Sussex Business Times - Issue 385 2015

SBT

ISSUE 385 FREE

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

YOUR

GUIDE

TO EMPLOYING A DIGITAL FREELANCER

SEE, ENGAGE, CONVERT

USING VIDEO MARKETING IN BUSINESS

THE RISE OF APPRENTICESHIPS

WE FIND OUT HOW TAKING ON AN APPRENTICE CAN BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS

EXPERT

ADVICE FROM LOCAL SUSSEX BUSINESSES

+ WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE INFINITI Q50

SAVING THE ECONOMY OFFICE-BASED WORK IS INJURING THE WORKFORCE AND COSTING THE ECONOMY BILLIONS - Ian Fletcher-Price, CEO of Posturite explains how to protect your employees and boost office productivity on page 22

THE CREDIBLE VOICE FOR THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Sponsored by

Local Innovation, Global Ergonomics The UK’s leading ergonomics company is based in Berwick, East Sussex.

Ergonomic solutions, office design and furniture, training and consultancy, workstation accessories and Health and Safety E-learning.

Carmyke Leasing Ltd

0 8 4 5 5 2 1 7 9 9 9 www.carmyke.co.uk sales@carmyke.co.uk Business Contract Hire

Mercedes-Benz E CLass

E220 Diesel Saloon Bluetec AMG Line Auto 4dr

*

Independent Broker

Follow Us

Personal Contract Hire Available

Outlander PHEV £252 Mitsubishi £269 Estate 2.0 PHEV Hybrid Gx3h 5Dr Auto Solid Polar White

+VAT PER MONTH

+VAT PER MONTH

CO2 of 128 g/km

CO2 of 44 g/km

*A ‘Brokering Services Fee’ of £249+VAT is applicable on this deal Term

Mileage

Contract Type

6+23 Business Contract Hire 10,000mpa Official Fuel Consumption MPG (Liters per 100km)

Maintenance Optional

Urban 47.9 (5.9) ExtraUrban 65.7 (4.3) Combined 57.7 (4.9)

Vauxhall Mokka

Diesel Hatchback 1.7 CDTi Tech Line 5dr

Term

Mileage

Contract Type

6+23 Business Contract Hire 10,000mpa Official Fuel Consumption MPG (Liters per 100km)

Term

Mileage

Contract Type

Skoda Octavia Scout £156 Diesel Estate 2.0 TDi CR Scout 4x4 5dr [April Delivery]

+VAT PER MONTH

Maintenance Optional

Urban 52.3 (5.4) ExtraUrban 70.6 (4.0) Combined 62.8 (4.5)

Seat Ibiza

Diesel Hatchback 1.2 TDi CR S 5dr [AC]

Mileage

Contract Type

6+35 Business Contract Hire 10,000mpa Official Fuel Consumption MPG (Liters per 100km) Urban 58.9 (4.8) ExtraUrban 83.1 (3.4) Combined 72.4 (3.9)

£166

+ VAT PER MONTH CO2 of 124 g/km

Term

Mileage

Contract Type

6+23 Business Contract Hire 10,000mpa Official Fuel Consumption MPG (Liters per 100km)

Maintenance Optional

Urban 47.9 (5.9) ExtraUrban 65.7 (4.3) Combined 57.6 (4.9)

C4 Cactus £120 Citroen Diesel Hatchback 1.6 BlueHDi Feel 5dr

+VAT PER MONTH CO2 of 102 g/km

Term

Optional

Urban 0.0 (0.0) ExtraUrban 0.0 (0.0) Combined 148 (1.9)

CO2 of 120 g/km

6+23 Business Contract Hire 10,000mpa Official Fuel Consumption MPG (Liters per 100km)

Maintenance

Maintenance Optional

£164

+ VAT PER MONTH CO2 of 87 g/km

Term

Mileage

Contract Type

6+35 Business Contract Hire 10,000mpa Official Fuel Consumption MPG (Liters per 100km)

Maintenance Optional

Urban 74.3 (3.8) ExtraUrban 88.3 (3.2) Combined 83.1 (3.4)

Figures correct at time of going to press & exclude VAT. Excess mileage, Termination & Vehicle condition charges may apply at the end of your agreement. Consumption and emissions figures as published by UK VCA.Subject to status and in the UK only. Reclaimable VAT depends on your business VAT status. Finance 2 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk available from leading UK Financial Insitutions from which Carmyke Leasing may recieve commission.

Carmyke Leasing is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ‘Term’ based on ‘initial monthly Rental’ + ‘remainder of monthly rentals’: Terms and Conditions apply. Pictures for illustration only.

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SBT Welcome MEET THE TEAM

Lee Mansfield, Managing Director/ Publisher

Simon Skinner, Group Director

Clare Fermor, Operation Director

Zoe Thomas, Editor

Jon Goodwin, Business Development Manager

Patrick McCreanor, Sales Manager

Harriet Weston, Production Manager

Amy Watson, Junior Designer

Amelia Wellings, Accounts

CONTRIBUTORS

Robert Bell, Clinical Solicitor Katherine Negligence Partner Leppard, of Mayo Wynne Baxter at Mayo Wynne Baxter

Christina Ewbank ACES Facilitator

Ian Fletcher-Price, Managing Director, Posturite

With apprenticeship week coming up in March, we thought now would be a good time to take a look at why the government is encouraging small businesses to take on apprentices, and how this solution is benefiting the companies that do. With input and insights from some of Sussex’s top colleges, we’ve put together a special apprenticeship feature on page 27..

As small businesses look at planning their marketing strategies for the year ahead, we focus this month on the importance of video, revealing how a well-produced video can add value to your site and help push it up the search engine rankings (p38).

Elsewhere, we have the usual local and national news, upcoming business events across the county, and some of Sussex’ business experts answering our questions. This month Simon Skinner finds that the Infinity Q50, Radiohead’s The Bends and the M25 is a winning combination (p53), and I head over to the tiny East Sussex village of Withyham for a brisk walk and a Buckhurst beef burger at The Dorset Arms (p48).

You can also find interviews with an ex-military chef with a passion for food pairings (p42), and the young entrepreneur who helped turn Hastings’ reputation around with a luxury boutique hotel on the seafront (p46).

Mark Cossey, Head of UX and Design at Crunch Accounting

Enjoy your read!

Nigel Lambe, founder and Chief Executive at the Velo Cafe

Editor Zoe Thomas

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 3

Contents SBT Issue 385

SBT

ISSUE 385 FREE

Se

40

rv

ing

Su

ssex

Bu

sin

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se

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r 40

ye

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

YOUR

GUIDE

TO EMPLOYING A DIGITAL FREELANCER

SEE, ENGAGE, CONVERT

USING VIDEO MARKETING IN BUSINESS

THE RISE OF APPRENTICESHIPS

WE FIND OUT HOW TAKING ON AN APPRENTICE CAN BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS

EXPERT

ADVICE FROM LOCAL SUSSEX BUSINESSES

+ WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE INFINITI Q50

SAVING THE ECONOMY OFFICE-BASED WORK IS INJURING THE WORKFORCE AND COSTING THE ECONOMY BILLIONS - Ian Fletcher-Price, CEO of Posturite explains how to protect your employees and boost office productivity on page 22

Sponsored by

THE CREDIBLE VOICE FOR THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Local Innovation, Global Ergonomics The UK’s leading ergonomics company is based in Berwick, East Sussex.

Ergonomic solutions, office design and furniture, training and consultancy, workstation accessories and Health and Safety E-learning.

t. 0845 345 0010

www.posturite.co.uk

Cover Image: Ian Fletcher-Price, CEO of Posturite.

Sponsored by Posturite www.posturite.co.uk Posturite-Full-Page-Ad_SBT_JUN-2012.indd 1

14/06/2012 17:17:24

Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk Group Director: Simon Skinner simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk Operations Director: Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk Business Development Manager: Jon Goodwin jon@sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk Managing Editor John Keenan journalistjohnkeenan@gmail.com Editorial: Zoe Thomas zoe@lifemediagroup.co.uk Production Manager: 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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News

View the latest local and national business headlines

Spending it

Continue your new year fitness regime with help from these healthy gadgets

Events

We take a look at the events around Sussex in February to help you build your business skills

Money Matters

Mark Cossey, Head of UX and Design at Crunch Accounting reveals the pros and cons of employing a digital freelancer

Apprenticeships

With National Apprenticeship Week coming up, we speak to local colleges to find out more

Video Marketing

Video is taking content marketing by storm, but you’ll have to do more than just make a video to realise its full potential

Hotel Review

SBT’s Zoe Thomas relaxes in the Morocco inspired room at the Zanzibar Boutique Hotel in St Leonards-on-Sea

Lunch Review

This month SBT’s Zoe Thomas enjoys a family pub lunch in the lovely Dorset Arms Pub Restuarant

Chamber News

All the latest news and events from ACES

Motoring

SBT’s Simon Skinner reviews the latest Infiniti Q50 and discovers what all the fuss is about

Ask the Experts

Local business experts advise on relevant issues

Made in Sussex

This month’s home grown hero is BSW Building Services

Become an Advertising Partner Do you have clients to entertain, staff to maintain and a passion for golf?

Do you have clients to entertain, staff to maintain and a Advertorial passion for golf?

Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club offers two fantastic 18 holes courses, several bars as well as an award winning restaurant and 35 en suite bedrooms.

Take up an Advertising Partnership with us to ensure you have the perfect venue to entertain clients, hold meetings, advertise your company and most importantly get a great game of golf played. Advertising Partnership Packages start from only £550 + VAT to include 6 rounds of free golf each month for a whole 12 months.

Now you’re aware of what’s on offer please see below just a few of the benefits to your company – • Web link to be set up to an area of your choice from the new Dale Hill website.

• Minimum of six rounds of golf to play each month.

• The cost of the package relates to advertising only, the golf is free of charge, therefore the whole cost. should be allowable for tax purposes • Reduced buggy hire rate, only £10 - applicable to both the Ian Woosnam Course and Dale Hill Course.

• Extra rounds available at a reduced green fee.

• Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

• Bring up to 3 guests per round you play.

• Discounted rates on function/ conference room hire.

• Discounted corporate bedroom rates. www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 5

SBTLocal News #WorthingHour Business owners are using a Twitter hashtag to boost their trade.

For the last year, the 60 minutes between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on a Wednesday evening on Twitter have belonged to #worthinghour and its dedicated and growing band of followers Over the last 52 weeks, hundreds of businesses, organisations, charities, councillors and generally interested folk have dipped in and out of the frantic networking hour to share their stories, news of their businesses, offer advice, seek help or just to say hello and find out what’s been going on.

Launched by Cuckoo – a graphic design and public relations company based in the town – all people have to do is use the hashtag #worthinghour in their tweets between these times to join in the conversation.

It’s so successful it’s become a community in its own right.

Co-Director of Cuckoo Harriet Glover said: “It’s amazing what 140 characters have done for Worthing businesses.”

Henderson Green design team are highly commended

Henderson Green, a leading south coast building services consultancy, has received a Highly Commended award at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2014. The Consultancy was part of the design team for the Teenage Young Adult Unit (TYA) at Southampton General Hospital, responsible for electrical and mechanical services.

Opened in September 2013, the unit was developed under the NHS P21+ scheme. This scheme is a framework agreement comprising Principle Supply Chain Partners (PSCPs) who are selected via a tender process for NHS capital investment construction schemes across England until 2016.

“It was a privilege to work on this project,” says Russ Pitman, Managing Director of Henderson Green. “This unit will enable young cancer patients aged 16 to 24 living in this region to be treated with others of their own age in an environment specially designed to suit to their unique requirements.

We worked in collaboration with the Teenage Cancer Trust and our partners to ensure that the infrastructure was in place to enable state of the art equipment to be implemented for the enjoyment of these young people. To be instrumental in the achievement of this award has been the icing on the cake for our design team.”

Eastbourne’s New PANDORA Store a Success

PANDORA, a popular jewellery brand, opened its doors in Eastbourne on Thursday 27th November.

Eager customers were queuing outside the Arndale Centre from 7am to get their hands on a free silver bracelet that was given to the first 50 customers who spent £75 or more. Customers were served

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cupcakes and refreshments to celebrate the opening of one of the biggest PANDORA concept stores in the South East.

Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd officially cut the ribbon and was joined by Ashley Pugh, Managing Director of W Bruford, as well as Bill Plumridge, manager of

Eastbourne Arndale Centre, Christina Ewbank, Chief Executive of the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce and Olivia Perkins, PANDORA Store Manager.

The concept store, which is owned by W Bruford of Eastbourne, is an addition to the family run business, joining W Bruford and Inspired by Brufords.

Managing Director, W Bruford Ltd, Ashley Pugh says ‘Our first month of trading over the busy Christmas period was hugely successful with footfall and sales exceeding our expectations. We’re now looking forward to an exciting year ahead with several new collections launching in the coming months to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day’

SBTLocal News IEP Financial announce new charity partner for 2015 Brighton & Hove based Independent Financial Advisors IEP Financial have confirmed their new company charity partner for 2015 is the Martlets Hospice. This year of support coincides with the Martlets 18th Anniversary celebrations.

The hospice plays a vital role in helping people to live life as fully as they can, right up until the end.

Through expert clinical care provided by highly skilled and experienced doctors and nurses, Martlets ensure that wherever possible peace, respect and dignity is retained.

Ian Poysden, Managing Director of IEP Financial explains, “Martlets Hospice is a fantastic charity to support, with many of our employees and clients understanding first-hand the work that they do in supporting loved ones with dignity and

compassion right up until the end. The Hospice and its community services need approximately £9,000 per day to carry out their vital care and we are proud to be able to name them as our company charity for 2015.

One of the main ways we will be raising money is through a Halloween Ball extravaganza on Friday 30th October at The Grand, Brighton, to celebrate their 18th Anniversary. It will be a fantastic evening of fundraising and we hope to see many of you there.”

Elizabeth Baxter, Head of Major Individual & Business Giving said, “All at Martlets Hospice are delighted that

New Appointments at Brighton-based MDHub

MDHub is a business network for Managing Directors and Senior Board Directors in the South East, helping to promote best practice and develop sustainable growth.

Now, the company has announced that Fiona Shafer will take over as Managing Director, Kerry Kyriacou will become Associate Group Development Manager and Ruth Maddison is the new

Marketing Coordinator.

Phil said: “These appointments herald an exciting new phase for MDHUB and I am thrilled that we have been able to strengthen our team to reflect our ongoing commitment to provide a quality service and expand the membership.” www.mdhub.co.uk

Law firm shows their charitable side Brighton-based solicitors Fortis Law have been supporting Rockinghorse over the past year, donating nearly £10,000 to help them make life better for sick children and their families in Sussex.

Rockinghorse raises money for life-saving and cutting-edge medical equipment whilst ensuring that children are treated in an environment better suited to their needs.

Directors David Lawrence, Cristina Lawrence and Duncan Wilks have all benefitted from the services at both the TMBU and the Alex, experiencing firsthand the work of Rockinghorse within the two paediatric units. Duncan Wilks, explains: “David and Cristina’s eldest son, Hugo, and my son, Joseph, had to spend time at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit www.rockinghorse.org.uk.

IEP Financial have chosen to support the Hospice during our very special 18th birthday year. We rely on the kind support of the local community and businesses for the majority of our income and we are so pleased that such a well-known and well respected local company will be supporting us and helping to raise vital funds for our patient care. We are particularly excited that IEP Financial are organising a Halloween Ball and we hope our supporters will come along and help us to celebrate 18 years of caring for local people and their families. Thanks to all at IEP Financial for their amazing support.”

Cricket Charity Benefit Key members of the Brighton business community have been recruited to support Sussex and England cricketer Luke Wright in his 2015 Benefit Year.

The business leaders will be organising a host of fundraising events in Sussex and London.

The events will support three great charities and encourage more children and young adults to get involved in cricket.

Nik Askaroff, of EMC, chairs the benefit committee. He is joined

by Tim Cobb of Cobb PR, Barry Carden of Cardens Accountants, Simon Maguire of Hotel du Vin, Jon Filby, deputy chair of Sussex County Cricket Club, Andrew Crumpton of Baker Bennett Ltd, and Natasha Askaroff, Michael Gibbs and Ryan Smith from EMC. The launch event takes place at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on Friday March 6. Special guest speaker will be former Ashes captain Andrew Strauss OBE, joined by Brighton comedian Stephen Grant and hosted by ex-England bowler Ed Giddins.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Drive tomorrows cars today7

www.carmyke.co.uk

Growing Operating Costs Put

SBTNational News ‘Best Company Car for SMEs’ Announced The BMW 5 Series Saloon has been named as the best company car for small to medium sized businesses, according to a judging panel consisting of independent business specialists.

The accolade was given at the third SME COmpany Car of The Year Awards, hosted by BusinessCarManager.co.uk.

Editor of Business Car Manager, Ralph Morton congratulated BMW for its success, saying: “The BMW 520d SE Auto is our new SME Company Car of the Year. It is outstanding on so many levels, whether you are talking appeal for the company car buyer and driving satisfaction for the enthusiastic driver, or the hard-headed detail of car running costs and low company car tax.

“If you are going to buy one company car, then this is it.”

Other awards were given out to Mazsa, Mercedes, Peugeot and Hyundai to name a few.

Businesses Missing Opportunities By Not Harnessing Potential of Video Collaboration Over 80% of professionals who use video collaboration experience faster decision making, lower travel costs and a better work/life balance, according to a recent study commissioned

by Polycom and undertaken by Quocirca.

The global study also found that the majority of businesses still aren’t realising the full potential of video conferencing.

“The value of most networking

technologies tends to increase disproportionally the greater the numbers of individuals connected,” said Rob Bamforth, research and analysis house, Quocirca. “Video conferencing is no exception. Moreover, increasing usage also generates more familiarity and comfort with the whole experience. Encouraging a culture of video adoption would therefore seem to benefit both the individual and the organisation.”

New Year Signals ‘Confidence Cocktail’ for Businesses Low inflation, falling costs, solid jobs growth and rise in real wages will create a ‘confidence cocktail’ for businesses and consumers, according to the latest Business Trends report by accountants and business advisers BDO LLP in Southampton.

This year is likely to see more employees escaping the trap of underemployment as optimistic businesses take on more full-time, rather than part-time staff. Alongside very weak inflation, this will give a boost to real wages and household spending power.

The BDO Optimism Index, which tracks how businesses expect orders to develop over the near term, highlights that business confidence rose to a new

quarterly high of 104.9 in December, well above the 100 mark indicating the long-term average.

Due in part to the dramatic drop in oil prices the BDO Inflation Index fell for the eighth consecutive month to 95.4 – a fraction above the 95.0 level which indicates an overall drop in costs.

Commenting on the findings, Malcolm Thixton, partner at BDO LLP in Southampton, said: “This is a great start to 2015. Optimism has increased, hiring expectations remain strong and inflationary pressures are down. In the short term, the Chancellor couldn’t have hoped for a better way to ring in the New Year. But there are clouds on the economic horizon.”

Tesco has announced the closure of 43 unprofitable stores across the UK and cancels plans to open 49 ‘very large’ new stores.

After two years of falling sales and profit warnings, the supermarket giant is now taking steps to cut its losses.

The plan involves closing its staff

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pension scheme, resulting in cuts of £250m, and reducing its overheads by 30%.

Despite plans to scale down, the supermarket enjoyed better-thanexpected sales over the Christmas period, noting a 0.1% increase on the previous period (fuel sales included).

Tesco PLC ©

Tesco Forced to Close Stores

SBTNational News Celebrate British Business Creativity in Shanghai this March In a drive to demonstrate that Britain is a world leader in commercial creativity, the GREAT Festival of Creativity will land in Shanghai in March. The best of British talent and expertise will inspire, stimulate and fascinate a high-level business audience from the UK, China and beyond.

The Festival, based at Shanghai’s Long Museum, West Bund, will be led

by HRH The Duke of Cambridge. It will show UK innovation at its very best in sectors such as fashion, luxury retail, health, technology and entertainment, demonstrating the UK’s track record in bringing competitive advantage through commercial creativity and will create opportunities for UK companies to break into one of the world’s fastest growing markets.

A unique partnership between the British Government and major private sector organisations, the Festival is part of the GREAT Britain campaign which promotes the UK as a world-class

destination for trade, tourism, investment and education to generate jobs and growth.

Highlights include: State of the art virtual reality experience from Framestore, creators of the seven-time Oscar-winning film Gravity, and the recently released Paddington Mike McGee from Framestore commented: “We’ve always tried to do things differently, and at the GREAT Festival we’ll be showing how taking risks has resulted in some of our most innovative projects - from films such as Gravity, to emerging formats like virtual reality.”

The festival will also host the first viewing of ‘GREAT Creations’: a unique exhibition bringing the variety of UK creativity to life. Items on display for the first time together include a previously unseen collection of 4 iconic portrait photographs by David Bailey of Her Majesty the Queen. www.greatfestivalofcreativity.co.uk

Nick Walker, The National Game ©

The Economy of Bingo

Until July this year, bingo halls’ profits were taxed at 20%, compared to 15% for bookmakers and fixed-odds betting, and just 12% on the price of a lottery ticket. This made it harder for bingo halls to invest in the facilities and prizes that would help them compete.

The Boost Bingo campaign was launched in January this year, led by the Bingo Association. The campaign’s main message was that bingo duty should be cut from 20% to 15%, to relieve the industry’s “tax burden”.

In March this year, Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Budget that taxes on bingo halls would be halved from 20% to 10%, “to protect jobs and protect communities” – even exceeding the cut to 15% that Boost Bingo had been campaigning for.

Fears of Weak Property Market in 2015 Knock Shares

A leading analyst has warned that the period of bumper profits for property professionals has come to an end.

Stock broker Jefferies has forecast a year of house price falls in the South East, which will in turn affect shares.

“Negative newsflow on UK mortgage approvals, UK housing transactions, weak house-price data and lower UK GDP growth will lead to share price weakness in the UK residential sector” in the first quarter, wrote Anthony Codling, Jefferies’ property analyst.

Shares will continue to weaken into the second quarter because of political uncertainty over the national election, he added.

biggest bingo hall operator, was running 137 venues, compared to 162 in 2006.

• Independent bingo halls struggled the most, falling from 192 clubs in June 2012 to just 129 a year later.

• Total employment in the industry dropped from 17,822 in 2010-11 to 16,048 in 2011-12 – a drop of 10% in one year alone.

The stats tell a powerful story • In 2013, the 20% tax rate precipitated bingo hall closures at the rate of one a month, and the loss of almost 2,000 jobs.

• At the start of 2014, Gala, the UK’s

• Even in 2011, however, three million customers made 49 million visits to UK bingo clubs – demonstrating bingo’s continued importance to local economies and to people’s social lives.

Find out more www.twolittlefleas. co.uk/fall-and-rise-of-bingo

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Treating customers Fairly9

www.carmyke.co.uk

Find funding and support to help your business grow

555 So much on offer – no time to find out what’s right for your business?

Whether you are a new business or social enterprise, growing or looking to become more sustainable, there is support available to help make it happen.

The Business Navigator offers a small team dedicated to help you access grants, funding, and other practical support.

The service is free to use – all you need to do is get in touch.

Get in touch by phone or email: 5 Laura Evans at Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce laura.evans@c2cbusiness.org.uk 5 Kerry Kyriacou at Chichester Chamber of Commerce kerry.kyriacou@c2cbusiness.org.uk 5 Tom Kenny at Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce tom.kenny@c2cbusiness.org.uk 5 Geoff Ranson at Croydon Business Venture Limited geoff.ranson@c2cbusiness.org.uk To be put in touch with your local Navigator, call Coast to Capital on 01403 333840

Over 1600 companies have already benefited from the Business Navigator service

www.c2cbusiness.org.uk Managed by Coast to Capital and Brighton & Hove City Council.

Delivered by Worthing & Adur, Chichester and Brighton & Hove Chambers of Commerce, and Croydon Business Venture Limited.

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Delivered on behalf of the Greater Brighton City Region

Spending It

Health and Fitness

January may be over but your health and fitness regime doesn’t have to be

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BLUETOOTH HEART MONITOR Use your smartphone to get the most out of your workouts! The Bluetooth Heart Monitor is compatible with most bluetooth fitness apps e.g. Sport Tracker, Runtastic, Endomondo, Mapmyrun, Strava, Wahoo etc. £43. www.TheGreatGiftCompany.co.uk

MARTONE WOMEN’S CHELSEA BIKE - BLUE Enjoy a unique riding experience with this Chelsea bike from Martone Cycling Company.

Beautifully crafted from steel alloy & aluminium, it’s bold blue in colour with matching wheels and signature red chain. £1,100. www.amara.com

SPORT DRINKING BOTTLE Rehydration is essential during an intense training session, these sport drinking bottles act as a reminder to rehydrate yourself, and provides an easy way for you to stay topped up during a workout. £3. www.tigerstores.co.uk

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MORE MILE WOMEN’S TIGHTS These flattering and form fitting leggings from More Mile are ideal for women who want to look good whilst they work out. In black with contrast pink and purple detail, these tights are ideal for runners. £19.99. www.getthelabel.com

BUGATTI VELA FOOD BLENDER - CHROME

NIKE MENS DOWNSHIFTER TRAINERS A breathable mesh and synthetic upper that’s adorned with stitched detail and a trademark Nike swoosh. Featuring a shaped and padded ankle collar for added comfort. £39.99 www.getthelabel.com

This multifunctional blender from Bugatti marries style and practicality. Featuring a sleek design, it boasts four speed settings and a pulse function to power through vegetables and fruit with ease.

Perfect for making a variety of soups and salads. £150. www.amara.com

EXERCISE BALL This gym ball is ideal for performing a range of exercises and is designed to improve balance and co-ordination, as well as strengthen core muscles. It is great for use at home or in the gym. £6. www.tigerstores.co.uk

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Spending It

BLACK SPORTS VEST This black vest top is essential to a work out wardrobe. With its stretch fabric, scoop neck, sleeveless design and slim fit. £9.99. www.newlook.com

NIKE+ FUELBAND SE

SPEEDO WOMEN’S FLUIDFUSE PULLBACK SWIMSUIT

The Nike+ FuelBand SE is the smart, simple and fun way to get more active. It earns NikeFuel, a universal way to measure movement for all kinds of activities, tracks the intensity of your workouts and enables sleep tracking with Nike+ Sessions and much more. £89. http://store.nike.com

NIKE SHIELD FLASH MAX The Nike Shield Flash Max Men’s Running Jacket combines reflectivity and powerful weather protection to help keep you visible and dry on your run. £350. http://store.nike.com/

Bikinis aren’t for everyone, sometimes a swimsuit is what you need. This streamlined, sports-style one from legendary sportswear label Speedo is perfect if you’re a keen swimmer. £12.99. www.getthelabel.com

MICOACH X_CELL AND TEXTILE TRANSMITTER STRAP The revolutionary new device is designed to measure your explosiveness. Whether you are on the pitch, on the court or on the track, the device captures your heart rate, how fast you accelerate, how high you jump and your reaction speed to brake and shift left or right. £40. www.adidas.co.uk

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February

Business Events In Sussex About:

When Friday 8th May 2015 Where Jerrom Hall in Peacehaven Price Call 01273 517544 for more info Enter www.newhavenchamber.co.uk

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Nominations are now open for the 2015 Seahaven Business Awards.

Categories include Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year, Best Environmental Business of the Year, Best Customer Service, Best Retailer and the President’s Award, which this year will be for the Best New Business (under 2 years old).

The Seahaven Business Awards recognises businesses that have shown tremendous commitment, innovation, success, commitment to staff, and those that take pride in being part of the community and drive to succeed in the current economic climate.

There are six awards for companies and individuals who either work in or are based in and around the BN9, BN25, of BN10 postcode areas. Entry is free. The judging panel will include M.P. Norman Baker, the Mayor of Newhaven and the Presidents of the Newhaven, Peacehaven and Seaford Chambers of Commerce.

Closing date for nominations is Friday 10th April 2015. This year’s main sponsors are Wave Leisure, Newhaven Town Council and Veolia.

Sussex Events & Networking

Business start ups

– how can we help you? sessions

About:

These sessions are aimed at those wanting to know more about starting a business, including:

When February 5 2015, 9am - 4.45pm Where Plus Accounting, Preston Park House, South Road, Brighton BN21 6SB Price 6 free 54 minute advice sessions Book 01273 701200

Bite-sized Learning: Be a Better Writer in Two Hours Flat About:

• Registering with HMRC for Tax and National Insurance • VAT Registration •Appropriate trading status i.e. sole trader, partnership or limited company • Record Keeping – Xero, Sage & Excel • Any other business start up issues

Do you want to improve your writing skills at work?

Does a blank screen or page fill you with dread? Do your newsletters, Facebook updates, reports, emails, tweets, bids or press releases leave a lot to be desired?

These sessions are open to everyone and if you have a friend, family member or colleague that you think would benefit from one of these, please pass on our details. This is offered free of charge, without obligation and in complete confidence.

We’ll look at how to craft succinct, uncomplicated, attention-grabbing sentences, plus how to avoid management-speak and write in simple, straightforward English.

Getting Results from Social Media for Business About: Social media is more than just a fad, trend or a teenager tool for chatting to friends. It’s an essential part of any communication campaign and many businesses and organisations are seeing huge benefits from engaging with social media. It’s also a good way to know what your competitors or detractors are doing and saying about you.

This course will help you make your social media usage more strategic, targeted and most importantly, effective. You’ll be introduced to tools, tips and tricks that will help you to use, measure and automate social media. You’ll leave with ideas for generating content that people will want to share, to help promote your message and get advice on running multiple accounts and tapping into blogs and online communities. The session will also cover designing and using a social media strategy, especially important if your social media accounts are being handled by more than one person. By the end of the session you’ll be well on your way to being a social media power-user.

About the trainer: Judy Yorke is an experienced journalist, editor, journalism tutor and trainer.

When February 11 2015, 9:30am - 11:30am Where The BrightonandHoveJobs.com, County Ground, Eaton Rd, Hove, BN3 3AN Price Member £29. Non-member £35 Book www.eventbrite.co.uk When February 13 2015, 9am - 5pm Where Watts Building, Moulsecoomb Campus, University of Brighton, Lewes Road, BN2 4AT Price £275 for one-day course, £250 if you book more than one session Book traininganddevelopment@brighton.ac.uk, tel: +44(0)1273 643577 Times TBC

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

www.carmyke.co.uk

Money Matters

Your Guide to Employing a Digital Freelancer Mark Cossey, Head of UX and Design at Crunch Accounting tells us the pros and cons of employing a digital freelancer

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Money Matters

Britain is a nation of small businesses, with Financial 2014 seeing more Advice new start-ups than ever before. The UK’s digital economy in particular is booming - the app development industry alone is predicted to be worth nearly £31 billion to the economy by 2025. As a result, competition is steep and in order to stay ahead of the game, digital companies are increasingly looking to hire highly skilled, multifaceted professionals to help grow their business.

Employees with the level of skills required within some of these organisations don’t come cheap. As a result, SMEs are turning to freelancers as a more cost effective way to access high quality talent on a project-by-project basis. According to a Guardian poll, 79% of small businesses say using freelancers is a big part of their business strategy. But is this the right option for you?

Freelancer or full-time employee?

Much of this comes down to budget and your annual project plan. If you have on-going work and will need someone inhouse to develop a product, website, app etc, then building a team of employees could well be the best option. This will benefit the development of your company structure, as you can nurture specialisms, with dedicated employees focused on building, maintaining and developing a product over a much longer period of time.

However, for many small business this is not a viable option as they simply don’t have the budget to hire more employees. Instead, hiring freelancers on a project-by-project basis makes sense.

Freelancers work on demand as needed, which allows businesses to cherry pick talent based on the skills required for a specific job. This also avoids the fixed costs of payroll and added responsibilities that come with hiring employees.

Furthermore, freelancers are often all-rounders who are versatile and not easily spooked by high demand tasks. This is a massive benefit if you’re looking for someone who can work on one-off projects or your team needs help in specific areas such as front end development and design. Freelancers are conditioned to work quickly and efficiently with maximum output for your financial investment.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Drive tomorrows cars today17

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Money Matters

Establish a budget According to a recent study conducted

by Brighton Fuse, the average annual income of experienced freelancers working within the digital sector is £42,857, almost twice the national average. It is important to understand exactly what skill level you are looking for and to value a freelancer accordingly in order to strike the right balance when negotiating pay - offer too little and you could end up missing out on the talent your company needs.

If you hire an experienced designer or developer up front, it is likely you won’t be disappointed. Hire one or two with less experience and you risk a much lower quality job - putting you back at the beginning and costing you further time and money.

Be careful not to set a budget higher than you’re willing to pay just to attract more experienced professionals. Digital freelancers will usually bid according to strict criteria and it’s unlikely they will be prepared to haggle with prices. Be

straightforward with what you will pay and avoid wasting anyone’s time.

Focus on skills Freelancers in the creative-digital-IT sector are often highly skilled - with a good understanding of both design and front end development. The Brighton Fuse study found these types of freelancers are capable of doing the most cutting-edge work, though do demand a higher level of pay. The investment is worth it though as work is often finished on-time, within budget.

If you’ve decided you want to hire a freelancer, the chances are you want them to do an incredible job, especially in an economy rife with digital innovation and advancement. It is also important to remember that highly skilled professionals will be able to work quicker than their less experienced counterparts, meaning that they will bill less hours for a higher output.

Don’t just stick to searching online As the self-employment trend has risen, so too have the number of sites connecting SMEs to freelancers. Freelancer, People Per

Hour, Guru and Elance all provide quick ways to find a freelancer with the specific skill set you need. These sites also let you establish budget and project expectations at the offset, avoiding any misunderstandings later down the line.

However, they are not always the best way to find high quality talent.

Sussex is a hot bed of freelancers and the chances are you will find exactly what you’re looking for on your doorstep. Ask for recommendations from local businesses and speak to co-working spaces and freelancer organisations. Wired Sussex and The Farm are particularly useful local contacts, especially if you’re focused on the digital sector.

Get savvy with the law The law on hiring self-employed contractors and freelancers can be a bit murky from a tax and employment perspective. The issue arises when a freelancer has been working in your company for a long period of time. They could try to claim employment rights, such as sick pay and holiday entitlement, and it is very likely that HM Revenues and Customs will view them as an employee, which would make you responsible for managing their income tax and National Insurance Contributions.

Avoid this by having a detailed contract of services in place, which covers every aspect of your relationship and expectations. This contract should include the terms of payment, description of services, the term of the contract and the status of the relationship - i.e. client and freelancer, not employer and employee.

Mark Cossey, Head of UX and Design at Crunch Accounting

Treating customers Fairly

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“According to Nesta the charity that supports innovation in the workplace - in 2013 crowdfunding sites helped small businesses raise more than £500 million”

If you would like to take part in our Ask the Experts panel please contact Zoe Thomas on: 01323 819 011 or zoe@lifemediagroup.co.uk

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 19

SAVING THE ECONOMY

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Š Adamgregor | Dreamstime.com

Back pain costs the British economy billions every year: here, Posturite CEO Ian Fletcher-Price offers his tips for preventing and managing back pain in the workplace

www.posturite.co.uk

Back Pain: A Breakdown • 2.5 million people have back pain every day of the year • Back pain costs the UK economy £12.3 billion a year • 31 million work days were lost in 2013 due to back, neck and muscle pain • Half of the total days lost due to back pain are due to the 85% of people who are off work for short periods of less than seven days, and half by the 15% of people who are off work for more than one month.

• Each employer pays an average of £495 sickness absence a year for every employee.

The UK economy may be recovering, Top but a significant proportion of the Tips country’s workforce is still suffering from back, neck and muscle pain – costing the country millions in reduced productivity and sick days Around 31 million work days were lost in 2013 due to back, neck and muscle pain, according to the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) most recent Labour Force Survey. The survey polled hundreds of thousands of workers in the UK and concluded that whilst most back disorders were caused by lifting heavy objects, a significant proportion resulted from bad posture and sedentary lifestyles.

The estimated cost of back pain to the UK economy is an incredible £12.3 billion a year. This includes healthcare expenditure, GP time, time off work and unemployment due to disability.

The impact is so high because of its prevalence: around 2.5 million people in the UK suffer from back pain every day of the year, and for many that pain is chronic. Being unable to run, walk

or move without pain for long periods of time can be emotionally exhausting and isolating, in some cases resulting in depression and other mental health problems. It can even lead to the break down of relationships, financial problems and family disputes.

Treating back pain is not easy.

Solutions range from painkillers, to physical therapy and even, in severe cases, surgery. It is important that employers understand their responsibilities and requirements for minimising risk of staff developing back problems, or making existing pain worse.

Ian Fletcher-Price, CEO of ergonomic office supplies company Posturite, believes forward-thinking companies are starting to see preventative action against back pain as an investment. He said: “People are starting to realise that sitting all day inevitably leads to aches and pains.

More business owners understand now that they’re going to get left behind if they don’t embrace ergonomics.

“For them the driver is not regulations, it’s productivity, healthy happy workers, and a better working environment.”

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www.posturite.co.uk

Posturite has pinpointed five main target areas:

1

Bad Posture

3

For desk workers, bad posture is bad news. It can lead not only to back pain, but to sore shoulders, legs, feet and even referred pain in the head.

Posture can be rectified by choosing the correct computer screen position, chair height, keyboard and mouse position, and desk layout.

Sciatic Pain

Sciatic pain can be debilitating, often running from your lower back all the way to your toes along the sciatic nerve. To help ease the pain, make sure your chair is set up with your hips higher than your knees and ensure you have good back support. Take regular walking breaks too.

5

Chair Problems At Meetings Often we are required to spend long durations sitting in meetings, which can cause a large amount of discomfort. Try taking a Backfriend or lumbar support cushion in with you, or invest in ergonomic conference chairs for your own meeting rooms.

22 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

2

Coccyx Pain

Sitting in one position for a long period of time can put too much pressure on your coccyx (tailbone). The longer you stay in one position, the worse the pain will become. Posturite recommends using a chair with a coccyx cut-out wedge, or a chair with a coccyx cutout option, to alleviate the pressure on this sensitive part of your back.

4

Static Posture As increasing numbers of people lead sedentary lifestyles - staring at a computer at work, commuting on a train back home and spending the evening sitting in front of the TV, the resulting health problems are starting to show.

Posturite recommends standing up throughout the day - whether to go to speak to a colleague instead of emailing, or getting up to take a phone call.

The company offers a number of adjustable height desks that can change to standing position at the press of a button to alleviate pain caused by static posture.

www.posturite.co.uk

Workstation Exercises Posturite recommends three easy changes to help reduce the risk of back problems at work: • Vary work tasks, so if one task involves sitting down for a long period of time, slice it up with other, more active tasks such as taking the post downstairs, or even doing a tea round (you’ll get points for this, too).

• If you are required to stare at a screen for long periods of time, take ‘microbreaks’ - stand up, stretch, visit another colleague’s desk, or run up and down the stairs.

• Wherever possible, stand up. Ask yourself if you need to be sitting down to take that phone call, or if you could make a personal visit to a colleague or client instead of emailing them.

Supporting Employees The HSE advises employers to make ‘The Back Book’ available to staff, as this contains evidence-based advice for coping with pain in the workplace.

If significant numbers of employees are taking sickness absence due to back pain, you could also consider drawing up a contract with an in-house occupational health provider. These sorts of schemes can help reduce the worker’s pain, reduce the time it takes for them to recover and return to work, and improve productivity in the office.

You could also try some of these recommended exercises:

Exercise One • Interlace fingers and lift arms above head, keeping elbows straight.

• Pressing arms back, slowly stretch to one side.

• Hold for slow count of 10.

• Repeat 3 – 5 times to each side.

Exercise Two • Hold right arm with left hand just above elbow.

• Gently push elbow towards left shoulder until stretch is felt.

• Hold for slow count of 10.

• Repeat 3 – 5 times to each side.

Back Exercise Three • Interlace fingers and lift arms above head.

• Slowly lean backwards until stretch is felt.

• Hold for slow count of 10.

• Repeat 3 – 5 times.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 23

Kerry Kyriacou

Tom Kenny

Laura Evans

Geoff Ranson

Help Your Business Grow Free Sussex-based service to find funding and support to help your business grow

“With 150+ business funding and advisory initiatives, where do you start?

Simple - talk to a Business Support Navigator�

With 150+ business funding Coast to and advisory initiatives, where Capital do you start?

Simple - talk to a Business Support Navigator. This free project, helping Sussex businesses navigate the plethora of growth schemes and providers, is delivered in the Coast to Capital area by Brighton & Hove, Worthing & Adur and Chichester Chambers of Commerce and Croydon Business Venture through a small dedicated team helping businesses access grants, funding and other practical support.

Whether a start-up, existing business or social enterprise, growing or looking to become more sustainable, urban,

rural or semi-rural businesses from Peacehaven to Chichester and from the coast to Gatwick/Crawley and Croydon are all eligible.

The project is supported by the Regional Growth Fund, delivered on behalf of the Greater Brighton City Region. It is managed by the Coast to Capital LEP. The Business Navigator team comprises Laura Evans (Brighton & Hove and Lewes), Tom Kenny (Worthing & Adur, Billingshurst and Horsham), Kerry Kyriacou (Chichester and Mid Sussex) and Geoff Ranson (Croydon and East Surrey) and has helped over 2000 businesses in the past five months.

After a brief telephone conversation to find out individual needs, businesses are guided to the right local and/or national schemes, advice and support.

www.c2cbusiness.org.uk

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Tom Foolery - James Eastwood, WHM.

Examples of initiatives available at the moment: • Access to heavily subsidised programmes such as the Business start-up support programme • Growing your business through innovation • Intern placement programme • Specific support for high growth businesses • International trade • Grants • Support to designing new products, branding and packaging

mentoring support with Enterprise First which will help her develop her client base, taking the business to the next level.

How it has worked for these businesses

Tom Foolery Tom Foolery is a coffee shop and cafe on Shoreham’s high street opened in May. Owners Bob and Vanessa took full advantage of the support offered by the Navigator project and are developing the business through funding and advice they might not have otherwise accessed.

The Sussex HR Hub Chichester-based Dianne Lambdin found support from local Navigator Kerry Kyriacou invaluable during the early months of starting up her new business.

He helped her focus and through his understanding of Diane and her business, Kerry signposted her to additional

Cresco Communications Louise Boxall from Cresco Communications in Brighton went on the Hot Housing programme for new businesses run by Chichester University.

She returned from the first business boot camp feeling motivated and excited to move her business to the next level and included networking, business planning, market research and cash flow.

BioRegional Having just opened a new office in

Call - 01403 333840

Brighton, Anthony Probert from BioRegional was pleased to find a number of support initiatives to help green businesses grow.

IMPROBIZ IMPROBIZ provides coaching and advice to businesses, including help in accessing funding or grants that may be available. Director Alan Edmonds, from Pulborough, knows firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate the various avenues for funding and advisory support, as he needs to keep up to date with them to give the best advice to his clients. Alan has benefited from the single point of contact offered through the Navigator scheme, which has provided excellent help and support.

Call 01403 333840 to be put in touch with a Business Support Navigator in your area or see http:// www.c2cbusiness.org.uk/ for more information.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 25

EVEN THE DIRTY MARTINI IS SPOTLESS BAR & TERRACE

Relax in style in the Waterhouse Bar & Terrace, experience our hospitality and enjoy our ‘Perfect Pairings’.

The menu features locally sourced items for a real taste of Sussex, with Hailsham Lamb burger ‘Perfectly Paired, with a Sussex Mule or our decadent Tea by the Sea ‘Seaside Delights’ Afternoon Tea taken on the terrace.

With a car park on site, the Waterhouse Bar & Terrace is the perfect place to enjoy a family lunch with a difference, revel in a gathering of friends or savor any special occasion.

Open daily from 08:00am. For Afternoon Tea reservations please call 01273 775432 Hilton Brighton Metropole, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2FU

26 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

With National Apprenticeship Week approaching, we find out how taking on an apprentice can be beneficial for your business, plus we talk to local colleges about the successes they’ve had In recent years the government has been promoting Apprentice apprenticeships as the answer to youth unemployment and skills gaps. In early 2012, businessman Jason Holt was enlisted by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to lead a government review of SMEs and apprenitices. The review highlighted the scale of the challenge and found that, despite 99% of British businesses being SMEs, the percentage of those currently taking on apprentices was just 10%, less than half that of bigger companies.

Since the Holt review was published, the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has implemented a large proportion of the proposals set out.

This included the production of a Small Business Toolkit, and the Find an Apprenticeship Training Organisation web tool.

Holt, who previously ran a collection of SMEs with strong commitment to apprenticeships, has now been appointed as Small Business Apprenticeship Ambassador.

“It was good that it wasn’t just a report sat on the shelf gathering dust,” Holt said. “It became a live, active plan that was implemented. I’m delighted with that from a personal point of view, but I think the big picture we are seeing is a cultural shift in the mind of the small business owner. When taking on a new

person, they are more likely, I feel, to think of an apprenticeship than ever before. And not just employers in the manual trades but, crucially, in areas that are newer to the apprenticeship arena like IT and hospitality.”

And the drive appears to be working. According to a study of 600 UK SMEs, 20% said the planned to take on one or more apprentices in the next year.

Commenting on the findings, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable said: “This government wants to see 2 million apprenticeships created over the course of this Parliament and so it’s fantastic to see employers are right behind us. Apprentices help make Britain’s businesses great – offering small and large firms alike a chance to grow and train their workforce to suit their business needs.

“It’s especially welcome that so many SMEs intend to embrace apprenticeships in the coming years.

But we would like to see even more SMEs benefit from apprentices.

“The desire of young people to work with our fledging and small businesses is encouraging, and indicates that those who intend to recruit apprentices in the next 5 years should have no trouble filling the vacancies. More than half a million new companies were started last year, all of whom have a chance to grow their businesses by offering an apprenticeship, or traineeship.”

Holt added: “Apprenticeships really deliver for small businesses, enabling them to grow their own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. And for the apprentices, an apprenticeship is a way for them to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future.”

Apprenticeships are not restricted by age. Far from slowing down as they near retirement age, an increasing number of older people are rushing to learn trades to kickstart a new career.

According to a recent report by KPMG found that ‘more and more companies recognise the high value of older workers’ knowledge and skills’.

Figures show that almost 2,500 over 60s have taken up apprenticeship placements in the last five years.

A 60-year old woman from West Sussex recently appeared in the Daily Mail after taking on an administration apprenticeship in Forest View care home, Burgess Hill. She said: “It gave me more confidence at work … I am conscientious and, if I am doing something, I like to do it well. I would really recommend that older workers take up apprenticeships. I think you need to keep the grey matter going and keep up-to-date. All you have to give is your time – it enhances your knowledge and skills.”

“It doesn’t matter what your age is, you are never too old to learn,” she added.

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Creative Commons National Assembly for Wales ©

The Rise of Apprenticeships

ILG

Central Sussex College Apprenticeships If you want a great start to your career, an apprenticeship could be the answer

“We believe that investing in an apprenticeship scheme has made us a more attractive employer, able to provide a strong progression path for talented and motivated individuals”

Chemigraphic

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Chemigraphic invests in Apprentices Chemigraphic, one of the UK’s leading electronic service providers, are celebrating the success of their new apprenticeship scheme, having recruited their first four apprentices in August 2013.

Luke Leppard, Jake Winch, Tyron Noakes, and Ryan Furlong are all studying for BTEC or HNC qualifications as part of either an Intermediate or Advanced Apprenticeship programme. They all live locally, and share a passion for electronic engineering. As part of their vocational learning programmes, the apprentices have been successfully balancing four days in the workplace, with one day per week studying at Central Sussex College’s Crawley campus, with both the business and the individuals benefitting from the scheme.

HR Manager Sally Smith, said: “We believe that investing in an apprenticeship scheme has made us a more attractive employer, able to

provide a strong progression path for talented and motivated individuals.

The apprenticeship programme will be integral in the development of our business over years to come and it’s been fantastic to welcome enthusiastic and hardworking young people to the team and we look forward to helping them develop both personally and professionally.”

“The key stakeholders who have been involved in the design and delivery of this project are firm believers in apprenticeships; not for low cost employment but to offer high quality training to local young people.

The aim with our apprenticeship scheme is to retain apprentices after their training has finished and continue developing them into future key players within our organisation.”

To find out more about Apprenticeships, call a Skills Adviser on 0845 155 0043 (press 4) or visit www.centralsussex.ac.uk/ apprenticeships

International Logistics Group (ILG) profile clients within a year of starting the scheme especially beneficial Sussex-based International Logistics the apprenticeship scheme. As a result, commenting: “I hadn’t planned to be Group (ILG) has been investing in Robert completed his apprenticeship an apprentice when I applied for a job apprentices for more than two years. two months early and became as a Warehouse Assistant with ILG, but Working with Central Sussex College to deliver apprenticeship training schemes when they suggested that I completed a responsible for one of the business’s most prestigious international contracts.

Level 2 apprenticeship through Central in warehousing and storage, ILG has ILG’s focus on training and Sussex College; I agreed that it would seen phenomenal results since taking continual staff development earned be a good idea. Despite having had on their first apprentices. them the Award Head of for ‘Developing Organisational “Despite having had some difficulties at school, People for Development Success’, at ILG, Jane I decided to make the most of this opportunity to Business sponsored by Middlemiss said: “The return to education and took the apprenticeship Central Sussex College at the 2014 apprenticeship programme very seriously.”

Gatwick Diamond scheme has Business Awards. been a huge The success of success and I am apprenticeship training within ILG is some difficulties at school, I decided particularly pleased to be involved in just one of many for Central Sussex to make the most of this opportunity a programme where we take young College who are committed to working to return to education and took the people and give them an opportunity closely with employers to ensure their apprenticeship programme very to obtain a recognised qualification business requirements are met. To find seriously.” as well as prove themselves in terms The support Robert received from ILG out more about Apprenticeships, call a of holding down a job in a demanding Skills Adviser on 0845 155 0043 (press and Central Sussex College, allowed environment.”

4) or visit www.centralsussex.ac.uk/ him to progress quickly within the Robert Hardman, one of the apprenticeships company, working with several high business’s young apprentices found

grow your own talent £1,5 00 gran avai t lab NOW le !

Boost your business - take on an apprentice!

Apprentices have been proven to improve effectiveness, productivity and competitiveness, leading to increased capacity and a better bottom line.

There’s never been a better time to take on new talent. By arming your employees with the specific skills your organisation needs, you will be helping to protect the future of your business. Central Sussex College can provide all the help you need to recruit and train the right person.

AGE 16-24 Apprenticeship Grant Organisations who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 24 can claim a grant of £1,500 to help cover start-up costs. The grant is available to companies who employ up to 50 staff if they have not taken on an apprentice in the previous 12 months, and can be claimed for up to 5 new apprentices. Find out more at www.centralsussex.ac.uk/grants.

bringing skills and business performance together

For further details please call 0845 155 0043 (press 4) employers@centralsussex.ac.uk

|

www.centralsussex.ac.uk/employers

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 29

The Apprentice:

You’re Hired!

To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (9-13 March 2015), a new campaign is launched in partnership with Sussex Downs College to successfully place apprentices within the workplace

“You’re Hired East Sussex is a new campaign targeting 500 employers, 500 young people, in five districts/ boroughs, in just five months”

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Apprenticeships are big news right now.

Young adults are Advertorial increasingly seeking apprenticeships as an alternative route into the workplace over university. Adults looking to retrain or get back into work choose to start afresh as an apprentice.

Demand in Sussex is high. They’re looking. The question is, are you hiring?

Sussex Downs College’s (SDC) recruitment service takes the stress away from employers by effectively matching candidates to positions using their comprehensive database. For 2015, SDC is working with The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and East Sussex County Council to deliver a new campaign: ‘You’re Hired East Sussex’.

The new initiative will target 500 employers, 500 young people, in five

districts/boroughs, in just five months.

The aim is to increase apprenticeship numbers in line with Government aspirations.

The good news is, Sussex is already leading the way in apprenticeships, as identified by PM David Cameron last year. During ‘Prime Minister’s Questions’, Mr Cameron said: “I’m glad to hear Eastbourne is leading the way, particularly on apprentices. 1.6 million apprenticeships have started under this government, our target is for 2 million… they are a major part of our economic plan.” Between 2010 and 2014, Eastbourne reported 3,000 new apprenticeships. This coincided with news that unemployment was down more than 20% compared to the previous year.

Attract new talent to support & grow your business

When you take on an apprentice, Sussex Downs College is here to help employers every step of the way.

Their dedicated Account Managers and Employment Recruitment Adviser provide a free consultancy service to the trainee and the employer throughout the programme.

What’s more, hiring an apprentice is of little or no additional cost to the employer, other than paying a fair wage. For apprentices aged 16-18, full government funding is available for Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships. For 19-23 year olds, the government provides subsidised funding. For Apprentices aged 24+, a mix of subsidies and loans are available.

One company reaping the benefits is Certas Energy UK, based in Heathfield. Certas first approached Sussex Downs College for help with their manager’s Level 5 Management Apprentice training. Certas has since recruited two Level 2 Sales Apprentices, who have joined the Certas Sales Teams in West Thurrock and Harefield.

Steven Diomedou, MD of LMDB Accountants, Eastbourne, has been so impressed with the high calibre of apprentices through SDC, he is now thinking about taking on a fourth. He says: “Apprenticeships are a better way to recruit. One, the apprentice learns your way of working; two, you’ve mentored them, and three, anyone can write a nice CV – it’s only when you get them in that you really know their work ethic.”

Last October, six new apprentices started work at Wealden District as the Council introduced an apprentice scheme to help skill-up the next generation of the workforce.

The Wealden apprenticeship is a 13-month programme in Business Administration which they are running in collaboration with Sussex Downs College.

“I don’t expect it will be as daunting as appearing on The Apprentice with Lord Sugar, but our apprentices will be facing a wide range of challenges as they experience life in the front line of local government,” said Councillor Roy Galley, Cabinet member for Economic Development and Regeneration.

Fleet management company, Neva Consultants, based in

Piltdown, became involved in SDC’s apprenticeship scheme a year ago.

Tom Miller and Jack Weedon, from Uckfield Community College, joined the company in September last year as apprentices and have now completed their courses. Neva has now taken on the pair as full-time employees.

These are just a few of the companies benefitting from SDC’s apprenticeship recruitment service. The ‘You’re Hired East Sussex’ campaign launches on Monday 9th March in Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings.

Join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #YoureHiredESx Thinking about taking on an apprentice? Speak to the Employer Engagement Team at Sussex Downs College for more information. Call 030 300 39474, email employertraining@ sussexdowns.ac.uk, or visit http:// www.sussexdowns.ac.uk/courses/ apprenticeships/ Follow @SDCET on Twitter.

Why take on an apprentice?

• SDC has access to a comprehensive database of potential apprentices • 96% of employers that take on an apprentice report benefits to their business • 83% of employers say apprenticeship schemes are vital to create skilled workers for the future • 72% of businesses report improved productivity as a result of employing an apprentice • 80% of employers say apprentices lead to increased productivity in the workplace • SDC trains and educates people to become ‘work ready’, giving you, the employer, the complete package • The end result is a skilled workforce, trained by you

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 31

CREATE SKILLED WORKERS FOR THE FUTURE ATTRACT NEW TALENT TO SUPPORT AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS ‘You’re Hired East Sussex’ launches on Monday 9th March Join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #YoureHiredESx Find out how an apprentice can boost your business.

Call the Employer Engagement Team at Sussex Downs College on 030 300 39474, email employertraining@sussexdowns.ac.uk, or visit www.sussexdowns.ac.uk/courses/apprenticeships 32 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Twitter: @SDCET

Apprenticeships...

Have You Heard?

Chichester College reveals their five best kept secrets about Apprenticeships

Did you know that over 130,000 businesses across Advertorial the UK offer Apprenticeship places because they recognise their effectiveness at increasing productivity, improving business performance and ensuring a committed and competent workforce?* Did you also know that Apprenticeships are no longer confined to the traditional trades but are also available in professions such as the professional services sector? And finally, did you know that Apprenticeships are not only an option for 16-18 year olds but can also be used to develop your current workforce, helping businesses deliver a cost effective professional development programme for staff?

Here are the five best kept secrets about Apprenticeships:

1

A range of sectors Gone are the days when Apprenticeships are only for those wanting to work in traditional trades such as those in a hairdressers, in a garage or on a Construction site. Apprenticeships

today reflect the digital world of work.

This is demonstrated in the rise of those undertaking: Accountancy, IT, and Business Administration.

Added to this is the development of Digital and Social marketing, a new Apprenticeship framework being offered by Chichester College starting in April 2015. Furthermore, in response to a need identified by the public sector, is the development of a new Town Planning Apprenticeship due to be rolled out for September 2015. All of these demonstrate the flexibility of Chichester College to develop and deliver what the employer needs. If you have a need, why not ask the question. You never know, the answer may be out there!

2

Where and When If you thought you had to lose your apprentice to college for 1 day a week or even for a period of block release at certain points in the year, think again. Apprenticeships can now be delivered via several different routes. Whilst it is true that trade related training requires college attendance (i.e. engineering and construction), more and more of the professional services can be delivered in the workplace. Chichester

College has skilled assessors who ensure all candidates meet the required level of skills to gain the full Apprenticeship qualification 100% in the workplace. Sectors which benefit from this flexible mode of delivery include: Business Administration, Customer Service, Team Leading and Management, Health and Social Care, Childcare and the newly developed Digital and Social Marketing.

3

Apprenticeships and Professional Development Back in the day, Apprenticeships were for school leavers. It was the route into vocational training rather than University. Apprenticeships are now open to everyone. Age is no barrier, previous experience is a bonus and only a University degree prevents participation. Many employers now take the opportunity to offer existing staff apprenticeships as a very viable professional development route.

Current staff can now get nationally recognised qualifications to help them in their pursuit for promotion or simply to get recognition for their skills in the workplace. It is a great way for employers to invest in their staff whilst at the same time

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Apprenticeships accessing government funded training. Want some proof, take a look at Checkatrade.

Case Study 1: Selsey Based Checkatrade is an organisation that has fully immersed itself into the Apprenticeship scheme. After initial meetings with Chichester College in early 2014, it took the plunge that August. It now has seventeen Level 3 Business Administration apprentices, all of whom were existing members of staff. In addition, other staff are taking alternative fully funded work based qualifications. The organisation has also taken advantage of the workbased delivery model the College offers, meaning its staff remain at work. The organisation states: “We have been dealing with Chichester College for workplace learning since August 2014.

We were thrilled to find out that the government were funding workplace apprenticeships and so Chichester College have been very accommodating with over 30 staff members taking on this exciting opportunity. We couldn’t have done it without the fantastic help and support from them and we will certainly continue to happily work with Chichester College now and in the future” Zoe Morris - Learning & Development Advisor

4

Added Value Recruiting apprentices enables employers to fill the skill gap that may exist within their current workforce as apprentices begin to learn sector specific skills from day one. This means they are developing specialist knowledge that will positively affect your bottom line*. Additionally, many SME’s are increasingly reliant on apprentices to develop the highly sought-after skills needed within their companies whilst at the same time maintaining cost efficiency. In addition to the delivery model options, Apprenticeships enable employers to invest in their own future as an organisation. In fact, over half of companies questioned in a recent Skills Training UK survey reported a high proportion of their apprentices going on to management

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“Apprenticeships are now open to everyone. Age is no barrier, previous experience is a bonus and only a University degree prevents participation”

positions within the company. This enables organisations to grow from within as well as offering fantastic career opportunities to the apprentice. In addition to creating an eager and motivated workforce, industry research has highlighted several direct and indirect benefits of Apprenticeships including: • 77% of employers believe Apprenticeships make them more competitive • 76% of those employers who employ apprentices agree they make their workplace more productive* If you are still not convinced, maybe you should take the plunge just like Checkatrade and URT did?

Case Study 2: URT URT, a company based in Bognor Regis, works with clients in a wide range of industries including: defence, motorsport, automotive, aerospace, marine and leisure. They manufacture high-quality composite parts and structures. The organisation began with only five staff and in 2006 they took their first apprentice. Since then they have taken advantage of a comprehensive programme of apprenticeships with Chichester College and have had a total of eighteen apprentices. Some have completed and some are different at stages of their Apprenticeships.

To date, they have 100% retention of the completed apprentices on their payroll. URT’s Director states: “Training in this highly skilled sector

is important to URT as an employer, and part of the apprenticeship scheme is finding the right training partner.

From the very start of our apprenticeship programs, in 2006 we have had a strong relationship and are working very closely with Chichester College, on the development and implementation of the right kind of course delivered to our needs and in a timely manner.

The College will appoint an apprenticeship liaison officer that is assigned to your apprentices once they start their college courses, these contacts keep you completely informed at regular intervals on progress, along with the tutors that teach your trainees, making it very easy to keep track of how your trainees are developing and progressing.

The College is also a great source of information for SME’s, and put us in contact with the right agencies about the grants and other support you could claim when employing a young person.”

Kevin Emmett - Director, URT.

5

The Future is Bright; the future is Apprenticeships Whatever happens in the election in May all parties have pledged commitment to growing Apprenticeship numbers and see this as a way to successful economic growth. Trailblazer Apprenticeships are currently being trialled in a number of areas and by 2017 new standards and structures will be in place for all Apprenticeships.

What is certain is nothing stands still and Chichester College is already developing systems to support employers with these changes. This includes both delivery and support models to make the transition into the new standards as smooth as possible.

As a Grade 1 Work Based Learning provider Chichester College has a strong pedigree in running Apprenticeship programmes. Each year there are around 1100 apprentices on courses run by the college in addition to apprenticeships in 30 different occupational areas.

For more information on how Chichester College can help you with apprenticeships and other training opportunities email business@ chichester.ac.uk or visit www. chichester.ac.uk/employers.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 35

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See, Engage, Convert Using Video Marketing in Business Video is taking content marketing by storm, but you’ll have to do more than just make one to realise its full potential

Internet users are fickle. When there’s so Marketing much choice, attention Advice spans shrink. This is why effective website content is all about speed. How quickly can you convey your message before your reader gets distracted by the billions of other links and articles demanding their attention? Twitter gives its users 140 characters, Instagram a single image. But video can convey so much more than either mediums. For online marketing that really grabs the visitor’s attention, video is the next big thing. Here we’ve compiled some of the top reasons video marketing should be part of your strategy in 2015: Customers watch more video Facebook users watch more than 500 years worth of video footage every day, and the average user spends at least 15 minutes of their Facebook time watching embedded YouTube videos. This is because video is easy. It’s so much easier to click on a little triangle button and let a stream of messages wash over you for

38 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

two minutes, than to sit down to decipher a long block of text.

Get ahead of the competition A well produced video can put you miles ahead of your competition, making your company seem professional, creative, and credible. As many as 81% of senior marketing executives now use online video content in their marketing programmes, according to MarketTechBlog.com.

Get noticed Apparently, people are more likely to

“A well produced video can put you miles ahead of your competition, making your company seem professional”

Video Marketing

the more chance there is of those people becoming customers or clients.

open a mail shot if it contains a video.

According to MarketTechBlog.com, open-rate increases by 5.6% and clickthrough rates are increased by 96%.

Video also helps your search engine rankings. 70% of the top 100 search listings on Google are video search results. The top search engines, including Yahoo! Google and Bing, have all made video part of their formulas for generating search results. Put simply, if you have a video on your site, you are more likely to move up the rankings.

Connect Anywhere People can watch video on the move

from mobile devices such as their smartphones and tablets. In fact, online video now accounts for half of all mobile traffic.

It’s worth launching your video soon, too: more than 85% of marketers plan to increase their mobile advertising budgets in the near future.

Share Videos can be easily shared over social media networks. If you create a brilliant video, there’s every chance it could go viral, with your message spreading to a vast global audience. After all, the more people who see your message,

Who’s doing it right?

If there’s a company that really knows how to capture an audience, it’s John Lewis. Soft acoustic covers, cute animals and poignant story-lines combine to make the retailer’s annual Christmas advert an event in its own right. Last year, its animated ‘bear and hare’ advert featuring Lily Allen’s sweet-voiced version of Kean’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ topped 13m views on YouTube.

The now-famous ‘Monty The Penguin’ Christmas advert (featuring a little boy with his lonely penguin pal) attracted 7m views on Facebook and YouTube within 24 hours of its online release, resulting in a new trending hashtag on Twitter: #montythepenguin.

A local Sussex company that really cottoned on to the marketing potential of this was VisitEastbourne in partnership with Drusillas Park, in Alfriston, East Sussex. They producted a ‘follow on’ story featuring a little boy on a day out at the zoo, where he makes friends with the penguins. At the time of the video’s release, Zoo Manager Sue Woodgate said: “Our Humboldt penguins have always been one of our most popular animals and we suspect this will only increase on the lead up to Christmas, as people take Monty the Penguin firmly to their hearts. We have already taken a number of phone calls from people wishing to adopt a penguin for a loved one this Christmas or book a Close Animal Encounter to feed the group – although I must say unlike Monty, our penguins tend to prefer sprats to fish fingers!”

This demonstrates how quickly videos, when produced well, can convert into real sales.

There are a number of video production companies in Sussex, including: sussex-websites.com eggmediauk.co.uk www.sussexseo.net eapbmarketing.co.uk sussexproductions.co.uk wsmarketing.co.uk

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Drive tomorrows cars today39

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Calls From The Cloud

Direct from the Cloud: A cheaper, more effective phone system that grows with your business Telephone communication is still an important part Advertorial of business, despite the increasing use of digital methods such as social media, texting and email. But calling still has its place in the fast-paced, impersonal digital world. Stronger business relationships are built over the phone, where each party can hear a voice and a tone, and thus build a rapport and get to know one another. It also invites an instant response - who knows how long you’ll have to wait to hear back from an email?

Of course, the telephone has its disadvantages. For instance - you can pick your emails up from anywhere in the world, whether you’re on a sunlounger in St Lucia, or a meeting in New York. For most telephone systems you need to be in the office to pick up your voicemail. It also costs money to make calls, while email is free after you’ve paid for your Internet connection. At Direct from the Cloud, we provide a solution that combines the benefits of both telephone and digital communications. Our system is linked to the Cloud, which means it runs with no telecom equipment or in-house maintenance, and it can be managed from a variety of devices, anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.We understand that remote working is the future of business, so we offer a system that is flexible to meet the demands of modern businesses.

Top Benefits of Direct From The Cloud Lower Your Costs With Direct From the Cloud, you can save money on your call costs. This is because it works from the Cloud, which means you can say goodbye to expensive phone kits and technical maintainance. It also enables free internal calls between your locations, and you can opt for a 30 day

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I L

F A E rolling contract - so you don’t have to be tied down to anything.

Included in the price you get access to a full range of call handling features. We understand that every business is unique, so you can choose the services you need, without paying for those you don’t.

At Direct from the Cloud we are adamant that we will not be beaten on price so please speak to us today to see how you can get your business connected.

Scalable and Flexible Businesses are always changing shape, we offer the option to add extensions as your business grows, to office, home, or mobile devices. You can log in at any time to manage your extensions, so if your circumstances change, your system will change too. Useful options include: • Customise call options and queue profiles • Manage multiple extensions through 1 interface • Phone directory and call history – Companywide or personal phonebook system • Integrated “Click 2 Dial” function • Set caller ID – Display full number, show main number, hide part of or all of your number • Call forwarding capabilities • Voicemail to email • Log your extension in and out of queues

Go Mobile Free yourself from your desk! With our smartphone app, you can link your device directly to your office telephone system so you can make and receive calls anywhere in the world.

The app works with both Android and iOS systems and uses a WLAN or mobile network.

Because you are linked to the cloud, your technology with stay up to date automatically, so you don’t need to worry about your systems being outdated.

Array of Features We offer a full portfolio of cloud-hosted call handling services, giving you control over all aspects of the system. Options include: • Direct your voicemails to email • Record your calls with the touch of a button • Queue calls for businesses of all sizes • Call forwarding • Set up VIP customers for queue skipping Contact us today info@directfromthecloud.co.uk 0333 222 0888.

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www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 41

Meet The Chef

Executive chef Peter from the Hilton Brighton Metropole’s Waterhouse Bar and Terrace discloses his experiences, foodie passions and inspirations...

“Here I worked with many locals, developing a community ethos, a passion that I have continued with to this day”

42 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Can you tell us a little about your background/ Interview training?

I joined the armed forces in 1985 as an apprentice chef and worked with the armed forces for 10 years, which took me to York, Northern Ireland and then Bosnia in the 1980s. Bosnia was then a war zone.

Here I worked with many locals, developing a community ethos, a passion that I have continued with to this day. For the last 16 years I have worked in hotels and really love the diversity of each day, one day could be a wedding, the next a large

political party conference. Two days are never the same!

What do you enjoy most about working at the Waterhouse Bar and Terrace?

Waterhouse Bar & Terrace is at a truly stunning location, which offers guests the very best in hospitality and style with its unique sea view terrace. As with most things I do, getting positive feedback is key to me and the team and something which we all relish. The Waterhouse Bar & Terrace is a great for families. Another of my favourite dishes is the children’s Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea. The children’s faces when it is brought out is pure delight and great to see.

How do you decide which foods go We use lamb to make a burger with hotel just yet but the dish that has stood with which drinks? instead of beef, served in a home-made me well for the last 10 years and had so We have such a great beverage team brioche bap, with a topping of crispy much work put into it is: here at the hotel when we create a new bacon and Duddleswell smoked cheese menu we have a brainstorming meeting from the High Weald Dairy in Mid • Pot roasted corn-fed chicken and discuss seasonal produce and try Sussex, ‘perfectly paired’ with a Sussex • Thyme roasted fondant potato all the balance and flavours to ensure Mule cocktail, with aromatic bitters • Acacia honey glazed carrots, sesame a great match or recommendation and fresh lime perfectly balancing the green beans for each dish. These matches flavours.

• Rosemary cream sauce have been called ‘perfect pairings’.

Does Sussex have a Our current menu “The Waterhouse Bar & Terraces uses a huge lot to offer in the way includes Afternoon of quality produce? variety of locally grown produce from fish, Tea ‘perfectly paired’ Oh yes, there is so with Hedgerow Fizz, meat, cheeses, oils and vegetables, with the much food passion Shoreham grilled here in Sussex - it is bar serving locally produced spirits, wines mackerel salad one of the reasons I ‘perfectly paired’ with came from Blackpool and local ale” a Blackdown Bramble, to work here. My not forgetting our real favourite at the signature Brighton Rock Cheesecake moment is Sussex scrumpy cheese, ‘perfect paired’ with a Brighton Rock I have made about 30,000 portions over which is great hot or cold and goes cocktail. in so many different dishes with ease. the year and still enjoy eating it as it is The Waterhouse Bar & Terraces uses a so balanced.

How do you go about creating the huge variety of locally grown produce menu? from fish, meat, cheeses, oils and If you could recommend guests try The first things to consider are the vegetables, with the bar serving locally one dish off the menu, which one seasons to ensure you are getting the produced spirits, wines and local ale. would it be? best available produce with the best Our Brighton Best battered cod is one It has to be the Hailsham lamb burger flavours. It is not on my menus at the of our most popular dishes. from Bates Green Farm in East Sussex.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 43

Behind Closed Doors An interview with Alison Cheeseman, Director of Direct Travel Journeys

Who are Direct Travel Journeys?

Based in Polegate, Advertorial East Sussex, Direct Travel Journeys are an independent, long distance taxi company who have been in existence for over 30 years and in our family for the last 13 of them.

Initially this was run by our brother in law Don Fricker who built up a fantastic client base and relationships with numerous private and summer schools in the area which remain today.

The company was passed to his wife on his untimely demise 10 years ago and disastrously to their under aged sons when she also unexpectedly passed away in 2012.

The boys were aged 10 and 12 and so my other sister, Teresa, and I have taken over both their care and this business and hope to increase Direct Travel Journeys so they can take over a profitable company when they come of age.

What Makes Direct Travel Journeys Stand Out From The Competition?

We have a fantastic client base due to the fact we have a very competitive price structure and smart professional drivers who have been with the company for years. This continuity enables us to establish good relationship between customers and clients. We have a small fleet of saloons, estate cars and minibuses with a 24 hour manned telephone in case of emergencies. We only drive long distance journeys focusing on airport, docks and any other trips over 25 miles and so our drivers have expert knowledge of said destinations and infrastructure.

The Benefit of Executive Travel Operating a versatile fleet of vehicles our drivers are all experienced

professionals who take great pride in their work. With their knowledge and the advent of smart phones the unreliability of flights and trains have become less of a problem and we can offer the most reliable, cost effective, comfortable and friendly taxi journey in East Sussex.

We have monthly account facilities and pride ourselves on our relationships with all of our existing account customers who rely heavily on our experience during their busy months.

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44 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Healthy Living

Cycle All The Way To Old Age Velo Café owner Nigel Lamb investigates the health benefits of cycling

So the secret is out: cycling makes you live longer. It’s now Cycling a scientific fact that cycling can stave off the effects of ageing.

So if you haven’t yet taken to two wheels, surely this fact, discovered by King’s College and the University of Birmingham, will make you dust off that saddle in the deep, dark, untouched area in the garage. The BBC recently interviewed three friends with an average age of 82, each of whom still use the National Cycling Centre, Velodrome in Manchester on a regular basis. These three men had cycled regularly at a young age and came back into the sport in their late 60s. ‘Incredible’, you may say. ‘Absolutely unfathomable’ I say, as a fit, healthy, young(ish) man, who has been around the Velodrome in London on a track day.

A group of researchers from King’s College in London and collaborators at the University of Birmingham recruited 125 fit male and female cyclists between the ages of 55 and 79 to look at how the ageing process affects the human body and whether there are any particular markers, which can determine your age. The conclusion was that the group had a physiological function, which was comparable to that of a much younger age when compared with the rest of the population.

The cyclists were very fit and healthy to start with; the men in the group needed to be able to cycle up to 100km in under 6.5 hours and the ladies 60km in under 5.5 hours. The study took place over 2 days at King’s College and the participants were measured for cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, metabolic, endocrine and cognitive functions, bone strength and health and well-being. The participants

Nigel Lambe is founder and chief executive at the Velo cafe

were asked, amongst other tests, to perform a basic test of body function.

The time it takes someone to stand up from a chair, walk three metres away, turn around, return and sit back down in under 15 seconds. With the group of cyclists, even the oldest riders in the group completed the task within the norms for young healthy adults.

Why cycling I hear you question?

Surely just doing any activity will make us fitter and healthier and by definition live longer. This is indeed true and as a nation that is becoming more sedentary and less active, as we all live longer, we need to factor into our lives the need to be more aware of spending time moving.

Emeritus Professor Norman Lazarus, a member of the King’s College research team and a keen cyclist, has claimed: “Cycling not only keeps you mentally alert, but requires the vigorous use of many of the body’s key systems, such as your muscles, heart and lungs, which

you need for maintaining health and for reducing the risks associated with numerous diseases.”

In April of last year the UK government issued figures to estimate that outdoor air pollution was responsible for 29,000 premature deaths per year as a result of poor air quality. The level of pollution in some parts of the South East of England, where we live, reached the top of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ ten-point scale. Experts from the World Health Organisation and Professor Frank Kelly of King’s College London both agree that cycling is in itself the key to solving this problem, as indeed is promoting any form of ‘active transport’ such as walking and public transport.

Indeed, I believe we may conclude by saying that if we cycle we will not only live longer with a healthier lifespan but we will help to save those living in areas of poor air quality.

Get on your bikes and ride!

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 45

Hotel Review:

Zanzibar International Hotel Zanzibar International Hotel St Leonards-on-Sea Address: 9 Eversfield Place Hastings St Leonards-on-Sea East Sussex TN37 6BY Telephone: 01424 460109 Web: www.zanzibarhotel.co.uk

46 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

My Crème brûlée is decorated with delicate purple Review flowers and ripe strawberries. I’m reclining on a two armed window seat in my pyjamas, watching a film I picked up from the library of DVDs down the hall. My bedroom is luxurious: all deep reds, orchres, dark woods, golden lamps and mirrors. At the top of a spiral staircase is a mezzanine level containing my bed, loaded with plump scatter cushions and flanked on either side by beautiful lanterns emitting a warm, exotic glow.

This, I realise as I take another mouthful of the creamy, perfectly caramalised dessert that had only a moment ago been delivered from the kitchen straight to my door – is the epitome of indulgence.

I can almost believe I’m in North Africa, and at any moment someone will come in with a Hookah (the smoking kind) and a bowl of dates. Except I’m not. Outside a seagull cries as it swoops past, while drizzle patters the window. As convincing as my Moroccon-themed room is, I’m about

2,000 miles away from the souks of Marrakech in the ‘up and coming’ Victorian resort of St Leonards-onSea, Hastings.

In its heyday, St Leonards was the jewel of the south coast, created by the very same architects who worked on Belgravia and Marylebone in London. Today, the stately Regency townhouses and squares that line the promenade need a bit of work.

Walking from St Leonards Warrior Square station to the hotel (about 9 minutes), I passed a number of boarded up windows, shabby looking offies and kebab shops. ‘Up and coming’ is a phrase that’s been connected with Hastings for a few years now, but when is it going to up and come?

Hailing from just up the road in Eastbourne, I know that Hastings hasn’t always enjoyed the best reputation. But in recent years it’s been getting a face-lift. All of a sudden, hip galleries and boutique shops have started popping up all over town, and St Leonards has swiftly become a hotspot for art and design events. What’s more, if you head east down the seafront, you’ll

stumble across Hastings Old Town - a lively spot with cobbled streets, old pubs and plenty of live music.

Stepping into Zanzibar International boutique hotel, it’s clear to see it’s catering for the ‘St Leonards of the future’, preparing for the thriving bohemian district people expect it to become. It offers trendy, edgy, high spec decor combined with excellent service (a glass of white wine was thrust into my hand almost the second I walked through the door). All the rooms are themed on different destinations - but not in a gimmicky way. They’re furnished with trinkets, artwork and materials that hotelier Max O’Rourke has collected from his extensive travels over the years, lending each room a refined, authentic feel.

The Moroccan room, my enclave for the night, has been expertly designed

by Max himself, with the ingenious mezzanine level freeing up floorspace for the living area. Other rooms include Manhattan, a cool, urban penthouse complete with bare brick wall and

breakfast bar; Bali – airy and warm with bamboo walls and orchids; and Antarctica (the only place Max has yet to visit), which is all pure whites and reflective surfaces, complete with a fluffy faux polar bear fur throw.

Zanzibar International isn’t a big hotel - it doesn’t have the gym, spa, or hydrotherapy pool you’d expect from a larger five-star complex, but it does have the service. It invites indulgence – yes, you can have dessert ordered to your room if you wish. It offers peace and quiet; a comfortable space in which to do your work, read a book, or simply watch the sea.

The hotel’s restaurant - called Pier Nine, recently won ‘Eatery of the Year’, voted by the people of Hastings at the Arrow Awards.

With huge windows overlooking the sea, the restaurant is an ideal place for lunch (the £10 lunch menu makes the prospect even more appealing) and the atmosphere in the evening is one of a cool, contemporary city bar.

The menu is light and local. It changes

daily, depending on which ingredients are available. I chose the goats cheese salad to start, with candy beetroot, caramelised pecans and mixed leaves.

At just £6 I thought this was incredible value. It was attractively presented and generous, offering the perfect ratio of cheese to salad. For my main course I opted for the pan-friend gnocchi, Roquefort cream, rocket and toasted walnuts. It came in a large dish that was a little too ambitious for me, what with the richness of the blue cheese sauce and the dense gnocchi, but it was divine. My dessert, as I already mentioned, was delivered to my room – and it topped off my evening perfectly.

The Zanzibar International Hotel would suit anybody looking for a weekend retreat – whether you need to escape the house to immerse yourself in work, or get away with your partner to enjoy a seaside mini-break. For me, it was an indulgent evening of solitude, a place to watch the world go by and have my every need catered for. I’d do it every night, if I could.

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

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Lunch Review:

The Dorset Arms The Dorset Arms Withyham

Address: The Dorset Arms Buckhurst Park Withyham Hartfield United Kingdom TN7 4BD Telephone: 01892 770278 Web: www.dorset-arms.co.uk

Withyham, pronounced ‘Withy-ham’, our Review waitress Charlie tells us, had not been on my radar until now. Nestled unassumingly between the much bigger towns of Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells, it’s easy to pass by without noticing it at all. It consists of just a few clusters of houses forking off from the busy B2110, a pretty sandstone church, and our intended destination – a pub called The Dorset Arms.

It’s one of those bitterly cold but bright, sunny mornings that just begs for a brisk walk and a pub lunch. I’m joined by my parents and boyfriend, and we park at the pub (there’s space for over a dozen cars here) before setting off up the road, past the church and down a long winding road flanked by lush fields, lakes and woodland.

According to the Withyham Parish website, the area has over 40 miles of footpaths and bridleways, many of which lead walkers through the Ashdown Forest, famed of course for being The Hundred Aker Wood from Winnie The Pooh as well as a designated ‘Area of Outstanding

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Natural Beauty’ (it does live up to its name, if you like trees).

We map our route using the tried and tested method of walking for half an hour and then turning back. The beauty of eating after a walk, is that a) you’ve worked up an appetite and b) you feel you now deserve to refuel – so we go inside and settle down to an entirely guilt-free three course spread.

I look for just three things in a pub: wooden beams, log fires and local beer. Pleasantly, the Dorset Arms has all three. Although now more a restaurant than a pub, it still retains much of its former 16th century public house charm. It started life in 1595 and was owned for many centuries by the Sackville family until 1986, when it became the property of Harvey’s of Lewes. The pub was only bought back into the family in 2013, and it’s now owned by William Sackville, the 11th Earl De La Warr. The family has a fascinating history and I recommend you ask Charlie or one of the other members of staff more about it while you’re there.

Today the Earl and his wife Anne live on the nearby Buckhurst Estate, which, I discover after a quick look at the menu, produces much of the meat served at The Dorset Arms. Despite not being

Tried & Tested in East Grinstead

owned by the brewery anymore, the pub still serves Harvey’s beer - much to my dad’s delight.

The menu is notably wintry; rich and meaty, the sort of food that warms your insides and keeps you full all day. I opt for scotch egg with mustard and mayonnaise, which I’m told is famous with the locals. My mum and boyfriend opt for the soup of the day - French onion, while my dad goes for the crab on toast. I avoid the soup (my dislike of onion borders on fear) but try some of the crab - which is fresh and light, and I can see why the scotch egg garners such good reviews. It’s actually the first time I’ve eaten one that hasn’t come in a cellophane packet. The egg is still soft and warm inside, the meat gorgeously seasoned and the thin crust of bread crumbs finishes each mouthful off with a satisfying crunch. 5/5 for starters.

Next, I deliberate over the pesto linguine with baby spinach and venison burger with blue cheese, red currant jelly and frites but eventually settle on a classic Buckhurst Burger with hand cut chips. It comes with ciabatta bread, gherkins and a thin layer of melted cheese. It’s ok, but I think of the linguini wistfully. I’m told the roasted pheasant breast with colcannon mash and a cream and mushroom sauce is delicious, and my boyfriend enjoys his haunch of venison steak with stilton mashed potato, glazed parsnips and red currant jus. 3/5 for mains.

Pudding stole the limelight. While my parents opted out, declaring themselves too full, my boyfriend and I soldiered on, ordering rice pudding with blackberry compote and chocolate and hazelnut brownie, hot fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream respectively. It’s a big declaration – after all I’ve had a few brownies in my time, but I think none quite surpasses the gooey glory of this one. It was so good it hurt to let everyone else try a bit. But it was unanimous: 5/5 for dessert.

The Dorset Arms is a great place for an upmarket pub lunch. If you’re trying to impress international clients, give them a taste of real, historic Sussex by taking them here. It’s the quintessential country pub experience and thanks to a recent refurbishment, it’s also bright and clean.

With main courses ranging from £10 to £19 (at the time of writing this review), it’s not the cheapest pub grub in the world. But if you’re looking for the best chocolate brownie in Sussex, what do you expect?

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Creative Commons SLR Jester ©

Hastings: A Rebirth?

Zanzibar International helped pioneer Hastings’ transformation from deprived coastal town to budding arts hub and tourist destination - now, owner Max O’Rourke has announced he’s selling up When Max O’Rourke opened Zanzibar luxury boutique hotel Growth in 2005, he created something of an oasis in a tourism desert.

Despite its proximity to areas of outstanding natural beauty, world famous 1066 sites and the seaside, Hastings has long been one of the most deprived coastal towns in the UK. On some housing estates, as many as 40% of the children live in poverty, and 28% of residents receive low incomes. In 2003 the town received a grant to help improve communities and boost tourism. At that time, Zanzibar was not the luxury boutique it is today. According to Max, it was ‘barely habitable’. “I turned it into a student lodging, housing up to 100 students at a time,” he reveals.

“It was a complete mess. They only paid £10 a night and I cooked them dinner and breakfast. I slept on the floor in the living room.”

Max started his entrepreneurial life young, from misfortune. “I always wanted to take over my dad’s business. He ran the amusement arcades on Hastings pier.

I went to University to study French and Spanish at university but in my second term my dad had a stroke and was paralysed down one side, so the decision came quicker.”

In 1995, Max transformed Hastings Pier’s laser quest building into a nightclub.

In 1999, the pier, which had been on a downwards trajectory for the best part of a decade, went into liquidation.

“In hindsight this was a real blessing,” Max says. He spent his loss insurance on a number of properties around the town, one of which was a derelict guest house on St Leonard’s seafront.

In 2000, the council offered Max a tourism grant to develop the hotel. “At first I laughed,” he says. “I just didn’t see Hastings as a place people would want to

“People were moving in from Brighton and London for a cheap sea-view flat.

Then the art galleries and creative spaces started appearing”

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visit.” But, just five years later, he abruptly changed his mind.

“I saw Hastings changing. Businesses were opening and not closing immediately. Property prices were at rock bottom, so people were moving in from Brighton and London for a cheap sea-view flat. Then the art galleries and creative spaces started appearing.”

That year, the language school moved to London and with it went the lodgers, so he sold two of his other properties, applied for a European Union grant for tourism facilities, and spent the next

year creating the luxurious Zanzibar International hotel.

Within six months Zanibar made it in The Times’ list of top 10 hotels of the year in England.

“This was the first bit of positive press Hastings had had in probably a decade,” Max says. “It changed the trajectory of the town.

“Zanzibar pioneered a new calibre of hospitality in Hastings. Now there are actually nice places to go. When I first opened up that was not the case. I think we gave the town a sense of confidence.”

After 10 successful years, Max has now made the decision to sell up.

“I’m naturally a creative. It’s been an amazing creative project - a blank canvas for my own design. But I’ve got to a stage now where it’s done.”

Now, he is looking for a buyer to take on the Zanzibar brand and continue its heritage in Hastings and maybe beyond.

“I can see it working as a franchise,” Max says. “It’s a ready-made business with good profit margins, a turnover upwards of £1 million a year. The buyer would be acquiring an incredible team and a business with a strong brand.

“The British seaside is undergoing a renaissance and Zanzibar could be at the forefront of that”.

Despite earlier doubts about his hometown, Max says he will stay in Hastings. “I take pride in having a connection to the town,” he admits.

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The Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex ACES Member News Almost 100 Sussex businesses benefit from free and independent business advice Since summer last year, ACES and Edeal enterprise agency have been running fully funded business clinics, start-up workshops and one-to-one mentoring for business people in Wealden and Eastbourne.

This independent support has been funded by Wealden District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council and is delivered by experienced business people to existing businesses and start-ups.

“Since July last year we have helped almost 100 local business people to make important decisions and develop their companies,” said Sandra Walker who manages the programme. “It is really rewarding and some very interesting ideas have come forward from the people of East Sussex.”

Business concepts have included pet coffins, garden planters, design and marketing, high-end tours and fruit farming. The consultants have helped with business planning, financial controls, marketing, social media and legislation.

Vintage Revisited A recent business idea developed by Tracey Horam takes advantage of the current trend for all things vintage.

Tracey recycles old mannequin dummies and turns them into beautiful displays for the home, shop or office.

Known as Dolly Fixtures, she repairs and covers them in different materials

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Dolly Fixtures consulted Edeal to create a cash flow forecast and business plan in order to raise funding for Tracey’s great idea.

If you would like more detail visit www.dollyfixtures.co.uk If you would like more detail about the Edeal/WDC business clinics visit www.edeal.org.uk

ready to become lights, works of art, menu holders or just very stylish store mannequins (again).

Tracey recently donated “Nell” to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief and helped raise £8,000 at auction, when Zandra Rhodes chose to include Nell in a stocking she put up for auction at the Macmillan Ball.

Bird Brick Houses Bird Brick Houses is a family-run business that has been running for two years, selling and installing bird or bat boxes which integrate into the fabric of homes and offices.

These boxes encourage wildlife while matching brick facings or rendering.

They can be sized to accommodate blue tits, marsh tits or coal tits; great tits, pied flycatchers or tree sparrows; house sparrows or nuthatches, starlings; swifts, or bats.

Each box retails at just £70 and currently they produce 200 bird or bat boxes a week for developers or individual homes. Duncan & Jenny McCutcheon wanted advice on how best to expand their operation and so they worked with a business advisor to discuss their plans, assess the business and start to make decisions on the future direction of the Company.

Successfully targeting architects and

Chamber News

large development projects, they also have agreements in place with John Lewes for Waitrose new builds.

Due to demand they are considering moving to a workshop to increase production to 600 boxes a week and potentially increase their staff by 60%. They are also building their business via their website, social media, PR and direct marketing.

For more information visit www.birdbrickhouses.co.uk

Edeal Business Support “A really good workshop, friendly and informative” “Lots of helpful handouts” “A very useful day; plenty of ideas of where to go for help.”

“I will certainly recommend this to others” “Interactive exercises were a great idea” “Excellent pace and content – well presented” “I enjoyed the day, very useful” “Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to take part in this free and very useful day”

If you answer yes to any of these questions, book now for one of our clinics or workshops Have you got a business idea that you’d like to turn into a reality?

Date

Location

Support Available

Do you need help creating or strengthening your business plan?

16th March

Hailsham

Workshop

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Do you want help to identify the legal issues relating to your business?

Do you want some marketing tips or help with social media?

Book a workshop if you are starting a company or a clinic to discuss a business issue.

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Chamber News

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ACES Battle Chamber of Commerce www.battlechamber.org.uk Bexhill Chamber of Commerce 01424 842892 www.bexhillchamber.co.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.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Hastings Chamber of Commerce 01424 205500 www.hastingschamber.co.uk Heathfield Chamber of Commerce 01435 865858 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk The Institute of Directors 020 7766 8866 www.iod.com Lewes Chamber of Commerce 07917 382316 www.leweschamber.org.uk Locate East Sussex 0844 4159255 www.locateeastsussex.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

Test Drive

SBT’s Simon Skinner reviews The Infiniti Q50 2.0T Petrol and spends the day with the new Porsche Cayenne www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 55

The New Porsche Cayenne

Simon Skinner finds heaven test driving the new Porsche SUV at Silverstone race track

“Let’s not forget the heritage of Porsche, the R&D dept has to be one of the most envied in the motoring industry”

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It can be tough, working as LUXURY a motoring correspondent.

Rolling around from week to week in all manner odd and unusual contraptions.

It’s an odd vocation but I have to say that I enjoy it immensely.

I particularly enjoy it on the odd occasion when a luxurious beast arrives at the office or the latest quirky oddball turns up to make for an interesting week. It was exactly one of these scenarios that greeted my inbox recently in the shape of an invite to the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone to test the latest range of the hugely successful Cayenne for the day.

2014 has been an epic year for Porsche. It’s been a year that’s seen the brand return to Le Mans [which we’ll see repeated in 2015] and let’s not forget the launch of the Macan, a kind of in-between-all-of-the-others Porsche, which has been said to defy depreciation since its arrival.

I remember when the Cayenne arrived on the market some twelve [or so] years ago – it was largely panned by many. Those that didn’t understand it simply wrote it off as a bid to join the burgeoning SUV market in a misguided and rudderless fashion. 911 purists coughed and spluttered at the sheer thought of it, but those who invested, were treated to a machine that formed the beginnings of the most popular car that Porsche make today. It’s the biggest seller with the two and four door versions equally split in numbers, and the UK can proudly claim to be the fourth biggest seller of [all] Porsches in the world, with 9,160 being sold through 2014.

Let’s not forget the heritage of Porsche, the R&D dept has to be one of the most envied in the motoring industry. It’s been said [and I don’t know – or would not admit to knowing] that they generate more revenue as a brand by developing technologies for other manufacturers, than they do by selling cars themselves! If that’s true, it’s unlikely that they would bring a stinker

hybrid powertrain used in the Panamera car and probably excellent. into the market, isn’t it?

For reference, my test CD of choice S E-Hybrid.

So forward wind a decade or so, and would have been the Super Furry The new system also gets a more the Cayenne is now firmly established Animals ‘Love Kraft’ album. Maybe next powerful electric motor, 95HP vs. the S in the global SUV market and the time.

Hybrid’s 47HP unit, but pairs it with the new models signify a comfortable Lastly, and something to consider, same 333HP supercharged 3.0 litre V6. evolutionary step forward. you may not be aware that those The S, however, loses its 4.8-litre V8 So far as the styling is concerned, purchasing a new Porsche are invited for the new twin turbocharged 3.6-litre the new models look slightly more to the [excellent] facility at Silverstone V6, which gives 420HP and 406 lbft of aggressive and business-like, with a for a half day with the team of torque. much wider looking revision to the front instructors. end and with What a great a significantly “The new cars range in price, between £50K - £118K, opportunity to really different looking back end too. so there is a car here for everyone from the school- get to know the character of your new The new cars run mum, looking to consider the environment, to car, its limits and its range in price, the performance hungry petrol head” sweet spots. between [near The 2015 Cayenne enough] £50K is a story of two - £118K, so halves, on one hand it’s a rugged all There is a lot more to explore within there is a car here for everyone from the rounder, perfect for the family, country school-run mum, looking to consider the this new range than we have the space living and general day to day use environment, to the performance hungry to write here in SBT, but let’s just say and perfect for those mindful of eco that if you have any interest, we implore petrol head. credentials. that you head to your nearest Sussex The Diesel still has its 240hp, On the other hand, it can kick like a dealer to learn more. turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, Now the stereo in a car is ordinarily an mule with a drive that reminds me of as does the Turbo with its twin turbomuch smaller supercars from not too important factor in any SBT car review charged 4.8-litre V8, although that many years back. Just be sure to pick but due to the fact that an instructor engine gains an extra 20 horsepower, the right model. accompanied me for the day, it wasn’t giving it a total of 520.

Oh, and when you do, be sure to take to be. My guess is that the hi-fi is as The S E-Hybrid, which replaces the advantage of the day out at Silverstone! considered as every other part of the old S Hybrid, features the same plug in

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Motoring

Infiniti Q50 2.0T Petrol

Simon discovers that the Q50, Radiohead’s The Bends and the M25 is a winning combination

The Infiniti Q50 shot on location at Hailsham Farmers Market

I hadn’t driven an Infiniti car prior to STYLISH this test, and after hearing lots of mixed reports from a clutch of hardened motoring columnist chums, it was with some anticipation that I took the keys from Harry-thedrop-off-guy, who assured me it was ‘nothing like’ a Nissan, (Infiniti’s parent co).

He’s right too, and to that end it’s also not much like its most obvious comparison, the BMW 3 Series. I get the feeling that this is intentional. It’s already a hugely crowded sector in the marketplace and rather that entering with a ‘can’t beat em’, join em’ attitude, Infiniti seem to be more of the mind to do things differently to set themselves apart.

Firstly, and perhaps most clearly, the steering system in this car is quite incredible. It doesn’t work in the traditional, column – rack – wheels

58 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

style of arrangement. More a kind of column, motor, computer, motor, rack, motor, computer… (you get the picture).

In short, you’re not as directly connected to the wheels as you are in most other comparable cars. This can be a strange and unfamiliar experience, with a nimble and super responsive car at slower speeds (first impressions were – how on earth will this pan out on the motorway?) transforming to a sleek lane-changer when you’re cruising on faster roads.

Quite bizarre. Not unpleasant, just slightly strange and very clever. I guess there is a trade off with the immediacy you get with a traditional configuration but this is progress, right? And what else would you expect from a Japanese car manufacturer than technological progress?

The cockpit is nicely put together and has a real sense of quality about it. Really, very comfortable and the dual screen in the centre console (one

“It feels like a driver’s car with lumps and bumps teasing you through the chassis” for your apps and other controls, the other left for dedicated sat nav use) is a triumph in almost every way.

The ride too, all bar the strange steering at times, is solid. It feels like a driver’s car with lumps and bumps teasing you through the chassis. The engine too has plenty of grunt, and whilst labouring at times at lower speeds, trying to make its mind up as to which gear to choose before lurching out of junctions, it comes into

its own at higher speeds. At least it did on the SBT test circuit*. There are a handful of driver options to choose from, which can be selected by the toggle switch in the central panel.

These include a feisty sports mode and an impressive personal mode, which (as the name suggests) can be set to your preference. This can also be set for multiple drivers – you just need to remember to switch drivers in the app area, so that the car knows to make the right tweaks before you set off.

It looks good too. The looks you get seem to be those of, ‘what the hell is that?’ It’s a sleek looking car with some sleek styling and MEAN looking front LED lights. The back end is stocky and with the two large exhausts flung apart at each end of the bumper, it’s a nod to the sporty nature that Infiniti are attempting with the Q50.

The stereo has to get a mention too. For a car that’s destined to spend so much time cruising around our motorway network, Infiniti have plumbed

the necessary sounds into the body.

Teaming up with Bose and tested with the SBT January album**, the system pumps out crystal surround sounds from every corner of the car.

There are some other unusual quirks with the car, there’s no rear wiper, it has one of those odd left-footed hand-brakes and the boot lid seems somehow flimsy and is supported by a couple of pneumatic posts that just don’t seem to match the build quality of the rest of the car.

That said though, it’s been enjoyable and I’ve seen this car turn some heads during the week I’ve been driving it.

The Infiniti Q50 2.0 Petrol is a serious option for anyone looking for a real alternative in this crowded area of the market, demonstrating comparable economy and performance to its rivals.

And if you’re looking for an alternative to the 3 Series, this could just be it. *M25 ** The Bends: Radiohead

The Infintiti Q50 2.0T Engine: 2.0L Petrol Turbo Cost from: 31,755 Grunt: 208BHP Torque: 258lb ft Economy: 44.8mpg CO2: 146gm/km Top speed: 152mph 0-62mph: 7.2 seconds

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Arriba! Arriba!

Partners Again for 2015

Pictured: Alvaro, of Flamenco Productions with Mark Tulley, director, Gemini Group flanked by Lilly, Tanya, Vicki and Anita of the amazing Flamenco dancing group.

For more information visit: www.flamencodanceacademy.com www.gemini-print.co.uk www.brightonfringe.org

Call Gemini on: 01273 464884

60 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Advertorial

Gemini Print joined Brighton Fringe stalwarts, Flamenco Productions, to announce its second year as official partners with Brighton Fringe. To mark the colourful celebration Gemini Print is offering subsidised print to all Brighton Fringe participants and venues Mark Tulley (pictured) of Gemini Print said that he was really delighted to be supporting the festival again this year. ‘’Gemini Print is a key supporter of all things Brighton and the Brighton Fringe Festival is without doubt one of the highlights in the City’s calendar,” he added.

or visit: www.gemini-print.co.uk

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The UK’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, is continuing to urge small to medium businesses that were mis-sold products by their banks, forcing some to cease trading, to seek compensation. To understand more, or more importantly, to see if you are owed compensation, solicitor Katherine Leppard, of Mayo Wynne Baxter Solicitors has answered some of our questions… too high. Sadly some businesses have stopped trading because they could not meet the payments required under the swap.

A

What is a swap?

A financial product that has the effect of turning a variable rate loan into a fixed rate. It is one of many ‘Interest Rate Hedging Products’ available on the market which have the effect of altering the interest actually paid on a loan. Other examples are Caps and Collars and Tailored Business Loans.

Why would a business have agreed to this product?

Busines owners usually understood that they were protecting their businesses from rises in interest rates but did not understand the risks associated with the product. Often the businesses were also required to agree to the swap product as a condition of the loan.

What went wrong?

Interest rates dropped and the majority of products (swaps) sold to SMEs do not allow the business to take advantage of lower interest rates and so businesses found themselves stuck on a high interest rate and unable to meet the payments.

Most SMEs are not able to get out of the product because the break fees are

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Why do businesses feel they were mis-sold these products?

The main allegations against the banks are that they did not comply with the regulations and general duty of care to customers because: The bank advised or recommended a particular product which was not in the best interests of the customer.

The bank advised the customer that interest rates would rise.

The bank failed to provide enough information about the product and in particular about the potential break costs.

How do I find out if I was mis-sold a product?

If you are an SME and you have one of these products, you should have been contacted by your bank. However, there are many businesses that have been mis-sold products who have not been contacted by their bank and have not yet taken action or realised that they can. If you feel your business has been adversely affected by paying high or fixed interest rates, you should seek legal advice.

My business is really small, will it cost me a lot in legal fees to challenge my bank?

Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be eligible for a funding arrangement which means that you do not have to pay any fees during the case, and you would not have to pay any fees if your case was not successful. This allows businesses with limited cash flows to obtain legal representation and pursue a claim.

Will I have to stay with my bank if it turns out I was mis-sold a product?

You have no obligation to stay with your current bank, it is a commercial decision.

However, if you are not able to pay your loan back, you would need to find another bank that was willing to give you a loan for the same amount. You should take advice in relation to the terms and conditions of a new loan and the cost of exiting the agreement with your old bank.

What if I have lost my business as a result of a mis-sold product?

You may still be able to claim compensation from the bank and you should take advice on your best course of action. For example, if your business has gone into liquidation, the liquidator should consider a potential claim and may be able to assign the claim to you as an individual in some circumstances.

I have received an offer from my bank but it does not cover all my losses, what can I do?

Offers made by the banks are usually in ‘full and final settlement’, so you must be sure that an offer covers all of your losses before accepting it. You may be able to claim consequential losses if you can show that your business has suffered financially in addition to the payments made under the product.

For more help and information, contact Katherine on 01273 223219 or send an email to kleppard@ mayowynnebaxter.co.uk www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/ people/profile/katherine-leppard

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SBT Ask the Experts is Sponsored by

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

Q

What is clinical negligence and what should you bear in mind if you think you might have a claim? SBT asks Robert Bell, clinical negligence partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter causation is not established and the claim fails. No matter how egregious the negligent treatment might be, the case will fail if causation cannot be established.

Is Legal Aid available?

In recent years the Government has withdrawn Legal Aid from the vast majority of clinical negligence claims.

Legal Aid is now only available for cases involving birth related brain injury.

A

What is clinical negligence?

The legal definition of clinical/medical negligence is at odds with how many understand the term, and I often find it helpful to begin by advising clients about what it is not. A disastrous outcome following medical treatment does not necessarily mean the treatment was negligent; unavoidable complications sadly arise even with the very best care. Equally, treatment that falls below the level to be expected of the best doctors will not necessarily be negligent. To establish clinical negligence you must prove that the treatment in question fell below a minimum acceptable standard and that it would not be supported by any reasonable body of medical professionals in the relevant field.

So, if I establish treatment below a minimum standard, I win my case?

Not necessarily. The claimant must prove a direct, causal link between the substandard treatment and a significant injury – this is called causation and it is the stumbling block to many a claim.

For example, the failure of a GP to act on obvious signs of cancer might lead to a delay in diagnosis of several months, but the oncology evidence may be that the outcome would have been identical with timely diagnosis. Thus,

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Can I pursue the case on a “no win no fee”?

In the vast majority of cases we act on the basis of a Conditional Fee Agreement (colloquially known as no win no fee). The rules surrounding funding of claims and costs are complex and you will require detailed advice at the outset. Be sure to get clear advice on what deductions there may be from damages if the case is successful. The less scrupulous solicitor may seek to make unreasonable deductions from your compensation.

Who should I sue?

If the claim relates to NHS treatment, you sue the NHS Trust. If the claim relates to treatment by a GP or private treatment, the individual doctor is the defendant, but the case will probably be handled by one of the big defence unions on the doctor’s behalf.

It’s David against Goliath then?

It can appear that way sometimes and it is certainly true that the greater resources available to the defendant organisations and the funding restrictions imposed on claimants do mean that the playing field is not exactly level.

So the odds are stacked against the claimant then?

Bringing a successful clinical negligence claim is undoubtedly difficult, but we have represented many successful claimants over the years. To have the best chance of success it is crucial to instruct

specialist solicitors with a proven track record. Instruction of a non-specialist may mean the case is poorly understood and not properly investigated. Alternatively, as in many cases we have had to take over, a significant under-settlement might be recommended.

How do you know a firm is a genuine specialist?

Identifying the specialist firm is increasingly challenging for the public, as a number of non-specialist firms have come into the market advertising themselves as experts in the field when, in fact, their expertise lies in other personal injury cases which require a very different set of skills. Do not be afraid to ask questions to check a firm’s credentials. Is the firm a member of specialist clinical negligence panels?

Is the clinical negligence department recommended in the leading legal directories? Does the firm have a clinical negligence Legal Aid franchise? Can the firm confirm specific experience of the issues relevant to your case? A genuine specialist should be able to give positive answers to all these questions.

Should I ring the numbers for personal injury solicitors advertised on daytime TV? In a word, no. A big marketing budget does not equate to legal expertise! If you are considering a clinical negligence claim you will already have felt let down by a health professional. It is crucial that you have absolute trust in the legal professional you instruct. Take the time to research the experts in the field within your geographical area and make an informed choice. Most reputable firms will offer a no-obligation, first consultation free of charge.

If you have a query about a potential clinical negligence claim you can call the Mayo Wynne Baxter team on 01273 223205

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SBT

Society Review Downs College Sussex raises money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice

Student award winners celebrate with their sponsors

Students on the Executive Assistant Course at Sussex Downs College, Eastbourne, presented a cheque to St Wilfrid’s Hospice, following a fundraising event last month.

Sussex Downs College held its annual student awards on Thursday 8th January, celebrating students’ success from different areas of study. The event took place at the Kings Restaurant & Bistro on the Eastbourne campus for the very first time. The setting allowed the College to showcase the work of students, including the construction department who helped to transform the restaurant and build the stage, catering students who prepared and served the awards dinner, and floristry students who created the table centrepieces and bouquets for the evening.

Danny Readman receives the highly commended award for ‘Tracy Feist Enterprise Student of the Year’, sponsored by Evolution FX, presented by Stephen Lloyd MP

Kings Restaurant & Bistro is transformed as guests enjoy the awards dinner

Lewes Roberts receives the highly commended award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Student Life’, from sponsor Manny Santos, Ocean Integrated Services

Aiden Purdey receives the highly commended award for ‘Positive Attitude to Learning’ from sponsor Jonathan Dow, Club Class Chauffeurs

Vu Phuong Trinh Dinh receives the ‘International Student of the Year’ award from sponsor Debbie Hammond, Designer Travel

Photography by Graham Franks ©

Sophie Ball receives highly commended ‘Most Improved 19 & Under’ award from sponsor Mayo Wynne Baxter

Henry Ball, Chair of the Governing Board at Sussex Downs College

Shelley Hickman, Winner of the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award, sponsored by Sussex Downs College, with Stephen Lloyd MP

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Signed music artist and Sussex Downs College student Sam Tomkins entertains the audience

Stephen Lloyd MP speaks to guests at the Student Awards Dinner

Review Stars Turn Out Celebrity for Launch of Land Rover Discovery Sport

Ambrose Harcourt of AHPR with Gary Holman Regional Director of Caffyns Land Rover and the Caffyns Land Rover team

Steve Tester Sales Mananger and Rob Hegarty Sales Controller at Caffyns Land Rover with the new Land Rover Discovery Sport

Actress Julie Graham behind the wheel of the new Land Rover Discovery Sport

Models Lindsay Katherine Hills and Nicole Gerold helping Caffyns on the night

Michael and Anne Turner, Mayor and Mayoress of Lewes

A busy evening at Caffyns Lewes Allison and Ed Magauran

Phil Vickery MBE, England rugby player with Caffyns Steve Tester and Gary Holman

Eastenders actress Carol Harrison with Ian Grant

Aimee and Rob Payne

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

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Photography by Graham Franks ©

Over 300 people turned out at Caffyns Land Rover in Lewes for the Launch of the New Land Rover Discovery Sport, one of the most highly anticipated vehicles, providing extraordinary driving for everyday life. Not only is it a great looking SUV, it is home to a spacious interior full of the latest technologies.

The launch event on Thursday 22nd of January was a unique and exciting occasion with a terrific atmosphere that attracted many celebrities including former England Rugby Captain and a member of England’s World Cup winning squad in 2003, Phil Vickery, Actress Julie Graham from BBC1’s Death in Paradise and also Patron of Chestnut Tree House, Actress Carol Cleveland, the only significant female performer on Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Actress Carol Harrison, famous for her part as Louise Raymond in Eastenders, Artist Julie-Anne Gilburt who produced the angelic figure on the famous Fat Boy Slim greatest hits album, Footballers Andrew Crofts and Craig Mickail-Smith from BAHFC and James Harding, part of the Arctic Rugby Challenge.

The evening was host by Juice FM Radio presenter, Ambrose Harcourt.

Made In Sussex

Made In Sussex:

BSW Building Services

BSW Building Services, a central heating and renewable energy specialist based in Scaynes Hill specialises in central heating installation, service and maintenance, plus renewable energy solutions and asbestos treatment throughout the South-East of England

Tell me about the origins of the Brand company My father and an Focus uncle started the business - Belliere, Savage and White - that to we refer to as Building Services Works. It started as a domestic heating contractor, a sub contractor to British Gas. My brother and I joined in 1971, based mainly in Croydon and undertaking social housing work for local authorities. In 2000 we demerged and I kept the Sussex operation in these premises. My son Troy now looks after the business day to day.

How have you grown since those early days?

The company employs around 120 people of which 80 are operatives. Two of our employees, Sean Kember and Jessica Hicks, have a brief to build BSW’s profile as the premier domestic heating installer in the South East.

They will also focus on the company’s growing reputation as an expert provider of heating installation and maintenance services to local authorities, housing associations and property management companies.

Sean, appointed as new Business Development Executive, has been with BSW for a year, most recently as Domestic Sales and Surveying Executive. He has experience in the retail, banking and insurance sectors and was previously Key Account Manager for Pepsi/Britvic for London and the South East.

Jessica, appointed as Bid Manager, arrives at BSW with eight years of experience in the Social Housing construction industry. She has worked for Connaught and Mears and her most recent role was as bid manager for Viridor, a company specialising in waste management.

The appointment of Jessica and Sean is an important step for BSW. I’m confident their drive, enthusiasm and expertise will help build the company’s reputation and core business at a time when we are growing rapidly, particularly in the social housing and private sectors.

What are your recent business wins?

Recent clients include The National Trust, English Heritage, Brighton General Hospital, University of Brighton, Lewes District Council, Affinity Sutton Housing Association and many others.

We have won a couple of contracts with Brighton and Hove City Council that are worth a couple of hundred thousand pounds.

What are the challenges in winning new business?

Local authority spending has a big bearing on us. All social housing organisations have housing stocks which they have to maintain continuously. Every dwelling has to be serviced annually.

In reality a heating system has to be maintained and eventually it has to be replaced. A major government objective is heating conservation. If we get a period where the local authority decides not to spend any money on their heating systems it means the following year they have got to spend a lot more because you have to catch up. It is not an extravagance to upgrade a heating system it is a necessity. In the long run that’s the way it works.

Encouraged by John Prescott, who thought that big was beautiful, our clients in the last 10 years have moved toward dealing with big players with one massive contract.

One of clients, with whom we worked for many years, were originally obliged locally to for big players to cover their works for the next 10 years. This

Drive tomorrows cars today

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John with staff 50th birthday

tender included everything - central heating, kitchen and bathrooms, roof replacements, asbestos removal the whole caboodle. It was a very large contract and about 50 per cent of it was kitchens and bathrooms which is what we do. To qualify to tender you had to show a very high turnover and we were excluded on that basis having had an extremely successful relationship over many years.

The contract was subsequently taken by one of the big national companies. The vast majority of the time this approach doesn’t work - the client is not satisfied.

Do you think the attitude of local authorities toward small firms is changing?

We have worked for a large range of local authorities. They have come and gone as the fashion in our industry has changed.

There has been a big move in our industry to go after big national organisations.

That might be going full circle and the wheel might be turning back to parochial companies like ours.

We want a lot more of the substantial work that we can do but the people who make the decisions on these things are fairly remote from the people who run how the contract works.

We did a lot of work for Brighton and Hove very successfully but things changed. Now they are possibly changing their policies. We get the feeling they want to go back to smaller firms. Apart from anything else there is this basic principle of supporting local businesses.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 67

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Offer available on selected plots only. Terms and conditions apply. See website for details, subject to contract and status. Prices correct at time of going to press if mentioned. Expressions upgrades 68 towww.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk are subject additional cost and build stage. Images include optional upgrades at additional cost. *Any offer made to purchase your existing home will be based on a sale within 8 to 10 weeks. 48 hours is 2 working days from the day of our valuations. Prices correct at time of going to press. Advertising images may include upgrades as home spec can vary, purchasers of Barratt homes spend on average £3,132 on upgrades.