South East Business August/September 2020

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JO WORBY

Lessons from lockdown and finding the right work-life balance

SOUTH EAST

southeastbusiness.com

www.southeastbusiness.com SOUTH EAST BUSINESS Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Christine Rayner AD PRODUCTION Studio Manager: Jo Legg

NEWS 4 5

Further help needed

6

Boost for horticultural research

7

Successful first half of 2020

8

Sussex soap company reaches finals

jo.legg@kelsey.co.uk Graphic Designer: James Pitchford MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright

New drive to support small businesses

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Phil Weeden MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick FINANCE DIRECTOR: Joyce Parker-Sarioglu PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty HR & OPERATIONS MANAGER: Charlotte Whittaker RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton

REGULARS 10

Cover story

12

The Boss

26

Money

30

Commercial property

32

Training

34 36

Movers and shakers

40

Arts & culture

SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 020 3148 5000 PRINTING Precision Colour Print Kelsey Media 2020 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers.

Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received.

The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.

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Managing partner of law firm Brachers shares her passions for equal rights, keeping the team informed and encouraging us to be kind to each other.

If anyone can find positives among the gloom and uncertainty of Covid-19, it’s Mark Lumsdon-Taylor.

A post Covid-19 perspective on international trade.

New life for factory.

Moving online works for business course.

Legal

Selection checklist.

Red light support.

CONTENTS

14 16 28 38

Innovators A small company developing “eye in the sky” technology has thrived in lockdown, by providing vital support for humanitarian projects.

Covid-19 As the world starts to recover from the pandemic, we look at how businesses in the South East can prepare themselves and how some are bouncing back.

Construction Decontamination measures have been devised to ensure work can continue safely on construction sites.

Motoring Mercedes-Benz A-Class v BMW 1 Series

Farewell and thank you I’m sorry to announce that this will be the final issue of South East Business. It’s been a great pleasure to have edited the magazine for the past four years and I’m sorry to see it go.

During my time in the editor’s seat, I’ve met a host of fascinating characters who have made me feel welcome. Entrepreneurs who have braved the odds to create fascinating, intricate and niche businesses; long-established companies who have survived the ups and downs of the ever-changing UK economy to continue to serve their customers. All good, hard-working and generous people who forgave my ignorance in their particular field and spent time patiently explaining what it was all about.

Thank you to everyone – contributors, readers and colleagues – for allowing me to share some of the wonders of business life in the South East. It’s been an honour.

Christine Rayner, Editor

03

News

Further help needed From August, employers will have to pay national insurance contributions (NICs) and pension contributions for furloughed staff. From next month, the percentage of employee wages paid through the Job Retention Scheme to furloughed staff will be reduced in stages, with employers taking on an increasing proportion of pay for those who are furloughed.

Firms in England that hire an apprentice aged between 16 and 24 between now and January will receive £2,000. Those that hire new apprentices aged 25 and over will be paid £1,500. New figures show that apprenticeship starts in May of this year

stood at 9,000, down 60% from this time last year.

Commenting on the developments, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chairman Mike Cherry said: “One in five small firms have been forced to let staff go over the last three months.

Even with critical emergency measures in place, jobs are sadly being lost in the here and now. As we look to the autumn, it’s clear that we cannot afford to pull up the business support drawbridge any time soon.

“Giving firms £1,000 for every employee they bring back from furlough is welcome, but Job Retention Bonus funds won’t manifest until next year – jobs are being lost today.

04

hitting the right note Crawley-based corporate finance specialists Watersheds have enabled a couple who transformed their specialist violin shop into a thriving online retail business to sell their business, despite the Covid-19 lockdown.

In a deal led and executed by corporate finance specialists Watersheds, who have an office in The Beehive Building at Gatwick, online retailer The String Zone Limited has been sold to wholesale distributor Strings and Things.

Andrew and Gillian Riley founded The String Zone Limited in 2004 to supply strings and accessories for violins, violas, cellos and double basses to augment their traditional violin shop. But as the nature of retail changed, they took the online part of their business away from the physical confines of their Egham-based shop, which was known as Andrew

Riley Violins in order to further develop The String Zone and refocus it as an independent company.

When they took the decision to retire last year they discussed their plans with Watersheds, who generated a lot of interest in the business. Strings and Things, a wholesale distributor of musical instruments and accessories based in Shoreham by Sea, saw particular value in the business.

The advent of lockdown brought some particular challenges to progressing the sale, but Watersheds partner Dan Wright, said that by using some creative solutions the deal went through almost as normal. “The pandemic meant the buyer couldn’t inspect premises to see how stock was stored, and how much space it took up, for example,” said Dan. “So we organised a virtual video tour for the buyer, which put their mind at rest.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

“In addition to job retention, the Chancellor should be looking at job creation. Nine in ten people who moved from unemployment back into work following the crash did so via a small business or self-employment. This recession will be deeper than the last, and the annual cost of running a small business has soared by at least £60,000 since 2011, primarily due to rising employment costs.

“That’s why we’re seeking help for employers where NICs are concerned, either through an uprating of the Employment Allowance or a NICs holiday for firms who employ those furthest from the workplace.

Jim Cunliffe, FSB Sussex Area leader, added: “Greater incentives to take on apprentices in England are much needed. Policymakers have to ensure that proposed funds reach the small firms that can make a difference with minimal bureaucracy. More than 90% of apprentices employed by small businesses are under the age of 25. Once again, this is money that will take several months, at the very least, to reach firms.

“It’s great that more small businesses in England can finally open their doors after months of no revenue coming in. Further targeted support for those having to remain shut is urgently needed, especially in areas where local lockdowns are in place, as is help for the hundreds and thousands of people – including company directors and the newly self-employed – who have received no support at all for more than 130 days.”

› Gillian and Andrew Riley of

The String Zone, foreground, with Dan Wright of Watersheds

News

NEW DRIVE BT has announced an unprecedented package of support to help the 939,000 small businesses. In the launch of BT’s Small Business Support Scheme the company introduces a range of new measures to help small business boost their connectivity, cash flow and confidence – key concerns which have been identified by Small Business Britain’s recent surveys of its membership.

BT’s action plan includes a commitment to pay its 4,500 small business suppliers promptly and within 30 days of being invoiced, to helping firms fund the cost of ultrafast business connections, as well as access to free resources such as business mentoring, digital skills, marketing tools and mental health support.

BT’s Small Business Support Scheme comprises the following measures: • Funding ultrafast business connections: BT is helping small businesses fund the cost of an ultrafast business connection (known as an Ethernet line), by subsidising the total cost by up to £2,500 per customer.

• Launching bursaries for UK tech start-ups: BT is introducing a new bursary scheme to give 1,000 UK tech start-ups and entrepreneurs a financial head start. From October, eligible companies can apply for a bursary to benefit from free fibre broadband and mobile bundles.

• Introducing BT Halo for Business: BT has launched the UK’s only converged fibre broadband, mobile and digital phone line bundle for micro-businesses, which represent 91% of all businesses in the UK. By combining three powerful connections in one package.

• Helping small businesses to go cashless: BT is preparing to launch a new digital payments solution, to help small businesses move to cashless transactions.

• Prompt payment for BT’s small business suppliers: With 58% of small businesses citing cashflow as their number one concern, BT is committing to pay its 4,500 small business suppliers within 30 days of being invoiced.

• Financial flexibility for the hardest hit: BT has been assisting small businesses in financial distress during the peak of the pandemic by helping them find a flexible option for paying their bill.

TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES Case study: Technology Consult Ltd Ron Tredget, technical director for Technology Consult Ltd, which is based in East Sussex and provides technology solutions for social care providers and vulnerable people across the South East region, said BT helped the firm stay digitally connected to customers during the Covid-19 crisis.

He said: “During the Covid-19 lockdown period we had to partly shut-down and were unable to see

our customers in person. However, thanks to BT’s One Phone service we were able to keep in touch with them remotely via video calls and conferencing.

“We are based in a rural location and prior to moving to One Phone we had multiple network providers for our fixed, mobile and cloud services.

Since we’ve moved to this combined solution we have cut our costs in half and have much better coverage and resilience.”

Growth in Europe Harlequin Floors, the global leader in advanced technology flooring for dance, performing arts, entertainment and events, has launched its new manufacturing plant and distribution centre in Liège to better fulfil the needs of European clients. In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, the company has also grown the team in the DACH market by appointing Sander Resnik as a new commercial director in Berlin.

Established in the UK over 40 years ago, Harlequin’s experience and reputation is founded on the manufacture, supply and installation of a range of high quality portable and permanent sprung and vinyl floors chosen by the world’s leading venues - from the Royal Opera House to the Bolshoi Theatre, the Paris Opera Ballet to Sydney Dance Company. They also work with Global production companies in live events, TV production, fashion and retail.

The new 2,000 sq m plant based in Liège will manufacture the globally renowned Harlequin Liberty sprung floor panels and will ensure an even faster service for European clients, especially those in the events industry where a rapid turnaround on orders is a prerequisite and will be even more important to help rebuild the industry postpandemic. The new site will improve efficiencies in manufacturing and supply and will enable Harlequin Floors to deliver the highest quality products tailored to varying customer needs.

Sander Resnik, new commercial director of Harlequin Deutschland, said: “I am glad to be with Harlequin Floors at this time and to be able to support the DACH region with my expertise.

Working closely with Mr Rüter and the team in Berlin, I aim to show our German-speaking customers how important it is to train and perform on a real dance floor as opposed to a generic sports floor.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

05

News

£26.95m

merger

Brighton-based business advisory firm Quantuma has completed a merger with AIMlisted K3 Capital Group plc (AIM: K3C), for an initial consideration of £26.95 million, to create an independent global advisory practice.

The merger will help K3 to build a more diverse professional services group with enhanced capabilities in restructuring, corporate finance, tax advisory, forensic accounting and expert witness services. The deal sees a cash free, debt free initial consideration of £26.95m million, in addition to maximum combined earn outs of £15 million and an additional 645,513 growth shares.

Quantuma was set up in Southampton in 2013

by Carl Jackson. The firm has grown to become a £23 million turnover business, with 250 staff across 17 UK sites.

Quantuma CEO Carl Jackson will join the K3 board as an executive director.

06

Boost for

A specialist research project in Kent will benefit from a share in £18 million government funding, set up to strengthen the competitiveness of Britain’s food and drink production industry.

NIAB EMR at East Malling will lead Growing Kent and Medway, one of seven national projects to support research and development in the sector. The money comes from UK Research and Innovation’s Strength in Places Fund and will build upon more than a century of strategic and applied horticultural research undertaken at the research centre.

Growing Kent & Medway will promote the adoption of the latest horticultural technologies, plant growing techniques and the development of crops to boost food production and economic growth.

The project brings together universities and leading innovators in the industry and will establish Kent and Medway as a world-leading region for the climatesmart production and processing of high-value, nutrient-rich foods and plant-based products.

MD of the research centre, Professor Mario Caccamo, said: “Growing Kent & Medway can now get to work to consolidate this part of the UK as the leading region for the production and processing of high-value foods. The timing of this support is particularly significant as we look to emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, and address some of the most pressing

horticultural

research

challenges faced by the agriculture sector.

“It would not have been possible to successfully reach the final stage of this very competitive scheme without our partners, the support of the Kent and Medway Councils and our local MPs, who have collectively recognised the significance of what the excellent scientific and research programmes can do for the regional economy. We will drive inclusive wealth creation so that untapped human capital can contribute to, and share in the region’s prosperity.”

Christian Brodie, chairman of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, which backed the bid to government, said: “Our area already delivers 40 per cent of high-value horticulture in the UK. Growing Kent & Medway will drive innovation and productivity, meaning we can now expand the sector, strengthen supply chains and existing businesses, and create sustainable new ones.”

Let’s look on the bright side – could Kent be in the right place at this pivotal moment in our history?

There’s no denying Covid-19 has hit the country’s economy and, whatever your position on Brexit, it’s clear Kent is getting a lot of attention as the UK’s closest trade route to Europe. The challenge will be ensuring the county remains a vital cog in the nation’s economy, with investment to support its restart, recovery and growth.

Just over 25 years ago, Kent became home to the first fixed link between the UK and mainland Europe since the Ice Age, with the opening of the Channel Tunnel. It’s now integral to the UK’s international supply chain, with Eurotunnel’s shuttles the logistics lifeline of our Just-in-Time economy.

The Port of Dover has come forward with proposals to be a Freeport. With little land of its own, it is seeking to deliver a virtual Freeport, one whose benefits embrace Kent and go way beyond to support the Midlands’ Engine and Northern Powerhouse. It’s a smart move by Dover Harbour Board to offer the best of both worlds, connecting this strategically vital trade route with local sites such as Discovery Park at Sandwich and

household names including Aston Martin.

A new Lower Thames Crossing costing north of £5 billion will strengthen Kent’s connections with the rest of the UK and Europe. It will also have a positive knock-on effect on Kent’s economy. Highways England is in consultation over what will be the UK’s longest road tunnel. We’ve got to ensure it gets built – and that work can start quickly.

It appears our trade post-January, 2021, is a government focus. Under the guise of smart infrastructure (possibly code for no trade deal with the EU) the government has bought 27 acres of land at Junction 10a of the M20, to create a Customs clearance centre for 10,000 vehicles a day.

Few in Kent may welcome this intrusion, which appears to be an expensive last-minute attempt to put a Customs solution in place, given that a frictionless free trade agreement soon looks likely to be a distant memory. On a positive note, let’s hope it will protect the county’s wider road network.

Few will have missed the government’s decision to grant permission to reopen Manston Airport.

The announcement will have come as a surprise to many, not least the Planning Inspector, who recommended refusal. It gives the green light for

E

the return of freight services from the Thanet-based airport. Let’s see if its ambition takes off. Literally.

There’s also Panattoni’s proposed £180 million investment at the former Aylesford Newsprint site near Junction 4 of the M20 – a project Maxim is proud to be working on. The firm, Europe’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has plans to develop 177,000 square metres of high-quality space for industrial, logistics, distribution and manufacturing uses.

Let’s hope those with influence recognise that to level up the UK economy you need free-flowing ports in Kent and a strong South East economy – and to be open to investment.

CONTACT Andrew Metcalf, director, Maxim PR & Marketing Ltd

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

RT COMM E NT

The plus side of a crisis

E XP

Maxim_PR

News

In brief Running for heroes

Three friends have raised almost £4,000 for a charity for NHS workers, by running 115km from Dover to Otford.

Joel Sanders, from Reigate, accompanied by friends James Ellenger and Luke Woodards, of Gomshall and Dorking respectively, took more than 20 hours over a weekend in June to complete the equivalent of almost three marathons.

They decided to take on the challenge to show their support to HEROES, which since being set up by NHS staff at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak has raised more than £1 million for projects to safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of NHS workers.

The trio are continuing to raise funds on the back of their run: www.gofundme.com/ f/201km-northdowns-help-them-help-us

› Blenheim

SUCCESSFUL

FIRST HALF It goes without saying that the first six months of 2020 was unlike any other. However, despite the challenges thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic, Surrey based Land & Water has had an exceedingly strong first half of the year.

From landmark projects to increased demand for habitat creation services and on-going investment in industry leading plant, Land & Water is on track for a successful year.

On the Isle of Man an exciting project to remove 32,000m3 of silt from Peel Marina was launched in January 2020, with Land & Water at the helm of this important venture.

At Blenheim, Land & Water is currently undertaking essential works to the Grand Cascade Apron which feeds the lakes from the River Glyme, creating a new resin injection curtain wall.

Perhaps one of the most significant projects has been Southmere Lake. It has seen the wider Group work collaboratively to provide cutting-edge

Record turnover

› Peel Marina plant and specialist operatives, an experienced project delivery team and the ecological expertise of Terraqua Environmental Solutions. This large urban lake is part of an ambitious £45m project to regenerate Thamesmead, creating new homes, offices, shops and restaurants in an area which will be named ‘Southmere Village’.

The new Silicon Valley?

Chalk, a new digital community for Eastbourne, has just launched online. This new initiative has been brought to life by custom software agency Switchplane and aims to change perceptions of the Sussex town.

Open to anyone who’s into anything “digital” in the local area, the network’s goals are to increase the number of digital businesses in the area, provide a supportive network to help grow local talent, and therefore make it easier for digital companies in the town to recruit.

Originally intended to be launched as an in-person conference this spring, Chalk has moved online and will initially take the form of an email newsletter and a podcast series focusing on

Sussex business owners, their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on their companies, including the shift to digital.

The first series of the podcast Chalk Talks will be rolled out across all usual podcast streaming channels from the beginning of July, with new episodes on a weekly basis. The series includes conversations between Garry James, Head of Marketing at Switchplane, and representatives from Towner Eastbourne, The English Soap Company, Rathfinny Wine Estate, Pure Arts Group, and Exclusively Eastbourne holiday cottages.

Plans for Chalk started last summer and were borne out of discussions between the local MP, council, and other digital businesses in Eastbourne.

A logistics company with headquarters in Kent has reported a record turnover, achieving a target set last year to break through the £200 million mark.

Europa Worldwide Group, based at Dartford, was delighted to report a 16.5% growth of £205 million for the year ending 31 December, 2019, a year of huge investment, including the acquisition of part of the assets of Menzies. Other investment during the period included £250,000 in refitting its Birmingham site as part of a company-wide estate improvement and a large investment in Brexit preparations, including more than £2 million in its Dartford transit warehouse to increase racking capacity by 75%.

450 years in business A law firm’s celebrations for a major anniversary have had to be put on hold during the pandemic, but work has gone on under different conditions.

Thomson Snell and Passmore, which passed its 450th anniversary in July, has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest law firm in operation.

It was originally founded in 1570, by Nicholas Hooper, a curate of the Tonbridge Parish Church in Kent, who undertook a range of work including will writing and conveyancing. Today, the firm’s lawyers are still supporting individuals and businesses from across the South East with similar services.

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

07

News

Comprehensive

range of transport options Sussex soap company

reaches finals

08

A Sussex soap manufacturer has been shortlisted in the Family Business category of the 2020 Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Christina May Ltd, best known for its English Soap Company brand, is one of just four companies shortlisted from across the South East region in the prestigious awards which received 2,600 entries.

Christina May manufactures more than five million luxury soap bars each year along with more than 220 other products sold under the English Soap Company brand and also white label. The products are sold through major UK and international retailers, hotel and gift suppliers.

The company which is based in Waldron, near Heathfield, was founded in 2000 by Bob and Juliet Butts after they discovered some vintage soap moulds in a machinery workshop in Kent. This coincided with Juliet finding a 25-year-old book about soap making which sparked Bob’s fascination.

The couple spent several years creating a soap bar that is smooth and silky in texture, moisturises rather than dries the skin and is infused with a luxurious perfume that lasts until the end of the bar.

Managing Director Oliver Butts joined Christina

May in 2012 to work alongside his parents. Today the company’s 37 staff deal with everything from production to the packaging design, wrapping and boxing up for distribution.

Oliver said: “Christina May’s mission is to ensure everything it makes upholds the values of an English product. That means dedication to quality, offering honest and fair value and excellent customer service while using local staff and suppliers where possible.

“Since I joined the company turnover has quadrupled and the business has transformed. For instance, in 2012 we didn’t have our own English Soap Company brand and had just three or four customers. Now we have 220 products and 3,000 customers worldwide Overseas sales have grown by over 50% in the last year.”

› Oliver Butts

Technology to allow landlords to deliver niche internet services to their tenants has been developed by Brighton tech specialists Curve IT. The breakthrough technology, called MDU Connect, promises to change the way managers of shared office space deliver internet services. It features a combination of hardware and specially designed software, including a cloudbased access portal, to manage the full network within a building.

This means operators of build-to-rent sites and office spaces can retain control of a single network which can be used to deliver multiple services, including internet connectivity and smart metering, without the need for third party involvement and with significant cost benefits and improved services for tenants.

CEO of Curve IT Simon O’Hare said: “Keeping tenants in a shared building connected to the fast internet is up there with the most important requirements of building owners or managers, not least with the growing move towards more working from home.

National Express has announced a new coach hire business operating across the corporate and private hire travel sectors.

National Express Transport Solutions will bring together two existing National Express businesses The Kings Ferry and Lucketts into a single business division to deliver a comprehensive range of transport options.

A phased approach will initially focus on private hire bookings for one off events or occasions, as well as for commercial contracts, such as employee and university shuttle services, sports teams and supporters clubs. The business will then expand its offering of VIP transport with its luxury vehicle fleet, and coach holidays including day trips and accommodation packages.

National Express Transport Solutions will operate via a UK-wide regional infrastructure utilising both its own fleets and depots as well as existing and new partner operators, supported by common central functions.

Commenting on the new business, Tom Stables, National Express Managing Director, UK and Germany, said: “The current UK coach market is fragmented with lots of local offerings from often small, independent family run businesses.

“The Kings Ferry and Lucketts already have a significant presence in the corporate travel sector.

By forming National Express Transport Solutions, we can leverage their joint capabilities with National Express’ strength as a recognised and trusted brand to deliver a consistent high quality UK-wide product.”

The business will retain its existing local brands but will operate under the National Express name for all of its national sales and marketing activity.

Niche service “Unfortunately, many building owners have to rely entirely on a third party to provide this service. As well as losing control over this important aspect of tenant satisfaction, it also means building owners or managers miss out on the ability to package and sell connectivity services directly to tenants, and this can be a significant new revenue stream.

“MDU Connect gives control back to building owners and managers, while providing tenants with improved services.”

The innovative technology can also be deployed in the hospitality sector, on university campuses and at other sites where occupants require connectivity and building owners, or managers wish to deliver and monitor utilities.

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Ask THE EXPERT

I work in the centre of London and commute daily by car but it is so expensive, is there a way to make my journey cheaper without using public transport?

As many drivers may know, the London Congestion Charge (LCC) and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) are both an unwanted yet very necessary cost added to daily driving in the Capital. However, during the UK coronavirus lockdown these charges were suspended until further notice to help critical workers get to work and for essential deliveries to take place.

This meant that those travelling in the charging zones saved over £20 a day.

It doesn’t sound like a lot, however over the course of the week that surely adds up to a significant saving. Especially since on 18 May 2020 the LCC and ULEZ were both reintroduced. Additionally, as from Wednesday 22 June 2020 the fee and charging hours of the LCC have been increased from £11.50 to £15 per day, operating seven days a week between 7am and 10pm.

Like you, others that are returning to work in London are wanting to find a more cost effective alternative to driving. Understandably most are reluctant to use public transport as advised by the government, which leaves very little option with regards transport to the Capital. Jessikah Lopez, sales manager for EVision Electric Vehicle Hire, based in Strood, Kent, says: “There has been a substantial increase in long term hires of electric vehicles due to the increased prices and hours of the London Congestion Charge. Many drivers are unaware of the savings that can be made when driving an electric vehicle, such as cheaper running costs and their exemption from the LCC and ULEZ charge due to them falling into the category of vehicles that achieve zero-emissions driving.”

With these considerations in mind, an electric car could be something of interest to you if you are looking to lower the cost of your daily commute to work in the Capital.

Don’t let Check, become Checkmate ACAS / Employment Tribunal Advice If your employee is making an Employment Tribunal claim against you, we can help.

We’ll tell you where you stand and advise you of your options.

We pride ourselves on providing no-nonsense cost-effective advice.

Whether you decide to seek a settlement or to defend the claim, our experienced team will be with you every step of the way.

Tel: 01580 767525 E-mail employment@whitehead-monckton.co.uk

V SION

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V SION

www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales. Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.

SEB2/20

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

09

Cover story

Work-life

balance is key Managing partner of law firm Brachers shares her passions for equal rights, keeping the team informed and encouraging us to be kind to each other Lockdown and the speedy closure of the company office presented no real problem for Jo Worby’s legal team, many of whom had enjoyed the benefits of home working for months.

“We already had a flexible working policy for our staff,” says Jo, the managing partner at Brachers LLP, whose head office is in Maidstone.

“We offered employees the opportunity to work from home if they wanted to and although not everyone took it up, when lockdown was imminent we were able to move quickly to get it completed.”

An earlier IT transformation project meant all lawyers and managers already had their own laptops, or tablets. Staff were also allowed to pick up any additional office equipment they needed, then everyone settled down for the long haul. It has been a mixed experience, but Jo says feedback is generally positive.

“I have long felt it is vital to get work-life balance right,” she tells me via a conference call.

“We had to act quickly to pull everything together, but it seems to have worked for most people. Now we have to look at how we continue, as lockdown is eased.”

Brachers’ business continuity team has met daily

10

We already had a flexible working policy for our staff › Jo Worby with Partner Lee May, who

heads up Brachers’ new Canterbury branch

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

throughout the pandemic and regularly updates staff on any new procedures. Jo explained: “We have worked to make better use of our intranet to communicate with staff. I have recorded video blogs and we have had town hall forums, where staff can ask questions on the latest developments and plans.

“Socially, we have run all-staff Zoom quizzes and teams have met for virtual activities such as gin-tasting classes. We also held our traditional barbecue, with a maximum of 30 staff outdoors, while those who worked from home were sent a Deliveroo voucher on the day and encouraged to have a virtual lunch with their team.”

It’s very clear Jo has pride in – and affection for – her staff. Marketing executive Chloe Whittaker, who joins us on the call, agrees it’s a great company to work for.

In September, Jo will mark her 29th anniversary with Brachers, which she joined after graduating in law from Liverpool. She was brought up in Norfolk, the daughter of a senior police officer and a nurse, who encouraged her and her twin sister to think independently and be compassionate.

“We had a great childhood, attending a secondary state boarding school about 25 miles from home because dad’s job meant he had to move around the county a lot and he didn’t want to interrupt our education. Mum worked shifts and was very busy in the community, supporting charities and being a magistrate. It gave me a very strong sense of helping others, which I’ve tried to pursue in my adult life.”

As well as her busy career, Jo and her husband (a technical director in the healthcare sector) are bringing up a son, who will be 10 at the end of August. In lockdown, they both took a share in

the supervision of home schooling and found the experience generally positive. “We are fortunate to have space and a garden at home and we settled well into the routine,” she said.

Now that things are slowly returning to normal, Jo is keen to maintain the work-life balance and learn from the lessons of lockdown, for her and all her colleagues.

“We need to be kind to one another, to think of those less fortunate than us and to be aware of the pressures that work can bring,” she tells me enthusiastically. “Community is at the heart of everything we do. Every two years, we choose a local charity to support, with donations of time and money, to raise the charity’s profile.”

Over the past four years, Brachers staff have raised more than £40,000 for Kent charities, including Macmillan Kent, Heart of Kent

Hospice, Headway West Kent, the Blackthorn Trust, Demelza House and Five Acre Wood School in East Farleigh, as well as its 2019-2020 charity, Spadework.

Jo is passionate that staff feel able to pursue their careers in a free and equal environment.

“I know that women in business can have a tough time, sometimes having to work harder than their male counterparts to prove themselves.

Equality is particularly important in the legal profession and I will always fight for employee’s rights,” she says.

Brachers’ business continuity team has met daily throughout the pandemic

11

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

South East Business interviews Ma rk Lumsd on-Tayl or

THE BOSS Improving life for

rural businesses 12

Star Trek hero Jean-Luc Picard has long been an inspiration to Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, who now hopes to engage the public with his campaign for the countryside.

If anyone can find positives among the gloom and uncertainty of Covid-19, it’s Mark LumsdonTaylor. Not only has he created a vibrant lobby group during lockdown, he is pushing on with his dream of improving life for Kent’s business and rural communities at a time when most people would have thrown up their hands and given up the battle.

In characteristically irrepressible manner, Lumsdon-Taylor looks me straight in the eye and says: “I feel very passionate about this. As my hero Jean-Luc Picard says ‘things are only impossible until they are not’.”

Did I hear that right? Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise in TV’s popular Star Trek: The Next Generation series? Yes, Lumsdon-Taylor admits, he has long admired the strength, resilience and forthrightness of the fictional space hero and frequently quotes him in conversation.

In suitably sci-fi manner, Lumsdon-Taylor and I

Things are only impossible until they are not

chat via Zoom and, despite a slightly wobbly and unpredictable wi-fi connection, it’s clear he’s as determined and energetic as ever. He certainly does not want to dwell on what he freely admits has been a “difficult” year, making only a passing reference to “taking a step back to reflect” on his life following his very public resignation as deputy chief executive of Hadlow Group, which he was instrumental in creating after being appointed in early 2003. That and the knock-on effect of subsequent issues impacting on both Hadlow College, its two associated further educational establishments, West Kent College and his newly built vision of Ashford Colleges, hit him very hard.

After a few months to ponder where to go next, Lumsdon-Taylor was headhunted for the corporate world and had just decided to return to his roots in the City and was about to tell the world of his next campaign, when coronavirus struck and the UK went into lockdown.

“It wasn’t great timing, but I was determined to carry on with an idea that could help business and began researching how we could get it going, despite the constraints of social distancing.”

The solution was to set up a series of RED talks (a play on the tech-based TED debates) via video conferencing, operated by the Rural Policy Group, a lobbying force calling on influencers and Parliament to take seriously the problems facing people within the rural and countryside economy.

Lumsdon-Taylor, who chairs the group, is emphatic

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

it is not just a talking shop, but “an action-oriented think tank committed to responding to the need of rural businesses”.

The talks proved an instant success.

“Within a very short time, we had maxxed out on the number of people we could usefully cope with online,” Lumsdon-Taylor tells me proudly. “We decided 100 was a comfortable, doable, number and we had to draw up a waiting list.”

RED (Rural Economic Development) talks are held every three to four weeks and begin with an invited speaker, then are thrown open for public debate. Among topics already discussed are “Cash is King”, the effects of Covid-19 on the rural community, the future of food, mental health issues and how agritech can influence feeding the UK economically and efficiently.

Lumsdon-Taylor suddenly becomes even more animated: “We live in the Garden of England, for goodness sake!” he cries. “What does that mean in 2020? How much are people prepared to – or should – pay for their food, grown locally and to the highest standards? How will the UK be competitive against the risk of cheaper imports and potential deregulation of standards? Is it even economically viable?” So many questions, so many complex answers.

The RED group has drawn in influential support, from MP and former chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, Neil Parish, to the Institute of Directors, international

healthcare groups, to representatives of small, rural-based, independent companies.

“We want everyone to have their say and play their part in where the rural community of Kent goes next,” says Lumsdon-Taylor.

One issue really hits home with Lumsdon-Taylor, who admits the 90-hour weeks he worked for years did impact his mental health at times. He becomes quiet and emotional when he talks about the death of TV personality Caroline Flack in February this year and says it spurred him to pursue solutions to mental health issues among the agricultural and wider rural community.

The next RED talk is due in September (the panel is taking a rest during August) and LumsdonTaylor is already geared up for the challenge of chairing the debate.

“These are subjects very close to my heart and I am determined we will continue to make a difference,” he tells me. “It’s a question of getting people involved and finding the right ear to speak into.”

I point out that his hero Captain Picard used to say: “engage” when giving an instruction to the Enterprise bridge crew. Lumsdon-Taylor chuckles and I suspect he’s making a mental note to bring that into a future conversation.

The solution was to set up a series of RED talks to take seriously the problems facing people within the rural and countryside economy

13

THE DEATH OF CSR? 10 SEPTEMBER AT 10.30AM www.ruralpolicy.group/red

South East Business interviews Al c is

INNOVATORS

Solving

14

problems

from space

A small company developing ‘eye in the sky’ technology has thrived in lockdown, by providing vital support for humanitarian projects across the world Social distancing takes on a whole new meaning when the tools of your trade are satellites in space.

As the satellites circle hundreds of miles above the earth, a small team of experts from Alcis, based at Surrey Research Park in Guildford, use cuttingedge technology to process data relayed from selected points of interest, under agreement with its clients – government and NGO-run development aid programmes.

Collecting and using data “to answer difficult questions

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Location:

› Alcis founder Richard Brittan (left) chats with a colleague The data is used to monitor a wide range of topics of interest, including smuggling operations, the movement of displaced people and the effects of climate change – with the overarching aim to improve people’s lives for the better. Far from curbing the company’s activities, Covid-19 has brought a new focus to the job, as marketing and communications manager Alison Hall explains.

“With the virus spreading and areas locking down, many humanitarian organisations across the world withdrew their international teams, leaving vulnerable people with little support. We are able to offer remote monitoring, to keep an eye on what is happening on the ground.”

Alcis was founded by former strategic analyst Richard Brittan in 2004 as a way of collecting and using data “to answer difficult questions and improve decision making in fragile and complex environments around the world.”

Richard had previously spent many years working in Afghanistan, tackling the illicit growth and production of drugs across the country and beyond its borders.

When setting up Alcis, he drew in experts to develop the technology and techniques to monitor the region remotely. He selected Surrey Research Park for his office because of the strong hub of geospatial and satellite companies based in the area, the on-site business support services and connection to the University of Surrey, with which Alcis has collaborated on a number of academic research projects.

Alcis has evolved into a leading Geographical Information Services company, and its remit now

Guildford, Surrey

Established: 1985

Access to unprecedented knowledge and resources includes the monitoring of illegal gold mining and charcoal smuggling, as well as deforestation and its impact on climate change across the world. Its most significant recent development is a collaboration with the university to develop methods to map maize crops and assess the sustainability of water use in Afghanistan.

This is part of a national SPRINT (SPace Research and Innovation Network for Technology) project, funded by a grant of £4.8 million to provide access to unprecedented knowledge and resources found within academia.

Alison, who joined the company just over a year ago, said she found the work absorbing and worthwhile, with a real feeling of helping the poorest people on earth to improve their circumstances and the hope of solving some of the world’s most complex problems.

Alcis operates as a small team of 10, including a business development manager and technical experts. It has many collaborative partners and links to academia and think tanks. Alcis welcomes approaches from companies interested in joining its network.

Key Sectors:

Technology, science, health, space, engineering

Key Features:

• Furnished offices of all sizes including shared workspaces and self-contained office units.

• Award winning start-up business support available with on-site incubation hub, SETSquared – the global number one university business incubator.

• Access to R&D funding initiatives, leading advisors, recruitment support and training in addition to links with the University of Surrey’s knowledge and talent base to maximise business growth and innovation.

• Facilities include a café, meeting rooms, breakout spaces, picnic areas, parking and preferential rates for nearby Surrey Sports Park.

Highlights:

• The 170 businesses located on the Park generate over £1billion of economic activity each year and create 4,000 jobs in Guildford.

• A number of tenants have won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, created global industry firsts and pioneered major medical breakthroughs.

Further information:

www.surrey-research-park.com

For more information on available properties: 01483 579 693 www.surrey-research-park.com August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

15

Rebounding from Covid-19

As the world starts to recover from the pandemic, we look at how businesses in the South East can prepare themselves and how some are bouncing back Scientists at a university school of bioscience warn that, despite a relaxation of government restrictions, Covid-19 has not gone away and still remains a serious threat worldwide.

Prof Martin Michaelis and Dr Mark Wass, pictured, from the University of Kent School of Biosciences, have issued a five-point summary about living with the threat of the virus.

They say: “With the ease of the lockdown, there is a strong tendency to think that the Covid-19 pandemic is over, at least in the UK, and that everything will now normalise. This is not the case.

Here are the critical points that explain how the pandemic may further develop and why, and what we can do about it.

16

Stay alert distances is not an exact science and depends on the individual situation. There will always be rare cases in which individuals become infected in unlikely circumstances. Essentially, we are less likely to become infected the further we stay apart.

An increase of the distance from one metre to two metres reduces the risk of infection, but not from 100% to 0%. Importantly, we must avoid touching contaminated surfaces, too.

The virus has not gone away

The worst-case scenario

“Although Europe and the UK are over the first peak, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, still remains and has increased worldwide. Globally, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is accelerating, with about 200,000 confirmed new infections every day.

Notably, most of these cases occur in countries that do not have as developed health systems as Europe. Hence, the number of undetected cases and, therefore, the total number is likely to be much higher. Consequently, it is likely that we will see future flare-ups and peaks. The recent outbreaks, for example in a meat factory in Germany or in Leicester, are a timely warning of how quickly things can get out of control when we lower our guard.

“When it comes to vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 in general, we must remember all the things that we do not know. One of these is whether SARS-CoV-2 infection results in immunity to future infections.

If it does, it is not clear how long this immunity will last. For other coronaviruses that cause common colds, it has been shown that individuals can be infected twice within one year. In agreement with this, data from King’s College London suggests that immunity may be short-lived.

“Recent data suggests that severe disease may be associated with a stronger immune response, which may result in more sustainable immunity; though this is uncertain. For some viruses, such as the Dengue virus, later infections are more severe than the first. Some results from animal experiments suggest that similar phenomena are possible for coronaviruses. Thus, we still do not know whether the natural infection provides sustainable immunity.

If it does not, it will be more difficult to develop a

Scientifically, two metres’ distance is better than one

“The decision to reduce the minimum physical distance to one metre is political, not scientific. We must appreciate that the determination of safety

vaccine that does. Therefore, it may be impossible to develop a vaccine that provides long-term protection in the foreseeable future and we may have to find other ways to live with SARS-CoV-2.

“Even if there are vaccines, it is possible that they will provide some, but not complete, protection or that they will protect the individual but not stop the spread.

“Also, we do not know how the virus might change and adapt to an immune response. Even if survivors develop long-term immunity and we have a highly effective vaccine, we will have to examine whether SARS-CoV-2 will be able to find a way around this immune response. If it can, we may need yearly vaccinations, similar to the flu jab, that needs to be adapted every influenza season.

What we can do “Viruses are not living organisms. They are a piece of genetic information surrounded by a ‘coat’ (the capsid). To reproduce, they must infect a cell and re-programme it to produce new viruses.

Therefore, viruses always need a host.

“If we break the transmission chain, viruses cannot replicate and will disappear. We need to adopt a lifestyle that avoids virus transmission or minimises it. Independently of lockdown rules, every individual can think of how they can change their lifestyle to reduce the likelihood of infection.

Washing your hands regularly, not touching your face, avoiding crowds and avoiding items touched by others can make a big difference. Therefore, each individual’s behaviour has a strong impact on whether we will see more regular flare ups or substantial disease waves.

2020 is a snapshot – the future remains unpredictable

› Prof Martin Michaelis and Dr Mark Wass August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

“Nobody can predict how the pandemic is going to develop, there are too many things unknown. For this reason, it is also too early to draw conclusions.

At the moment, we only see a snapshot. Countries that have been largely spared may be hit hard in the future and the impact on different regions may look significantly differently in a year or two.

“Finally, though lockdown has eased, the pandemic is not over. The virus remains. There will be future flare-ups and peaks. Our individual and collective behaviour, regionally, nationally, and globally, will determine the future of the pandemic.

Now is not a time for complacency.”

Rebounding from Covid-19

Fresh food direct from field to plate has always been the aim of Foodari boss Jonathan Parker.

But his efforts building the company over 13 years came to a screeching stop when Covid-19 hit the UK. Jonathan remembers the first days after the virus threat became apparent in March: “We saw 80% of our sales disappear. We had a chilled warehouse full of perishable fresh produce and no customers to sell it to. Something had to be done quickly.”

Desperate not to see his beloved business fail, Jonathan came up with an alternative way of working.

“Everyone needed to eat and the supermarkets were unable to react swiftly, so we built a home delivery service to sell our lovely local produce literally overnight. The team worked tirelessly to reposition the business and make a success from a nightmare. Most importantly, we have helped support many vulnerable people who are in isolation, that makes me very proud.”

Foodari, based on a farm at Molash, Kent, has customers across the South East and before the

EX CL US IV E OF FE R!

Success from ‘a nightmare’ virus hit was supplying caterers, hospitals, care homes, schools, universities and visitor attractions – all badly hit by lockdown.

So the Foodari home delivery service was born and has established a customer base of thousands across East Kent.

“We started with a simple offer that prioritised local, fresh, quality produce and good value, and ensured prompt and reliable deliveries from friendly and considerate drivers,” said Jonathan.

“Working with other Kent businesses and listening to our new retail customers has seen this evolve into a wider range of boxes and products,

including pizzas, picnics and tapas. We’re able to offer something for everyone, whether it’s just the essentials or something really special.

Customer feedback has made it all worthwhile and Jonathan said the delivery business will continue beyond lockdown. He added: “We’ve always looked after our supply chain, but we were pleased and prouder than ever to be able to support them at such a tough time. Without the help of Foodari home delivery, many of our growers would have seen a dramatic increase in wastage of their lovingly nurtured produce and the furloughing or redundancies of their staff.”

Reader s of ess have an South East Busin take up. to er off e siv exclu de SEB10 co ue iq Enter the un yo off ur firs t to receive 10% der. or i ar od Fo

10 % O F F

› Jonathan Parker August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

17

Rebounding from Covid-19

Essential steps to create safe working Kent businesses could face prosecution if they return staff to work without thorough risk assessments

18

As employers across Kent plan to welcome employees back to the workplace, law firm Furley Page has outlined the essential steps businesses must take to ensure they create a safe working environment and limit their liability should an outbreak of Covid-19 occur.

Deborah Geering, a senior associate with Furley Page, explains: “Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure they provide a safe environment for staff and those visiting the business. As lockdown restrictions are eased, existing health and safety policies will need to be updated to take account of social distancing rules, and a comprehensive risk assessment must be undertaken, in consultation with staff.

“Any employer that can be shown to have been negligent in how it managed risks, resulting in the infection of staff or visitors, could be liable to prosecution, particularly if they have not properly assessed potential risks and put appropriate measures in place.

“When the government’s ‘track and trace’ system is fully implemented, it should become very clear where a new outbreak of Covid-19 has arisen. From both a staff safety perspective and in terms of the businesses’ reputation, you do not want your offices to be the centre of a new outbreak. Putting some simple protective measures in place could make all the difference.”

The three main points for business owners to undertake are:

Any return to work policy should consider existing working conditions and consider how these might breach current guidelines if no updates are made to working practices. Considerations should include whether social distancing rules can be properly enforced and, if not, what measures should be taken to ensure staff can work safely and why these were considered necessary.

shared equipment?

• Is it feasible to implement a one way system in the office to ensure employees do not have to pass each other in narrow corridors or stairways?

• Have the facilities been cleaned sufficiently, and should the frequency and scope of cleaning be increased?

• Should communal areas remain open, and should the number of people using such areas be limited?

• Where should cleaning/sanitising products be located and what guidance posters/instructions should be displayed?

• Does the layout of the office need to change to ensure staff are not facing one another and are able to maintain an effective distance?

Undertake a Risk Assessment

Consult with staff

In order to effectively undertake a ‘return to work’ risk assessment, a ‘walk around’ inspection should be undertaken and any high risk areas should be identified.

Deborah continued: “Businesses have a duty to ensure the safety of all those on site, so the risk assessment needs to consider the welfare of anyone coming onto the business premises, not just the employees, including consultants, clients, suppliers (couriers, Post Office staff, refuse collectors, etc), business visitors and so on.”

When undertaking an inspection, employers should consider a number of questions such as: • Can staff effectively maintain social distancing?

• Do additional safety measures need to be implemented in relation to any

Deborah said: “Staff consultation is an essential requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Given the current restrictions, businesses should consider circulating a questionnaire to all staff (including those who may be furloughed, on long term sick leave, maternity/paternity leave etc).

All staff answers should be collated and consideration given to concerns raised, and any business with 50 employees or more must publish its risk assessment on the company’s website.

“The government’s guidance is likely to change, thus it is important that any written policies are regularly reviewed and updated in consultation with staff. Provided businesses assess the risks in their individual offices, record their findings and the measures they put in place to reduce risks, this will likely help to mitigate any liability should an outbreak of Covid-19 occur.”

Draft a ‘Return to Work’ Policy

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Rebounding from Covid-19

Lessons

from lockdown

Pubs at the heart Testing times for a Surrey brewery forced it to rethink its strategy and look for ways to continue trading through lockdown.

On the day after the announcement of government restrictions, Hogs Back at Topham, near Guildford, created a new drive-through, with beers loaded into car boots for a completely contactless experience. At the same time, the brewer expanded its home delivery service, delivering draught and bottled beers to homes within a 15-mile radius, including polypins of “brewery-fresh” ales – the closest thing to a pint of “pub beer” available while pubs remained closed.

Home delivery has since been extended to take in thousands more homes in north Surrey, including Epsom, Esher, Chertsey and Weybridge.

As well as helping customers to enjoy its beers during lockdown, Hogs Back also supported other local businesses, adding a meat platter from Alf Turner butchers in Aldershot and a bread basket from Tongham bakers Good Taste to its website shop, for home delivery with beer orders.

As pubs reopened at the beginning of July,

Hogs Back created its summer bar overlooking its hop garden behind the brewery. The bar, based in a converted hop hangar, with indoor and outdoor tables, offers drinkers the chance to enjoy a pint of fresh local beer, under robust social distancing and hygiene conditions, to ensure the safety of both customers and staff.

Hogs Back Brewery owner Rupert Thompson said: “Pubs are at the heart of our business and, like all brewers, we missed them during lockdown. However, we were also delighted with response from customers to our drive through and home delivery services and we will continue to develop these. We think some people will remain cautious about pub visits for a while and others have got into the habit of ordering our beers to enjoy at home, even if they’re now going to the pub as well!”

He added: “It’s still too early to say what the impact of Covid-19 will be, though one ‘silver lining’ for a local business like ours is that there seems to be a renewed enthusiasm for local food and drink, with many people who bought locally during lockdown saying they’ll continue to do so.

We’ll certainly raise a glass to that!”

A service to support SMEs in the recovery from lockdown has been launched by Locate in Kent.

Future Forward is designed to provide help for small and medium-sized businesses across Kent and Medway, guiding them through the challenges they may now be facing, building the resilience they need to adjust to the new economic landscape and carve out new opportunities for success.

Lessons of lockdown – from the importance of investment in digital systems and technology to the practicalities of flexible working and enabling high performance teams – will be high on the list of priority support schemes.

All businesses that qualify for the service will receive 12 hours of free consultancy, delivered by a team of Locate in Kent’s business advisers and industry experts, including Kreston Reeves and Wilkins Kennedy, who have specialist sector knowledge and insight.

Businesses will have an initial one-hour consultation when they sign up to discuss their specific needs. This information will help Locate in Kent to provide businesses with the right advice and level of support, bespoke to them.

The team will then work alongside each company to review key aspects of their business operations – from market opportunities, skills and training to financial planning. They will also work with businesses to push through plans they may have to embrace technology and digitalisation.

CEO of Locate in Kent Gavin Cleary said: “It is vital now that businesses have access to the right advice and guidance as Kent and Medway’s economy begins to bounce back from lockdown.”

› Food and drink delivered to your door by the Hogs Back Brewery and fellow traders August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

19

Rebounding from Covid-19

Protect

your Staff

Contactless Surveys Ltd has introduced a safe new way of conducting surveys and inspections using extreme hygiene.

Many businesses need a survey or inspection.

Typical applications include ISO14001 continuous improvement reviews, safety and quality inspections, and remote site or supplier assessments. Pre-Covid-19 these were often carried out in-person, on-site. However, a physical presence at inspections is no longer a practical proposition – for both surveyees and surveyors alike.

Peter Adams, Founder and Managing Director of Contactless Surveys Ltd, said: “Business Owners and Site Managers have a duty to protect their staff. The only way to truly shield employees from Covid-19 is to use extreme hygiene in the form of physical distance between them and external inspectors.

Contactless Surveys Ltd delivers a remote inspection service, providing expertise and guidance live without requiring direct person-to-person contact.”

20

Castle is

‘Good to Go’

As the UK’s tourism sector emerges from lockdown, visitor attractions across the South East are ensuring they are compliant with the government’s anti-virus regulations.

Among them is Hever Castle in Kent, which has been awarded the VisitEngland “We’re Good to Go” industry standard, confirming it is adhering to the government’s Covid-19 re-opening guidance.

After stringent checks, a consumer mark has been awarded to the castle and gardens, its events venue and accommodation, as well as the golf and wellbeing centre.

To be awarded the mark, businesses have to demonstrate they are adhering to government and public health guidance, have carried out a Covid-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place.

At Hever Castle this includes pre-booking to restrict visitor numbers, one-way systems to enable social distancing, additional cleaning, the use of face shields, a limit on the number of people allowed into rooms and play areas and a cashless payment system.

Safety guidelines Safe working guidelines for business have been issued by the British Standards Institution, as a way of preventing a second wave of the virus from spreading.

The guidelines include hundreds of contributions from experts across industry, academia, and governments globally, to consolidate practical guidance and experiences from the pandemic. In addition to safety planning and assessment of risks, it now provides advice on managing suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 in all workplaces, including at home and in mobile settings.

The guidelines include recommendations to: • Treat any person who becomes unwell in the workplace as potentially having Covid-19.

• Ensure suitable PPE is provided for firstaiders.

• Isolate the person who is unwell and provide them with a face mask.

• Require the affected person to go home (or to seek professional medical help).

• Establish if an affected worker has been in close contact with other workers and support those workers to self-isolate.

• Ensure the areas the affected person has been in are either isolated or cleaned.

• Provide clear guidance on when it is safe for a worker who has had Covid-19 to return to work.

Employers are asked to make reasonable adjustments to support workers returning to work after contracting Covid-19, taking into account their physical and psychological needs. This could be to allow flexible work hours and time off.

Director of Standards at BSI Scott Steedman said: “As many organisations reopen their doors to customers and staff, we are faced with the challenge of protecting the public by helping to prevent workrelated outbreaks of the virus. Working with technical experts, BSI has set out clear and practical guidance for organizations to mitigate the risks of Covid-19, minimise transmission, and manage suspected and confirmed cases.”

The guidelines highlight the need to make sure safety measures are inclusive and accessible to everyone, and to recognise the importance of workers’ psychological health and well-being. It also includes new guidance on safe use of toilets, working from home and reporting to external parties.

Cautious optimism A third of small firms in the UK say the pandemic has been “very damaging” and 10% say they have lost all their business during lockdown – but overall British optimism has the upper hand.

A business banking app launched just before lockdown in March has asked its customers what affect Covid-19 has had on trading. The findings are revealing.

Head of acquisitions at Amaiz, Matt Goddard said the company’s research showed that despite the gloom of a small percentage of small businesses, 59% believe it will take less than six months to return to previous turnover levels. He added: “It is tragic, but not unexpected, to hear that small businesses have suffered so badly during the pandemic.

“As the government announces the easing of lockdown, we hope it will listen to the needs of small business. Of course, lives cannot – and should not – be put at risk, however as with the reduction of social distancing from two metres to one, small changes can be made that will have a disproportionate impact on whether a small business can operate or has to close for good. It is a critical time for many small businesses.

“At Amaiz we will do all we can to help, we hope the Government does the same.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Rebounding from Covid-19 Creative thinking has helped staff at the University of Sussex find ways through the maze of lockdown challenges.

Sue Baxter, the university’s director of innovation and business partnerships, says the past four months have proved challenging, but everyone had pulled together to find solutions to the many problems and inquiries which emerged.

“Covid has had an incredible knock-on impact on so many aspects of university life,” she told me.

“We face a potentially huge loss of revenue on accommodation and tuition fees, particularly those from international students, but we are really in limbo and no one knows how it will turn out.”

Sue said the prospect of converting all lectures online presented a huge challenge to staff, who acknowledged it would not just be a question of converting standard lectures. Presentations would require a lot of thought and preparation to be effective.

On the financial front, the university had been given special dispensation to use its allocation from the higher education innovation fund to spend on collaborative projects with external partners, to offset some of the challenges set by the virus.

This set minds buzzing on how best to spend the unexpected windfall and a university-wide call for proposals resulted in a number of new projects covering research, the student experience and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).These were all agreed by the CRES (Covid Resources, Equipment and Services) task force chaired by Professor Malcolm Reed, Dean of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

Professor Reed said: “We are thankful to Research England for granting us flexibility with these funds, which has enabled us to support lots of great projects. The response was overwhelming and is testament not only to the expertise here at Sussex, but also the civic-mindedness of colleagues. These projects will make a real difference – right away for some, further down the line for others.”

Prof Reed said the university’s links with partners and collaborators had never been stronger and it was “gratifying to see so many new avenues open up for innovation and engagement.”

Sue said one of the most exciting projects to emerge was the design, development and production of a “click-to-fit” face shield to protect users from

Innovation

and the virus Covid-19 contamination. The device, the brainchild of Harri Koivisto, can be produced in 60 seconds on a new laser cutter bought by the university.

Thousands have been supplied to the NHS and care homes across the region will be offered supplies on a commercial basis, enabling the university to convert income to pay for the distribution of free face shields to voluntary sector and community groups.

The visors are reusable, which Sue points out is a huge environmental consideration. Reusable surgical masks have also been developed at the university, designed with the help of medical staff.

Researchers at the university have been exploring the use of existing drugs to treat Covid-19 patients.

The collaborative project with pharmaceutical companies will have huge implications for how any second wave of the virus is dealt with, said Sue. Meanwhile, representatives from the catering and leisure industry have been working with a biochemist Dr Barnaby Greenland at the university to create self-sanitising surfaces for use in kitchens and other establishments. This, again, has important implications for the containment of infection.

Other projects explored by the university include a “Covid digital dashboard” for use within the NHS. It has been devised by professor of mathematics Anotida Madzvamuse to collect and interpret data, to predict demand for specialist medical services.

The NHS has agreed to fund a post to look at the development of this digital tool.

Pierre Nouvellet of the university’s psychology school, a leading expert in crowd psychology, has been studying the possible impact on the spread of the virus among large public gatherings. His findings are being referred to the government’s Sage Committee.

Looking ahead, Sue said the university was making a bid for funding to join vaccine trials, coordinated by the NHS. Meanwhile, the campus is cautiously emerging from lockdown. Laboratories have reopened and 50 students are taking up “virtual internships” with businesses, so they can gain experience before the new term.

of Sussex at their first production line › Visor developers at the University Harri Koivisto and Dr Tan Sharma in April (from left) Daniel Payne,

› One Digital directors Lyn Brazier and Steve Poland

Loan support

A six-figure loan will support a Brighton printing firm until it can get back on its feet after lockdown.

One Digital, founded in 1996 to offer printing services for projects on any scale, successfully applied for the £200,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption loan from NatWest. It will, says co-founder and director Chris Staples, allow the company to grow and develop, once all 24 staff are back at work.

Chris said: “We entered the current pandemic in a very strong position that we want to return to and build on when the business can operate again at full capacity. The funding from NatWest will allow us to do this. It offers both the support we need as the business continues to operate on a lesser level and helps with our future plans.

“Our NatWest relationship manager Ian has been really helpful through the whole process, enabling us to secure the funding quickly and obtain a safety net.”

Ian said: “One Digital is a great Brighton business that has been operating throughout lockdown and the funding will allow the firm to continue offering its services to customers across the South East.”

www.southeastbusiness.com

21

Rebounding from Covid-19

Lockdown love story

Mobile gaming company MAG Interactive of Brighton played Cupid to help a lovestruck gamer to propose to his girlfriend during lockdown.

The studio agreed to spell out the question “Will You Marry Me?” in tiles during a game of Word Domination played by Harvey Lee and Ai Vee in Singapore, even replacing her tiles with letters spelling “yes” and “no”. The messages could be seen only by the couple.

Harvey, 29, approached the studio for help when his previous plans to propose to Ai Vee, 30 in a restaurant were scuppered by coronavirus.

After two years together, he was hoping to pop the question in an amazing restaurant, but instead chose to propose during the game they had been playing since lockdown to improve their vocabulary.

Ai Vee said yes and the couple hope to marry next year. She added: “I was stunned when I saw the words ‘Will You Marry Me’ on the board. I was really touched to know Harvey put in so much effort and time to contact and work with MAG to make this happen. I am really grateful that MAG responded to his request and everything else was magic.”

Evolution is key 22

A printing firm is evolving fast to keep up with the demands of living with the threat of Covid-19.

Stag Print has introduced stringent safety measures to protect staff and customers and is offering a revolutionary product – an antimicrobial coating for its paper-based print and packaging.

The coating is applied as a matt or gloss varnish Nurse Clare Knight serving ›and kills any germs which come into contact with the product surface.

MD Sushil Patel explained: “The key ingredient is silver, long known for its cleansing qualities. As the germs travel through the air and hit the coated surface, the silver particles act by rupturing their cell membranes, immobilising them by depleting oxygen, and destroying their reproductive receptor.”

Sushil said the coating was long-lasting, did not discolour products, was gentle on the environment and kind to skin. The cost of applying it to products was “competitive”, he said and gave customers peace of mind in helping reduce the spread Covid-19.

In the factory, production has continued during lockdown, with only a very slight drop in output.

Some staff were furloughed, others were put onto alternate day shifts, to maintain social distance.

All deliveries are now disinfected on arrival and all surfaces deep-cleaned regularly. And when social distancing became impossible on occasions, Sushil brought in members of his family to keep the production lines running.

“We are a family business after all – live together, work together!” he said.

WFH data analysis Working from home has become the “new normal” during lockdown and the majority of office staff want it to continue.

Research by Instant Office, offering flexible workspaces for more than 11,000 companies globally, shows that of the 68% of companies in the UK which now offer a flexible work policy, 73% said they considered working from home was the way forward. In Germany, the figures are 80 and 68% respectively and the country’s Labour and Social Affairs Minister has revealed plans to make it law for all workers to claim the right to work from home.

In the UK, employees have the legal right to ask for flexible working under the Employment Rights Act, but until Covid-19 struck it had not been widely taken up. Since lockdown, the majority of staff have embraced the freedom of home working and want it to become the norm.

Research also shows that 65% of workers feel they are more productive in a home environment and 66% of employers agree. Many companies have already allowed the

work-from-home rule to continue until at least October and some, like Twitter, have offered staff the right to do so permanently.

Head of marketing at Instant Office, John Williams, said: “We’ve seen in recent years how flexible working can have a positive impact on talent acquisition and retention. We’ve also noticed a significant increase in demand for the opportunity to work from home, particularly from working parents looking to return to the workplace. Considering these trends, it’s reasonable to expect that the right to work from home could help businesses to retain more diverse talent, save on turnover costs and enjoy the benefits of a happier, more engaged workforce.”

What do you think? Email seb.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Bumpy road ahead Businesses must prepare for “deep-rooted and long-lasting” economic pain as a result of the pandemic, warns a financial expert.

MSc finance course leader and senior lecturer at the Brighton Business School, Dr Rob Hayward, pictured, says the road to economic recovery will be bumpy and many businesses will continue to struggle for months.

Dr Hayward said retail businesses had been – and continued to be – particularly hard hit by the virus. “They have fixed costs in many cases, although some of those might have been deferred. Certainly, the taxes have, but they always have some expenditure. The longer it goes on, the more retail and hospitality establishments will go bankrupt, so the quicker the government can get things moving again, the more likely it is we can save some of these small businesses.”

Dr Hayward also voiced concern for the bigger economic picture: “I think it’s a bit unclear how rapid the emergence from the lockdown will be, but I think there is a risk that it's going to be quite painful over the next six

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

months and that the end of the furlough scheme will mean businesses will start to lay people off.

The fact that we have more people becoming unemployed will be a bit of a shock.”

A strong message from lockdown was that nothing would spring back to where it was before Covid-19 struck, says Dr Hayward. “It’s probably going to be quite a painful adjustment process to move the economy back to even the level of output and employment which we had back in January and February.”

However, the future is not all gloomy.

Dr Hayward believes the pandemic is an opportunity to work on green projects, in order to reach a carbon-neutral economy. “If the government borrows money and embarks on these projects, building infrastructure, building green energy resources, introducing public transport and changing the insulation of homes must be done now. The government can employ people who have been made unemployed, get them spending and give them more confidence and skills.”

Rebounding from Covid-19

Life-changing idea

Painful choices

Small businesses across the UK are facing agonising decisions over staffing and costs because of the pandemic, says a report.

The Employee Equity Trends 2020 report compiled by Vestd the share scheme and equity management platform, follows a study of 500 UK-based business founders, owners, partners and C-level executives. It reveals almost half were rethinking how they ran their business and as part of that would be looking at sharing ownership with their team.

The study revealed 14.9% of SMEs plan to cut employees’ pay, with 16.7% undecided. In addition, 48% of companies said there would be no pay rises in the next 12 months.

Co-founder and CEO of Vestd, Ifty Nasir, explained: “Some employers are in a very difficult position, they either cut their staff numbers and struggle to remain productive, or they have to cut pay, which risks losing the best employees.

Pay cuts for this many people is unprecedented and, without their agreement, is illegal. It would seriously deplete spending power and that could trigger an even deeper recession.

“Our research shows that the more progressive companies are turning to sharing equity, because it can be used to off set short term pay issues. In the long run it could be worth many times more than any gap in salary growth.”

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, almost half of SMEs questioned reported that it had demonstrated the value and importance of their team. One in four small employers already share ownership with at least one person in their team.

Mike Turner’s middle-of-the-night moment during lockdown set in motion an idea which could have life-changing implications for the way businesses are run in this country.

The Surrey businessman, pictured, had been pondering how best to use his company’s skillset during the pandemic when inspiration struck.

“I sat up in bed and realised I had the germ of an idea which could not only help other businesses to work better, but might also resolve some of the underlying personal and social problems facing employees working from home, or furloughed.”

The result has been a project to gauge the issues experienced by home-bound workers during lockdown and the start of a unique data collection service to feed a nationwide university study.

Mike heads YouBecome, a consultancy set up 16 years ago to offer employers a helping hand in realising and maximising the potential of staff.

He is understandably excited at the prospect of the latest challenge and as we chat over a video link it becomes clear he has reached a pivotal

moment in his professional life.

“I really believe we can make a difference with this research,” he tells me. “Employees have frequently been overlooked in this pandemic – no one has thought to ask how they are coping and what could be done to make their life easier.”

The first step was to draw up a questionnaire, with the help of the business school at the University of Surrey and Louise Punter, the chief executive of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, on whose board Mike sits. The questions focused on working from home, including issues over isolation and depression and whether employers had treated people fairly by providing the right amount of equipment and back-up.

Next, a pilot project was set up using 20 companies known to Mike and Louise through their chamber network.

“We wanted to see if we had asked the right questions and what sort of answers came out,” Mike said. “Even with those first companies the resulting data has been fantastic and now we’re moving on to the next stage.”

This is where the project starts to think big.

Louise’s contacts at the British Chambers of Commerce revealed that a pot of European Regional Development Fund money was available and could be used to support the widescale distribution and analysis of the questionnaire and its data. A researcher at the university business school, Ying Zhou, was brought in and some of the money will be used to pay for her contribution to the national study of life under lockdown.

Local chambers of commerce will receive a financial contribution for each business they refer to the survey and each business which takes part will be offered a sum to spend on Covid-19 recovery plans.

So what answers have already emerged from the study? Mike says many employees are eager to get back to the workplace and some sense of social interaction, but many are nervous about commuting. Others admit to periods of depression and anxiety arising out of isolation or balancing busy family life with work commitments.

“We’re in new territory here. No one knows the long-term outcome of those weeks of lockdown,” Mike says. “I hope the information that comes from our survey will help create new ways of working, better communication and happier staff.

Time will tell.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

23

Rebounding from Covid-19 During these unprecedented times organisations across the country are planning their strategies for stabilising the business, protecting their workforce and fast tracking their plans for a new future.

Companies are evolving beyond crisis management to driving business transformation and change management. Many organisations are taking the opportunity to drive the business forward in a positive way, creating a leaner more focused business with their attention on profitability.

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Consultants can give you a third-party view of your business, affording you with an objective and experienced approach to planning day-to-day operations, expansion and growth.

24

Fast tracking your business bounce back As part of their plans to assist business with bouncing back Adams Group have gathered together some of the very best and most experienced consultants that they have worked with over the years.

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August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Rebounding from Covid-19

Changing direction Expertise in marketing and a willingness to grasp opportunities stood Katy Cox in good stead when lockdown hit Kent in March.

Suddenly there were no events at which to promote and sell her company’s food and drink products. At the same time, the normally office-based customers for her dips, snacks and salads disappeared, as companies obeyed government advice to send their staff to work from home.

“I had to think fast,” Katy recalls. “My customers had disappeared overnight and there was no indication when they might be back. I needed to create a new business formula.”

About two years ago, Katy set up Wasted Kitchen, using fruit and vegetables that producers were unwilling – or unable – to sell. From these, she created dips, snacks and salads and supplied Macknade Fine Food at Faversham, the Goods Shed at Canterbury, Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey and Whitstable Produce.

Lockdown proved the perfect opportunity to move into another sector – home deliveries.

“At the start of the crisis, supermarkets were struggling to supply their customers with produce and many people who were isolating were concerned where their food would come from. We were able to offer a twice-a-week meal delivery service, using locally grown fruit and vegetables that many outlets felt unable to sell.”

Within days, Katy and her team of three set up the production line from a former farm near Faversham which now offers space to local businesses. Orders started rolling in and, with the help of her husband Rob to oversee admin and deliveries, the business took off. It has been supplying its loyal customers throughout lockdown and will continue to do so as long as there is a market.

Katy’s experience in marketing and audience development, originally for the film

Britain’s longest-established brewery, Shepherd Neame, is taking the brakes off its enforced pandemic slow-down, with the support of a £25 million government loan and plenty of optimism.

CEO Jonathan Neame, pictured, promised a warm welcome at the company’s 300-plus pubs across London and the South East, but warned “a few things may be a little different” for returning customers.

He continued: “Lockdown has been an extraordinary experience for all of us, and we recognise that while many of our customers are excited at the prospect of returning to the pub, others may feel apprehensive. We are doing our very best to provide reassurance that our environments are Covid-secure and our teams have been working flat out to install screens and other mitigating measures and introduce new ways of operating. The health and welfare of team members and customers remains our top priority.”

The Faversham brewery supported its tenant licensees through lockdown by suspending all rent. It will continue to be flexible over the next few months, as trade gradually builds.

Jonathan said the company had been “run very tightly” over the three months of lockdown, minimising costs and saving money wherever

industry, has kept her motivated and she remains creative, constantly aiming to improve the customer experience. She is also passionate about environmental issues and is always chasing better recyclable, or compostable packaging for the ready meals.

“Eventually, I’d like to offer returnable containers, so there is minimum waste,” Katy tells me enthusiastically.

Her small team – “all cooks, but not trained chefs,” she announces proudly – was boosted by former Great British Bake-Off contestant Jane Beedle, who runs her own company and has supplied Wasted Kitchen with cakes and desserts for the home delivery menu.

“A great addition, and much appreciated by our customers,” says Katy.

Jane turns up while Katy and I are chatting, on her way to re-paint the toilet walls at the company’s headquarters. This is part of a lockdown facelift being completed before opening a light, airy cookery classroom and conference centre, operated by Katy and Jane as Monkshill Refectory. It has glorious views over the water to the Isle of Sheppey and Whitstable.

“We had a bit of a dispute over the colour for the walls, but I think we’ve got it sorted now,” Jane tells me conspiratorially, with one of her trademark grins. “Katy got her way, of course!”

Before I leave, Katy shares some of the ideas she still has for the business. She hopes to re-start production of her homemade liqueur and cordials line, for sale at markets and stores in the area. She and Jane hope the kitchen and classroom for cookery lessons, conferences and small events will take off. Katy is also considering putting bell tents in the field below, to hire for retreats.

“I’ve always got an idea on the go,” she tells me with a smile. “It’s what I do.”

Clear strategy beyond lockdown

possible. He welcomed government support through the coronavirus job retention scheme and the opportunity to borrow through the UK large business interruption loan scheme.

Financial support will be via Lloyds Bank and Santander UK, which will provide the £25 million “revolving credit” of which £15 million is committed.

An option will be available on the remaining £10 million until July, 2022.

A statement from the brewery said its “net debt position” at the end of June was anticipated to be about £84.5 million, a small increase from the halfyear ending 31 December, 2019. No dividend will be paid to shareholders in either October, 2020 or March, 2021 and the company’s annual meeting has been deferred to a date to be announced.

Jonathan said: “This is the first time in the company’s long history of more than 300 years that our business has been interrupted. As a strong

independent family business with a significant local presence, we have tried to do the right thing for our team and our community. We have a clear strategy, a well-balanced business and now a robust financing structure in place to see us on the path to recovery. We are optimistic that we have a strong long term future as and when this pandemic subsides.”

› Jonathan Neame

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

25

Money

Ups and downs

26

Despite the constraints of Covid-19, many businesses in the South-East reported increased confidence during June, according to a national bank’s tracking figures. However, the trend is still way down on previous years.

Lloyds’ commercial banking “business barometer” reading taken at the beginning of July showed that overall confidence for firms in the region rose 14 points to -31%, compared with May. More than half (52%) of companies said they expected to be operating at more than 50% of capacity by the end of June.

On the downside, a quarter said they did not expect to see any improvement within three months, 8% said it would take more than a year and 9% said they did not expect to survive the crisis. Regional director for the South East at Lloyds Bank commercial banking, Phil Kirk, said: “While still in the red, confidence across the South East has improved by some way since last month. It’s also encouraging to see that the majority of the region’s firms are operating at above half of capacity. Despite many sectors opening back up, there’s still a long road ahead to recovery. We’ll be by the side of South East firms as they plan for the future.”

Cheers for

the help

A business that relies on the hard-hit hospitality sector has been given a loan from a national bank to help it through the crisis.

Pulborough-based Hepworth Brewery received an overdraft extension and a £500,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme loan from HSBC UK. The funding will enable the company to protect 30 local jobs and adapt its business model to deliver its beer directly to customers.

Hepworth Brewery was established more than 20 years ago and creates award-winning craft beer, supplying national retailers like M&S and Co-op. In late March, the company lost 75% of its business operations overnight due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as suppliers and the hospitality sector was shut down by the government.

The six-figure loan will help the brewery to cover business costs and lost income streams. It will also support the business’s move to sell beer online to local customers in the West Sussex area – a vital income stream allowing the brewery to continue generating orders.

› Andy Hepworth MD and head brewer Andy Hepworth said: “With the hospitality sector having largely been at a standstill, a lot of our regular clients are no longer trading, which has had a huge impact on our earnings and growth.” He said the loan would support the brewery for the next six months and had given him confidence that the business would recover.

Area director for Sussex and Surrey at HSBC UK, Andrew Steer, said: “We were pleased to be able to support the business, despite these unprecedented times, and look forward to seeing the business not only recover from this difficult period, but continue to grow.”

A fruit-filled deal A fifth generation farming business in the Garden of England is preparing for the next chapter in its long history, after buying out a competitor.

Bardsley England, based at Boughton Monchelsea in Kent, has been going for 128 years and has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading fruit farmers, producing about 10,000 tonnes of fruit. Its acquisition of Newmafruit increases this volume to 23,000 tonnes.

MD Ben Bardsley said: “Newmafruit is an excellent addition to the Bardsley England group and this is a great opportunity for the business. It will enable us to increase our offering of top and stone fruit to the UK market and therefore

enhance the strategic partnerships and alliances we have already forged.”

Bardsley’s were able to acquire the competitor company using a funding package arranged by Shawbrook Bank, whose director Steven Munt said: “Due to the current circumstances caused by the emergence and spread of coronavirus, this was a challenging transaction, with several moving parts involving asset transfers, lease assignments and freehold property to be valued and charged. However, these types of projects are exactly what we thrive on.”

The introduction of Shawbrook to Bardsley’s was instigated by Castle Corporate Finance.

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Money

International trade A post Covid-19 perspective

At the end of 2019, Kreston Reeves surveyed 1,109 business leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the UK to explore the views of businesses towards international trade as the country looked to exit the EU. The research was to be published in March this year just before the UK and the rest of the world went into lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19.

In late May 2020, we conducted a follow-up survey of 514 UK business leaders to explore how Covid-19 might change their plans for international trade.

The views of business have never been more important as we begin to emerge from what has been the biggest shock to the global economy and as we approach December’s deadline to secure a trade deal with the EU. Understanding the drivers and barriers to international trade can help businesses plan and take the advice they need to successfully grow overseas.

Our research told us that 71% of UK businesses had some degree of international trade prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 and that 55% of those businesses have, unsurprisingly, seen that trade fall away.

It is encouraging that over half (51%) of the business leaders surveyed say their view on the importance of exporting has increased in a post Covid-19 world. 45% also expect international trade to return within the next 12 months.

Equally encouraging is that of the 29% of businesses with no international trade before the outbreak of Covid-19, 34% of them now say they are likely to look to overseas markets to aid their recovery.

Both our December 2019 and May 2020 surveys suggest UK businesses are outward looking and have a strong international focus. But international trade is, at the best of times, not without its challenges.

Our survey showed that the biggest single concern is tax, VAT and duties (23%), followed by currency fluctuations (20%), and tariffs and trade barriers (19%). Red tape (18%), the cost of international trade (18%), logistics (17%), and getting paid (14%) are all very real barriers to international growth.

These challenges cannot be addressed in one simple measure. Business leaders told us that a mix of measures are needed to make international trade easier.

Top of that list is, for 32% of business leaders, a free trade deal with our

European partners. Yet at the time of writing that is looking ever less likely.

As the UK looks to reposition itself on the global stage, Kreston Reeves asked business leaders where their focus is likely to be over the next five years? It will be of no surprise that European markets will dominate – 58% of businesses told us that is where they see international growth, compared to just 36% for North America.

The need for a comprehensive trade deal with the EU is paramount, as will be separate trade deals around the world. There has to be a concern as to whether these deals can be delivered in the now very tight timeframe remaining as governments around the world manage the aftermath of Covid-19.

A full copy of the Kreston Reeves research published in a report Trading internationally 2020 – A post Covid-19 perspective, can be found at www.krestonreeves.com/publications. We will also be publishing a series of articles that looks in more detail at the challenges facing businesses.

Andrew Wallis

Corporate and International Tax Partner at Kreston Reeves T: 0330 124 1399 E: andrew.wallis@krestonreeves.com www.krestonreeves.com

Join our Looking ahead webinars Our webinars aim to help your business achieve a brighter future covering topics including rebuilding your finances, funding, scenario planning, growth and purpose.

Looking ahead... to the next 3-5 years 26 August 2020 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Looking ahead... retaining agility

28 October 2020 | 10:00am - 11:00am

Looking ahead... to the future with purpose 23 September 2020 | 9:00am - 10:00am

Previous recordings of the webinars from our Looking ahead series are now also available to view on demand at www.krestonreeves.com/on-demand.

For further information or to register to join our Looking ahead webinars: Email: events@krestonreeves.com Visit: www.krestonreeves.com/webinars

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

27

Construction

Reasons to be cheerful

Safety surfaces 28

Decontamination measures have been devised to ensure work can continue safely on construction sites across the South East.

Specialists SafeGroup have been busy carrying out disinfection of plant and machinery, including huge diggers and earth-movers. Staff wearing full body suits administer broad-spectrum electrostatic disinfectant sprays capable of killing the Covid-19 pathogen. It bonds closely to surfaces and can provide protection for users against the virus for up to 30 days.

SafeGroup is the first emergency cleaning specialist company in the UK to provide virus protection and its CEO Steve Broughton is proud of its achievement.

He said: “Data from the Office for National Statistics shows male construction workers have among the highest death rates from Covid-19 in the UK, with 25.9 deaths per 100,000 males. Construction contractors and plant operators need to remain vigilant to protect their teams.

“Covid-19 is a game-changer, in terms of workplace hygiene. The expectations of employees and customers on personal safety aren’t being heightened, they’re being rocketed through the roof, which is why we’re offering testing to prove workplaces are free of Covid-19.”

A study of more than 1,000 SMEs in the South East has revealed signs of optimism in the construction sector, as the industry emerges from lockdown.

Data from Powered Now, offering back office solutions for small trade businesses, questioned 179 companies in the building and construction sector and discovered that sales figures for the first half of 2019 and 2020 compared favourably, despite the impact of Covid-19 on April and May. CEO of Powered Now, Benjamin Dyer, said the figures showed that, despite the threat of the pandemic, the building sector had not gone into decline.

He added: “This data gives us reason to be optimistic. Many companies quickly adapted to the shutdown, finding ways to operate and prosper, whereas others took full advantage of the government’s economic care package.

Either way, the consistent growth since the initial downturn at the start of lockdown shows the resilience of many innovative SMEs. “The government’s economic response helped buoy SMEs during the economic downturn, which can now begin trading again as lockdown regulations ease. This bodes well for the future, showing that Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit is still very much alive in the wake of the pandemic.”

Country moves Activity in the country homes market has surged, since the relaxation of lockdown measures.

Estate agent Roger Coupe reports an increase in “serious buyers, in a position to move quickly” and many have shown an interest in viewing Millwood Homes’ properties in the village of Ewhurst, Surrey.

Roger said: “People may have been sitting at home during lockdown with time to research what they want – for example, many people seem more knowledgeable about Help to Buy and the boost it can offer buyers. While there are other new homes developments in the Cranleigh area, Cherry Tree Lane stands out in terms of its attractive traditional village style and boutique feel.”

Sales and marketing director at Millwood Designer Homes, Philip Brown, added: “Many of our current buyers are moving from the London suburbs, or from inside the M25, and want more of a countryside feel.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Construction

MODERN AND AFFORDABLE

Morgan Sindall Construction has delivered 12 brand new homes in Hangleton ahead of schedule, as part of Brighton & Hove City Council’s New Homes for Neighbourhood programme.

The development in Buckley Close provides much-needed affordable council housing in the area, while also giving residents high-quality homes with modern living space.

Consisting of three, two-storey blocks, the new homes will be among the first tranche of properties advertised under Brighton & Hove City Council’s lettings scheme since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Councillor Gill Williams, Brighton & Hove City Council’s chair of housing, said: “We’re making good use of council-owned sites, like these, to build extra homes wherever we can.”

PLANNING SECURED A joint venture (JV) between Chancerygate and Hines has been granted planning permission to speculatively develop a new 100,000 sq ft trade park on Vale Road in Tonbridge.

Called Tonbridge Trade Park, the industrial and trade counter scheme will comprise 15 high-quality units ranging from 4,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft and has a gross development value of around £20m.

Located just one mile from Tonbridge town centre, the development will provide a variety of trade, warehouse, industrial and other roadside opportunities, as well as offering easy access to the M25.

The 4.11-acre site will be Tonbridge’s first new

industrial scheme for over 20 years. Pre-sale and pre-let discussions with prospective occupiers are currently ongoing.

Chancerygate development manager, Tom Faulkner, said: “We are very pleased to be granted the opportunity to rejuvenate a prominent site which has lain dormant for a number of years.

“Tonbridge Trade Park will see us provide the region with much-needed, modern industrial and warehousing accommodation with the potential to create new jobs in rapidly growing sectors of the economy.”

Joint agents on the scheme are Bracketts and DTRE.

Commuter hotspot Work is due to start on a development of 600 homes set in a country park near Lancing, Sussex.

The CALA Homes development off Hayley Road, pictured, will include the 28-hectare park, an Ikea store and a primary school. 30%of the properties will be designated as affordable housing, in a mix of rented and shared equity homes.

With Lancing station just a mile away, the development is likely to attract commuters as well as families seeking an out of town setting.

It’s time to start planning your next steps in business with Locate In Kent’s new Future Forward service.

Supporting your business recovery

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August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

29

Commercial Property

Riverside site

A 1930s Grade II-listed property in Maidstone could be given a £30 million facelift, if planning permission is granted.

Private developers Classicus Estates have put in an application to restore Len House, the former Rootes Building, to create homes for discerning people with a love of history.

If permission is granted by Maidstone Borough Council, the building beside the River Len will be converted into 159 homes above commercial space on the ground floor. The original Crittall windows and interiors will be carefully restored and retained, but new features will include solar panels on the roof and a two-storey extension.

Part of the agreement for planning permission

will be to carry out ecological and biodiversity work to protect wildlife and minimise flood risk from the river.

Owner of Classicus Matthew Brett-Chaponnel said: “Len House is an iconic, modernist piece of architecture and our plans to redevelop will ensure its long-term sustainable future. The planning application aims to keep as much of the original property in place as possible, while enhancing and adding to the building with a new design and build which will complement Len House’s heritage, character and charm.

Designs for the project have been completed by architects Hollaway to preserve the appearance of the building, a former garage and car sales business.

Hub appeal Building services consultants IWA are bucking the national trend and moving offices.

As many businesses opt to stay put until the dust settles after lockdown, IWA – which designs heating, lighting, water, drainage and other mechanical and electrical systems for property developers and architects – moved into offices at Pacific House, on Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour Innovation Park.

IWA had been based in the town centre for 20 years, but director Phil Erridge said it was time to find more modern, flexible offices.

He said: “I looked at various options in Eastbourne and the surrounding area, but Pacific House clearly stood out. The communal feel of being part of a vibrant business hub is highly appealing. The building has a contemporary feel and the shared facilities including reception and meeting spaces make great sense for a firm like ours.”

Virtual viewing An interactive video tour of offices in Bexhill will allow prospective tenants to view what’s on offer from a safe distance.

Sea Change Sussex has produced the virtual tour of High Weald House on the Bexhill Enterprise Park, with the option to move around spaces, or see the whole in “doll’s house” format.

High Weald House was designed by architects AHR to high environmental standards. It has plenty of parking and an atrium for break-out meetings.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce has been supporting businesses on the frontline as the “first responders” on the ground for the past 18 weeks.

We had to furlough a couple of team members, as our events programme came to a halt – and with it any income. As a result, we have focused all our resources on our members, talking to them and helping direct them to government advice and support.

We are supported by a strong business board, led by an MD of a successful IT company (projectfive), so we have seen first-hand the all-encompassing effect of this crisis.

Our dedicated team made more than 2,000 meaningful engagements with the Surrey business community. We used these discussions to collate intelligence and to feed directly through to key stakeholders, including our local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), British Chambers of

Commerce (BCC) and local authorities, to help share local and regional responses to the crisis.

We have organised over 40 webinars, in partnership with many of our members, continuing to offer a range of relevant content that will empower businesses and provide much needed support during these times.

One of the really heartening things has been the way businesses have pulled together helping one another at this difficult time and we have been able to facilitate much of this sharing of support.

Do you remember Brexit? What used to be a significant topic within my column over the last three years has taken a back seat. However, we are hurtling towards the 1 January, 2021, when full border controls will be in place at all ports, regardless of any deal that is agreed with the EU. An estimated 200 million more declarations will need to be made by traders annually, when importing and exporting to and from the EU. Surrey Chambers, along with the national network of chambers, is preparing to support this massive

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

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change with some excellent training, ensuring that local businesses have the skills to understand exports and export documentation. We urge businesses to talk to us about their needs. We are also building the capacity in our team to ensure we are ready to support businesses with the changes to documentation when needed.

CONTACT Louise Punter, chief executive, Surrey Chambers of Commerce @surreychambers

Commercial Property

New life A Brite future An innovation hub in Brighton is launching a support programme offering research and development, the use of high-spec machinery and equipment and specialist design teams to help with product development.

The new hub, known as Plus X, offers membership of Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange – BRITE for short – to more than 100 businesses in and around Sussex. The project is funded by the European Research Development Fund and run in collaboration with the University of Brighton.

Joint CEO of Plus X, Mat Hunter said: “Innovators often achieve early-stage growth at trailblazing speed, but the path to scale with pace can slow significantly without good guidance.

“The BRITE programme is a fantastic opportunity to support businesses based in the Coast to Capital area and help them grow. For the past five years we have built a successful innovation space and accelerator programme at the Central Research Laboratory in Hayes. We will draw on our existing experience, blending our new team expertise and partnership with the world leading research from the University of Brighton, who have decades of experience working with SMEs in Sussex, unlocking unrivalled growth opportunities for our BRITE members.”

Chief executive at Coast to Capital Jonathan Sharrock said: “We are delighted to have supported the Plus X project with a £7.7 million Local Growth Fund contribution. This is a critical time for SMEs across the area and the BRITE programme will help businesses get back on their feet. Working with partners such as Plus X and the University of Brighton, our goal is to create spaces in which cutting-edge businesses can thrive.”

Rent arrears in the private sector are looming, as tenants struggle to cope financially during the pandemic.

Ronnie Pratten of RP Communications, a specialist in property matters, fears things will come to a head in August, as the government’s rental protection scheme comes to an end.

She writes: “You know that disaster is down the track when everyone is waving a red flag. Rent arrears in the residential lettings sector are no exception to that.

“Covid-19 officially arrived on these shores in March (though probably much earlier) and the resultant country-wide lockdown with its inevitable economic impact, has caused a tsunami of consequences, not least for tenants in the private rental sector.

“Massive government support through furloughing, business loans, business grants, business rates relief, mortgage holidays and other initiatives were well received, but lingering anxiety in the general population may determine when and if the economy recovers fully. Economic recovery

for factory An historic industrial site has been given a new lease of life after developer Charter Land transformed it into Brighton Works – the largest new warehouse and industrial development in the city for 25 years.

The building in Auckland Drive, Bevendean, was home to Brighton Sheet Metal, which closed in 2018. It has been refurbished to a high standard to provide seven warehouse and industrial units.

Director of Charter Land, Charles Sandy said: “We are delighted to bring Brighton Works to life and to create an important central site for warehousing and light industrial businesses.” Produce distributor Sun Harvest has taken the first lease on space, the remaining six are available to move into immediately.

Red flag for rents may be in a V, a W or L shape, and will, of course, be subject to any future return of the virus.

“There has been a united response by leaders across the residential property sector in offering their expertise to solve problems facing tenants and their landlords as a result of lockdown and the economic downturn.

“Responding to the pandemic, the government introduced emergency measures to prevent eviction. These were welcomed, providing tenants with breathing space until that measure ends in August. So, guidance from the National Residential Landlords Association, ARLA Propertymark, the Chartered Institute of Housing, MyDeposits, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and the Property Redress Scheme is timely and carries weight.

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“The joint guidance is available as a 10-page downloadable document. Its step-by-step format is visual, simple to follow and understand. It encourages landlords and tenants to be pro-active and talk to one another before arrears become too difficult to overcome. The guide recommends that landlords and tenants negotiate and work together in order to agree a realistic rent arrears payment plan that suits all parties; and to stick to it. It signposts landlords to mortgage holidays on their buy-to-let property and encourages tenants to apply for benefits, if they are eligible.

“The guide covers circumstances when landlords may consider deferring payments until tenants receive grants or benefits they are entitled to (which could take time to materialise) or in extreme cases they may agree to recover any shortfall in rent from deposit money. The main message is to keep communication channels open.”

To download the document, go to the Arla website www.arla.co.uk and search for “Guidance to tackle Covid-19 rent arrears”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Training & apprenticeships

Moving online works for business course An inspirational business course forced to reinvent itself as a virtual event in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has attracted its biggest ever audience.

PopUp Business School, which has helped scores of people across Kent start up on their own, set up a free, week-long online event that saw 100-plus would-be entrepreneurs each day log in from home to learn how to set up in business.

The five day course, which encourages people to make money by doing something they love, takes a unique ‘no red tape’ approach to the challenge of setting up a new business – with considerable success.

The unique approach helped nearly 3,000 people develop new business skills in 2019.

“We were delighted with the response to our first online event,” said PopUp Business School Chief Operations Officer Henry Nicholson. “We have run a number of successful events in various towns across Kent over the years, but this was the biggest ever.

“It worked really well, too. Within the first two days

people were making great progress and some were already making sales within the group and learning the skills they need to start out on their own.”

One PopUp success story is Faversham’s Joanna Van Blommestein, who now trades as The Bra Boss of Kent and set up in business after a “life changing” week on a course at Westwood Cross in Thanet.

Joanna, who kept costs down by setting up in a summer house in her garden, said the advice to “start small, get help from friends and contacts and don’t run up big debts” was spot on.

PopUp’s philosophy is firmly against people borrowing large amounts of money or worrying too much about business plans, advice which proved invaluable during the Covid-19 pandemic. “If I had borrowed lots of money, I would have been struggling to pay my debts by now,” Joanna explained. “Because I set things up simply, I coped with the crisis and now the lockdown is easing I am fully booked for several

› Joanna shows off her fitting room weeks ahead.”

In 2019, PopUp helped 967 new businesses start up as a result of organising 37 courses across the country – all free, thanks to sponsorship by local support programmes. Successes range from swimming coaching to cake making and from bookkeeping to fitness training.

Research shows that in 2019, PopUp’s 37 UK events contributed £19.2m to the local economy, including benefits savings of nearly £8m as people turned their hobbies and interests into business ventures.

The online PopUp offered sessions on all aspects of business, from sales, social media and networking through to setting up a free website and marketing, as well as taxation and business structure.

It was part of an £8.6m, cross-channel project called Increase Valorisation Sociale (Increase VS), which is using European cash to deliver free workshops aimed at kick-starting small businesses and creating jobs.

More online courses are planned – see https://events.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/events

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The high-profile launch of the Centre for Corporate Governance represents an important milestone, providing an opportunity to bring together a range of stakeholders with a common interest in governance, stewardship and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

At the launch, chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Charlotte Valeur, said: “By acting as a multistakeholder and inclusive hub for discussion of corporate governance issues, we aim to enhance not only the expertise and professionalism of IoD members, but also the wider business community, policy-makers and the general public.”

The launch highlighted the key issue of the moment: Does the global pandemic signal an enduring shift in corporate governance? It has created unprecedented challenges for boards of directors, but despite this, the IoD believes circumstances may provide board members with an opportunity to build trust, professionalism and legitimacy in respect of their role in society.

In surveys, we found that 74% of our members believed that good governance lay at the heart of a

high-performance career as a director. In addition, 77% believed the chances of a business’s longterm survival were improved by adopting good governance practices.

Equally 77% of IoD members favoured the introduction of an industry led code of conduct for directors, similar to those in other professions such as accountancy, medicine and law. This would sit alongside existing legal and regulatory duties and serve to improve a strong ethos within business for responsible behaviour and ethical decision-making.

A majority of IoD members also felt the time was right to introduce minimum requirements for directors, in terms of knowledge and professional training. These measures could represent a positive, governance-enhancing response from policy makers to the demands of the current crisis.

Despite the challenges of the current environment, the centre has already begun working in groups focusing on sustainable capitalism, stakeholder governance and the impact of emerging technologies on corporate governance. They have been meeting via video conferencing for weeks and although the context of their analysis has been fundamentally

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

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impacted by the pandemic, these topics remain key issues for the future of corporate governance.

We shall also be launching new working groups on other key governance and ESG issues.

Over the coming months, we will offer opportunities to both IoD members and the wider community of leaders and business executives across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, to engage with the working groups through webinars, expert witness sessions and surveys.

For further information, email Carum Basra, corporate governance policy adviser at the centre (carum.basra@iod.com).

CONTACT Faisal Khan, chair of the IoD South

Training & apprenticeships

Virtual training goes global

Ground-breaking firefighter

graduation Apprentices and their bosses are being urged to reserve their place at this year’s virtual Apprenticeship Graduation ceremony, which will be live-streamed on Friday, 2 October 2020.

Despite many firms temporarily closing during the Covid-19 lockdown, many apprentices have managed to continue their work and study thanks to the support and commitment of their employers, training providers and FE colleges.

Now, the organising team behind last year’s highly regarded inaugural Kent and Medway Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony, is pleased to invite nominations from those who will successfully complete their apprenticeship this year.

Plans were in place for a second Cathedralbased event until Covid-19 scuppered large social gatherings. Instead, the organising team are planning an online live-streamed ceremony.

To nominate a graduate, visit kandmappgrad.org/become-a-graduate

An education pack created by the University of Brighton and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has taken off around the world.

Initially developed for FBU’s UK members with multimedia company Beach Design and financed by the Union Learning Fund, the Heat Illness Prevention Awareness (HIPA) programme aims to reduce the risk of firefighter fatalities through a series of learning packs, short videos, quizzes and interactive games.

The educational tool came to fruition following research into the effect of heat on firefighters by the university’s Dr Alan Richardson and a former PhD student, Dr Emily Watkins, who is now at the University of Roehampton. They were supported

by Dr Mark Hayes, Dr Ash Willmott and Rebecca Relf in the university’s Environmental Extremes Lab. This is one of a number of projects being undertaken by this group on contamination, female firefighter welfare and the physiological consequences of working practices.

In the past few months, interest in the package

has soared and is now being used in the USA, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa, with more nations showing an interest.

The tool advises on how to deal with heat stress, heat injuries, how to better control difficult environments and what firefighters and instructors can do to increase their welfare.

Dr Richardson said: “Particularly in the summer months, firefighting whether in training or live fires, can cause a huge amount of stress on the body. Sadly, many firefighters suffer with heat illnesses causing hospitalisation and worse. It is really rewarding to see the research turned into something firefighters all over the world will use to help reduce the chance of suffering these events.”

Dr Richardson, a physiologist, has been working with the fire service for around eight years and through his research has been helping to advise on how to make training environments safer for firefighters, instructors and new recruits.

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CENTRE FOR HIGHER & DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS University of Kent offer Higher and Degree Apprenticeships • Taking on apprentices is a cost-effective way to upskill your existing workforce, or attract talented people, with up to 100% of training costs fully covered by levy payments or government co-investment.

• Our management apprenticeships are underpinned by a certificate, a foundation degree or a bachelor’s degree in management.

• With flexible start dates (September, January & May), the degree programmes are delivered nationwide via blended learning – a mixture of on-line and face-to-face teaching.

For more information, including details on a fully managed service and other higher & degree apprenticeships contact T: 01634 888467 E: apprenticeships@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk/apprenticeships August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Movers & SHAKERS A NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE WEST HORSLEY PLACE TRUST

› Ian Howick

Wealth of senior expertise 34

Ian Howick, Chair of Heathrow AOC and former Director at British Airways, has been appointed by independent charity, Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) as Executive Director of Corporate Services.

He succeeds John Lack, Director of Finance and Support, who retires at the end of September after seven years at KSS. Ian will be responsible for overseeing the finance, HR, IT, estates, facilities, governance, compliance and risk management functions at KSS. As a member of the charity’s senior leadership team, he will report directly into CEO, David Welch.

Ian brings a wealth of senior expertise to KSS in safety management, frontline customer operations, engineering, finance, treasury and employee relations.

Business advisory firm Quantuma continues the expansion of its Thames Valley team with the appointment of new director, Michael Hall.

Michael is a Chartered Certified Accountant and Insolvency Practitioner and will be joining Quantuma with over 20 years’ experience working within the finance, accounting and restructuring arenas, including ten years at a top 100 accountancy firm.

Throughout his career, Michael has specialised in providing bespoke rescue solutions for SMEs in the Home Counties across a variety of sectors including retail, hospitality, manufacturing, consultancy and construction.

In his new role at Quantuma, Michael will be a member of the senior leadership team in the Thames Valley, working with local accountants, solicitors and financiers to provide the best practical advice and solutions for solvent and insolvent businesses across the region.

The West Horsley Place Trust has appointed Ben Pearce as the charity’s new Director and he will take up his appointment in September.

In 2005, Ben won the LSE Titmuss Prize for outstanding achievement in social policy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), a Trustee of GEM (the voice of heritage learning) and of the BGI, who run the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield. Ben is also a Non-Executive Director of the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA) and a member of the Advocacy Committee at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB).

Ben Pearce will succeed Peter Pearce, who retired as Director on 31 May 2020 having been appointed as the West Horsley Place Trust’s first Director in spring 2016. Since this time, Peter has built the Trust from its inception, leading the development of its vision, completing the first phase of restoration and setting in place the foundations for its future.

Photo: ©Ellie Grace Photography

Thames Valley team strengthened

UK LAUNCH

New Office Head

Revvis is a state-of-the-art software application designed to completely revolutionise digital property virtualisation in the UK. The innovative company has appointed Paul Spencer as its managing director of sales and Nolan Everard to run its operations in the South East.

Paul is based out of London and has been in the property industry for over 25 years. He will lead the sales and brand strategy of revvis to both B2B and B2C markets. Meanwhile, Nolan is well connected in the property industry having worked on high-profile acquisitions and disposals in the South for a number of years.

Knight Frank has appointed Matthew Hodder-Williams, Partner, as the new Office Head at Knight Frank Sevenoaks.

As office head at Knight Frank Sevenoaks, Matthew will head up an expert team of negotiators and support staff, whilst proactively handling a range of sales in the Sevenoaks area and surrounding countryside.

Matthew brings exceptional experience to the role, with his in-depth knowledge of the area, along with his unrivalled network of contacts.

› Nolan Everard

› Paul Spencer

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Future innovator

Dan Hicks, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate of the University of Brighton and OSET Bikes, has been shortlisted for an award for his work on OSET’s electric trial bikes.

Dan has been announced as a ‘Future Innovator’ finalist at the 2020 KTP Best of the Best Awards, with a judging panel recognising ‘the enormous potential the entire community of Associates represents for the future of the UK economy’.

The KTP programme, which is funded by Innovate UK, is a collaboration between industry and academia and helps small businesses grow by pairing them up with a university and a graduate professional from their industry – in this case Dan, who was recruited in 2017 after gaining a first in MEng Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds.

OSET Bikes, a world leader in the design and manufacture of electric trials and motocross motorcycles, partnered with the University of Brighton for their KTP.

AWARDS

‘PRIDE IN THE JOB’

Alastair Campbell, project manager for CALA Homes at CALA at Mindenhurst, is celebrating after receiving a prestigious industry award from the National Home Building Council (NHBC).

Alastair has been recognised in the 2020 Pride in the Job Quality Awards for his contribution to creating homes of exceptional quality. The Pride in the Job Awards are one of the highest industry accolades a site manager can receive.

A total of 11,000 site managers across the UK were assessed this year, with only 450 winners selected, putting those awarded in the industry’s top 4% who demonstrate the passion, commitment and leadership to deliver new homes to the highest possible standards.

Alastair will now go through to the next stage of the competition, the Seal of Excellence.

Silver award scooped

A partnership between two Surrey companies, both based in Albury, Surrey Hills, has resulted in Detail Design Consultants scooping a Silver Award for its brand and website design for Albury Vineyard in the prestigious DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.

The Award was won jointly with Albury Vineyard, although Detail entered the Award.

Detail Design Consultants worked closely with Albury Vineyard to help rebrand their business. This included defining their brand strategy, designing new bottle labelling and packaging, as well as a new e-commerce website. As a result, sales direct to consumers leapt by 120%, increasing the profit margin on each bottle of wine sold. The rebrand had an impact on the profitability of the company as the website saw a 1,600% leap in sales while overall wine sales increased 40% in 18 months.

› Ginetta George and Dan Black Detail

Design Consultants with Albury Vineyard wines and vineyard in the background

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New HR and marketing directors Top 100 UK law firm Moore Barlow has announced two senior appointments to the firm’s senior leadership team.

Katherine Allison and Tom Newman-Young join the firm’s executive leadership team to drive post-merger, people-led growth strategy.

Katherine Allison joins the team as the firm’s HR Director with an academic background in organisational psychology and more than two decades of HR leadership and change management experience across a number of global organisations.

A 14-year veteran of the advertising industry, Tom Newman-Young joins as the firm’s Marketing Director and brings significant experience in building and growing major UK and global brands across the financial services, airlines, telecoms and FMCG sectors. He joins Moore Barlow from AMV BBDO, where he served as a Senior Board Account Director. Prior to this, he served as Business Director with Leagas Delaney.

The new appointments to the firm’s executive leadership team come shortly after the official launch of the recently merged Moore Barlow in May 2020.

New equity partners

PwC has admitted five new equity partners across the South East region.

Two partners will be joining the PwC partnership based in Reading, with Steven Bewick a new deals partner leading PwC’s South East forensics team, and Dave Farmer a new audit partner working with high growth companies across the Thames Valley.

Ian Dudley will become the newest Gatwickbased audit partner, focused on private businesses and private equity backed businesses.

Ellie Hames is a new risk assurance partner and will be leading PwC’s South East structuring and accounting advisory practice, and James Bowman joins as a consulting partner helping local public services across the region.

Award-winning team expanded

Estate agents, Sawyer & Co has expanded its team with the appointment of Simon Lemcke as sales director.

Simon started his career at Fox & Sons where he became the youngest office manager and then Area Director, overseeing eight offices across the South East. In 2002, he started a new venture and co-founded Goldin Lemcke in Hove.

After 13 years at Goldin Lemcke, the Brightonborn agent became a Branch Partner at Brand Vaughan, working across all areas of the business.

As Sales Director at Sawyer & Co, Simon will be working alongside Directors, Chris Sawyer and Adam Farrell, to accelerate their growth plans for the business.

Looking for a new Board Director Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership is looking for a new Non-Executive Director from the private sector.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is looking for a new challenge.

If you are a strong communicator and influencer, with senior level business experience, great connections and a proven leadership record apply to: https://search.green-park.co.uk/ enterprisem3-ned/apply

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Legal

Selection checklist Employment specialists Furley Page have drawn up a checklist for employers forced to consider redundancies in the wake of the pandemic.

Partner and head of employment with the Kent firm, Andrew Masters, warned: “We are probably going to be experiencing difficult economic times for a considerable period to come and many employers will unfortunately be forced to make reductions in their staffing levels. While redundancy is an accepted reason for dismissal, no redundancy exercise is completely without legal risk.

“However, employers who approach redundancy in a transparent way, being honest about the difficulties the organisation faces and open to suggestions from employees, can greatly minimise the risk of disputes arising and hopefully avoid subsequent litigation. Over the years, the courts and Employment Tribunals have developed a range of standards that a reasonable employer will be expected to meet.” Andrew urged employers to consider seven key points when making employees redundant:

Should you ask for volunteers?

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There may be employees who are willing, or even eager, to be selected for redundancy. Where there are sufficient volunteers then the employer will avoid the process of selection and also avoid the risk of legal proceedings from longerterm employees who feel unfairly treated.

One reason not to offer voluntary redundancies is that very often the wrong employees volunteer. Those whose skills and experience will make it easier for them to find new work are probably not the employees that the employer will most want to make redundant.

It is important for the employer to reserve the right to refuse any application for voluntary redundancy. Employers should therefore think carefully about whether asking for volunteers is the best approach for them to take.

The pool for selection To apply selection criteria fairly there will need to be a clearly defined group – or “pool” – of employees from whom those to be made redundant will be selected.

How wide or narrow that pool should be is a matter for the employer to reasonably decide.

Selection criteria The employer also needs to be able to explain the basis on which the selection for redundancy was made in each particular case. Where possible, this should be an objective assessment of the strengths of an employee and how they match the future requirements of the employer.

Traditionally selection for redundancy was based on an employee’s length of

Partner and head of the Guildford office at Charles Russell Speechlys, Duncan Elson, has earned a place in a coveted global list of top 100 litigators and polymaths.

Duncan was named in Citywealth’s 2020 list, which recognises the top legal minds worldwide, as voted by their peers. Only 39 English lawyers made it into this year’s list, which is described as containing “litigators who have negotiated with the toughest opponents, through the hardest circumstances and with very little on their side but brains, lateral thinking and a will to win.”

The honour puts Duncan among the UK’s most respected lawyers, where he is described as “a rock-solid defender in highprofile disputes”.

Duncan’s wealth of experience covers High Court Litigation,

service. The principle of ‘last in, first out’ has the advantage of being completely objective. However, the business’ best performing employees may not have the longest service, and alternative selection methods, such as assessing job performance, attendance or disciplinary records, qualifications, experience, attitude and potential, can all be applied.

It is vital that employers consider whether the selection criteria they choose has any potential to operate in a discriminatory way.

Consultation One of the key aspects of a fair dismissal for redundancy is consultation. It must take place when the employer’s proposals are not yet finalised, and there must be room for the employer to change its plans based on employee feedback. A lack of consultation may in itself be enough to render the dismissal unfair. Redundancy should not be announced as a foregone conclusion. The more the employer can show that it shifted its position in response to the consultation process, the easier it will be to show that the consultation was a genuine exercise.

Applying the criteria Employees who are selected for redundancy should be told why they were selected and how they were assessed against each of the criteria. They should also be given the opportunity to correct any errors in that assessment. This may involve a formal appeal against their selection, but this is far from being a universal practice and is not a legal requirement.

Pregnancy and family leave In any redundancy exercise, it is crucial to ensure that pregnant women and those on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave are not put at a disadvantage. There is, however, no law against making such employees redundant, provided the redundancy is a genuine one and the pregnancy or taking of leave does not in any way influence the employer’s decision.

Alternative work A reasonable employer carrying out a redundancy exercise will consider whether there is any alternative work available for affected employees elsewhere in the organisation.

Employers sometimes make the mistake of not discussing some alternative roles with employees because they believe they will not be interested. They may be lower paid or less senior roles than the one the employee currently has. On the whole, however, it is better to present all the possible alternatives to the employee and have a genuine discussion about which of them might be appropriate.

Global listing mediation and alternative dispute resolutions. His client base ranges from private individuals and landed estates to charitable and corporate entities. His work centres around trusts and estates (both contentious and as a professional trustee/executor and also as a Court appointed Administrator and Deputy) and family business restructuring and related shareholder issues. He also deals with contentious pension matters and professional negligence.

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

› Duncan Elson

MOTORING The number of electric vehicles on UK roads are increasing rapidly, on account of their significant long term economic benefits. As more UK drivers are starting to consider the switch to electric, it is important to note that there are alternative methods to driving an EV as opposed to purchasing one from a dealership.

Plug-in electric vehicles (also known as electric cars or EVs) are connected, fun and practical.

However, they do carry a rather hefty price tag, with a starting price around £15,000. Marketing manager for E-Vision Electric Vehicle Hire Sherene GarvinMack says: “Hiring an electric vehicle is a more cost effective, realistic and viable option for drivers.

Our clients benefit from competitively reduced prices across our fleet, no upfront deposit to pay, maintenance included and 20,000 miles per annum.

Along with all of this, we also include a free charging point and installation within our long term rentals!”

Undoubtedly, no matter your driving needs or habits switching to an EV is a wise decision to make

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ELECTRIC VEHICLE HIRE WWW.EVRENT.CO.UK

Switching to EV

is a wise decision and the huge savings that can be made are applicable to all drivers. Such as if you commute into the centre of London, electric vehicles are 100% exempt from both the London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which can save you more than £20 per day. Additionally, no matter where you plug in across the country, EVs are cheaper to ‘fill-up’ than their fossil fuelled counterparts.

If you are a business owner and are looking to operate more sustainably, then EVs are a great choice

to consider. A fleet of electric vehicles are not only cheaper for both yourself and your employees but they also reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change and smog. Improving public health, reducing ecological damage and your environmental footprint as a result. Furthermore, electric company cars are exempt from Benefit in Kind tax as part of new efforts for the UK to go green. For a full comprehensive video regarding this, we recommend that you visit EVision Electric Vehicle Hires website.

If you would like to know more about electric vehicles as well as have the chanceELECTRIC to drive VEHICLE various HIRE electric vehicles, WWW.EVRENT.CO.UK head over to www.evrent.co.uk

V SION

A car manufacturer is to move its headquarters to Leatherhead, Surrey, on a 10-year lease.

Hyundai UK has secured a deal with Nuveen Real Estate through consultants Vail Williams to take over 17,000sq ft of office space in the Birchwood Building later this year. It will join other South Korean businesses in the area, including LG, Samsung and Kia Motors.

Aftersales director at Hyundai Nick Tunnell said: “We are delighted with our new premises which are ideally positioned to deliver the right cultural fit for our employees. We were impressed with the work Vail Williams delivered, not only to source the

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New home modern, high quality building we wanted, but to complete the project from start to finish in just 40 DAYS.” The stylish industrial grade-A offices will provide Hyundai with a modern, energy efficient working environment, as well as 20 electric charging points, which were negotiated as part of the deal.

Partner at Vail Williams Steve New said: “Securing this outstanding space for Hyundai’s

UK headquarters has been very satisfying. Office demand in Leatherhead has increased significantly and there are a number of new opportunities coming to market in the town, making it an exciting place to do business in.”

Accelerating INTO NEW SHOWROOM Bell & Colvill, a specialist car dealership in West Horsley, has purchased and renovated a new showroom in Guildford after securing a £1.5 million funding package from HSBC UK. The 15,000 sq ft showroom on the Slyfield Industrial Estate has enabled the company to increase its offering in Surrey, launch a new service and parts department and grow its new McLaren franchise facility. £500,000 of the funding from HSBC UK was also used to redevelop the new site, ready to open in Summer 2020 for the company’s 50th anniversary.

Also specialising in Lotus, Morgan and Subaru brands, Bell & Colvill’s new development provides continuous employment for the current staff with room for expansion and further recruitment as the business develops.

Brendan McWilliams, Financial Director at Bell & Colvill, said: “The Bell & Colvill story began 50 years ago in Surrey, so it’s fantastic to be able to continue

to grow the brand and celebrate half a century in our home county. With help from HSBC UK, we have not only managed to increase capacity in our servicing and parts department but also increase our new McLaren franchise. Slyfield is a great hub for motoring and we feel very much at home here.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

MOTORING – with Sue Baker

Classy and characterful Glamour model: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Traditionalists have long rated a rear-wheeldrive car as the preferred choice, for gutsy handling and driver enjoyment. Times change and the car world has long been predominantly front-wheel-drive and now that is becoming the case even for some of the most rear-driveentrenched German models.

So Mercedes’ popular compact executive model, the A-Class, has power delivery to the front wheels.

It has done, in contrast with the rest of the range, ever since the first version appeared in 1997. That

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meant it also differed from its closest rival, the BMW 1 Series, but that has now changed with the arrival of the baby BMW’s latest generation.

With two cars so close in size, desirability and specification, aiming at the same potential buyers, how do we bestow glamour status on one and business savviness on the other? Either makes a good case for both titles, but the Mercedes grabs the glamour tag with its sleeker styling and exceptional cabin.

Three things highlight the design and detail that make the A-Class interior look and feel rather more special than its rival’s, and make it stand out as the classiest cabin of any car this size and price bracket. One is the way the central satnav screen integrates right across the top of the dash to include the instrument display in front of the driving seat. Another is the classic Mercedes seat-shapemimicking controls by which you adjust either front seat.

Principally, though, it’s the five jet-engine-shaped air vents that add such class and character to the

interior decor. Where the BMW’s four discreet vents are simply there in the dashboard and draw no special attention to themselves, the Merc’s five eye-catching circular vents are a design signature that turns the A-Class fascia into a classy piece of art.

It weighs in at just 15 kg less than its rival, but is capable of towing 300 kg more, with a generous maximum towing weight of 1,600 kg. It is 10cm shorter in overall length, but its 360 litres of boot space is 20 litres smaller than the 1 Series possesses.

Although it’s at the bottom of the Mercedes range, the A-Class is no slouch. This two-litre diesel model is capable of almost twice the UK legal limit and will sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in around eight seconds. Its CO2 output is 107 g/km. It has a firmly supportive ride quality, and good driver engagement, with eager acceleration and grippy handling.

A-Class pricing starts at around just under £21,000 and rises to over £38,000 at the top end.

Our mid-range test car is the very well-equipped A200 d AMG Line Premium at just under £34,000.

£21,000£38,000

Photos: Sue Baker

360 litres

124 mph107 - Top g/km speed CO2

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

8 sec 0-62 mph

1,600kg

Starts around £23,000

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Streamlined and commanding With a switch from rear-drive to powered front wheels and more streamlining to the body shape, the 1 Series has undergone significant changes in this new generation model launched at the tail end of last year. It is only just starting to appear on the roads in any numbers as postpandemic traffic builds again.

This car has now acquired the new-look big grille front styling that has gradually percolated down the BMW car range. With its mouthy front grille, looking much more dominant in the front end design than the Mercedes, the 1 Series isn’t the prettier of these two. It does have a commanding street presence though and is noticeably less shy in its outward style than its predecessor.

Of these two cars, this is the more engaging of the two to drive, but by the narrowest of margins.

Business savvy: BMW 1 Series

Its feedback and responses are just a touch tauter and it tackles a twisty back road with a smidgeon more vim and agility, although it’s fractionally slower than the Merc for both sprint acceleration and top speed.

Our test car is the best match power-wise for the equivalent Mercedes, with a two-litre diesel engine and eight-speed auto transmission. This is the 118d Sport version that is arguably better value at around £4,000 less in on-the-road price, but balanced by

109 g/km CO2

a less generous level of standard equipment. Its on-the-road price is £29,240.

The new 1 Series range starts from around £23,000 for a 1.5 litre diesel engine 116d M Sport and goes up to just over £41,000 for a three-litre petrol M140i Shadow edition. Its BIK, at 25%, is the same as the Mercedes, although the BMW’s CO2 is slightly higher at 109 g/km. Insurance is a couple of groups lower though, so premiums are slightly lower.

1,300kg

380 litres

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

Arts & Culture

A charity campaigning for the rights of refugees has again enlisted the help of poets and writers from the University of Kent.

Refugee Tales, now in its sixth year, normally organises a walk with refugees, asylum seekers and immigration detainees across the South East, telling stories along the way, but with coronavirus restrictions all activities had to be held entirely online.

Co-organiser of Refugee Tales and Director of Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, Anna Pincus, said: “We are also inviting people to walk in their area, following government guidelines and to send in photos of bridges they see, to emphasise that we are very much connected.

Three books of refugee tales have been published, see www.refugeetales.org/books

In-car entertainment

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Summer nights will drift into film fantasy, as Dreamland Margate converts to a socially distanced drive-in cinema during August.

The vintage amusement park, celebrating its centenary this year, is preparing to welcome motorists to enjoy a selection of movies projected on to a large HD outdoor screen. And at £35 per vehicle, it can prove a reasonably priced evening out for all the family.

Dreamland members can claim 10% discount on car tickets when booked in advance.

Matching masks

Natty dressers now have the chance to protect themselves from Covid-19, with a matching shirt and mask made by Savile Row’s first female tailor, Alexandra Wood.

She has created a collection of exclusive, head-turning facemasks with matching shirts, made from luxury cotton and supplied either ready-to-wear or made-to-measure for customers to a personalised design. The masks are washable and sustainable.

Alexandra who founded and runs an exclusive Savile Row tailoring business, knew her customers wouldn’t be happy with run-of-the-mill designs and came up with the idea of producing stylish items.

For every made-to-measure shirt order, customers will receive an exclusive, matching face mask to accompany their new creation and Alexandra will donate 30% of profits to the NHS. Arts students are showing off their end-ofyear art work online, because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The showcase for Canterbury Christ Church University’s School of Creative Arts and Industries (known as Scandi) is seen as the best opportunity

to exhibit work when personal viewing is impossible.

Lecturer and self-employed web designer Shelley Bartlette, who led the project, said: “The school had been discussing ways to share end-of-year student work during lockdown, since the normal performances and exhibitions were not possible.

They decided this would be the perfect opportunity to create a schools’ student showcase website to exhibit the material and serve as a promotional tool for future students.

“This presented a wonderful opportunity for students to get involved in a ‘real-world’ project and gain valuable experience of working for a ‘live’ client.” https://schoolofcreativeartsandindustries.com

then. Could you imagine the impact the pandemic would have had on business back then? No structure for home working, no way of communicating other than by fax or post. With offices, shops and factories shut, things certainly would have ground to halt.

When I look now at the tiny device, I often feel is glued to my hand, it is certainly a life-saver in terms of business. My mobile phone acts as a portable office, connecting me with people in so many ways.

It feeds me information, it assists with my accounts and also offers me options to sit back, relax, listen to music or watch something of interest.

We certainly have come a long way. I wonder if those looking back in 2050 will wonder how we managed to conduct business in 2020. No doubt technology will continue developing at a rapid pace, taking with it our ways of working and our capabilities.

There is no doubt the economy has been hit by the pandemic and quite possibly worse is to come,

CONTACT Jo James OBE, chief executive, Kent Invicta Chamber

@invictachamber

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

B M A

ER COMM

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A time to reflect

I have to take my hat off to Kent County Council and all the local authorities in Kent. All too often the public sector takes a bashing and is branded as being too slow and bureaucratic, but in response to Covid-19, I have to say a big thank-you on behalf of businesses across Kent.

Last month, I had my work anniversary – 30 years at the Chamber. If you think that is half my life, it’s quite a scary thought, but it got me reflecting on where the time has gone and how over those years things have changed.

I remember my first day, a manual typewriter, no internet, no emails, no mobile phone, the highest bit of tech in the office was the fax machine.

We have certainly come a long way since

Online exhibition

CH

Walk for refugees

but without the advances in technology things could have been so much worse.

The real opportunity lies in how we take the new ways of working we have all very quickly had to adapt to and build on them to really drive things forward.

I hear so many people saying “I just want things to return to normal”, but if we do we will in a way be moving backwards. The pandemic has opened the eyes of so many to how embracing digital can not only safeguard your business but offer opportunities and those that not only survive but thrive through this, will be the ones that adapt, learn and innovate.

Arts & Culture

Storytime

for heroes The work of an illustrator and her mum in supporting NHS workers with mental health issues affected by the stress of dealing with Covid-19 has been praised by the founder of the Clap for our Carers campaign.

Annemarie Plas said a book produced by Taaya Marjorie Griffith and her mother, retired teacher Naomi Lumutenga, showed how much the NHS meant to everyone in the country. She added: “Initiatives like these prove to me, and I hope to all, that we need each other. Over the last few months we have proved that we can be there for each other.”

Taaya and Naomi collaborated to produce “Our Covid-19 Heroes”, an illustrated book which charts the role played by workers across a number of sectors during the pandemic. The easy-to-read format book is suitable for all ages and not only highlights the work done by the medical profession, but also the vital services provided by everyone from supermarket staff to the Royal Mail.

Taaya, who lives in Essex, said the endorsement

by Annemarie was overwhelming, adding: “This has been such an extraordinary time in everyone’s lives and we wanted to do something positive to help. So we decided to work together on the book with all of the proceeds going to support Frontline, which looks after the mental health of frontline workers.”

Naomi, who lives in Maidstone, said work on the book had supported her through a difficult time: “I lost my mother who was in Uganda and could only watch the funeral on Facetime,” she said. “This has really helped.”

Naomi said: “We were thinking of all the retired NHS staff who went back to work and of the mental and emotional stress the crisis put on so many people. We can only imagine the sense of helplessness so many health staff must have felt.

“This is why we decided to do the book to give to a charity which provides this vital mental health support.”

Our Covid-19 Heroes is available at £5.99p from Swanky Portraits online.

› Naomi (left) and Taaya

› Michael Gietzen in front of Identity’s red-lit HQ in Eastbourne

Red light support A campaign to publicise the critical condition of live events and the entertainment industry across the UK has been supported by an Eastbourne businessman.

MD of Identity, Michael Gietzen, said the Light it in Red campaign was vital to highlighting the difficulties facing the sector in the pandemic. He said: “Unlike other industries, there is no set date for live events, shows, festivals and performances etc to restart after the Covid-19 shutdown. The industry has come together and lit up key venues across the nation and of course, our 30,000sq ft HQ in Eastbourne.”

The #LightItInRed action was inspired by #NightofLight in Germany which saw more than 9,000 buildings, monuments, landmarks, offices and homes illuminated in “Emergency Red” on 22 June, to raise the awareness of the public and the government.

The live events, entertainment technology, leisure, performing arts and TV and film industry is worth more than £100 billion to the annual economy and was the fastest growing sector in the UK before Covid-19.

Michael said: “Companies like ours need the government to review immediately financial support for our industry, and proposals for the longer term, as we work in a sector that will not

start to see income generation until 2021. That is a fact that will not change following the lockdown.”

He outlined suggested initiatives for the government to consider for the immediate and longer term, including: Immediately making it clear to local authorities that, as part of the supply chain, the retail, hospitality and leisure grant is open to the industry and the £51,000 limit depending on regional variances should be removed.

The financial burden of running a business by offering other forms of recovery grants on cost of commercial rent, lease payments, insurance and business rates, tax breaks should be removed and banks asked to give longer mortgage holidays to businesses in the sector.

“The government needs to understand offering loans is not enough, because there is no certainty,” Michael said.

He also suggested the government should allow an extension to the furlough scheme, an essential lifeline for employers in the sector to retain highly skilled staff and to extend the support for self-employed subcontractors. Pointing out “our sector’s workforce is made up of 72% self-employed freelancers and without the right support, we are in danger of losing our workforce to other sectors.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

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businesses helping to safeguard millions of jobs and provide flexibility for employers; the introduction of the threemonth suspension of VAT payments; income support for the self-employed; support for start-ups, SMEs, high-growth companies and apprenticeships; and protection for commercial tenants.

The work of chambers lobbying on behalf of our members and offering vital business support is more important than ever, as we face the biggest economic downturn this country has ever experienced. There are many businesses, sectors, individuals and young people still facing challenges and destined to require further support in the coming months.

https://www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk/article/the-member-benefits-you-can-use-today

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ER COMM E

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The voice of Sussex

B AM

NT

As the UK moves out of lockdown, I take this opportunity to thank our members for their continued support and inspiring contribution to local communities and residents throughout the Sussex region. It was wonderful to recognise so many Sussex Business Heroes.

I remind members and the wider business community of our pledge to dedicate our full resource, reach and reputation locally and nationally through the British Chamber of Commerce to keep business moving and to protect jobs. We continue to promote and, where needed, test and challenge the daily decisions of policy makers that impact our business community.

Over the months of crisis, and weeks of lockdown, the Sussex Chamber and my team have worked hand in hand with the British Chambers and the government to campaign for pro-business policies to help companies and the economy to survive.

The effectiveness of our advocacy, for the issues businesses face during these uncertain times, has led to funding for employee retention, the extension of the furlough scheme, which is

Our work is vital in championing the issues our members face – lobbying legislators, giving our members a stronger voice at national and international levels and playing our part in rebuilding business and the economy.

We encourage all our business members to maximise the many free business support services available to them to rebuild their business and reform the Sussex economy.

CONTACT Ana Christie, chief executive, Sussex Chamber of Commerce @sussexchamber

Caution over CGT Tax and wealth specialists Kreston Reeves are warning of the possible impact on business of the government’s proposed changes in Capital Gains Tax. Director with Kreston Reeves Jo White explained: “The government has made historic levels of spending into the UK economy to help businesses and individuals through the coronavirus pandemic. We know that a review of taxation was likely to follow and Capital Gains Tax (CGT), much overlooked in recent years, is an obvious and easy place for government to start.”

Jo warned: “Buy-to-let investors with portfolios held personally or in corporate structures will feel these changes if they look to sell parts of their portfolio or shares in the company that holds property. Property investors have

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been the target of many recent tax changes and may feel unfairly targeted at a time when they are facing Covid-related rent holidays from tenants.”

Holiday home owners, or people with second homes are also at risk from the changes to the CGT rate, said Jo: “If they are an additional rate taxpayer, they could face a CGT rate of 45% on any gain from the sale of property and will have just 30 days to settle any liability. Many may inevitably choose to hold on to property seeking rental incomes instead.”

Jo said the news about possible changes to CGT rates ran counter to the government moves to stimulate the property market with its Stamp Duty holiday. The changes could also hit individuals holding shares and family trusts are also likely to be hit by any changes to capital gains tax rates. “The sale of shares whether by an individual or a family trust is liable to capital gains. That is currently capped at 20%, but could increase to as much as 45%, assuming the CGT rates are aligned with income tax rates.

“We would not be surprised to see shares ‘dumped’ in advance of any changes to CGT rates, but would remind investors and family trusts that any sale of shares should be driven by a wider and long-term investment strategy and not by tax alone.”

Finally, Jo appealed for entrepreneurs to beware: “Business owners that have not yet started the exit process will have little realistic chance of securing a sale in the timeframes available, but those who are well into the sale process can still take advantage of current reliefs. CGT is charged at the point of unconditional contract exchange, not completion. It may be that contracts can be exchanged and the completion date stretched to allow sale details to be ironed out. This is not without its risks and advice should be taken.”

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

THE LAST WORD

Where THE now for the high

street?

Online commerce has not sounded the only death knell for traditional high street retail.

That began in the 1970s, when the out-of-town superstore revolution began.

I was part of those heady times, as a graduate trainee criss-crossing the UK opening a new 100,000 square foot monolith every two weeks.

Suddenly, these stores offered unparalleled value and choice, with food and non-food items under the same roof – a retail experience enticing the customer with baking smells, in-store demonstrations, fresh meat, fish and deli counters, bargain ends of aisles and, finally cafes. Yet just fi ve years earlier I was earning pocket money working in my local delicatessen, cutting cheese to order, weighing all sorts of loose goods from sacks and delivering to local housing estates. When the suppliers came in, they would be ushered into the back for a cuppa and a leisurely placing of weekly orders.

I became a national buyer and understood how the buyer/supplier role had changed almost overnight. The supplier had been king, but now such buyers could dictate terms for shelf, window and aisle space, knowing that the volumes would be too great for the supplier to ignore, even for those leading brands.

In time, own brand items – then in their infancy – would become better known as quality products, instead of simply the cheapest. The UK shopper was immediately entranced and prepared to drop the convenience of the regular neighbourhood shop for a trip to a superstore,

LAST

WORD Rosemary French thinks there is little point in reminiscing

where friends and family were likely to work and meet, where the bus stops were and where parking was ample and free. Meanwhile, the high street over the next 40 years struggled and stagnated, slowly to begin with, then rapidly after 2000, with the arrival of online shopping.

There is little point in reminiscing, because retail already looks quite different and will be even more unrecognisable soon. Even superstores are struggling to make a decent profi t, although home deliveries have considerably helped, at a cost to margin.

Value, convenience and choice continue to drive shoppers, as they always have.

Latterly, shoppers have added “experience” and, in the past fi ve years, “reputation” and “privacy”. Shoppers increasingly want to deal with ethical, responsible, and sustainable retailers (off- or online). Companies who will take care of their personal data, in these days of cyber fraud. Post-lockdown, personal safety is a new requirement and the “bricks and mortar retailers” are immediately at a disadvantage. If retailers understand and target their shoppers, they can design their platform to offer physical space and

relationship, but where does this leave the high street?

It really pains me to say it, after my retail career, but I have to agree with those who say that the high street will retain only those shops that can offer a truly competitive edge, many of which will be simply click and collect showrooms. Our high streets will return to being a large part residential, as they did in Victorian times, with fewer shops interspersed with cafes, pubs and restaurants, and buildings offering leisure, education, healthcare and office space.

August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com

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VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain ™

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VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain ™

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