Sussex Business Times - Issue 388 - 2015

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ISSUE 388 FREE

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN SUSSEX

OAKLEY’S BRIGHTON SUCCESS STORY

TTIP:

THE SECRET TRADE AGREEMENT THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR SME

EXPERT ADVICE FROM

LOCAL SUSSEX BUSINESSES

+ WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SEAT LEON ST

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DEAL OR NO DEAL NIK ASKAROFF, CEO OF EMC CORPORATE FINANCE, EXPLAINS WHY IT’S VITAL TO HAVE THE RIGHT ADVISORS ON BOARD WHEN SELLING OR BUYING A BUSINESS

HELLO BRIGHTON! Law firm Coffin Mew is expanding into Brighton, providing a variety of services to the city’s growing businesses. Find out how they’re already making an impact on page 44.

THE CREDIBLE VOICE FOR THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY

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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, Title Manager

Patrick McCreanor, Sales Manager

Harriet Weston, Amy Watson, Production Manager Production Assistant

Amelia Wellings, Financial Controller

CONTRIBUTORS

Beatrice Drewitt, Christina Spencer, Chris Oakley, Quartz Payroll Mayo Wynne Baxter Chartered Surveyor, Oakley Enrolment Specialist

Gemma Hope, Mayo Wynn Baxter

Nik Askaroff, CEO of EMC

Christina Ewbank ACES Facilitator

Zuzana Strbakova, Matthew Chambers, Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime Founder of Z-energy Freelance Writer Commissioner Health Club

Now that the dust has settled after the furore of the general election, it’s time to carry on with business as usual. Sussex’s political landscape has remained largely unchanged, with the most significant shifts taking place in East Sussex. The Tories gained both Lewes and Eastbourne from the Lib Dems but lost Hove to Labour. As expected, Brighton Pavilion will continue to fly the flag for the Greens after voting to retain Caroline Lucas, while Brighton Kemptown remains Conservative. In this post-election issue Matthew Chambers investigates TTIP, a trade agreement between the EU and US that is taking place largely in secret. Will the deal really boost the British economy by billions as the Conservatives claim, or will it create nasty side-effects for small businesses?

Find out more about the potential impacts of TTIP on page 19.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of Sussex, and on page 40 Police and Crime Commissioner Katie Bourne explains how the Sussex Police & Crime Plan aims to improve links between local businesses and the Police in order to crack down on costly business crime across the county.

Elsewhere in this issue, we find out what it’s like to manage one of the most popular conference hotels on the south coast, a local fitness expert explains why busy professionals should be making time for their health, and SBT’s Jon Goodwin enjoys a top class dinner and stay at the prestigious Southlodge Hotel. Don’t miss Simon Skinner’s motoring reviews, the latest news from ACES, plus an interview with homegrown property heroes Home James Lets.

It’s a packed issue - enjoy!

Editor Zoe Thomas

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Contents SBT Issue 388

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ISSUE 388 FREE

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN SUSSEX REGIONAL EXPERT CHRIS OAKLEY EXPLAINS ALL

TTIP:

THE SECRET TRADE AGREEMENT THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR SME

EXPERT ADVICE FROM

LOCAL SUSSEX BUSINESSES

+ WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SEAT LEON ST

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

DEAL OR NO DEAL NIK ASKAROFF, CEO OF EMC CORPORATE FINANCE, EXPLAINS WHY IT’S VITAL TO HAVE THE RIGHT ADVISORS ON BOARD WHEN SELLING OR BUYING A BUSINESS

HELLO BRIGHTON! Law firm Coffin Mew is expanding into Brighton, providing a variety of services to the city’s growing businesses. Find out how they’re already making an impact on page 44.

THE CREDIBLE VOICE FOR THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Cover: Nik Askarff, CEO of EMC www.emcltd.co.uk

Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Group Director: Simon Skinner simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 017 Operations Director: Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Business Development Manager: Jon Goodwin jon@sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Sales Manager Patrick McCreanor patrick@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 014 Editorial: Zoe Thomas zoe@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 011 Production Manager: Harriet Weston harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 010 Production Designer: Amy Watson amy@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 018 Subscriptions: Linda Grace linda@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 015 Accounts: Amelia Wellings amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Published by Life Media Group, Unit1, Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by Berforts 17 Burgess Road, Ivyhouse Lane Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4NR 01424 722733 www.berforts.co.uk 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 2015 ©

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News

View the latest local and national business headlines.

Spending it

Lose weight, reduce stress and boost your health with our selection of cycling accessories.

Money Matters

This month Quartz Payroll share their top tips for managing auto enrolment.

Trade and Investment Partnership

Matthew Chambers investigates the potential impact of the TTIP on Sussex businesses.

Interview with Hilton General Manager

The Hilton Brighton Metropole’s General Manager, Sascha Koehler.

Cover Feature - EMC

Nik Askaroff, CEO of EMC Corporate Finance, explains why it’s vital to have the right advisors on board when selling or buying a business.

Property

East Sussex is entering an exciting new phase with new multmillion pound commercial development nearing completion, contributing to the high quality commercial space on offer.

Education

Mr James Dahl, Director of Admissions Wellington College, discusses the pros and cons of choosing independent education for your children.

Tried and Tested in Sussex

SBT’s Jon Goodwin reviews The South Lodge near Horsham.

Chamber News

All the latest news and events from ACES.

Motoring

SBT’s Simon Skinner reviews a selection of shiny motors to make us all feel jealous.

Ask the Experts

Local Sussex business experts advise on relevant issues.

Made in Sussex

This month’s home grown hero is Home James Lets.

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SBTLocal News Influential Business Leaders Wanted The Gatwick Diamond Initiative has announced that it is seeking influential local business leaders to shape and grow this important area of economic activity.

The Gatwick Diamond Initiative is currently seeking two additional non-executive directors from the private sector. In particular, they are looking for individuals with business experience at a senior level with knowledge of international trade and enterprise and with a strong understanding and passion for local business issues in the area.

If you are interested in applying, please visit www.gatwickdiamond. co.uk (About Us / Governance) for further information and to download the short application form.

Closing Date is 22nd May 2015.

Giggling Squid Hires Adviser For Growth

Brighton-based Thai food restaurant Giggling Squid has appointed Grant Thornton UK LLP as its adviser as it seeks investment for further growth in 2015 onwards.

Owned by husband and wife team Andrew and Pranee Laurillard, Giggling Squid was founded in 2009 and has since been growing rapidly.

The business currently operates 12 sites across the south east of England and has a high quality pipeline of seven further openings due in 2015.

Andy Laurillard, Founder of Giggling Squid, said: “Grant Thornton has a great team, with a good understanding of the sector and the ambitious growth plans which I have for the business.” www.gigglingsquid.com

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Inspiring Young People In Sussex

Lovelocaljobs.com and social enterprise Humanutopia have hosted an event at the AMEX Stadium for Brighton school students.

‘Be the Change’ was the first event of its kind in Sussex and helped inspire around 100 students from schools across Brighton & Hove about their future. It was aimed at Year 10 pupils (15 years old) who, for one reason or another, have become disengaged with

school or lack confidence in their own abilities.

Gary Peters, Founder of LoveLocalJobs.com, said: “It was a very powerful day, bringing together young people with business volunteers from across Sussex to raise career aspirations and demonstrate the skills and mind-sets required to be the best you can be in whatever career you choose or find yourself in.”

Olympian Opens Timber Village Olympic ice skater Jayne Torvill officially opened Newton & Frost’s new Timber Building Display Centre at Merriments Garden Centre, Hurst Green, East Sussex.

The development of timber summerhouses, sheds, wendy houses and equestrian buildings was constructed with help from youngsters working with the charity ‘Heathfield Works’, which aims to help young people transition from education to work.

Sally Frost, Director of Newton & Frost, said: “We are very privileged to be here and were delighted to welcome Jayne to launch the new centre.”

With plans to expand, the company recently received assistance from Locate East Sussex in securing a grant from the government’s Regional

Growth Fund, resulting in the creation of seven new jobs.

Philip Johnson, Director of Locate East Sussex, said: “Growing businesses like Newton & Frost are exactly the kind of company that Locate East Sussex can assist, whether it’s with impartial advice on business issues or accessing a skilled workforce.”

Gold Award For Sussex Pies

Sussex based pie maker The Real Pie Company has picked up a Gold Award at the Melton Mowbray British Pie Awards.

Their Steak and Mushroom Pie scooped the Gold in the category: ‘Beef & Any Flavour combination Pie – to be eaten and judged HOT!’ The Real Pies MD Christine Cossins said: “Having got a Silver for our Chicken

and Ham Pie last year and a Bronze for our Pasty we had high hopes we would go one better this year, but getting a Gold in the Steak category competing against over 100 other entrants, is just brilliant.”

Based in Crawley, The Real Pie Company was founded 16 years ago. www.therealpieco.co.uk

SBTLocal News Cooking For Starrs SBT readers are invited to the Masterchef-style ‘Cooking for Starrs’ competition, organised by Starr Trust and sponsored

by Brighton Hilton Metropole.

The event, now in its fourth year, will see young up-and-coming chefs go head to head, creating menus under the mentorship of chef, Matt Gillan of The Pass at South Lodge. The money raised for the Starr Trust will help local young people to fulfil their potential.

Last year’s winner, Poppy Fray, who

now works at Hell’s Kitchen in Brighton, told us: “Cooking for Starrs was a really unique experience. I had never competed before so it was very exciting and a great addition to my CV. My team mates in the competition are now doing really well and I think it really spurred them on.’

The events run on Thursday evenings: 4th, 11th and the final on 18th June at The Gallery Restaurant, City College Brighton. £25 or £30 (final) contact Stacey Pederson on 01273 667711.

Opportunity For Ambitious Retailers In Eastbourne The Enterprise Village in Eastbourne is undergoing a £250,000 refurbishment.

Denise Harwood, Director at the Enterprise Village said: “We have now installed beautiful new shop fronts with large full-length windows and frames painted in Farrow & Ball tones to all units on the ground floor.

“As a result of this refurbishment and continuing redevelopment programme, we now have three new lovely units available. We are keen to attract the right type of ambitious, professional retailer

to join us; specialising in fashion and are offering very generous deals for the right businesses.

“It is a very exciting time for the Enterprise Village. The current redevelopment of Eastbourne town centre along with new Arndale Centre will also bring increased pedestrian footfall right to our door.”

The Kitchen Store Wins Award

The Kitchen Store, a kitchen retailer based in Lancing and Hove, is the first in Sussex to be certified by FIRA Gold to recognise its quality and achievements.

To receive the FIRA Gold Installation Certification the company must go through a rigorous annual audit, ensuring that all staff are working to the highest standards and to agreed industry practices.

Phil Reynolds, Chief Operating Officer for FIRA International, said: “We are really pleased to award The Kitchen Store with the FIRA Gold Installation Certification. This is a fantastic way of reassuring their customers by showing their commitment to delivering a firstclass, professional installation service. Their customers can also be assured that they will enjoy a good level of customer service and that their installation will be handled in a professional manner.”

Sussex Lift Company ‘On The Up’ The Burgess Hill office of Pickerings Lifts, the UK’s largest independent service provider, is celebrating after winning a major three-year contract with East Sussex County Council.

Pickerings Lifts will provide maintenance, service and repair services to lifts across more than 60 of the council’s offices and residential sites across the region as part of the contract.

The new contract saw Pickerings Lifts tendering against a number of other providers, and following a robust PQQ and ITT process combining both quality and cost scoring criteria, Pickerings Lifts were chosen on the strength of its expertise, and renowned quality service offering.

Having worked with the Council since

2009, maintaining a large number of lifts in operation across the region, situated in both public buildings as well as council offices, it is essential that these are in excellent working order at all times as even a few hours out-of-action can cause real problems. As such, the Council needed a maintenance partner that could offer a quality, reliable service, coupled with a fast response time, and Pickerings Lifts were able to demonstrate this capability at the highest level.

Commenting on the contract, Glyn Evans, Customer Support Manager at Pickerings Lifts’ Burgess Hill office, said: “Working with East Sussex County Council has been a great relationship to date, so we’re thrilled to be continuing our work with them, especially after a

competitive tender. We’re looking forward to continuing to provide an outstanding service to the Council.”

Pickerings Lifts’ Burgess Hill office is one of 12 regional sites across the UK, providing a range of services including Lift Maintenance & Repair, Escalators, Mobility Maintenance & Repair, Loading Systems and Heating & Cooling Services.

It opened in June 2014, and since that time has gone from strength-to-strength.

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SBTLocal News Will Sussex See Influx Of Entrepreneurs Fleeing London?

Two thirds of entrepreneurs are set to abandon London due to rising property prices, according to research

by Sussex Innovation, the business incubation network owned by the University of Sussex.

The news was announced at the unveiling of its first off-campus incubator hub in Croydon. Sussex Innovation – Croydon will provide a base for up to 30 high-growth potential companies with over 300 employees, and support more than

John Lewis Announces Branch Manager For Horsham John Lewis has announced the appointment of Nigel Davis as the Branch Manager of its new ‘At Home’ shop in Horsham.

As Branch Manager, Nigel will be responsible for the overall success of the shop - the 11th ‘At Home’ site for John Lewis, and the second co-located site with Waitrose. He will also lead the 92 strong team of Partners (staff), including Sales Assistants, Specialist Advisers and Catering Professionals.

Commenting on his new role, Nigel said: “I’m delighted to become the Branch Manager for the business’ 11th ‘At Home’ shop.

Having been at the helm of John Lewis ‘At Home’ Tunbridge Wells, I know how popular the format is with customers and I’m excited to be bringing this to Horsham and the surrounding areas. I’m also looking forward to working closely with the Waitrose team on what is set to be a very exciting joint venture.”

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100 local businesses through its network. The incubator’s goal is to catalyse business growth through innovation, driving higher revenues, investment and employment throughout the region.

The poll, which quizzed the bosses of businesses in London and the South East of England, found that the key factors pushing entrepreneurs out are rising property prices (78.5%), difficulties accessing funding and investment (26.6%), and securing top talent (24.1%).

The majority (64.3%) of those thinking about leaving the capital would consider relocating to the South East as an alternative. Average rental prices in areas such as Shoreditch and Clerkenwell were up 5% in 2014 to £52.50 per sq ft and are predicted to rise by another 9% in 2015. By contrast, rents at Sussex Innovation – Croydon will average £45 per sq ft inclusive of rates, with subsidies helping to drive costs even lower. Office space in the new incubator is intended to cater to fast growing firms, with the flexibility to increase or decrease room sizes as required.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, said: “Sussex Innovation’s new Croydon Campus has an exciting future ahead, with huge new opportunities being created for the local area by helping spur the creation of hundreds of new jobs and assisting businesses in starting up, growing and innovating.

“This is crucial at a time when more and more people are considering starting out on their own and setting up a business, and when we want to make it easier for everyone to pursue this route, regardless of their background.”

Commenting on the research findings, Mike Herd, Executive Director of Sussex Innovation, said: “With office rental costs soaring in London, it’s no surprise that entrepreneurs are looking to move out of the capital. At the same time, we’ve seen local businesses moving away from areas like Croydon due to a lack of flexible facilities designed to support businesses during rapid growth. Incubator hubs such as Sussex Innovation Croydon are being established to tackle both of these issues head on and to help the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“We know that growing businesses favour good transport links and competitive property rates over the perceived cachet that a London address provides, but still need access to markets and expert advice, making Croydon the next likely epicentre for entrepreneurs.”

The research found that access to support services such as skills coaching, mentoring and advice on funding was important to the majority of businesses (77%), with a similar number (62%) believing that finding the right services was a drain on their resources.

SBTNational News Shopping On Mobile To Top £53bn By 2024 Consumers are set to spend £53.6 billion a year using their smartphones and tablets by 2024, compared with the £9.7 billion spent today, according to new research

by Barclays.

In the South East, consumers are set to spend £4 billion a year within the next five years, compared with the £1.2 billion spent today. This equates to growth of 229% in the region. Retailers will see spend influenced by mobile devices increase by 162% from £2.7 billion to £7 billion by 2019.

If you were to equate UK mobile sales in terms of store numbers, in five years’ time it would require a

chain of around 30,000 stores, nearly three times the size of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer.

Ian Workman, Head of South East Region, Corporate Banking at Barclays, said: “The size of the retail opportunity in the South East is clear for all to see. The question every retailer should be asking themselves is what they are doing about it to not only satisfy today’s consumer but, also tomorrow’s”.

In 2009, 14% of consumers owned a smartphone. By 2014 the number had more than quadrupled to 61% and by 2019 around three quarters of adults are predicted to own one.

How Stressed Are UK Employees?

Over half of employees in the UK have experienced anxiety or ‘burnout’ in their current job, according to new research commissioned by Virgin and conducted by YouGov. As many as 51% said they experienced anxiety at work, while 66% said they discussed these anxieties in day-to-day conversations.

The survey also revealed that Brits spend more time with their colleagues than anyone else.

London Hotels Outclassed By South East

Hotels in the South East recorded a stellar 2014, outperforming their London counterparts in the race for revenue growth, according to Hotel Britain 2015 – the latest annual report by Business Advisory and Accountancy firm BDO LLP. Hotels in Ashford, Milton Keynes, Maidstone and Brighton all witnessed rooms yield – otherwise known as revenue per available room – increase by 10.9%, 10.4%, 9.5% and 8.6% respectively on last year’s performance.

By comparison, London hotels experienced a modest 0.7% increase in rooms yield.

All four cities also recorded an increase in the average price paid per room.

Milton Keynes prices rose to £72.96 (up 10.7% on the previous year); in Brighton they were £72.12 (up 7.3%), Maidstone £59.10 (up 5.9%) and in Ashford there was a 9.8% increase to £54.13.

It was a slightly different story in Gatwick, which saw a 6.9% drop in revenue and an 8.4% decline in average price paid per room. The report describes how this was likely the result of an increase in supply, which pushed hoteliers to discount rates to attract demand.

Occupancy however remained strong at

Urban Farm Opens In London A London warehouse is being converted into the UK’s first commercial ‘aquaponic’ farm, creating a pioneering new model for sustainable, ethical food production in cities.

The revolutionary farm will use aquaculture and hydroponic technology to produce more than 20,000kg of sustainable salads and herbs (enough for 200,000 salad bags) and 4,000kg of fish each year, with first harvests predicted for September.

GrowUp Urban Farms has been given the green light to start building the farming system after receiving planning permission from the London Borough of Newham this week.

Kate Hofman, CEO and Co-Founder of GrowUp Urban Farms, said: “This farm will be a flagship for innovative urban farming, putting food and feeding people at the heart of the development of London as a smarter and more sustainable city.”

80.3%. Strong demand pushed overall UK regional hotels’ occupancy to 75.1% - the first time it has surpassed 75% for over ten years.

Tesco Reports Record Losses Tesco has reported its worst financial results in its 96-year history, with an annual loss of £6.4bn.

Chief Executive Dave Lewis said it had been a ‘very difficult year’ for the supermarket giant.

It is thought that the store will now focus on attracting customers with lower prices.

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Move Up a Gear

Lose weight, reduce stress and boost your health with our selection of cycling accessories

BERN - LENOX EPS WOMEN’S BIKE HELMET SATIN WHITE A women’s cycling helmet with an urban look featuring 16 airflow vents and lightweight zipmold protection. The Melrose is Bern’s first super-vented bike helmet for female cyclists.This lightweight helmet offers a breezy and comfortable fit. £53. http://bearandbear.com

BICYCLE PUNCTURE REPAIR KIT IN RETRO DESIGN This puncture repair kit is a perfect gift for all cycle enthusiasts and comes presented in a vintage gift tin.

It includes everything you need for on the spot repairs.

The kit includes: tyre levers, multi-function bike tool, rubber solution, bone wrench, metal rasp, patches and instructions. £12.95. www.cuckooland.com

MARTONE MEN’S GREENWICH BIKE - MATTE GREY Bring chic style to your daily commute with this Greenwich bike from Martone Cycling Company. Crafted from steel alloy & aluminium, it’s matte grey in colour with matching wheels & signature red chain. £1,100. www.amara.com

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DAINESE CLAYSTONE SHORT SLEEVE DH JERSEY

CAMELBAK ROGUE 2 L The Camelbak Rogue 2 L has got a lush, easy to use external fill all masked as a super cool bike pack.

The 2 external pockets give you space for keys, wallet, phone and other valuables. £44.99. shop.camelbak.com

The Dainese Claystone Short Sleeve DH Jersey is a loose fitting jersey which allows great comfort and freedom of movement. £49.49. www.halfords.com

GARMIN EDGE 1000 PERFORMANCE BUNDLE Introducing the Garmin Edge 1000 Performance Bundle. The Performance Bundle comes with a speed sensor, cadence sensor and out front mount, which if you don’t have these products is a great starter pack. £444.99. www.garmin.com

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WHISTLE PATWIN 1481D 29ER MOUNTAIN BIKE If you’re looking for a strong and powerful MTB that’s perfect for tearing up trails, look no further than the Whistle Patwin 1481D 29er Mountain Bike. £549.99. www.halfords.com

UVEX RACE 5 BIKE HELMET The Uvex Race 5 Bike Helmet is built for speed with its aerodynamic design that was developed in a wind tunnel. £139.99. www.uvex-sports.com

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DEUTER TRANS ALPINE 30 BACK PACK - MIDNIGHTOCEAN The Deuter Trans Alpine 30 Back Pack combines a fashionable, head-turning aesthetic with hugely efficient features for a design that is exceptional. £99.99. www.deutergb.co.uk

BICYCLE PUMP When it comes to essential cycling gear the pump ranks pretty high.

Be prepared with the Tiger Stores Bicycle Pump. £4. www.tigerstores.co.uk

GORE BIKE WEAR XENON 2.0 GLOVES The Xenon 2.0 Gloves by Gore Bike Wear are perfect for long, strenuous rides with hightech fabric, gel pads for shock absorbtion and mesh inserts for cooling. £41.99. www.goreapparel.co.uk

BONTRAGER RACE DLX ROAD WSD WOMEN’S SHOE The Race DLX Road WSD Women’s Shoe

by Bontrager offers advanced features at an entry level price. Bronze Series Composite soles, a 1.5mm incremental release Micro-Fit buckle with two-position receptacle. £99.99. www.bontrager.com

HORNIT DB140 The patented Hornit dB140 is the loudest cycle horn on the market and puts the cyclist in control of their own safety. £29.99. www.thehornit.com

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Money Matters

For Managing Top 6 Auto Enrolment Tips Have this feeling about setting up a workplace pension?

Beatrice Drewitt, Quartz Payroll enrolment specialist, shares her top 6 tips

1

Find out your staging date

This is the date you have to start providing a workplace pension for your employees. You can postpone enrolment by up to three months (delay deducting pension contribution from your employees’ gross salary and delay paying the employer pension contributions). If you are unaware of when your staging date is, the Pensions Regulator has a handy tool on its website to find this out: www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/ employers/staging-date.aspx (you will need your PAYE reference number to do this).

If you postpone, you will still need to be ready to provide a workplace pension by your staging date, have a pension scheme in place, communicate to your employees about the upcoming workplace pension and categorise employees. See chart below:

2

Nominate a contact with the Pensions Regulator

The Pensions Regulator is sending letters during the first six months of 2015 to all employers in the United Kingdom. This letter asks you to go online and nominate a primary and secondary contact (for the purpose of future communications).

Thousands of employers around the United Kingdom will outsource their automatic enrolment responsibilities to their payroll solution, so when nominating you should provide their details as the ‘secondary’ contact and your details as the ‘primary’ contact.

The nominate url is: https://automation. thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/ Nomination. If you manage your own payroll you can just nominate a primary contact.

3

Choose a Pension Scheme

You may already have a pension scheme for your workforce, check with your current pension provider to see if you can use it for automatic enrolment. If you don’t have one you can get help from an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA), but this will incur a cost. The government has set up a pension scheme called the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) that any employer can use for a pension scheme. Other providers are also available but they may have restrictions.

It is important to check if the pension scheme offers good value for money for you and your staff. It is important to make sure it integrates with your payroll solution, as the pension scheme provider will require a report on contributions each month which will be easier if your payroll solution can send the report directly to your pension scheme provider for you.

Category

Criteria (Earnings and age)

How does this affect the employee

How does this affect the employer

Eligible Jobholder

Earning over 10K per year and aged between 22 + state pension age

Automatically opted in to a workplace pension scheme. Can opt-out

Must pay contributions

Non-eligible Jobholder

Earning over 10K per year, aged 16-22 and or aged between state pension age and 75

Not automatically opted-in

Must pay contributions

Employee can opt-in

Earning between £5824 and 10K aged between 16-75 Entitled Jobholder

Earning less than £5824 per year and aged between 16 -75

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Not automatically opted-in Employee can opt-in

Does not have to contribute

Money Matters

4

Talk to your payroll solution (if you have one)

Many payroll bureaus, accountancy firms and payroll software solutions may have an integrated automatic enrolment service that will take care of the 33 employer responsibilities that workplace pensions include. A good service will help you prepare by ensuring your employee data is up-to-date, send the regulatory communications to your employees (including the postponement notice), review your employees and allocate the correct category. The service should also monitor your employees’ salary and age each pay period, in case their categorisation changes, automatically opt-in eligible jobholders every three years and keep automatic enrolment records for up to six years.

5

Calculate your costs

First of all you need to decide what you will consider as ‘pensionable pay’.

This means deciding whether you will deduct the pension contributions on your employees’ basic salary or basic salary plus any bonus/overtime. You then need to decide whether you will deduct the pension contribution on the ‘full salary’ or ‘banded earnings’. If you decide banded earnings this will result in paying less pension contributions, as ‘banded earnings’ is the annual salary minus £5824 (the current lower earnings limit for 2015/2016).

6

Complete PR declaration

The Pensions Regulator Declaration of compliance is an online form, located on the Pensions Regulator website (www.thepensionsregulator.gov. uk), which must be completed by the employer five months after their set staging date. The employer must provide certain information to the regulator about how they have complied with the automatic enrolment duties, such as how many people they have automatically enrolled and into which pension scheme(s). The Declaration must be completed even if the employer does not have any employees to automatically enrol, so the Pensions Regulator knows the employer is complying. Fines can be issued if this step is not completed, as it may be assumed you are not meeting automatic enrolment responsibilities.

There are automatic enrolment solutions that will do this for you.

Quartz Payroll and Auto Enrolment provides a cost-effective complete service to take away the hassle of payroll and automatic enrolment.

Top 5 workplace pension facts you need to know 1. You can delay the start of paying contributions by up to 3 months after your staging date.

2. It is illegal to ask your employee to opt-out of a workplace pension scheme.

There are statutory minimum contributions that both you and your employee must contribute: Date:

Total

Employees

Employer

Government

Staging Date to 30 Sep 2017

2%

0.80%

1%

0.20%

01 Oct 2017 - 20 Sep 2018

5%

2.40%

2%

0.60%

30 Oct 2018 onwards

8%

4%

3%

1%

3. You have to monitor your employees earnings and age each pay period.

4. You have to opt your eligible employees back in every 3 years if they have opted out.

5. You are required to keep automatic enrolment records for up to 6 years.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 15

Money Matters

Entrepreneur’s Bank

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) Financial are the lifeblood of the Advice UK economy. There are many competing issues to consider when it comes to owning your own business, and one key area is identifying the right bank and creating a robust and constructive relationship with them.

When choosing or switching banks, it’s important to remember that the bank is there to serve you – not the other way around. Key points to consider include: • Does this bank want to bank with you?

Do they have bank start-ups or growing SMEs? • Are they active in providing debt?

• Do they value face-to-face contact and will they invest the time in getting to know you and your business?

• Are they open and accessible to you and your business needs?

• Do they offer flexible banking platforms, such as internet and telephone banking?

• Once you have chosen the right provider, what can you do to ensure a good relationship with your bank?

• Be really clear when communicating your business plan and cash flow situation. Understand your margins and your break-even points and present this clearly and transparently to your bank.

• Build trust. This means lots and lots of communication. If, for example your sales are not where you expected them to be, be honest and tell your bank. That way you can work out a step-by-step plan to get back to the black?

• Ask questions and get advice. Make sure your bank lives up to its promise and helps you make the right decisions and gives the best advice for your situation.

• Finally, don’t over leverage. Don’t take on too much debt early on – build up a good track record as your business grows and matures.

As the entrepreneur’s bank, we understand the many challenges that SMEs face and we have been able to design our services with them in mind.

16 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

We approach business banking in a traditional way, taking the time to really get to know each and every one of our customers. SME customers benefit from their own Relationship Manager, and our Local Bank Managers are able to make lending decisions on an individual case by case basis, using our manual underwriting process, which allows us to really focus on getting under the skin of a business.

SMEs are the lifeblood of our communities and we are here to support them in as many ways as possible as their growth is essential to the growth of our economy.

“We approach business banking in a traditional way, taking the time to really get to know each and every one of our customers”

Money Matters

Metro Bank offers advice for entrepreneurs on how to choose a new bank

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 17

TTIP: The ‘Secret’ Trade Agreement That Could Impact Your SME

Matthew Chambers investigates the potential impact of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on Sussex businesses

America has long been romanticised as a land of opportunity TTIP and under a major new trade deal, its huge potential for Europeans is being heralded once again. Business leaders from the FSB and the CBI have said: “the deal is the most significant trade negotiation of modern times” and that

18 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

it’s vital for the future prosperity of EU citizens. Opponents say it favours big businesses and that it’s a threat not only to consumers, workers and the environment, but to small businesses too.

Yet the chances are you’ve not heard of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Don’t worry; you’re not alone. A survey last year by the logistics giant UPS indicated only a tenth of UK SME exporters had done so – not

necessarily surprising considering it is a deal that’s being negotiated in secret.

So just what is TTIP and what could it mean for Sussex businesses?

With a focus on regulatory issues, TTIP is a new breed of free trade agreement being negotiated between the US and European Union. It aims to boost trade and investment across the Atlantic, but simultaneously establish a regulatory regime that will become a

TTIP

American and European trade – an opportunity for growth With links going back centuries, the trade in goods and services between the US and Europe is already colossal: it’s worth £1.5 billion a day and nearly half the world’s GDP. Around a fifth of UK exports already head across the pond, but an FSB survey last year points to the potential for further growth from SMEs (only a quarter currently export) if they can access the help they need.

With the South East being the UK’s biggest exporting region, could Sussex companies be in pole position to prosper under TTIP?

global standard. If an ambitious deal is concluded, it promises a seismic transformation not seen since the formation of the European single market.

An EC commissioned study suggests TTIP could boost the UK economy by £10 billion a year, though opponents dispute this figure and point to a likelihood of export and job losses. With so much at stake, analysis and opinions are strongly divided.

How TTIP could change trade: opening-up markets and reducing tariffs TTIP will massively expand market access with five potential American customers for every one customer in the UK. Many US markets are already relatively open, but access to the big prize of US public procurement has been largely off-limits thanks to protectionist ‘Buy America’ policies aimed at reviving local economies.

There are similar initiatives in Europe, and, in Sussex, local councils have some flexibility to help local businesses too. But with its ‘national treatment rule’ ensuring equivalence between foreign investors and national companies, one of TTIP’s aims is to reduce or eliminate such barriers to trade. Some individual US States (and local authorities in Europe) aren’t keen on this rule’s wider and deeper application. But, if a deal that encompasses US States, as well as federal procurement, can be struck, then major opportunities will accompany a revised mantra of ‘Buy Transatlantic’.

Identified EU priorities in US procurement include the energy, transportation and construction sectors where huge contracts will be on offer.

Challenges to any perceived unfair treatment, either here or in the US, may come through what is the most contentious aspect of TTIP – the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism. This legal instrument allows an investing company to sue a host government for public policy decisions that impact its current or anticipated profits. It features such as ISDS (an average case costs $8m), and multinational dominance in lobbying on this deal that have prompted accusations that TTIP will entrench the interests of

‘big business’. The CBI and transatlantic business groups disagree and say that it is SMEs that stand to gain the most.

Certainly, SMEs will be amongst those likely to see dramatic cuts in the cost of US market access, as tariffs are revised. In fact, on average, tariffs are already low at 4%, but with some serious exceptions; products such as chocolate, beer and cheese are especially hard hit.

However, even where tariffs are already low, businesses with large trade volumes should also see significant savings.

Changing the rules of trade Despite such gains, the majority of TTIP’s benefits (around 80%) are expected to come from tackling non-tariff barriers.

These are predominantly the regulations that are seen as ‘obstacles to trade’, but some of which anti-TTIP campaigners claim are important safeguards for consumers, workers or the environment.

The costly ‘red tape’ of excessive customs paperwork (an average shipment requires 200 pieces of information), duplicate testing and licence requirements will already be familiar to those exporting. Smaller businesses are disproportionately affected by such trade barriers and, as a result, export is often an unopened door. As Martin Searle, FSB Development Manager for East Sussex, explains: “For many SMEs in East Sussex exporting is low on their agenda, however, for some it is a sleeping giant.”

Measures being negotiated under TTIP to tackle regulatory trade barriers include:

• Common labelling or product information requirements.

• Customs processes that will see the quick release of cleared goods and raise and harmonise the thresholds of when extra duties are applied.

• Mutual recognition of specific

standards.

• Common EU/US standards for new industries such as electric vehicles.

Lobbying by small business organisations has helped to ensure that for the first time, in a European Union Free Trade Agreement, TTIP is expected to include a dedicated Small Business Chapter.

Expected measures will include: • A comprehensive web-based information portal with product specific information

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 19

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We management pride 19 Thecould Avenue from increase by 25% increasing EU quite free, but TTIP aims to ease the two ned, achieve regions’ capital flows and better protect exports by 6% overall. Almost all sectors Eastbourne ent sites are expected to benefit but particular their overseas investments. However, in are projected to include a move that reflects differing responses East winners Sussex hly audits/reports metal products (+12%), processed to the 2008 crisis - the US has, to date foods (+9%), chemicals (+9%), other refused to discuss financial services BN21 4YD manufactured goods (+6%) and motor regulation. This could see banks and vehicles (+41%). The South-East is the insurers sidelined from the deal. In other UK region expected areas, such as the to see most mutual recognition export growth with of professional financial services, qualifications, pharmaceuticals progress is likely to and advanced be smoother. TTIP manufacturing may well make it amongst the main easier for European sectors to benefit. professionals, Even for those such as architects, with no plans to to operate in the export, such an States. expansion could have significant benefits as new business opportunities arise TTIP’s potential winners and losers within the supply chains of existing British In general, West and East Sussex or newly-investing American companies. home to some 56,000 businesses - are Cecilia Malmström, the EU’s trade counties especially dominated by small commissioner, has acknowledged that it businesses, with the notable exception is skilled workers who will benefit most, of Gatwick making Crawley a UK large but that, as with supply chains, others will business mecca. In fact, more than 85%, are micro-enterprises employing less than benefit too.

It’s this forecast growth that means ten people. Many are consumer service@fresh-clean.co.uk organisations such as the FSB, CBI and orientated but most other sectors have a fair representation from agriculture to new British American Business are powerfully championing TTIP. The CBI state that: media. How could it all fare under the “The economic benefits and jobs created expected changes?

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by TTIP will dwarf that of any of our other trade agreements.” However, not everyone agrees. A study from US-based Tufts University last autumn predicts losses in net exports and the disappearance of 600,000 EU jobs, and organisations such as MORE (Movement for Responsibility in Trade Agreements) have flagged the risks of hollow promises of Free Trade Agreements like TTIP to SMEs. Its recent report highlights how, under NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), despite promises to the contrary, small businesses’ share of US exports to Canada and Mexico has fallen.

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The US adopts a scientific approach that requires consensus to institute bans on health grounds. The burden is upon the state to prove a product is dangerous.

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www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 21

TTIP

Your guide to Free Trade Agreements TTIP has become the best known of several little known Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which, if approved, promise to have major implications for global and local business. FTAs aim to reduce the trade barriers between two or more countries and restrict protectionism of domestic markets and industries. Key agreements include: CETA – The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is a recently negotiated deal between the European Union and Canada. CETA removes 99% of customs duties and many other obstacles to business and is predicted by the EC to increase Europe’s GDP by Є12 billion. The deal requires approval by the EU parliament and member states and could be applied in 2016.

TISA – The Trade in Services Agreement is being negotiated by 23 members of the World Trade Organisation including the EU that account for 70% of the world’s trade in services.

TISA aims to liberalise trade in services, opening markets and coordinating rules in areas such as licensing, financial services, telecoms, e-commerce and maritime transport.

TPP – The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a proposed regulatory and investment treaty covering 12 countries of the Asia-Pacific region including the United States, Canada and Australia and estimated to cover 40% of the world’s economy. It is nearing completion.

22 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Closer to home, the National Farmers Union recognises the significant potential benefits of TTIP, especially for the export of high value products such as cheeses and opportunity to resume the export of beef and lamb. However, it cautions that: “...US producers have significant cost of production advantages over EU farmers due to lower regulatory burdens, namely animal welfare, animal traceability, the use of hormones, GM, access to plant protection products, etc.” Primary producers of egg products, poultry and pork meats, cereals, sugar, fruit and vegetables could be negatively affected if such sensitivities aren’t fairly considered.

Increasing competition expected Under TTIP, increased exports will be matched by increased imports in many sectors. As the example of farming shows, compared to the European companies, US companies generally operate within fewer rules; but they also enjoy access to cheaper energy and labour and so produce cheaper goods.

This could threaten UK companies’ market share and require cost-cutting, outsourcing or product overhauls – responses that may be harder for SMEs. It’s for such reasons that John Hilary, Director of War on Want, says the rhetoric from big business that TTIP is great for SMEs is ‘wishful intent’: “Whilst at the top level organisations like the FSB have been very gung-ho about TTIP, in the real world many small businesses are much more defensive: they’re preoccupied with how they survive. A shop in Brighton’s Lanes isn’t hoping to sweep through California.”

Of course, increased imports will also benefit UK businesses through lower prices for the components and services they use, enabling them to be more competitive. The EC itself says: “The benefit of increased competitive pressure is that companies have to work harder to stay efficient, which means the whole European economy will become more productive, increasing its capacity to grow and create jobs.”

Martin Searle, FSB Development Manager for East Sussex, says coping with competition wouldn’t be a new challenge: “Increasingly in response to competition, SMEs have been looking at where they can generate added value within their product. Developing short supply chains from local sources that the customer can trust, for instance.

Such approaches can help businesses survive as a market becomes more differentiated.”

“A shop in Brighton’s Lanes isn’t hoping to sweep through California”

Weighing it up: TTIP in the balance Under pressure, the secrecy around the TTIP negotiations has loosened in recent months and may yet loosen further. Improving the awareness of this deal can only help businesses to engage with the debate about it: once agreed, reversing it is highly unlikely to be an option.

Until a deal is finalised, TTIP’s likely impact on Sussex businesses will remain hard to read. As the European Commission’s own negotiators admit: “TTIP’s potential to deliver results depends very much on our ability as negotiators to meet the interests of all our stakeholders”.

Yo

Proje Mana

Sales Mana

Studying Helps Propel Your Career Kate Grogan, 25, works in Human Resources at DP Advertorial World Southampton.

Kate landed a more senior job shortly after beginning her postgraduate diploma in Human Resources Management at Portsmouth Business School.

She said: “After graduating with a psychology degree, I spent my spare time trawling the jobsites trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself.

“I liked the idea of HR but my mum works in this sector and I didn’t want to be following her path! I still applied for a few jobs in the sector and, amazingly, got a temporary position. It was a perfect role for me to start in as I was able to learn how business functions as well as learning about HR. “Although it was a good place to start, it was important for me to gain qualifications in order to further my career.

Thanks to my mum’s background, I knew the next step was to get qualified with the CIPD. “I attended Portsmouth’s open event to

learn more about the Human Resources Management course. Margaret Mackay, the course leader, was hosting the stand and it was very useful to talk to her about the course as she knew everything about it. I found Portsmouth very welcoming.

“I love the fact that I am studying alongside other HR professionals – the stories about others’ experiences are invaluable and the lecturers’ previous working experience really helps with our learning.

“I updated my CV soon after joining the course and uploaded it to all the jobsites that I could.

“Soon after, I was offered a job working in HR for DP World Southampton. This was the perfect next move for me.

“Studying hasn’t been an easy ride.

The pace of work has definitely stepped up in my second year and, at the same time, I have had to learn a new business. But I’m enjoying it and I can see progression. Overall I’m feeling really positive and happy I took the leap.

“I want to do well, I want to have a career and be considered as someone who makes a difference. Everyone has the same struggles of motivation but we

all know that if you keep going you will achieve that qualification that opens up new opportunities.”

Kate started her course in 2013 and will graduate this summer.

To find out how studying can boost your career, come along to Portsmouth Business School’s open evening: www.showyoumeanbusiness.com

You’re a professional – so prove it Project Manager

HR Practitioner

Whether you are responsible for projects, HR, marketing, risk management or have ambitions for a top-level executive role, Portsmouth Business School offers part-time and professionally recognised postgraduate programmes for busy working people.

A first degree may not be essential, as long as you have the right attitude and work experience which will have prepared you to succeed. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain, so come along to our next open evening – for details please visit www.showyoumeanbusiness.com.

Sales Manager

Head of Programme Transformation

We’ve got our credentials – have you got yours?

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 23

T: +44 (0)23 9284 2991 E: pbs-studentrecruitment@port.ac.uk W: www.port.ac.uk/pbscourses

Beside the Sea Coffin Mew expands into Brighton

Brighton is one of the fastest growing cities in the South East of England – home to many exciting, fast growing businesses and a thriving cultural scene. With law firm Coffin Mew opening an office in Brighton’s centre, the city now has a new pool of expertise to help fulfil its entrepreneurial spirit Explaining the move into Brighton, Nick Coffin Mew is a law Leavey said: “Coffin Mew enjoys a strong firm with an ambitious reputation for being entrepreneurial and vision. It has for the Insight forward-thinking. Brighton, with its rapidly past 125 years been growing economy and high standard of the first port of call living, is a natural fit to the firm’s already for businesses and strong client offering.” individuals in the Solent region, and it is now extending its award-winning service along the “Coffin Mew is already South Coast.

On 5 May the firm opened a making a highly visible new full service office in Brighton. impact on the city, advising The new office, the firm’s fifth, is the Brighton West Pier a bold demonstration of the firm’s commitment to one of the south Trust on the £45m i360 coast’s fastest growing and most development” diverse cities. It is also a commitment to supporting the fast growing Coffin Mew in Brighton will offer the entrepreneurial businesses that thrive full range of support to both businesses here. and individuals, including corporate/ The office is being led by Nick Leavey, commercial, commercial property, Partner and Head of Coffin Mew’s litigation, insolvency, employment, Commercial Property team. Nick has residential conveyancing, wills, trusts and been advising clients in the Brighton probate and family law. area for 15 years, having also lived and Coffin Mew is already making a highly worked in the city. He is joined by a team visible impact on the city, advising the of senior lawyers, all with strong Brighton Brighton West Pier Trust on the £45m connections, with further appointments i360 development, featuring a 138-metre shortly to follow.

high observation tower, restaurant, retail and exhibition space. The scheme is at the forefront of the regeneration of the historic seafront site. The firm is also supporting The Brighton and Hove Arts Council on their arts initiatives programme for 2015/16.

But there is much more to Brighton than its world famous beach and piers. The city is home to some 1,500 start-up and young digital and tech businesses in a cluster named ‘Silicon Beach’.

“Brighton has a rapidly expanding economy, with many fast growing businesses in the creative, digital, IT, green-tech, financial services, health and life sciences, and the advanced engineering sectors,” says Nick. “There is also the strong year-round tourism sector.

We believe these businesses will embrace a like-minded law firm that is on their doorstep. People in Brighton do business in Brighton.”

Long-term vision Coffin Mew’s vision does not, however, stop in Brighton. In the next 24 months the firm is on track to open further offices

Contact us on: 0333 000 0122

24 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Photo © LHOON - Creative Commons

Commercial Development

and to double its turnover. It is, as the firm’s Managing Partner Miles Brown says, “a firm to watch”.

Growth will come from acquisition, both merging with exceptional smaller firms and acquiring successful teams, and also from organic growth. The firm plans to grow from its current £10m annual turnover to around £20m over the next three years.

“Business owners and individuals want to work with successful advisers”, explains Miles. “It is important that we as a business grow to continue to attract the best quality people and to meet the challenges our clients face. Some of that growth will come from the enormously talented staff we already have, and some will come from our expansion and acquisition programme.”

“Our clients see our lawyers as very much part of their team, wanting full service support wherever they are based. It is important that we are there to support their growth.”

For more information contact us: Coffin Mew Solicitors 3rd Floor, Queensberry House 106 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XF T: 0333 000 0122 www.coffinmew.co.uk

Left to Right: John Parkinson - Head of Business Development; Nick Leavey – Partner, Commercial Property; Nick Gross – Chairman and Partner, Corporate; Sally Pike – Partner, Family; James Russell – Partner, Dispute Resolution; Mirren McGinley – Solicitor, Commercial and Residential Property; Jonathan Sleep – Partner, Wills, Trusts and Probate; Amy Richardson – Associate, Employment; Miles Brown – Managing Partner; Elizabeth Gibbons – Office Manager

Coffin Mew in numbers • 125 years of supporting businesses and individuals • 140 lawyers, professional advisers and business services staff • 5 offices: Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Gosport and London

www.coffinmew.co.uk

• 18% growth in turnover (2014) • Over 850 Commercial Property transactions completed during 2014 • Recognised by independent directories ‘The Legal 500’ and ‘Chambers and Partners’ as a leading regional law firm

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 25

A Day In The Life of...

The Hilton Brighton Metropole’s General Manager, Sascha Koehler

“I discovered my passion for the hospitality industry at the early age of 14, I walked into the Lobby of the Oriental Bangkok hotel which is one of the finest hotels in the world”

26 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

What’s your background? How you find yourself Interview did in your current role at the Hilton?

Having grown up as the son of foreign correspondents based in Mongolia, Zimbabwe and Japan, besides my native Germany, I have travelled a lot with my family, particularly in Asia. I discovered my passion for the hospitality industry at the early age of 14, when I walked into the Lobby of the Oriental Bangkok hotel – one of the finest hotels in the world, and observed how the General Manager interacted with both guests and team members alike. I was in awe, and from that moment on I knew what my vocation would be. I studied Hotel Management in Vienna (where

I met my wife). I then joined Hilton’s fast-track Elevator Management Training programme and took up various positions for the next 16 years all over the world, in Zurich, London, Heathrow and Budapest. My first role as Hotel Manager was in Istanbul. I then returned to the UK as General Manager of Hilton London Gatwick Airport, Hilton London Syon Park (rebranding the hotel from a Waldorf Astoria) and now Hilton Brighton Metropole. Having only been in the position since early February of this year I must say that I love everything about the role, hotel and this vibrant city!

Can you describe an average day as GM (if there is one!)

That’s impossible as every day is so different! This is what makes the hospitality industry so interesting and

engaging. Typically I arrive at work having worked through e-mails on the train journey. My first daily appointment is to join our morning brief, which discusses anything and everything from important matters from the previous day, to the current day’s event diary, key dignitaries that may be arriving, updates on any refurbishment projects, as well as any local business that may affect the hotel.

After a quick coffee I then walk around the hotel, visiting most departments and talking to team members and guests. There will be at least one (but usually more) client or internal meetings planned throughout the day, which can last anything from 10 minutes to all day. We have a team member restaurant so lunch could be either in our restaurant, or during a meeting. It is generally rather short, hoteliers learn to eat fast fortunately! I then try to walk the hotel again and visit our on-property partners such as The Salt Room restaurant and Schmoo by the Sea spa, as well as engaging with any event coordinators that may be on site to ensure everything is running smoothly, before returning to my desk to read through any outstanding emails.

Brighton is such a busy and fun city, and there is always lots going on in and around the hotel – especially in the evening. With various dinners or other networking functions to attend it is great to be able to meet interesting people, as well as investigate what else the city has to offer.

If I can, I will go home to my family or stay overnight in the hotel, reply to a few more emails and start the next morning with a work-out in LivingWell Health Club, the hotel’s in-house gymnasium or a swim in the hotels pool.

What skills do you need to be a good GM? I think resilience, patience and generally looking on the positive side are all very important, as well as strong social skills; these are necessary as I get to meet such a wide variety of people. For me good leadership means treating people with respect and leading by example, as well as keeping your promises, trusting your team and allowing them to make mistakes and let them learn from them as well as offering constructive feedback. I believe in fully supporting your team when they take initiative, even if it may not have had the desired outcome, and guiding your

team throughout their development. It is great to see staff enjoying their job and watching them progress with their career. Humour helps a great deal too, as any day and any situation can be quite tough. If we can take something away from the situation and laugh at the end, we will have learnt something!

Another skill required in this role is to have lots of enthusiasm and energy to ensure you keep going and ensure the team members are motivated day after day.

“For me good leadership means treating people with respect and leading by example as well as keeping your promises”

Why is the Brighton Hilton Metropole a great place to be/work?

The team here is fabulous - everyone really does care! 2015 is an eventful

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 27

year for the hotel, as we will be ordered the spare parts by air mail passion and pride in our new product, celebrating our 125th Anniversary in from the US. I bought the engineers which make this a phenomenal place to July, so we are in the midst of planning ice cream when they fixed the issue work. a fantastic event to mark the occasion. three days later after working night Hilton is a fabulous brand to work Having just undergone a £3.75m and day. May 13th still has a yearly for, made all the better for giving team refurbishment project, the hotel now reminder in my calendar to remind me members the opportunity to travel the looks the best it has looked in years. of “Coolinggate” and to stay positive. world during their career or stay in their With 185 renovated bedrooms, the hotel of choice. en-suite rooms, along How do you think with some communal the Hilton compares guest areas, have to other hotels in “The team here are fabulous - everyone been transformed Brighton? really does care! 2015 is an eventful year into comfortable, Hilton Brighton stylish spaces which Metropole does fit for the hotel which will be celebrating its effortlessly capture well into the city.

125th Anniversary in July” the Arts and Crafts Along with our movement, with competitors we historical styling give people a great alongside feature artwork paying choice no matter if they’re visiting for homage to William Morris. Guests leisure or business. Hilton Brighton What’s the biggest challenge you’ve will be able to refresh and revitalise Metropole has a lot to offer: a great ever faced at work? themselves in renovated bathrooms, brand promise, a fantastic loyalty Hilton Istanbul, 10 years ago. The featuring large walk-in showers and programme with Hilton HHonors, the hotel had two large and one small air new tiling throughout. The hotel now biggest residential conference venue conditioning units. The small one kept has a refreshed flexible conference and hotel in Brighton, 125 years of half of the hotel cool whilst the larger and event space, with our biggest tradition, The Salt Room restaurant, two covered the remainder of the hotel room able to seat 1,300 people. We Schmoo by the Sea spa, LivingWell and the large conference spaces. also welcome the new additions The Health Club and Pool, Waterhouse It was the hottest week in the year Salt Room restaurant and Schmoo by Bar & Terrace, a phenomenal and and the two large ones broke down. the Sea spa. passionate team, ... the list just keeps Panic ensued! We rented thousands It is great to see team members’ going! of pounds worth of mobile units and

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Deal Or No Deal?

Nik Askaroff, CEO of EMC Corporate Finance, explains why it’s vital to have the right advisors on board when selling or buying a business

Opportunity knocks… but are you ready?

Mergers and acquisitions activity in the UK is expected to soar postelection as companies look to take advantage of accumulated cash reserves, better access to finance and reasonable valuations.

So how prepared are you to take advantage of any opportunities that may come your way?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking it couldn’t happen to you.

Research shows that well over one third of business owners only decide to market their business after receiving an ‘unsolicited approach’. So even if you’re not currently contemplating a sale, it helps to be prepared just in case a surprise suitor comes calling.

A lack of planning is one of the principal reasons why business sales either fall through or don’t achieve the value they should. A survey last year showed that an alarming 81% of business owners who had tried to sell had failed.

The vast majority admitted they hadn’t been properly prepared.

Most SME owner/directors only usually get one chance at capitalising on the years of hard work they put into building and running a business. So with this in mind, Sussex Business Times turned to Nik Askaroff, CEO of EMC Corporate Finance and the recently-named 2015 Insider South East Dealmaker of the Year, to find out what steps business owner/ directors in the county should be taking to ensure they don’t miss out.

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Have you bought or sold a house lately?

If you have, you’re Focus probably still getting over the stress of it. What seems a straightforward process is often anything but. Very rarely does it go without any hitches.

But if you think that’s bad, have you tried selling or acquiring a business?

That really is a minefield. All sorts of things can and very often do occur to scupper a deal right up to the last minute.

Consider this: up to 60% of mergers and acquisitions don’t complete even after deal terms have been agreed.

Many fall over simply as a result of poor planning, communication and deal management.

That’s why it’s vital to have the right advisors on board for the duration of the journey, from when you first start to think about selling, to the final signature being placed on the completion documents.

You’ll want someone who is prepared to hold your hand not only through the initial negotiations but, just as importantly, throughout the complex and painstaking due diligence and legal processes that can often make even the most committed buyers or sellers lose the will to live!

For anyone considering selling their business, this would be a great time to do so. Last year saw M&A activity return to levels last seen pre-recession.

Valuations have firmed up and there

are lots of cash rich corporates out there looking for deals as well as a hungry private equity sector ready to support transactions. Banks have also come back into the market to support M&A deals, which has helped to keep the momentum going.

Most importantly it means that, even in these low interest times, business owners selling now should be able to realise the capital they need to allow them to retire.

So given that the larger accountancy firms all offer M&A advice, why should anyone consider using a boutique consultancy like EMC to help them sell or acquire a business?

For a start, we specialise in smaller M&A deals – the sort that bigger firms may not consider worthwhile. Our average deal size is between £5 million and £20 million. To the big firms, deals of that size are sprats, whereas for us they are significant transactions, so we give them the attention they deserve.

We are also local, specialising in Sussex, Kent, Surrey and London. Our 12-strong corporate finance team, with the support of their 10 interim management colleagues, all live and work on the patch.

We have offices in Crawley, Eastbourne, Maidstone and Brighton as well as serviced arrangements in London.

We celebrated our 25th anniversary last year. During those years we have completed well over 200 transactions and created more than 400 millionaires. We work on 20-30 transactions each year and hope to complete between 10 and 15. It doesn’t sound many, but for a small team that’s pretty good and certainly makes us the most active independent

“For anyone considering selling their business, this would be a great time to do so”

Cover Feature

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 31

“We work on a limited number of transactions so we’re able to give each one the time, resource and commitment they deserve and need”

ABOVE: EMC’s Michael Pay (second left) celebrates the sale of Lewes Holdings Group Ltd, owner of Ivy Press and its imprints, to The Quarto Group Inc, with (from left) Jonathan Grant of solicitors DMH Stallard, Stephen Paul, Peter Bridgewater, Jenny Manstead (all Ivy Press), and Simon Bellm from DMH Stallard.

ABOVE RIGHT: Nik Askaroff is presented with his Insider South East Dealmaker of the Year 2015 award by James Bullock of category sponsor Brachers.

32 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

corporate finance house in the South East. It has also earned us a clutch of top industry awards, the latest of which was announced recently when I was named Dealmaker of the Year at the Insider South East Dealmakers’ Awards.

Our team has a huge range of individual sector experience, with particular strengths in specialist areas such as digital, publishing, food, technology and freight forwarding alongside general manufacturing and distribution.

But our real expertise stems from knowledge, experience and trust. Most of our team gained their expertise working for big accounting firms. Because we are all locals, we understand the patch and know most of the major acquirers and those looking to sell.

Often our relationships with clients go back ten years or more. Just a few months ago we sold the East Sussexbased Lewes Holdings Group Ltd, the owner of Ivy Press and its imprints, to The Quarto Group Inc, the leading global illustrated book publisher.

EMC first advised Ivy Press when

the company started in 1996, initially assisting with the raising of working capital. Since then we have maintained a close working relationship with the business, having led the finance department for a while and advised the management team on a number of operational and strategic issues.

Unlike some, we don’t put a principal in front of you who then disappears while a junior does the actual work. In fact, we don’t employ any juniors, so with us what you see is what you get. You’ll only ever have principals looking after you.

Our fixed charges are between £10,000 and £30,000 with the rest calculated on a success basis. Big firms have to charge many times that because they have to service such a big overhead. We believe in shared risk and getting our real reward when the client gets theirs. If you are being asked for a big commitment fee, what motivation is there for your advisors to get the deal done?

M&A deals are massively timeconsuming. They can’t be done by an accountant as a sideline. We work on a

limited number of transactions so we’re able to give each one the time, resources and commitment they deserve and need.

If an accountancy practice doesn’t have a specialist team, it can’t possibly deliver this level of expertise and commitment.

Seventy per cent of our deals are about selling businesses; another 20 per cent are acquisitions and the rest are management buyouts.

Management buyouts can be especially complicated. The most important question a management team needs to ask is why do they want to do it? What are their expectations once they have bought the business? Running a heavily geared or VC-backed company is a very different dynamic from running a cash rich subsidiary of a major group.

Indeed, we have in the past warned off management teams from attempting MBOs because the numbers haven’t stacked up. There is usually a reason why the parent company or owner is willing to sell a business, and management needs to be quite clear what it is buying and what the new business will look like. Run

the numbers – they rarely lie!

Once again, it’s about building trust with your advisor so that you get truthful advice and don’t waste your time and money on a failed transaction.

EMC Corporate Finance Ltd, Rochester House, 48 Rochester Gardens, Hove BN3 3AW Tel: 01273 945984 Email: contact@emcltd.co.uk Web: www.emcltd.co.uk

With offices in Hove, Eastbourne, Crawley, Maidstone and London, EMC is the South East’s leading independent corporate finance firm.

Since 1989, it has helped hundreds of private business owners to sell their businesses and reap the maximum reward from their years of hard work. Many have become multimillionaires as a result. The firm has also advised on and negotiated hundreds of company mergers, acquisitions, buy-outs and buy-ins.

EMC’s corporate finance work has been recognised regionally and nationally with several top industry awards including, most recently, the title of South East Dealmaker of the Year at the prestigious Insider Dealmaker Awards for its founder and CEO Nik Askaroff, one of the best-known and most high profile business personalities in the county. His past roles have included chairman of Sussex Enterprise, the South Eastern Society of Chartered Accountants and Sussex Business Link amongst others. He is currently chairing the organising committee for Sussex cricketer Luke Wright’s Benefit Year.

EMC also pioneered the concept of the ‘mobile boardroom’ – a team of highly experienced professionals who provide board-level support and advice to businesses. They work across all the main sectors – finance, sales, marketing, IT and so on – to provide interim management, strategic planning, sales training, exporting, e-commerce, and general business advice to businesses of all sizes and in all sectors.

A book entitled ‘The Mobile Boardroom’, compiled by Nik Askaroff and colleague Julian Clay from contributions by other members of the EMC team, was published last year. It covers many of the big questions and challenges faced by business owners and directors when starting, running, building and ultimately selling a company. The book, published by Thorogood, is available from Amazon and other online retailers at £14.99.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 33

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Chairty Challenge

A Legal High...

Griffith Smith Farrington Webb are taking on the 3 peaks challenge…are they mad?!

For those of you that don’t know us, we are a leading Sussex Focus law firm committed to achieving our clients’ goals and exceeding their expectations.

We have built an enviable reputation for our expertise across a wide range of legal services for businesses and individuals, advising clients locally and nationally since 1881.

We have offices based in Brighton, Hassocks and Henfield and have achieved Lexcel accreditation from the Law Society in recognition of our high practice and management standards.

We listen to our clients and, in so doing, aim constantly to improve the service we provide.

We are a modern practice with traditional values.

In a recent marketing meeting we decided to organise a fundraising event for our chosen charity of the year, the Spinal Injuries Association. After much discussion, or should I say debate, the 3 Peaks Challenge was approved!

A team of 8, Nick Evans, Nadia Cowdrey, Adrian Bell, Deborah Cain, Emma Weir, Linda Chapman, Gavin Farley and me, Vicky King will be completing the challenge in August and as you can imagine our training programme is pretty intense. One member of our team has decided to give up smoking in order to complete the challenge, so we are certainly taking this seriously!

The team are of all ages and all levels of fitness but I think everyone is scared of the sleep deprivation and how this will affect our mood and the dynamic of the group. The last mountain (Snowden) is going to be tough and spirits will need to be lifted!

We have therefore decided to meet

Devils Dyke

up a few times before the Challenge itself and practice walking together and understand how we work as a team.

We all need to walk at the pace of the slowest person and we cannot just steam ahead – it is not only a physical challenge but a tough mental challenge as well.

Hills, hills and more hills will be our stomping ground over the next few months. The steeper the better! So if you see us on Devils Dyke, Chanctonbury Ring or any other local hill, come say hi, knowing people are supporting us is a great source of energy.

Walking 21 miles up 10,000 feet and down 10,000 feet with very little sleep in 24 hours!

We have already raised over £5,500 and we cannot thank our supporters enough, their generosity has been overwhelming and we

Photo Nigel Freeman ©

“Walking 21 miles up 10,000 feet and down 10,000 feet with very little sleep in 24 hours!”

have created a dedicated web page to show our appreciation; http://www.gsfwsolicitors.co.uk/ thank-you-to-our-3-peaks-sponsors We are now hoping to smash £10,000 and if you want to sponsor our Challenge and help raise vital funds for the Spinal Injuries Association, visit our JustGiving page now https://www.justgiving. com/GSFWSolicitors/

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 35

Adam Berger with Managing Director of Challenge Packaging, Simon Allen

Space For Growing Business

The economy in East Sussex is entering an exciting new phase with new multi-million pound commercial developments nearing completion, contributing to the wide selection of high quality commercial space already on offer in the county Key developments in progress include Sovereign Harbour Insight Innovation Park in Eastbourne, and Bexhill Innovation Park off the new Bexhill to Hastings Link Road. Plans are also advancing for major projects in Hastings at North Queensway, in Lewes’ North Street Quarter, at Newhaven Port and in Maresfield, just outside Uckfield.

With this array of new commercial space becoming available, increasing numbers of company owners are turning to Locate East Sussex for free and impartial advice on relocation issues.

Funded by a partnership of East Sussex County Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Hastings Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Rother District Council, and Wealden District Council, Locate East Sussex works closely with commercial agents, developers and planning authorities to

36 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

give advice to companies looking to grow in East Sussex or relocate to the county.

Director Philip Johnson said: “Over the last decade the county’s range of new commercial property has been broadened extensively and premises

“This funding has been matched by over £17 million from local companies, representing a total boost of more than £21million to the East Sussex economy” for businesses of all sizes and sectors are now available at highly competitive prices. Whether you’re a business looking to expand or a start–up company seeking your first commercial premises, Locate East Sussex is here to help you.”

With strong connections to colleges, universities and recruitment agencies in

the county, Locate East Sussex also gives guidance to companies looking to grow their workforce.

Over the past year, Locate East Sussex, in partnership with East Sussex County Council, has helped 128 growing companies and startups secure a total of more than £4million in grants and loans through the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, creating 580 new jobs.

This funding has been matched by over £17 million from local companies, representing a total boost of more than £21 million to the East Sussex economy.

Locate East Sussex can register your interest to be kept informed of future funding opportunities.

To take advantage of any of Locate East Sussex’s services, which are available at no cost to companies, email enquiries@locateeastsussex. org.uk or phone 0844 4159255.

Commercial Development

Companies recently helped by Locate East Sussex:

(L-R) Chris Thomas, Adam Berger, Geoff Mann and Director Philip Johnson

Challenge Packaging: Locate East Sussex helped find new bigger premises for this packaging manufacturer in Golden Cross. As a result, 25 jobs have been safeguarded and Challenge Packaging intends to recruit up to eight extra staff. Managing Director Simon Allen said: “We wanted to improve efficiency and consolidate our operation under one roof but couldn’t find a unit in the area that was big enough.

Without assistance from Locate East Sussex we wouldn’t have been able to go ahead with our plans to grow as a business.”

Solar UK: With help from Locate East Sussex, this solar panel company was able to push ahead with its move to a unique 17-sided manufacturing centre in Battle. Managing Director Duncan Lee said: “Locate East Sussex helped source the grant which was crucial to building the internal factory and office space within the centre.”

Managing Director of Solar UK ,Duncan Lee with Chris Thomas

Airsheet Trace Metal staff with Geoff Mann (centre)

Zebedee’s Lunch Box: This catering company has expanded and 25 new jobs are being created thanks to RGF funding secured with the help of Locate East Sussex. Philip Oates, Director of Zebedee’s Lunch Box, said: “Without the help of Locate East Sussex we would not have been able to expand our business and successfully keep up with the growing demand we face. We are now expecting our business to grow further and win customers throughout East Sussex and beyond.”

Airtrace Sheet Metal With plans to expand, this Eastbourne manufacturer received assistance from Locate East Sussex in sourcing government funding and recently moved into new premises that are double the size of its previous factory. Tony Warwick, who jointly owns Airtrace Sheet Metal with Jason Pearson, said: “Our new factory is built to suit our needs and means we can work even more efficiently.

The financial support we received, with help from Locate East Sussex, was instrumental in allowing us to expedite our expansion plans.”

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 37

Commercial Property Throughout Sussex Sales & Lettings Land & New Homes Acquisition Investment Valuation Development Advisors Planning Viability Rent Review Lease Renewal Management

oakleyproperty.com Commercial Property Head Office • Land & Development 23 & 24 Marlborough Place • Brighton • East Sussex • BN1 1UB • T 01273 688882 • E info@oakleyproperty.com

38 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Advertorial

From Small Acorns Mighty Oaks Do Grow...

Chartered Surveyor, Chris Oakley started Oakley in 1993 and is Property now one of the largest and most recognised property brands in Sussex, offering a variety of residential and commercial surveying and property solution services.

The company have just re-branded and we invited Chris to tell us about how the business has grown since he started in a small shared office in the recessionary years of the early 1990’s.

“I started Oakley as a commercial property practice, based in Brighton, when I was 27 and had recently qualified as a Chartered Surveyor. I had been in commercial property since I was 18 and rather than going through the traditional university route I studied for my qualification by day release, enabling me to obtain a good level of experience whilst I was studying As such, I am a great advocate of apprenticeships”.

“I focussed on advising small and new businesses on their property needs, whether it was a requirement for commercial estate agency, valuation, business rate or Landlord & Tenant services. My theory was that by giving a good service and professional advice I could grow my business as these young businesses grew, by referral and repeat business’.

“We quickly carved a niche in this sector and picked up instructions to

dispose of business space aimed at small and medium sized businesses. I also felt that the industry was missing a trick and that for too long commercial estate agency had been somewhat of a ‘dark art’, so we focussed strongly on making ourselves accessible to customers through our office locations and ensuring that our staff took time to understand what a business needed, before we offered solutions. I also wanted to ensure that our own marketing gave a clear message: if you want an agent to market your property, make sure they can market themselves in the first instance”.

“Diversity is now our strength, you can no longer focus on one sector, as property clients now have diverse portfolios and they need a one stop shop service” We asked Chris what some of the challenges had been for the business.

“The greatest test that has faced the business since I set it up was without doubt the recent recession. However, we managed to keep our well trained teams together through this period and I am convinced that having dedicated staff and a diverse business enabled us to come out of the recession stronger than we entered it’. Chris added: “Diversity is now our strength, you can no longer focus on one sector, as property clients now have

diverse portfolios and they need a one stop shop service!”

The practice now advises in respect of all aspects of commercial property from the acquisition, sale and letting of retail, business space, investment and development property to professional services which cover Landlord & Tenant advice, business rate appeals, residential and commercial property portfolio management and valuations for all manner of purposes.

The commercial property and management team are based at our prime head office in Marlborough Place, Brighton and Oakley have additional offices in Brighton, which offer traditional residential estate agency, new home and letting services, as well as an office in the County Town of Lewes.

Oakley now advise a broad range of clients on property matters from new and small businesses to major international corporations. During the course of the last year the company has hit the headlines, having won a number of major agency contracts in both the commercial and residential sectors. These have included instructions to deal with land disposals on behalf of Shoreham Port, a major office instruction for the Cathedral Group in Brighton’s proposed new Circus Street development, new homes contracts with the Hyde Housing Group, which have included the successful pre sale of the award winning Super B project at Brighton Station, and a new 65 unit apartment scheme in Preston Park for Daejan Holdings.

For more information contact Oakley on: 01273 688882 or visit oakleyproperty.com www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 39

Crime Matters

Business Crime Matters

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne explains how the £249,000 recently awarded to the ‘Sussex Retail Crime Partnership Project’ will be invested to protect local businesses

Business crime accounts for 21% of all recorded crimes Invest in Sussex and crime against the retail sector accounts for around 47% of that total. According to the British Retail Consortium, the annual cost of business crime to the entire retail sector in the UK is £511m. Figures from the National Retail Crime Survey and the Association of Convenience Stores also show it is a significant area of criminality nationally.

The employment that business creates and its contribution to a strong local economy is the lifeblood of Sussex communities. It is vital that local organisations and the police work together to reduce business crime and help create a safe and secure county in which to live and work.

That is why I have made improving access to information and intelligence

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and building engagement between the police and the local business community a priority within the Sussex Police & Crime Plan.

I am delighted that this commitment to tackling business crime has also been recognised by the Home Office, which is supporting a collaborative bid by Sussex

“The employment that business creates and its contribution to a strong local economy is the lifeblood of Sussex communities” Police, Sussex Business Crime Reduction Group and The Southern Co-operative to improve crime reporting and prevention opportunities.

The ‘Sussex Retail Crime Partnership Project’ has been awarded £249,000 (over two years) through the Government’s Police Innovation Fund.

The Southern Co-operative will provide

an additional £170,000 to the project.

The decision to run the Retail Crime Partnership Project in partnership with The Southern Co-operative was to ensure its work benefited both “ends of the telescope” – the police at one end and the business community at the other – said Chris Neilson, Strategic Lead for Business Crime, Sussex Police.

Gareth Lewis, Monitoring and Technical Support Manager from The Southern Co-operative said: “The Retail Crime Partnership Project will focus on providing “boots on the ground”.

Business wardens, contracted through private security, will operate across our 26 southern sites and will use the secure online crime-reporting app Facewatch to electronically report and record retail crime to Sussex Police.”

“I think The Southern Co-operative should be congratulated for taking a more community-based approach to their position within the retail crime environment,” Mr Neilson added.

The project will initially involve five

© Suerob | Dreamstime.com - Police Patrol Car Photo

Crime Matters

wardens, working alongside the five local Business Crime Reduction Partnerships in Eastbourne, Hastings, Brighton, Crawley and Chichester.

Lisa Perretta, Chair of the Sussex Business Crime Group, said: “Business Crime Reduction Partnerships are information and intelligence sharing groups aimed at preventing crime and disorder. The wardens will build relationships with the partnerships and also link into the Sussex Business Crime Group, to help strengthen collaboration between all the local partners. This kind of close-working is vital for the individual crime reduction partnerships so that they can tackle criminality and anti-social behaviour together, as we know some offenders are moving around the county to areas where they believe they are not known.”

The aim is to extend the scheme to other corporate partners in Sussex. By getting involved in the Sussex Retail Crime Partnership Project, companies could help protect their profits and prevent stock losses. For the police, the data retrieved could help identify repeat offenders and determine the best police response, for example, diversion schemes, restorative justice, civil injunctions or retribution through the courts system.

The knock-on effect would be a far more robust approach to tackling serious and organised crime, which is a threat

“By getting involved in the Sussex Retail Crime Partnership Project, companies could help protect their profits and prevent stock losses” to some retailers. It can often be a challenge for the police to connect shop thefts carried out in multiple locations to the work of a single criminal entity and through this project a partnership approach to intelligence gathering could be implemented that would help identify regional organised criminal activity.

The long-term ambition is to expand the scheme even further among the business community - building on what these organisations might already be doing and promoting crime prevention techniques. This would include the use of stock control, security guard deployment, encouraging crime reporting and improving the quality and submission of CCTV. Currently, according to the British Retail Crime Survey 2013, only one-in-ten retail crimes are reported to the police and the aim of this project is to enhance existing reporting capabilities and encourage

shops, especially those in more remote communities, to engage with the police.

The Retail Crime Partnership Project will be raised at a National Business Crime Forum this month and there is keen interest in Sussex’s business crime approach. Sussex Police is open to working with industry bodies including The National Association of Business Crime Partnerships, British Retail Consortium, and The Association of Convenience Stores to develop this project even further. This whole approach is completely scalable. There is no doubt that anything we do locally could be replicated across the country.

Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

Chris Neilson, Strategic Lead for Business Crime, Sussex Police

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 41

Advertorial

Style

Watch W.Bruford, Eastbourne’s 128-year-old jewellers, has recently returned from the world’s biggest watch buying fair with a selection of new treasures

Baselworld is THE global trendsetting event for the watch Focus and jewellery industry, taking place every year on the border between France, Germany and Switzerland, in Basel. For eight intensive days in March, 150 of the biggest and most prestigious brands in the world descend upon the Swiss city to showcase their new products to retailers from across the world.

Among the 150,000 attendees present was Eastbourne’s own W.Bruford, checking out the trends and tracking down some of the top new models and designs for their 2015 watch collection.

W.Bruford’s buying team certainly have their finger on the pulse and at Baselworld they were able to purchase some of the most prestigious collections for their discerning customers in Sussex.

The UK’s watch and jewellery industry is worth in excess of £5bn, with

42 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

consistent growth driven specifically by the luxury watch sector. While tech giants might be grabbing a slice of the market with new connected smartwatches, the classic brands like Rolex, Omega and TAG Heuer are still excelling. W.Bruford is right on trend with its latest additions fresh from Baselworld.

Rolex

Rolex announced a new Calibre 3255 movement with a 72-hour power reserve along with an updated 40mm Day-Date model, a new black and 18 ct Everose gold version of its nautical Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master and new case sizes for the quintessential Oyster Perpetual model. Also announced was the re-designed Oyster Perpetual LadyDatejust featuring an enlarged 28mm case.

Tudor

Following the brand’s UK re-launch in September 2014, Tudor watches

Advertorial

showcased their first in-house Chronometer rated movement MT5621.

The Tudor North Flag is the first model to be fitted with this new movement which also features a 70 hour power reserve.

The North Flag model is the epitome of tool watches for adventurers; technical and reliable. The Pelagos divers model has been updated with a Manufacture TUDOR MT5612 movement in two new colour combinations: blue and black.

Breitling

Breitling announced a collection of 6 limited edition watches this year and W. Bruford are proud to announce that we will be stocking four of these exclusive models including the Transocean Chronograph Limited Edition, Navitimer Blue Limited Edition AOPA, Aerospace Evo Night Mission Limited Edition and the Galactic Unitime SleekT Limited Edition.

Omega

Omega’s 2015 offering was nothing short of spectacular with the brand once again creating the Official James Bond Spectre Watch, in collaboration with the new movie released in November 2015. The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m, inspired by the Bond family coat of arms, is a limited edition watch of 15,007 pieces as this timepiece is resistant to magnetic fields greater than 15,007 gauss. We are anticipating a huge interest in this watch so if you would like the chance to own one of these incredible pieces, contact us as soon as possible. Omega also announced the ceramic Speedmaster in dark, grey and white versions as well as a new Ladies Constellation Pluma with a

coral coloured dial.

An additional noteworthy announcement from Omega came in the form of the Speedmaster Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award, a tribute to the 45th anniversary of the legendary Apollo 13 mission and the Silver Snoopy Award that Omega received from the astronauts upon their safe return to earth.

TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer’s big statement at Baselworld 2015 was their collaboration with Intel and Google to create the ultimate connected watch. Further details are yet to be released but this is the biggest collaboration between a Swiss watchmaker and tech giants. Their flagship timepiece this year was the Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 featuring a new generation TAG Heuer case, made from light titanium for greater shock resistance.

TAG Heuer also released a new Formula 1 McLaren Special Edition alongside the new darker Monaco V4 Phantom now in carbon matrix composite.

Longines

Longines main point of focus came in the form of their Heritage Diver 1967 drawing its inspiration from a divers watch produced in 1967. Updates to the eponymous Ladies Dolce Vita have been made in the form of new softer lines and a new collection Symphonette with a unique oval case shape bringing together elegance and modernity. www.wbruford.com

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 43

Independent Education

Why Consider Independent Education?

Mr James Dahl, Director of Admissions Wellington College, discusses the pros and cons of choosing independent education for your children

“A much broader range of extracurricular activities mean that independent schools offer a truly holistic education, challenging and nurturing pupils across all of their talents and aptitudes”

44 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Independent education is not a market which should Focus be flourishing. The worst recession since the 1930s, coupled with fee increases beyond the rate of inflation have led many commentators to predict a significant shrinking of the number of pupils being educated in private schools. Many of the educational reforms of the past decade – the creation of academies, free schools and teaching school alliances to name but three – have also brought rapid change and real improvement to the state sector. Quite simply, private schools should be on the wane, yet last year’s Independent Schools Council census found that the number of pupils being educated in the independent sector had actually grown by almost 3,500. In fact, there are now more pupils in private schools than there were in 2008 at the beginning of the economic downturn.

What factors explain this counterintuitive trend?

Firstly, it is vital to stress that the best state schools provide an excellent

education. They offer highly inspirational teaching within highly aspirational school cultures; they use sophisticated data to monitor the progress of their pupils closely, and they are swift to employ tried and tested interventions if things aren’t as they should be. All head teachers in the independent sector would naturally argue that their schools do the same; crucially however, there remain a number of areas where independent schools get it right, which explains why so many parents remain willing to make the sacrifices required to meet their children’s private school fees.

Most noticeably, independent schools continue to dominate league tables both in terms of public examination results and university entrance. More than half of the A-level results achieved at independent schools last year were A*/A grades, enabling those pupils to enter our best universities. Oxford and Cambridge have both widened access to state educated pupils, but figures published by the Department for Education last year show that privately educated children are three times more likely to enter a leading Russell Group university than their state educated counterparts. When it comes

Independent Education

to successful Oxbridge entry, the ratio shoots up to five times as likely.

Some independent schools are, of course, selective – but the majority are not. The key to their success lies partly in the smaller class sizes and greater teacher-pupil ratios, which exist in almost every independent school. These working conditions allow teachers to deliver curricula in a more effective, targeted and differentiated manner, dealing with the needs of each and every individual pupil on a day-to-day basis.

Furthermore, independence gives our schools the freedom to employ some our finest graduates without the immediate need for initial teaching training qualifications. Independent schools can then offer first-class support, training and coaching to these recruits, delivered within the school environment rather than in a lecture hall on a university campus.

Independence also allows many outstanding and inspirational teachers to join directly from other career paths ranging from the armed services to the worlds of finance and law. Such diversity and wider-world expertise can only have an enriching effect on both the Common Rooms and the pupils of independent schools.

Public examination results and university outcomes are, of course, not the only keys to private schools’ ongoing success; it must be remembered at all times that the very best schools, both independent and state, are much more than mere exam factories churning out top results every year. So what else sets independent schools apart?

The facilities and grounds of most are excellent with state-of-the-art provision in music and theatre, extensive sports facilities and regular investment in classroom technology. Longer school days and a much broader range of extra-curricular activities mean that independent schools offer a truly holistic education, challenging and nurturing pupils across all of their talents and aptitudes, not just a narrow, academic few. And the focus that so many independent schools place on developing character and leadership,

from competitive sport to thriving CCF and Duke of Edinburgh schemes, mean that children educated at independent schools are given every opportunity to develop the skills needed both to lead and serve others in later life.

It is therefore no surprise that men and women educated at independent schools exert a numerically disproportionate influence on just about every sphere of public life. But it is not simply within the traditional areas of

cost and, with fees at some boarding schools reaching £35,000 per annum, it is understandable why many families do not give private schooling a second thought. The question of affordability is not lost on the sector, however, which is why one-third of pupils at independent schools received some form of financial support with fees last year, with the sector investing more than £660m in scholarships and means-tested bursaries in 2014. Most crucially, over 40% of the pupils who receive means-tested bursaries at independent schools have more than half their fees remitted.

The robustness and resilience shown by the sector in years therefore gives clear evidence of the quality of an independent education, and there remain many compelling reasons why parents should consider seriously the private school option. Some final words of warning, however: being independent and charging fees does not automatically make a private school a good school, nor is every private school the right fit for every child. Go and visit the schools in your ‘consideration set’ to discover what they offer - in every sense - and whether they might be the right place for your children to spend the most formative years of their lives.

“independent schools continue to dominate league tables both in terms of public examination results and university entrance” law, politics and the church where this is visible; many of the nation’s leading lights in the arts, media and sport are alumni of the independent sector. It is well-publicised that 37% of Team GB’s gold-medal winners at the London Olympics were privately educated, leading Sir Michael Wilshaw, Head of Ofsted, to lament that competitive sport has become merely an ‘optional extra’ in the state sector.

An independent education does, of course, come at a significant

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 45

” “BEST PUBLIC “OUTSTANDING ISI Report 2014 SCHOOL” “THE MOST FORWARD-THINKING Tatler Schools Guide 2014

SCHOOL IN BRITAIN” 2014

Outstandingeducation educationfor forday boarding and day pupils aged 13-18 Outstanding and boarding pupils aged 13-18

46 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

+44(0)1344 (0) 1344 444 013 | admissions@wellingtoncollege.org.uk +44 444013 | admissions@wellingtoncollege.org.uk www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk | Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 7PU www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk | Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 7PU

G”

NG

Are We Too Busy To Be Healthy?

Zuzana Strbakova, fitness fanatic and founder of Z-energy Health Club (@ZenergyZuzana), reveals how to juggle health with our busy lifestyles “I’d like to be fitter and eat healthier, but Healthy I just don’t have the time”… how many Living times have I heard this? Seriously, are we too busy to take care of our health; the single most important thing in the world? We spend hundreds of pounds on doctors, medication, diets and other ‘quick fixes’ to get us back on track when we get poorly. It’s silly and absolutely doesn’t have to be this way. Healthy, nutritious food and just a few small adjustments to our daily routine can make a HUGE difference.

And as an employer or employee, everyone benefits: less absenteeism, more productivity and a healthier and happier workforce.

Do you skip breakfast in the belief that by doing so you’ll lose weight? Well, you could not be more wrong. A wellbalanced breakfast will not only give you the energy and nutrients you need to attack your busy day, it’ll also kick-starts your metabolism, which will then turn into a ‘fuel burning engine’ and help you burn more calories. Scrambled eggs on granary toast or a strawberry and banana smoothie with soy/skimmed/rice/coconut

milk and a teaspoon of peanut butter, all prepared the night before and left in the fridge, will do the trick.

“Our office is always full of sweets, biscuits and chocolates, it’s too hard to resist,” I hear you say. Hide those ‘unhealthy’ snacks in the cupboard, out of sight and out of mind. Instead, have

“Be original, start a new trend and go and buy fruit for your work mates instead of chocolates, cake or biscuit” an apple, banana or a few oat cakes and nuts in your drawer or on your desk for when you feel peckish. If you don’t see the temptation, you won’t give into it. Be original, start a new trend and go and buy fruit for your work mates instead of chocolates, cake or biscuits and save these as a treat. Some forward-thinking companies already provide fruit and healthy products for their staff and for meetings, and I’m sure the resulting health and wellbeing of their staff is proof for all. And it’s good PR to show you’re

looking after your visitors’ health too.

Planning and preparation is everything when it comes to food. Chicken, fish, rice, veggies, salads, pasta, nuts, spices…there are hundreds of recipes all over the internet if you don’t feel creative enough. The average British person spends between two to four hours a day watching TV, well, you’ll only need one of those hours to prepare lunches for the whole week and your purse/wallet will thank you too.

And don’t just ‘wish’ to be more active, become it: eat your lunch away from your desk, take a break from your computer every 30 minutes, walk to a colleague’s desk rather than phoning or emailing them and use the stairs instead of the lift.

Get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way or take a brisk half-hour walk during your lunch break instead of shopping or glued to your mobile device.

Do some research, find an evening exercise class in your local area, grab a friend and GO FOR IT. You’ve got nothing to lose; if you hate it, you never have to go back.

The bottom line is that we will never have more time to be healthy or do anything – we have to make time.

Good luck!

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 47

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Hotel Review:

South Lodge South Lodge Hotel Horsham

Address: Brighton Rd, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6PS Telephone: 01403 891711 Web: www.southlodgehotel.co.uk

50 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

It’s a bright April evening on the hottest day of the year so far Review as we jump in the car for the short journey to South Lodge. We manage to beat the rush hour Brighton traffic as we head for the windy country roads of the A272 and the A281. As we drive deeper into the Sussex countryside, it’s surprising to think that we’re only a short way from Brighton and Gatwick – a huge plus already for the business folk of Sussex.

On first impressions, South Lodge appears to be a classic old English manor house; the carpark is filled with top spec Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martins and Porsches. I leave my Toyota Aygo in a particularly shady area and wonder if I should use the servants’ entrance.

Putting my car shame aside, we’re

SBT’s Jon Goodwin reviews South Lodge near Horsham warmly welcomed by Rachel – who is very knowledgeable and polite, giving us a brief history on South Lodge on the way to Crestwood, our room for the night.

The room is high above my own expectations. Every possible need appears to be covered. Need to watch TV in the bath? Covered. Need to choose from a Pillow Menu with six different options? Covered. The room even comes with a Sony tablet, which is a huge leap forward from your traditional guest information book. I can use it to order things like fresh milk for my morning cuppa, or choose from the extensive DVD library, which even comes with complimentary popcorn should you fancy a quiet night in watching movies.

After getting ourselves familiar with the room’s gadgets, we head down to the two AA rosette ‘Camillia’ restaurant for dinner. The word ‘luxury’ is a commonly

Tried and Tested in Sussex

overused adjective when describing fine dining establishments and topend accommodation but I think it’s appropriate here. The attention to detail throughout our stay coupled with the first class service we received has truly earned the title.

To begin our feast for the evening, we’re presented with an amuse-bouche of white onion veloute, served with homemade marmite bread. This is followed by braised shin of beef for starter, sea bream for main – and to finish, a tart tartin, which is made fresh to order. This is a truly indulgent way to end four courses of some of the finest food I’ve ever eaten.

I’d happily put this on a par with what I experienced at The Ivy in Dubai earlier this year.

On first impressions, each course appears small – and I begin to think room service grub would have to be my saviour later. However, after the fourth course I have that ‘Sunday afternoon after-Nan’s

roast dinner’ feeling and I can’t even fit in a coffee before bed.

The next morning, after a peaceful sleep in the comfortable room, we return to the Camilla restaurant. I’m pleased to discover that the ingredients of my full English are all locally sourced, and in fact the eggs came from hens approximately 20 meters from where I’m sitting. The locally pressed apple juice comes from Wobblegate, only a few miles down the road. The poached pineapple is a welcome variation to the traditional fruit salad served in your standard hotel breakfast rooms.

After checking out, we’re greeted

by Marc Dorney – the Sales Manager at South Lodge. Marc kindly gives us a tour of South Lodge’s business facilities, situated impressively over three floors. I’m most impressed by the video conferencing suite, which wouldn’t make a bad setting for the G8 summit. Marc informs me that it’s kitted out with the latest AMX Enzo system, and comes with

“This is a must for all regional business professionals looking to make that valuable first impression with clients”

its own dedicated host. This is a must for all regional business professionals looking to make that valuable first impression with clients and prospective business partners. South Lodge even has a helipad! (*sigh)... I may be in danger of repeating myself but attention to detail is really what sets South Lodge apart from its competitors. I’d thoroughly recommend South Lodge for a weekend getaway, special occasion or a business occasion that requires first class facilities and service.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 51

Chamber News

The Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex ACES is the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex linking 4,000 business members across the county.

If you belong to one of the Chambers of Commerce in the panel overleaf, you are automatically a member of ACES. This means that you can share your company news in these SBT business pages – without charge. Just email your news item to your local Chamber with a high resolution picture and they will pass it on to the ACES press office.

Alternatively, if you would like to network with progressive business people from across the county, you can attend one of the varied ACES events or the BEST4Biz Conference in October 2015.

Also, ACES has a strong voice with local policy makers and can lobby on your behalf to remove barriers to business.

Just call ACES on 01323 641144 or check www.acesalliance.org to see how they can help.

ACES Member Advice

Is your website mobile responsive?

And if not, why not?

According to an Ofcom study in 2014, while 83% of UK adults now go online regularly, a massive 62% of adults are now using a smartphone.

Julian Perrott, Managing Director of Barkweb said: “Any website design company worth their salt will tell you that they’ve seen an exponential rise of mobile access to the Internet to the point where half a typical website’s traffic is from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is therefore vital that your website should automatically alter its configuration to the device that is accessing your site.”

Not only is responsive design best practice from a User Experience perspective, helping the user to navigate and interact with the site easily, but it also serves a SEO purpose because Google now uses responsive

52 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

design as a ranking factor for searches made on mobile devices. This means that you can improve the performance of your site in search engines by improving the mobilefriendliness of your website.

The SEO benefit of responsive design isn’t anything new. In 2013 Google announced that they would penalise sites in mobile search results that weren’t configured for smartphones and the developments in late 2014 mean that Google take this one step further and now reward sites for being mobile-friendly (with an icon next to search results that indicates a mobile friendly site) so users can select from search results sites that provide a better mobile experience.

BarkWeb design all new

websites with responsive design so that they work perfectly on tablet and mobile.

A recent shift in their process is that now during concept creation they actually design from a ‘mobile-first’ perspective and retrospectively unfold the design to fit to desktop so that it looks great on both.

Barkweb specialise in creating the latest mobile-friendly responsive design technology and will ensure your website looks its best on any device.

Check out their website from your smart phone at www.barkweb.co.uk or call them at 01323 735800.

Chamber News

Financial Protection Protection is the cornerstone of most good financial planning. Life insurance puts money in the hands of those who need it when a person dies. There are many reasons why this money might be needed – paying off a mortgage if a borrower dies; protecting a family against the early death of a spouse, partner or parent, or paying inheritance tax (IHT).

The life assurance needed to cover a loan is relatively simple to assess and most people also need insurance cover to replace their income if they were to die.

You can arrange for life cover to pay out an annual amount over a set period, which is a simple approach, or you can have cover that pays out a lump sum.

The best way to ensure that the proceeds of a life policy are paid to the people you intend to benefit is to arrange for the policy to be in a trust. This arrangement should save inheritance tax and speed up the payment to the beneficiaries.

By contrast, the purpose of health insurance is to provide some money if you fall seriously ill or have an accident, potentially affecting you for many years. State benefits would be relatively low and unlikely to provide sufficient income to meet your needs, especially if you have substantial rent or mortgage payments to make. You might also need capital, for example to make adaptations to your home or to pay off loans or other liabilities. Income protection pays a monthly income if you cannot work because of illness or disability.

In the UK, there are over 11 million people with a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability and 1 in 7 working age adults suffer from a

disability (Taxbriefs, May 2014).

Critical illness insurance pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed as suffering from a specified illness, this can allow you to make rapid adjustments to your lifestyle and pay off loans.

People often take out critical illness insurance to cover a mortgage or other loan. Insurers are constantly looking at new ways to meet people’s needs and it’s important to seek the assistance of a trusted advisor.

To receive a complimentary guide covering Wealth Management, Retirement Planning or Inheritance Tax Planning, contact Simon Hoadley Wealth Management on 01323 431938 mobile 07710 271028.

ACES Member News

Sanders Property Management – Grows across East Sussex Tea at theTop Over 50 business associates and clients of Sanders Property Management enjoyed a Champagne afternoon tea at the View Hotel in Eastbourne. The event was part of the company’s 10 year celebrations and was held as a thank you to the Directors for their help and assistance over the years.

Peter Sanders, Managing Director of Sanders Property Management, was delighted to be celebrating the milestone and said: “This event enabled the company to show the clients how much they are appreciated. Some of our guests here today are the original first clients that came on board when we started the business”.

The company was borne out of Peter Sanders’ frustration with the service provided by the industry of managing agents. He purchased a freehold on a block of flats in April 2005, with the intention of ‘setting new standards in Residential Block Management’.

Over the last decade, the business has seen a recession and property crash, but this family firm has grown year-on-year to the point where it is now one of the

leading independent block management companies in the area. This growth has seen expansion into surrounding towns such as Bexhill, Hastings, Seaford, Newhaven and Hove.

Peter Sanders has been involved in the property industry since 1992 and Lisa Sanders since 2001 and, together with their dedicated property team, offer

a wholly reliable and professional service with a focus on personal attention.

As an independent company, Sanders are able to offer a more flexible service than many managing agents.

So, if you are looking to instruct a new block or estate management company, or simply want to know more about Sanders, call them on: (01323) 736442.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 53

Advert Nov_Layout 1 14/10/2014 12:38 Page 2

Chamber News

in East Sussex

ActionMAN Stikes Again

ACES

TR Fastenings - Best Profits for 10 Years

Battle Chamber of Commerce

(A Trifast Company)

www.battlechamber.org.uk

F

ounded in a small rented office at the top of Uckfield High Street in 1973, Mike Timms and Mike Roberts established their business after becoming disenchanted working for a large industrial group in Birmingham that restricted their creativity and individualism.

They focused on sourcing and selling industrial fastenings to light assembly industries in the South East at a time when ex stock deliveries could take as long as three weeks from the larger industry market leaders. Their core values were “look professional, be professional, provide outstanding service, sell on value rather than the cheapest price, maintain dynamic cash management and motivate and take care of your staff”.

However, the DotCom crash in 2001 devastated sales and profits in just a few short months, and the two Midlands factories had to be closed as the focus was intensified into Asia.

A change of senior management in 2007 and the 2008 recession resulted in the near collapse of the Company, with 2008 revenues down to £84m with substantial losses, and in March 2009 the two previous retired CEOs (Malcolm Diamond and Jim Barker) were invited back by the shareholders to rescue the business.

By 2010 profitability started to recover, as did the share price.

In 2011 a major automotive bolt manufacturer was acquired in Malaysia, and in May 2014 a leading domestic appliance

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

I L

F A E

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

Andy Camfield, Managing Director of 6 clients have had their best trading Steps Limited of Eastbourne Sussex won performances ever during the last Malcolm Diamond MBE and Jim Barker an ActionMAN Award at the European 12 months.

Business Excellence Forum and ActionCOACH, the world’s In 1978,EMEA manufacturing specialist fasteners largest screwbusiness business in Italy was brought ActionCOACH Regionof Conference. coaching firm,into was started in Uckfield, with subsequent the Group.

The conference was hosted at The was established and founded factories established in Northampton and TR’s major customer sectors include Troia Design Hotel Centre, 80’s. in theConference Telford in Brisbane, Australia

by Brad Automotive, Domestic Appliances, Grandola,InPortugal in IBM April. in 1993 when the– all concept the late 80’s, selected TR as their most Sugars Electronics and Distributors of which are eligible this component to to be trained in of business enjoying organic growth.was still in Andy earned awardsupplier thanks coaching zero defect/on time deliveries to a new the powerful work he has done with its infancy.

Since franchising the sales, In June 2014, TR announced the best assembly facility that relied on “Just In Time” profits and price for a decade, his clientsdeliveries throughout Sussex over company inshare 1997, Sugars has now straight to their production line. with 1,150 staff spread across 17 countries. compliance led to TR being a the courseSuccessful of the past year, including helped business coaching become Trifast Plc is based in Uckfield and along with single source supplier with IBM, which then coaching attracted businesses in market growth, more and grown TR’smainstream sales, distribution andhas manufacturing other major telecoms site. As the employs over 150 staff on the recruitment of great people, increased manufacturers to TR. The massive 1990’s surge thefacilities company to more than 1000 largest local employer, the Company carried it to a full LSE business electronics the quality efficiency inand of sector products and coaches operating in 55 maintains close links with both the Uckfield listing as a PLC in 1994 named Trifast. services with great profit increases.

ChamberActionCOACH of Commerce a founder member countries. specialises By 2000, sales turnover peaked at £120m of the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex ActionCOACH Founder & Chairman, in coaching small to medium sized sales, and by 2001 three component (ACES) and the local Community College.

Brad Sugars, presented the award. businesses well asannual executive factories had been established in Singapore, The Collegeas is the main provider of ‘A’ Malaysia andCamfield Taiwan, withsaid: sales and Leveland candidates TR’s 2 year NVQ Business A delighted Andy “It has teams groupforcoaching. distribution facilities in Southern Ireland, Studies Apprenticeship scheme. been a great year of growth and learning Norway, Sweden, USA, Holland, Hungary and Despite global uncertainty there is clearly within ourChina, business, thisaround has been plus eight the UK. a feeling amongst TR management and achieved by a strong team performance.

The Company had become global by staff that there are grounds for cautious The benefit of a solid team both locally, UK based multinational following its former for the about future continuing To optimism learn more Andy growth lower cost economies of their business as sales for year ended nationally key andcustomers globallytogives us all the Camfield, go to www.

March 2015 are forecast to reach overseas – mainly Asia and Central/ ability in driving in service and andycamfield.com £150 million.

Eastern excellence Europe. brilliance in results.

To learn more about As an ActionCOACH business owner ActionCOACH, go to www.

Andy takes the most pride in the success actioncoachGB.com/ and www. of his clients and the fact most of his actioncoach-franchise.co.uk

www.acesalliance.org

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

S

0800 881 5331 www.seafordchamber.co.uk South East Local Enterprise Partnership 01245 431469 www.southeastlep.com

G st

Uckfield Chamber of Commerce 01825 722607 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk

12

Wealden District Council 01323 443322 www.wealden.gov.uk

H

C 54 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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Test Drive

SBT’s Simon Skinner reviews three new cars: SEAT Leon ST 1.6 TDI, Renault Twingo TCe 90, and the Volvo V40 D4 Geartronic SE Lux Nav

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Volvo V40 D4 Geartronic SE Lux Nav I’m a fan of Volvo as a brand. Any car that’s builtLuxury to-last, saveyour-bones whilst offering comfort and practicality is a winner in my books.

Seems to me then, that Volvo’s issue of late has been its perception.

Unfortunately, it’s a brand that a lot of people still associate with the over 60s.

It’s my guess that this is largely due to all of the points made previously: reliability, safety and comfort all point to the right practical decision but perhaps not enough to tempt those wanting to drive something that their friends and peers will aspire to own.

Those memories of the old 200 series as being the ‘bullet proof’ car; the choice of the farmer’s wife, painter & decorator and the antique dealer must be hard to shake. It’s testament though to the heritage of quality that you still see 20+ year old models on the road today.

Whilst Volvo recognises that these models have been consistently good sellers (for above reasons), the brand seems to have made some considerable changes in recent years and the V40 that I find myself driving this week, typifies the point.

This really is one hell of a car. Mine’s the 2.2 Diesel engine, producing 190 brake and every one of them assisted by a faultless 8 speed auto box.

The combination of these two is an absolute dream and having this kind of performance comes as a surprise to many other road users throughout the test week.

This could, in part be due to the aforementioned perception of Volvos and the unexpected vision of V40 bursting from the lights and

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Motoring

Volvo V40 D4 Geartronic SE Lux Nav Continued...

Model as tested, including options/ accessories: £37,220 Transmission: 8 Speed Automatic Engine: Four-cylinder turbo charged diesel with start/stop technology Fuel Type: Diesel Power: 190 BHP Rev at max engine torque: 1750 2500 rpm

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disappearing in a plume of dust.

Volvo drivers don’t drive like THAT, do they? Well they would if they had this model I can tell you, and if they didn’t, they’ve bought the wrong one.

It really is a thing of luxury; full cream leather interior with a Harmon Kardon sound system built-in, and an excellent and simple to figure-out NAV and hands free interface. It just feels like a quality, premium car from the minute you jump in. I suppose that you’d expect that from a car that carries a price tag a little over £37K but personally, I’d rather drive this than most (or even every) comparable BMW, Audi or Merc. And here’s why: It’s that combination of serious quality, understated refinement and the newly added prestige that sets this car apart. I get the feeling, as someone who enjoys cars and enjoys driving them to test the boundaries, that you’re able to slip under the radar in this car.

I mean, most people expect BMW drivers to hog the road, break the speed limits and generally upset other road users (for example). In the Volvo though, you have everything (and perhaps more in some cases)

that you’ll find in the other cars, but people will look at you as a caring and Highway Code abiding road user. For the most part, that’s the case in my opinion, but I do like to get on with it sometimes and this car will jump into action within the blink of an eye.

It strikes me that this car, and others in Volvo’s current range, offer an excellent option for the senior company exec, salesman or even MD who wants to drive a seriously good motor without appearing to be ostentatious to fellow colleagues and in particular, clients. It’s outstanding, one of my cars of the year, no question, and for lots (and lots) of reasons, I would buy one in a heartbeat.

That’s not so far fetched either, because although the price tag is fairly hefty, they have rolled out some really attractive lease/lease purchase deals, which would put this within reach. Well worth exploring if you’re in the market.

Volvo have pulled one out of the hat with this car. It really is a premium, high performance car for those in the know. It really is one of the best cars I’ve driven this year. It really is the rebirth of the cool for Volvo.

Motoring

Renault Twingo TCe 90

Relive your youth in the latest sporty number from Renault The first car that I ever owned was a Renault. A Sporty mid-blue, 3 door Renault 5 with (then) trademark ‘springy’ suspension, suspicious stains along the back seats and an unbeatable thirst for oil. This is the car I first drove back and forth from Flushing to Falmouth having passed my test in the unfamiliar City of Truro.

This is the car that I regularly raced against my buddy’s Alpha Romeo 33 Cloverleaf along the country roads between the sleepy Cornish fishing village where we lived and the larger holiday destination, which although visible across the water, was only accessible via said back-roads or by jumping on the ferry which ran from early morning through until around 6pm (from memory). This is the car that I remember the most from my first years as a driver and these are fond memories indeed.

So when the new Twingo arrived at SBT Towers, I just couldn’t wait to take it for a spin.

Of course a lot has changed, technologically speaking in these (ahem) few years since then. The performance that you can get from a small engine is genuinely exciting and constantly impressive. The Twingo is no exception, and with the promise of a GT version on the horizon, there’s good reason for us all to get excited.

I’m not disappointed either.

The Twingo’s secret is the small turbocharger that lurks beneath the compact boot space and within the 900cc engine. It’s amazingly responsive and as much fun to drive as I ever could have imagined. It’s small, yes, of course it’s small – that’s fine. It looks so much like the Fiat 500, you could be forgiven for getting them mixed up, but unlike the Fiat, this car is much less ‘girly’. Its sporty aesthetic is clear, with racing lines and graphics (particularly on

the model that we had) indicate an imminent visit to the track.

Inside it’s also a lot of fun. I stepped in with my dusty CD and quickly realised that there’s no CD player. Of course there isn’t; this car isn’t for 40+ drivers and who in their 20s has any relationship with that old format? There are USB connections everywhere though and clever little pouches and stows everywhere within the noisy cockpit.

I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Renault Twingo. If the Jaguar XF is for the MD then the Twingo is the perfect company car for the cock-sure junior sales team manager.

It’s brilliant and I cannot wait to drive the GT. At least that will do in the absence of a real Renaultsport model.

Car tested: Renault Twingo TCe 90 Price: £11,695 Engine: 0.9-litre 3cyl turbo Power: 89bhp Transmission: Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 10.8 seconds Top speed: 103mph Economy/CO2: 65.7mpg/99g/km

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Motoring

SEAT Leon ST 1.6 TDI The new Seat is quick, sporty and surprisingly economic

It’s been a while since I sat behind the wheel of a Seat, Stylish and the last time it was also that of a Leon. Then, it was the much sportier, short wheel based FR version, which packed a hell of a lot of grunt into a small (and rather bumpy) body. Of course I understand that’s the territory with a sporty car and that you don’t enter into that world without wanting to be able to feel the road.

Car tested: SEAT Leon ST 1.6 TDI SE Price: £19,495 Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl turbodiesel Power: 104bhp Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 11.1 seconds Top speed: 119mph Economy: 74.3mpg CO2: 99g/km Equipment: Cruise control, 16-inch alloys, air-con, colour touchscreen, electric windows

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Two things struck me about that car in the week that I had it to test. One was that it was a boy racer’s dream with power & torque to spare. Lots of fun for those with a heavy foot. The other was that it came with a fairly substantial price tag and one that seemed a little out of reach for most boy racers.

Still perhaps I’m wrong, as I’ve seen lots of these buzzing up and down the M23 during my regular jaunts in and out of Sussex.

The difference between the FR version and the 1.6 TDI is instant and considerable though. First off, whilst it’s still a well-put-together car, it doesn’t have the same level of gadgetry on offer. That said, it has everything that you’d want or expect in a modern motor. DAB radios and nav systems are all here and in place.

It’s a nice looking car when put against others in this category. Let’s be honest, they’re all a little tardy but the Seat stands out with some nice details and cuts in the bodywork which offer a hint at the slightly sporty way that it handles. The steering is nice and quick and there’s plenty of grip coming from the front wheels, whilst the body stays nice and stable through quick direction

changes. The power is a little on the light side at just 104bhp but actually, it’s enough and comparable to others. The plus is the economy, which on paper is over 70mpg; I managed near 60 during my time with the car which is no bad thing.

Inside is nice too and long motorway journeys wouldn’t appear too daunting with this level of comfort. Another thing about the inside if this car is its size; it’s huge! Plenty of room for deliveries or samples [if that’s your bag]. Fold down the back seats and you can stow anything up to and around the 2.5m mark.

Price (review car): £26,845.00 including extras (metallic paint, panoramic glass roof, leather trim & heated seats).

Performance: 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds Engine: 1997cc 16v Diesel with a maximum power of 180bhp Not bad for a car that comes in at over 4.5m long!

SBTMotoring News Barbour for Land Rover Announce Autumn/ Winter 15 Collection The Autumn Winter 15 Barbour for Land Rover collection has been created with Range Rover craftsmanship in mind, inspiring stylish luxury for this winter season. It combines luxurious fabrics with classically tailored garments. Functionality is combined with style and opulence in this season’s collection. From rich leathers and wools for women, to leather piping and corozo buttons for men, the range creates a wardrobe of elegance and sophistication.

Paul Wilkinson, Global Marketing Director for Barbour, said: “This season, the inspiration for the collections comes from the refinement, craftsmanship and high level of quality that is synonymous

with Land Rover. There is a strong synergy between our two companies – we are both established British brands with years of heritage, renowned for our understated style and links to the British countryside yet we are both just as comfortable in an urban environment.” www.barbour.com

Jaguar Shines In 2015 Driver Power Ownership Survey Jaguar has scored an impressive set of results in this year’s Auto Express Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Top of the executive car table was the Jaguar XJ, scoring 92.46 per cent for customer satisfaction. Owners praised the flagship luxury saloon for its eye-catching styling and winning blend of comfort, performance and in-car technology. The Jaguar F-TYPE finished second in the sports car category in its Driver Power survey debut. Owners sung the praises

of the F-TYPE’s blistering performance and its handling, seat comfort and ride quality. Finishing just behind the F-TYPE was the XK, which won plaudits for its glamorous looks, ease of use and comfort.

Completing an excellent run of results was the XF, which was voted best-inclass for ride quality and finished a brilliant fourth overall in the executive car class.

Owners enthused about how easy it was to drive.

Caterham Launch Flagship Showroom in Crawley

British sportscar maker, Caterham Cars, celebrated Easter Monday with a special launch event to mark the opening of its brand new flagship showroom in Crawley, West Sussex.

Formula One car designer and renowned F1 technician Mike Gascoyne officially opened the new state-of-the-art Fleming Way facility, before sharing his unique career experiences with guests.

The event was attended by over 550 invited Caterham owners and other guests, who were given the opportunity to view Caterham’s complete range of iconic sportscars, including the recently-launched Seven 270, 360 and 420 models, and to experience the thrill of an F1-style tyre change in a live pit stop challenge. Caterham engineers were also on hand to answer questions in an entertaining Q&A. Caterham House, Unit 4 Dialog, Fleming Way, Crawley, RH10 9NQ. ww.uk.caterhamcars.com

Volkswagen Delivers 2.5 million Vehicles in first Quarter of 2015 The Volkswagen Group has reported to have delivered more than 2.49 million vehicles from January to March with over 968,300 vehicles to customers in the month of March.

“The delivery trend for the first three months shows there is no guarantee this will be a successful year,” Group

Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg. “We saw positive momentum in Western Europe.

However, uncertainty – sometimes significant – continues to prevail on markets in Central and Eastern Europe as well as South America,” Klingler continued.

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The Hastings Printers Introducing Berforts, the UK’s biggest independent publisher

Berforts Ltd has been established in Hastings since 1964.

Insight Over the years the company has changed ownership but has always remained a printer with a friendly approach that prides itself on customer care.

Now run by Group CEO Gerald White, his wife Carole and Sussex based directors Richard Woolmer and Den Edwards, the site in Burgess Road is the commercial printing arm of one of the UK’s largest book printing groups.

Berforts also has facilities in Oxford, Kings Lynn and Stevenage. Production across its three sites boasts an impressive plant list including B1 and B2 Heidelberg Speedmasters together with Komori litho printing presses and an extensive array of finishing equipment to handle general print and specialist book printing.

Embracing digital technology Berforts has invested heavily in Konica, Kodak and Nipson digital presses.

Some 18 months ago, Berforts Ltd Hastings became the first company in the UK to buy a Komori five-colour Enthrone 29P perfector press. Need for additional capacity prompted the installation, the company, having downsized to trade

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through some dark times for the print industry, had been running for almost a year with just one B2 litho press at the Hastings site. With an end to recession in sight and additional business on offer, the need was identified to increase makeready speeds and up quality levels further.

Berforts had been looking at preowned machines but, White and Woolmer, having seen the Enthrone at its drupa 2012 launch and in demonstration at Komori’s Utrecht showroom, recognised that investing in the latest Komori technologies would provide the company with greater productivity and enable them to offer customers a faster turnaround with the assurance of higher, more consistent quality. Berforts, having consolidated production space at Hastings during hard times, found they were in a position to expand again from 9,000 to 13,000 square feet. So the high productivity rate and the small footprint of the Enthrone also suited their factory planning.

Berforts customers regularly call for a print concept and design service for which they have our own in-house designers. Services continue all the way through to total fulfilment, which includes printing jobs, digitally personalising them

along with envelopes, and enclosing the finished print for distribution by mail. Berforts operate nationally and regionally, and their customers include business-to-business clients, educational organisations, charities and several retail companies as well as print management services. Every one of them is looking for quicker turnaround, optimum quality and keener pricing. Their work itself is varied — magazines, brochures, mailings, newsletters, and business cards — they handle them all.

At its Hastings plant, which has a customer base extending across the whole of the UK as well as clients in Belgium and Holland, Berforts is aiming to increase turnover from the current £1.8 million to £2.2 million before the end of 2015, targeting the short run, fast turnaround market. Having also made recent prepress investments within the group, Berforts has started utilising crosssite facilities to capitalise on commercial business attracted to its other sites. With business good in Hastings, Berforts see the intercompany production growing.

The other companies within the Berforts organisation offer an exceptional variety of print and related services. This includes a full book-printing service with an unusual facility for self-publishers and

other customers requiring very short run lengths as well as market research and advance copies prior to embarking on full production runs. That is where they truly integrate their digital and offset production — at times the digital presses even produce one off editions for self-publishers and review requirements, then, of course, revert to offset for full production.

The associated services encompass the reproduction of previously printed books such as rare or old editions where the original files or artwork no longer exist. Full finishing options are also offered — extending to case and leather binding. Across the entire group, Berforts recognises the importance of environmental considerations and takes these into account at all stages of development, marketing and investing. So the Komori Enthrone’s eco-friendly characteristics of alcoholfree printing, low paper waste and reduced noise levels were also influential in the company’s purchasing decision.

Operations Director Den Edwards says: “Here in Hastings, we’re in the process of further increasing our sales force. We’ve added a Konica Minolta Bizhub C8000 and recently a single-colour Konica with in-line finishing. We’ve also added a used four-color B2 perfector — as we believe in gearing up for the increase in demand to ensure that we don’t have to turn new opportunities away.” The E-529P has now been in operation at Berforts for 18 months, and as Edwards says, “Ever since the start, in every respect, it has performed as we’d hoped. Our operators enjoy using the press, and its fast changeovers — whether from job to job or between straight printing and perfecting — have noticeably increased our production flexibility and reduced our turnaround times.

“We’ve also seen that the Komori brand’s reputation with professional print buyers is impressive and the press has put us firmly on track to grow the business here in Hastings,” concludes an upbeat Edwards.

For more information on how Berforts could help you with your printing and publishing needs, please contact: Berforts Group Ltd 17 Burgess Road, Ivyhouse Lane Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4NR Tel: 01424 722733 Fax: 01424 721777 http://www.berforts.co.uk

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SBT

ASK THE

SBT Ask the Experts is Sponsored by

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT Gemma Hope, of Mayo Wynne Baxter and the Supreme Court has given her permission to proceed with her claim.

I’m just starting up a business and I’m in the process of getting divorced.

Am I right in thinking that my spouse won’t be able to make any claims over my business in the future once we are divorced?

No, your spouse could potentially make a claim over your assets in the future unless a Court Order is made within divorce proceedings specifically finalising any financial claims you may have over each other.

Won’t this Court decision open the floodgate for ex spouses making financial claims?

Potentially yes as it highlights there is no time bar for making such claims.

The ex wife in this instance has only been given permission to proceed with her claim though, whether it will be successful and if so how much she will be awarded is yet to be determined. The fact that the Court has allowed this application could suggest that the Court consider there to be some merit to the claim, but even if they didn’t, as there is no legal time limit on making a claim it cannot be struck out at first instance.

I don’t think my spouse would make a claim against me in the future. We have verbally agreed that we won’t make any claims – is that enough?

No, the only way to legally finalise matters to provide certainty and security for I don’t envisage my “there is always the future is by business being worth a risk that a way of a Court a lot for many years, change of Order. Even if surely there is some kind of limitation circumstances may an agreement is and acted period after which lead to your former reached upon as to how my spouse can’t spouse making the finances are make a claim if we an application to be divided this don’t get an order in would not prevent place now? against you” your spouse from No there isn’t any attempting to make limitation period, an application for further financial as the founder of wind turbine power provision in the future. The law company Ecotricity, Dale Vince, provides that any agreement reached, recently found out. At the time that whether it is verbal or in writing, is not Mr Vince separated from his wife they binding unless there is a Court Order. had little money and led a new age traveller style life, however Mr Vince So even though my assets are went on to become a highly successful limited at the moment is it worth multimillionaire. Mr Vince’s ex-wife has, me getting a final Court Order some 18 years after their divorce, now dealing with financial claims? issued a financial claim over Mr Vince

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Yes. It is best to ensure that you have a legally binding order in place setting out how the finances are to be divided, regardless of whether the assets are significant or not. In cases where assets are more limited or the separation is amicable it can be tempting to think that it is not necessary to secure a Court Order, however, there is always a risk that a change of circumstances may lead to your former spouse making an application against you for a share of your assets in the future if you do not deal with matters now.

Is it a lot of hassle to deal with finalising financial claims my spouse may have over me in the future?

Not necessarily. If the arrangements are agreed it can be converted into a consent order and submitted to the court for approval together with a statement of information setting out the background information and financial details that a Judge will need to consider. If the terms of the consent order are agreed no one actually has to attend court and it can be dealt with as a straightforward paperwork exercise. Every case is unique though and therefore it is essential to secure independent legal advice on the specific circumstances.

For more info you can contact Gemma Hope: Century House, 15-19 Dyke Road Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3FE 01273 775533 www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

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EXPERT Christina Spencer, of Mayo Wynne Baxter

What is a Statutory Will?

When a person is no longer able to make the decision to make a Will, the Court has the power to make a Will for them. Bit bizarre really isn’t it?

Putting it simply, in order to do these Wills, we have to make an educated guess as to what that person would have wanted if they had the power to make the Will themselves. We then get on and draft the Will on this basis and send it in to the Court with some forms and a statement. If the Will is approved by the Court, the Will is then treated in the same way as if it had been made by the person lacking mental capacity, had they had the capacity.

When is someone deemed not to have capacity then?

This is a tricky question. Sometimes we see people that we would say clearly have the mental capacity to make decisions, other times it is clear they do not and other times it is borderline. These are the hardest cases.

The law says that a person does not have capacity if at the time of making the decision they are unable to make a decision due to a limitation, or problem in the functioning of their mind or brain. Further to this, it does not matter if the state of mind, or lack

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of it, is permanent or temporary. I’d say most of us would claim to have had that on occasion.

Thankfully there is some rather useful guidance that helps us a bit more.

One interesting rule states that simply because someone makes an unwise decision does not mean that they lack mental capacity. So no problem for your mum if she wants to give her whole estate to the cats’ home and you think she is totally mad. But on the other hand, an unwise decision can be indicative of loss or the losing of mental capacity as it can be a sign that they are not quite on the same lines as they used to be. So lets not give the cats’ home everything just yet…

In basic terms though, a person lacks capacity to make a decision if they are unable to understand information, retain it, use it, consider it and communicate that decision.

I haven’t understood all of that - have I lost my marbles then?

Funnily enough, a person is assumed to have mental capacity unless it can be proved on the balance of probability that they do not have it. So you can act however you like, we have to prove it first!

Furthermore, mental capacity is decision and time specific so someone might be terrible on one day and totally unable to make decisions, but then the next they may be absolutely fine and adamant they want to give everything to the cats’ home and be perfectly mentally capable of giving instructions for a Will to be drafted on that basis.

So, my mum is in a care home. She has always made it clear that she wants me and the local cats’ home to inherit her estate. Can I action this?

If mum still has mental capacity, then no you can’t make a Will for her because she can do it herself as she is perfectly able to. But, if it can be established

that mum doesn’t have mental capacity to make a Will herself, then we can help her and ask the Court if they can approve a Statutory Will drafted on her behalf.

It is most likely the court will do this if mum had never had a Will before or if significant changes in circumstances call for her Will to be altered. For example, if mum had a Will giving one share of her estate to her daughter and the second share to the cats’ home, and then she and her daughter fell out and did not speak to one another for donkey’s years, then the Court may allow us to draft a new Will for her giving the daughter’s share of the estate to the cats’ home or someone else because the change in circumstance might have meant that mum wouldn’t have wanted to benefit her daughter anymore.

What the Courts do is apply a “best interests test” to take into account mum’s past and present wishes, her beliefs and any other facts which she would have been likely to consider if she had had mental capacity. They even look at how any proposed Will might influence the way in which she would be perceived by friends and family after her death.

What is the process?

We would usually start by having a meeting to establish whether the person is able to make decisions for themselves. If it is clear they can’t then we work with you and potentially the wider family to work out what the person might have included in their Will if they had been able to make one.

Once we have collated this information we would then draft a witness statement and complete the necessary Court forms and draft a Will.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the whole process is likely to be around £3,000 and a bit of your time.

But it’s worth it.

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Made In Sussex

Made In Sussex:

Home James Lets

Here we speak to Ben Plows and James Carrier, directors at Home James Lets, to see how they’ve bridged the gap between High Street and online property services to provide a unique, simplified agency in Brighton’s booming property market

How did Home James Lets start?

Brand James has worked in the property Focus industry for over a decade, managing residential sales and lettings departments across Sussex before founding Home James Lets in 2012. Ben joined the company as a private landlord with a keen interest in the property market, following a career with Sussex Police. The company aims to bridge the gap between the traditional High Street agency’s high charges and the faceless online agencies’ budget listing service. Where many agencies occupy expensive High Street retail premises, passing the cost on to landlords and tenants, we have an office above Moss Bros in central Hove, allowing us to offer our services at a fair price.

What’s happening in the Brighton property market?

Brighton is a great place to live. Working here as letting agents we see the good, the bad and the ugly accommodation the city has to offer. Brighton’s transport links make the area attractive for commuters escaping the capital to live on the coast, while the two universities and many language schools give the rental market an additional annual boost.

The best properties let quickly at the right price. While demand can exceed supply, tenants have plenty of choice in the city – we regularly see over 1,000 properties available to let on Rightmove.

Today’s tenant has quick, convenient access to numerous listings on a variety of devices, challenging the landlord to provide high quality accommodation, and the letting agent to showcase each property in its best possible light. We offer detailed listings with professional photographs and measurements as standard, with the potential to add floor

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“Brighton’s transport links make the area attractive for commuters escaping the capital to live on the coast” plans and videos. Listings that fall below par generate far fewer enquiries.

The way in which some landlords find tenants has changed with the advent of the remote online letting agency; denting the business of the more expensive high street agent. Private landlords who are willing to do their own viewings can now access the major web portals at a fraction of the cost. The danger is that inexperienced landlords can easily fall foul of changing legislation, which can prove extremely costly. We aim to bridge this gap to give landlords a professional service at a reasonable price.

One of the biggest changes we have seen in recent years is the introduction of small HMO licenses by local councils.

Multi-occupancy properties in five wards of Brighton are currently subject to licensing conditions – the council is currently considering extending the HMO areas to span most of Brighton and Hove. We manage a number of HMO properties under the national and local licensing schemes – any current or prospective landlord to two or more sharers in Brighton and Hove is welcome to call us for advice.

With so many estate agents to compete with in Brighton, what do you offer that’s unique/appealing to clients?

With over 100 letting agents in Brighton, competition is certainly fierce. Every agent promises a ‘free valuation’ – we go several steps further, offering our full ‘find tenant’ service absolutely free to all landlords the first time they use our services. The service includes everything from market appraisal and accompanied viewings to executing the tenancy agreement and registering the deposit.

We often hear that this offer is too good to be true – we prefer to think of it as an investment in what we hope will become a long-term relationship with each landlord.

We are open ‘til 7pm most days, facilitating viewings and valuations outside our office hours where necessary. The office line diverts to our mobile phones for those out-of-hours emergencies at our managed properties that just can’t wait. In the event of a maintenance issue at one of our managed properties, we will attend the property before calling out a contractor. We resolve most issues ourselves, but where necessary we have trustworthy, qualified tradespeople on speed-dial.

What have the main challenges been in setting up your business?

We are David in a market of Goliaths.

As with any small business, we work long hours – it has taken time to establish our name and earn the trust of our customers. We are proud that the majority of our business comprises returning landlords and personal recommendations.

Contact www.homejameslets.co.uk T: 01273 468 590 E: info@homejameslets.co.uk

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