Sussex Business Times - 394 2015

SBT SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ANOTHER LEVEL

From temporary to permanent structures, exhibition stands, staging, set building, interior or exterior shop fitting installations, Level, the Sussex based creative solutions company, can plan, produce, fabricate and manage any 3D structure your business can possibly imagine

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

ISSUE 394

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SBT Welcome MEET THE TEAM

Lee Mansfield, Managing Director/ Publisher

Simon Skinner, Group Director

Clare Fermor, Operation Director

Jenny Ardagh, Editor

Lou Dobson, Title Manager

Harriet Weston, Production Manager

Amy Watson, Amelia Wellings, Production Designer Financial Controller

Linda Grace, Subscriptions Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Kerr, Director at Hot Dog Digital

Arron Hopkinson, Precision Massage

Lorna Sizer, Senior Manager, Personal Tax

Chris Edworth, Bartercard

Dr Tom Smith, Managing Director OCSI

John Read, Editor of The Legal 500 UK

Christina Ewbank, ACES Facilitator

James Hood, Convey

Jasmine Dodge, Ameliore Beauty

This month, SBT covers a particularly wide range of topics, including: IT, property, finance, marketing and even sparkling wine. We also keep you wholly informed about some of the latest and best business conferences and networking events in Sussex. The Best4Biz conference gave us a chance to hear of the future plans in business within Sussex, and the Leadership that gets Results conference opened our minds to the possibility of being the best leader we can, in our own and others’ businesses. We uncover the problems within the IT world, in terms of recruitment and skills shortages, plus we look at whether business should or can continue to be hopeful about the economic situation for much longer.

The new Living Wage will have a huge impact on particularly small businesses.

Goodmoney looks to enrich the local economy within Brighton, one step at a time, by supporting independent businesses rather than chains through a gift voucher scheme, and Natwest continue to support their ‘chiclets’ in their hub in Brighton. A UKwide problem, I speak to Clive Janes of CRJ Lettings about the battle between high-street and online estate agents - which is set to prosper and which to fail? Or is there a better solution?

Our cover this month is dedicated to Level, a highly successful company, which can - quite literally support your businesses from beginning to end. Read more from page 26 - 29.

Enjoy your read!

Jenny Ardagh Editor

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 3

SBTContents

Issue 394

SBT

ISSUE 394

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ANOTHER LEVEL

From temporary to permanent structures, exhibition stands, staging, set building, interior or exterior shop fitting installations, Level, the Sussex based creative solutions company, can plan, produce, fabricate and manage any 3D structure your business can possibly imagine

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

Cover: Level Exhibitions levelgroup.co

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 Title Manager: Lou Dobson lou@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Editorial: Jenny Ardagh jenny@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

Spread a bit of love and Christmas joy at home and in the office with these unique gift ideas

Events

On Friday 16th October, over 250 business leaders attended the BEST4BIZ conference held at the East Sussex National Hotel

Money Matters

Goodmoney CIC launch #SwitchLocal campaign to drive £1 million into local economy by 2020

Legal 500

John Read, Editor of The Legal 500 UK explains more about Kent and Sussex law firms.

Cover Feature - Level Exhbitions

Level, the Sussex based creative solutions company, can plan, produce, fabricate and manage any 3D structure your business can possibly imagine

Estate Agents

The Internet has revolutionised the way we buy and sell property with disastrous consequences for traditional agents

Branding

The way you write can attract your ideal customers and keep them coming back for more. James Hood, from content agency Convey, explains how you can set the right tone

Tried and Tested in Sussex

Editor, Jenny Ardagh describes her experience of a quiet Sunday afternoon at the East Sussex National Hotel

Chamber News

All the latest news and events from ACES.

Motoring

SBT reviews two cars: BMW 7 series and the Ford Edge 2015

Ask the Experts

Local Sussex business experts advise on relevant issues.

Made in Sussex

This month’s home grown hero is Ameliore Beauty.

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For top designer paint brands, the finest and widest selection of wallpapers and a great range of furniture, lighting, blinds, shutters and soft furnishings, visit brewershome.co.uk You can also come to our new Eastbourne showroom and discuss your ideas with our experienced advisors.

Online at: brewershome.co.uk • In store at: Brewers, Birch Road, Eastbourne BN21 6PL www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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SBTLocal News Sick Days Revealed Employees working in leisure, culture and sport roles take more sick days than any other industry, a new study reveals. Nationally those employed in this field scored highest (3.8) with workers in telecoms, marketing and education also featuring high in the sickliest professions.

Health workers across the UK rated their boss the most strict when it came to taking sick days, while those in media/publishing had the least strict bosses - 45% of the South East region’s workers have needed a sick day but been too afraid or unable to take one because of work pressures Yesterday Philippa McLaglen, Marketing Manager from There explains: “Our research shows that we really are a hard working nation, with hardly a shirker amongst us.

There is a low average number of sick days, and we feel the pressure when we do have to take time off for illness.”

Sussex Downs College Students Assist In Cid Training For Local Police

As part of an ongoing relationship with Sussex Police, on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th October, six Sussex Downs College students had the opportunity to take part in training at the Newhaven Police Station as paid professional actors.

The six Performing Arts Double BTEC students felt they gained valuable work experience and were proud to support our local police service. Detective Constable Kelly Lewis said: “We wanted to try the students on the suspect course, and although we were unsure of how it would turn out, we could not be more impressed with the results.”

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“Enable Me” Launches A Charity Single And Raises £2,450 In October, Sussex based charity, “Enable Me” which is a not-for-profit organisation working in the community to raise disability awareness celebrated its 10 years of working with schools, colleges and the local community.

As part of the birthday celebrations, Enable Me, launched a Charity single which was hoped to help them raise money for the organisation. A number of fundraising opportunities took place in an auction on the night, including a Cricket bat signed by England Ashes hero, Stuart Broad, a football signed and personalised by football superstar David Beckham to the highest bidder.

Chris Jay, the Chief Executive of the Charity said: “It was a great evening and so far we have raised £2450 and

thanks to all our invited guests who helped to celebrate the achievements of the amazing team of people that I work with. All the money raised will help the Charity continue its great work for the next ten years.”

Simply visit www.enablemeproject.org.uk to make a donation or call 01903734400 and help your local Disability Awareness Charity.

Richard Place Dobson’s Macmillan Bake Off Richard Place Dobson joined the Great British Bake Off craze recently to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of their World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

The Chartered Accountants Firm, based at Station Road in Crawley raised £129.00 through their own take on the Great British Bake Off. There were two initial rounds of scrumptious baked goods during September leading up to a Bake Off Final which was held on the 28th September. Bakers gave a donation to Macmillan to enter the competition, and colleagues gave donations to try out the cakes and bakes on offer and to vote for their favourite through an anonymous ballot.

Christine Priday, Practice Administrator at the Firm, said: “The Bake Off was a fantastic event with lots of delicious bakes and of course a little competition as well. It is great to raise money for such a brilliant charity which plays a vital role in the community supporting those affected by cancer”.

Creative Pod triumphs at 2015 Chamber Awards The team at Creative Pod, Young Start-up Talent and Crawley Town FC celebrated last month following the announcement that they have been shortlisted for a second national award after being recently crowned one of the winners in the South region heats of the Chamber Awards 2015.

It was also announced that Matt Turner, MD of Creative Pod was shortlisted at the Great British

Entrepreneur Awards for Small Business of the Year.

Ana Christie, Chief Executive of Sussex Chamber of Commerce said: “It is fantastic news, that one of our Chamber members, Creative Pod, has received the South regional award for Business in the Community. I wish them all the very best of luck in the finals in November.”

SBTLocal News Two-Thirds Of Adults In The South East Unaware Of Upcoming Savings Changes New research from Aldermore, carried out by YouGov, surveying 2,000 adults, revealed that in the South East, 70% said they did not know the Government was introducing a Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) and 64% are unaware of the new rules from April 2016 allowing savers to top up their ISAs during the tax year if they have previously withdrawn cash.

From April 2016 basic-rate tax payers will not have to pay tax on the first £1,000 of interest they earn on their

savings in a financial year (£500 for higher rate tax payers).

Commenting on the findings, Simon Healy, Managing Director for Savings at Aldermore, said: “Our research shows that a worrying majority are not aware of the forthcoming changes that could impact their savings habits. Choosing a competitive rate is important, but it is important savers have an understanding of the new types of products as well as changes to the tax system or deposit protection scheme.”

Brighton Dome Receives Grant From American Express Foundation To Restore Distinctive Heritage Features Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival has been awarded $80,000 from the prestigious American Express foundation to restore some of Brighton Dome’s heritage features. The grant will enable a variety of improvements and renovations.

Tim McClimon, President of American Express Foundation (New York) said: “We have enjoyed a longstanding and fruitful relationship with Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival which forms such an integral part of the city and local community. We are proud to

fund Brighton Dome’s restorations to help ensure the venue can continue to sustain and attract visitors for years to come.”

Andrew Comben, Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival said: “Access to the arts for all is fundamental to our work at Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival. The generous and committed support of the American Express Foundation has been invaluable in enabling us to deliver major improvements and work towards our mission to inspire creativity and enrich lives through the arts.”

Sofa Workshop Invests In New Chichester Store Sofa retailer and manufacturer, Sofa Workshop, is investing in Chichester as it opens a brand new store in the town centre – its latest addition to its expanding estate of 16 stores across the UK. Located on West Street, the store opened its doors on Saturday 17th October and offers a range of handmade, quality sofas from the latest trends to modern classics, all showcased in inspirational room sets.

The Chichester store, located in a historic building in close proximity to Chichester’s Market Cross, is also the first one in the UK to showcase the new Secret Garden fabric range from Liberty, as well as an exclusive Sofa Workshop House Velvet range, all perfect for the latest interior trends and autumn/winter looks.

Sofa Workshop’s CEO, Paul Staden said: “At Sofa Workshop we take great pride in making highly customisable sofas, all handcrafted to order right here in Britain. The new store will offer more choice than anywhere else, and as we know comfort is subjective, the entire range can be adapted to customers’ personal taste; be it in fabric, dimensions or cushion fillings to ensure they get the comfort that suits them.”

Bridging the Gap Between Education and Work with the Sussex Chamber of Commerce The Sussex Chamber of Commerce has launched a new membership scheme aimed at schools, colleges and universities, called Young Chamber, available throughout the whole of Sussex, to help bridge the gap between businesses and the education sector. The scheme allows young people to gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience to complement their academic qualifications, and set them on the right path for their chosen career.

As part of Young Chamber, members

will be able to take advantage of the Sussex Chamber’s many business connections in the local community and gain insight into the world of work.

Ana Christie, Chief Executive of Sussex Chamber of Commerce said: “It is so important to prepare young people and help them gain the skills and experience that businesses are looking for, this is why Young Chamber is such an important and exciting opportunity for young people.”

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SBTLocal News Urgent Call for More Self-Build New Homes

Selsey Entrepreneur Unveils New Business Venture

A new report from Goldsmith’s University of London reveals why: “self-builders are struggling to build their own homes…even those with social, economic and cultural capital.”

The main reasons, cited in the report, are that the whole structure of the housing market is geared towards developers, rather than selfbuilders. This makes it very difficult for self-builders to get off the starting blocks and get planning permission, let alone manage and complete a whole project.

The report concludes that structures of the housing and land markets should be challenged, as well as finding innovative solutions that work within these structures, as it is the only way these projects can be scaled up.

Sussex Home Hub does exactly that. Julia Arnold, Managing Director of Sussex Home Hub, explains: “We meet self-builders who are failing on a daily basis. Most can’t even get planning permission. They are falling at different hurdles, as the system is stacked against them and many come unstuck as they are badly advised or try to cut corners.”

Selsey based entrepreneur, Kevin Byrne, CEO of The Checka- Group, has today launched his newest enterprise – Checkatrainer. com. A first for the fitness and wellbeing industry, Checkatrainer.com will allow users to search for a qualified, recommended practitioner – based on reviews from their previous clients.

Co-founder of Checkatrainer.com, Tom Cowd explains: “In today’s day and age, the service that Checkatrainer. com offers is hugely important. Your body and health are two things that you cannot afford to risk. But, unfortunately,

more and more people are putting their wellbeing on the line by unwittingly employing unqualified, incapable individuals.”

The Checka-Group is already home to a number of successful companies, including CheckaProfessional. com and, most notably, the nationally renowned tradesperson vetting and monitoring service Checkatrade.com.

The Group’s new endeavour Checkatrainer.com will draw on the multi-stage vetting processes that are at the core of much-loved sister company Checkatrade.com.

Organic Farmer Named Sustainable Farmer Of The Year At Farmers Weekly Awards John Pitts, Managing Director of West Sussex-based organic farming and waste management company, The Woodhorn Group, has been announced as Sustainable Farmer of the Year in the national Farmers Weekly Awards.

Up against two other shortlisted farmers for Sustainable Farmer of the Year, John stood out for adopting a sustainable approach to his multi-faceted farming business.

He commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this accolade. This industry recognition is further testament to our commitment to sustainable farming and diversification.

It is also a tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone who works at The Woodhorn Group. The expression, ‘Team

Effort’ is sometimes over used but 100% applies in this instance.

The judges were impressed by John’s passion, professionalism and innovation as well as the high quality of management across all areas of the business.

Using the garden waste, The Woodhorn Group produce its Earth Cycle range of peat free products, now available to buy online when you visit http://earthcycle.co.uk

Thirty Jobs Created As Crowborough Pub Re-Opens A pub in Crowborough has been rescued from closure and has opened after a £500,000 investment, creating up to thirty new jobs for local people.

The newly named ‘White Hart on the Green’ opened on 2nd October as a traditional British country pub.

New Manager, Robin Mallia welcomed customers and local residents as his guests with a champagne and canapé

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reception, showcasing tasters from the pub’s new menu.

Robin Mallia said: “I am thrilled that we have been able to revitalise such an historic building and create an exciting new chapter in its history. The White Hart on the Green will be a fantastic new local for Crowborough and I look forward to welcoming many residents from the area over the coming weeks and months.”

SBTNational News Dragon’s DenOn StarMobile Touker Suleyman Leads Shopping To Top £53bn Startups Awards 2015 Judges

By 2024

Leading businessman and TV personality, Touker Suleyman is to lead a stellar judging line-up for the Startups Awards 2015. Recognised as the most prestigious national awards scheme for up and coming businesses, joining Suleyman in assessing this year’s entries is a trio of MBEs: household name and much-loved British designer Cath Kidston MBE, Divine Chocolate founder Sophi Tranchell MBE and notonthehighstreet.com co-founder Holly Tucker MBE in assessing this year’s entries.

With entries rolling in from start-ups up and down the country, hoping to claim one of the 15 awards up for grabs, this year’s judges are facing plenty of tough decisions.

David Lester, Founder of Startups.

co.uk, comments: “The start-up industry in the UK is thriving, which is already being reflected in the high quality of entries we are receiving.

“I believe this year’s Awards will be our biggest and best yet. With such high calibre judges on board, I am certain that our entrants will be putting their best face forward – and I for one can’t wait to celebrate their success!”

For more information, please visit www.startupsawards.co.uk

New App For Happy and Productive Staff A new online assessment and coaching tool for HR and line managers has been designed to improve staff development and retention by identifying any problems experienced at work that impede performance, say the UK developers of We Thrive. The Software as a Service system involves employees completing an on-line questionnaire, then the nominated manager receives a summary report for each staff member by email.

An action plan sets out areas of concern to address, to plan any

necessary changes to training, management or other processes and practices that will help meet individual and corporate goals.

“Each report gives managers the background and resources to support effective coaching, to find out what’s upsetting staff before it’s too late. The process supports sustainable changes to improve motivation, productivity and the bottom line,” says Andrew Heath of We Thrive.

Difficulty In Attracting And Retaining Qualified Employees Is Keeping UK CFOs Awake At Night New data has revealed that 80% of UK companies say they have job openings in key positions, while Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) listed difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified employees as one of their top 3 overall business concerns.

Due to labour market pressures and difficulty finding qualified workers, wage hikes have or will soon impact 81.3 percent of UK firms.

The data was gathered in the latest round of the Global Business Outlook Survey, conducted by Grenoble Ecole de Management, Tilburg University and the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.

The survey is the world’s longestrunning and most comprehensive research on senior finance executives.

This round elicited over 1000 responses from global CFO’s and Finance Directors.

50% of UK CFOs also indicated that currency risk is a top 3 business concern. Economic uncertainty was identified as the 3rd most important concern (43.8 per cent).

The Business Show 2015 The Business Show has plans to smash the world record for speed networking and bring the crown back to the UK! The world’s largest ever speed networking event is set to take place at The Business Show on 3rd and 4th December at Olympia, London. The record is one that the organisers at The Business Show are confident they can beat, cementing their position as Europe’s biggest business

show as well as the leading event for SMEs and Start-ups in the UK. Tickets give attendees access to 250 seminars by industry experts; 350 suppliers showcasing the latest services for your business; 170 interactive masterclass sessions on a variety of critical business topics; 5 networking areas; 2 funding features where you can get the capital you need to take your business to the next level;

and a host of other exciting content all designated to helping you start grow and improve your business. To register for a free ticket to The Business Show, visit www.thebusinessshow.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 9

Spending It

All I Want For Christmas...

Spread a bit of love and Christmas joy at home and in the office with these unique gift ideas

TIE SOCKS AND POCKET SQUARE PREMIUM GIFT SET: PLAIN Whether at work, a wedding, or wherever, every gentleman should be looking his best. With these high quality, matching Fashion Accessories, you can be sure you’ll buy something ‘for him’ that not only looks good but is practical too. £45. www.giftwrappedandgorgeous.com

TEA LOVERS HAMPER Our cup-shaped hamper contains 180g shortbread fingers, 45g Scottish fruitcake, sultana and cherry fruitcake, packet of two handmade chocolate chip cookies, 42g Tiptree marmalade, 42g Tiptree strawberry jam, and 10 Ahmad teabags. £19.95. www.houseofbath.co.uk

THE BLISS CHOCOLATE HAMPER

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A foodie’s dream come true! With everything from milk, dark and white chocolate selections,silky champagne truffles and more. £155. www.hotelchocolat.com

Spending It

WINTER SCENTS CANDLE GIFT SET A beautifully boxed gift set containing three votive candles, with honeybee glass print and a matching gift card. 100% natural plant wax. Each box contains one of each of these fragrances - Winter Berries, Clementine & Clove and Winter Scent. £24.95. www.annabeljames.co.uk

GOLD PLATED HIP FLASK Everyone needs a little luxe in their life and this Gold Plated Hip Flask makes sipping on your favourite tipple a little more special. With its smooth high-shine finish and 14-karat gold plating, this flask is nicely curved to fit into the hand, and an ideal size for popping into your pocket or bag. £40. www.oliverbonas.com

COAST LEATHER BILL FOLD WALLET COLLECTION Sleek simplicity, hand-made in Italian leather. This billfold wallet is slim and understated. Handmade in New Zealand from genuine Italian stock, this wallet will only improve with age. £79.26. www.coastnewzealand.com.au

TASTE OF THE BEST HAMPER Extravagant and excellent in every way, our ‘Taste Of The Best’ hamper is truly magnificent! We have expertly selected the treats in this hamper to suit all tastes and delight all taste buds. £29.90. www.iflorist.co.uk www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 11

Sussex Events

BEST4BIZ: A Sparkling Success On Friday 16th October, over 250 business leaders attended the BEST4BIZ conference held at the East Sussex National Hotel

The BEST4BIZ conference, now in its second year, was Events organised by the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex (ACES) on behalf of East Sussex County Council and, as media partners, Sussex Business Times was proud to attend and be associated with such a successful event.

Featuring keynote speeches from Amber Rudd, the Secretary of State for the Energy and Climate Change and Josh Valman, founder of RPD International, who focused on the topics of Innovation and Change. Josh, the founder of a

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manufacturing company established in over 40 countries, challenged delegates to change their way of business and the perceptions that they had. Josh was a brilliant and inspirational speaker, having achieved such a huge amount at such a young age.

Businesses got a great chance to talk to other businesses like themselves, network and also pick up some tips and advice for moving forward with their business plans, rather than getting stuck in old, sometimes bad habits. Christina Ewbank on behalf of ACES commented: “Listening to the delegates, they really appreciated the chance to network with other businesses as well as learning from leading experts on a range of topics,

including recruitment, exporting, public sector procurement and some first class marketing tips” One delegate, Tim Sorensen added: “A huge thank you for a great BEST4BIZ last Friday – really enjoyed it and a chance to network! I know how much work goes into organising an event like this and would like to congratulate the team on the smooth running on the day”.

East Sussex National was an ideal location for the conference, with spacious and elegant facilities. In particular the main conference room was a perfect space for both mingling, listening, watching and learning. It was clear that this event was well thought

Sussex Events

through, to give attendees the best experience possible. Christina added: “I want to thank everyone who helped make the conference such a huge success, in particular our sponsors. With their support, we were able to make the event free to businesses. Thanks also to those who attended”.

The event concluded with the first Sparkling Sussex drinks reception, sampling Sussex Sparkling Wine offered

by Ridgeview followed by a three course dinner and awards evening where Horder Healthcare was named the East Sussex Business of the Year.

Diane Thomas, CEO of Horder Healthcare commented: “It was a real honour to win the inaugural Best4Biz East

Sussex Business of the Year Award. As a charity, Horder Healthcare’s key purpose is ‘to advance health to as many people as possible’ so to receive this accolade is a true testament to the outstanding orthopaedic and musculoskeletal (MSK) services that we provide from our hospital, The Horder Centre, in Crowborough and our outreach clinics situated in the South East.”

Christina concluded: “Congratulations go to all the nominees. I know the judges found it very difficult to choose a winner from a range of different, and excellent businesses. The conference and awards evening really showcased the best of East Sussex and why the area is the destination of choice for so many

“I know the judges found it very difficult to choose a winner from a range of different, and excellent businesses” businesses. If you want to get involved next year, get in contact with us on 01323 641 144.”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

Money Matters

Switch Local with Goodmoney Goodmoney CIC launch #SwitchLocal campaign to drive £1 million into local economy by 2020

Goodmoney CIC (Community Interest Company) is a Finance Brighton-based social enterprise with the aim of creating a more fair and inclusive local economy by redirecting consumer spending from chains to local independent shops and services.

The idea came out of a project that looked into setting up a Brighton Pound.

Research by the New Economics Foundation suggested that a pound spent in a local business is worth £1.76 to the local economy - due to the ‘multiplier effect’ - meanwhile a pound spent in a national chain is worth only 36 pence. Goodmoney needed a starting point – something simple and effective to make it easier and more fun for people to choose to shop with independent businesses, rather than high street chain stores or online retailers. That’s where the gift voucher idea was born.

Based on the extensive research carried out by the New Economics

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currently in circulation among consumers Foundation, Goodmoney learned that not are therefore unfortunately of little to no only does this multiplier effect dictate an use to independent businesses, and very increase in local economic strength, but beneficial to chains. also means that the money spent with Goodmoney CIC aims to remedy independent local businesses stays in the this problem with their new gift voucher local economy for longer, creating more scheme, starting in jobs, opportunities Brighton and Hove, and prosperity for local “Goodmoney Gift but hoping to expand people.

Vouchers are ace further in the near A shocking £5 billion is spent on because collectively, future. The programme is set to benefit gift cards in the UK independent independent local each year, equating businesses across to an estimated £22m businesses have and Hove by in a city the size of so much more choice Brighton capitalising on the gift Brighton and Hove. In than any high street voucher industry in the addition, the UK Gift UK. This is an easy Card and Voucher chain store” way of implementing Association estimates the idea of a ‘Brighton that consumers lose Pound’ whilst offering consumers a £300 million each year from unspent gift rewarding experience by shopping local. cards due to not spending the money Goodmoney will operate a Remind, before the expiry date. This is not only a Renew and Reinvest policy to help large problem for consumers, but creates a large sum of money that’s going directly reduce vouchers lost due to expiration, and any unspent funds will be used to back into the chain retail stores – with contribute to charitable initiatives in the none left for the local economy. Vouchers

Money Matters

city, focused on improving the quality of life for residents.

The Council-backed social enterprise also launched their #SwitchLocal campaign, which aims to redirect £1 million away from large high street chains and back into local independent businesses by 2020. They also challenged the community to help them achieve £100,000 of this target

by Christmas. It’s free for businesses to join and over 140 have already signed up to accept the gift vouchers.

Already participating retailers include, HiSbe, Lagoon Watersports, Boulder Brighton, and Kooks restaurant and is sponsored by a number of local businesses too, including: HiSbe, Big Fig, MitchinsonMacken, MakerClub, Go Experience and RitchieLambor.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, and supporter of the scheme said: “This is a fantastic project that will be a real boost to the wonderful independent businesses in Brighton and Hove.

“Brighton has a thriving local business scene. They’re the backbone of our local economy and the lifeblood of our city.

They’re integral to the health, wellbeing and economic stability of our local communities. This scheme will keep money in the local economy and help build upon Brighton’s global reputation as a centre for enterprise and creativity.”

Dan Webb, Managing Director of Goodmoney, said: “Goodmoney gift vouchers are a great example of what Brighton and Hove’s local businesses can achieve when they come together.

Collectively, they have so much more to offer than any high street chain store.”

The new scheme, three years in the making, was formally launched at an overcapacity party at Wagner Hall. Dan added: “We’re incredibly excited to launch our campaign to use Goodmoney gift vouchers to drive £1m into the local economy by 2020. It’s a great way for the whole community to actively support and celebrate the independent businesses that make our neighbourhoods such brilliant places to live, work and play.”

Goodmoney Director, Dr Mick Taylor, told the launch party: “Goodmoney Gift Vouchers are ace because collectively, independent businesses have so much more choice than any high street chain store. So, by buying and spending Goodmoney gift vouchers, you’re making a positive choice by supporting local

businesses, helping to create more opportunities, jobs and prosperity for the whole community.”

The gift vouchers are now on sale from Hisbe, the city’s ethical supermarket in York Place and can be spent with a wide range of independent local Brighton

and Hove businesses; from shops, restaurants and cafes, to sports clubs, kids clubs, music tutors, local artists.

To see the full list of participating businesses and to purchase gift vouchers visit goodmoney.co.uk

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Money Matters

The New National Living Wage:

The Impact

Concerns are rising over the new National Living Wage for over 25s, especially in small businesses who are expected to slow hiring and increase prices in response Following the announcement of a new National Finance Living Wage for the over 25s, a survey of employers has found significant numbers of small firms concerned about the impact the new wage rate will have on their businesses. Many are planning to slow job creation, raise prices or postpone or cancel planned investments to compensate for the higher statutory rate.

Chancellor, George Osborne recently announced, in the Summer Budget in July, that as of April 2016, there will be a new, compulsory living wage set at £7.20 for part-time and full-time workers aged 25 years and above.

For those aged 25 plus, and for most employees, this may seem like a gift sent from above, especially given that in 2014 there were some 6 million employee jobs paid less than the living wage in the UK, of which only half were part time jobs, according to the Office for National Statistics. Also, findings showed that 18% of male employee jobs in the UK, outside of London were paid less than the living wage, and 29% of female employee jobs in were also in this position. With wages seemingly on a stand-still for most, and commodities getting more and more expensive, an increase is needed, and with the

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target of the National Living Wage, we’re likely to see it rise to more than £9 an hour by 2020.

It will give a pay rise to six million workers, however, for employers this is a blessing very much in disguise – if not one at all. The new National Living Wage is expected to cost 60,000 jobs and reduce hours worked by four million a week, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility. With the increased demand in pay, but very little increase in business profits, small, independent business especially will be markedly affected by this change.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) research found that well over a third (38%) of small employers expect the new National Living Wage to negatively impact their business. When asked to consider the projected rise in the National Living Wage to at least £9 an hour by 2020, over half (54%) said it will have a negative impact. Just 6% of businesses thought the policy would have a positive impact on their business when it is implemented next April.

Businesses in the wholesale and retail sector, and those working in

accommodation and food services, are most likely to say the National Living Wage will have a negative impact. In addition, businesses in Yorkshire, the West Midlands, Wales and the South West are among the most likely to cite a negative impact.

Today the FSB has also published its latest Cost of Employment Index.

Money Matters

The Cost of Employment Index is a comprehensive model of wage and nonwage costs for small businesses across a range of sectors. The model estimates that for a small retail business with six full time staff aged 25 or over and earning the current adult minimum wage, the National Living Wage will cost an extra £5,900 a year from April 2016.

Annual labour costs for this business stand at approximately £127,700. Even after claiming the higher Employment Allowance (which is set to rise to £3,000 next year), these costs are set to rise to £133,600 in April 2016 due to the National Living Wage. In other words, the £3,000 of potential savings to employers from lower national insurance contributions will reduce the £8,900 higher wage costs incurred in this case, but will still require this employer to find nearly £6,000 to cover the additional costs. This takes place just six months after employers have already increased wages due to the increase in the minimum wage on 1st October 2015.

The FSB is cautioning policymakers that although small business confidence and hiring intentions have been strong in the past few years, recent FSB research shows a marked cooling in confidence since the Summer Budget. It is likely that the measures announced, including the National Living Wage as well as changes to the tax treatment of dividends, has contributed to this dip in confidence.

Concerns over statutory wage increases also come at a time when small business owners, many on modest incomes, are facing up to the additional costs to their business of pensions auto-enrolment – which will add further pressures to stretched budgets.

John Allan, FSB National Chairman, says: “The UK economy has been performing well, but we should not allow this to make us complacent. Businesses worked hard to weather the financial crisis, keeping on staff despite pressure to cut headcounts. Now times are better we know members are beginning to raise wages and take on new staff.

“Over half of our members already pay their staff above the voluntary Living Wage, but those that don’t are often operating in highly competitive sectors with very tight margins. In many of these industries, the only sustainable way to deliver real long term wage growth is to improve productivity. Without improved productivity there is a real risk that higher enforced statutory wages will lead to

fewer jobs being created, fewer hours for existing staff and, unfortunately in some cases, to job losses.”

When businesses that said they will be negatively impacted were asked how they will adapt to the new National Living Wage when it comes in, just over half (52%) said they would put off hiring new staff while 50 per cent said they will raise their prices. This is not only a problem for employers but may well become an issue for those looking for jobs, and those who wish to keep their jobs in an overstaffed environment.

Other steps businesses plan to take to manage the higher wage level include: cutting staff hours (41%), reducing staff numbers (31%), cancelling or postponing planned investments (29%) and eroding pay differentials by freezing or cutting the wages of higher paid staff (26%). Almost a third of businesses owners expected to absorb the cost through reduced profits (29%).

John Allan concluded: “With the economy recovering it is right that employees should be rewarded with a

“With the economy recovering it is right that employees should be rewarded with a pay rise – but we cannot allow wages to become a political football” pay rise – but we cannot allow wages to become a political football.

“It’s important that the independent Low Pay Commission continues to play a central role in setting the minimum wage – and that includes deviating from the Government’s plan to raise the National Living Wage to over £9 an hour by 2020, if it becomes apparent that the economy cannot afford it.”

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Nearly Half In The South East Say They’d Prefer To Be Self-Employed New research from the NatWest shows that the appetite to become self-employed and set up in business is greater than ever– but it is fear of failure that is holding the majority back The latest edition of the NatWest NatWest Entrepreneurship Monitor – a quarterly Focus survey of people across the UK – shows that almost a third of all residents in the South East think now is a good time to set up in business, but only 4% are actually in the process of starting their own business.

Tim Boag, NatWest’s Regional Managing Director for London & the South East, said: “Despite improving economic conditions and a widely held desire to be self-employed, only a very small number of people are actually taking the plunge.

“These findings show we have a nation of potential entrepreneurs, but they are held back by a lack of knowledge.

NatWest wants to fill that gap and, in partnership with Entrepreneurial Spark and KPMG, will be launching free business accelerator hubs across the UK over the coming two years. This will give thousands of entrepreneurs free facilities, free business advice and supporting networks to ensure they are given the best possible chance of success.”

In September, the first Entrepreneurial

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Spark business accelerator hub in the South East was opened in Brighton at NatWest’s Preston Park branch. It is one of seven “hatcheries” to open across the UK and the bank has committed to opening a further seven hubs in its buildings, supporting 7,000 entrepreneurs over the next five years in partnership with KPMG. The NatWest report’s other key findings revealed that just under half of people in the South East would prefer to be self-employed and 43% have considered starting their own business but 56% are held back by the fear of failure; 57% of respondents who want to start their own business say that business advice is the thing that would help them most but just one in 10 people would consider going to a bank for advice; and over half of adults who want to start a business don’t think there is enough support in their local area, a finding that is consistent across the UK. To help challenge this and encourage more people to take their ideas forward, NatWest has made supporting entrepreneurship and start-ups a key priority going forward.

The Brighton hatchery includes physical office space with high-speed internet, a start-up bootcamp, dedicated

mentoring, regular events, workshops and training, all free of charge. Working with Entrepreneurial Spark’s mentors and business experts from NatWest and KPMG, the programme’s entrepreneurs – or ‘chiclets’ – are put through a programme of events which include days to bring the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem of investors, entrepreneurs, local business leaders, advisors and NatWest relationship managers together.

Crucially they will benefit from the unique Entrepreneurial Spark enablement process, working with their dedicated Enabler to validate and potentially pivot their proposition. They will also have the chance to win a share of a £50,000 prize pot thanks to partners NatWest and KPMG. Boag added: “We have a duty to support start-up businesses.

Entrepreneurs are significant wealth creators and the lifeblood of the UK economy. Our Entrepreneurship Monitor clearly shows that starting your own business is more popular than ever. There are now more businesses registered with zero employees. And last year was the first time there have been over five million businesses in the UK, of which, more than 99% are SMEs.

Money Matters “Supporting entrepreneurs really ticks the box for our values and as the biggest supporter of SMEs in the UK, we want to be the go-to bank for entrepreneurs. The enthusiasm that programmes such as Entrepreneurial Spark generate highlights that the appetite is there for people to set up on their own – it is just about creating the right network of support to help them do that.”

Staff from NatWest are also participating in the hub as part of the bank’s Entrepreneur Development Academy which sees them working alongside the entrepreneurs.

Boag said: “Internally we are developing programmes to help our staff think like entrepreneurs and help them understand the challenges they face.

“Externally we are hosting events which bring together our contacts, facilities and expertise to offer networking and learning opportunities which will prove invaluable for start-ups and high growth businesses. We are also inviting our customers to become involved in the hatcheries and share their skills and expertise, which has had a very positive response.”

Entrepreneurial Spark Opens First Hatchery In The South East On 9 September, the great and good of the Sussex business community descended on NatWest’s Preston Park branch to celebrate the launch of the new Entrepreneurial Spark business hub.

As part of the morning’s events, a pitching competition featuring five of the hub’s entrepreneurs was held. The judges were Jim Duffy, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark; Ross McEwan, RBS CEO; Alison Rose, NatWest Chief Executive of Commercial & Private Banking; RBS Chairman Sir Howard Davies; Simon Collins, Chairman of KPMG; and Brighton & Hove Council Leader Warren Morgan.

The eventual winner was Aadam Patel, the 14 year old founder of Halal Celebrations – a greeting card company targeting the three million Muslims who buy cards 31 times a year with that appeal to modern Muslims by infusing Islamic and British culture.

Working in partnership with NatWest and KPMG, Entrepreneurial Spark, the world’s largest free business accelerator, is currently supporting 80 local entrepreneurs on the initial six-month programme. The most promising will have the opportunity to continue for an additional 12 months.

Applications are now being accepted for the second round beginning in February 2016. For further information and to apply, please visit www.entrepreneurial-spark.com

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Inheritance Tax

The £1m Relief Explained

By Lorna Sizer, Senior Manager of Personal Tax at Knill James Chartered Accountants

“Everyone has an annual gift exemption of £3k but note that this is per tax year, not per recipient!”

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Preparing for what happens when you die is a subject many Advice people prefer not to talk about - for understandable reasons. However, with careful planning, significant savings can be made for those left behind.

It is particularly important for those who own domestic property to think ahead; as house prices rise, more and more estates are being brought into the inheritance tax net.

The Nil Rate Band (NRB) has been £325k since 2009 and is fixed until 2020.

The NRB can be transferred to your surviving spouse or civil partner, if not utilised on the first death - meaning the surviving partner’s estate can be worth up to £650k before inheritance tax comes into play.

The Conservative party’s muchpublicised election promise was to take the home out of the IHT equation.

Following on from this, the big change this year, announced in George

Osborne’s Summer Budget, was the introduction of ‘main residence NRB’ which tops-up the NRB, even if you no longer live at the residence.

Some things to consider here: • The main residence nil-rate band is being introduced in stages and will not reach the full £175,000 until 2020/2021. To be able to claim the benefit of the whole residence relief by 2020, the property has to be worth at least £350,000.

• The big headlines talked about a ‘£1m IHT Nil Rate Band’ which will only apply if the NRB and main residence NRB are transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner (£325k x2 plus £175k x2).

• As ever, there are some conditions attached to this government giveaway, namely that the main residence has to be left to one or more direct descendants. This list of descendants has been extended to include foster children and the spouses/widows/ widowers of children and grandchildren.

• Please note, if you are lucky enough

Inheritance Tax

to have an estate worth more than £2m, your IHT relief will be tapered.

There are some losers to this tax relief too - namely people with no direct descendants or those who rent their home, as they would have no qualifying residence to be able to claim the relief.

You can give away your home to your children if you want to, however, you cannot remain living in the property once the gift has been confirmed. If you give away your home and still live in it, you will need to pay market-value rent.

For those who get on well with their children, it may be worth considering sharing the property and moving in together. It is then possible to split the ownership of the property between you and your children. So long as you survive for seven years, only the retained share of the property’s value is counted as part of your estate in IHT calculations. You will have to carry on living together.

Some other issues to think about: • It is easy to presume that paying off your mortgage as quickly as possible is the best idea. However in terms of IHT, the property is valued net of related borrowings so for IHT purposes you might want to reconsider.

• One of the first things to think about is how much you can afford to give away during your lifetime. Everyone has an annual gift exemption of £3k but please note that this is per tax year, not per recipient! There is also a small gifts exemption of £250 and an additional exemption for wedding or civil partnership gifts when you can give up to £5k to a child, £2.5k to a grandchild or £1k to anyone else, completely tax free.

• Remember the seven-year time bomb. All gifts are exempt from IHT so long as you survive for seven years after the gift has been given. If you pass away before then, the recipient of the gift may have to pay IHT on the gift depending on the amount involved.

The gifts also have to be outright, with no conditions attached.

If you are in the fortunate position of having income over and above your day-to-day living expenses, you might want to consider giving away your excess income. This has no seven year run-off period and no

IHT cost. As always there are hoops to get through before these gifts can be ignored. If you don’t feel your children are in the right stage of life to receive your excess income or capital gifts, you should consider setting up a trust which can be used to control when they receive the money.

Other ways to save money: • If you’re feeling charitable, one of the ways to reduce your IHT bill is to leave money to a charity as these donations are completely exempt from tax. There is also no IHT payable on any assets transferred between spouses or civil partners, as well as donations to universities, community amateur sports clubs, and political parties with two or more MPs. • Farmers also get a special exemption with the ‘agricultural property relief’ so that farms can be passed down to the next generation without a hefty IHT bill.

• Similarly the owners of a business can claim ‘Business Rate Relief’ to offset up to 100% of the value of their business, whether this consists of unlisted shares in a trading company or an unincorporated business. In certain circumstances relief

can also be claimed on property and buildings rented to the business.

• A recent change has been made regarding inherited ISAs. Essentially, this new rule allows you to keep the income tax and capital gains tax exemptions of an ISA when you inherit the savings from a spouse or civil partner.

Clearly, there are many ways to limit the future IHT bill on your estate – legally, above board and using exemptions and reliefs which are sponsored by HMRC. But the important point to remember is that it’s never too early to be thinking about your estate and your Will.

Lorna Sizer, Senior Manager, Personal Tax at Knill James Chartered Accountants

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

The Legal 500

For 27 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing capabilities within law firms across the world, also providing a regionalised ranking system, which law firms and the public alike can gain insight from. John Read, Editor of The Legal 500 UK explains more about Kent and Sussex law firms

The Legal 500 research program provides up to Law date information on the global legal market, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of law firms and ranking them. The aim of Legal 500 is to provide independent, unbiased commentary on the leading law firms – and lawyers in one of the most important legal marketplaces in the world. The editorial is targeted at corporate counsel, and others who use law firms, so they have a genuinely independent guide to the relative strengths (and weaknesses) of the market leaders. Of the companies that use the Legal 500 each year, 91% are in the Fortune 500; 82% of the FTSE 350; and 2.5 million general/corporate counsel.

The Legal 500 highlights the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting-edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. The research findings are based on feedback from 250,000 clients worldwide, submissions form law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.

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core strategies of either specialisation or The Legal 500 South East coverage expansion (sometimes at the same time). treats the region as a patchwork of Bread and butter commercial work for related areas of which Kent, Surrey and high street banks, IP and IT outsourcing Sussex is one of the three composite are examples of areas previously geographic footprints, the other two considered ancillary (or simply taken being Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, for granted) that are now seen as core Hertfordshire and Middlesex; and the billers by large and small Thames Valley, Berkshire, “The Legal 500 firms alike – and natural Oxfordshire and M4/ highlights the choices for specialisation M40 corridor. The smaller practice area by boutiques. markets of Hampshire and teams who are In such a difficult climate, Essex are treated as single geographic entities. providing the most there are few firms that have not been subject Proximity to the City cutting-edge and to merger speculation. makes the business innovative advice However, the number issues facing law firms to corporate of actual combinations nationally arguably even counsel” has been dwarfed by more pressing for those rumours of the same. down south. As fees are Two exceptions are the 2014 merger of squeezed in London and across the UK longstanding Kent player Cripps Harries by an ever-growing number of issues – Hall with Vertex Law, which doubled such as alternative business structures the size of the newly named Cripps’ (ASBs) and a reluctance to pay premium corporate and commercial practice; and rates for legal services – the traditional Sussex player Thomas Eggar’s opening ‘City-level service with regional fees’ of a London office in 2013 (via an approach, which is the commercial acquisition of corporate boutique Sharpe mantra of most Home Counties firms, Pritchard). may not be quite as convincing as it What is perhaps most striking once was. This has manifested itself in

Legal

about the regional heavyweights table is the relatively poor showing of Sussex firms. None of the four top-tier outfits maintain an office in the county, and of the remaining 14, only three – ASB Law, DMH Stallard and Thomas Eggar – can truly be described as ‘Sussex firms’.

Also notable is the almost complete absence of Brighton offices. ASB closed in the town eight years ago, and only DMH maintains an office there (though the picture has changed recently with the entry of well-known Hampshire brand, Coffin Mew, which opened a four-lawyer Brighton office in May with a view to expansion).

There is, nevertheless, a raft of interesting, newer Sussex players that demonstrate amply the anti-fullservice, lean specialisation strategy that may well hold firms in good stead in the coming years. Moore Law is an excellent example of a newly formed (2012) niche commercial practice seeking to gain advantage of high-end IP and TMT instructions in a sophisticated market. At the opposite end of the practice spectrum, Family Law Partners and Griffiths Smith Farrington Webb (the latter a much older firm) have concentrated on building solid foundations in family and private client work.

In the rare cases where international, City-brand names have chosen to maintain a South East office, they have generally chosen to do so in the salubrious environs of Surrey; and more specifically, Guildford. Clyde & Co’s and Charles Russell Speechlys’ offices are part of those firms’ global networks, which can lead to some remarkable specialisations: for example, Clyde & Co’s team servicing the dispute needs of the some of the largest shipping insurers in the world, for instance.

John Read, Editor of The Legal 500 UK

Regional Heavyweights (South East)

Corporate And Commercial: Kent, Surrey, Sussex

Blake Morgan LLP Southampton, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading Penningtons Manches LLP Oxford, Reading, Guildford, Basingstoke, Godalming Shoosmiths LLP Basingstoke, Milton Keynes, Reading, Southampton Stevens & Bolton LLP Guildford ASB Law LLP Crawley, Maidstone B P Collins LLP Gerrards Cross Birketts LLP Chelmsford Bond Dickinson LLP Southampton Boyes Turner Reading Charles Russell speechlys LLP Guildford Clyde & Co Guildford, Oxford Cripps LLP Tunbridge Wells, Kings Hill, Sandwich DMh stallard LLP Crawley, Guildford, Farnham Dentons Milton Keynes EMW Law LLP Milton Keynes Osborne Clarke Reading Pitmans LLP Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth Thomas Eggar LLP Crawley, Chichester, Worthing, Newbury, Southampton

Clyde & Co Guildford 1 Cripps LLP Kings Hill, Tunbridge Wells Stevens & Bolton LLP Guildford Thomas Eggar LLP Crawley asb law LLP Crawley, Maidstone 2 Charles Russell Speechlys LLP Guildford DMH Stallard LLP Gatwick Penningtons Manches LLP Godalming, Guildford Rawlison Butler LLP Crawley Mundays LLP Cobham 3 Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP Tunbridge Wells, Greenhithe Barlow Robbins LLP Guildford, Woking Brachers Maidstone Clarkson Wright & Jakes Orpington Furley Page Solicitors Canterbury, Chatham Goodyear Blackie Herrington Solicitors, Elstead Morrisons Solicitors LLP Redhill, Woking, 4 Wimbledon TWM Solicitors LLP Guildford Warners Solicitors Sevenoaks, Tonbridge

Commercial property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex Clyde & Co Guildford Cripps LLP Tunbridge Wells Stevens & Bolton LLP Guildford Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP Tunbridge Wells, Greenhithe ASB Law LLP Crawley, Maidstone Barlow Robbins LLP Woking, Guildford Brachers Maidstone Charles Russell speechlys LLP Guildford Mundays LLP Cobham TWM Solicitors LLP Guildford, Epsom, Reigate, Wimbledon Adams & Remers Lewes Clarkson Wright & Jakes Orpington DMh stallard LLP Gatwick Downs Solicitors LLP Dorking, Godalming Furley Page solicitors Canterbury Hart Brown Guildford Herrington & Carmichael LLP Camberley Morrisons solicitors LLP Redhill, Woking, Wimbledon Penningtons Manches LLP Godalming, Guildford Rawlison Butler LLP Crawley Rix & Kay solicitors LLP Uckfield, Brighton Stevensdrake Crawley Thackray Williams LLP Bromley, West Wickham, Beckenham Warners solicitors Tonbridge, Sevenoaks Whitehead Monckton Maidstone

Personal Tax, Trust And Probate: Kent, Surrey, Sussex Cripps LLP Tunbridge Wells Stevens & Bolton LLP Guildford Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP Tunbridge Wells ASB law LLP Crawley, Maidstone Adams & Remers Lewes Barlow Robbins LLP Guildford, Godalming, Woking Brachers Maidstone Charles Russell speechlys LLP Guildford DMh stallard LLP Gatwick, Guildford Furley Page solicitors Canterbury, Whitstable, Chatham Morrisons solicitors LLP Redhill, Woking, Wimbledon, Camberley Penningtons Manches LLP Godalming TWM solicitors LLP Cranleigh, Guildford, Reigate, Leatherhead Woolley Bevis Diplock LLP Brighton Batchelors Bromley Clarkson Wright & Jakes Orpington Griffith Smith Farrington Webb LLP Brighton Gullands Solicitors Maidstone Herrington & CarmichaelLLP Camberley Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP Brighton, Eastbourne, Lewes Mundays LLP Cobham Rawlison Butler LLP Horsham Rix & Kay solicitors LLP Uckfield, Brighton stevensdrake Crawley Thackray Williams LLP Bromley, West Wickham, Beckenham Thomas Eggar LLP Crawley, Chichester, Worthing Warners solicitors Sevenoaks, Tonbridge Whitehead Monckton Maidstone

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Ecological Innovation

Green Growth Platform SBT attended the most recent Green Growth Platform event at Brighton University to discover the ecological innovation occurring in businesses across the region

“The Green Growth Platform enables businesses to network with others who share an environmental focus”

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With the economic and ecological climate as it is today, Eco businesses across the UK and the world must innovate and put ideas into action to build a more sustainable and eco-friendly world. The most recent development in the business and retail world is the new government-led 5p charge for plastic bags. Suddenly the whole of the UK became more aware of their plastic bag use, and strived to be more economical, therefore also more environmentally friendly. With a Green-led council in one of Sussex’ key cities, Brighton, people are becoming more and more educated as to how to save energy, protect their natural environment, and generally become more eco-friendly. The University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform supports this thriving and innovative green sector in Sussex through an exciting network of environmentally focused businesses.

The Green Growth Platform enables businesses to network with others who share an environmental focus, and provides support, events, training and innovation to those wanting to succeed in their chosen green-led field. The Platform offers its members numerous services, delivered by a team of industry experts, business advisors and leading academics, including: • 1-2-1 business support - advising on strategy and growth funding, as well

as giving specialist advice and hosting business clinics.

• Business events and opportunities – hosting networking and educational events, tendering support and offering an environmental helpline for businesses.

• Research and Development – hosting innovation clinics, product and service development and developing funding for innovation.

• Skills and Training – offering green sector course development, graduate internships and student placements, apprenticeships and training.

The Platform has placed over 41 graduate interns or student placements with its members, has created at least 39 new jobs within member companies, and made a total of £565,000 of investment over the past 18 months – mostly within R+D and business growth projects.

All this and more was demonstrated at their most recent event, held on 25th September 2015, providing educational and networking opportunities for all its attendees at Brighton University.

This was a whole day of talks and workshops, including presentations from the likes of Michael Ware, a green business financing expert from BDO consultancy, and Syed Ahmed, an environmental entrepreneur and former contestant on the BBC’s The Apprentice.

Michael Ware gave his perspective on business opportunities in the green economy and recent changes to government renewable energy policies,

Ecological Innovation

commercialisation and tendering.

Workshop topics included: • Eco Design: Realising the opportunities of a circular economy. With Giraffe Innovation.

• Really Wild Sales How to Survive and Thrive in a Competitive and Changing Environment. With Origins TM, bringing learning from the natural world and bushcraft to their business improvement consultancy.

• Navigating R&D tax credits and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. With research & development and tax experts Rift R&D Tax Credits and the University of Brighton’s KTP team.

• Intellectual property - commercialising your innovation. Penina Shepherd, Founder & MD of Acumen Business Law, award winning Commercial lawyers based in Brighton and Hove and Sussex.

• The Internet of Things: What are the opportunities for business? KnowNow Information, Hampshire based internet of things specialist consultancy • Procurement and supply chain from a big business perspective. Construction firm Willmott Dixon share insights on how to succeed as an SME supplier.

and gave businesses advice on attracting investors and raising finance.

Syed Ahmed shared his inspiring entrepreneurial story, and his insights into the smart eco world. Now owner of Savortex, Syed has developed a new and improved system for hand drying technology based on the idea that over 70 million washrooms hosted energy hungry hand dryers, which were inefficient in terms of both energy use and how well it dried the user’s hands.

He shared his findings about energy waste, and resource waste, with 80% of buildings using paper towels, which creates an extremely high environmental cost, producing 3 million tons of waste.

Syed eventually manufactured a hand dryer which used compression technology rather than a brush motor; in itself, saving much more energy. He also eliminated a large issue with the innovation of a smart feedback system,

allowing each hand dryer to share data with the company about usage, energy efficiency and much more.

Eco Design was a large part of the Growth Platform event, with speakers consistently delivering the message of how important a sustainable design is; both within a business plan and in product design. Resident Designer at the University of Brighton, Hamish Glover Wilson expressed his views on eco design, presenting some of his innovative work with various businesses and business owners, including the most recent RBS Gateway winner, Nigel Bamford who came up with a solution to water wastage.

During the afternoon, delegates were able to take advantage of business growth seminars on topics including sales strategies, innovation, smart technology, R&D tax credits,

The Growth Platform is a fantastic service for businesses across all sectors – as long as they’re eco-friendly. Business owners also had their time to shine at the event, with a pitching competition, which saw 5 businesses pitching innovative business ideas to the audience and judging panel. The winner of the competition was Lemongrass Trading, who produce insect repellents using natural ingredients and have an ambition to sell their products in high street stores.

One local business owner and attendee at the event said: “Next Level Thinking 2015 was thought provoking and held in superb facilities. It gave me an opportunity to meet local business people that I would otherwise never see and to contemplate issues in a way that may not have occurred to me independently.”

Businesses are invited to join the Green Growth Platform if they are either: An environmental sector company or social enterprise operating in Sussex, or a company or social enterprise operating in Sussex from any sector wishing to reduce their environmental impact.

For more information visit www.greengrowthplatform.co.uk

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Cover Feature

Another Level From temporary to permanent structures, exhibition stands, staging, set building, interior or exterior shop fitting installations, Level, the Sussex based creative solutions company, can plan, produce, fabricate and manage any 3D structure your business can possibly imagine

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The leading custom-build contractor Level, based in Eastbourne, East Sussex, Focus are expanding. With their rich heritage in creative problem solving, fabrication and logistics across a wide range of industries, their skill set is largely unparalleled in the region.

Headed by a group of directors with many years of combined experience, the business now boasts an enviable range of services and solutions, which can be applied across many sectors.

Step back a little, though, to explore the roots of the exhibition business and you will find that trade shows have their roots in medieval times, when the merchant capitalists of Europe would congregate in towns for trading fairs. Usually taking place along popular trade routes, these events contributed to the development of large urban centres and fed the flames of the Commercial Revolution.

As those flames grew into the Industrial Revolution, it became all the rage in eighteenth century Europe and North America to hold industrial exhibitions. This trend reached its apogee with the Great Exhibition of 1851—the first international show of manufactured products. It was a magnificent display of inventive genius that served as a ground for cross-pollination between various disciplines and industries.

Since then, these events have mutated and mushroomed into what we now know as trade shows, or Expos. (In the US alone, more than 10,000 trade shows are held every year.) Ranging in scale, they are usually specific to industries and are frequently set on the international stage, offering companies the chance to showcase the work they do to the rest of the world and gain new business.

Furthermore, participants can keep a finger on the pulse of their sector by studying the activity of competitors and observing market trends—all the while, looking out for new opportunities.

As a result, these engines of trade continue to play an important role in economic development and are central to business growth. And at the top end of the spectrum, large-scale Expos abound with conspicuous consumption as companies compete to impress clients—and perhaps even intimidate one another—with grand and spectacular stands.

When occasion calls for such a stand to be created, you can do no better than Level. They have expanded to become one of the world’s finest contractors of custom-build exhibition stands.

Experience has taught them the importance to companies of having a stand that boldly asserts their stature. So there are no half measures with Level, who strive to produce stands of the highest calibre. This has earned them commissions from some of the most reputable brands on the planet—who, you can image, demand the best in everything.

Owing to the quality of the stands Level put together, their clients deem it appropriate to outfit them with no less than the finest quality furnishings.

The highest of standards need to be met when helping to launch such blockbusters as Minions and Fast & Furious 7, as Level did for Universal at the Brand Licensing show in Las Vegas. In fact, so refined are Level that they were called upon by MGM to help promote the latest James Bond film, Spectre, at MIPCOM in Cannes. And Level certainly delivered. They always do.

In fact, Level takes the attitude that just about anything is possible, and they offer turnkey solutions, carrying entire projects through from start to finish. If they cannot do it, no one can. This is thanks to the powerful flexibility of their factory, which

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27

Cover Feature: Level

3D objects out of a variety of materials gives them the freedom to manipulate from computer designs. just about any material into whatever On the subject of flexibility, not only shape the client wants. Sweeping curves can Level apply themselves with equal of metal, wood and glass materialise as effectiveness to stands of any scale— complex installations in the exhibition from 20m2 right up to 2,000m2 (as hall, cleverly pieced together in situ by with the Intel stand they created for their team from sections produced in the MWC in Barcelona)—but they can the workshop. They even have their own even incorporate scalability into a single paint spray unit, with which they can design. This means apply a wide array that a stand can be of finishes to any “Level are constantly made to shrink and surface. A prime expand according example is the innovating new to the exhibition hall work they did for solutions and in which it is being a recent Vodafone investing in cuttinginstalled. campaign that was The bottom line rolled out across edge technologies is, Level offer the the UK. For this, in order to broaden ultimate adaptability. they used the And it does not end most up-do-date their horizons” at trade shows. techniques for While exhibition printing directly production has remained one of their core onto plywood with UV ink to create eyeservice offerings, the skills of the highly catching wallpaper and rug effects with a high-lacquer finish that Vodafone were left experienced and talented team have proven to be transferrable to a number feeling very happy with. of other tasks. Beyond exhibitions, Level Yet, true to form, as a progressive also apply themselves to the fabrication company at the top of their game, of interiors for sophisticated home Level are constantly innovating new environments and commercial projects. solutions and investing in cutting-edge In fact, Level have a robust track technologies in order to broaden their record of involvement with the Film horizons and introduce even greater and TV industry. The company’s ample flexibility into their offerings. And when it experience in organising the production comes to flexibility, you cannot beat their and installation of custom-made recently purchased 5-Axis CNC machine, exhibition stands, and coordinating all which gives Level the capacity to model

28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

the logistics that go with it, make them ideal candidates for managing highquality events. By incorporating worldclass marketing structures with lighting, audio-visual and special effects, and collaborating with advertising agencies, designers and clients, Level create outstanding and memorable product launches, roadshows and corporate hospitality events.

In the same vein, they also build dramatic stages and sets for films, photographic shoots and corporate events. And they are no stranger to challenging time frames, often installing and dismantling within a 24hour window—importantly, without compromising their exacting standards.

It goes without saying that this requires exceptional project management, coupled with a fast and highly-skilled workforce.

Another area in which Level excel is in the creation of temporary structures, which is not surprising considering the close parallels between that and exhibition stand construction. Once again, no project is too big or too small. Level’s portfolio includes on-site sales offices and marketing suites, as well as entire pavilion villages at major events.

At the larger end of the scale, Level are more than capable of creating themed environments that immerse the viewer in an interactive journey that serves to simultaneously inform, market and entertain. They did this very successfully

Cover Feature: Level for the new brand launch of Merck in Berlin by filling the hall with organic shapes, all soaked in bespoke lighting.

At the other end of the scale, with small projects, Level are well practiced in composing clever marketing structures where the medium is clearly the message.

Small point of sale units can even be built to fit within a larger project, designed to present a particular product in its best light. This is where Level’s new CNC machines come into their own: while they can be used to carve out one-off items, they can also be programmed for large product runs, which are then finished to a high specification, with the addition of things like high-tech graphics.

And on the subject of graphics, there is a team at Level who are armed with a wide range of high-end technologies and all the latest techniques, from dye sublimation and direct-to-substrate printing, to tension systems and ultrawide format. Their ability to apply quality graphics to any material enables Level to produce creative solutions across all their disciplines, guaranteeing that every project is well dressed for the occasion.

Indeed, even Level’s location mirrors the flexibility that pervades their practice.

Working from Eastbourne, they have excellent access to the Eurotunnel, London airports and major shipping ports. And with the world at their fingertips, their appetite is whetted for global expansion, beginning with Dubai next year. Setting up a manufacturing base in the United Arab Emirates will enable Level to provide the same level of service to their clients in both the Middle and Far East.

All of Level’s offerings are bolstered by years of experience, which leaves their clients feeling safe in the knowledge that budgets will be met and all the fine details and practicalities of the project will be thoroughly thought through, so that everything runs smoothly from start to finish. But of course, we would expect no less from a premier company who leads the way into the future of trade shows.

Contact the team today with any requirements that you may need for your next exhibition, shop fit, design or logistics services: Eastbourne +44(0)1323 408920 14 Alder Close, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QF info@levelexhibitions.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29

High Street vs Online The Internet has revolutionised the way we buy and sell property with disastrous consequences for traditional agents, but what has changed? And what is the impact?

“No one walks into an estate agent’s office to start their search for a property anymore”

30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The digital revolution seems to have taken over every walk of Insight life and every sector of business. Just as Airbnb has shaken up the world of travel, now it seems online estate agents are trying to blow apart the old system of buying and selling property on the high street.

The number of online estate agents is growing, as with the rest of the business world, and it is predicted that by 2020, 70% of homeowners will be selling online rather than by traditional means. Buying online has also become far more likely than buying in a high street agency, which has led to many frustrated independent estate agents in the streets of the South East as well as the rest of the UK. In 2013, Rightmove obtained 14 million page views compared to the Queen’s Speech’ 7.8 million views, putting the state of the market, and the UK populations’ priorities into perspective.

The UK also spent an average of 17 hours a month on property sites in 2015.

The online sector has come a long way since eMoov, now one of the top dogs in the world of online estate agency,

began selling homes for a fairer fee than the high street in 2010. Now, due to the prevalence of the likes of Rightmove and Zoopla (98% of buyers and tenants are said to go straight to these sites) every agent is now an online agent. However, it’s no longer just about providing a cheaper alternative, but about offering a more empowering service for the consumer.

Recently, easyProperty CEO Rob Ellice and his horse-drawn coffin led a cheeky, and quite outrageous PR stunt in London.

It involved a funeral procession through the streets, mourning the ‘death’ of the high street estate agent. The march got under way as online ‘estate agents’ in pin-striped suits, and holding brick-sized mobile phones to their ears, filled the streets. They carried red wreaths behind a horse-drawn coffin.

Rob Ellice said: “Consumer behaviour has changed. No one walks into an estate agent’s office to start their search for a property anymore. With traditional estate agents, you are still paying for their high street offices, a fleet of branded cars and cafes – even if you don’t want these services.”

More and more people are turning to online estate agencies due to the

Property

cost comparison. Online estate agents often offer a far more flexible, and more affordable package choice, plus have an upfront fee for their services rather than high street estate agents’ often high fee that can rise above and beyond your expected budget due to the cost of the house itself. Clive Janes is a Sussex based landlord who setup CRJ Lettings early last year - a small independent letting agents, based in Chichester, West Sussex. He doesn’t have a high street presence, viewing it as, in fact a hindrance to his particular business model, however is local to the area and knowledgeable of Chichester’s property market. He shared his opinion on the topic of online vs high street estate agents, their differences and some of the advantages and disadvantages of onlineonly agents: “The fundamental problem with many of the online-only agents is that they operate too broadly geographically.

People still largely use local agents to rent and sell their property because they are presumed to have good local knowledge of the area and a solid grasp on the price of any given property, whilst being on hand to conduct the viewings.

In contrast, online-only agents lack this in-depth local knowledge and often need to consult with local agents to ascertain the correct sale/rental figure!”

Clive adds: “Another negative to the customer that most online-only agents have put into their business model, is charging their fees upfront; meaning it is a sunk cost whether you sell/let your property or not.”

This is something that has previously

come up as an advantage for online agents – with such high and changeable fees, some customers may like the ‘flat fee’ approach. However, Clive suggests a downside in performance: “Sceptics may also suggest there is little motivation to perform the task in the vendor’s best interests when the fee has already been paid.”

So, what’s the solution to this battle between online and high street agencies?

Clive believes that, going forward, a ‘hybrid’ of the two formats will best serve the public: “I expect the future to consist of more mobile property professionals who focus on a local area and take full

responsibility for each property they take on. Not being tied to a high street shop nor weighed down by its inherent costs means a passionate individual can offer truly expert, local and tailored advice, offering good value rather than simply being ‘cheap’.”

This may prove more difficult than it sounds, however, as Clive comments: “It’s very much a case of the chicken and the egg; to take on properties you need to be able to prove competence, trust, dedication and that you will care, but without the property in the first place it is very difficult to prove you have those qualities. Whether you are an online-only agent or on the high street, it is this you need to overcome so as to engage with homeowners and landlords to trust in using your service.”

Perhaps estate agents with a more high street approach don’t need to be quite so afraid though, with customer perception of quality and service often far ahead of the costs involved: “Ultimately, landlords just want their property let and managed proficiently, by a competent agent who they believe they can trust and cares for them. The biggest thing online-only agents have missed whilst banging on about their ‘cheap fees’ is that property is largely a people business and until they can actually add value to the end-user, they won’t make the impact upon the market they expect to.”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31

Money Matters

Basepoint Business Centres

The charitable trust, and supportive company, Basepoint are not only helping early-stage companies strengthen and grow, but are also supporting Global Entrepreneurship Week Basepoint is a company that specialises in Focus the development and operation of managed business, innovation and enterprise centres. These centres provide comprehensive accommodation and support infrastructure packages to new and early-stage companies within a supportive and secure environment.

The company operates both wholly and part-owned centres as well as managing facilities on behalf of public sector bodies, running operations that currently extend across Southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales, with additional opportunities under assessment across the UK. Recently, Basepoint Business Centres Ltd announced that it would be partnered with Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch start-ups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human

32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

the communities that it serves, and all welfare. With this partnership, Basepoint Basepoint Business Centres give vast is able to bring a number of exciting events to Sussex to promote and support support to local charities, in order to help develop sustainable communities. local entrepreneurs.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, Stephanie George, Centre Manager at running from 16th Basepoint Crawley – 22nd November commented: “Basepoint are 2015, inspires “Basepoint are committed committed to supporting people everywhere to supporting entrepreneurs, so to be through local, national and global entrepreneurs, so able to takepart in a global activities designed to be able to take campaign that will to help them explore part in a global their potential as campaign that will help local businesses self-starters and help local businesses is just fantastic” innovators. These is just fantastic. We’re activities connect looking forward to participants to potential collaborators, welcoming a wide variety of people mentors and even investors, introducing to the events and continuing to boost them to new possibilities and exciting businesses with our flexible services.” opportunities.

Uniquely, Basepoint is wholly owned by Basepoint’s schedule of events for a charitable trust, The ACT Foundation, Sussex kicks off with a free Regional whose mission is to ‘ACT to enhance Networking Hub event to be held at the the quality of life for people in need’.

Crawley Business Centre on Wednesday This means that any profit from the 18th November – a unique event that Basepoint operations is used by the Trust will also be attended by the DIAL to further its charitable objectives within

Basepoint Advertorial

(Drop In Action Learning) Project from Brighton University. Over the past year, the DIAL Project has helped over 250 entrepreneurs collaborate, skill share and gain advice and mentorship from their peers, enabling them to focus on and resolve any issues they may be facing.

To conclude day one, there will be an incredible surprise guest speaker in store, along with the Young Start Up Talent Award Winners, so don’t miss out!

Lorraine Nugent from Young StartUp Talent, an initiative that works with over 80 local and national businesses who all contribute to a prize fund worth over £50,000 in each of the five areas to enable vital support and guidance for young start-up businesses, also commented on their involvement with Basepoint: “Young Start-up Talent are delighted to be a part of Basepoint and this fantastic event during Global Entrepreneurship Week, where innovation and business flair can be recognised and celebrated.”

Tino Da Silva from Business Radio will also be broadcasting live from the event – attendees will have the opportunity to be interviewed about their businesses on live radio and as an added bonus, Business Radio will give each person interviewed a free profile page on their website to advertise their business on, along with a link to the interview. Commenting on their involvement, Tino says: “In the UK 52% of the employee market comes from small business. Clearly entrepreneurs play a huge part in the local economy.

As a small business Business Radio are honoured to be involved in celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week with Basepoint Crawley!”

Another strong partnership, day two of the scheduled events includes the Acumen Business Academy, alongside Acumen Business Law and Wired Sussex, providing a high-level platform for business & legal training sessions to the Gatwick Business Community at no cost.

As well as providing the opportunity for networking and nibbles, the next session of the Acumen Business Academy will have two experts discussing two of the most important issues facing business owners in this digital era.

Kelly Dibbert is the Jobs and Talent Manager at Wired Sussex, a membership organisation for companies operating in the digital, creative and IT sector in Sussex. She will be talking about how you can position yourself to attract the best digital talent to your business. Nicole Humphreys, specialist in and Head of Acumen Business Law’s Employment Department, will be speaking about social

media ownership in the workplace as well as IP ownership when created by employees and freelancers.

More events are being planned for the week around the Sussex region so keep an eye on www.basepoint. co.uk for more updates.

For further information, please contact the team on 01293 817717.

Basepoint Client Testimonials “Since moving into Basepoint in May 2014 I have been nothing but impressed with the support, help and professional nature of the staffing team. The facilities are well maintained, any queries rapidly dealt with and my clients greeted with a friendly smile, I cannot imagine being located elsewhere” - Nicky Edwards, A Step at a Time Hypnotherapy “We started our business just over a year ago. We needed a fully serviced office from day one, Basepoint Business Centre, Crawley fitted the bill perfectly.

They have always been fully supportive and keen to assist with any technical issues we’ve had. Due to their “no fuss” approach, when it came time to move to one of their larger offices they were able to switch everything over and be fully operational the very next day. Their staff are always helpful and friendly and we feel they portray our company well, when our customers come to visit the centre. I can’t thank Basepoint enough for their help and constant support in helping our continued growth” - Paul Morfett (Hussar Gruppa Ltd)

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33

5 Steps To A BusinessBoosting Brand Language

The way you write can attract your ideal customers and keep them coming back for more.

James Hood, from content agency Convey, explains how you can set the right tone

“You don’t have to be a giant food chain or global fashion powerhouse to benefit from a definitive tone of voice” 34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

During dinner with a friend, who works Marketing for a luxury fashion label, recently we got onto the subject of marketing. She said a big challenge was the consistency of the brand language being used across the company. The increasingly diverse and transatlantic (sometimes global) workforce meant retaining any sort of style for their language – AKA ‘tone of voice’ – was

more difficult than ever but that it was essential for speaking to, attracting, and keeping the right customers. Whether or not they say “sneakers” or “trainers”, “stilettos” or “pumps” on their website for example might seem trivial, but is worthy of being added to a meeting agenda.

It is her comment about speaking to, attracting, and keeping customers that is most note-worthy. An official brand language might seem like another strategy document cobbled together and filed away, but it can have a positive

Social Media

impact on any organisation, by building relationships with people who will buy your products and services. In addition, the right voice can set you apart – giving customers a reason to choose your company over a competitor. Take Pret a Manger, for example, the chain of sandwich and coffee shops. Pret has mastered tone of voice by using it to reflect its values. On the back of its sandwich boxes you’ll see this: ‘We believe air freighting fruit and veg is completely over the top. We don’t do it.’

In one foul swoop, using the words ‘completely over the top,’ Pret has told the consumer it cares about the environment while also speaking in the kind of language you’d use with your mates. Pret is kind, human, and practically your friend.

You don’t have to be a giant food chain or global fashion powerhouse to benefit from a definitive tone of voice, and it is certainly about much more than the names you give to shoes. It is an allencompassing blueprint for how you and the business behave in written or verbal communications. It can apply to the way your staff members speak to people,

but generally it refers to the marketing text you are using to target your ideal audience. And it’s something that should be adopted by organisations large and small.

So what are the steps you need to take in order to actually create a tone of voice or brand language for your business?

1

Identify the personality of your business

This might sound like some wishy washy, airy fairy Yoga camp activity, but deciding on personality traits for your business is where you begin.

Think about what you do; the products or services you provide. Are you an accountant, a florist, hotel, bar, kids’ party planner or tattoo artist? Think about a personality that reflects your company. Virgin Atlantic for example is

something of a renegade – a rebel that refuses to conform to any standard business principles. It’s cheeky, risktaking, and anything but staid or dull.

As a result, the organisation’s tone of voice is human and humorous.

2

Who are you talking to?

Finding out who your customers are is a must for any business. Who they are and what their own personality traits consist of will help you determine how to speak to them. For example, do you sell skateboards to young, hip kids who don’t want to be spoken to like you are a bank? Maybe you sell designer dresses online to high-earning, elegant lawyers or welcome a range of people to a salon for relaxing massages.

Find out who they are and what your customers want from you, which will help you with the next step.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35

Branding

I L

“We want to be less formal and more human with our clients”

3

The Formality Scale – What Number Are You?

I often ask customers, on a scale of 1 to 10, how formally do you want to communicate with your audience, if one is very relaxed and informal and 10 is super serious? Answering this question and then communicating it in your tone of voice guide will help you and your staff when writing marketing copy. At Convey for example, we have a formality scale of about three, so when we have to chase invoice payments our subject line says: ‘Well this is awkward’. It’s a light-hearted tone because we want to be less formal and more human with our clients.

4

F A E

Write It Down

Document everything you’ve learnt about your brand and its language.

That includes the personality of the business, the customers and your formality scale. Then create some examples where written communications are used in your company and what they should be like.

For example; if you invite customers to sign up to your emails, what is your acknowledgement email like? Is it friendly or formal? Write a good one and a bad one, so employees can see the difference.

5

Show Your Personality Through Vocabulary

We work with a large property client and changed the way the organisation describes homes because it was old fashioned and the terminology was overused. Ask yourself is there a better, more human way to say something? Are we using a particular language because it’s the way it’s always been done?

Write a list of words that are allowed within your business alongside those you would rather not use. For our property business for example, we changed things like ‘commencement of a tenancy’ to ‘start of a tenancy’.

And words like ‘comprises’ and ‘characterful’ were banished to a kingdom far away, making the tone more friendly.

S About James James is a content expert who runs agency, Convey. He has lived in Sussex for over 30 years and now works with clients around the world to write compelling marketing copy and brand-building tone of voice guides.

For more information go to conveyconsultancy.co.uk or call 07900923458.

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Park House

For Your Christmas Parties & Celebrations, Come to Park House Five minutes from Midhurst in West Sussex, Park House is an award-winning* luxury country house hotel & spa, with a beautifully restored barn venue CHRISTMAS LUNCHES & DINNERS: Advertorial • Christmas Lunch Menu during December, £25.00 3 courses • Christmas Dinner Menu during December, £32.50 - 3 courses Please contact the Hotel Dining team to book on 01730-819000 or email: dining@parkhousehotel.com CHRISTMAS DRINKS & PARTIES: • For drinks parties, with a maximum of 80 guests • For seated lunch and dinner parties, with a maximum of 60 guests Please contact the Hotel Dining team to discuss requirements, menus and budget on 01730-819000, email: dining@parkhousehotel.com CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS: For Christmas Gifts, suggested ideas include: • Spa treatments, spa days and spa vouchers • Kerstin Florian and VOYA products from the spa • Lunch for 2, dinner for 4 or a traditional full-English afternoon tea for 2 • A round of golf on the The Oaks 18 tee, Par 3 golf course • Gift vouchers for any value to enjoy in the hotel or spa Please call the Hotel Reservations team to book on 01730-819020 or email: reservations@parkhousehotel.com

38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

NEW YEAR’S EVE: Come and join us for a Victorian themed night of Mystery and Murder!

Surrounded by flickering candles, Park House and Big Monty Productions are hosting a intimate Murder Mystery evening.

Madame Vitas welcomes you to a Victorian Séance, what will our guests uncover?

For those budding thespians among you, why not become a a key character for the evening ranging from “Lady Bepton” to the Gardener.

Room packages including the New Year’s Eve dinner & Murder/Mystery entertainment are £410 per couple. Non hotel residents who would like to come to Park House for the New Year’s Eve dinner & Murder/ Mystery entertainment, the price is £100pp.

Please call the Hotel Reservations team to book on 01730-819020 or email: reservations@parkhousehotel.com * AWARDS INCLUDE, 2015 winner of Conde Nast Johansens’ Luxury Spa Awards in the ‘Best for Couples in the UK, Europe & The Mediterranean’ category, winner of the Editor’s Choice Award in The 2015 Good Hotel Guide, TOP 5 Bubble rating from The Good Spa Guide and 2015 “Certificate of Excellence” FROM TRIP ADVISOR.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 39

IT Professionals

Demand for IT Professionals The latest figures from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) show no relief for UK businesses struggling to find talented IT staff.

The latest figures from the Business Register and Focus Employment Survey (BRES) show no relief for UK businesses struggling to find talented IT staff.

With the economy continuing to improve, the 2015 figures show a 5.8% increase in the number of IT and technical staff in the UK. Yet despite the rise in the number of employees joining the sector, demand continues to far outstrip supply and companies are looking to bring in the required technical experience as soon as possible.

The figures also show that London continues to dominate the British economy with the number of workers

40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

in the capital now standing at 4.73 million up from 4.55 million in 2013.

The result is an increasingly bare tech scene outside of the south west and an on-going talent drain towards Greater London.

Farida Gibbs, CEO and Founder at Surrey based Gibbs S3, hybrid IT consulting and staffing solutions company commented: “These figures shouldn’t come as a surprise, yet not enough is being done to address the lack of STEM and IT candidates.

Companies are finding it harder and harder to get the right candidates and it is costing the British economy millions in missed opportunities and unrealised growth. So many businesses are running under-staffed teams, unable to find the required skills to meet the demands of today’s market.”

Farida continued “Companies can no longer afford to dip in and out of the market, assuming that they will find the right person. Instead, it’s important to always have an ear to the ground to avoid losing out on talented people.

I’ve heard so many senior executives express concerns about staff with key technical knowledge leaving and the inability to replace them in good time. Yet these figures underline how realistic a scenario that is and therefore the need to make sure that good succession planning is in place. There are a lot of CTOs who are terrified of the fact that, the one person who can operate the database decides to leave, yet have made no move to distribute that knowledge. The solution is the engage with a long-term partner to have a more flexible resourcing

strategy that can scale up or down as the situation demands.”

However, the future is not so dark.

Another new report published by The Tech Partnership (formerly e-skills UK), the Sector Skills Council for the IT and telecommunications industry, predicts that from now until 2020 jobs in IT and telecoms will grow almost twice as quickly as the UK average. Although, the report also forecasts that 129,000 new recruits to IT and telecoms will be needed each year, to fill newly-created vacancies and spaces left by people leaving the industry due to retirement, career changes or other reasons.

The number of advertised vacancies in the current IT market has increased significantly from the lowest figure of 82,000 per quarter in 2009 to more than 116,000 per quarter in 2011. In particular, contractors in the sector have seen a 64% growth in opportunities during this two-year period. The recovery has been particularly strong in London, with 44% of all vacancies in the sector in 2011 being

Money Matters

created in the capital, up from 39% in 2008.

We spoke to Dan Hawes, CoFounder and Marketing Director at the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, recognised as the UK’s leading, independent, graduate recruitment consultancy. Having launched the careers of over 5,000 high calibre graduates nationwide from their Brighton HQ, GRB has a huge amount of data enabling them to predict trends, identify areas of growth and decline.

Dan commented: “One consistent factor has been the demand for technical graduates. In the digital age, recruiters are seeking graduates with technical know-how to keep them at the forefront of their industry. However, Universities simply aren’t producing enough of nor the calibre required to fuel fast growing firms demand. Since 2002, the numbers of undergraduates studying Computer Science has dropped massively by 53% to 19,540 (Source: HEFCE) creating huge challenges for recruiters. And it’s

not just tech companies that want them, we have experience with recruiters from every sector - Johnson and Johnson, Kingfisher Group and Premier Foods to name but a few – all seeking business savvy tech grads so competition is fierce.

In 2011 the most in-demand job within IT and telecoms was a Systems Developer, followed closely by Senior Systems Developer and Project Manager.

Development, design and support jobs were the most advertised, and the most common technical skills requirements were SQL, C, C#, .NET, ASP, JavaScript, Agile, HTML and Java. The most commonly reported skills shortages were in jobs like programmers/software development professionals, and web design/development professionals. If there aren’t enough people learning these skills, this shortage will only continue, especially for those small businesses that rely on these skills for growth.

Dan added: “The bottleneck is when recruiting Developers, as many Computer Science graduates are more drawn

towards the big, London-based payers such as the banks for development work or Technical Consulting roles where they can use their communication skills too. What we find is that the smaller companies that cannot compete with the salaries want the same type of candidate and they want them to be able to interact with clients as well as code.

These companies can use their location as a differentiator and so those based in Sussex need to think about how they offer better work/life balance or quality of life when working in this fantastic county!”

Technological development is essential for not only the UK economy, but the job market as a whole, and SME success within Sussex. The world is going more and more digital every day, and without the necessary skills and education tools, we will be left behind. Businesses are crying out for more IT professionals, and as such a lucrative business, the next generation of experts should be jumping in the deep end, and we should be encouraging this from the bottom up.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41

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P 62-63 Made In Sussex SBT JAN 2013.indd 34

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P 62-63 Made In Sussex SBT JAN 2013.indd 35

12/02/2014 10:46

Health

Manage Your Muscle Tension

Arron Johnson, in his third instalment explains how a sports massage can benefit those with back pain, muscle tension, movement issues and cramp Sport Massage Benefits: Within the last edition Develop I looked at back pain and how it can be managed effectively.

Following on from this, I felt it would be a good idea to talk about Sports massage - one of the treatment techniques I am heavily involved with and one that I briefly spoke about in the previous edition.

Physical effects: Improved circulation - The stroking movements in massage can help to extract fluid through blood vessels and lymph vessels. By increasing the pressure in front of the stroke, a vacuum is created behind, which is especially important in tight or damaged muscle tissue as it releases blood out like a sponge, depriving the tissues of vital nutrients and energy to repair.

So what is sport massage and how or why can it benefit you as individuals?

Sports Massage can be defined as ‘the manipulation of soft tissue to release tension, reduce pain, restore easy movement and promote a good condition.

It’s a form of physical therapy used to help recover from and prevent injury. Massage can reduce postural problems, muscular tension, aches, pains, and cramp within the body. It also clears the muscle cells of waste products from exercise, increasing recovery and improving performance. This is why it can be so beneficial for a large quantity of individuals.

This treatment technique can have many physical and psychological benefits for various individuals.

Increased tissue permeability Deep massage causes tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourage the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which will help them recover quicker.

Physiological effects: Pain reduction - Tension and waste products in muscles can often cause pain.

Massage helps reduce this in many ways including releasing the body’s endorphins to mimic exercise.

Relaxation - Muscles relax through heat generated from the massage techniques, circulation and stretching.

Mechanoreceptors, which sense touch, pressure, tissue length and warmth are stimulated causing a reflex relaxation.

44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Stretching - Massage can stretch tissue that can’t be stretched via usual methods. Bundles of muscle fibres are stretched lengthways as well as sideways and can also stretch the sheath around the muscle, releasing tension and pressure.

Break down scar tissue - Scar tissue is the result of previous injuries or trauma. This can lead to inflexible tissues that are prone to injury and pain if not treated correctly. Certain massage techniques can break down the collagen, reigniting the healing process.

Improve tissue elasticity - Hard training can make tissues hard and inelastic. This is one reason why hard training may not result in improvements.

Massage can help to reverse this by stretching the tissues and muscle fibres to improve flexibility.

Micro-circulation - Massage increases blood flow to tissues by dilating the blood vessels and by stretching them, which enables nutrients to pass through more easily.

If you feel you could benefit from a sports massage or would like to discuss anything you have read, you can contact me at arron.hopkinson@yahoo.com or via www.precisionmassage.co.uk.

If you would like to book a treatment quote “Sussex Business Times” upon booking for a £5 discount on any Sport Massage treatment.

2016 RACEDAY FIXTURES APRIL

JULY

Tuesday 19 (E) Season Opening Race Evening

Tuesday 5 (E)

AUGUST

Tuesday 26 Wednesday 27 (E)

Wednesday 3 Festival of Racing - John Smith’s Raceday

MAY

Thursday 4 Festival of Racing - Ladies Day

Tuesday 3

Friday 5 Festival of Racing - Festive Finale

Monday 9

Sunday 21 Family Fun Raceday

Monday 16

Monday 22

Friday 27 Gentleman’s Day

SEPTEMBER

JUNE

Monday 5

Monday 6

Monday 12

Tuesday 14 (E)

Thursday 29

Tuesday 21

OCTOBER

Tuesday 28

Tuesday 4 Thursday 13 Season Finale

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Let Your Clients Know You Value Them - A Distinctive Wine Gift That Proves You Really Do Care!

The best and most cost-effective way of retaining clients and customers is to show them that they are valued – one of the ways of going about this is by giving them a valued gift, which says that your company cares about the same things they care about: good value, and equally important, a sustainable future for planet earth.

Sedlescombe wines are uniquely local and organic. When buying Sedlescombe wine, your brand is seen to be caring and supportive of the environment and organic farming.

Delight your most valued clients this Festive Season – Discover our range of International Award Winning English Wines and Vineyard ‘Tour for Two’ gift vouchers today! *on all orders over £200

Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5SA, Tel: 01580 830715 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 45

www.EnglishOrganicWine.co.uk/pages/sustainable-corporate-gifts

RATHFINNY WINE ESTATE Rathfinny Wine Estate, near Alfriston, has been created with the express intention of producing some of the world’s best sparkling wine.

Rathfinny occupies a perfect south facing slope, just three miles from the sea, and its climate, chalk soils and aspect make it the perfect place to produce wine in a region that is already producing some of the best, award winning English sparkling wines.

Rathfinny’s first 50 acres of vines were planted in April 2012 and eventually expect to have up to 400 acres of the 600 acre Estate under vines. Planting includes the three principal grape varieties used for the world’s very finest sparkling wines – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Rathfinny Wine Estate is the ideal location to host your special event and it will be a truly unique and memorable experience. Whether you wish to host corporate delegate days with full

meeting facilities, or a private party for a special occasion.

Your event can be held in either the beautifully designed Winery, with its elegant Tasting Room, set in the heart of the Estate with panoramic views across the Vineyard and the South Downs; or in the newly restored Flint Barns, an historic landmark in the Cradle Valley, whose wonderfully characterful courtyard and delightfully informal arrangement of rooms is very much a “home away from home”.

Estate Tours take you to the new Winery, where you can enjoy a Winemaker’s Lunch, or Afternoon Tea, in the gorgeous Tasting Room. Alternatively walk the Rathfinny Trail or visit The Gun Room, the Estate’s Cellar Door, situated on The Tye in Alfriston where you can taste the wines.

| www.rathfinnyestate.com | events@rathfinnyestate.com | | 01323 871031 |

TOUR THE WINE ESTATE

EAT OR STAY AT THE FLINT BARNS

EXPLORE THE RATHFINNY TRAIL

HOST YOUR SPECIAL EVENT

SHOP GIFTS AT THE GUN ROOM

46 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Rathfinny Wine Estate, Alfriston, East Sussex BN26 5TU / www.rathfinnyestate.com

Sussex Wine

The Sparkling Taste of Sussex

The region of Sussex has won many prestigious awards for its still and sparkling wines.

We provide an overview of why English wine is perhaps the highest quality and best tasting choice to make when choosing wines

Think of a country famous for its wine – do you think of Focus England? Well, you should! The UK is a premium wineproducing region, with around 500 vineyards in England and Wales covering some 4,500 acres and producing an annual average of 4 million bottles of sparkling and still wines.

More recently, English and Welsh wines have won many prestigious awards, with Sussex in particular quietly producing some of the best wine in the country and the world. In the last 15 years English sparkling wines have won 8 Trophies for Best International Sparkling Wine and 4 Trophies for Best Sparkling Rose in Global Competitions – a number which no other country has achieved, and which is growing rapidly.

Viticulture and winemaking in England boasts a long and rich history, from preRoman times to the present day – with a few ups and downs in between. The top

types of grape being grown in England and Wales are: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bacchus. This is English wine; not to be confused with British wine. British wine is a product that uses imported grapes or grape concentrate, therefore the ingredients and makings of British wine are not British at all. It’s usually sold at a much lower retail price than English wine, and with good reason. Sales of English wine has grown in the last couple of years, with an apparent resurgence in interest. Sales in 2014 were worth an estimated £78m and many domestic supermarkets routinely stock a range of English still and sparkling wines these days, which was a sight not too often seen in previous years. English sparkling wine is also shipped out to an estimated 13 countries, competing with the best.

East and West Sussex produces some of the best English wine in the country, and the region overall boasts the largest and most densely planted cluster of vineyards (23 in total) in the UK. Sussex shares similar geology to

north-east France where the chalk of the downs runs beneath the Channel into the Champagne region. In Sussex, there’s a more maritime climate, sunny and often dry, which is perfect for the production of sparkling wine as well as rosé, red and white wines. The Sussex offering of sparkling wines often trump French champagnes in international competitions and blind taste tests. For example, Nyetimber recently triumphed in the prestigious Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC) in the English Sparkling Wine category, this year winning 3 medals from 3 entries. Court Garden, in Ditchling also won a number of Awards this and last year for their 2011 Vintage Classic Cuvée, including Silver at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2015, Silver at the Effervescents du Monde 2014 and Bronze at the Sommelier Wine Awards 2015.

So, when choosing your next sparkling or still wine, perhaps for your corporate Christmas do, choose English wine.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47

FIZZ ON FOOT

If you’re looking to do something new, combining outdoor activity with local food and drink, you will certainly want to know about “Fizz on Foot” Fizz on Foot is a new ‘Walking and Wine’ tour company based in East Sussex, offering some fantastic tours that take in the beauty of the South Downs, as well as introducing guests to the wonderful world of English Sparkling Wine in our regions’ fabulous vineyards.

Fizz on Foot puts together bespoke tours and packages for small groups, as well as corporate organisations – all catered for your needs and fitness level. This is a great way to reward staff or clients, and is lots of fun for everyone.

Here are just some of the Fizz on Foot Tours that guests have enjoyed:

Seven Sisters Hike with “Fizz on Foot” Picnic Hamper - This day begins with a stunning 9 mile cliff-top hike, starting and finishing at The Tiger Inn at East Dean. A Picnic Hamper greets you at the end.

Alfriston River and Cuckmere Haven Walk with Wine Tasting and Lunch – A 9 mile guided walk, followed by a trip to an award winning wine estate for a sparkling wine tasting and buffet lunch.

Tour of Alfriston with Wine Tasting and Lunch – A humorous tour of the pretty and

historic village of Alfriston, with transport to a local award winning wine estate for a sparkling wine tasting and buffet lunch.

A hill-top walk from Alfriston to Charleston Farmhouse – This is a stunning hill-top walk with spectacular views across the South Downs. At Charleston Farmhouse, guests enjoy a tour of the home of the famous ‘Bloomsbury Set’, followed with coffee and a glass of fizz, together with a slice of home-made cake.

Mount Caburn walk and Picnic lunch at Glynde – A stunning walk above Glynde to Mount Caburn, extending across Downland to Lewes and back to the village for some English Sparkling Wine and a Hamper to enjoy.

For further details or to discuss your tour plans please call 01323 737271 or visit www.fizzonfoot.com

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Fizz on Foot offers escorted walking tours in the beautiful Sussex Downs area, with a focus on visiting great award winning vineyards and enjoying tasting fine English wines. These one day bespoke tours can be made as much fun as you want and include transport, gourmet lunch and the wine tastings.

Say a special thank you or celebrate a special day with our Fizz on Foot gift vouchers and locally sourced hampers.

Visit www.fizzonfoot.com for further information.

Tel: 01323 737271 Mobile: 07971 851777 www.facebook.com/pages/Fizz-on-Foot @fizzonfoot www.fizzonfoot.com

48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

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Lunch Review:

A Festive Taste of the Salt Room SBT reviews the Christmas menu that The Salt Room in Brighton has to offer The Salt Room was, in one word: fantastic!

I almost wish I had Review done more bad reviews in order to emphasise what a delight it was to eat at this modern, relatively new and, just the right amount of chic restaurant.

On entry, you immediately get hit with a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The fairly simplistic interior, with dull lighting and quite monotone decoration, give this place a representative preview of the style of food you’re about to enjoy – well-presented and simple, yet decadent.

I hadn’t been to this restaurant before, as with most that I review (so that I’m unbiased) and simply the staff welcome made me smile – indicating the beginning of a good evening trying out the Christmas menu. Sat on a balconyesque platform, my friend and I were offered champagne and water for the table before our starters were presented to us – it really was a presentation. I tucked into my starter of pig’s cheek with braised cauliflower, malt, prune and

mead, and my friend had a fish soup with salmon, monkfish and 8-hour-cooked octopus, which was ‘melt-in-your-mouth gorgeous’. Both starters were also extremely well presented and thought through.

Our mains consisted of guinea fowl and cod. I must say, my cylindrical fillet of cod was spectacular, with creamy mash complemented with lemon, swiss chard and red wine tartare. The guinea fowl came with pressed potato, sprouts, chestnuts and lardo, including a breast, the wing and thigh of the bird. Although we were both incredibly full, we gladly pushed on with dessert, and were met with a salted caramel brulee with toffee and sour apple pieces and almond, plus a malted milk panna cotta with whisky jelly and gingerbread. I have to say that if there was anything that could have been improved in the meal, it was the panna cotta – my friend and I both felt that it was fairly bland, but the whisky jelly is certainly something new and exciting.

The service the whole way through the evening was impeccable, with our waiter explaining everything on our plates with a smile, after serving us in ideally

timed intervals, and each member of staff happy to oblige to your needs. The restaurant was spacious and an idyllic place for a Christmas party, or venue for a large or small get together with friends, colleagues or family. I would certainly consider taking a client here, and I would also be highly tempted to suggest this as a corporate Christmas party venue for my or anyone else’s company.

The Salt Room

Brighton

Address: 106 King’s Rd, Brighton BN1 2FA Telephone: 01273 929488 Web: www.saltroom-restaurant.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

Hotel Review: East Sussex National Editor, Jenny Ardagh describes her experience of a quiet Sunday afternoon at the East Sussex National Hotel

East Sussex National Uckfield

Address: Little Horsted, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5ES Telephone: 01825 880088 Web: www.eastsussexnational.co.uk

50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

My Sunday afternoons aren’t usually filled with much – preparing Review for Monday morning, getting the last ounce of rest before the busy week ahead and often having a standard dinner, leaving much to be desired. My Sunday afternoon at the East Sussex National Hotel was far from this: pampering, followed by an evening carvery and a night’s rest in a spacious room with a view over the South Downs.

The East Sussex National is located just off of the A27 in Uckfield, set within vast areas of green, boasting two 18hole golf courses (East and West) and fantastic views. All of the rooms are therefore situated to enjoy this view, placed at the back of the hotel. The interior struck me as spacious, modern and with a fairly corporate feel. To the immediate left is a large conference hall, which the Friday before held the Best4Biz conference – an ideal venue for such an event, with ample space both in this room and in various other seminar rooms on the floor above.

I checked in and was shown to my room, on the same floor as the reception, through key-card activated double doors.

The security, and therefore luxurious exclusivity of it all was certainly excellent.

My room was a large double ensuite set with a sofa, an armchair, television, coffee table, dresser with hairdryer provided, a large double bed and even a ‘Welcome’ plate with chocolates. The bathroom, equipped with bath, shower, two sinks and toilet was bright, spacious, clean and modern, with glass-based designs and marble finish. Opening up the double, sliding doors across the room, I stepped out onto the wooden panelled balcony set with table and chairs. This room, and the hotel overall, is certainly the ideal location for any business meeting or corporate event, providing clients, customers and guests with all they would need, with a professional yet leisurely feel.

I had the privilege of being treated in the hotel’s spa facilities – a very impressive addition to the hotel, which is available to everyone and includes a pool, hot tub, steam room, sauna, gym and therapy rooms. This was my first

Tried and Tested in Sussex

experience of spa treatment, and I was thrown in at the deep end with a full body hot stones massage, which was divine!

This was certainly the best way to relax on an evening, either to recover from a stressful day, or to prepare for the days to come, in particular for an office-worker in need of newly replenished back muscles.

I can easily see this being an ideal gift idea for a client or colleague also. The spa itself was like a labyrinth, with room after room of added treatment extras, and a heavenly waiting room with curved beds under calming, blue lighting. The service was fantastic: anybody would be in perfectly expert hands, and the therapies can be tailored to any guest’s needs.

The hot stones treatment would usually cost £72, with other body treatments ranging from £50 to £100. Also on offer are: facial treatments, men’s treatments, holistic treatments, day programmes and finishing touches.

The dinner was a Sunday carvery, with a choice of roast beef or pork, with all the trimmings in a buffet style. Guests are offered starter, main course and dessert, and although I was initially disappointed that the A La Carte menu wasn’t on offer, I was more than happy with the roast option. The meat was delicious and perfectly cooked, with all the extras also extremely tasty – including roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, broccoli, stuffing, gravy and Yorkshire pudding among other things. I was in the universal ‘buffet’ mindset that I could definitely go back for more, but I was so full after my first plate of main course, that all I could manage was another Yorkshire pudding.

Surrounding my table were a range of guests, some couples, others clearly on business, and a few larger tables of

corporate meetings, talking of their day on the golf course.

The starter included a choice of ‘bits and bobs’: meats, salads and soup.

After a crisp October afternoon, I went for the soup, which was warming and flavoursome. Pudding included an assortment of tarts, cakes, mousse and fruit. Having taking a bit of everything, I can vouch for their indulgence; however the fresh taste, and therefore quality I expected wasn’t quite there. Having said that, all washed down with a bottle of Spanish red wine and some cheese and biscuits, this was overall a satisfying and tasty meal that certainly filled me till breakfast, when a full English was awaiting me.

Russel Lines, the Hotel Manager was equally appreciative and enthusiastic over the hotel’s facilities, and in particular what it offers businesses. He commented: “There’s nowhere else that offers the breadth of facilities to such a high standard around this area of Sussex, and it’s ideal for both corporate events and meetings, and leisure stays.”

He also mentioned future events and special occasions at the hotel, including Hollywood Themed Party nights throughout November and December (including New Year’s Eve), Festive afternoon tea, Festive Sunday carvery, Sunday lunch with Santa and Christmas and Boxing Day lunches.

My stay at the East Sussex National Hotel showed it to be a proficiently run, contemporary-style and comfortable hotel, with many fantastic leisure and business facilities. It’s most suitable as a corporate venue, however strikes a good balance between business and leisure for a range of types of stay, for a variety of individuals, groups and couples.

The annual Golf Membership costs £1550 and the hotel is currently offering no joining fee.

There’s also the choice of a flexy membership, including Bronze, Silver and Gold packages ranging from £400 to £1100. For more information see the website: www.eastsussexnational.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

Chamber News

The Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex ACES represents 4,000 members across the County and you are automatically a member of ACES if you are a member of one of the Chambers listed overleaf. This entitles you to share your news stories in these SBT Business pages without charge

Hollywood Star Judges Local Film Festival Daniel Fathers, star of Disney’s hugely popular films Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2, has been named as the first of three judges for the inaugural Eastbourne Film Festival Awards.

Born in London to theatre parents, he received a scholarship to train and become a national athlete in both rugby and athletics before moving into acting.

From actor to host, from rugby player to bull rider; from military soldier to senior management consultant and high tech sales executive; from trained dancer to race horse owner and horse developer, Daniel Fathers is a quintessential ‘renaissance man’.

Daniel spent twelve years in the corporate world, before deciding entertainment was really where he belonged. Since making that life changing decision, doors opened for him to star in major Hollywood films and Broadway theatre productions such as the Tony Award winning musical in Toronto ‘Mamma Mia!’ and Disney’s ‘Camp

Rock’, as Uncle Brown, with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, (viewed internationally by approximately 200 million viewers) and ‘Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam’, which won the production and 2010 People’s Choice Award for which he is internationally recognised by teens and tweens, making him an ideal judge for the very first Eastbourne Film Festival Awards.

About The Eastbourne Film Festival A new filmmaking competition for young people aged 25 and under, the Eastbourne Film Festival will celebrate the best of young people’s filmmaking across the town and offer them the opportunity to see their work on a big screen in front of an audience of friends, parents, teachers, filmmaking professionals and other young film enthusiasts. At the time of going to press, the Oscars style red carpet, black tie extravaganza, is planned to be held in the Birley Centre, Eastbourne on Sunday 8 November

2015. It will showcase the best new films from Eastbourne’s emerging talent, with awards being presented by celebrities and local dignitaries. Watch this space to get a report on the winners.

Tough Competition at BEST4BIZ East Sussex Business of the Year The best of the best companies across East Sussex were nominated

by ACES Chambers of Commerce and the FSB to compete for the coveted

52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

East Sussex Business of the Year Award at the Best4Biz Conference in October.

The nominees were filmed by the media students of Sussex Downs College to showcase

each company, and the films were premiered at the Sparkling Sussex dinner at Best4Biz sponsored by Westways Vending and Ridgeview Wine Estate.

“All the nominees were fantastic!

Innovative, successful, creative and

Chamber News

delivering fantastic customer service. It was really difficult to choose the overall winner as the final results were so close!�

Said Linda Baker, BEST4BIZ sponsor, Westways Vending.

And now for the results, in reverse order‌..

3rd Place - Richard Soan Roofing Lewes As a company Richard Soan Roofing has very strong old fashion beliefs that quality and customer service is paramount, and all their employees buy into that ethos.

Everyone engaged by the company is treated in the same way and is part of a big extended family.

Working in the Construction Industry during these past few years has been extremely difficult on occasions but Rchard Soan Roofing are still here telling the story as they say, and offering great service and quality to all their clients.

2nd Place - Source BMX - Hastings Offering the best BMX products at the best prices along with the best advice and customer care that only a rider owned store can give, Source BMX offer the best BMX brands with passion.

Striving to contribute to the community and put back into the BMX scene through building and offering facilities to ride, sponsoring local riders and some of the top BMX pros in the business, Source BMX offers a range of riding experiences on bespoke bowls and tracks they have created since 2003.

Their latest community project is creating the largest underground bike bowl in the world in the White Rocks Baths in Hastings, derelict for 18 years.

1st Place and East Sussex Business of the Year Horder Healthcare - Crowborough Providing healthcare services across East Sussex and into Kent, Horder Healthcare strives to be the best provider of healthcare services in a therapeutic environment, providing great places to work, practise medicine and receive care. They aim to meet and exceed customer expectations and delight patients while reaching more people and enhancing the quality of their lives. Using the latest technology Horder Healthcare raises money to help patients via crowd funding and its own Lottery. It has also developed an App

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

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

Chamber News

in East Sussex

Westways Vending, Ridgeview which shows East Sussex residents how Wine Estate, RSE Group, Basepoint to keep mobile and stay healthy.

Business Centres, Swindells Demonstrating real innovation and Accountants, ITFirst, Qleisure, client care, Horder Healthcare is a (A Trifast Company) Sussex Downs College, UK Trade deserving winner of the title, ‘East Sussex andHowever, Investment, Sussex of Business of the Year’. the DotCom crashChamber in 2001 ounded in a small rented office at devastated sales and profitsAnsacom in just a fewand top of Uckfield Street in Commerce, Claimaday, Best4Biz was the brought to EastHigh Sussex short months, and the two Midlands factories 1973, Mike Timms and Mike Roberts of course Sussex Business Times.

by ACES and East Sussex County had to be closed as the focus was intensified established their business after Council and included a B2B Exhibition, into Asia. becoming disenchanted working for a large industrial group in great networking, inspiring keynote A change of senior management in 2007 Birmingham that restricted their creativity and the 2008 recession resulted in the near speakers,and informative breakout sessions, individualism. collapse of the Company, with 2008 revenues a ‘question time’ style panel of MPs and down to £84m with substantial losses, and in They focused on sourcing and selling business people wastofollowed by the March 2009 the two previous retired CEOs industrial and fastenings light assembly the South Eastdinner at a time Sparkling industries Sussexincelebration towhen ex (Malcolm Diamond and Jim Barker) were invited back by the shareholders to rescue stock deliveries could take as long as three find the East Sussex Business of the Year. the business. weeks from the larger industry market

TR Fastenings - Best Profits for 10 Years

F

leaders. Their core values were “look be professional, For moreprofessional, information, videos provide and a outstanding service, sell on value rather than gallery ofthe photographs visit www. cheapest price, maintain dynamic cash acesalliance.org management and motivate and take care of your staff”.

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

ACES would like to thank the sponsors of Best4Biz for helping make the event possible:

ACES Battle Chamber of Commerce www.battlechamber.org.uk Bexhill Chamber of Commerce 01424 842892 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk Crowborough Chamber of Commerce www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of Commerce 01323 641144 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk East Sussex County Council 01273 481570 www.eastsussex.gov.uk Federation of Small Businesses 01424 754686 and Regional Office 01323 482018 www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Hailsham Chamber of Commerce 01323 310531 www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Hastings Chamber of Commerce

Eastbourne’s Underground Movement

01424 205500 www.hastingschamber.co.uk Heathfield Chamber of Commerce 01435 865858 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk The Institute of Directors 020 7766 8866 www.iod.com Lewes Chamber of Commerce

Malcolm Diamond MBE and Jim Barker In 1978, manufacturing of specialist fasteners was started in Uckfield, with subsequent factories established in Northampton and Telford in the 80’s.

screw business in Italy was brought into the Group.

TR’s major customer sectors include Automotive, Domestic Appliances, Electronics and Distributors – all of which are enjoying organic growth.

In the late 80’s, IBM selected TR as their most eligible component supplier to be trained in zero defect/on time deliveries to a new In June 2014, TR announced the best sales, assembly facility that relied on “Just In Time” profits and share price for a decade, now deliveries straight to their production line. with 1,150 staff spread across 17 countries.

Successful compliance led to TR being a Trifast Plc is based in Uckfield and along with single source supplier with IBM, which then TR’s sales, distribution and manufacturing attracted other major telecoms facilities employs over 150 staff on site. As the manufacturers to TR. The massive 1990’s surge largest local employer, the Company it to a full LSE events, folk nights, Open Stage If you like ina the bit electronics of culturesector thencarried look no maintains close links with both the Uckfield listing as a PLC in 1994 named Trifast. nights and of the poetry café andmember you further than Eastbourne’s Underground Chamber Commerce a founder 2000, sales turnover peaked at £120m the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex canofsee that there is something for Theatre inByGrove Road for authentic rock, sales, and by 2001 three component (ACES) and the local Community College. everybody. blues, jazz, drama, children’s events and factories had been established in Singapore, The College is the main annual provider of ‘A’ Malaysia and Taiwan, with sales and Levelunique candidates for TR’s year NVQ Business This venue is2also available art exhibitions. distribution facilities in Southern Ireland, Studies Apprenticeship scheme. for hiring and has a newly installed Every Saturday morning there is a free Norway, Sweden, USA, Holland, Hungary and Despite globalIfuncertainty there is clearly hearing loop. you would like to get live band and are often China,afternoons plus eight around the UK. taken a feeling amongst TR management and involved or would like to find out more up by a society talk.

The Company had become global by staff that there are grounds for cautious about whatforgoes on under ground, To help following promote new bands, UGT UK basedthe multinational its former optimism the future continuing growth key customers to lower cost economies of their business the as sales for year please contact theatre onended 01323 hosts regular young band events and March 2015 are forecast to reach overseas – mainly Asia and Central/ 430077 or check out the website each season a new theme is chosen £150 million.

Eastern Europe.

for the monthly films. Renowned for its classical music events the theatre is fast becoming the place to be seen on dance nights. Add their Meet The Local Author

www.undergroundtheatre.co.uk

www.acesalliance.org

54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

www.acesalliance.org

07917 382316 www.leweschamber.org.uk Locate East Sussex 0844 4159255 www.locateeastsussex.org.uk Newhaven Chamber of Commerce 0800 107 0709 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk Peacehaven Chamber of Commerce 01273 586222 www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk Seaford Chamber of Commerce 0800 881 5331 www.seafordchamber.co.uk South East Local Enterprise Partnership 01245 431469 www.southeastlep.com Uckfield Chamber of Commerce 01825 722607 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk Wealden District Council 01323 443322 www.wealden.gov.uk

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 55

Motoring

Test Drive SBT previews two new cars for 2016: The New BMW 7 Series and Ford Edge 2015

The New BMW 7 Series

The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series is a true flagship of the BMW range, blending comfort, style, dynamic ability and cutting edge technology in equal measure to create an inspiring mode of luxury transport.

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the Luxury BMW Group is a world top dog when it comes to premium automobiles and motorcycles, operating 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries, and with a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

Thanks to construction intelligent and ultra clever design, the new BMW 7 Series is both stronger and up to 130kg lighter than its predecessor, making it a safer and more comfortable ride. This advanced construction is complemented by six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines taken from the latest generation of BMW power units. With a wealth of interior comfort and driving features, the new BMW 7 Series really does define ‘luxury on the move’, as I found out on my much awaited test drive.

The exterior design is thoroughly modern and extremely sleek-looking, making the soon-to-be driver really want to open that door and take a seat behind the wheel. Every detail has been executed with meticulous precision, not unlike most BMW models, and the interior boasts an ample amount of exciting new features, advanced technological additions and high quality workmanship. This car is the largest series-produced car the brand has ever built. Both body variants display familiar

56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

BMW proportions, characterised by a long bonnet, short front overhang, long wheelbase and a set-back passenger compartment. A smoothly downward-sloping roofline adds a hint of sportiness to it too. The Active Air Stream kidney grille, a first for BMW, improves aerodynamics as well as making a strong visual statement from the front.

Viewed in profile, the new BMW 7 Series is defined by outward curving surfaces with exterior mirrors that appear to grow organically out of the window frame – this sleek and aerodynamic design adds to the balance of dynamics and comfort that’s central to the BMW 7 Series, and BMW cars in general. Whether it’s the driving pleasure generated from behind the wheel, or the sublime sense of well-being when sat in the driver’s seat as well as the rear seats, the ambience of the new BMW 7 Series is both modern and luxurious. You get a sense of the thought that’s gone into the interior of this car even by small things such as the chrome buttons on the multifunctional steering wheel and centre console, and the touchscreen surface for the control panel of the Automatic air conditioning with 4-zone control.

The controls on the centre console are – like the interior trim strip – framed by fine wood or aluminium surfaces.

Both the trim strips and the instrument panel’s chrome surrounding which

border them are made individually for each car. A special contribution from BMW which should be appreciated.

The advances achieved with the latest generation of the BMW 7 Series succeed in resolving a number of traditionally conflicting aims: the car comes with an array of new innovations but weighs less, performance is more dynamic but fuel consumption has been reduced, and while it is more luxurious than ever, emissions are lower (The environmental impact - the “greenhouse potential” - is around 25 per cent lower than in the outgoing model). A perfect combination, you might think.

This car isn’t just great for the driver though: the rear-seat entertainment system screen can be electrically

adjusted to the ideal viewing angle for the rear passenger’s current seat position. In addition to all this, the Executive Lounge rear console also features a fold-out table, two cupholders and a storage compartment, as well as the new BMW Touch Command unit. BMW has even thought about ambient lighting within this new car.

Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function has also been extended: when this system is active, drivers can simply press a button to acknowledge speed restrictions detected by Speed Limit Info. The speed setting is then adapted to comply with the detected speed limit.

The new BMW 7 Series is also the first car in its segment to come

with the option of innovative laser headlights including BMW Selective Beam. BMW Laserlights, which had their production-model world premiere in the BMW i8, provide a high-beam range of 600m.

The market launch of the new BMW 7 Series will be accompanied by a BMW Individual Design Composition for the BMW 740Li model. This will feature BMW Individual paintwork in the new Almandine Brown metallic, combined with the premium features of the exterior design Pure Excellence. The 20-inch forged BMW Individual lightalloy wheels in V-spoke design come in Silver/Ferric Grey bi-colour look.

In addition to the above, the BMW Individual Design Composition

includes the BMW Head-up Display, Surround View, the panoramic glass roof, Active seat ventilation in the front, the Heat Comfort package, the Harman Kardon surround sound system and the Rear-seat entertainment Experience.

Other options available from BMW Individual include the BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line for the exterior, the BMW Individual Anthracite headliner, the BMW Individual cool box, the BMW Individual Alcantara headliner and BMW Individual rear reading lights with gimbal-mounted light sources in the headliner.

The new BMW 7 Series went on sale on 24 October 2015. Prices start at ÂŁ64,530.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57

Motoring

Ford Edge 2015

The all-new Ford Edge demonstrates what happens when a proven leader gets even better

The 2015 Edge is all-new from wheels to roof, Stylish designed to reset the standard in the two-row utility vehicle market.

Based on Ford’s successful, global midsize vehicle platform, Edge has been reimagined with a stronger, more athletic shape. It has been retooled to meet higher expectations for quality, and reengineered to add more features and technologies for a more rewarding driving experience.

The 2015 Edge, now based on the same global platform as the awardwinning Ford Fusion that debuted in North America in 2012, will deliver the confident, smooth driving experience customers expect from Ford.

The Edge will be a technology leader for Ford, with a suite of standard and available technologies designed to improve the driving experience and the level of occupant comfort.

Technologies being offered for the first time include: enhanced active park assist, side parking sensors and a front camera with washer.

Overall, the 2015 Edge seems to really represent a significant move forward in both material and visual quality. Throughout the vehicle, seams are tighter and more consistent, and the design has been executed in a way that reduces visual cutlines, the front doors have been re-thought through to meet the instrument panel, simplifying merging points and reducing potential alignment issues, the dashboard and centre console have also been carefully designed and shaped to look like one thin, streamlined piece, and a central 8-inch LCD touch screen is now available on even more models.

Thanks to, in part smart design work and next-generation seats that are thinner and more supportive, the interior of the new Edge is larger and more spacious, especially with its business-leading sunroofs, in terms

58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

of size – Ford’s Panoramic Vista Roof, measuring 47.7 inches front to back.

Legroom in the first and second row has also increased by 1.9 inches and 1.0 inch, respectively, with headroom increased by 1.0 inch throughout.

This car not only more luxurious and comfortable, but also quieter. This enhanced quietness is due to better sealing of the body, sound insulation improvements, and powertrains that are better isolated from the cabin and operate in a quieter manner. Even the tires have been selected to deliver a better on-road experience. The 20-inch tires available on Sport and Titanium trim levels are a full 2 decibels quieter – reducing unpleasant road noises often associated with larger wheels.

The twin-scroll 2.0-liter EcoBoost

engine has reduced vibration levels when idling compared to the previous version, and is 2 decibels quieter, which the driver can really notice, especially in moments of heavy acceleration, the revamped engine emits a quieter, Edge Sport will be equipped with Active Noise Cancellation technology from Ford to manage and enhance the sound of its powerful 2.7-litre EcoBoost engine. Using three microphones strategically placed throughout the cabin, the system is able to generate opposing sound waves directed through the audio system, enhancing overall cabin ambience.

The new 2015 Edge will be sold at an estimated price of £20,000.

SBTMotoring News The All New Audi Rs 6 And Rs 7 A new peak is about to be reached in the Audi RS range as RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback ‘performance’ models join their existing and already formidable counterparts and ramp power up to a serious 605PS and torque to up to 750Nm. Despite doing justice to the RS badge by translating their 45PS and 50Nm output advantages into a supercar-challenging sprint time of just 3.7 seconds, the new RS performance models retain the same best-in-class fuel economy and efficiency figures as their ‘standard’ equivalents.

Available to order in the UK from November, and scheduled for first deliveries here next February, the RS 6 Avant performance will be priced at £86,000 OTR and the RS 7 Sportback performance at £91,600 OTR. The 4.0-litre TFSI engine at the heart of both bolsters its 605PS output with a 700Nm torque peak

which can be temporarily increased by the driver to 750Nm by way of an overboost function.

The two RS high-performance models sprint from 0 to 62mph in just 3.7 seconds, an improvement of 0.2 seconds over the respective standard RS model, and need just 12.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 124mph, giving them a 1.4-second advantage. In each case the governed 155mph top speed can be increased as an option

to 174mph, or 189mph if the dynamic package plus is specified.

New RS 6 and RS 7 performance variants to supplement existing models available from November priced at £86,000 OTR and £91,600 OTR First deliveries in February 2016 4.0 TFSI uprated by 45PS to 605PS, new overboost function offers ondemand torque increase of 50Nm to 750Nm 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds, top speed of up to 189mph.

FTA Calls For Action As Calais Chaos Returns Chaos through October has returned to Calais, with drivers being threatened by organised gangs of migrants throwing stones and trying to get aboard trucks. Freight Transport Association (FTA) members have reported a worsening situation as delays at the Eurotunnel terminal push trucks towards the ferry port, where migrant numbers in the jungle camp have swelled to 6,000. Lorry driver Euan Flemming, who has been using the Dover-Calais route for 10 years,

said police and security guards were nowhere to be seen in the slow crawl to the port this morning.

Euan, who drives for Belfast firm Blair Transport, said: “It made big news in the summer because holidaymakers were affected but the situation is worse than ever. I’m sitting here in a curtainsided truck and there are thousands of migrants all around – I might as well roll out the red carpet.”

Donald Armour, FTA’s International Affairs Manager, said: “FTA believes

more robust measures need to be taken by the French authorities to keep drivers safe and to ensure that Eurotunnel can function properly, without the dangers and serious disruption our members have had to endure this week.”

50 Years Of Honda In The UK 1965 saw the year Honda first started trading in the UK, and saw the first Grand Prix win for Honda in the legendary RA272. Now one of the top 20 biggest brands in the world, Honda has 40 manufacturing facilities, with global sales hitting 27.3million units last year.

The motorcycles division is number one in the UK market, as is the

ATV manufacturer in the UK. Philip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, commented: “This year marks our golden anniversary in the UK with fifty years of rich history in trading bikes, power products and cars.

“Our business has changed radically over since it launched in the swinging sixties, adapting and evolving to suit the demands of riders and drivers

over the years. I can well imagine that Honda will be a completely different organisation in 2065 – but still selling quality and trusted cars, bikes and power products.”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59

A Berforts Case Study:

The Disabilities Trust Berforts offers its printing services to all types of business, and The Disabilities Trust has benefited greatly from the reliable, cost-efficient service provided

The Disabilities Trust is a leading national charity, Advertorial providing innovative care, rehabilitation and support solutions for people with profound physical impairments, acquired brain injury and learning disabilities as well as children and adults with autism.

People are at the heart of everything the Trust does and the services across the country include purposebuilt residential accommodation, community-based housing, respite care, special education and community enabling services to maximise each individual’s independence. SBT spoke to Christopher Claxton about the company and its relationship with Berforts.

How long have you worked with Berforts?

We have been using Berforts for a number of years after it was decided that we needed to produce more publications due to higher demand. They were very professional, always meeting our requirements and being at hand for a number of projects at a moment’s notice.

How does a local Sussex company such as Berforts benefit your business as a residential service provider?

Having our offices based in Sussex gives us the opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with the team at Berforts regarding projects we have scheduled.

It also allows us to build a great working relationship with them.

What do Berforts do for you?

Berforts have produced a variety of

60 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

promotional material for us such as our bi-annual brain injury news publication and our corporate magazine, which have been very well received by our subscribers. Both are needed in very large quantitates and it is vital that the quality of each print is of a high standard.

Do you make the most of their design service at all?

We have and we have been impressed by their ability to find solutions using different formats and structures, adapting to what works best for the publication, and how the colours will look on the particular stock of paper. It’s all been very helpful, particularly when we have a number of projects happening at once.

How has it been working with

www.berforts.co.uk

Berforts overall?

Berforts have been great to work with over the last few years. They are able to meet the printing deadlines and make some valuable suggestions when creating our publications with us. The costs are very reasonable and as a not for profit organisation it is vitally important that we ensure that we keep the costs as low as possible.

The Disabilities Trust Shinewater Ct/Milfoil Dr, Eastbourne BN23 8ED Telephone: 01323 769196.

Berforts 17 Burgess Rd, Hastings TN35 4NR 01424 722733.

Berforts Ltd if you’re buying print, please make sure you talk to us

Lithographic printing Sheet-fed digital printing

Please mention the Sussex Business Times magazine when contacting us

B&W digital web printing Print on demand Variable data printing Print finishing Mailing and fulfilment Worldwide distribution

berforts a world of print

ltd

17 Burgess Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4NR. Tel: 01424 722733.

Fax: 01424 721777 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 61 Email: sales@berfort.co.uk · www.berforts.co.uk

SBT

ASK THE

SBT Ask the Experts is sponsored by

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT

Professional Video Sends Businesses Stratospheric Alex Kerr, Director at Hot Dog Digital sure your website was easy to use, had correct product placement, and of course, the usual calls-to-action.

Today, however, with videos shown on more and more websites - 70% of the top 100 search results contain video - businesses using video have seen a marked increase in conversions. Why is this?

Google loves video – these days Google ranks all sort of media, including video. Having video in Google, gives you a better chance of ranking.

Video, in its various forms, has been around for a century but now that internet users don’t have to deal with sluggish connections, it has become an integral part of the browsing, and buying experience.

Most business goals revolve around making a sale, signing up a lead or getting someone to call your offices. In the past, to assist in achieving these goals, most focus has been on making

EXPERT

Video can captivate – The amount of time a user spends watching a video continues to increase. Our brains process video 60,000 times faster than text so watching a video takes a lot less effort than reading text.

A picture is worth 1000 words – Video can convey an immense amount of information within seconds, and builds brand trust with the viewer. It is essential to have your company’s

Videos can go viral – Studies have shown that videos are much more likely to be shared. People are also more likely to click on a multimedia picture than a normal text link.

A good example of a video that recently went viral, was one made for Brighton’s i360, which is set to be the world’s tallest movable observation tower. Needless to say, this viral video has created plenty of discussion and awareness of Brighton’s latest landmark, helping to give the i360 a powerful platform on which to launch its arrival.

To find out how Hot Dog Digital can help you reach your business goals or view the i360 video visit www.wearehotdog.co.uk or call 01273 830575.

Bartercard Offer Advice On How It Can Benefit Businesses What is Bartercard?

Bartercard is the world’s largest business trade exchange. It gives businesses the ability to utilise their spare capacity, protect their cash flow and meet a group of likeminded peers to trade their goods and services with through a well-established networking of business entrepreneurs.

How does it work?

Bartercard offers a flexible, secure and fully accountable way for businesses to barter their goods and services with other businesses all around the

info@checkaprofessional.com 62 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

videos done professionally though.

Someone using an iPhone probably won’t cut it!

country and the world. Businesses using Bartercard earn trade pounds for the goods and services sold which can then be spent on goods and services from any other members of the network.

Who can use it?

There are no limitations on the types of businesses that can benefit from using Bartercard. However, bartering can make significant business sense for companies with spare stock or capacity.

What are the benefits of using it?

There are a wide range of benefits for

0808 901 9042

SBT

ASK THE

SBT Ask the Experts is sponsored by

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED Bartercard offer advice on how it can benefit businesses continued... businesses using Bartercard. Not only does the service give businesses the ability to utilise their spare capacity which protects cash flow, but also offers an interest free line of credit which can be used to support growth and pay for day-to-day running costs.

What about Bartercard Sussex?

Bartercard is undertaking an ambitious new growth programme, adding new clients and staff to their Sussex team.

Print specialists Evonprint, and outdoor leisure provider Giles Leisure are recent

EXPERT

local additions to the Sussex trading forum.

and holidays across the world from Scotland to Bali.

What can you purchase with trade pounds?

As long as you are a Bartercard member, the sky is the limit to what you can purchase with trade pounds.

Advertising, bookkeeping, printing and business lunches can all be purchased with trade pounds. Some of the more interesting uses of trade pounds have been the purchase of 20,000 light bulbs, a petrol pump, live peacocks, hot tubs

www.bartercard.co.uk

Dr Tom Smith, Managing Director of Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) useful data for businesses that can help grow the economy.

Dr Tom Smith, Managing Director of Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) explains how open data can help you make better informed decisions for your business.

What is open data?

Open data is data that anyone can access, use and share, free of charge.

The beauty is that open data can be freely used by any organisation – and the government is actively publishing

info@checkaprofessional.com

Can open data benefit my business?

We’ve been working for years with government and charities to help them use data to better target and design their services. But open data can also be a powerful input to your commercial decisions.

For example, Census data helps you understand the demographics of the areas you work in (or want to work in), with detailed information on the potential customer base and local workforce that can help inform investment and expansion decisions into those areas. More technical datasets such as Lidar height data can be used to develop 3D models of any area in the country – important information for architects, developers, planners and Minecraft fans! And as corporate and social responsibility (CSR) becomes a more important part of doing business, the Indices of Deprivation and other data can really help businesses to target

social and environmental initiatives to communities where they can have the biggest impact.

Where can I find open data?

In the UK, the biggest generators of open data are the government and local councils, who publish a huge volume of statistics. But businesses are also involved, for example bus and train companies publish real-time departure data which is used in consumer apps to help make our lives easier.

As well as the raw data, value added tools such as our own Local Insight can help organisations quickly make sense of the information and feed into decisions.

Sounds great. How do I get started?

Government portals such as Data. gov.uk are good sources of the data, while the Open Data Institute has good beginner’s guide to open data for businesses. And of course, get in touch with OCSI! www.ocsi.uk

0808 901 9042 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 63

Society

SBT

Society

AReview Networking Evening with SBT Our very own networking event was a successful way of getting Sussex business people together to enjoy good food, drink and great company!

Photography by Simon Skinner©

Last month, Sussex Business Times hosted a networking event in Eastbourne. This was an opportunity for guests to be introduced to other like-minded businesses, meet the SBT team, and most importantly, be treated to the delicious tapas style Mediterranean food provided by Ludo’s Bar & Bistro.

Our guest host for the evening was the Chief Executive of Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce and ACES Facilitator, Christina Ewbank. Christina introduced the evening with an outline of some key issues and developments within Eastbourne, plus covered information on the latest Best4Biz event in Uckfield. During the evening, guests were able to chat to her about all manner of business topics and plans.

Food and drinks were plenty throughout the evening, and guests felt the atmosphere was brilliant with smooth running throughout the event.

Jon Goodwin, Commercial Manager of Sussex Business Times magazine commented: “These networking events are a great way of business people getting together in a relaxed and informal setting, and also for our team to make the connections, and long-term relationships necessary to make the title the best it can be. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and hope all the guests did too.”

64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Enjoy all the fun of the fair at our New Year’s Eve Brighton Rocks Party 3 Course dinner Half bottle of wine per person DJ & Disco Enjoy live music from

Try your hand at one of our seaside themed stalls or go for a spin in our full size indoor dodgems Thursday 31st December £79.00 per adult

To book or for more information contact us on

01273 720710 | hilton.com/brightonmet enquiries.brightonmet@hilton.com www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk HILTON BRIGHTON METROPOLE, KINGS ROAD, BRIGHTON, BN1 2FU

65

Made In Sussex

Made In Sussex:

Ameliore Beauty

Jasmine Dodge offers a Sussex based mobile beauty company with a wide range of treatments for any client with a desire to enhance their beauty

Ameliore Beauty, owned and founded Brand

by Jasmine Dodge is a mobile beauty Focus company with a difference. Its mobile business nature allows Jasmine and her team to visit clients across Sussex and further afield, within a 20-mile radius of Brighton, offering flexibility, luxury treatments and a personalised service. SBT spoke to Jasmine, who aims to make Ameliore Beauty the go to mobile beauty company.

What was your background before starting Ameliore Beauty and why startup your own business?

I have a background in various up market spas, salons, and sales. Managing a salon at the age of 18, I felt I couldn’t go any further working under someone else and realised how there was a demand for mobile beauty. I decided to go it alone and see if I could use my skillset in my very own start-up business. I started with a business loan and the rest is history. We now work closely with other companies to help generate business offering, events, corporate, weddings, in home salon experience, parties for all ages and much more!

Where did the idea for your business and its ethos come from?

I recently had a health scare and decided I wouldn’t let my body be a filter any longer, I would only drink filtered water, exercise regularly and only eat locally produced food and a well-balanced diet.

This greatly reflected on my business, where I would only use organic products that were not only full of goodness but also good for the environment and with no animal testing involved. I offer only the very best healthy results in our treatments – in order to look and feel great you have to start from within, I can’t stress enough how important this is.

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How many are in your team?

There are 3 of us at the moment but I am definitely looking to take on more staff as the business grows and we expand, and I of course only employ people who are qualified and insured.

Is the mobile beauty business sector growing in Sussex?

I feel there is a strong demand for mobile beauty - there is evidently a growing market as we receive enquiries and bookings on a daily basis.

We always do what we can to fit people in but sometimes both our schedules don’t allow this and we have to turn people away.

Is it important to keep the business local?

There are many people doing mobile beauty as extra pocket money or as a side-line job, whereas for me it’s always been the foundations of something so much bigger. I would love for us to be able to expand to other areas of the UK and perhaps in the future be a leading national brand.

What sets you apart from other, similar businesses?

I think what makes us different is the fact that we are very diverse with the variety of treatments we offer, we are very flexible as we are open late evenings and weekends, and we also pride ourselves on how we use organic products that are good for you and the environment.

Contact Ameliore Beauty Website: www.ameliorebeauty.co.uk (to make a booking online) Email: Info@ameliorebeauty.com Phone: 07557989504.

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