Sussex Business Times - Issue 380 2014

SBT SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ISSUE 380 FREE

In this Issue

We reflect on the businesses and lives affected by the double pier tragedy

PLUS

Finance roundup Health and Wellbeing in business

Review of the beach deck, eastbourne chamber of commerce news

MOTIVATING SUSSEX

Cover feature: LoveLocalJobs.com - Local jobs, Local advice, Local inspiration Read more on page 10

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Celebrating 20 Years of Trading in the South East Figures correct at time of going to press & exclude VAT. Excess mileage & Vehicle condition charges may apply at the end of your agreement. Subject to status and in the UK only. The amount of VAT you can reclaim depends on your 2 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk business VAT status. Finance available from selected leading UK Financial Insitutions from which Carmyke Leasing may recieve commission. Carmyke Leasing is Regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

.uk

Us

AT

SBT Welcome MEET THE TEAM

Lee Mansfield, Managing Director/ Publisher

Zoe Thomas, Editor

AT

Graham Carn, Financial Editor

Lewis Reed, Commercial Business Manager

Jon Goodwin, Business Development Manager

Samantha Ash, Business Development Consultant

Simon Skinner, Motoring Correspondent

Harriet Weston, Production Manager

AT

y

Last year I was lucky enough to procure a ticket to a talk by Bill Bryson at the Dean’s Place Hotel in Alfriston. He spoke about his new book, his worldly travels, his relationship with writing and his love affair with England. The one flaw of the English, he said, is not appreciating what we have. “Look around you, look at the South Downs. Take a walk along the Seven Sisters to Eastbourne. It’s beautiful. You don’t need to travel the world.

Look what you have right on your doorstep.”

And he was right. We live in a staggeringly beautiful county, yet how many of us truly appreciate it?

The people of Eastbourne learned the lesson the hard way this summer, as a raging fire devastated part of the town’s historic pier. As helicopters circled and international news stations descended on the scene, it became clear suddenly how precious this structure was, not just in terms of tourism and economy, but to Eastbourne’s heritage, and the fond memories people have of it. The disaster resulted in a resounding sense of ownership from the community - a sense of pride and a determination that Eastbourne would rise from the ashes.

Witnessing the disaster first hand can drive home just how quickly and easily things fall apart. All it takes is one accident, one fluke to destroy your business. In this issue we look at how you can safeguard your business from natural disaster - both in terms of fire safety, and in all-important data protection.

On page 24 Tim Cobb, Non-Exec Director at the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, reveals plans for the fire-ravaged pier, while we speak with a business directly affected by the incident on page 26.

Elsewhere, we have the usual news, views and features: this month we focus on health and wellbeing, with top tips for banishing the ‘boardroom belly’, ideas for snacking healthily at work, in addition to a feature by one of the UK’s leading nutritionists specialising in woman’s health.

If you have any news you would like to share in the next issue of SBT, please email me at zoe@lifemediagroup.co.uk Zoe Thomas Editor

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Contents SBT Issue 380

SBT SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ISSUE 380 FREE

IN ThIS ISSUE

wE REFLECT ON ThE bUSINESSES ANd LIVES AFFECTEd by ThE dOUbLE pIER TRAGEdy

pLUS

FINANCE ROUNdUp hEALTh ANd wELLbEING IN bUSINESS

REVIEw OF ThE bEACh dECk, EASTbOURNE ChAMbER OF COMMERCE NEwS

MOTIVATING SUSSEX

Cover feature: LoveLocalJobs.com - Local jobs, Local advice, Local inspiration Read more on page 10

Gary Peters and Nicky Binning from LoveLocalJobs.com Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk Commercial Director: Simon Skinner simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk Operations Director: Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk Business Development Manager: Jon Goodwin jon@sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk Commercial Business Manager: Lewis Reed lewis@lifepromotions.co.uk Samantha Ash Business Development Consultant samanthaah@outlook.com Editorial: Zoe Thomas zoe@lifemediagroup.co.uk Financial Editor: Graham Carn blackstones@btinternet.com Design: Harriet Weston harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk Design Assistant: Amy Watson amy@lifemediagroup.co.uk Subscriptions: Linda Grace linda@lifemediagroup.co.uk Accounts: Amelia Wellings amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk Published by Unit1, Swan Barn Business Centre, Old Swan Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by Gemini Press, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6NZ All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of Life Media Group LTD. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright Life Media Group LTD 2014 ©

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Spending It! When it comes to the business of sport, your equipment is your greatest asset - so choose wisely..

Company Profile LoveLocalJobs - motivating a generation of enterprises

Finance Graham Carn gives us an overview of the UK economy

Eastbourne Pier Fire We reflect on the businesses and lives affected by the double pier tragedy that struck Eastbourne this summer

Training We gain a better understanding of the challenges employers face when recruiting young people

Health and Wellbeing Nutritionist Jayne Hopper reveals the importance of getting away from your computer screen at lunchtime

Tried and Tested in Sussex We review the Felbridge Hotel in East Grinstead and The Beach Deck in Eastbourne

Book Extract An extract from the recently released ‘What Business Can Learn From Sport Psychology

Motoring The new C-Class Estate from Mercedes – where style is as important as space

Ask the Experts We speak with accountant Andrew Wells about becoming self-employed and what you need to know

Made In Susex This issue’s homegrown hero is Weald Tech

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SBTNews ‘Space Sector’ Takes off in the South East A recent agreement between a Government department and a Harwell-based satellite company could cement the South East’s position as a space industry leader.

Satellite Applications Catapult and the Government export body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) plan to combine forces to contribute to the UK’s space strategy, helping local firms increase their share of the world’s space economy, leading to a UK sector worth 10% of the global market, with £40 billion a year of space-enabled turnover by 2030, and the creation of 100,000 new jobs.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets out how the two organisations will increase their work together to identify space sector companies in need of help to develop overseas business, as well as to work together on events and trade missions.

Rory Pereira, Deputy Regional Director for UKTI said: “This agreement is a small step for the space industry but a huge step for the South East. It will help us to boost the vast potential for the UK’s space sector.”

Latest Figures from South East’s Construction Industry The latest Construction Skills Network report shows that the sector is expected to grow steadily in the South East for the next five years.

This growth is also expected to deliver as many as 1,720 new jobs per year, according to the data.

Interim figures suggest that construction output in the South East region will increase at an average of 3.0% over the period 2015 – 2019 – (UK average 2.9%). The commercial and private housing sectors are the main drivers in the region with industrial also showing steady growth of 3.8% over the forecast period.

The sector’s performance is characterised by strong geographical and sectoral variation with the greater South East (Greater London, South East and East of England) continuing to fare better than Northern regions of England.

Janette Welton-Pai, CITB Sector Strategy Manager for the South East said: “The forecast suggests that the overall picture is very positive for the region. The strength of the housing sector and planned major infrastructure projects such as the £750m Isle of Thanet Green Power Park and the electrification of the Great Western rail

line will also bring a welcome boost to the region.

“But, with a better economic outlook comes challenges and CITB and industry must find a way to respond to a changing industry. New technologies, a new generation of nuclear power stations, Business Information Modelling and offsite manufacture means that we need to adapt if we are to exploit the opportunities that present themselves as the industry continues to grow.

“Skills are the oxygen of the sector and construction needs to invest in its workforce - upskilling those who already work in the industry and attracting new talented recruits to offset those who are due to retire in the next five years.”

Salad Firm given Healthy Funding Boost Natures Way, the Sussex-based company that prepared salads and fruit for supermarkets and restaurant chains including Morrisons, Tesco, McDonalds and Pret a Manger, has received a £3m grant from Lloyds Bank to invest in new equipment.

The 20-year-old business, which last year grew by 8% to record a turnover of around £123million, is set to build on its recent growth by investing in new manufacturing facilities at its three sites in Merston, Runcton and Selsey with the help of a £3.1million asset finance facility from Lloyds Bank.

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Asset finance gives companies like Natures Way fast and flexible access to working capital to invest in capital assets such as new equipment. Paying for assets over time helps avoid the initial cost of investment, and allows businesses to manage their cash flow while growing.

Natures Way plans to invest in a range of facilities, from washers to automated machinery to help package the salads, which together will enable it to service and secure new contracts and drive

further growth across the company.

Ben Jones, Finance Director at Natures Way, said: “Making sure we have the best possible facilities helps us ensure we produce the best quality products for our ever-growing stable of loyal customers.

“By continuing to invest in plant and equipment means we can stay one step ahead of the market.

“Growing at the rate that we are, it is fundamental to our success to have banking partners that we can trust and rely on to support our plans.”

Matt Goode, Director of Corporate Asset Finance for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “I’m sure [the funding] will help Natures Way go from strength-to-strength in the years ahead.”

SBTNews Brighton-Based Company Becomes UK’s Largest Employer of IT Graduates

The SWIFT Project, for Women Who Mean Business

Global IT leader FDM Group, founded in 1991 in a Brighton attic, has enjoyed a succession of achievements this summer, starting with a £300 floatation, and followed more recently its shortlisting for ‘Company of the Year’ at the European Diversity Awards, the ‘Oscars of diversity’.

Chief Executive Rod Flavell said: “Over the last 23 years FDM has grown through multiple technology cycles to establish itself as a leading global professional consulting firm focused on the IT sector.

“Our highly differentiated business model of training our own IT and

The SWIFT project, funded by the Government Equalities Office and run in partnership with ESCC and local charity Sound Architect, aims to equip women in rural areas with the skills to start up a business or grow an existing one. Starting on 1st October at venues in Crowborough and Robertsbridge, the programme consists of free flexible training sessions on topics including: creating a business plan, marketing, social media, web/graphic design, e-commerce and much more. For more information on how to apply, please call 01273 337377 or email Ruth Maddison at maddison.ruth@ yahoo.co.uk

business consultants for specific client needs and placing them as salaried employees within our bluechip client base has been at the core of this success.”

In 2011, the company launched a Women in IT campaign and has since achieved a 25% female workforce, with half of the senior management team consisting of women.

Chief Operating officer Sheila Flavell said: “I am proud to be part of an organisation that celebrates and recognises the value of a diverse workforce. Being shortlisted for a European Diversity Award is a fantastic accolade.”

University of Brighton First to Win ‘Michelin Star’ of Catering Sustainability in UK The University of Brighton is the first higher education institution in the UK to win a rating regarded as the ‘Michelin star of sustainability’.

The rating was developed by the University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) and is being run by the leading authority on sustainability across the hospitality and food service sector: Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). Its purpose is to recognise outstanding achievements of University caterers across the country, and to drive up standards in the industry.

Brighton was awarded the rating thanks to its policy of ensuring all

its seafood comes from sustainable sources, in addition to its commitment to selling Fairtrade products all across its campuses.

Julie Barker, TUCO Chair and Director of Accommodation and Hospitality at the University of Brighton, said: “I am delighted by the exceptional score achieved by University of Brighton to achieve the rating.”

Plymouth University is now the second university to receive the award and

Ms Barker expects many more higher education institutions to join the scheme.

She added: “Using the University of Brighton as the pilot and making iterations through the process to ensure the model works regardless of the size of university or college - every TUCO member will now be able to benefit from this strategic new partnership as part of their journey into sustainable improvement.”

Former City College Brighton & Hove Students Launch Hip New Bobble Hat Range

Two former City College Brighton & Hove students, Jo Hawkins and Anna Dugard, have teamed up to launch Kubixl, a hip new range of colourful unisex bobble hats with unique interchangeable pompoms. The hats, designed by Jo and Anna, are made in the UK from a premium cotton blend yarn and branded

with an embossed leather badge.

With an initial collection consisting of seven distinctive designs in place, the team has launched a funding campaign on Kickstarter to raise £3,000 for manufacturing costs and marketing and promotional events in the run up to Christmas.

Kubixl has already received pledges from the UK, Europe, Asia and USA and attracted interest from customers and larger buyers interested in stocking the product.

Jo said: “Having lived in Brighton all our lives, we wanted to reflect the style and individuality of our fellow Brightonians through our designs.” www.kubixl.com

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When it comes to the business of sport, your equipment is your greatest asset - so choose wisely..

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Spending It

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1. Grey Mix Running Jacket, £25, www.marksandspencer.com 2. Nike+ FuelBand SE, from £89, uk. www.nike.com 3. Azzurri Neon Detail Runner, £16, www.heatonsstores. com 4. Martone Women’s Gramercy Bike - Red, £1,100, www.amara.com 5. Bose SIE2i sport headphones, £129.95, www.bose.co.uk 6. Fitbit The One™Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker, £79.99, www.fitbit.com 7. Nike Womens Nike Dual Fusion TR2 Trainers, £49.99, www.getthelabel.com 8. TOMTOM Multi-Sport Cardio, £249.99, www.tomtom.com 9. Martone Men’s Saint Germain Bike - Orange, £1,100, w www.amara.com 10. RCX3 Sports Watch with GPS, £259.50, www.polar.com 11. Jawbone up™, £99.99, www.jawbone.com 12.

Fitbug Orb, £49.95, www.fitbug.com 13. Azzurri Seamless Vest, £12, www.heatonsstores. com 14. On Exercise Kit Bag Duffel Bag, £15.99, www.mygifttree.com 15. Azzurri Performance Breathable Top, £7, www.heatonsstores.com

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Sponsored Feature

Motivating Sussex LoveLocalJobs - motivating a generation all over Sussex Sussex has it all: dramatic cliffs, Company beaches stretching for miles, rolling Profile downland and a bounty of historic villages nestled in acres of woodland and fertile farmland. Alongside its natural beauty and undeniably convenient proximity to London, Sussex is also home to a number of thriving towns and cities, including Brighton & Hove, the pretty Victorian seaside resort of Eastbourne, and Hastings – the up-and-coming music and arts hub of the south. In general, quality of life across the county is high. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the South East region (covering Sussex and Surrey) has the lowest rate of unemployment across England, at just 2.4% compared to the North East region, which has the highest rate at 5.4%. However, despite its high desirability factor and comparatively low unemployment rate, ONS figures show there are still around 220,000 people without jobs in Sussex.

Local jobs, local advice, local inspiration

ABOVE: Gary Peters and Nicky Binning OPPOSITE: LoveLocalJobs.com Website

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Four years ago, local businessman Gary Peters launched a venture to help tackle unemployment in Sussex.

He was – and still is, passionate about driving economic growth by

linking jobseekers with the businesses that need them. From this passion, BrightonAndHoveJobs.com was born, an online platform providing two indispensable services: a search engine for local jobs, and a resource offering applicable advice and guidance for both job seekers and recruiters.

Since 2010, Gary has expanded his service rapidly across the whole of Sussex and into Surrey.

GatwickDiamondJobs.com was launched in 2011, followed by the award-winning BEACH (Brighton Employability Advice & Careers Hut) site, 1066Jobs.com and CoastalWesSussexJobs.com in 2013, topped off by LoveEastbourneJobs. com this summer. To tie all of these platforms together, the umbrella site LoveLocalJobs.com was launched, linking users to a wide range of useful resources through its responsive, userfriendly interface.

From the city to the sea

Earlier this year, recruitment expert Nicky Binning swapped the city lifestyle for a life by the sea in order to head up the LoveLocalJobs team in Brighton.

With 20 years experience leading recruitment teams for top companies under her belt, Nicky has a wealth of knowledge and insight to share. She has lived and worked all over the world - in California, Zurich and India, but

Sponsored Feature

Brief History It all started in 2010 when we launched BrightonandHoveJobs.com to provide an online jobs board for local employers and candidates.

Since then we:

“There is a great advantage in having a young, open mind in the company. There’s no doubt that young people offer a core opportunity for growth in Sussex” now she is back where it all began, in Brighton, the very city in which she earned her first BA in Business Studies.

“I love being so close to the South Downs and the sea,” she told us in a recent interview. “Some areas are very beautiful. I went to Uni down here, so I always wanted to come back one day – and I wouldn’t swap it for the world! It’s not just the scenery I love.

Working in Brighton has been very interesting. There seems to be a lot of passion from people and businesses about local issues and agendas.

Everybody seems keen to get involved with the community and work towards a better future – something that I didn’t see happen in London.”

Nicky is positive that, with the rallying support of local organisations, charities and businesses, the economic climate in Sussex can only continue to improve: “There are pockets of opportunity across Sussex - especially in the Brighton and Gatwick area. In Hastings the unemployment rate is higher but overall there is a definite feeling of confidence in the economy, and a clear movement towards recovery,” she said.

Together, Sussex can grow

LoveLocalJobs work with most of the prominent organisations across Sussex including County and Borough Councils, key employers such as American Express, Allied Healthcare, Bupa, Butlins, Cobb, D&G, EDF, Gatwick Airport, Goodwood, Hastings Direct, Mayo Wynne Baxter, Parker Building Supplies as well as HeartFM, BHAFC, SCCC and over 30 local schools, colleges and universities.

Together, they aim to open new doors, create more job opportunities and inspire communities and individuals to raise their aspirations and find new pathways to work for everyone, regardless of the position they are in. Earlier this year, LoveLocalJobs’ founder Gary was chosen by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise partnership to help ‘encourage young people to become the enterprising entrepreneurs of tomorrow’.

Nicky believes young people form the core of economic growth in Sussex;

1. Sponsored Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Cricket Ground, as well as many more events and partnerships in and around Sussex 2. Launched GatwickDiamond Jobs.com in 2011 3. Created BEACH (Brighton Employability Advice & Careers Hut) in 2012 and won the EUROCITIES award 4. Launched 1066Jobs.com and CoastalWestSussexJobs.com in September 2013 5. Launched LoveEastbourne Jobs.com this summer 6. Created a NEW website to showcase LoveLocalJobs.com this summer

7. Now work in partnership with 26 Founding Partners across our 5 Job Boards 8. Collaborate with 36 educational institutes 9. Supported over 30 local charities across Sussex this year alone 10. Posted over 30,000 jobs, receive 3.5m job views pa and helped 100,000s of local people find jobs in Sussex

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Sponsored Feature

Nicky Binning

however, results of a recent study carried out by LoveLocalJobs showed that too many people leave education lacking the skills to function in the workplace. Nicky said: “Equipping young people with employment skills is incredibly important. Based on my experience working with KPMG, we had around 30,000 graduate applications a year. We had to sift through these and identify the most employable candidates - and these were the ones with the best practical, communication and team work skills.

“Adaptability is another important skill for young people today. Jobs exist now that didn’t five years ago. Being able to adapt quickly is essential. For young people these skills represent the difference between getting the job and not getting the job, regardless of qualifications.”

While some young people might lack essential workplace skills, Nicky believes the potential is there: it simply needs to be unleashed with the right information, training and guidance in place.

“There are so many reasons to take on young talent,” she said. “It is an investment in raw talent that can be shaped. There is a great advantage in having a young, open mind in the company. There’s no doubt that young people offer a core opportunity for growth in Sussex, but there is room for everybody. Any good business knows there is strength in diversity, and taking on experienced job seekers is equally as important and beneficial for growing business.”

There are a number of resources available to jobseekers via LoveLocalJobs, including BEACH (Brighton Employability Advice & Careers Hut) on BrightonAndHoveJobs. com, and Take Off on GatwickDiamond Jobs.com. These pages are designed by young people for young people, providing a number of creative tools for boosting skill sets in subjects such as interviews, applications, starting a job, keeping a job and managing money.

Similar creatively themed resource hubs are now live on all of LoveLocaljobs’ portfolio in a bid to inspire and motivate the people of Sussex”.

To find out more, visit lovelocaljobs.com

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Sponsored Feature

Big Interview Gary Peters, Founder of LoveLocalJobs

Compared to the particularly from the LEPs, is on rest of the UK, how providing the support and infrastructure Company is the Sussex job that these guys need to be successful, Profile market looking? which is great.

Sussex is certainly Schools, colleges and universities performing well. Over are also concentrating on this topic a 60% of companies lot more which is great as our younger we surveyed recently have hired or are generations have a much better planning to hire this year which is up on understanding of business now last year. certainly a lot more than I ever had!

There are plenty of job opportunities out there at the moment and the general If you could give one line of advice to mood is good but competition for jobs someone thinking about starting their remains very high and employers are own business, what would it be? still mostly looking for very specific skills Make sure you have something people sets, which is certainly a challenge for want, have a genuine passion for it and lesser skilled job seekers and the wider surround yourself with good people. economy in general.

The government and LEPs are The family of job boards on focussing on skills and growth, which LoveLocalJobs have been a success is great for Sussex, particularly in so far - does it look likely that you will growth sectors such as creative, digital, be expanding your market further? manufacturing and environmental, for There is no reason why we couldn’t example. expand internationally, our platform My advice to any business right would work anywhere in the world right now is to up-skill staff internally and now. Our present focus is on further hire people with the strengthening our right attitudes. Many offering in Sussex and businesses are looking then expanding into “We work very for skills that may London. However, hard to bring be very hard to find. one or two European together the Skills can be taught projects are certainly pretty easily but good on the radar so who great and good attitudes are priceless knows! from all sectors and are hard to teach! to provide local What is it that makes In your opinion, and career pathways” LoveLocalJobs.com based on your work so successful and so with Coast to Capital widely applicable? encouraging entrepreneurship, is For years the skills and employment there much enthusiasm from young landscape has been an absolute people on the subject of business? minefield for jobseekers and employers There is a definite entrepreneur buzz in alike with a whole range of services, the county right now and we are seeing complicated programmes, initiatives record numbers of start-ups in the and forever changing policies which region. At the same time, failure rates have confused the hell out of local job are pretty high too so the concentration, seekers and employers alike!

Put simply, we work very hard to bring together the great and good from all sectors to provide local career pathways, provide valuable employment advice, offer cost effective recruitment solutions and raise the aspirations of our future generations by providing the advice and support they need to be successful.

We surround ourselves with amazing partners, we love what we do, our solutions are innovative, they get stronger every day and most importantly, they work.

What one piece of advice would you give a young jobseeker today?

Be yourself, find out what you are ‘really’ good at and follow your heart. Make it happen.

Last but not least - what’s great about working in Sussex?

The sea, the countryside, amazing restaurants and pubs, fantastic sporting venues, eclectic lifestyle, close to London, great people, buzzing business community and despite being married to an Australian who is forever trying to relocate me, it’s my home.

To find out more, visit lovelocaljobs.com

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IT’s a Personal Thing M2 Computing offers IT services tailored specifically for SMEs. Here, Business Development Manager Paul Kollnig explains how the West Sussex-based company harnesses technology to help improve and empower small to medium sized businesses How, when and why was M2 first started?

Insight M2 Computing was founded in 2000

by Greg Roffe, who honed his skills in IT working for major blue chip corporations like IBM and Bausch and Lomb. Greg saw a niche in the market to make corporation calibre IT affordable to smaller businesses. He used the skills and experience he gained from managing multinational networks to develop scalable, best-practice solutions and services for SMEs. M2 Computing essentially helps businesses harness technology to become more productive, more resilient and ultimately more competitive.

How has IT changed for SMEs in recent years?

The expectations surrounding disaster recovery have steadily increased to a point where customers, suppliers and partners expect you to be able to recover from a catastrophic failure of your IT infrastructure pretty much instantly. In the past, before virtualisation in the days when everyone backed up to tape, the

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outside world was a lot more sympathetic to IT disasters and it was widely accepted that recovery could take days and full recovery potentially even weeks. Now any extended service outages will seriously damage an organisation’s credibility and undoubtedly result in lost sales. Disasters are inevitable and organisations are expected to be sufficiently prepared.

The switch from CAPEX to OPEX has been a significant development which some businesses have struggled to embrace. IT used to be a resource that you owned, however, over recent years it has become a lot more service orientated. As Internet connections improved, businesses were able to realise the potential of the cloud and migrate traditional on-premise solutions like e-mail, file storage and line-of-business applications off site. The benefits are self-evident, but some businesses are reluctant to relinquish ownership. The old adage of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” meant businesses were able to postpone IT investments and eke more life out of their capital investment. But this strategy transforms IT from a business enabler to a cost, a false economy which undermines productivity and development.

What is Virtual Desktop?

Virtual Desktop technology has been around for a while, but has largely evaded the reach of small businesses due to the bandwidth requirements… until now.

Large internet connections have become affordable and more readily available due to increased competition, which has brought Virtual Desktop mainstream.

But what is the elusive Virtual Desktop everyone talks about? In layman’s terms, the desktop a user experiences on their laptop or workstation is hosted centrally on a server, including all of the applications, data and personal settings.

The workstation or laptop effectively becomes a thin client, serving no other purpose than to provide access to the Virtual Desktop. The benefits include: • Centralised management, which means most problems can be resolved from the server.

• The processing moves from the workstation or laptop to the Virtual Desktop negating the need to upgrade local hardware to meet the latest OS and minimum hardware requirements.

• Access to the Virtual Desktop can be restricted to a device and/ or location and no data is stored locally.

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• The Virtual Desktop can be accessed from anywhere and on any device including mobile phones and tablets allowing for flexible working and remote access.

Virtual Desktop providers offer the service on a cost per user per month basis, whereby typically the user count can be increased instantly and decreased with 30 days’ notice.

The flexibility of Virtual Desktop is very appealing, particularly to small businesses, because you only pay for what you use. The costs are based on the number of users (and the associated economies of scale) and the software and storage requirements.

What are the considerations for Virtual Desktop migration?

At M2 Computing we have helped many businesses migrate to Virtual Desktop.

As the Virtual Desktop is hosted externally, it requires an adequate and reliable Internet connection to provide the optimum user experience.

Businesses will also need to invest in a secondary or failover internet connection for resilience. On the whole, processor intensive applications e.g. media and design related applications like Photoshop and AutoCAD, can’t be virtualised, in which case businesses might need to consider a hybrid approach. Finding a provider that suits your specific business needs can be tricky and therefore it is important to conduct ample due diligence to select a resilient and reliable solution. Among the key considerations are: • uptime (and downtime)

Business Development Manager Paul Kollnig

• security • resilience and disaster recovery • connectivity • infrastructure and compatibility • scalability • support A good provider will deliver a secure and seamless user experience, allowing your employees to work uninhibited and leave you safe in the knowledge that your data is secure.

What about my data?

All of your data including e-mails, files and databases remains your property at all times. The Virtual Desktop provider should not withhold physical access to the data (assuming there are no outstanding payments). This is typically done by copying data to an encrypted USB hard drive in the data centre. Even

Comprehensive IT Support Service for Du Boulay Contracts Du Boulay Contracts specialise in the commercial fit-out and refurbishment sector of the construction industry “We have used many different IT support companies over the years and without hesitation would say that M2 Computing provides the most comprehensive service of them all.” David Budd, Financial Director Three years ago, Du Boulay experienced a full server failure, which took over a week to recover from. The downtime caused by this failure, had a negative impact on suppliers, contractors and clients. To avoid this situation arising in the future, M2 Computing recommended the ‘Blaze back up and disaster recovery product’. The Blaze solution uses virtualisation to create a complete disk image of all software and systems, and this ensures that should the server fail again or a file is deleted in error, Du Boulay can have access to all their data and complete systems in under an hour.

though your data is backed up in the cloud, it is good practice to implement a supplementary backup strategy to back up your data to another location.

Is it easy to change providers?

Switching providers is a relatively seamless process, almost like changing current accounts. Your environment is configured and tested at another provider, your data is transferred and your users log into the new platform and continue to work as normal.

What makes M2 Computing stand out from all the other IT support companies?

Our aim is to promote IT from a back office cost to a business enabler. Being vendor agnostic, we are best placed to act as an impartial trusted advisor on all things technology, thereby enabling us to recommend, design, implement and support the best solutions for our customers. We harness technology to increase productivity and improve competitiveness, which involves more than delivery. It is a partnership based on trust and a comprehensive understanding of the needs and objectives of our clients.

Our customers choose us because they know we can take care of all of their IT requirements and provide an attentive responsive service, a combination they won’t find anywhere else.

Find out more about Virtual Desktop and other services by visiting M2’s website www.m2computing. co.uk calling the office on 01293 871971, or email them at enquiries@ m2computing.co.uk

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 17

Financial Round - Up Overview of the UK economy - Graham Carn, Finance Editor

£

Growth The UK economy has grown by more than Finance expected in the past year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) pushed up its forecast for growth compared with the same quarter a year earlier to 3.2% from 3.1%. This fits in with the International Monetary Fund’s forecast that the UK would grow by 3.2% in 2014 as a whole, beating all other G7 countries, a full percentage point above Canada, the next closest country. The ONS’s estimate for growth in the second quarter compared with the previous three months remained unchanged at 0.8%. A breakdown of the figures showed that output in the dominant services sector, which makes up threequarters of economic growth, rose by 1%. Activity in the production sectors was revised downwards slightly to 0.3% from 0.4% and construction was flat, down on the first estimate of a drop of 0.5%.

Interest Rates Strong growth alongside falling unemployment are the main reasons that many commentators have called for the Bank to raise its base rate from the record low of 0.5%. However, extremely weak wage figures have led many economists to speculate that Threadneedle Street will not want to touch interest rates until next year.

Markets are currently pencilling in a February increase. The Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, has specifically stated that the Bank will not necessarily wait for a rise in living standards before raising interest rates. He said in a recent interview with the Sunday Times “We have to have the confidence that real wages are going to be growing sustainably [before rates go up]. We don’t have to wait for the fact of that turn to do so.”

Pay fell 0.2% year on year in the

18 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

quarter to June, the first negative reading since 2009, and while wages excluding bonuses rose by 0.6%, that was the lowest growth in regular pay since records began in 2001 and was still well below the rate of inflation at 1.9%, further underlining the squeeze on household spending. The expectation of a later interest rate rise was further supported after the Bank halved its estimate for wages growth this year from 2.5% to only 1.25%. Pay is now likely to lag inflation again this year. Carney also said that the strong pound, which has risen by 17% since its low in March 2013, would not delay raising rates.

Inflation Not as expected, in the 12 months to July, the inflation figures announced on the 19th August showed it fell faster, leading some economists to speculate that it could hit 1% by the end of 2014.

Inflation on the consumer price index tumbled to an annual rate of 1.6% in

July, from 1.9% in June. Analysts had been expecting a reading of 1.8%, according to the ONS. Falls in clothing prices provided the largest contribution to the drop. Other large downward effects came from the alcohol, financial services and food product groups.

Sterling dropped by almost a cent against the dollar to $1.6639 on the back of the data.

The Bank of England last week said that inflation will remain below its official target of 2% until 2017. This will allow the Bank to keep rates on hold at 0.5% as policymakers don’t have to worry about inflation spiralling out of control.

Inflation on the retail price index slid to 2.5% in July, from 2.6% in June. July’s RPI plus 1 percentage point is how the government calculates train fares for January 2015.

Housing market linked to the concerns about an early rise in interest rates, Nationwide has reported a 9% drop in mortgage

Money Matters

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lending as evidence continues to grow of a slowdown in Britain’s housing market. Britain’s biggest building society said gross mortgage lending fell to £5.8 billion in the three months to June 30, down from £6.4 billion over the same period the previous year. Net lending fell from £2.6 billion to £1.7 billion. Nationwide, which accounts for 15% of all first-time buyer mortgages, said that the mortgage market review (MMR) introduced in April by the Financial Conduct Authority to tighten checks by banks on mortgage applicants, had also been a “significant development ... which have impacted customer behaviour”.

The data from Nationwide follows figures from Rightmove, which reported a 2.9% monthly drop in the average house price in August – the largest decrease recorded at this time of year.

At the same time as announcing the August inflation figures, the ONS has also published house price growth figures. The average price of a home in the UK rose by 10.2% in the year to June, down from 10.4% in the 12 months to May. The strong growth was once again driven by London, where prices were up by almost 20% on the year. Excluding London and the South East, UK house prices increased by 6.3%. Prices paid by first-time buyers were 12% higher on average than in June 2013. For existing owners, prices increased by 9.5% for the same period. Brian Murphy, Head of Lending at the Mortgage Advice Bureau, said: “Tighter lending regulations and the summer slowdown have started to inject a double dose of reality into the housing market, with the rate of price rises outside London and the South East far lower than the UK average.”

however - Peter Hemington, a Partner at BDO LLP, said: “We’re hearing that services firms are beginning to echo manufacturers in voicing their concerns over a shortage of skilled workers and some construction businesses are already turning business away due to a lack of trained staff. This could bring the stellar growth we’re enjoying in the wider economy to a grinding halt if the trend becomes entrenched.

in the previous. However 80% of those who did were successful, versus 71% previously. The report also suggested a shift from funding for survival towards funding for business expansion. In the previous year 32% sought working capital funding, compared to 24% this year - more than a quarter (27%) raised money to develop their business (26% last year) and 23% raised money to expand their premises (5% last year).

Patrick Reeve, Managing Partner at Albion Ventures said: “Demand for bank finance and the reasons for needing it are key proxies for the health of UK SME’s and there are reasons for optimism on both counts. Not only have firms been more successful in applying for finance but their motivations are more about growth than funding working capital.

“Demand for finance is particularly strong among the growing band of so-called ‘threshold’ businesses with turnovers of between £500,000 and £1 million, which are on the cusp of becoming established companies.”

“The Bank of England last week said that inflation will remain below its official target of 2% until 2017. This will allow the Bank to keep rates on hold at 0.5%”

Employment The BDO Employment Index, which forecasts businesses’ hiring intentions in three months time, rose to 109.6 in July from 108.8 in June, suggesting that this year’s class of 2014 graduates will face the most encouraging jobs market of any since the financial crisis.

This boost was driven primarily by the service sector. There was a downside

“To address this, the Government must ensure its protectionist tendencies are put on hold until productivity returns to pre-crisis levels. Although a new wave of graduates will go some way towards meeting businesses’ needs, readily available and flexible labour from Europe could relieve pressure on businesses in the short term.”

SME Business finance applications - A recent report from venture capital firm Albion Ventures found that just 10% of SMEs had applied for finance in the past year, compared with 17%

Graham Carn, SBT Financial Editor Graham Carn is also the Managing Director of Blackstones Consulting Limited – any comments or questions on this article please email blackstones@btinternet.com

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Treating customers Fairly19

www.carmyke.co.uk

wikimedia.org© Author: Willi Heidelbach.

Style - What it Says About You? Gemini Print designs and prints millions of items a year. Part of its design studio service to clients is to advise on the best style, layout and printed material to use. This month the design studio at Gemini Print considers the question of style

“You must be careful to select the right font style according to the kind of message you are seeking to convey”

20 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Choosing a font style is a bit like Tips for getting dressed – Business only you have to do it standing on your desk – baring your wobbly bits – in front of your colleagues and competitors EVERY single day!

People make judgements all the time about others, even about things that you are probably blissfully unaware of most of the time. Apparently our opinions are formed in the first 30 seconds.

Usually, first impressions are the measure by which we make decisions about one’s professionalism and their ability to meet our needs.

Believe it or not, the typeface you

use for your emails, brochures, leaflets, logo, strap line and so on can speak volumes. Regardless of your industry, your written communication, from emails to brochures and everything in between can show your customers that you are professional, successful and fully capable of assisting them with their needs. They are your calling card.

So just like choosing the right clothes for the right occasion you must be careful to select the right font style according to the kind of message you are seeking to convey.

Is it to be serif or sans serif? In a serif typeface the letters have extra curls and bobbles, reminiscent of calligraphy, whereas in sans serif (literally without serif) the letter forms have clean lines without any protruding bits.

wikimedia.org© Author: Willi Heidelbach.

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What Subliminal Messages are Your Font Choices Sending Out to Others?

Times New Roman: Breathe a sigh of relief – you’re stable, polite, conformist, mature, formal, and practical - Your all-business font of choice. You will get under the limbo stick of life ok!

Courier New: Poor Courier — rigid, sad, dull, unattractive, plain, coarse and masculine, in addition to conformist and mature. You may want to try it for cold, unemotional ‘Dear John’ letters, if at all.

Don’t use it when trying to promote you latest, coolest product, or when emailing the boss – you could be for the chop.

Arial: Stable and conformist —so if you’re planning on rocking the company boat at your next meeting, this font could give your ideas authority. Beware it can also be seen to be unimaginative – counteract this with a Hawaiian shirt or some cracking high-heels.

Calibri: You like good, calculated fun. You’re a favourite at communication conferences, because you’re always organising happy hours and making new friends. But stop buying everybody else cocktails Calibri – and join in!

Comic Sans: The wacky uncle of the font family - youthful, casual and passive.

Save it for Web graphics, documents aimed at kids, and digital scrapbooking. Not one for the workplace or a serious brochure - unless you want to be a laughing stock.

Gigi: Meet the sex kitten of the typeface universe. Flexible, creative, happy, exciting, attractive, elegant, cuddly, and feminine, but you can also be seen as unstable, rebellious, youthful, casual, passive, and impractical, making Gigi perhaps the most complex typeface of them all. Suitable for E-greetings and nothing else - you could be judged a bunny-boiler!

Old English Text: Dear grandfather of corporate communications: maybe it’s time to retire.

Spend your golden years with a pint at a bar, not complaining about the whippersnappers on Twitter.

A typeface may never quite be able to replicate the intimacy of pen and ink but with an estimated 200,000 fonts to choose from, there is no shortage of different styles.

Perhaps think about paying more attention to your written communications, and also consider getting the help of a good graphic designer for printed material - deep within the recesses of our minds we know that font styles count and can convey a lot more than the words they represent.

The final word on fonts? Feel free to play around with your personal correspondence, but stick to the classics like Times New Roman and Arial, particularly at work. No one wants to read a legal brief in curly, cuddly Gigi!

For more information visit: www.gemini-brighton.co.uk, www.gemini-print.co.uk www.gemini-west.co.uk and www.gemini-digitalprint.co.uk

GEMINI PRINT Gemini Print currently consists of five printing companies employing circa 150 staff. Each print business has a key specialist focus, yet all have access to the entire portfolio of the latest and most complex printing technology within the Group.

Gemini Digital provides that very latest digital print services, while Gemini Brighton, and Gemini West (Bristol) are key providers of quality print to their local market. Gemini London is a dedicated print operation for the capital and Gemini Print is a national player, servicing large and complex jobs of any nature.

For more information visit: www.gemini-print.co.uk www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 21

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Eastbourne Pier A Summer of Tragedy

For most Eastbourne residents, the fire on Eastbourne Pier has Focus had an impact of one kind or another.

Initial shock, followed by fear that the entire pier would go up in flames, then delight that our fantastic fire service, RNLI and coastguard worked together to save two thirds of the structure.

And now, over a month later, the town has shown what it does best. It came together as a caring community to find jobs for the pier staff, alternative shop sites for the kiosk owners, set up a hardship fund to help those hit hardest by the fire and is giving its full support to the pier owners to help rebuild our wonderful Victorian attraction.

The best news of all is that it is due to open for events and entertainment towards the end of the year. Tourists, sightseers and party animals will be able to walk down the pier, past the burned out amusement arcade and onto the end section for pubs, bars and the night club.

When word spread about a ‘small fire’ on the pier during a sunny afternoon on Wednesday August 30, I wandered down to the seafront to take a look.

The view took my breath away. Fire was tearing through the amusement arcade and starting to spread into neighbouring kiosks. I was certain that it would continue its destructive journey all the way to the end of the pier.

I had visions of West Pier and a memory of Hastings Pier. It also brought back a flood of childhood memories for me. As a youngster, the beach had been my playground and the pier had been my crèche. My mother – a single mum – worked full time on the local newspaper, so my grandmother used to baby-sit me during school holidays.

She managed three shops at the front

© Newsfocus1 | Dreamstime.com - Eastbourne Pier Fire, July 2014 Photo

Tim Cobb, Non-Executive Director of The Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, reflects on the businesses and lives affected by the double pier tragedy that struck Eastbourne this summer

of the pier, so most days I would head to the beach, report in to my Nan, then go off to swim and explore. Every hour, I would return to the pier to let her know I was safe. In wet weather, the pier would be my shelter. I had the run of the shops and amusement arcade and all the staff knew me. They would even give me pennies for the slot machines. It is fair to say that my summers were idyllic.

So I, along with the whole nation, judging by social media messages, breathed a massive sigh of relief as the fire service started to bring the fire under control.

The day after the fire, Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd set up the Pier Action Committee to establish the full extent of the challenges ahead and explore ways to overcome them. The group comprised council officers and members, the Eastbourne Pier General Manager, Eastbourne & District Chamber of Commerce, Eastbourne Hoteliers Association, 3VA, Citizens Advice Bureau, and the Town Team. The committee was chaired by the council leader David Tutt and the opposition leader David Elkin.

22 SBT’s www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Eastbourne Pier feature is sponsored by PAV IT www.pavit.co.uk

This ensured no political wrangling, just swift action.

The committee has been meeting every week, with members giving up their time and resources voluntarily to help get the pier up and running as soon as possible.

One of its first tasks was to safeguard nearly 40 members of staff, who had to be laid off, and protect the livelihoods of the 10 kiosk owners on the pier.

An appeal for financial support went out around the town and a benevolent fund was established to collect monies.

At the time of going to press, kindhearted residents and businesses had helped raise £6,000. The council put in a further £50,000 to ensure everybody who had encountered genuine hardship as a result of the fire could get swift assistance.

The tourism industry swung into action and within days had found jobs for most of the pier staff. Within the fortnight, everybody who wanted a job was catered for.

Next on the list were the kiosk owners, known as concessionaires. Some had insurance for their merchandise, many did

not. An early task was to get them onto the pier, in safety, so they could retrieve their stock and see what was still useable.

With Eastbourne’s biggest event of the year – Airbourne – just days away, the committee wanted to find space for them to get them back on their feet. The retailers were given free pitches in some of the best trading areas on the seafront.

Sammy Morgan, who runs a charity for the armed services and traded on the pier, was given a prime site at Airbourne.

She told the Eastbourne Herald: “The council has been amazing.

I’ve never seen a council jump in like they have anywhere in the country.

They provided us with what they had and they couldn’t have done any more.”

A brand new marquee has now been erected close to the pier where concessionaires can trade, free of charge, until they can get back into their kiosks again.

One of the major early fears for the town was the impact the pier fire would have on tourism. But in a strange twist, a kind of “morbid tourism” evolved. Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs reported a surge in bookings as holidaymakers came down to see and take photos of the firedamaged pier.

One tourist said: “I’ve always thought about bringing the family down, because

it looks so good on TV and in magazines.

But when I saw the fire, it persuaded me that now was the time to come down and take a close look at the place.”

But just as things were progressing nicely, another tragedy struck the pier.

One of its maintenance team, Stephen Penrice, fell to his death from the

“kind-hearted residents and businesses had helped raise £6,000. The council put in a further £50,000” pier onto the beach below. His family were devastated and the Eastbourne community was once again reeling from another tragedy.

The cause of death is still being investigated, and police and the Health & Safety Executive has carried out a detailed examination of the circumstances.

Until the fatal fall, the media had been reflecting the views of the people.

Coverage focussed on the pier “rising out of the ashes” and everybody pulling together to make the best of a difficult situation.

Stephen Penrice’s fall was not only a tragic loss of life, but also a blow to morale. Stephen Lloyd MP sent

condolences from the whole community to Stephen’s family and friends, and the Pier Action Committee held a two minute silence to pay a private tribute to his commitment to the pier over the last seven years.

Repair work on the pier resumed during the last week of August, and pier owner Cuerden Leisure hopes it will be partially open in the last quarter of this year.

The plan is to create a safe walkway along either side of the pier, skirting around the damaged arcade section.

This will allow the bars, nightclub and other traders – unaffected by the fire – to get back up and running again.

The three shops at the front of the pier should also be opening soon. They were left unscathed by the fire and will be a defiant symbol that the town will not be beaten by this tragedy.

Stephen Lloyd concluded: “The terrible pier fire and the tragic death of Stephen Penrice were felt deeply by the people of this wonderful town. But the tremendous resilience shown by our community has been awe-inspiring. We are bringing the pier back to life as well as showing that Eastbourne’s tremendous fighting spirit, its sense of togetherness and a determination to pull together in adversity will overcome the most challenging of circumstances.”

Written by Tim Cobb, MD of Cobb PR

SBT’s Eastbourne Pier feature is sponsored www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

by PAV IT www.pavit.co.uk 2323

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A Business in Limbo:

The Glass Studio on Eastbourne Pier The Glass Studio is one of the many businesses affected by the fire that gutted the arcade on Eastbourne Pier on Wednesday 30 July, preventing access to the second half of the pier As flames engulfed Eastbourne Pier last month, all Glenda Insight Melluish could do was sit back and watch, hoping it wouldn’t reach the Glass Studio – the place on which her livelihood has depended for more than 20 years.

“It was all very calm at first, we all thought it was a false alarm, but then we saw the pier staff moving everybody off and we realised it must be for real,” she said.

“As we walked past the arcade we couldn’t see much, just a bit of smoke all contained within the wall cavity. We all thought we’d be back to work in a while. But then the fire service came to remove the paneling and that’s when we started seeing the flames and realised – this is bad.”

The Glass Studio was founded 46 years ago on Grove Road – a small street lined with boutique shops and cafes just outside Eastbourne town centre.

“The owners back then wanted to be more in the centre things,” Glenda continued. “They wanted to be part of the tourist world, so they moved the business to a shack on the pier.”

For 144 years, locals and tourists alike have enjoyed strolling past the gift shops, ice cream stands and saloons that line the pier’s Victorian boardwalk.

The Glass Studio in particular has long been a popular attraction, allowing

Glass Studio on Eastbourne Pier

visitors to go in to see the glass blowing in action. Three years ago, the studio moved premises again – but this time to the shop on the opposite side of the pier.

When the fire broke out on a Wednesday afternoon in July, the whole town was in shock. It seemed that everybody had a fond memory of being on the pier – whether it was playing on the penny machines as a child, or dancing the night away in Atlantis nightclub as a teenager.

But it was the owners of the businesses on the pier who got the biggest shock of all.

“We didn’t think it would take hold as

24 SBT’s www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Eastbourne Pier feature is sponsored by PAV IT www.pavit.co.uk

much as it did,” Glenda said. “When the flames burst out of the dome, we suddenly knew there was no going back.

“It was lucky I took my car keys with me or I would have been stuck. Other people had left their phones, keys, money in there. All our stock was in there.”

A total of 80 firefighters risked their lives to battle the blaze and prevent it from destroying the entirety of the Grade II listed structure. Unlike some of the neighbouring shops, the Glass Studio escaped the flames. A few days later, the structure of the pier was deemed

100% Glass Studio on Eastbourne Pier

“For 144 years, locals and tourists alike have enjoyed strolling past the gift shops, ice cream stands and saloons that line the pier’s Victorian boardwalk” safe enough for the business owners to retrieve their stock.

“Some people were quite frightened going back on the pier, but it didn’t bother me. Luckily I’m not afraid of heights!” Glenda added.

“We’re now storing our glass making equipment in a fish and chip shop as temporary storage. The Arndale Centre offered us a shop there but by the time that would be ready, the pier would be rebuilt. We were promised a market stall for Airbourne but there is nothing that would be suitable for glassblowing – it just wouldn’t work. Local authorities have been trying to help us but their suggestions are not at all practical.

“We have got nothing to live on, no money. At the moment we just want to get back in time for Airbourne.”

A few days after this interview took place, The Glass Studio did manage to find a suitable premises on the seafront, enabling them to sell their glass ornaments to the huge crowds at Airbourne with thanks to Eastbourne Council and Tourism Board. Glenda has also informed us that the council has built pop-up shops for all businesses affected by the pier fire. These can be found just outside the entrance to the pier, on the promenade.

“The fire has joined the community together because everyone is talking

amongst themselves about it,” Glenda added. “It is the centre of talk in the town.

It might all come out good in the end.

Things are certainly looking up for us.” www.pierglassstudio.co.uk

Glenda Melluish at Airbourne

SBT’s Eastbourne Pier feature is sponsored www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

by PAV IT www.pavit.co.uk 2525

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Don’t Gamble With Your Business’ Data The recent event with the arcade on Eastbourne pier has Advertorial shown how easily disaster can strike and put a business out of operation. Hopefully there is always insurance to cover the costs of rebuilding premises and covering the costs until the business is up and running again, but what about the damage to reputation and trading that cannot be repaired so easily? Keeping a business operating and communicating during an unplanned event is vital to maintaining customer confidence and surviving the outage.

Leaving the door open to competition whilst the business struggles to deal with an outage could impact trading and growth for years to come.

The situation at Eastbourne pier was a relatively rare and extreme case, it’s more likely that a less dramatic event such as a flood or loss of power, could impact a business but would cause just as much disruption. Other situations could also prevent employees from gaining access to offices, such as police cordon or public transport outage.

Having a documented business continuity plan (BCP) to deal with such events will provide everyone in the business with a process to follow that will enable them to keep day to day activities running smoothly. The plan should include contact information and procedures on how to communicate with staff, customers, suppliers and other parties to alert them that there is a problem. It should also include details on how operations can be maintained whilst there are limited access to premises, staff and IT systems.

It is quite common for insurers to demand that robust business continuity and an IT disaster recovery plan (DR) are in place, to meet the requirements of the

© Prillfoto | Dreamstime.com - Data Loss Photo

PAV IT reveals how certain measures can keep you trading even after a big disaster…

policy. This used to be a question of just ticking a box but many insurers are now requiring evidence that these plans are in place and are being tested regularly to accommodate business change.

As most businesses rely heavily on their IT systems it is vital to ensure that there is a reliable and tested recovery procedure in place so that data and applications can be accessed in an acceptable time frame.

This disaster recovery plan should be complimentary to the business continuity plan and provide access to the systems and data so that the designated business units can function to the required level.

PAV have been working with businesses throughout the UK and Sussex for over 25 years to secure and protect their data. We have a wide range of experience in designing and implementing IT disaster recovery systems and BCP planning. Through our interactive workshops we can help businesses understand requirements and identify their current recovery capability.

From our offices located in the heart of Sussex, we provide a facility for local businesses to test their IT disaster recovery. This enables a company to baseline their current recovery capability and present this back to the business.

26 SBT’s www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Eastbourne Pier feature is sponsored by PAV IT www.pavit.co.uk

We then work with the business to identify what needs to be done to meet the recovery requirements within an acceptable budget.

We have a range of services and products available that meet the needs for IT disaster recovery by utilising a customer’s own equipment on their premises or hosted in the Cloud. We can then support, monitor and audit the DR systems to ensure they are always fit for purpose.

We are running a series of events throughout September in conjunction with one of our technology partners to demonstrate how easily the disaster recovery needs of a virtual server environment can be met.

To sign up for these events please visit www.pav.co.uk/zerto If you would like to know more about how we can help you prevent a disaster impacting your business, why not get in touch using the details below.

Web www.pav.co.uk Email info@pav.co.uk Telephone 01273 834000

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DuRING aN INspEctIoN • check year of manufacture • check for rust externally • check for leaks by weighing each unit • visually inspect the gauge • if cartridge type open the head inspect for rust with a torch • inspect lining for signs of splitting • check contents and measure levels

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CALL US NOW: 01580 755538 For more info visit: ww.ukfireextinguishersonline.co.uk or www.mjfireprotection.co.uk

2 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 27

Advertorial

Sprinklers:

Spend a Little to Save a Lot East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service calls on businesses to invest in their future success by fitting sprinklers The fire on Eastbourne Pier grabbed headlines for obvious Top Tips reasons – a much loved landmark was threatened by a destructive force which left part of the structure a blackened shell. For East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, the operation was complex and challenging and we were pleased that much of the Pier was saved.

But with public access to the Pier denied, the small businesses which traded on it faced an uncertain future.

The local community and Eastbourne Borough Council is rallying round to find ways to help them but not every business will have this level of support.

The facts speak for themselves - 80% of small and medium businesses which suffer a serious fire either never recover or cease trading within 18 months.

Andy Reynolds, Director of Prevention & Protection, was at the Pier fire. “We would like sprinklers to become a more commonplace safety feature in both homes and businesses and call for sprinklers to be included in any refurbishment plans for Eastbourne Pier.

“This is not something we can enforce however when advising on fire safety precautions for any premises, we would actively encourage building managers, owners and developers to install

Andy Reynolds, Director of Prevention & Protection

sprinklers where there is a risk-based case for doing so.”

In favour of sprinklers Irrespective of size however there is a compelling case to be made for sprinklers in any commercial or industrial premises.

Andy Reynolds explains: “There are many positive reasons to install sprinklers such as reducing death and injury from fire, as well as risks to firefighters, protecting property and heritage, reducing the effects of arson, environmental impact of fire, as well as costs and disruption to the community and business.”

Myth Busting Myth: When there is a fire all the sprinkler heads go off at once.

Wrong. Each head is independent and only the head(s) adjacent to the fire go off.

Myth: Water damage is as bad as the fire damage.

Wrong. A Typical sprinkler discharges 55 litres per minute. A firefighting hose discharges over 600 litres per minute. You can expect a sprinkler to discharge less than 5% of the water used by the fire service.

Myth: Sprinklers can go off accidentally.

Wrong. Records show that the chance of an accidental discharge from a sprinkler is in the region of 16 million to one.

28 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Pier Entrance

Often, one of the perceived barriers to the more widespread use of sprinklers is the initial cost of the systems.

Figures from the Business Sprinkler Alliance reveal how much businesses can save by installing sprinklers. For example the total costs of a fire in a large warehouse (around the size of three football pitches) would be £3.8 million while the cost of installing sprinklers would be £862,720.

Of course not everyone has a business that large. It is estimated that the costs of a sprinkler system can be recovered over a period of about 10 years. This is achieved through reduced insurance premiums and in larger organisations through less disruption to business continuity when a fire occurs.

Installed in a new building a sprinkler system should not cost more than 1-2% of the total build cost.

If you want to find out more about sprinklers or any other aspect of business fire safety, we can help.

More information can be found on our website at www.esfrs.org/ businessSafety. Alternatively you can call us on 0303 999 1000 or email us enquiries@esfrs.org.

80% of businesses that suffer a serious fire close within 18 months.

Sprinklers not only save lives, but can save your business as well.

www.esfrs.org www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 29

Advertorial

A Fire Safety Legacy Fire safety experts from McCrudden Training offer their top tips for safeguarding premises As flames engulfed Eastbourne Pier’s domed arcade last Tips month at a terrifying rate, it became clear just how deadly the situation could have been. Incredibly, not a single person was killed or injured on that day. This was thanks not only to the 80 firefighters who battled the blaze, but to the staff who carried out the pier’s evacuation procedures faultlessly, helping every single vendor, visitor and tourist reach safety in less than 10 minutes.

Sadly, the front of the pier could not be saved and eight small businesses were forced to watch their livelihoods go up in smoke. A similar incident occurred four years ago when a blaze, started by ‘bored teenagers’, caused millions of pounds worth of damage to shops in Eastbourne’s Crumbles retail park, and again in 2012, where teens started a massive fire on Uckfield High Street, destroying a row of shops in what was dubbed ‘The Great Fire of Uckfield’.

While fire safety might not be at the forefront of an entrepreneur’s mind as they embark on a new business venture, it takes just one to ruin everything.

Appropriate fire safety training should be a priority for all businesses.

Here, safety experts at McCrudden Training give their top 5 tips for safeguarding your business:

1

Electrical Equipment

Most businesses are run with a multitude of electrical appliances. Annual PAT testing can help reduce the risk of fires, but it’s also essential to keep all electrical equipment in good order. When using equipment, check for damage to plugs

and cables (bare wires should never be visible). Look for signs of overheating and only allow repairs to be completed by a qualified person. Avoid overloading sockets: unplug non-essential equipment when it’s not being used.

2

Good Housekeeping

Boxes, dust and rubbish left out are all a fuel source for fires – and a major risk.

Not only can they be a source of fuel for a fire helping it to spread, but these things can hinder safe evacuation and block access to fire safety equipment.

Unsecured rubbish at the back of a building can be an open invitation for arsonists. Arson is the biggest cause of business fires.

3

Have a ‘Shutdown’ Procedure

At the end of a working day, make sure all the window and doors are closed (including any held open by automatic release units). Switch off any equipment that’s not in use and make sure any flammable materials and combustible chemicals are stored properly. Make sure you also check there is nothing smouldering in the smokers area.

4

Train staff

It’s not just employers who are responsible for workplace safety. Under Fire Safety Order (FSO) legislation, employees have responsibilities too, and in accordance with General Health and Safety legislation, staff should receive and participate in training. Training staff in fire safety awareness can help them to understand the importance of following the housekeeping and shutdown

procedures, and more ‘knowledgeable eyes’ looking out for hazards can only be a good thing! As well as taking action to reduce fire risks, having staff trained to support regular weekly and periodic checks is a sensible move. Businesses should also have staff trained (fire marshals) to ensure staff and visitors are evacuated from the premises should there be a fire. And whilst elephants might never forget, humans do – so the ‘gold standard’ is to offer this training to staff at least once a year. This can include face-to-face training or e-learning – like our shiny new e-learning package, which you can get with a 10% discount if you quote: ‘SBT10’.

5

Risk Assess

Every workplace should have a fire risk assessment, carried out by the ‘responsible person’. There are five steps to completing a risk assessment: identify hazards; identify people at risk; evaluate and act; record, plan and train, and finally review. If the business has five or more staff, there must be a written record of the assessment. The assessment should consider emergency exists and evacuation plans including the needs of vulnerable people, fire detection and warning systems, fire fighting equipment and staff fire safety training.

Remember that breaches of the FSO are a criminal offence and can lead to fines of up to £20,000 or up to 2 years in prison for serious breaches.

To learn more about health & safety and risk assessments join our Level 2 Health & Safety course on 15 Oct. To receive a 10% discount quote SBT10.

30 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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Advertorial

MJ Fire Protection: It’s Family Business Meet the man behind family-run business MJ Fire Protection

Passion is an understatement when it comes to Malcolm Profile Fleming. After more than 30 years in the fire safety business, and 14 spent running his own business, this father of two is still a fiery entrepreneur at heart and always looking out for that next big opportunity to grow the business he loves.

“I originally worked for a big company called Chub Fire and Security but then I decided I wanted to work on my own,” Malcolm revealed. “I have a lot of experience so I was confident I’d be good at it. There was a lot of cold calling for 2-3 years before the business started to come to us.

But since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength!”

The Internet has played a big part in reshaping the business since it started in 2000.

As the demand for online shopping grew, MJ Fire Protection grew with it, and now Malcolm manages a suite of e-commerce sites, Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as a YouTube channel where he posts fire safety training videos.

All of Malcolm’s effort is for good reason: fire safety is not just a precaution for work-places and public events, it is a legal requirement. In England and Wales, if you’re an employer, owner, landlord or occupier of business or other nondomestic premises, you’re responsible for fire safety and are known as the ‘responsible person’.

All businesses are duty bound to cover the area that they occupy with fire extinguishers, labelled with a record of

last service. If they are not serviced yearly, insurance is void.

One of the many fire and safety services Malcolm offers is Fire Extinguisher Servicing. His ethos is that the faster, more efficient and experienced a company is, the lower the cost will be to the business.

Having steadily built an excellent reputation across the UK over the past 14 years of business, Malcolm’s company now deals with 1,800 service contracts.

“I do a lot of shows and events. There are so many little festivals around Kent and Sussex that no-one has heard of.

A couple of weeks ago we did a festival called In The Woods.”

In The Woods, like many music festivals across the UK, involves open flames, tightly packed tents and lots of people. For this reason, safety precautions are imperative.

As well as fire extinguisher servicing, Malcolm also specialises in safety at outdoor events, providing risk assessment, safety equipment, barriers and glow products for both fun and safety in the dark.

Despite having his fingers in numerous pies already, Malcolm already has his sights set even higher.

“Eventually, I’d like to be running an MJ Extinguishers Cash and Carry from a warehouse. At the moment I’ve got a lock-up garage full of stock, but in eight months I’d expect to have expanded that to two or three, with a warehouse to follow.”

To find out more about Malcolm and his business, please visit the new website at ukfireextinguishersonline.co.uk

Malcolm’s Fire Extinguisher Servicing Policy: • All servicing of fire extinguishers is carried out to BS 5306-3 requirements.

• Replacement extinguishers are approved to BS EN3 & Kite marked.

• All replacement extinguishers conform to European colour coding requirements.

• Appropriate label colour coding is used to help identify correct type of fire.

• All replacement extinguishers conform to European pressure equipment standards & display appropriate “CE” markings • All extinguisher replacements recognised & approved by insurance companies.

• Kite marked extinguishers are independently tested & approved

by BSI who are an accredited third party organisation.

• CE approval & marking is a legal requirement in all European countries.

32 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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19/08/2014 14:03:51

Law Student Wins Prestigious Scholarship

A University of Portsmouth law student who was determined to be among the very few law graduates who become barristers has won a £7,000 scholarship enabling her to do just that

Imogen Annison, 23, from Portsmouth, is only the second Advertorial person in her family to go to university.

She graduated this summer with a 2:1 LLB Law with Business degree.

Imogen has spent the last three years studying at Portsmouth Business School and now, thanks to winning the scholarship, will be able to afford to spend the next two years studying for the Bar Professional Training Course in London.

Once she has finished, she still has another mountain to climb before she can represent clients in court, but she is on her way. Imogen won the Harmsworth Scholarship, awarded by the Middle Temple.

She said: “By taking part in advocacy training, mooting and meeting many different people in the legal profession. I

worked out early on that the bar is where I belonged.

“I have shown through my extracurricular activities and work within the Law Society that I have the right qualities to succeed at the bar and I believe that I won for demonstrating my determination to succeed and stopping at nothing to make my aspiration of becoming a barrister a reality.”

Winning the scholarship has also boosted her confidence.

“Winning has given me extra confidence in my abilities and qualities to enter such a competitive and respected profession,” she said.

“By doing the bar course part-time, I will be able to gain more experience in the legal profession and build my professional network. Once I’ve finished that course I will then need to complete pupillage, which usually takes a year, and then find tenancy to become a fully qualified barrister.”

High flier: Imogen Annison has won scholarship allowing her to continue her studies

Imogen is the first person in her family to study law and she and her brother Jacob, who graduated last summer with a physical geography degree, are the first in their family to go to university.

Her tutor, Bernard Davis, said: “Imogen has worked hard on her advocacy at Portsmouth and realised that she could make it as a professional advocate. She was advocacy captain and has done a lot to encourage others in advocacy. She has made a great start on her career, earning a valuable scholarship from Middle Temple in London, and leaves Portsmouth with our best wishes for the future.”

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‘The Portsmouth MBA has been a lifechanging experience and one that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss.’

Heather Short, Entrepreneur 34 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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o ng

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How Employable are Young People Today?

LoveLocalJobs.com recently carried out a survey with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the challenges employers face when recruiting young people

“All respondents had encountered poor quality applications from young people.

Over half of prospective employers said that young people fail to research the role properly”

The good news is that close to two thirds (60%) of businesses Focus in East and West Sussex plan to recruit additional staff in the next year as part of an expansion programme. However, younger candidates may miss out on these opportunities as only 19% of employers thought that young people were ready for work. Just over half (55%) said that young people were sometimes ready for work and a quarter (26%) said that young people were not work-ready at all.

Employers were also questioned about the skills and personal qualities they look for when recruiting. The number one requirement for a young candidate is good communication skills, which was cited by 75% of respondents.

Adaptability and flexibility, personal impact and confidence and initiative were respectively the next most sought after skills. Less than a third (32%) of respondents cited relevant experience in their top three requirements for hiring a young person.

However, all respondents had encountered poor quality applications from young people. Over half of prospective employers said that young people fail to research the role properly. Employers also complained about poor spelling and grammar (49%), lack of people skills (41%) and bad timekeeping (35%).

Nicky Binning, Managing Director of LoveLocalJobs.com, said: “It’s really positive to hear that more jobs are being created which will provide opportunities and better prospects for young people.

“Youth unemployment remains a major

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 35 Treating customers Fairly

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Training & Education

People aged from 16 to 24 Not in Education, Employment or Training as a percentage of all people aged from 16 to 24, seasonally adjusted

Source: Labour Force Survey - Office for National Statistics

“With a bit of attention to detail, many young candidates could significantly improve their job prospects” challenge so we are keen to understand how young people can improve their chances of gaining a job interview, and ultimately a position, by being able to demonstrate they are ready for work.

“However it seems that some young people are failing to get hired, not because they lack the relevant experience, but because they don’t research the role they are applying for properly. Employers are also being turned off by bad spelling and grammar.

It’s a shame, as with a bit of attention to detail, many young candidates could significantly improve their job prospects.”

LoveLocalJobs.com works with local businesses, schools, colleges and training providers to provide advice and guidance for young people entering the workplace.

They have set up two employability websites, Beach.brightonandhovejobs. com and Takeoff.gatwickdiamondjobs. com, in partnership with local authorities and businesses. These portals are designed to inspire young people into work, create pathways to employment and address many of the challenges cited above by employers.

36 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Top Tips for Impressing Potential Employers

1

Research

Nicky says: “Do your research before applying for the job. Check that you understand what it involves and what is expected of you.”

You can do this by reading the job description very carefully and highlighting the key words e.g. “organised” “positivethinker” and so on. This will help you to match every key word to a real-life example of you demonstrating these skills. You could also do a quick google search of the job title to find out more about what it usually involves.

2

Little Mistakes Let You Down

“Ask someone to check your application form or CV for spelling and grammar before sending it off,” Nicky advises.

It is all too easy to overlook your own mistakes, so it can help to get a fresh pair of eyes to look over it for you. Often, it is the small typos that put employers off – especially when it is a close call between you and another candidate. After all, attention to detail is an important skill in most lines of work.

3

Be Timely

Nicky says: “If you get an interview, aim to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment so that you are not late.”

Rushing in flustered and sweaty will do nothing for your nerves, or your appearance. It is much better to leave enough time before your interview to check yourself in the mirror, do some gentle breathing exercises and run through your notes. You will make a much better first impression if you appear calm and orderly.

4

Check Your Body Language

“Finally, even though you are probably nervous, try and look confident by standing tall, looking the interviewer in the eye and remembering to smile.”

Regardless of what you are feeling inside, remember that smiling and acting confidently will eventually filter back in and make you feel more confident. Sitting up straight will also help you to keep your breathing slow and steady, preventing you from panicking too much.

LoveLocalJobs.com currently powers the following websites: BrightonandHoveJobs.com, GatwickDiamondJobs.com, CoastalWestSussexJobs.com, 1066Jobs.com and soon to be launched LoveEastbourneJobs.com.

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Health and Wellbeing - Sponsored by Fiona Corliss

The Dangers of ‘Grazing’ in the Office Good nutrition in the workplace can not only increase Focus productivity, but reduce health care costs and improve overall health outcomes. Let’s face it, reduced sick days make everyone much happier. So how do you do that?

It’s impossible to tell every worker what to eat and what not to eat. Besides, we all get our ‘off’ days, don’t we?

It can be difficult to break away from that work you’ve been slaving away at all morning, therefore a quick bite or grab of a sandwich in front of your computer can seem like a practical way to stave off hunger pangs. You might also be tempted to work through your lunch hour so that you can leave early for the day. I always tell clients that eating and relaxing in your lunch hour, away from a computer screen and in a happy environment, will make them feel more relaxed and also stretch their capacity in the work place.

It’s all to do with the ‘fight or flight’ status in the body. Millions of years ago, our bodies were designed to react quickly to danger, just like wild animals – on constant alert to fight or run if threatened.

Known as the fight or flight response, this is crucial for the survival of all animals, including humans. When your brain thinks that your life is in danger, it releases a substance called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) which immediately stimulates the adrenal glands to release the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. At this point, a number of physical changes take place in your body: Stage 1 – Alarm • Heart rate speeds up, increasing blood pressure.

38 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

© Strelok | Dreamstime.com - Business A Lunch Photo

Brighton-based nutritionist Jayne Hopper reveals the importance of getting away from your computer screen and out into the fresh air at lunchtime

• The clotting ability of the blood increases so that you will recover more quickly if you are injured and start to bleed.

• The liver immediately releases emergency stores of glucose into the blood stream to provide instant energy.

• The immune system produces more white blood cells (to fight off infection/ bacteria/viruses).

• Muscles tense and blood is moved away from the skin and internal organs (except heart/lungs) and towards muscles.

• Breathing becomes faster and shallower to supply oxygen to the brain, heart and muscles.

• Sweating increases to eliminate toxins produced by the body.

• Bladder and rectum muscles relax • Adrenaline is released directly into the bloodstream and cortisol levels rise, boosting blood sugar to give you energy.

While this is all going on, the body shuts down the digestive system and you are

unable to digest any of the nutrients needed for a fully productive day at work, causing you to feel sluggish.

If you do not eat in a relaxed atmosphere away from your desk, you will be unable to reduce those adrenaline and cortisol rushes this will stop all digestion occurring in your stomach.

This can lead to all sorts of problems like constipation, diarrhoea, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or even IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease). The gut is very closely linked to the brain, therefore ‘foggy’ brain, lack of concentration and depression can develop as side-effects.

Once this first stage is over, the body should recover. Adrenaline levels come down fairly quickly and cortisol more slowly. However, if the cause of stress is not removed, or it is constantly repeated, as so often happens in modern-day life, the body proceeds to stage 2.

Stage 2 – Weight gain This is a reduced immune system, continued stress and weight gain around the middle of your body, which is due to

© Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.com

the body needing to keep a convenient fat store ready for constant use.

Stage 3 – Exhaustion Stage 3 is complete exhaustion where the body’s ability to do even the simplest task, like get up in the morning, is impossible. Have you ever been on holiday and by day two you have become ill or you’ve caught a cold? The reason for this is that you could be living in stage one of ‘fight or flight’ response.

Boost with a coffee?

Your first response to feeling exhausted at work is probably to head for the coffee machine.

Caffeine is a stimulant we all rely on and which the press is constantly contradictory about. One minute it is good for you, next it is bad. Unfortunately it is the latter, I’m afraid to tell all those Starbucks fanatics. It spikes the ‘fight or flight’ response in the body, making it an extra stress factor in the day. If you can’t live without it, always drink it on a full stomach (never first thing in the morning on an empty stomach) and try to limit them to two a day. A coffee before the gym or a run is great, as you will work off the cortisol and adrenaline.

Healthy grazing If you are limited to the amount of healthy options around your work, try packing nutritious lunches and snacks yourself, because temptations are everywhere in offices. Most people will opt for a

“If you are limited to the amount of healthy options around your work, try packing nutritious lunches and snacks yourself, because temptations are everywhere in offices” sandwich for ease, which can leave them feeling bloated, aggravating any gut problems. Give yourself a healthy alternative: • Leftover dinner like risotto or stew.

• Nuts, seeds and chopped fresh fruit make an excellent choice of snack.

Choose from walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, almonds or sunflower seeds.

• Oat cakes with nut butter or sugar free peanut butter.

• Homemade sugar free healthy muffin.

• Salad brought in a container from home or pre-packed from your supermarket is a great idea. Choosing a light dressing like olive oil and balsamic, rather than a cream based one will reduce calories.

• Vegetable crudités (cucumber, carrot, pepper, celery) and bean dips or hummus.

Make regular trips to the water cooler Thirst can often be mistaken for hunger.

Drinking liquids can give your body a feeling of satiety to help prevent overeating, fight feelings of fatigue and can keep the immune system running at its peak. Drink 1.5 to 2 litres a day. All caffeine containing stimulants including coffee, tea, hot chocolate and fizzy canned drinks are not recommended.

Try alternative drinks such as Barleycup, NoCaf, Caro, herbal and fruit teas, well diluted natural no added sugar fruit juices, vegetable juices or Aqua Libre.

So ignore the allure of the biscuit tin coaxing in the office, grab your healthy snack and a glass of water for an abundance of health and mental clarity.

Also, take yourself for a walk in the fresh air whilst on your lunch hour – exercise and Vitamin D from the sun will improve your mood, immunity and ensure you have strong bones into your old age.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Treating customers Fairly39

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Top Health Tips for Business Travel Nutritionist Louise Comerford BSc MSc reveals her top tips for avoiding the ‘boardroom-bulge’ while out and about on business trips When you spend a large proportion of your business Top Tips life meeting clients, attending conferences, visiting trade shows and generally getting ‘out and about’ for work, then keeping to a regular, healthy diet and exercise regime can be a challenge. Working irregular hours, especially in the evenings, makes it difficult to enjoy any hobbies, or to attend any regular exercise classes, while having to eat on-the-go can make fast-food all the more appealing. A combination of unhealthy snacking and a lack of exercise can ultimately lead to what I call the ‘boardroom bulge’ – something that a few simple habit changes can quickly fix.

1.

Eat breakfast

Research shows that people who regularly eat breakfast have a lower BMI (body mass index) than those who tend to skip it. Breakfast eaters are less likely to gorge on high calorie snacks throughout the day. Eating in the morning can also make you feel less tired, and increases your ability to concentrate – no matter how long that

40 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

9am meeting goes on for.

I know mornings can be a rush, but don’t be tempted to grab a croissant at the train station. Opt for wholegrain and low sugar options (porridge, muesli and whole grain toast), as these will release energy slowly throughout the morning.

Too tired to eat breakfast? Have a piece of fruit as you leave the house, and grab something to have a little later on.

This is also handy for those days where you forget to set the alarm.

2.

Morning Stretches

15 minutes of yoga can wake you up better than a cup of coffee. It loosens your muscles, improves your posture, and makes sitting on a train or in a meeting all day more bearable. On top of that, it kick starts your metabolism. Instead of queuing at the coffee stand in the morning, reserve 15 minutes before your shower to go through a simple routine.

Explore routines on YouTube, download one of the many exercise apps available, or check out a book from your local library.

Not enough time? Either set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than usual, or take one of your usual morning tasks, such as packing your bag, or ironing your suit, and do it before bed.

3.

Keep Hydrated

The recommended daily intake of fluid is: • Women: At least 1.6 L (8 x 200ml glasses) • Men: At least 2.0 L (10 x 200ml glasses) Staying hydrated will have multiple health benefits. It will help keep your energy up and avoid that 3pm slump; it will reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches and it will also help you avoid eating when you are in fact thirsty and not hungry.

• Bring your own bottle on journeys.

• Take advantage of free water laid out on conference tables.

• If you still struggle to reach the recommended intake, set yourself timed targets E.g. Finish 2 x 500ml bottles by 1pm • If you still need encouragement there are plenty of free apps which track your intake and set reminders.

4.

Love your healthy snacks

Always pack one or two healthy snacks that you enjoy. This is a really easy way

Health and Wellbeing - Sponsored by Fiona Corliss

Where to Find Help for Nutrition in the Workplace

Fiona Corliss - Registered Nutritionist and Colon Hydrotherapist Work stress can be detrimental not only to your emotional state and personal life, but also to your physical health.

Fiona Corliss is a registered nutritionist with 10 years of experience specialising in Nutritional Therapy, Colon Hydrotherapy, Herbal Enemas and Lymphatic Drainage Massage.

She works individually looking at each client’s metabolism, addressing health issues and enabling the body to cope with stress levels. Her protocol for each

to increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake, and avoid snacking on junk food.

The habit will never last if it’s just something you feel you ‘should’ do.

Choose your favourite snacks: cherries, strawberries, kiwis, oranges? Or perhaps some nuts or olives, for those with a savoury preference.

• Store them in snack-sized Tupperware box. This is to avoid eating a punnet of fruit, or a whole sharing-size bag of nuts.

Even healthy snacks need some portion control!

• Still tempted by the snack cart or vending machine? Simply empty your purse of change before you leave your house/hotel.

• Snacking healthily throughout the day will also prevent you from going overboard at dinner time. Staying in hotels overnight can lead to temptation when it comes to choosing from the menu: with all those treats on offer, showing some restraint and opting for a salad can be challenging – especially when you’re ravenous. If you’ve kept your appetite level all day, that light option might not seem so disappointing after all.

individual is aimed at permanent weightloss, not just diet. Many of Fiona’s clients are finance professionals with fast-paced jobs in the city.

One client, Max Lami, Chief Executive of Oppenheimer Europe, said: “With Fiona’s programme I lost a substantial amount of weight during the first six months. Fiona was able to boost my confidence and self-esteem by giving me the right tools. Her holistic approach to well-being has supported my professional life and given me more confidence. A work environment is naturally stressful.

With the correct nutrition, you are better prepared to face the challenges throughout the day.”

Another client, Managing Director James O’Reilly, said: Even with a high

5.

Be mindful at buffets

You will usually be presented with a sit-down lunch or buffet at any all-day conference or open day. This is when your own judgement comes into play: try to avoid any pastries or carb-heavy options and opt instead for the lighter options, such as prawns, leafy salads and cold meats.

Here are some tips on limiting your carbs: • Don’t have a sandwich every day, this can be a bit of a wheat overload. It’s very easy to have toast for breakfast, a roll for lunch and pasta for dinner. Whilst wheat has its nutritional benefits, all food should be eaten in moderation.

• Have salad for lunch at least once a week. It doesn’t have to be every day, and it definitely doesn’t have to be ‘boring’. When it comes to leafy greens, the darker the better; rocket, spinach and water cress not only pack powerful flavours but are packed full of antioxidants too.

level of exercise, 9 months ago I was 15 ½ stone (98kgs) more than 3 stone over what I should be. The daily programme Fiona recommended was superb in terms of when, how and what to eat.

The programme was immediately effective and beneficial. As a bonus to the 3 stone weight loss, I now feel hugely more energetic.”

www.fionacorliss.co.uk or call: Tel: 01424 777820 Mob: 07817921916

6.

Move

Sitting all day is not good for your health, but I know this can be unavoidable when you have to travel in a car, train or plane.

Take every opportunity during the day to get up and move.

• In office blocks and train stations, take the stairs and not the lift.

• Get up and fill that water bottle up every hour or so.

• On public transport, get up and move around every so often, or do some simple leg stretches to keep your blood flowing.

• If you get a break during the day – go for a walk, even if it’s just around a business park or conference centre.

Don’t just sit down.

• At the end of the day, don’t just flump in your hotel room. I know you’re tired, but take a 20-30 minute walk around – this will boost your mood and you never know, you might discover something interesting while you’re out there!

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Women in the Workplace:

Coping with PMS in a High-Powered Role

Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD is one of the UK’s leading nutritionists specialising in women’s health. She is the former President of the Food and Health Forum at the Royal Society of Medicine and a registered nutritionist. She has also published a number of internationally best selling books, including: ‘Overcoming PMS the Natural Way’, ‘Fat around the Middle’, ‘Getting Pregnant Faster’, and ‘The Natural Health Bible for Women’.

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Fifteen years ago, doctors claimed Womens that PMS did not Health exist. Today, it’s one of the most common conditions suffered by women, with symptoms that can be anything from mildly inconvenient to positively debilitating. PMS is estimated to affect 70 to 90 percent of women and for 40 percent of women the symptoms are severe enough to affect their relationships and their ability to cope with home life and work.

Many women find that PMS severely affects their working life – 67 per cent say they have had to take time off because of it. Yet because of unsympathetic employers, they say they’ll often pretend they’ve got something else wrong with them. A 2005 study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed that PMS is associated with sharply increased costs to employers, mainly related to missed work time and reduced productivity, so it’s clearly an issue.

What is Pre-Menstrual Syndrome?

This is a term used to describe any symptoms that occur after ovulation and disappear almost as soon as the period arrives. The crucial point is not what symptoms are experienced, but when.

What are the symptoms?

A staggering 150 symptoms can be linked to PMS and these include: • Mood swings • Irritability • Anxiety and tension • Bloating • Breast tenderness and swelling • Water retention

• Acne • Tiredness • Weight gain • Headaches/migraines • Crying spells • Depression • Sugar and food cravings • Constipation • Dizziness The personality changes associated with this time of the month can be very severe. Indeed, some women describe a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ change, in which they literally become a different person premenstrually and often feel like they are going to lose it if anybody upsets them or gets in their way.

What’s the cause?

From a conventional viewpoint, there is no answer to this question. There has been an enormous amount of research into PMS and an equally enormous amount of confusion in terms of its cause and treatment.

One of the main reasons for the confusion is that PMS is clearly a hormonal problem. But when scientists examine two groups of women, one with PMS and one without, in the second half of their cycles, no difference between the hormone profiles can be found.

It is assumed that PMS has an effect on a woman’s general health by giving her any number of 150 different symptoms.

But what if the situation is really the other way round? In other words, what if that woman’s general health is what’s causing PMS to manifest itself?

If a woman has not been eating well, maybe lacking in certain vitamins and minerals, not exercising, suffering from stress and generally feeling run down, it is very possible that her body’s ability to

Health and Wellbeing - Sponsored by Fiona Corliss

produce the right balance of hormones and to utilise those hormones properly each cycle will be seriously compromised.

painful, lumpy and tender breasts.

To combat water retention limit your intake of salt and fatty foods and drink plenty of water – if you don’t drink enough, your body will think there is a shortage and try to retain any water you have.

How to eliminate PMS The aim is not to look at all the different symptoms but to work on your overall lifestyle to ensure optimum health and Supplements wellbeing. This means making sure that you are eating well, correcting any vitamin Certain nutrients such as vitamin B6, chromium and magnesium can be hugely and mineral deficiencies, getting enough beneficial when it comes to reducing sleep, reducing stress levels and using PMS symptoms. herbs that have Vitamin B6 been shown to “Another way to balance plays a vital part help with PMS. in synthesising The most crucial blood sugar is to eat a certain dietary change healthy meal or snack neurotransmitters you can make every three hours. This that control mood is to keep your blood-sugar levels “little-and-often” approach and behaviour.

Chromium steady: the higher prevents your blood-”sugar is especially your sugar intake, important in the more severe levels from dropping controlling food your symptoms cravings and it are likely to be. can be helpful for those women who My advice is to cut out sugar completely. get a pre-menstrual increase in appetite Don’t add it to drinks or cereal or and crave food in general and especially anything else. Avoid sweet foods such sweet foods and chocolate. as chocolate and refined carbohydrates Magnesium is classed as ‘nature’s such as white flour and watch out for tranquilliser’ and is, therefore, vital in hidden sugars by reading labels. symptoms that relate to anxiety, tension, Another way to balance blood sugar or irritability. is to eat a healthy meal or snack every See NHP’s PM Support three hours. This “little-and-often” which combines all the above approach prevents your blood-sugar nutrients in one supplement levels from dropping excessively and www.naturalhealthpractice.com. stops your adrenal glands releasing adrenaline, which blocks the utilisation Herbs of progesterone in the second half of Agnus castus is the wonder-herb for your cycle.

PMS. One study in the British Medical Include unrefined starchy Journal stated that agnus castus is an carbohydrates (whole grains, brown rice “effective and well-tolerated treatment” and oats and so on). These not only help for PMS. keep your blood-sugar levels stable, they You can get a good combination of can also boost levels of the calming brain organic herbs called Agnus Castus chemical serotonin to lift your mood and Support from www.naturalhealthpractice. curb food cravings. com which includes not only agnus If you suffer from breast tenderness, castus but also skullcap and milk thistle. cutting out caffeine (in coffee, black tea, green tea, chocolate, cola, decaffeinated Stress coffee and some medications) will reduce This is an important factor in PMS your exposure to methylxanthines, the because of the effects of adrenaline. substances in caffeine that can cause

Unfortunately, adrenaline prevents your body from being able to use progesterone properly in the second half of the menstrual cycle. There is an excellent supplement I use in the clinic called Tranquil Woman Support available from www.naturalhealthpractice.com Exercise Exercise is important for your general health but it is also important to eliminate PMS symptoms. Exercise releases brain chemicals called ‘endorphins’, which help you to feel happier, more alert and calmer.

Dr Glenville has clinics in London, Tunbridge Wells and Dublin. For more in depth information look on Marilyn’s website www.marilynglenville.com. If you are interested in a consultation you can contact Dr Glenville’s clinic on 0870 5329244 or by email: health@marilynglenville.com

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True Luxury SBT’s Harriet Weston experiences true luxury at The Felbridge Hotel

We arrived at The Felbridge Hotel in East Grinstead after a Review short, easy drive from Eastbourne. As we strolled into the fresh, modern entrance area, we noticed that all the guests were wandering around in robes – no doubt heading to the hotel’s crowning glory: the Chakra Spa. We were welcomed in the lobby area by Vikas, the Hotel Manager, who showed us to our Luxury Junior Suite, the hotel’s most superior room type available. And superior it certainly was. Complete with a super king size bed, desk, generous seating area and even a personalised message on the flat screen TV, the room simply emanated modern luxury. Most impressive for me was the bathroom, with a his-and-hers washbasin, separate shower and roll top bath.

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On first impressions, it seemed like the perfect stop-off after a long day of flying, business meetings or events.

Before I could wrap myself up in my own bathrobe and head to the Jacuzzi, I was keen to see what the hotel had to offer in the way of business facilities, so I met Vikas in the afternoon for a tour.

The hotel offers ten modern conference and meeting rooms with all the latest communication technology and facilities installed. All the rooms were perfect sizes, ideal for organising anything from an awards evening with over 200 people, to a small meeting for five people. It felt like they had thought of everything.

To top it off, the location of this hotel is ideal as it’s just 15 minutes away from Gatwick Airport, making it perfect for meeting clients who have travelled in from overseas. The Felbridge even offers a ‘park and ride‘ package, which offers up to 15 days secure parking offsite, for those who need to travel abroad.

No business trip away should be all work and no fun – and this is where the Chakra Spa comes in. This little bubble of calm offers an opportunity to have your week’s woes wiped away with a host of soothing treatments. Top class facilities include five treatment rooms, an indoor heated pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, as well as a hair salon and nail bar for an impromptu make-over before any big event. There are treatments for everyone here, from taster facials to deep muscle massages. I have to say I’ve never felt

Felbridge Hotel East Grinstead

London Rd, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 2BH 01342 337700 www.felbridgehotel.co.uk so relaxed and all those worries about work deadlines just faded away. It is worth booking treatments in advance as it does get quite busy and local residents often use it too.

Once we’d indulged ourselves at the spa, it was time to get our glad rags on and head down to dinner. There are two restaurants to choose from at The Felbridge: The Bay Tree and The Anise.

The Bay Tree Restaurant has been specifically designed to cater for those who prefer to dine in a more relaxed and informal atmosphere. However, we were lucky enough to eat at the stunning fine dining Anise restaurant, which was more intimate. This is the place to eat when you want to impress a client.

The staff at the Anise were very friendly and knowledgeable, always helping us choose the best wines and/ or soft drinks. We opted for the 3-course meal, which – for such excellence and hard work that goes into the dishes, will only cost you £37.50 (or 2 courses for £30). The highlight for me (and my sweet tooth) was the white chocolate and banana mousse with salted caramel. It wasn’t too heavy after the last two courses and just finished off the experience on a high point.

The Felbridge Hotel and Spa is the perfect location to stay, eat and entertain your clients so why not book a retreat and sample The Felbridge’s delights for yourself?

Tried & Tested in Sussex

WorkingLunch

Lewis Reed reviews the Beach Deck on Eastbourne seafront

Beach Deck Eastbourne

Address: Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AE Tel: 01323 720 320 email: info@thebeachdeck.co.uk The Beach Deck is everything the name promises, but with Review a little romance and tasty food thrown in for good measure.

Far from being your average surfer’s cafe, this sea-facing restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere with a sophisticated edge, helped along by the fresh decor and clean plateglass windows overlooking the English Channel.

My first impression is that this is a great place for a casual business rendezvous - there’s nothing too stuffy about it, and a decent wine list, served by knowledgeable staff, means the edge can be taken off with a cool glass of Sauvignon Blanc or two.

We are served by a polite waiter Tristan, who wastes no time recommending various dishes and accompanying wines. In terms of variety, the menu is excellent with plenty of options for vegetarians, piscetarians and steak fiends alike - so even the fussiest clients should be kept happy here.

I opt for the soup of the day - carrot and coriander, with crusty bread for a starter, while my companion goes for the deep fried battered squid. We soon learn that the beauty of all The Beach Deck’s fish dishes is that they haven’t travelled far. In fact, all fish comes from Southern Head Fishing, based a few doors down, which is stocked by 30 boats bringing in fresh produce every day.

When the food arrives I’m pleased to note the generous portion sizes.

Despite the elegant interior and finedining feel, this restaurant harnesses all the wonderful things about classic pub grub. Healthy portions, great variety and nothing too poncy. Still, the quality is high. My soup is creamy, steaming and, I imagine, perfect after a long seafront walk on a crisp autumn day.

The calamari too is beautifully cooked with just the right amount of crunch.

Once we’d polished our plates, it was time for mains. Being in the ‘steakfiend’ category I previously mentioned, I opted for an 8oz sirloin steak with watercress & horse radish salad and house chips. My companion opted for the Beach Deck Classic 6oz Burger with a lettuce, tomato and red onion salad served with house chips. Now, chips can be a contentious issue. Should they be skinny french fries, chunky wedges, or something in between? I can confirm The Beach Deck chips are in fact a perfect balance - big, handcut, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. In a word - perfect. My steak too was cooked wonderfully, and it’s evident that the Head Chef knows what he’s doing.

Despite being pretty full up by this point, we didn’t hold back when it came to dessert. I chose a winter classic: treacle tart with vanilla ice cream, while my companion went for a slightly lighter cherry yoghurt parfait with cherry colis.

All of this washed down with a bottle of Beach Deck house white wine at a fairly reasonable £15.95.

Good food, healthy portions and a relaxed atmosphere, topped off with the stunning seaviews, make this place a true hidden gem in Eastbourne, so whether you’re looking for a lunch venue to escape from the office, or a place to wine and dine your clients look no further than the Beach Deck. www.thebeachdeck.co.uk

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Stand Up For Your Health at Work

Ian Fletcher Price, founder of ergonomic furniture company Posturite, offers his tips for preventing health problems caused by bad posture How long before all new seating is sold Top with a government health warning? Too Tips much sitting can seriously damage your health!

Our increasingly sedentary lifestyle – many of us now sit for 13 hours a day, sleep for eight and move for just three – has been linked to a whole raft of medical conditions from back pain and DVT to obesity, heart disease and cancer.

So what can employers do to ensure that staff who spend much of their working lives at a desk or in front of a computer are properly protected?

Ian Fletcher-Price, who started Berwick-based Posturite Ltd in 1991 and has built it up to become the UK’s runaway market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of ergonomic furniture and equipment, believes the answer is simple: we should all stand up a bit more for our health… literally!

“Height adjustable desks have been around for several years but it’s only relatively recently that organisations and individuals have started to recognise their enormous benefits,” he says.

“The massive interest shown in our DeskRite range of sit-stand desks at the recent Safety & Health Expo in London – the biggest and most important event in our industry’s calendar – provided clear evidence that the message is finally getting through that we would all benefit by spending more time on our feet and less on our backsides.

“Dr Mike Loosemore, Lead Consultant in Exercise Medicine at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, recently

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told listeners to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that working standing up three hours a day, five days a week would be the equivalent of running ten marathons a year.

“With that sort of high-level endorsement, perhaps it is no great surprise that we have seen a big upsurge in sales of our DeskRite sit-

stand desks as well as products like the recently-introduced Varidesk, a revolutionary height-adjustable desktop platform that has won a number of design awards from industry critics in the UK and USA.” Even so, millions of people will still continue to spend the bulk of their working hours shackled to a chair. So it’s important they choose a good one and ensure the workstation set-up is correct.

“No two bodies are the same, even those of the same height. We have different thigh and shin lengths, deeper or shallower lumbar curves, longer or shorter spines and so on,” says Ian. “Yet millions of people are forced to sit

for hours in chairs that can’t be adjusted to meet their individual needs. It just doesn’t make sense.

“Fortunately more and more companies, both large and small, are now recognising that a small investment in multi-adjustable ergonomic seating can reap huge benefits in terms of employee wellbeing and productivity.”

The set-up of the workstation is equally important. Posturite carries out thousands of DSE assessments every year as well as training thousands of others to become assessors or supplying companies with its market-leading AssessRite e-learning and assessment program that allows people to do it themselves.

“How people sit at their desk can have a big impact on their wellbeing,” says Ian. “Their head should be balanced, not leaning forward, arms relaxed by their side and forearms parallel to desk.

They should sit back in the chair ensuring good back support with the screen approximately an arm’s length from them and the top of the screen about eye level. There should be space behind the knees and feet flat on floor or on a footrest.”

All of this is important, not just for the wellbeing of employees but also for business performance. Workplace absence still costs the UK £14bn a year.

A lot of this could be avoided if more businesses invested proactively in the sort of equipment that avoided health problems arising in the first place rather than taking remedial action once it has occurred.

“We’re getting there – the graph has certainly been moving in the right direction over the last few years – but there is still a lot more that employers can do to protect both their staff and their balance sheets,” says Ian. www.posturite.co.uk

Ergonomic Tips

According to Ian, the ideal chair is one that:

Reclines to reduce the pressure on disks and muscles and tilts forward to ease stress on muscles, tendons and discs, increases lung capacity and improve the working of the heart and blood circulation

Has a height adjustable headrest – particularly helpful for people with neck and shoulder problems as it allows the muscles in this area to relax, thereby increasing the blood flow

Allows you to move the seat or backrest in and out so that you are able to support your thighs properly and reach the backrest comfortably

Enables you to alter the angle of the backrest relative to the seat so that when you’re not working forward (keying or writing) the backrest is able to take some of the weight of your upper body, reducing the pressure on disks and muscles

A lumbar support that can be altered in depth, height and firmness to always support the lumbar curve and avoid flattening of the lumbar spine. This is used best in conjunction with a tilting seat

Allows armrests to be adjusted in height to support the weight of your arms and remove the muscle work for shoulders and upper arms (a particular benefit when keying or mousing)

Has width adjustable and padded armrests that allow you to position them the correct distance from your body and avoid uncomfortable pressure on the undersides of the forearms and elbows

Is height adjustable so that your feet are always firmly on the floor or a footrest and your work surface is at an appropriate height

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Work Like an Athlete A new business book has been released by publisher Bennion Book Kearny, explaining Extract how the mindset of top performing athletes can be adopted to help people succeed in business.

What Business Can Learn From Sport Psychology: Ten Lessons for Peak Professional Performance by Dr Martin Turner and Dr Jamie Barker, offers business professionals a dynamic, highperformance and accessible approach to maximize success in the corporate world.

How are the best athletes in the world able to function under the immense pressure of competition? The answer according to these experts, is by harnessing the potential of their minds to train smart, stay committed, focus, and deliver winning performances with body and mind when the time is right.

Written by two the UK’s leading sport psychologists - Dr Martin Turner and Dr Jamie Barker - the book is hands-on and reader-friendly for business people of all levels and experience. It details the key areas of mindset and performance which include: pressure and how to cope with it, overcoming adversity, developing confidence, how to prevent overthinking and how to harness stress. Utilising examples from the world of elite sport – including golf, tennis, rugby, football and cricket - and their extensive work with international blue chip companies and business executives, the authors reveal the secrets of the winning mind by exploring the strategies and techniques used by the most successful athletes and professionals on the planet.

Dr Martin Turner is a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Psychology, Sport and Exercise at Staffordshire University, and a Chartered practitioner psychologist. Dr Jamie Barker is Associate Professor of Applied Performance Psychology at Staffordshire University, and a Chartered psychologist.

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© Alphaspirit | Dreamstime.com

An extract from the recently released ‘What Business Can Learn From Sport Psychology’ by Dr Jamie Barker and Dr Martin Turner, from Staffordshire University

Book Extract B. Activate “Relax? How can anybody relax and play golf? You have to grip the club, don’t you?”

- Ben Hogan, Golfer Many performers talk about being flat before they perform and instead of wanting to calm down, they want to get energised for their performance. Stress can cause people to feel tired before the big event, which can hinder their performance as they don’t feel switched on or ready. Or sometimes, people are required to perform in a situation that is not particularly motivating, and they really struggle to get up for it.

Activation techniques can be used to counteract lethargy for performance, so you can control how pumped you feel for that big event.

Thus, in stark contrast to the relaxation techniques we have just covered, this next section introduces three key activation techniques:

1. Activation and Coping Imagery 2. Music 3. Psyching up Activation and Coping Imagery One strategy that is effective in activating a positive stress response in performance situations is that of imagery.

But it is important to use a specific type of imagery here. In chapter 5 we talked about using imagery to increase confidence, but here we are talking about using imagery to increase heart rate and arousal (activation) so that you feel pumped for a performance.

Self-Regulate Remember, imagery works best when it is realistic and vivid, so that you can recreate the mental and physical responses to a specific situation. So to get pumped for performance you can visualse yourself performing in a forthcoming situation with all its intensity.

Importantly, you see yourself coping with the situation and thriving under pressure.

Extract

Dr Martin Turner

Dr Jamie Barker

This prepares the mind and body for what it is about to do. It energizes the brain to focus on performance and activates the body for assertive and confident behaviour.

As with all the skills throughout this book, imagery requires a period of training before it can have a beneficial effect on performance. With this in mind have a go now while using a heart rate monitor. This biofeedback will indicate your ability to get energized for performance. Try to relax and get to resting levels. Then start to imagine going into that crucial upcoming situation and coping with it. Make it intense and realistic. After a minute, check your heart rate, it should have increased from rest indicating an increase in arousal.

Remember, some arousal is necessary for some people to perform and can be a very good thing indeed!

Developing an activation and coping imagery script You are now going to develop an activation and coping imagery script.

First, write down an upcoming situation or event that you think will be particularly stressful. This might be an interview, a presentation, a performance appraisal, or an after-dinner speech. Now we want you to begin by providing as much detail

as you can about the situation. Try and outline where the event might take place, how you might feel, the thoughts you may have, and what you have to do. It is important to provide as many elements as you can here.

Now you have this information you can begin to compile your script which you will then begin to practice. The example below will provide an outline of how to develop an imagery script. Once you have written your script, it can be recorded onto an MP3 player and you can listen to it when required. People normally listen to their imagery script as close to the event as possible, but it makes more sense to memorise the imagery script so that you can get activated directly before any interview, presentation, or pitch.

In addition, this coping imagery script also has a beneficial effect on other psychological factors. For example, by seeing yourself cope, self-confidence will increase and so too will your focus on success. So, in your script, make sure you take the opportunity to build in some confidence boosting images from your visualization ammunition in chapter 5.

greet you for the start of your interview.

As the company director walks over to you - extend your arm and give an assertive and confident handshake to your potential new boss. In this moment you feel your body rush with energy telling you that you are ready for this.

As you sit down opposite the interview panel you recognize some of the faces from the research you have done into the company. These people are very high up in the company and you want to impress them. You feel good about this as all the right people are there to see you perform well in this pressured situation.

See yourself reacting positively to questions, responding with composure and grace, even if a question takes you by surprise. You are asked a tough question and you take a few seconds to formulate your answer. This is your time and you have control over the situation.

You process the question and form an answer that you are pleased with; the panel nods in agreement with your response.

You know that they are judging your performance, but this is why you are here, because you want the chance to prove yourself in front of the right people.

See the interview flowing well as you assertively and flexibly deal with questions and comments and see the panel laughing and enjoying the interview as much as you.

Stay in the moment for a while. This demanding situation in which you have coped well is playing out in your head.

Remind yourself that this is where you want to be and that you are ready for this challenging test.

Example of a coping imagery script for an interview You are sitting in the waiting area - waiting for the company director to come and

WIN A COPY To win a copy of ‘What Business Can Learn From Sport Psychology’, all you have to do is answer this question:

What University do the book’s authors work at? a) The University of Exeter b) Sussex University c) Staffordshire University Please send your answers to zoe@sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

What Business Can Learn From Sport Psychology, by Dr. Jamie Barker and Dr. Martin Turner, published by: Bennion Kearny, £14.99.

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Test Drive

The new C-Class Estate from Mercedes – where style is as important as space

“The C-Class Estate has a luxurious cabin interior, with glossy surfaces, satin chrome highlights and a colour screen at the centre of the dashboard and a clever touchpad allowing you to input commands”

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Review

Mercedes CClass Estate

SUVs and 4x4s have certainly been enjoying a greater presence on the roads in recent years, with their big size and good looks appealing to a wide variety of customers, from big families who need space, to business professionals who need power. But will 4x4s supersede the hardy estate car? Not if Mercedes has anything to do with it. The new C-Class Estate from Mercedes is proof that there is power in understatement. The new model might not scream ‘look at me’ like flashier 4x4s inevitably do, but it doesn’t have to. Its classic Mercedes body - streamlined, simple and handsome, gives it an undeniable air of grown-up refinement: more George Clooney than George Michael.

The heart of the estate car is in its practicality. Estate owners

want plenty of space, but space that can be used efficiently. All five engine models of the C-Class have split folding rear seats, which can be activated with the touch of a button in the boot, so any additional passengers can be catered for. The boot itself is like a room of its own, with the ability to hold 490 litres of gear when the seats are out and 1,510 litres when they’re folded up. If you have your arms full while loading the car, you can simply kick your foot under the rear bumper and the boot will open automatically. Passenger leg room has also been extended thanks to an 80mm longer wheelbase, which stretches the footwell in the back by 45mm.

While practicality is at its heart, style is in its soul. The C-Class Estate has a luxurious cabin interior, with glossy surfaces, satin chrome highlights and a colour screen at the centre of the dashboard and a clever touchpad allowing you to input commands.

Motoring

Choosing Your Model There are five engine options and three model lines to choose from: C 200 Petrol Engine Starting the range is the C 200 petrol engine. This produces 184 hp and emits 128 g/km of CO2.

PRICE: £28,055 C 200 BlueTEC Diesel Engine If you prefer diesel engines, opt for the C 200, which produces 170 hp and emits 108 g/km of CO2. This is available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox.

PRICE: Starts from £30,565 C 220 BlueTEC Diesel Engine This model produces 240 hp and emits 117 g/km of CO2. It is available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox only.

PRICE: From £33,220 Two new other engines will join the range later this year, the C 200 BlueTEC Diesel and the C 300 BlueTEC HYBRID. Each engine choice comes in three model lines - SE, Sport and AMG. The SE comes with an optional Executive Package (£995 extra), which

offers the Garmin Map Pilot navigation, heated front seats and chrome rather than black roof rails.

All models come with the option of the Premium Package, which adds a panoramic glass sunroof, KeylessGo, ambient lighting system and electric seat memory (£1,595 extra). A Premium Plus Package adds surround sound and COMMAND online to this (£2,795).

Further options include the Driving Assistance Package (£1,495 available on the Sport and AMG Line

models) which incorporates the Blind Spot Assist, Distronic Plus, Lane-Keeping Assist and the PreSafe anticipatory safety system. The AirMATIC Agility Package (£895) allows the suspension on the C-Class Estate to self-level and be raised by 25mm when required as well as varying to allow different damping characteristics. The Air-Balance package, meanwhile, allows a fragrance to be diffused around the interior of the car via a small container found in the glovebox.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 51

BEST4Biz Conference 2014 Buxted Park Hotel - 8th October 2014 - from 12.30pm to 7.30pm

BEST4Biz is for local business people to take away everything they need to run a growing business in East Sussex: including preparing your digital strategy, public sector procurement, finding new customers and new markets, risk management, new media, finding and keeping new talent, and getting your hands on the cheapest funding for growth.

Along with a great opportunity to meet and network with likeminded business people from across East Sussex.

52 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

This is the first ACES business conference and is being run in association with East Sussex County Council, the SME Commission and Sussex Business Times Magazine. We have an interesting and interactive day planned, which starts with a networking lunch in the Orangery at this beautiful ‘Hand Picked Hotel’. After lunch, we will host some terrific keynote speakers, thought provoking breakout sessions and a “question time” panel event, followed by drinks and canapés at 6.30pm sponsored by Recruitment South East. You will leave the event with a Chandlers BMW goody bag stuffed with ideas to benefit your business.

Keynote Speakers 2pm to 3pm Linda Davidson Technology and New Media Specialist

Chamber News

Linda developed the first BBC websites, launched E4 and then broadened her digital experience as European IT Director for Discovery Networks. She now advises companies on how to keep up with consumer and staff expectations of their digital strategy, while ensuring that digital investment delivers meaningful ROI. Coming originally from a nontechnical background, Linda is able to talk technical in clear, concise, easy to understand language and will look at what digital technology can do for your organisation and how to distinguish yourself from your competitors. She will also explore the latest trends, from Google hang-outs to hackathons and ‘unified’ communications.

Kevin Green CEO of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation

develop and implement their people strategies. His clients included Lloyds TSB, First Choice, Fuji, Orange and Unilever.

Frequently consulted on employment issues by television and radio companies, he successfully survived a debate with Jeremy Paxman in 2012.

During Kevin’s tenure, the REC has been recognised for its excellence in service provision, winning nine trade association and member awards, as well as personally winning the Trade Association Forum’s leadership award.

Breakout Sessions These breakout sessions will be informal workshops with presentations led by the interesting business people shown below.

The breakouts are sponsored by UKTI. When you book your conference place, let us know which breakout sessions you would like to attend.

First breakout sessions between 3pm and 4pm

Kevin Green has been the Chief Executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation since June 2008.

Previously, Kevin was HR Director at the Royal Mail, where he was responsible for all people-related issues for a business with 165,000 employees. He was part of the leadership team, which transformed the business from losing £1 million a day in 2003, to making over £600 million profit in 2007. He understands how poor people policies and lack of talent can seriously restrict your company’s ability to succeed. As we go into a period of potential labour shortages, your ability to attract and retain key staff will mean the difference between success and failure.

Prior to this, Kevin was Managing Director at Qtab, a successful HR consultancy that helped businesses to

Digital Strategy Workshop - 3pm Led by Will Callaghan, who is part of the Government Digital Service Team.

Will works with the Cabinet Office on their digital communication strategy and has assisted in the development of major government websites for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills. He lives in Eastbourne and in his spare time he also runs Eastbourne Can and TechResort.

Finding New Markets – 3pm Led by Lev Denker of UK Trade & Investment, part of the Department of Trade. Find out how to locate new customers and grow your business.

This session is suitable for service providers and manufacturers of any size; from micro-companies to massivecompanies.

Business Growth and Funding – 3pm Led by Philip Johnson of Locate East Sussex and the team at Growth

Accelerator. Find grants, loans and premises available to help your business grow and get business support to find that growth – fast.

Managing Risk – 3pm Julia Hands, CEO of Hand Picked Hotels will tell you how she managed a global hotel group through the worst recession since the 1930s and has come out stronger than ever. A city lawyer by trade, Julie Hands and her husband Guy bought Hand Picked Hotels in 2001.

She has protected the high brand values of the group through the recession and believes in buying the best of local produce to maintain the individual personality of each hotel.

Second breakout sessions between 4pm and 5pm Marketing in the 21st Century – 4pm Led by Martin Ellis of RSE Worldwide and Mardi Roberts of Ridgeview Wine Estates. Find out how to make the most of digital media to manage your brand and grow your sales.

Public Sector Procurement - 4pm Led by Laura Langstaff Head of Procurement East Sussex County Council.

Find your way through the East Sussex Procurement Portal for Business Innovation for Growth - 4pm Led by Jane Orris of BSK and Clare Griffiths of the Ideas People. How to come up with creative ideas and make them a reality.

Why Should I Work for You? – 4pm Led by Kevin Green CEO of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and Mandy Brook of Recruitment South East. Find out how to recruit the most talented people and crucially, how to make them want to stay. It’s not all about money. It’s about having the space to develop new ideas, make mistakes and learn from them in a risk free, supportive environment.

Continued on next page

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Treating customers Fairly53

www.carmyke.co.uk

Start-Up Workshops in Wealden

© Vadymvdrobot | Dreamstime.com

Last month we looked at some of the support local authorities give business in East Sussex including some very useful start-up workshops and one to one business clinics. As a result of the funding available from Wealden District Council the first of many lively and interactive Start-Up Workshops was held in Hailsham in August. There was very positive feedback from the delegates and the course will be run month up until Spring 2015:

Panel of Experts – 5.30pm Our panel of experts, including Kevin Green, Julia Hands, Philip Johnson, Will Callaghan and Lev Denker, will be managed by Graham Peters – Chairman of the SME Commission, who will answer your questions about current business issues.

Drinks, Canapés and Final Networking Session – 6.30pm Sponsored by Recruitment South East and RSE Worldwide, catch up with your business colleagues from across East Sussex and find out what they learnt from the BEST4Biz Conference 2014.

“I enjoyed the day... it was very useful” “Very informative … with lots of useful information to take away” “A wonderful opportunity to take part in a free and very helpful resource”

© Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.com

“The workshop really helped me to build my knowledge and understanding of starting a new business” “It was very interactive and the exercises really helped me to remember what we learnt”

54 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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Impress for Success 10 am o 4pm Success Impress for Success January Uckfie d Thu s 13 h 10 am o 4pm Impress for Success March Ha sham Impress Tues 13for h Success 10 am o 4pm Impress for Success To access th s ree Start-Up support n Wea den ca Edea on Impress for Success 01323 641144 or ema n o@edea org uk Impress for Success Impress for Success Wealden Business Clinicsfor Success When you own and un you Impress own SME can be one y a he op so whe he Impress for Success you wan o expand o downs ze se you bus o me ge w h a compe o Impress forness Success ak ng ndependen adv ce s v a Th s WDC unded adv ce s ee o cha ge Impress for Success and comp e e y unb ased Impress for Success Impress for Success Book your “one to one” session at a Wealden Business Clinic: November

Da e

Hea hfie d Impress Thu s 6 h for

Loca on

II II II II II II II I

www.acesalliance.org Da e T me o day

www.acesalliance.org www.acesalliance.org Sep ember C owbo ough Tues 16 h 10 30am o 14 45pm www.acesalliance.org www.acesalliance.org Oc ober Uckfie d Wed 8h 1pm o 5 15pm www.acesalliance.org November Hea hfie d Thu s 20 h 10 30am o 14 45pm www.acesalliance.org www.acesalliance.org December Ha sham Mon 8h 10 30am o 14 45pm www.acesalliance.org January Uckfie d Tues 27 h 2015 10 30am o 14 45pm www.acesalliance.org www.acesalliance.org www.acesalliance.org February C owbo ough Mon 2nd 2015 1pm o 5 15pm www.acesalliance.org March Ha sham Mon 30 h 2015 1pm o 5 15pm www.acesalliance.org www.acesa ance.org To access th s bus ness support n Wea den or e sewhere ca Edea on 01323 641144 or ema

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Chamber News

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce 01424 842892 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce

01424 Bexhill842892 Chamber of Commerce www.bexhillchamber.co.uk 01424 842892 Bexhill Chamber of Commerce www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of 01424 842892 Bexhill Chamber of Commerce Commerce www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Crowborough 01424 842892 Chamber of www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Commerce www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Bexhill Chamber of Commerce Crowborough Chamber of www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of 01424 842892 Commerce Commerce Crowborough Chamber of www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Bexhill Chamber of Commerce Commerce 01323 641144 Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk 01424 842892 www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of of Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber 01323 641144 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Bexhill Chamber of Commerce Commerce Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of East Sussex County Council 01424 842892 www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk 01323 641144 Bexhill Chamber of Commerce Commerce Crowborough Chamber of www.bexhillchamber.co.uk 01273 481570County www.eastbournechamber.co.uk East Sussex Council 01424 842892 Commerce 01323 641144 www.eastsussex.gov.uk Eastbourne UnLtd of Chamber of Bexhill Chamber Commerce www.bexhillchamber.co.uk 01273 481570 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Commerce Crowborough Chamber of 01424 842892 East Sussex County Council www.eastsussex.gov.uk Commerce Federation of SmallofBusinesses 01323 641144 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Bexhill Chamber Commerce 01273 481570 Crowborough Chamber of of East Sussex County Council Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber www.eastbournechamber.co.uk www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk 01424 754686 01424 842892 Bexhill Chamber Commerce www.eastsussex.gov.uk Federation of and SmallofBusinesses Commerce Commerce 01273 481570 Regional Office 01323 482018 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of 01424 842892 01424 754686 and www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk www.eastsussex.gov.uk 01323 641144 Bexhill Chamber Commerce www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Eastbourne UnLtd of Chamber of East Sussex County Council Commerce www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Federation of Small Businesses Regional Office 01323 482018 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk Commerce 01424481570 842892 01273 www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of of www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber 01424 754686 and of Federation of Small Businesses www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Bexhill Chamber Commerce Hailsham Chamber of 01323 641144 www.eastsussex.gov.uk Commerce Commerce Regional Office 01323 482018 Crowborough Chamber of East Sussex County Council Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk 01424 754686 and Chamber 01424 842892 Eastbourne UnLtd of www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Hailsham Chamber Commerce 01323 641144 Bexhill Chamber ofofCommerce Regional Office 01323 482018 01273 481570 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk 01323 310531 Crowborough Chamber of Commerce Federation of Small Businesses Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex www.eastsussex.gov.uk 01424 842892 www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Commerce East Sussex County Council 01323 641144 Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of 01424 754686 andof Hailsham Chamber ofCommerce 01323 310531 Bexhill Chamber www.bexhillchamber.co.uk www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk www.eastbournechamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of Commerce 01273 481570 Regional Office 01323 482018 Commerce www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of East Sussex Council 01424 842892 Federation ofCounty Small Businesses Hailsham Chamber Commerce Hastings Chamber ofof www.eastsussex.gov.uk www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex 01323 641144 Commerce 01323 310531 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk 01273 481570 Commerce Commerce Crowborough Chamber of of Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber 01424 754686 and www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk www.eastbournechamber.co.uk East Sussex County Council www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Hastings Chamber of 01323 641144 www.eastsussex.gov.uk Commerce Regional Office 01323 01323 310531 01424 205500 Federation of Small Businesses Hailsham Chamber of 482018 01273 481570 Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk 01323 641144 Commerce Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber www.eastsussex.gov.uk East Sussex County Council of 01424 754686 and of Hastings Chamber 01424 205500 Federation of Small Businesses Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk Commerce Regional Office 01323 482018 01323 310531 Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk 01273 481570 East Sussex County Council of 01424 754686 andof www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber Hailsham Chamber of Hastings Chamber www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Heathfield Chamber of www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk 01323 641144 www.eastsussex.gov.uk Federation of Small Businesses 01424 205500 01273 481570 Regional Office 01323 482018 Commerce Commerce Commerce Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk East Sussex County Council www.hastingschamber.co.uk 01424 754686 and Chamber Heathfield Chamber of www.eastsussex.gov.uk www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Eastbourne UnLtd of 01323 641144 01323 310531 01424 205500 01435 865858 Hailsham Chamber 01273 481570 Hastings Chamber ofof Regional Office 01323 482018 Federation of Small Businesses Commerce Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce www.eastsussex.gov.uk East Sussex County Council www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Heathfield Chamber of 01424 754686 and 01435 865858 Federation of Small Businesses Hailsham Chamber of 01323 641144 01323 01424 205500 01273310531 481570 Commerce Regional Office 01323 482018 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce www.eastbournechamber.co.uk 01424 754686 and East Sussex County Council Hastings Chamber ofof Heathfield Chamber www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Lewes Chamber of Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.eastsussex.gov.uk Federation of Small Businesses www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Hailsham Chamber of 482018 865858 01435 Regional Office 01323 01323 310531 Commerce Commerce 01273 481570 Commerce 07917 382316 01424 754686 and www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Lewes Chamber of Commerce www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk East Sussex County Council www.eastsussex.gov.uk 01424 205500 01435 865858 Hastings Chamber of www.leweschamber.org.uk Regional Office 01323 Heathfield Chamber of 482018 Federation of Small Businesses 01323 310531 Hailsham Chamber of 07917 382316 www.hastingschamber.co.uk 01273 481570 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Commerce 01424 754686 and Lewes Chamber of Commerce www.leweschamber.org.uk Hailsham Chamber of Hastings Chamber of www.eastsussex.gov.uk Federation of Small Businesses Newhaven Chamber of 482018 01424 205500 01435 865858 Regional Office 01323 01323 310531 Commerce 07917 382316 Heathfield Chamber of Lewes Chamber of Commerce Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Hailsham Chamber 01424 754686 and www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Hastings Chamber ofof Newhaven Chamber of www.leweschamber.org.uk 01323 310531 01424 205500 Commerce Federation of Small Businesses Commerce Regional Office 01323 482018 07917 382316 0800 107 0709 Commerce Commerce www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex 01435 865858 01424 754686 and www.leweschamber.org.uk www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Heathfield 01323 Chamber 310531 Lewes of Commerce Hailsham Chamber 01424 Hastings Chamber ofof Newhaven Chamber of 482018 0800 107205500 0709 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Regional Office 01323 Commerce www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk Commerce 07917 382316 Commerce www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Hastings Chamber ofof Heathfield Chamber www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Hailsham Chamber Newhaven Peacehaven Chamberofof 01435 865858 www.leweschamber.org.uk 01323 310531 01424 205500 Commerce 0800 107 0709 Commerce Lewes Chamber of Commerce Commerce Commerce www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Hastings Chamber ofof www.hastingschamber.co.uk Heathfield Chamber www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Peacehaven Chamber 01424 205500 01435 865858 Hailsham Chamber of of Commerce 01323 310531 07917 382316 0800 107 0709 Newhaven Chamber of 01273 586222 Commerce Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk www.leweschamber.org.uk www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Commerce www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Lewes Chamber of Commerce 01424 205500 Hastings Chamber of 01435586222 865858 Heathfield Chamber Peacehaven Chamberofof 01273 01323 310531 www.hastingschamber.co.uk Commerce 0709 0800 107 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce 07917 382316 Commerce www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Heathfield Chamber of Lewes Chamber of of Commerce www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk Newhaven Chamber of Hastings Chamber Peacehaven Chamber of www.newhavenchamber.co.uk www.leweschamber.org.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce 01424 865858 205500 01435 Commerce 01273 586222 Commerce 07917 382316 Commerce Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk Heathfield of www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Lewes Chamber of Commerce 0800 881865858 5331Chamber www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce 01435 www.leweschamber.org.uk Hastings Chamber of 0800 107 0709 Commerce 01424 205500 01273 586222 Newhaven Chamber of of Peacehaven Chamber www.seafordchamber.co.uk 07917 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce 0800 881382316 5331 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk www.hastingschamber.co.uk www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Commerce 01435 865858 Heathfield Chamber of www.leweschamber.org.uk Lewes Chamber of Newhaven Chamber of Seaford Chamber of Commerce Commerce www.seafordchamber.co.uk 01424 205500 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce 0800 107 0709 01273 586222 South East Local Enterprise Commerce 07917 Lewes Chamber of Commerce www.hastingschamber.co.uk 0800 881382316 5331 Peacehaven Chamber Heathfield Chamber ofof Seaford Chamber of Commerce www.newhavenchamber.co.uk www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Partnership 01435 865858 Newhaven Chamber of www.leweschamber.org.uk 0800 107 0709 www.seafordchamber.co.uk Commerce 07917 382316 South East Local Enterprise Commerce www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Lewes Chamber of Commerce 0800 881 5331 Commerce 01245 431469 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk www.leweschamber.org.uk Partnership Heathfield Chamber ofof 01273 01435586222 865858 www.seafordchamber.co.uk Peacehaven Chamber Seaford Chamber of Commerce 07917 382316 www.southeastlep.com 0800 107 0709 Newhaven Chamber of Commerce www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk South East Local Enterprise 01245 431469 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce www.leweschamber.org.uk Lewes Chamber of Commerce www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Commerce 0800 881 5331 Newhaven Chamber of of Peacehaven Chamber Partnership www.southeastlep.com 01435 865858 01273 586222 South East Local Enterprise www.seafordchamber.co.uk 07917 382316 Uckfield Chamber of 0800 107 0709 Commerce www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk 01245 431469 Seaford Chamber ofCommerce Commerce Lewes Chamber of www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Partnership Newhaven Chamber ofof www.leweschamber.org.uk Commerce www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Peacehaven Chamber 0800 107 0709 01273 586222 www.southeastlep.com Uckfield Chamber of Commerce 0800 881 5331 07917 382316 Commerce 01245 431469 South East Local Enterprise 01825 722607 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Commerce Lewes Chamber of Commerce www.seafordchamber.co.uk www.leweschamber.org.uk www.southeastlep.com Seaford Chamber of Commerce 0800 107 0709 Partnership Newhaven Chamber ofof www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk 01273 586222 Peacehaven Chamber Uckfield Chamber of 01825 722607 07917 382316 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Commerce www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Commerce 0800 881 5331 01245 431469 Peacehaven Chamber Seaford Chamber of Commerce Commerce www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk www.leweschamber.org.uk Newhaven Chamber ofof South East Local Enterprise www.seafordchamber.co.uk Uckfield Chamber of www.southeastlep.com 0800 107 0709 Wealden District Council 01273 586222 Commerce 0800 881 5331Chamber of Commerce Partnership 01825 722607 Commerce www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Peacehaven www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce 01323 443322 01273 586222 www.seafordchamber.co.uk www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Wealden District Council Newhaven Chamber of Commerce 0800 107 0709 01245 431469 South East Local Enterprise 01825 722607 Uckfield Chamber of www.wealden.gov.uk 0800 881 5331 www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Commerce www.newhavenchamber.co.uk www.southeastlep.com 01323 443322 Partnership 01273 586222 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce Peacehaven Chamber of www.seafordchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce South East Local Enterprise Wealden District Council 0800 107 0709 www.wealden.gov.uk www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Commerce 01245 431469 01825 722607 0800 881 5331 Seaford Chamber of Commerce Partnership www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Peacehaven Chamber of Uckfield Chamber of 01323 443322 www.southeastlep.com www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk 01273 East 586222 Wealden District www.seafordchamber.co.uk South LocalCouncil Enterprise 0800 881 5331 01245 431469 Commerce Commerce www.wealden.gov.uk www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce Partnership 01323 443322 www.seafordchamber.co.uk www.southeastlep.com Peacehaven Chamber of 01273881 586222 01825 722607 Uckfield Chamber of 0800 5331 Wealden District www.wealden.gov.uk 01245 431469 South East LocalCouncil Enterprise Commerce www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce www.seafordchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce www.southeastlep.com Partnership 01323 443322 South Local Enterprise Uckfield Chamber of 01273 East 586222 01825 722607 www.wealden.gov.uk 0800 881 5331 01245 431469 Partnership Commerce www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce Wealden District www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk www.seafordchamber.co.uk South East LocalCouncil Enterprise www.southeastlep.com Uckfield Chamber of 01245 431469 01825 722607 Partnership 0800 881 5331 01323 443322 Commerce www.southeastlep.com www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce www.seafordchamber.co.uk www.wealden.gov.uk Wealden District 01245 431469 South East LocalCouncil Enterprise 01825 722607 Uckfield Chamber of 0800 881 5331 www.southeastlep.com Partnership www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce 01323 443322 Uckfield Chamber of Wealden District www.seafordchamber.co.uk South East Local Council Enterprise www.wealden.gov.uk 01245 431469 01825 722607 Commerce 01323 443322 Partnership www.southeastlep.com Uckfield Chamber of www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Wealden District Council 01825 722607 www.wealden.gov.uk South East Local Enterprise Commerce 01245 431469 01323 443322 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Partnership www.southeastlep.com 01825 722607 Uckfield Chamber of www.wealden.gov.uk Wealden District Council 01245 431469 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Commerce 01323 443322 Wealden District Council www.southeastlep.com Uckfield Chamber of 01825 722607 www.wealden.gov.uk 01323 443322 Commerce www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Wealden District Council www.wealden.gov.uk Uckfield Chamber of 01825 722607 01323 443322 Commerce www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk www.wealden.gov.uk Wealden District Council 01825 722607 01323 443322 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Wealden District Council www.wealden.gov.uk 01323 443322 Wealden District Council www.wealden.gov.uk

Crowborough Chamber of Commerce www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of Commerce 01323 641144 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk East Sussex County Council 01273 481570 www.eastsussex.gov.uk Federation of Small Businesses 01424 754686 and Regional Office 01323 482018 www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Hailsham Chamber of Commerce 01323 310531 www.hailshamchamberof commerce.co.uk Hastings Chamber of Commerce 01424 205500 www.hastingschamber.co.uk Heathfield Chamber of Commerce 01435 865858 www.heathfieldchamber.co.u Lewes Chamber of Commerce 07917 382316 www.leweschamber.org.uk Newhaven Chamber of Commerce 0800 107 0709 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Peacehaven Chamber of Commerce 01273 586222 www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce 0800 881 5331 www.seafordchamber.co.uk South East Local Enterprise Partnership 01245 431469 www.southeastlep.com Uckfield Chamber of Commerce 01825 722607 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Wealden District Council 01323 443322 www.wealden.gov.uk

01323 443322 www.wealden.gov.uk

n o@edea org uk

55 Putting you www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk in the driving seat

www carmyke co uk

Competition

WIN!

PagePlus X8

Create outstanding promotional materials for your business, charity or club with incredibly professional tools in PagePlus X8 – the powerful, yet affordable desktop publisher from awardwinning creative software developer, Serif.

PagePlus X8 gives people with normal office software skills everything they need to create and print first-class marketing materials and stationery, such as flyers, menus, newsletters and signs, plus produce business plans and other formal documents, make interactive multimedia brochures, and publish eBooks – all for just £89.99. Users can also add their own logos, colour schemes, text and imagery using the dedicated logo designer and photo editing lab.

We have three copies of the excellent PagePlus X8 to give away to readers of Sussex Business Times. Simply send your answer to the question below to comps@sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

All you need to do, to be in for a chance of winning is answer this simple question:

What percentage of Serif customers would recommend PagePlus to family and friends?

a) 90% b) 95% c) 99%

NB: This competition is not open to any employees or associates of Life Media Group LMG SE ltd.

All entrants must be submitted by the closing date of the 1st November 2014 and winners will be drawn at random on the 30th November 2014. All winners will be notified via email on this date.

For any further information or queries please contact Life Media Group on (01323) 819007 or info@lifemediagroup.co.uk

56 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Closing Date: 1st November 2014 Winners will be drawn from correct answers a week after the closing date. Good Luck!

Farmland is Not Just for Farmers

Should we take more interest in the land around us?

To many the countryside is a mystery. Whether Insight driving through country lanes, walking the South Downs or exercising the dog most of us use it in one way or another. We all recognise what the countryside is but is there a good reason why we should take more interest in the land around us?

All sectors continue to work hard recovering from the pain of recession; house values are rising and the commercial property sector is faring better. Quite a relief. Investors have been ploughing cash back into bricks and mortar but could farmland present an interesting alternative with some added benefits hard to match? If part of the rationale driving the investment includes a strategy to transfer assets from one generation to the next, whilst simultaneously keeping clear

Rent £/ acre 100 120 130 160 180 240

Grassland Grade 3/4 6,500 7,500 1.54 1.33 1.85 1.60

of the Chancellors sticky fingers, then agricultural land could present a very interesting prospect.

In short, land that is let on an agricultural tenancy created after 1995 can usually be transferred from one generation to the next 100% free of inheritance tax. This is also the case if the land is farmed by the owners.

Thus, for someone wishing to invest £1 million, which at today’s price would buy about 100 acres of good arable land, then the entire investment will be free of inheritance tax.

But what if tax is a secondary consideration compared to the return and expected capital growth?

Agricultural land values have more than doubled in the last ten years with prices now ranging from around £7,000 per acre for commercial blocks of grass land rising to above £10,000 per acre for good quality arable land. Land suitable for vineyards and other specialist crops could be worth

considerably more than that. There are a number of reasons why land values have risen sharply; lack of supply, strong demand for a “safe” investment, a brighter outlook for agricultural profitability and attractive tax benefits.

These factors all apply today.

So, the next time you are in the countryside you might ask yourself “Should I have some of that?”

Purchase price £/acre (Excl. SDLT) Arable Grade 3/4 Arable Grade 1/2 7,500 8,500 8,500 11,000

1.73 2.13

1.53 1.88 2.12 2.82

% annual yields

1.64 2.18

Matthew Berryman Partner Complete Land Management LLP Tel: 01892 771743

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 57

SBT

Ask the

Experts

We ask the experts to give you the answers you need

Q&A

Becoming self-employed: what you need to know

Experienced accountant Andrew Wells answers the questions every budding entrepreneur needs to know about setting up as self-employed.

I’ve decided to set up as selfemployed. What do I need to tell HMRC? You need to register with HM Revenue when you become self employed. As you can be penalised for doing this late I’d suggest dealing with this straight away. The easiest way to do this is online through the website at www. hmrc.gov.uk. You will need to give your name, contact details, date of birth and national insurance number and answer a few simple questions about your business.

Will I need to pay any registration fees?

To the taxman? Not as such, although you will need to start paying National Insurance. There is a payment of

Andrew Wells has over 30 years of accounting and business experience working with a wide range of clients, from budding start-ups to national charities, arts organisations and high net worth individuals.

Since starting out on his own in 2000, Andrew has grown his business from a ‘one man and his computer’ job, to a full team of dedicated professionals working from a thriving office on Western Road, Lewes.

The team at Andrew M Wells Accountancy is ready and willing to give accountancy and business advice whenever possible. Core office hours are between 8.30 and 4.00 Mondays to Thursdays. They are also contactable at evenings and weekends via phone.

Please call 01273 961334 or email enquiries@andrewwells.co.uk 99 Western Road,Lewes,East Sussex, BN7 1RS

info@checkaprofessional.com 58 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

should, or less - which may lead to you having a tricky meeting with a tax inspector! And unless you know how much money you have made you can’t be sure whether it’s worthwhile to take on an employee, rent new premises or even if it’s worth staying in business.

What information do I need to keep a record of?

In very basic terms you should keep records of your business income and expenditure. You should also retain all documents such as invoices, receipts and bank statements for at least six years after the end of the year to which they relate. In most cases it is a good idea to open a separate business bank account to handle your business transactions.

“If you don’t keep good records you may end up paying more than you should, or less - which may lead to you having a tricky meeting with a tax inspector” £2.75 per week for ‘Class 2’ National insurance which is paid by all self employed people unless their profits are very small or unless they have substantial employed earnings as well.

While we’re talking about registrations, if you’re a member of a professional body you may need to register with them as a self employed member and if you’re going to be handling personal data electronically don’t forget you may need to register with the information commissioner.

Why is it so important to keep a record of all my accounts?

You need to know as accurately as possible how much profit you have made because you will pay tax on this amount. If you don’t keep good records you may end up paying more than you

Basic records for a simple business may consist of: • A list of invoices sent to customers; • A record of amounts banked into your business bank account; • A record of cash received or

business amounts banked into your private bank account; • A record of payments out of your business bank account; • A record of ‘out of pocket’ expenses such as small amounts paid out in cash or amounts paid from your private bank account or credit card.

What are the risks involved with keeping my own accounts?

Most people starting out will keep their own books but will use an accountant to prepare year end accounts and file their tax return. Penalties for filing a tax return

0808 901 9042

SBT Ask the Experts is Sponsored by

engineers, surveyors and software developers. If you are home-based, Andrew and his team can help you run in a tax-efficient way and maximise your claim for the cost of working from home.

A tailored package of accountancy and taxation services is available for companies, designed to handle many of the problems while ensuring the client never has to pay for services they would rather handle themselves.

late can easily exceed £1,000 and there are also potentially severe penalties for filing an incorrect return so you really do need to try and get this right.

missing submissions. This is one area where it is often much easier to employ a professional so you can get on with doing what you’re good at.

Where can I get help with my accounts?

I’m biased of course but it really is worth talking to a good accountant. Ask your friends for a recommendation and only engage an accountant if you are happy that they explain things clearly and you feel you can work with them.

Can hiring an accountant save me money in the long-run?

Undoubtedly. However it’s not just about saving money, it’s also about having peace of mind. Many new clients come to us having tried to handle their own tax returns and found the whole experience very stressful.

Can I get help with my business plan?

Of course. You know your business better than anyone but input from an accountant who has dealt with many businesses of differing sizes can be invaluable.

Services Available

I’ve decided I want to change the structure of my business and form a limited company - what do I need to do?

Again, it’s worth talking to a good accountant. They will be able to explain to you the implications of trading through a limited company and guide you through the process of incorporation. Limited companies aren’t the right structure for everyone though so they may even suggest you shouldn’t do this.

Now that I’ve taken on more employees, should I outsource my payroll? What are the benefits?

Payroll can be quite complicated and you are required to make a submission online to HM Revenue each time you pay an employee. Again there are penalties for getting this wrong or

info@checkaprofessional.com

Andrew M Wells Accountancy offers a wide range of services to businesses of all types and sizes, including: Owner Managed Businesses Starting out in business can often be a challenging time. Andrew Wells can help owner managed businesses by making sure they comply with HMRC obligations, meet deadlines, keep suitable business records while always providing solid, sensible advice to help businesses develop.

Media and the Arts Andrew M Wells Accountancy specialises in giving concise, jargonfree advice tailored to creative businesses such as TV production companies, musicians, singers, actors and designers. Andrew has many years’ experience dealing with specific issues related to the Arts.

Consultants, contractors Specialist accounting services are available for management consultants,

Tech Businesses Andrew has worked with many clients from a number of innovative businesses in technology. His firm can assist by advising on a number of issues unique to the sector, including Research & Development tax relief and Patent Box reliefs for those holding intellectual property.

Third Sector As well as helping larger corporations, Andrew M Wells Accountancy also assists a wide range of smaller charities and associations with tasks such as preparation of accounts, independent examination, specific VAT issues and and corporate governance.

Incorporations and Company Secretarial Company incorporations from Andrew M Wells Accountancy start from £99 and includes incorporation with the name of your choice, in addition to advice on structuring your company, VAT registration and setting up an employers scheme with HMRC. This also comes with free Registered Office facilities and secretarial services such as preparing minutes of directors meetings, maintaining statutory records and paperwork for Companies House.

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Tax is complicated and this article is a simplified summary. You should not rely on anything in this article without seeking further advice and no liability will be accepted from any action taken or not under any circumstances

0808 901 9042 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 59

SBT

Society Review Christopher Biggins at The Sussex Beacon On Friday 29 August, actor and television presenter Christopher Biggins visited The Sussex Beacon centre in Brighton to find out more about the work of the charity which offers specialist care and support to men, women and families affected by HIV. Biggins is supporting the charity this year by hosting the fundraising ball ‘The Halloween Horror Show’ at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on Saturday 1 November 2014.

The event will include a sumptuous Halloween feast followed by a spectacular live floor show with a live band and dancing until the early hours. There will be Halloween themed games as well as auctions and a raffle offering exclusive and ‘money can’t buy’ prizes.

To buy tickets for the Ball, please visit www.halloweenhorrorshow.co.uk or email fundraising@sussexbeacon.org.uk for more information about the event.

Photography Graham Franks ©

Christopher Biggins with Cath Halewood and Andy Marshall of The Sussex Beacon

Christopher Biggins with the Halloween Horror Show Poster

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Christopher Biggins with Romany-Mark Bruce, sculptor and trustee of The Sussex Beacon

Brighton eats beautiful at VIP launch of brand new itsu Brighton itsu Brighton drew more than 150 press and VIPs to celebrate its special preopening launch party at its brand new shop on North Street.

Guests were able to enjoy a sneak preview of the stylishly designed 112seat itsu shop, which officially opens tomorrow (Wednesday 10 September), whilst enjoying champagne and delicious low-carb, low-calorie dishes from the itsu menu.

With 50 itsu shops across London and two flagship restaurants in Chelsea and Notting Hill, moving to Brighton represents an exciting step forward for the brand, which plans to open further regional sites next year in locations including Cambridge, Bristol and Stansted. www.itsu.com

Aneela Rose and her ARPR team

Shirley and Malcom Diamond from Trifast

Mike Herd from Sussex Innovation Centre Jason Kitcat Itsu’s Nicolas Barnoin and Rachel Simm

Simon Fanshawe with the founder of Itsu Julian Metcalfe

Joe Dowd from Basketmakers Arms and Alys Dobbie from Nana Dobbie

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 61

Photography Graham Franks Š

A full house for the launch of Itsu

Home Grown Hero

Made In Sussex:

Weald Tech

Phil Edwards of Weald Tech talks us through low-carbon innovations, the world’s fastest electric motorcycle and his bid to get young people in Sussex interested in engineering and technology Phil has worked all his life in Sussex, starting with a mechanical Brand engineering Focus apprenticeship in Crawley in 1979 and going on to work for engineering and manufacturing companies in roles covering design, development, production and manufacturing.

“In 2010 I saw the emergence of the electric vehicles and recognised a new era in automotive engineering,” he explained. “As a keen restorer of motorcycles (in my spare time) I thought it would make interesting engineering challenge to build an electric one.

“Needing a target, I found an event called Alternative Energy Racing taking place at Santa Pod (Northants) and decided to build a bike to see if we could win that. We did! After just over a year developing and testing the bike we came away in May 2011 with the title ‘Quickest electric motorcycle in the UK.” Since then Phil’s business Weald Tech has won a number of awards for low-carbon innovation and engineering, received an R&D grant towards the next project, and are on the Growth Accelerator programme for businesses that are recognised as having the potential to grow rapidly and employ significant numbers of people.

“We’re looking to build a substantial high-technology engineering firm here in Sussex,” Phil said.

The engineering entrepreneur is currently building the profile of the business, which is run by a team of designers and engineers with experience in high-technology business from aerospace, defence, and motorsport.

“We’ve a lot of experience on projects where safety and quality are absolutely critical, as well as durability, lightweight,

62 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

and high performance. We are actively seeking projects that require highperformance, high-quality, mechanical or electrical/electronic design, particularly ones that involve motors and generators.”

Phil added: “We’d love to meet any Sussex companies that need help with projects of that nature. “ We’re concerned about the shortage of good engineers and recognise that we have to get the next generation interested,” said Phil. “I’m a STEM ambassador in Sussex (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and since 2011 I’ve taken our electric motorcycle to schools and science fairs to talk about it and inspire the next generation.”

“We also love Sussex. Although it’s not where the majority of our peers are there are many excellent high technology businesses in clusters around Sussex that we’d like to be involved with.”

Phil believes efficient use of energy is a priority for engineers and scientists in the 21st Century, requiring a holistic approach to the design, manufacture, operation, and disposal of products.

“Being more sustainable is one of those challenges that engineers love.

There’s nothing more satisfying, from an

engineers view, to being challenged to ‘do more with less’ and motorsport is one of the few places where that happens, continually.”

Weald Tech is currently working on an exciting project to beat their current UK record of building the world’s fastest electric motorcycle.

“This is a great showcase for UK engineering particularly in the new, and rapidly developing, low-carbon transport sector. We just love doing motorsport because it’s a great place to test products to the limit and do it in an exciting way,” Phil explained.

Phil is currently looking for projects that need help with design and engineering of high-quality, high-power electronics, or motors and generators. He is also looking for help from Sussex entrepreneurs and investors.

“We need to match the R&D grant and then we can use that project as a springboard towards developing products for hybrid vehicles; but we’re seeking investment in return for a share in the business.”

Project details are at www.FastCharge.org Find out more about Weald Tech by visiting: www.weald-tech.co.uk

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Official Fuel Economy Figures for the BMW range: Urban 13.8-64.4mpg (20.5-4.4l/100km). Extra Urban 26.2-83.1mpg (10.8-3.4l/100km). Combined 20.3-74.3mpg (13.9-3.8l/100km). CO2 emissions 325-99g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

Offers available to business users and expires 30th September 2014, vehicles must be delivered before 31st December. Figures exclude VAT. All model offers are based on 36 month Contract Hire agreements on a 6 + 35 contract, contract mileage of 30,000 miles (non maintained), excess mileage charges may apply. Vehicle condition charges may apply www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 63 at the end of your agreement. Subject to status and in the UK only (excl. the Channel Islands). Individuals must be 18 or over. A guarantee may be required. The amount of VAT you can reclaim depends on your business VAT status. Rentals may change if VAT rate changes during agreement. Hire provided by BMW Group Corporate Finance. BMW Group Corporate Finance is a trading style of Alphabet (GB) Limited, Europa House, Bartley Way, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9UF.

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