Realistic “It is important that you understand the key characteristics of your business, the market opportunities and threats. Creating a business, strategic or tactical plan does not have to be a difficult process. It needs to be realistic and achievable but more importantly... you need to believe in it!” GrowthAccelerator is set up to help firms get to the heart of the barriers holding them back and work alongside them to identify the critical steps needed to achieve the next phase of growth – rapidly and sustainably. As part of the GrowthAccelerator highgrowth community, business leaders meet and network with other liked-minded people and growth experts who have already experienced the successes achieved and challenges faced. So what are the necessary qualities for businesses to enter the programme? They’ve got to be experiencing or aiming for high growth and they must have the potential and determination to get to the next phase.
A bespoke package of help is drawn up to focus on specific needs with exclusive access of up to £2,000 match funding for senior managers to hone their leadership and management skills. In return, business owners will need to give time; it’s not a half-hearted process. Empower Richard warns businesses looking to engage the service not to expect an easy ride. He said: “Your coach will act as an advocate and catalyst for business growth and improved performance. “He will clarify and challenge the status quo, empower your business to reinvent its future and open up new pathways and possibilities. “That is not necessarily an easy process but the rewards will be significant.” Community When the coaching ends firms remain part of the GrowthAccelerator community, with the connections to network and share experiences with other high growth businesses. To be eligible for GrowthAccelerator, a business must be registered in the UK and based in England, have fewer than 250 employees and have a turnover of less than £40m. The cost depends on the size of the business. To find out more call Richard Cooper of ASA Business Consulting on 01582 665651 or rcooper@asabusiness.co.uk or visit www. growthaccelerator.com call the helpline 0844 463 2995 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or email enquiries@growthaccelerator.com .
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
success
5
Velocity aims to get business
support up to speed Inspire business magazine takes a look at a new support scheme for small and medium sized enterprises
A new growth hub in the south east midlands will act as a single point of contact and support for 141,000 companies from March. The online portal called Velocity Growth Hub, is made possible by a £1million grant from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund. Velocity Growth Hub is being set up to enable businesses to maximise their growth potential. The growth hub, also funded by South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership’s (SEMLEP) Growing Places Fund, will attract more than £2million of private sector investment and aim to engage with around 15,000 businesses by June 2015.
SEMLEP will also seek to support the creation and safeguarding of a minimum of 300 jobs among small to medium sized enterprises in the South East Midlands during this period. SEMLEP’s patch includes Bedfordshire and Luton, Buckinghamshire and Northampstonshire.
Successful programmes SEMLEP Chief Executive Daniel Mouawad said: “Our Velocity Growth Hub will manage, roll-out and deliver successful programmes that create new jobs and catalyse business growth across the South East Midlands. It will support entrepreneurship and growth with targeted support and will be open to all businesses across our geography.
“In addition we will have tailored and subsidised one to one support for businesses in our target sector areas which are Advanced Manufacturing, High Performance Technology, Logistics, Creative and Design, Financial and Business services and Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare.” Velocity Growth Hub will consist of four key elements:
• • • •
An information portal on the web Six Growth Hub Business Advisors Revenue Grants for business support of up to £3,000 A programme of business workshops and events
Velocity Growth Hub has been created in line with SEMLEP’s Business Plan and its role to ‘create the right environment for businesses and social enterprises to grow’.
Nice to do business with you!
Think local when it comes to arranging insurance says Martin Blower of A-Plan insurance.
Today’s businesses are faced with a massive choice of how to buy insurance. Many of these will involve either using a computer or dealing with a call centre in some far-flung place but there is another option: shop locally. Businesses that buy insurance locally enjoy advantages over using a distant supplier.
Put a face to a name The first advantage is obvious - you can see the person with whom you are dealing. Pop into the offices, or have them visit you and talk through the insurance you need, instead of trying to pigeon-hole yourself into an online questionnaire or talk long distance on a crackling phone line. if you need to claim there is someone who can talk you through what you need to do, handle the claim for you and fight your corner with the insurer
and when it comes to renewal instead of stating your search from scratch, your local insurance broker will know you can look out for good deals for you in the run-up to your policy renewal date.
Inside knowledge Your local insurance broker will know the issues which can make an area more or less attractive to an insurer and will know which insurers are keenest to accept business that may be rejected elsewhere. If you use an online site you may find that your location or circumstances mean that you are not accepted for insurance which in itself can make it harder to find cover elsewhere a broker will know the market and can shop around on your behalf.
Act Local! To find out more about how your local insurance broker can help you call A-Plan insurance on (01582) 733757 and benefit from local insurance advice that could save you money and protect your business.
Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Issue Two
6
legal
How to achieve a
resolution without the
costs and risks of a trial Pictons’ solicitor Oliver Richbell tells Inspire business magazine that mediation is being chosen instead of litigation in commercial disputes The resolution of commercial disputes rarely occurs in the court room, with approximately 5 per cent of claims issued in the County Court or High Court actually ending in a trial, writes Pictons’ solicitior Oliver Richbell.
The Civil Procedure Rules encourage the parties to consider resolving their disputes before going to court because it’s such a cost effective and time efficient resolution. It is generally accepted that mediation should occur as soon as possible. Pictons conducted a number of mediations in 2013, including several relating to construction and breach of contract disputes. The advantage of hiring an experienced mediation practitioner in a dispute is that there is more likelihood of a successful outcome at mediation.
Instructed
This means that the people involved in commercial litigation disputes are choosing mediation as the most cost effective way of resolving them.
Communication Mediation offers the warring parties a process specifically designed to encourage communication between them in order to agree to a formal settlement. It is widely recognised that 8 out of 10 disputes referred to mediation either agree settlement terms on the day or shortly afterwards. That’s an impressive 80% success rate.
Spring 2014
Pictons were instructed by a client who had commissioned the design and fitting of a bathroom and had paid a significant deposit, in accordance with the company’s terms and conditions. When the bathroom fitting design and work was not able to commence at the agreed date the client asked for the return of his deposit. The bathroom company denied repayment of the deposit and referred to their terms and conditions stating that deposits were nonrefundable. The client had never been provided with a copy of these terms and conditions.
Dispute A complex dispute began over a contract deposit versus part payment. The litigation became highly contentious, involving several legal aspects and looked likely that a court would be required to determine the contractual position of the parties.
The claim value was under £10,000 and as such both parties were potentially facing legal fees that could vastly outweigh the value of the matter. The defendants were seeking to counterclaim against our client for breach of contract and the balance of the quotation price minus the non-refundable deposit. To solve the dispute Pictons invited the defendant and his legal team to refer the dispute to a mediation practitioner and this was agreed. Pictons undertook and prepared a Mediation Position Statement and agreed with the defendant’s solicitors that theirs would be simultaneous exchanged prior to the mediation. The mediation enabled the client to achieve a resolution of their dispute without incurring further and potentially disproportionate legal expenditure.
Knowledge Pictons, through its knowledge and understanding of the mediation process, was able to achieve a several thousand pound payment to the claimant in full and final settlement of the action. The mediation concluded with the parties exchanging handshakes and apologising that it had been necessary for the commencement of litigation and that they looked forward to potentially entering into a future relationship. Pictons understands the nuances and processes, enabling us to advise clients on how and when to get the best out of mediation and how to achieve a final dispute resolution without a prolonged legal process and a costly trial.
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
awards
7
The rewards Beds EXPO
of an award Entering awards could be the cheapest way to market your business this year, says the FSB in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
The FSB Hertfordshire Business Awards were launched at The George, in Harpenden, on February 5 and Bedfordshire’s got underway at Basepoint in Luton on February 12. Awards organiser Damian Cummins, who runs Events & PR in Stony Stratford, said: “Our awards remain free to enter and are easier to enter than ever. “We’ve streamlined the whole entry process this year, adding helpful hints to our entry forms to help busy entrepreneurs make the best entries possible. “For small businesses looking to market their goods and services to a county audience, it could be the most effective marketing exercise this year. Awards are also a fantastic networking opportunity.” Damian, who is also vice chairman of Bedfordshire branch of the FSB, urged all businesses to consider awards as central to their marketing. Enter the Hertfordshire awards at www.fsb.org.uk/hertsawards and the Bedfordshire Awards at www.fsb.org.uk/bedsawards
Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Business owners from the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes area can put their companies in top gear for growth in 2014 at the Beds SME Expo.
Bedford International Athletics Stadium, in Barkers Lane, Bedford, will be taken over by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Business leaders will be able to meet for face-toface networking as well as have guaranteed footfall around their stalls. Beds SME Expo is organised in association with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and is sponsored by the Beds Times & Citizen, Bedford Borough Council and Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Doors will open to visitors from 9.30 am to 1pm and this year’s event is set to top the 2013 Beds SME Expo, when 60 businesses from Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and beyond took exhibition stands. There’s lots going on for free, including entry for visitors, tea and coffee, speed networking and ample free parking. There will also be a networking breakfast and a networking lunch. For more information visit www.bedssmeexpo.co.uk
Issue Two
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business awards
Business good
sports get social In Milton Keynes a business lunch club merges networking with sport, Inspire takes a look Every few months Roger and Sally Fennemore take over Jurys Inn, in Central Milton Keynes and fill it with hundreds of business leaders from companies large and small with the intention of raising as much as possible for SportsAid, a charity that helps put young people on the path to Olympic glory. Milton Keynes Sporting Lunch Club is a great example of businesses giving back to the community – in this case to help talented young people make it to the top in their chosen fields. But there are other examples, like Business In The Community in Luton and Milton Keynes, and Connect Dacorum, in the Hemel Hempstead area, that put businesses in touch with local good causes.
Spring 2014
One of the recent Sporting Lunch Club events saw the Jurys Inn filled with a glittering array of sports stars, including Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford and Olympic silver and world gold badminton medallist Gail Emms. Golden Greg handed over a SportsAid cheque to Izzy Ferrada, winner of the 2013 British BMX Championships. She also won the Greg Rutherford Milton Keynes SportsAid Athlete of the Year Award, sponsored by Milton Keynes College. Down the M1 in Hemel Hempstead, Connect Dacorum promotes the active involvement of local businesses to
improve their Corporate Social Responsibility activities within the local community. Businesses also get a lot back, in the form of positive publicity and exposure at events. Many times however, companies make direct contact with good causes and engage their staff in choosing their charity of the year. More than 90 staff at Mercedes-Benz of Milton Keynes voted unanimously to continue supporting Willen Hospice in 2014 for the ninth consecutive year. The company also generated positive publicity in the local papers by providing a Mercedes-Benz A-Class car for essential Hospice work. Staff are also planning greater involvement through personal volunteering. For more information: MK Sporting Lunch Club www.mksportinglunchclub.co.uk Connect Dacorum www.connectdacorum.org.uk and Business In The Community www.bitc.org.uk
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
business management
9
Unless you run your
business, it will run you! Planning and communication are key elements to success, says Charles Little of Keens Shay Keens in Bedford In the course of my work as a Chartered Accountant, I have worked with hundreds of directors. I have assessed the workings of their companies and how they drive them. In this time I have witnessed both excellent and very poor performers. The very best example of director performance was an aluminium processing company in Bletchley. Here the Managing Director was totally focused on forward planning. With a 31st December year end he would always hold a two- day conference for the six members of his senior management team (SMT) on the 1st and 2nd of December, where he would lay out the most comprehensive plans for the forthcoming year. He would go through it in fine detail such that everyone knew exactly their individual role in achieving the required outcome. I always likened the event to a military campaign where he was the General summarising his heads of staff to engage the regiment in its activities for the next year! The company was financially successful and within 5 years of his appointment as Managing Director turnover grew from £1.5m to £3.75m! It was not a surprise to me when a major public company purchased the company in 1990 and then within 2 years he became the CEO of the acquiring company. So what were the main elements of his business strategy? 1. He set down a detailed plan. 2. Each member of the “SMT” knew their own roles. 3. It was a team effort. 4. There was a financial reward for achievement. 5. Most importantly he provided strong and respected leadership.
So what happens to those in charge of businesses with these weaknesses? If you are not very careful it is a downward spiral which once started is very hard to reverse. You start to lose control, morale starts to ebb away, customer dissatisfaction starts to creep in and financial pressures soon emerge as the business starts to run out of money. In most cases the business pressures then spill over to family life with sometimes very sad consequences.
Fully focused The truth is that you have to run your business, you have to be in charge of what happens, and you have to spend time looking ahead and planning. For sure in today’s financial climate it is a tough call but you have to be fully focused and not get distracted by anything else that takes away your valuable time. Be assured that if you don’t run your business, it will certainly run you. Keens Shay Keens has offices in Bedford, Luton, Biggleswade, and Letchworth. Visit www.ksk.co.uk
Reward For those who say, well look at his resources and the size of the business, no wonder he succeeded, I would say sure, but nevertheless look how you run your business? Is there a plan? Are you looking to how you can improve your business? Do you delegate enough? Do you reward financial success? You can always improve your business performance and the minute you think you cannot then you are in trouble! So what is the other side of the coin? Rather than quoting horror stories I am going to set out my main criticisms of proprietors: 1. Owners who do not provide leadership and do not react quickly enough to events. 2. Owners scared of charging the correct level for their goods and services. 3. Owners who meddle in day to day operations and do not let staff get on with what they are supposed to do. 4. Businesses being under capitalised with far too much emphasis on borrowed monies. 5. Owners spending too much time on troublesome customers who very often are their worst payers whilst not properly looking after their most profitable customers. This is a very common problem! Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Issue Two
10
in your town
There’s something about Mary... Many people associate Dunstable with decline but things are rapidly changing. David Tooley investigates
Some locals refer to it as Deadstable or Dump-stable. Ye Gods, even self-styled retail guru Mary Portas, on national TV, said a map marked with x’s showing closed town centre shops resembled a cemetery. It was a PR disaster. If Mary Portas thinks Dunstable is a basket-case economy, there can’t be much hope, can there? Well actually plenty of people would beg to differ with Mary and they’ve been shouting about it, trying to get their voices heard, ever since Mary dissed Dunstable in 2009. As a journalist I started my career with the local paper, the Dunstable Gazette, and now I still feel an affinity with the place and its traders. The town has been through tough times, with major industries closing, shedding thousands of jobs. There’s also a busy road, the A5, clogging it up. But there are flickering signs that life is stirring once again in a place steeped in history, including a close association with royal head chopper-in-chief, Henry VIII. David Ashlee, town clerk and chief executive of Dunstable Town Council, is one of the modern day defenders of the faith. He was the guest speaker at a meeting of the relatively new Dunstable and Houghton Regis Business Group. It’s organised by Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce. I popped along for the networking opportunity as well as old times’ sake! David told the meeting that the town’s 18 per cent retail vacancy rate is skewed by an array of empty units in the Quadrant Shopping Centre. It’s a 1960s-built centre with no roof. But within the centre there’s a Costa Coffee that always seems
Spring 2014
to be full, a Next that’s reportedly one of the best performers per square foot and a relatively big branch of Boots. Trading in Dunstable can work, if the offer is right, is the message. Doing something with the Quadrant is one of the keys to the regeneration of Dunstable but even if that doesn’t happen immediately, there are other big strategic things happening. The government has confirmed to local MP Andrew Selous that the long-awaited A5-M1 link road work will start soon. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander confirmed it in public in the House of Commons. The link should take traffic away from town and provide fast direct access from Leighton Buzzard and Linslade to the national motorway network at a new junction 11a of the M1 north of Dunstable. That’ll mean more roadworks on that section of the motorway but local MP Mr Selous believes it will be good in the long run. Mr Selous said: “That is excellent news for the whole area and will give businesses and local people even more confidence that South West Bedfordshire is a good place to live, work and grow a successful business.” I have my doubts about how effective it will be but the link road is a crucial part of the redevelopment jigsaw. On on a strategic level, along with a new link road from the Woodside Industrial Estate to the M1, the plan is to detrunk the A5 to get the big trucks out of town. With less traffic, the town centre should become much more pleasant. That’s the theory, anyway. Then there is the controversial Luton Dunstable Busway, built at the cost of a whopping £91million. People like Nigel Young, a battlehardened local councillor who hails from the north of England, believe by providing a link for
employees in the area, including new housing allowed to the north of Houghton Regis, to Luton Airport and beyond, makes the town more attractive to inward investment. For Mr Ashlee the “jury is out” on the busway even though he believes it will prove to be successful in the longer run. But he added that hundreds of millions of government and private sector investment, it makes for a positive future for the town. Among the investments are Prologis UK developing a new distribution centre, with the creation of an estimated 550 new jobs, a multimillion pound investment in Central Bedfordshire College and a new business centre, called Incuba, to the north of the town. Dunstable Town Council is also putting £500,000 a year into supporting business-friendly initiatives. It has taken over the running of town centre toilets, gives money to Central Bedfordshire Council to get free parking days and gives business rates reductions. The council spends £100,000 on big events and £25,000 on its Christmas lights when it really doesn’t have to by law. It also supported the PopUp Dunstable initiative, designed to give small businesses the chance to get a foothold on the high street. There are also longer term plans to relocate the outdoor market which is currently tucked away between a big Methodist church and a Wilkinson and regenerate a shopping centre called Eleanor’s Cross. So there’s plenty going on and perhaps its time for sourpuss Mary Portas to pay a return visit, eat her words and realise that the crosses on the map aren’t signs of a cemetery but indicators of where the treasure has been buried.
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
marketing 11
Social media is not the be all and end all of marketing Simon Kemp of Bartham Group tells Inspire business m agazine why top quality print is vital to your company’s marketing Some people believe the internet is the only game in town when it comes to absolutely anything and everything. They happily hand over their credit card and bank details to people they have never met for vital business services. They believe everyone is always online and will see your posts on social media. Some experts believe this is because the internet lives in your home. You don’t live with sales people all the time but that is what the internet is when it comes to quality print services. At Bartham Group we believe there is quite simply no substitute for quality design and high production values. A great brochure, leaflet or poster is vital to your image. And unlike posts on social media sites, a great quality leaflet or brochure is always around.
You shouldn’t shirk from top quality print and production values as a part of your marketing mix. Top quality is in our DNA. Internet printing services are often advertised as being really cheap but that is not always true. We are confident our print prices and turnaround time cannot be beaten. Crucially we’re proud that our customer service is second to none. If you’re not sure when print may be better than something posted online, we’re happy to advise. If you’re new to print services, don’t know how many leaflets, brochures or business cards to order, let us help. We will also help with queries on leaflet distribution or the most effective places to display posters. Our highly satisfied print customers include Luton Town FC and Wembley Stadium. Also takeaways, theatres, charities, major corporations and everything in between.
We’re proud of what we do and are always happy to advise and help. Contact Bartham Group by emailing info@ barthamgroup.co.uk , phoning 01582 573471 or visit www.barthamgroup.com
We’ll help you leave a rather more lasting impression Sometimes it’s not about the right here, right now. Sometimes it’s about creating something that will stay in the mind and make a lasting impact. When that’s what you need, we’re the people to talk to. Always reliable, ever professional with the passion and expertise to deliver a more enduring product. Call us today to find out more.
Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Issue Two
12
feature
Picking up the Being made redundant for the third time was a big blow for Sue Larrett Thomas but she dusted her self down and got going with a new business Redundancy ended up being a stepping stone to a better lifestyle for former journalist Sue Larrett Thomas. But at the time it didn’t feel like that – in fact it felt as if her world was turned upside down. A reliable income was taken away and Sue had to rebuild her life. No matter that your employer says it’s just a ‘numbers’ game, it feels like a very personal rejection says Sue. She should know, it happened three times during her career as a journalist.
Confidence
Photograph byJane Russell Photography www.jarphoto.co.uk
Spring 2014
“If there’s even a whiff of it in the air where you work, start planning an alternative, she advises. “Redundancy knocks your confidence and having a new plan for the next stage of your life is the start of building yourself up again.” Sue, 55, is now her own boss, setting up a new venture, Threads from The Shed, making children’s clothes in a shed at the bottom of her garden in Newport Pagnell, near Milton Keynes. “I’d had enough of someone else being in charge of my life. The first time I was made redundant, I was in my 30s, you bounce back. The second time was a huge blow, coming as it did just after a divorce. “Both produce feelings of grief, anger, resentment - and a sense of freedom. But you can’t give in to life’s hard knocks. Put a smile on your face and get back out there!
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
feature 13
threads Mobile phones are increasingly important for business. They aren’t just text and voice communication machines, they are powerful handheld computers. Mobile phones now are a huge database of information about us, our businesses, our customers and our contacts. But how many of us pay as much attention to security on our phones as we do to our PCs, laptops and tablets?
Defence Free antivirus apps like Avast! can provide a first line of defence against mobile data breaches. Phones and tablets with internet connection are just as vulnerable to hacking attacks as desktops. Phones can also be made more secure by setting a password to unlock the screen. And there are also tracking apps for mobiles which can locate them if they are lost or stolen. Better safe than sorry!
Photograph byJane Russell Photography www.jarphoto.co.uk
“My third redundancy was when I was editor of a lifestyle magazine. I was in my 50s by this time and the joys of the menopause had also hit me with all its angst, pains and personal sauna trauma. “But I am a firm believer in positivity. I took a gap year – that’s 12 months of more holiday than work! I got married again to a wonderful man and when my step-granddaughter was born – it inspired me to start sewing. “I rediscovered how satisfying a craft could be. Threads from The Shed was born. Designing, making, PR and marketing, networking – and making tea – I do everything - with support from loving family and friends. “I know that sound advice is to never turn a hobby into a business, but timing is everything and the current trend for all things handmade and vintage is proving to be perfect.” Sue recently had a stall at the quarterly MK Handmade and Vintage Craft Fair at the Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, organised by vintage furniture businesswoman Jacqui Lewis. There were 120 stalls – and many more crafters on the waiting list, wanting access to the city’s shoppers.
Networking “The importance of networking with like-minded people, not just on social media, but face to face is essential for your sanity, ” said Sue. “I’m not aiming to be a millionaire, I just want a happy life. I have it. I love working in my shed watching my vegetables grow.” Suethomas1@me.com www.facebook.com/ThreadsFromTheShed www.threadsfromtheshed.com Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Issue Two
14
networking
Businesses find a voice in the north of Luton Inspire business magazine takes a look at the formation of Futures Business Voice in a deprived part of Luton Companies in North Luton have agreed to come together once a month to network in a different kind of way following the launch of a new business forum. A diverse group of businesses gathered at the Marsh Farm Futures building in the middle of the sprawling but, according to government indicators, a socially deprived estate for the second time on Wednesday, January 29. The building itself sits in The Moakes, a stone’s throw from the Purley Centre, which contains shops and businesses in a setting which can at best be said to have gone well past its sell-by date. At worst it is grim. There are plans to demolish the Purley Centre and replace it with something a lot more modern. It sits in stark contrast to the gleaming, multi-million pound Marsh Farm Futures building on the other side of the road. Marsh Farm Futures looks a bit like the side of one of those luxury ocean liners and has a mixture of businesses and service providers calling it home.
Gem There are 32 offices and three retail units, a café and conference facilities. It’s a gem of a place that many still don’t know exists and the first meeting on December 4, 2013 was intended to help businesses to grow. Perhaps eventually they would move in and help the area regenerate. That’s the theory, anyway. Companies at the meeting included a couple who have set up a care business to look after challenged children, a printing company, lawyers, people who run businesses elsewhere but who live in the area and people who are doing it for themselves in the patch.
Spring 2014
I do not live in the area but with this networking lark you’ve got to get yourself out and about to all kinds of meetings and offer yourself to customers. To some this may be heresy but I don’t believe doing business is all about marketing online. There has got to be an element of actually meeting people face-to-face and finding out what makes them tick. As well as the usual speeches, including from a team from Luton Borough Council outlining the support available and the fact there is a procurement portal on the authority’s website, there was a brave attempt to listen to what the people there wanted a business group to actually do.
Collaboration People want to network with people in what was called a “real way” by forming loose associations and collaboration to make their own businesses much stronger. I like that kind of capitalism, it’s a caring, sharing kind of business where people aren’t in it just for themselves.
Obviously everyone wants to make a living, to pay the bills, but this was deeper than that and I like it. Local authority procurement also raised its head, as it usually does in business meetings. But this forum, by discussing issues, actually came up with what could be a solution. If businesses can be informed of local council contracts with enough time, perhaps they could collaborate in putting forward bids. What a great idea!
Business-focussed The usual business bugbears arose, like rate relief, red tape reduction and support, shortage of skills, business rates. Interestingly, people also raised issues of difficulties over planning and building control and the need for an information checklist for start-up firms. Business-focused training was also on the agenda, things like the use of social media. The organisers say the feedback from delegates has been “very encouraging and positive to set up the business forum”. Now the “challenge to begin the process and address priorities and issues” has begun.
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expo 15
Huge expo in Milton Keynes
aims for national status Business exhibitions can be compared to the church fete, at least in the mind of Inspire business magazine’s David Tooley Anyone who has visited a good business expo will be amazed by the buzz of constant chatter and flap of business cards being exchanged. To compare a business expo to a church fete does them a bit of a disservice but not much. Mrs Miggins on the bric-a-brac stall can be much pushier than a solicitor at a business expo! You can get a good idea how businesses are doing at expos. OK, so nobody who’s going to one is going to stand there saying “business is so gloomy, I feel awful” because the visitors would soon give them a wide berth. But the positivity of a good one does rub off; it’s genuinely exciting. And these days a business exhibition is much more focused on added value, unlike the church fete.
Networking The events give a chance for businesses to do a bit of networking, over breakfast, lunch, or both, as well as attending seminars on motivation, sales, marketing etc. And they don’t drag on all day, either. The organisers of business events are much more focused on what their customers want. Business Expo 3.0 on Thursday, March 6, 2014, is likely to be the biggest expo in the area this year. Last year’s event saw 100 exhibitors and 1,500 delegates visit Stadium MK, Milton Keynes. The organisers have ambitions to create the largest business show outside of London and Birmingham. Victoria Beale, CEO of Rapid Sales Solutions LTD and founder of the Business Expo 3.0 said: “We could never have imagined the response we received to the first expo in 2013. We attracted national and international businesses to Milton Keynes including easyJet, Silverstone, Experian, but it was also a powerful platform for
local businesses such as Mirus IT, David Lock Associates and Julia Charles Management. There will be inspiring key speakers as well as 16 workshops on topics from ‘lead generation’, ‘social media’, to ‘auto enrolment’ and ‘finance’.
Ambitious Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Andrew Geary is typically ambitious for what is often called the new city. He said: “We will once again be stressing the value delivered by local MK businesses on an international scale, and the strategic location that Milton Keynes provides to serve the global marketplace. “Milton Keynes is always referred to as the place to be – and there are many, many good reasons for that.” Among the exhibitors at Business Expo 3.0 will be the Buckinghamshire Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Another expo will be held in Milton Keynes on Friday, April 25. Called the MK Expo it will be held at The Hilton Hotel, Timbold Drive, Kents
Hill, Milton Keynes. The FSB across the county boundary in Bedfordshire is supporting another expo, the Beds SME Expo, at Bedford International Athletics Stadium, in Barkers Lane, Bedford, on Thursday, March 13, 2014. See page 7 for more details of that. Beds SME Expo is organised in association with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and is sponsored by the Beds Times & Citizen, Bedford Borough Council and Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce. These aren’t the only expos going on across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire this year. Keep an eye on these websites for more details and opportunities to promote your business – without the pressure of buying from Mrs Miggins at the church fete! For more details on Expo 3.0 visit: www.national-expo.co.uk The Beds SME Expo: www.bedssmeexpo.co.uk Best Business Expo: www.bestbusinessexpo. co.uk/shendish-manor-hemel-hempsteadmarch-2014/ Dacorum Borough Council expos: www.dacorumlooknofurther.co.uk/home The Hertfordshire Business Expo: www.thehertfordshirebusinessexpo.co.uk/ The MK Expo: www.mkexpo.co.uk
Expo 3.0’s Victoria Beale, Milton Keynes South MP Iain Stewart and Len Beale at a House of Commons dinner
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Issue Two
16
marketing
A picture says a thousand words Professional photographer Dave Pickering of AC Photography looks at issues about images
If a picture says a thousand words... if they are blurred, copied or picked off a website everyone else uses that won’t say much positive about your business. Potential clients develop a first impression of you within three seconds of viewing your marketing materials. Whether you like it or not, potential clients immediately decide on the quality of services you likely offer, based on the quality of images you use to represent them. That goes for everything from cups and saucers to financial products. Everyone needs to be cost conscious but using the ‘guy in the warehouse’ with his new digital camera, might not be the best value photography if it’s losing you business. Most people’s shop window these days is through a website which potential customers find on Google. What happens when you find a website with low-quality, poorly composed and ill-lit images on their pages?
Spring 2014
You probably, as most would do – close the website, go back to Google and move to the next option. The same applies if you pick up sales literature and the images do not grab your attention, you move on to the next leaflet / flyer or brochure. Decisions are made instantly and often subconsciously. Great images are extremely important when establishing any brand as professional and high quality. Professional photographers are trained in how to put people, products and buildings in the best possible light. That is a must to convey the quality of products, service, staff and business and should be first choice. Your clients want to see who they’re really working with, so professional team headshots are ideal. We regularly see clients wanting to use images they have saved from the Internet without permission, to use in their marketing materials. Even if you’re pretty sure you won’t get caught, don’t ever do this. It’s copyright infringement, which is illegal and unethical, so don’t even consider it. There are companies and software programs out there, whose sole purpose is to find and take legal action on any illegally, used images. It can be very costly! While it will take a bit of an investment up front, using quality images is non-negotiable if you want to establish your business as credible and professional. In our nine years of trading we have developed the 4Ps as this covers all aspects of commercial
photography – products, people, premises and process. The first three speak for themselves, but an area we are particularly passionate about is ‘process’. Every company has some kind of process in order to function and create the very product or service they supply. We regularly find this is ignored as many companys presume their clients only want to see the final product. The process can offer some great images and complete your story.
Great images Mundane manufacturing tasks to you, seen everyday can create great images – sparks, splashes, speed, volume, ingredients, components, knobs, buttons, displays, and engineering are all potential for great images. And a customer might want to see what goes into the product being purchases, especially if there is a choice of yours and any competitors! Contact AC Photography by phoning 01582 600123, emailing info@acpclick.com or visit www.acpclick.com
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
business funding 17
Lifting the lid on start-up funds A decision has been made to open up applications for a new business loans scheme All enterprising individuals of any age looking to access finance and mentoring support to start a business can now apply for a start up loan. The Start Up Loans Company has confirmed the extension following a recommendation from Lord David Young early in 2013. It makes everyone across England, Northern Ireland and Wales eligible to apply for a Start Up Loan for business funding. The government’s Start Up Loans scheme recently awarded its 10,000th loan of £10,000 to a budding entrepreneur from Cornwall. Allen Martin, a Royal Navy veteran, runs Eclipse Property Cornwall, which manages properties on behalf of landlords.
Mentoring The thousands of businesses that have been backed by Start Up Loans have all received help putting together their plan and pitch, have secured start-up funding and are now all undergoing mentoring. Start up Loans has now lent more than £50 million to entrepreneurs and aims to support 30,000 new businesses with £151 million by 2015. James Caan, chairman of the Start Up Loans Company said: “Providing this vitally needed funding and support for fledgling businesses is exactly what our country requires, creating jobs, and strengthening the economy, improving enterprise. “There is still much work to be done; now we have lifted the age cap our focus has to be on helping all entrepreneurs of all ages come forward to start their business.” Invented by Lord Young, the Prime Minister’s Enterprise Advisor, Start Up Loans was created within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. £14 million of the funding announced by the Prime Minister in September is designed specifically to support new participants in the Department of Work and Pensions’ New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme from October 1, 2013.
Lifeblood Prime Minister David Cameron said: “New businesses are the lifeblood of a healthy, expanding economy: a symbol of aspiration and a source of jobs, that’s why Start-Up Loans matter to me - and it’s why they’re a key part of my plan for Britain.” Following the lifting of the age cap, The Prime Minister announced that The Start Up Loans Company will also work towards providing Sharia compliant finance. Visit – www.startuploans.co.uk. Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
Business is
booming! Make sure you’re part of it. Advertise with Inspire.
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Issue Two
18
finance
Thinking ahead is key to tax planning John Wright sets out a checklist of vital issues to consider
With the 2013 personal tax return deadline having passed, now is a good time to consider ways in which you can minimise your tax liability for the current tax year ending on April 5 2014 and also plan further ahead. The following checklist covers some areas to consider: Family • As a family, are you using your personal allowances and basic rate tax bands effectively? For example, married couples and civil partners may be able to transfer income-producing assets to their spouse to save tax overall. • Check that you are claiming the correct amount of tax credits. • Review your current PAYE notice of coding to ensure that you are being properly taxed. Pensions • Have you considered your pension contributions? These are very tax efficient payments, although are subject to limits. • Do you have an up-to-date State Pension forecast? Charitable Donations • Higher rate tax payers can reduce their tax liability by making donations. Have you made all your intended donations in the year?
Spring 2014
Investments Take advantage of tax free investments. Have you reviewed your ISA allowances for the current year! • Review your investment portfolio. Is it tax efficient? Higher risk investments made under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) or via a Venture Capital Trust (VCT) can provide generous tax breaks. Businesses • Owner-managed businesses might consider whether they can gain from transferring their business into a Limited Company. • Consider bringing forward any intended capital expenditure so that it is made prior to the year-end rather than after. Capital Gains Tax • Have you used your annual exemption for the year, currently £10,900? • Consider transferring assets with built in gains to your spouse or civil partner if they have unused capital losses and/or annual exemption. Inheritance Tax • Have you fully made use of the annual gift exemption of up to £3,000? • Do you have an up-to-date will? Not all of the above measures will be suitable for everyone, and it is essential that you take advice in the context of your own specific circumstances. At Stoten Gillam, we offer an initial free consultation and shall be pleased to meet with anybody concerned with minimising their tax liability.
•
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
Digital marketing
19
Giving your website an
international edge could do wonders for your business Inspire business magazine attended a seminar near Aylesbury to find out more Did you know, asks David Tooley, that there are nearly twice as many internet users in Asia as there are in Europe? Or in terms of languages used, some 70 per cent of searches are not in English? For those reasons attendees at a seminar in Buckinghamshire on January 14 were told that UK companies not attempting to communicate with international audiences are missing a massive opportunity. Russell Fowler, of FuelDefend Global Limited, in Gerrards Cross, said his company, which employs six people and exports fuel anti-siphon equipment to 100 countries, had seen his business improve no end by implementing an international strategy. Russell told the Simply Exporting – Customise Your Website event that investing in a UKTI export communications review would be the “best £250 you’ll ever spend”. But he advised people to invest in good translation services to make sure the vital wording is correct. UK Trade & Investment export communications consultant Notburga Preining told the seminar at Holiday Inn, Weston Turville, near Aylesbury, that it was “highly likely” that Chinese would soon overtake English as the most used language on the internet. The country with the biggest population on the planet alone had 538,000,000 internet users in June 2012, she said. Notburga said potential customers stay for twice as long on a website if it has elements in their own language. And crucially they are four times more likely to buy from a website in their own language
Language Making websites look more than a parochial UK portal can be achieved with country pages, language pages and agent and/or distributor websites. Higher level domains were also available in non-Latin alphabets. In terms of the language used, Notburga said it was important to invest in good quality, well explained international English, containing no acronyms or cultural references. The copy must not contain typos and should be professionally copywritten and proof read. It can then be translated into other languages. But she added that many pieces of copy, when translated, can be much longer than when in English. The use of Google translate was also a subject of discussion and while there was agreement that it is a “very good thing” it will have errors. Seminar attendees also heard how the principles of good search engine optimisation held as true in the international arena as they do in domestic dynamic websites. That includes updating content, including tags on images, good questions and answers and in sitemaps. Austrian-born Notburga, who also speaks basic French and Italian, added that it is also important to remember that Google, although dominant in many markets around the world, holds much less of a grip in Russia. In the USA, Bing and Yahoo are major players. She added that every day Google answers more than one billion questions from people around the globe in 181 countries and 146 languages. Yahoo attracts more than half a billion consumers every month in more than 30 languages. The message from the Buckinghamshire Business First event was for companies to raise their sights and start to think on a global basis but not just for manufacturers, companies in the service sector can be in there, too! For more information contact UKTI www.ukti.gov.uk Please mention Inspire Magazine when responding to advertisements.
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Issue Two
20
business funding
Firms win share
of £2.5million Grants4Growth Grant awarding body aims to help at least 100 local businesses over the next 24 months, Inspire takes a look A Luton-based manufacturing company has secured £20,000 and been crowned Bedfordshire’s first company to win a share of the new £2.5million Grants4Growth funding pot.
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Spring 2014
Islebest Ltd, which employs 32 people is using the grant to help purchase a Trumpf laser cutting machine. Paul Burchmore, managing director of Islebest, said: “The Grants4Growth funding will enable us to actively pursue a 15per cent annual sales increase and create four additional jobs.” A second Bedfordshire firm, Woottonbased engineering company Model Products, has also received support from the Grants4Growth programme and has been awarded a grant of almost £2,000 to invest in cutting edge equipment. The business, which employs six craftsmen, has its origins in the production of fine detail models although in recent years it has concentrated on larger, prototype assemblies for research establishments, the oil, aerospace and civil engineering industries. Managing director Ben Lyons explained: “Advances in technology have increased customers’ expectations for accurate miniaturisation and the grant has helped us
to invest in a Formlabs 3D printer and a laser profiling machine to be able to secure work in these markets. “The equipment allows us to produce very small parts to a very high accuracy and we will also be employing a draughtsman to ensure that we take advantage of the extra capabilities it gives us and to handle all of the extra work which we will get”. Grants4Growth provides finance for growth, helping businesses invest in new technologies and equipment, creating and safeguarding jobs, improving their efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint. The programme is being managed by the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), with Business Broker James Stancombe coordinating the local programme. James aims to help at least 100 local businesses over the next 24 months, which in turn will help to generate at least 40new jobs and safeguard many others. Grants4Growth is a free grants programme for small and medium sized businesses; it includes both capital and revenue grants. The grants are available for business wanting to:
• • • •
Invest in technology or processes that facilitate growth, improve resilience or create/safeguard jobs Put in place efficiency initiatives in the form of waste, water or energy efficiency, recovery or reduction Invest in technology and processes to reduce the environmental impact of operations Revenue grants are available to businesses seeking specialist consultancy advice, support and studies to promote, market or maintain low carbon and environmental goods and services.
Find out more by talking to Business Broker James Stancombe on 01234 436100, 07920 246813 or via email james@semlep.com.
Editorial and advertising enquiries: inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk | 07931 973967
community news 21
Opening up the economic regeneration of Luton area When transport minister Norman Baker officially opened the £91 million Luton Dunstable Busway in September 2013 it was welcomed as a key part of the regeneration of the sub-region. For the first time there is a sustainable public transport link from Toddington, Houghton Regis and Dunstable via Luton to London Luton Airport. At the time of writing the airport was waiting for final approval for a £100m investment. And overall there are exciting things happening in the town. Money is pouring into the area with improvements to the M1 junction 10a and, finally, the final stage of the town’s much-needed inner ring road is being constructed. The Luton Dunstable Busway is the second longest guided busway in the world and the longest in an urban environment. Supported by the Department for Transport, the busway has been pioneered by Luton and Central Bedfordshire Councils to give people a highquality real alternative to the frequent and frustrating traffic queues between Houghton Regis, Dunstable and Luton. Local bus companies Arriva, Centrebus and Grant Palmer are running four new routes that together provide core services between Dunstable and Luton up to every eight minutes at peak times. Journey time between the two town centres on the traffic-free guideway is just 15 minutes. Although the investment has been controversial, it has been supported by two councils and businesses as opening up a wealth of opportunities for speedy and hassle-free journeys to work, university, college or school, shopping, the theatre or just catching up with friends. Via the new bus-rail Interchange at Luton Station and London Luton Airport there are onward connections available to London together with regional, national and international destinations.
Luton Town Centre Scheme After a wait of 40 years, work is finally underway to complete Luton’s inner ring road. The £24 million Luton Town Centre Transport Scheme aims to tackle congestion issues by removing through-traffic from the town centre, and also providing additional improvements for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. An inner ring road for Luton was started in the 1970s but only the southern section was completed. Hucklesby Way was then opened
in 2003. With demolition works having already begun, the previous Transport Minister Norman Baker formally marked the start of on-route works during his visit to Luton to open the Luton Dunstable Busway and Luton Station Interchange. The Government is supporting the Town Centre Transport Scheme with £15.8 million funding from the Department for Transport. At the centre of the project is a new two-way singlecarriageway ‘Gateway Link’ road which will run from the junction of Hucklesby Way and Old Bedford Road as far as a new signal-controlled junction with Church Street and Hitchin Road. This section of the route runs between Midland Road and the railway line and passes under the station multistorey car park. The route then continues into Crescent Road to another new signalled-controlled junction with Crawley Green Road, and from there the next section will be dual carriageway as far as St Mary’s roundabout. The scheme includes two new bridges, to cross the mainline railway and the Luton Dunstable Busway, and also a shared cycle/pedestrian route. A new access road will run from Gillam Street to serve Midland Road while Guildford Street will be closed to through traffic to enable an improved pedestrian connection between the new railway-bus interchange and the town centre via a proposed new public square. The Luton Town Centre Transport Scheme is being supported as having the potential to deliver major benefits for Luton’s retail sector and greatly improves prospects for the delivery of major regeneration, including the proposed mixed-use developments at Power Court and High Town Village and extensions to The Mall shopping centre. It could also help release much-needed funding for the improvement of Luton station.
Junction 10a Scheme Preliminary works on long-awaited highway improvements at M1 Junction 10a have begun
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following the Department for Transport’s confirmation of final permission for the £30 million scheme. The scheme will tackle significant queues and congestion experienced at the junction by removing the existing roundabout and widening the M1 spur road to three lanes in each direction between Junction 10 and Capability Green. The scheme is vital to securing jobs and business growth in Luton and this is said to be fantastic news for the town. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced provisional funding of £19.5 million for the project in October 2011, and this year confirmed a further award of £5.3 million from its Regional Growth Fund. The full scheme will see two new roundabouts built to allow road users to join and leave both the widened M1 spur and a realigned London Road, with pedestrian and cycle routes also provided. The Council will be working hard to minimise impact on the environment and any additional delays for motorists during construction, and to advise people to allow extra time in particular for their journeys to and from London Luton Airport.
Issue Two
22
in the news
In the news Business top Bean The Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, Martin Bean, has been appointed as a Business Ambassador by the UK Government. He joins a group of leading figures from a range of sectors, selected to help strengthen the UK’s overseas business networks and promote the UK on the international stage.
Martin Bean has been the Vice-Chancellor of the UK’s largest university since 2009. In that time he has been invited to join the Prime Minister on several overseas trade delegations, the latest being to China in December last year. His appointment as a Business Ambassador means he will have a role in promoting the UK abroad and raising the country’s reputation as a place to do business. Trade and Investment Minister Lord Livingston said: “Exports to high-growth
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markets like China, India and Brazil are at all-time highs and the UK is the number one destination for foreign investment in Europe. However there is still more to do to.
Support “This means more support for mediumsized and small companies looking to export, more determination to attract industry from around the world to our shores and a resolve to make sure that British firms benefit from trade deals that are being negotiated.”
Planning relaxation Central Bedfordshire Council is proposing a Local Development Order (LDO) that will relax some planning restrictions to help businesses on the Woodside Estate in Dunstable to make changes and expand.
inspire@communitycommunications.co.uk Spring 2014
As part of the council’s drive to boost economic growth in Dunstable and help businesses grow, it is consulting on a LDO that covers the Woodside Estate, Nimbus Park, Foster Avenue, Arenson Way, Apex Business Centre and Eastern Avenue. The consultation will run to 28 February. Cllr Nigel Young, Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Economic Development, at Central Bedfordshire Council said: “The sort of things we are talking about are certain changes of use, new windows shutters and doors, new mezzanine floors, sub division of units, installation of solar panels and new fencing. “It will also allow them to extend existing buildings up to 25 per cent of their current footprint or 1200sqm (whichever is the greater) provided they stay within their current plot and even allows new builds of up to 1200sqm.”
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in the news 23
Superfast Council finds broadband Missing link Milton Keynes Council, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Council are working in partnership with BDUK (the Government’s superfast programme) and BT Openreach to introduce new superfast broadband infrastructure to their areas.
Bedford Borough Council has secured grant funding totalling nearly £16million to deliver the final section of the Bedford Western Bypass and is publishing Compulsory Purchase Orders to secure the land required for construction.
The £9.24 million joint superfast broadband programme will build on the existing fibre networks already provided by BT’s commercial investment.
The council has confirmed it is now in a position to fund the construction of the final section itself and is no longer relying on financial contributions from the adjacent housing development. Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, said: “A completed Bedford Western Bypass will deliver new investment and jobs, ease congestion and get Bedford moving.
On target Central Bedfordshire Council is on target to deliver high-speed broadband (24Mbps) to approximately 90 per cent of premises in Central Bedfordshire by the end of 2016, with all areas set to receive services of 2 Mbps or more. The arrival of superfast broadband is an important investment that can completely transform the way people live and work. For businesses, it can help deliver a competitive edge, which will help them attract new customers and find new, more efficient ways of working. For households, it’s ideal for quick and efficient online access to public services, education, research, entertainment, shopping and social networking.
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Clear case “The case for a completed western bypass has been clear for more than 30 years and securing the money required means we have taken a major step forward to turn this pipe dream into a reality.” The Council has secured £4million in Growth Area Funding, £4.975million from the Homes and Communities Agency, £4.5million from the Department for Transport and the principle of a £2.5 million allocation from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership. It is expected that it will take 18 months to complete.
Issue Two
Step forward... Entering its fifth year, the Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards is now the area’s premier celebration which honours the outstanding achievements and commitment of local voluntary and charity organisations, of individuals and of local businesses who put something back into the area rather than simply trading for profit. We’re inviting businesses to be part of the awards by becoming a sponsor. It’s a fantastic way to demonstrate your faith and commitment to the area and the whole community who work hard to make a difference. If you’re interested in hearing how sponsoring an award can benefit your business, please get in touch.
AWARDS
2014
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