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WE CHAT TO CO FOUNDERS OF PLUS X - MAT HUNTER & PAUL ROSTAS START UP SPECIAL FEATURE - WE LOOK AT THE NEW BUSINESSES FROM THE BRITE INSPIRE PROGRAMME
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S E RVI NG TH E SUSSE X BUS I N ES S COM MUN ITY S I NCE 197 5
FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2021 Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club Arundel Park, Arundel, West Sussex, BN8 9LH www.cricketatarundelcastle.co.uk
CHARITY CRICKET ‘PAIRS’ T20 MATCH In aid of the Table Talk Foundation Raising funds and awareness for a fantastic new Charity, Table Talk Foundation, Preston Insurance Brokers are giving you the chance to play on the hallowed turf at Arundel Castle Cricket Club. The most picturesque Cricket Club in Sussex with its magnificent ground in the heart of the West Sussex countryside has hosted first class cricket matches and a number of well known celebrity teams. Table Talk Foundation - Purpose Give grants to primary schools in Sussex to fund the Adopt a School programme, delivering high quality food education directly to the children of our community. Give grants to Hospitality Action, providing financial assistance and a range of support services to people within the hospitality industry who have found themselves in difficulty or crisis. You can secure one of the 20 places to play for just £250, with 100% of all the entry fees going to the Table Talk Foundation. Entry is open to cricketers of all standards and genders, 15 years of age upwards. All players will be required to wear appropriate safety equipment!
For more details, sponsorship opportunities and to register your interest in taking part please email Noel Preston 2 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
at noel@prestonib.co.uk and secure your place.
SBTWelcome
W E LCO M E
Welcome to the latest, packed issue of SBT
I know there are many of us still unsure about being out and about at face to face networking, but I for one have really enjoyed the social interaction that had been missing. I was delighted to attend two great events from Sussex’s new exclusive Best of British Members Club which you can find out more about in this issue.
This month we had great pleasure in catching up with co-founders Plus X, Mat Hunter and Paul Rostas for our Cover Feature as we hear all about Brighton’s Newest Innovation Centre and how they are supporting business growth in the community.
We also are extremely excited this month to launch SBT AUDIO. We understand that everyone absorbs content in different forms therefore SBT has you covered. Not only can you read the great interviews and articles in SBT from the Sussex Community, but if you are on the go or like me prefer to listen to a podcast or audio books to absorb content then you can do just that with SBT Audio. All housed in the County Business Clubs Content Hub.
As always this issue is packed with insights, advice and great content across a variety of sectors, written by the Sussex business community for the Sussex business community.
Thank you all as always for your continued support and we look forward to a bright summer ahead. I hope you enjoy the issue, Sam Thomas, Managing Director
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Cover 447
Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Production & Design Kim Butler Accounts Clare Fermor accounts@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 016 Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by L&S Printing Limited Hazelwood Close Worthing BN14 8NP 01903 821005 www.ls-printing.com
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 The Business Group Sussex 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 The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2021 ©
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19 27 33 39 43 47 51 57
Monthly News
A round up of News and good news stories from across the County
SBT Finance
Live or Die Forecasting, by Ledgrr
SBT Legal
The Future of Flexible Working, Mayo Wynne Baxter Redundancies as we exit the Pandemic, by 365 Employment Law
SBT Cover Feature
We chat to the co-founders of Plus X, at Hunter and Paul Rostas
SBT Start Ups & Entrepreneurs
We hear from our new partners at BIPC and from the Inspiring Innovators creating a BRITE future with Plus X Innovation Centre
SBT Sales & Marketing
Client Communication in a post-pandemic World, Consortium – More than Marketing
SBT Tech
A look behind the scenes at Whitespace, we talk with Steve Elford
SBT Charity
Ryan Heal becomes Honorary Patron of Rockinghorse
SBT Motor News
Does your EV charger affect your house price? | SBT Go Green, Rivervale
SBT Chamber News
We hear from Sussex Chamber – Brighton Brighton– Worthing & Adur Chamber
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SBT Networking & Events
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SBT Lifestyle
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SBT Ask the Expert
The Best of British Members Club launches | 5 Books that will make you a better networker | Brighton Business Expo is Back!
We return to our famous lunch reviews and visit Nostos Hove | Attend the opening of Tapas Revolution plus CBC Wine of the Month
Do you need to be an Alpha? We Speak to an Expert coach | Why is resilience so important & 5 tips on how to remain resilient, by the People Centric Business
SBT MONTHLY NEWS
MENTAL HEALTH: CAN WE BE KINDER? BY STEPHANIE PRIOR - INCLUDING SBT AUDIO
A ROUND UP OF NEWS AND GOOD NEWS STORIES
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY
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MO NT H LY N E WS
Mental Health: Can we be kinder? Many companies in recent years have invested in their employee’s physical being. This has included implementing and maintaining safety and risk procedures, as well working structures, models, and general advice. But since the
Monthly News
coronavirus pandemic has spread across the globe, more businesses and
institutions have increased focus to
mental health and well being. In recent weeks, as many workers plan a return
to office, mental health has been on the agenda. It started with mental health
awareness week in May 2021, in which
many businesses took to social media to promote their support for mental health and well being.
But just a couple of weeks after, it was brought back to the media’s agenda
following a range of high-profile individuals sharing their experiences of mental health
6 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
and depression. This included leading
tennis star, Naomi Osaka’s decision to
withdraw from this year’s French Open. Naomi Osaka announced her
withdrawal from the tournament a
day after being fined $15,000 by the
French Open for this decision. It was
understood that her decision was made after refusing to speak with press at the tournament. Within hours of her announcement, celebrities, sports personalities, and reporters were
tweeting their reactions to the news. Piers Morgan was one of the first to
publicly respond. He slammed Naomi’s actions to reflect nothing more than a
narcissistic exploitation of mental health
in a bid to silence the media. When
referring to Ms Osaka, Morgan said that she was, “an arrogant spoilt brat whose fame and fortune appears to have inflated her ego…”
Although some considered Ms Osaka’s behaviour as absurd, others took
a more compassionate approach,
including former British number one tennis player Andy Murray. Andy
empathised with the young player’s
situation and could relate to increasing
pressure that many young players face when dealing with the press.
In an interview with Sky News, Andy
explained, “Going from an 18- year old playing in front of no people to all of a
MON T H LY N E WS sudden playing on Wimbledon Centre Court and being commented on your
personality and how you might look and how you might talk.
“When you’re 19/20 you’re not prepared
for that… I can certainly understand how athletes do struggle with it.”
Meditation App, Calm also stood by
the tennis player by pledging to pay Ms
Osaka’s fine as well as match the amount as a donation to @LauresusSport, an
organization working in mental health
space to support lives of young people. Historically, mental health has been a rather shameful but also a unknown
phenomenon. For years, dealing with
depression has often left people suffering with a devasting illness, while having to manage this alongside the social
stigmas associated with it. In many
ways, there is still much for the western world to learn about mental illnesses;
from symptoms, medications, to cause,
care and prevention. We are still learning about mental health while adapting to what feels like, a new way of life.
Earlier this year, the Office of National Statistics reported that around 1 in 5 adults had experienced depression which had doubled since the
coronavirus pandemic. This increase
is particularly apparent when exploring
younger groups, such as millennials
- the burnout generation. One study
found that over 50% of millennials have left a job due to a mental health issue.
It is no surprise that many people have
experienced grief, feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, especially in
such unpresedented times. Many will continue to ‘keep calm and carry on’ even if one doesn’t necessarily feel
up to it. Whether it is health related or annual leave, there are some people
that have to force themselves to take
time out. Work commitments, projects,
and achieving objectives is likely to take priority. This tenacity is something that
I have personally attributed to strength as it takes much determination and at
times, courage to be fully committed to one’s job, project, or goal.
But Naomi Osaka’s story made
me question whether I had missed
something important. Is there just as
much strength to be acknowledged from knowing when to also when to say ‘no’? Is one being the best version of one’s
self by knowing when to take a foot of
the gas and put one’s needs above the requirements and desires of others?
Are we more productive and valuable
to our jobs, staff, family, and friends by creating more balance for ourselves? Increasingly, it seems that many
businesses are willing to consider the latter.
Some businesses have kept flexible working options for staff to
support employees adapting to new
circumstances. Many
more are offering to be
flexible with employees when advertising new job opportunities.
Dating App, Bumble, recently announced
that it would close its offices for a
week, while paying staff to combat
workplace stress. Chief Executives
ordered employees to take time out
and put themselves first. Unlike many
businesses, Bumble was not only able to smoothly operate during the pandemic, but additionally had successfully
increased its revenue by 30% through paid users in recently times. Bumble
Founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd made a
quest to make the digital world a ‘kinder’ environment and it has begun within her own business operations.
Other leading brands including Barclays, Microsoft, Bell, and Virgin have also implemented internal campaigns
focusing on the mental health and wellbeing of their employees.
Some businesses may question how such initiatives could be affordable? In some cases, it may not be, however if your
business has been successfully operating during challenging times, investing in
employee well-being now could support job retention and a stronger business performance long term.
Local businesses are also providing
staff with extra time off, bonuses and
other work perks, to not only say thank you, but to acknowledge that ‘little bit extra’ many have gone to fulfil their
jobs over the past 16 months. This is a fantastic initiative that is well deserved
and will be well received by employees. How businesses care for employees speaks volumes to clients, referrers,
and the community. If your business is doing something special for your
staff, please don’t hesitate to share it with your audiences on social media! Being kind is contagious and as the
world faces a return to some form of ‘normality’, it would be great to see more positivity and good business spread instead!
By Stephanie Prior
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Urban Plan for Cricket
in Greater Brighton & Hove aims to create healthier, stronger communities Sussex Cricket, in
Monthly News
association with
Brighton & Hove City Council and Adur
District Council, is
delighted to reveal its Urban Plan for Cricket in Greater Brighton & Hove.
The five-year plan aims to use cricket to improve people’s lives and create stronger, healthier communities in
Greater Brighton & Hove and commits
to improve the standard of both outdoor and indoor facilities across the area. The plan was devised by a working group led by Sussex Cricket’s
Community Cricket Director, Gary WallisTayler, and Chair of the club’s existing Brighton & Hove Area Hub, David Bowden MBE.
In consultation with clubs, community groups and key stakeholders, the
group have identified numerous actions required in Greater Brighton & Hove
between 2021 and 2026 to ensure the plan’s aim is met.
These are organised within five categories:
From this:
To this:
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• i nspiring the next generation of
cricketers through schools and clubs
and the Sussex Cricket player pathway.
•g rowing and supporting the wider game by increasing participation
of players, officials and volunteers,
particularly those from minority ethnic communities.
• t ransforming women’s and girl’s cricket. •d eveloping grounds and infrastructure at all levels across the region.
•d eveloping high-performance
cricket teams ranging from Sussex’s
professional and age-group teams to
the more than 20 teams from Greater Brighton & Hove playing in the 1st Central Sussex Cricket League. The plan will build upon strong
foundations such as the fantastic facilities at Blackstone Academy
Ground, sponsored by Hurstpierpoint
College and the Sir Rod Aldridge Cricket Centre at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy; the world’s largest adult
cricket league in the 1st Central Sussex
Cricket League; and the work of Sussex Cricket’s Brighton & Hove Cricket
Development Group which has been operating for 14 years.
Sussex Cricket’s existing community initiatives, including its Sporting Memories and Walking Cricket
programmes and Mental Health
and Wellbeing Hub, will also play an
important role in meeting the Plan’s aims of engaging with as wide an audience as possible in Greater Brighton & Hove. Gary Wallis-Tayler, Sussex Cricket’s
Community Cricket Director said: ““By creating this five-year Urban Plan for
Greater Brighton & Hove, we’re showing our commitment to the growth and
development of cricket in a key area
of the county. The plan will enable us
to build stronger relationships with key stakeholders and our communities which will be of benefit to all ages,
genders, abilities and backgrounds.” Ian Shurrock, Head of Sport & Leisure at Brighton & Hove City Council said: “The Sussex Cricket Foundation undertake
excellent work to increase the inclusivity and diversity of participants in cricket.
This plan will enable the Foundation to
develop cricket even more to the benefit
of the health and wellbeing of all involved from the Greater Brighton & Hove Area.”
MON T H LY N E WS
Tea, trends and transformation in West Sussex The pandemic has had major implications for hospitality, with sales for bars, restaurants and cafes dropping by around 60% on average during the first lockdown in March 2020. The Coastal West Sussex Partnership Monthly recently visited News Edgcumbes, an independent familyrun coffee roaster and tea merchant near Arundel, West Sussex, which until 2019 sold the majority of its goods directly to the hospitality industry, to learn more about Covid-19’s impact on the business and how it has pivoted over the last year.
more. It was a savvy business decision as, according to Deloitte, 45% of UK adults have bought more locally sourced produced over the last year.
At the start of the first lockdown, the business reduced, and staff were furloughed. Alice commented: “We stayed open throughout - we set up a table selling essential goods to allow us to remain open. A small team of staff kept the business going for the first two months then we gradually opened up bringing the team back.”
Statistics also show that there has been a 198% increase in online grocery shopping in the UK over the past year, while an estimated 46% of people aged 16-64 used online services to order takeaway food during lockdown. At Edgcumbes, customers have been following the trend. “Internet sales have increased rapidly over the last year and this will continue to be a growth area moving forward. We have recently appointed a new marketing manager to help drive this area of the business. It’s great to see so many coffee connoisseurs learning to make the perfect cup of coffee on their own machines at home, and we’ve seen an increase in this kind of advice online over the pandemic,” says Alice, “We have also introduced a new loyalty app, which has gained 350 users in a month. Our customers like the unique offer we have of ‘clicks and mortar’ - a real presence to complement the online offering. Around 80% of our online customers live within an hour of our roastery - they like to visit along with the convenience of online buying.”
Within three months, Edgcumbes was up and running while its café in Littlehampton, Edge by the Sea, remained open. As well as takeaway tea and coffee, the range of goods expanded rapidly to include locally made produce such as flour, yeast, eggs, bread, cheeses, honey, pickles and
Consumer behaviour has also been shaped by a drive for sustainability over the past year, with 61% of UK adults limiting their consumption of single use plastic. “Sustainability is very much at the heart of our business. We follow the 3 R’s principles of Reduce, Recycle and Refill – using refillable containers for the
“We have completely transformed the business over the last 12 months,” says Alice Rendle, who heads up the business along with her husband Christopher. A vital change has been pivoting from a business-to-business model, which accounted for approximately 70% of sales post-pandemic, to a business-tocustomer model.
EdgeStore customers and compostable cup for our cafes.” says Alice. The pandemic has also heavily impacted the labour market, with the hospitality industry accounting for around half of the jobs lost. Though there has been a decrease in unemployment, it remains around one percentage point higher than it was before the pandemic. This is a trend that Edgcumbes bucked, with staffing increasing by approximately 25% to around 40 people. “We’re committed to staff training and have a City and Guilds accredited training academy, the Edge Training Academy. We also work very closely with the Chichester College Group and have just been approved to take on five young people on the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, so we will be hiring four new baristas and one new coffee roaster.” Caroline Wood, Director of the Coastal West Sussex Partnership, commented: “Through embracing the shifts in consumer behaviour, from online shopping to local produce and sustainability, and recognising the importance of selling direct to the consumer while hospitality businesses grapple with reduced footfall, Edgcumbe’s narrative of transformation is a successful one. “Engaging with local colleges and the Kickstart Scheme is a fantastic way of growing a talent pipeline at very little cost, a smart move for any business looking to rebuild stronger in 2021.” www.coastalwestsussex.org.uk
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MO NT H LY N E WS
It’s official, one of the best places to work in the uk is right here in Shoreham-by-Sea!
The results are in! Sussex-based telecoms and IT service provider Focus Group has been named one of ‘THE UK’S BEST 100 COMPANIES TO WORK FOR 2021’ and awarded a ‘3* WORLD CLASS’ accreditation by Best Companies - the highest level awarded by the renowned employee engagement specialists.
Monthly News
Best Companies,
scooped an impressive 6th place in the
2001, delivers
30 out of 100 best companies to work
established in
powerful insights into employee
Telecoms sector and reached the top for in the southeast.
engagement levels at hundreds of
Joint MD at Focus Group, Chris
annual employee-based research
thrilled. This means a huge amount
companies across the UK and its
identifies key strengths and areas of
a business that could be improved or
evolved. Focus Group has consistently invested time, resources and energy into developing an outstanding
workplace culture the whole team is
rightly proud of and - as a result - can now celebrate its successes at this year’s Best Companies awards.
The good news doesn’t stop there! At the Best Companies Live event,
held virtually on 21 May, Focus Group
10 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Goodman, commented: “I’m absolutely to me – it’s one thing to be the
founder of a successful business, but
something quite special to do that with a team who love their roles and feel
an integral part of the company they work for. Our stardust as a business
is our entrepreneurial, ambitious and supportive culture…as we’ve grown,
we’ve had to work hard to maintain that, while also protecting the family feel.
Making the 100 Best Large Companies list is recognition of the work we’ve
done over the past 18 months to drive up our engagement levels. COVID 19 naturally presented its challenges,
but the strength of our teams shone
through and I am immensely proud of how everyone pulled together.”
Focus Group is now one of the largest employees in Sussex and - despite
the global pandemic - the business
grew its team by an impressive 20% in 2020. Over 70 new recruits joined
the team virtually, all of whom are now looking forward to meeting the wider
team when the state-of-the-art offices
with its coastal views and South Downs backdrop re-open on 21 June. www.focusgroup.co.uk
MON T H LY N E WS
Child entrepreneurs hailed as rising stars in the world of business after winning award from Dragons’ Den member Two young entrepreneurs from East Sussex have been hailed as rising stars in the world of business. Jack Knight ,15, and
Monthly News
his brother Harry, 12, won the small
business award from Dragons’ Den star
Theo Paphitis in November 2020 after
forming Animate Our Logo during the first lockdown.
“When schools closed down earlier in
the year, we saw this as an opportunity to follow our dreams and start a new
business,” said Jack and Harry who are from Eastbourne.
“Lockdown meant we had more time
Harry (left) Jack (right)
videos appear in front of people first
and we wanted to reclaim this time
when users are scrolling.”
year, we were already exploring the
Animate Our Logo is a service that
lockdown happened it was natural for
animation for use on social media,
and put it to good use. In March of last idea of home schooling so when the
turns a logo into an eye-catching
us to progress.”
YouTube and marketing videos.
The boys’ father David Knight
“As the business grew, we looked at
wasted at school in a day, home
explainer videos were upsold with the
time to be used productively.
where the boys send an animation for
recognised that, with so much time
upselling,” David added. “Products like
schooling allowed for a lot more free
logos and we had a subscription service
“After we realised that we could home
their company every year.”
using the time that home schooling gave us to further develop the boys and give them transferrable skills they can take into the future.
“They’re not just talented animators,
they’re businessmen first and foremost – building relationships, networks and
confidence that will put them in a great position. We’ve been able to work the business in around their studies with
that time that they could have wasted in school being claimed back for valuable personal development they’re having which is going to carry them into the
school for four days, we spent one Friday
The business continued to grow until
said David . “We locked ourselves in with
picked Animate Our Logo as Small
“Contact with people such as The
with the boys eventually deciding on an
chosen by the entrepreneur. The boys
did a LinkedIn post about the boys,
working together to create a business,”
last November when Mr Paphitis
pizza and figured out a business plan –
Business Sunday winners – personally
animation service for logos.
got a place on the retail magnate’s
“With a passion for business trends and
networking event.
were able to recognise that, the way in
“It was never about making money for
skills from a web design agency, they which social media algorithms work,
website and were invited to an online
us,” David said. “It was always about
future.
Apprentice winner Joseph Valente, who continues to give them a great starting point to build new ventures and form lifelong partnerships.”
www.animateourlogo.com
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MO NT H LY N E WS
Government announces £11.8m for new Lyminster Bypass • New road to provide better access to Littlehampton and quicker journeys in the area • Scheme will boost local economy, supporting 1,260 new homes and 700 jobs • Latest move in Government’s drive to level up transport across the country West Sussex is
Monthly News
set to benefit from £11.8million of
Government funding to construct the
northern section of the Lyminster
Bypass, Roads Minister Baroness Vere announced today (Saturday 5 June). The planned scheme will link up with the southern section of the bypass,
which is currently under construction, to complete a new 1.1-mile single
carriageway running to the east of Lyminster and Wick villages.
The road will link a new junction on
the A259 in Littlehampton to the A284 just south of the A27 at Crossbush,
easing congestion, providing much-
needed improvements to routes in and out of Littlehampton and supporting plans for 1,260 new homes and 700 new jobs in the region.
It comes as part of the Government’s drive to build back better from the
pandemic and boost transport links across the country.
Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “Local residents deserve quicker,
easier and more reliable journeys in
and out of Littlehampton and around
West Sussex, and that’s exactly what this scheme will deliver, along with
new jobs, houses and safer and better journeys for cyclists and pedestrians.
12 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
“This Government is committed to
levelling up transport across the country, so that no matter where you live, you can get around easily and safely.” Joy Dennis, West Sussex County
Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:
“The Department for Transport’s financial backing for the project to build the
northern section of the A284 Lyminster Bypass is excellent news.
“It shows confidence in the scheme
which is designed to provide strategic north-south access to and from the A27 for residents, businesses and
visitors alike, address congestion and remove delays caused by the level crossing at Wick.”
Currently, journeys in and out of
Littlehampton are often very slow along the narrow route into the town centre, with numerous delays caused by the
Wick railway level crossing. The proposed bypass would provide motorists and road-users with a shorter and less
congested route, slashing journey times and avoiding the level crossing.
A 3m-wide shared cycle and footway
will run along one side of the road and a signalised crossing will be built so
cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders can safely cross.
Cllr Keith Glazier, Chair of Transport for
the South East said:
“The planned Lyminster Bypass will provide a vital connection between Littlehampton and the A27. This
investment will help boost economic
growth, support new housing and jobs and will improve quality of life for l ocal residents.
“A high-quality, reliable transport network is critical to our region’s economic
recovery and future sustainable growth,
so it’s good news that another of our top priority road schemes has received a major funding boost.
“By speaking with one voice to influence where and how money is spent in our
region, the Transport for the South East partnership is making a real difference for the 7.5million people who live and work in the South East.”
The total cost of the scheme comes to £21.6million, with the remaining
£9.8million coming from West Sussex County Council, Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and private developers, on top of the
Department for Transport’s multimillion-pound contribution.
Today’s announcement is the latest investment from the Government in transport in West Sussex, with
£17million funding awarded last year
towards improvements to the A2300 at Burgess Hill.
MON T H LY N E WS
Give your business a boost with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise As the economy of East Sussex begins to recover from the pandemic, Sussex businesses are being encouraged to celebrate their success and boost confidence in the area by entering the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise (QAE). This is the most prestigious award Monthly for UK businesses, News recognising and celebrating business excellence across the UK. Now in its 55th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise allow winning businesses to use the prestigious Queen’s Award emblem for five years. There are four categories to choose from - International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility). Her Majesty The Queen personally approves the winners and The LordLieutenant of East Sussex, the Queen’s local representative, presents the awards to the winners. It is hoped that 2022 will see the return of the customary Royal Reception at Buckingham Palace for the winners (subject to government guidelines). The closing date for award entries is looming, so don’t delay. The deadline is September 8 and all the relevant information, including the entry form, is available online. Applications are free, and the online process is thorough, but simple. Sir Peter Field, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex, said: “It has been wonderful to see local businesses win The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise over the last couple of years, but the awards do not have a high-enough profile. I would encourage businesses to shake off the shackles of lockdown and celebrate their achievements by entering these
incredible awards. This is a chance to be rewarded through the highest accolade in the UK.”
the core of the business operational and investment model, and its future strategic priorities.
Newhaven-based Cheeky Baby Products Ltd won a QAE in the category of Sustainable Development earlier this year. The company manufactures reusable baby, beauty and hygiene products.
“At Cheeky Wipes, we’re all about integrity and authenticity, which is what appealed to us about the QAE, rather than media awards,” Helen explained. “The application process is demanding, but manageable. We were definitely put through our paces, but I would encourage all businesses to take a look and see if there’s a category that suits them. We were over the moon to win the Sustainable Development category, it underscores everything we do and it was lovely to have this recognised with such a fantastic award.”
Helen Rankin set up the business in 2011 and now employs a 16-strong team. The company has sustainability principles at the heart of its products, each providing a reusable alternative to single use baby wipes, makeup removing wipes and absorbent underwear and pads for period and incontinence use. Its championing and support for education and charitable programmes is particularly positive, as is its high expectations and support for supply chain partners. Sustainability is at
Cheeky Wipes is one of 205 organisations to be recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise this year and was selected as one of the 17 winners for its excellence in Sustainable Development.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13
MO NT H LY N E WS
Designate scoops awards for VisitBrighton campaign
Strategic creative agency Designate was celebrating after its campaign for VisitBrighton to help encourage visitors back to the city was honoured by a major industry awards scheme. Monthly News
The Brighton agency’s
head and shoulders above the rest.”
campaign was
The Roses Awards celebrate the
at The Drum’s Roses
as opposed to work from London
Never Normal
recognised with Gold
Awards in Leisure, Travel and Tourism and Silver in the Outdoor categories.
The campaign cleverly subverted that
UK’s best creative work in its regions, and are designed to help brands find
the best thinking that London-centric organisations might miss.
over-used phrase ‘The New Normal’ and
The Never Normal campaign for
be normal, with its reputation for free
and visitors to escape with a trip
communicated that Brighton will never thinking and quirky offbeat culture.
Adam Hill, Executive Director, Designate said: “We’re so proud that our work for VisitBrighton was recognised by
this prestigious awards scheme which celebrates the very best creative work outside of London.
“This project was especially close to our hearts as the campaign is
designed to help our home city get
back on its feet after a turbulent year
VisitBrighton encourages residents to the city, by combining eye catching
images, creative and an irreverent tone of voice, which showcase its exciting and offbeat culture.
This work by Designate, a Campaign
Top 50 agency based in Brighton, shows how to cut through the depressing and repetitive communications associated with the pandemic and deliver a
campaign which uncovers what makes a brand truly different.
for visitor destinations.
VisitBrighton promotes the city to visitors
“When we landed on this campaign idea
working in partnership with more than 500
for VisitBrighton we knew it was perfect because that’s what everybody loves
about our city – the culture, the people and the sense of freedom as soon you arrive. “We all know Brighton couldn’t do
normal if it tried, so our campaign has life beyond the pandemic because Brighton will never be normal.
“At Designate we always look for the part of a brand that will help it to stand out
14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
from the UK and around the world,
businesses across Brighton and Sussex. There are four phases to the campaign which include targeting Brighton
residents, day trippers from around
the South East, family and friends of
residents who might want to plan an overnight stay and finally long-stay
visitors and even those from overseas. Honest and authentic images of the
people and places bring the campaign
to life. It features well-known Brighton characters with the phrase ‘Welcome to Never Normal Brighton’, or the
spectacular Royal Pavilion, illuminated
at night with the tagline: ‘We’ve always been open to the unusual’.
Another image shows a photo of tourist attraction the Upside Down House with
the phrase: ‘Looking for the new normal? Keep Looking. Brighton is coming back to life, but if you’re looking for the new
normal, you might be in the wrong place.’ Julia Gallagher, head of sales, marketing and partnership at VisitBrighton, said:
“We’re so proud that our campaign with Designate has picked up two awards at this well-respected competition. “We loved Designate’s concept
immediately – it’s a simple but bold idea which sums up our free-thinking city perfectly. As soon as you arrive here
you feel like you can really be yourself.
That’s what people love about Brighton.” For more information visit:
https://www.designate.com/
SBT FINANCE
LIVE OR DIE FORECASTING BY LEDGRR
SBT FINANCE SPONSORED BY:
ledgrr. www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15
Live or Die Forecasting Picture the scene. It’s November 2019 and you’re planning on finalising your big ideas for your business in 2020. You produce a sales
Finance
target, and maybe
think about the big
costs you’ll have too. You sign it off with
your key stakeholders - or for smaller
companies - you step back and marvel at a job well done.
You don’t need this article to tell you the carnage that unfolded in 2020, and how
even your best-laid plans were probably thrown out the window.
Times have changed, and right now,
plans and forecasts no longer need to
16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
look a year, three years or five years ahead. The focus has switched to 1 month, 3 months or 6 months.
These short-term forecasts, termed
“live or die forecasts” are so crucial for businesses in such a fast-
changing landscape. They allow you
to see what cash you have now, what cash you need to spend in the short term, and then what cash you have left to survive.
If you have salaried staff or other
committed payments you have to
make then you need to ensure you
have the cash when they fall due or
you’re going to run into big problems. Knowing your cash flow also allows you to make business-critical decisions in real-time.
For example, do you need to furlough your staff? Defer your VAT? Top up
your bounceback loan? Live or die isn’t hyperbole, getting this wrong could finish your business.
Live or die forecasting is therefore very important as we navigate what we all hope is the end of the pandemic and
FI NA NCE recovery. Bringing staff back from
furlough and scaling up your trading
activity to previous levels will both put a
strain on your cash, so even as we move back to normal, these forecasts will be
important in showing you what you can and can’t afford.
Due to their nature, these forecasts fall out of date quickly, so they’re
something you will have to do, and do again. They take time, especially as
you need to get them right. But they
could literally be the difference between your business still being here in a few months or not - so stick at it.
So how can you take your short-term forecasting to the next level?
● Keep your records up to date! If
you have up to date cash, debtor and
creditor records, you have a very good start point for your short term cash
flow. If you are operating on old data, you aren’t putting yourself in the best position and you may count receipts
you’ve already had or miss payments that are still due.
● Be realistic! Budgeting can
sometimes be used to provide targets and direction for an organisation.
Short-term forecasting is not for this. If you’re only averaging £10,000 of sales a month in the pandemic, put this in your forecast. Yes, push for a 10%
improvement if you think that’s what you can do, but you should not be quite literally - banking on it!
● Prioritise your payments! No matter
how much someone may love their job and their company, not many people can afford to work for free. Salary is
probably your number one payment priority if you have staff. However,
if you don’t plan and prioritise your
payments, you may run out of cash
by month-end. If your net salary bill
is going to be £15k at the end of the
month, then you need to prioritise
is this something you need to add to
else you can afford in priority order.
time this pandemic is over, you should
£15k for this bill. Then work out what
●U se software! It can be bespoke
the forecast for future weeks? By the be a forecasting pro!
forecasting software or just good old
Don’t give up, this stuff isn’t fun for
doing these calculations in your head,
haven’t thought about doing this yet,
can roll forward each week will help
and get planning. That way you can
accurately. You’ll be amazed how
ahead, rather than just getting by.
a budget properly written down gives
out there, and you’ve done great for
track against, meaning you can hold
But there is still a way to go and a
when things don’t look right.
best chance of success. The end is in
excel if you prefer. You may have been
everyone, but it’s important. And if you
but setting up a template that you
just start. Write the numbers down
save time and allow you to forecast
be constantly improving and thinking
much clarity seeing a business plan or
It’s been a tough time for all businesses
you. It also gives you something to
getting this far through the pandemic.
yourself accountable or investigate
recovery to manage, so give yourself the
● I terate and improve! You’re on a
sight, and we will get through this.
weekly forecasting cycle. On Monday,
To your success,
bank balance will be £32k. It’s £28k.
www.ledgrr.co.uk
you predict by next Monday your
Don’t just start your forecast again at £28k! Why is it £28k? What did you
get wrong? Is it just a customer who has paid late? Get chasing! Did you pay something that wasn’t in your
forecast? Uh oh. Was that a one-off or
Rene
ledgrr. www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17
ADVISOR Y / TA X / AU D I T
New look, same great service
Building a Brighter Future An accountant should do a lot more than just report on how your business is doing. They should help you identify opportunities to improve your profit levels and then support you in trying to achieve those improvements. We strive to understand what our clients want to achieve and are then proactive in recommending solutions that add value. We take a collaborative approach with our clients, working with them to provide a valueadded service rather than simple compliance. The focus is always on client service, with open and honest relationships.
Contact us E: info@carpenterbox.com in
www.carpenterbox.com
18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT
LEGA L
LEGAL
TOP TIPS FOR TENANTS WHEN NEGOTIATING HEAD OF TERMS BY MAYO WYNNE BAXTER
THE FUTURE OF FLEXIBLE WORKING BY MAYO WYNNE BAXTER
EMPLOYMENT LAW: REDUNDANCIES AS WE EXIT THE PANDEMIC BY 365 EMPLOYMENT LAW
SBT LEGAL SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19
Top tips for tenants when negotiating Heads of Terms By Jonathan Clays, Associate Solicitor – Commercial Law Now that you have
Legal
found a commercial property to rent it is
time for the key terms of the proposed
lease to be agreed with the landlord, or their agent, and set out in a document
known as the Heads of Terms (“HoTs”). The following are some points that
should be considered when agreeing these Heads of Terms:
1. S ubject to Contract – whilst the HoTs are intended to set out the key terms they are not intended to be binding on the parties. The HoTs and any
correspondence in relation to the
proposed letting should be clearly headed ‘Subject to Contract’.
20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
2. S ufficient Detail – whilst neither
they may not agree to or may
the landlord nor you will want to
require payment of a sum of money
the HoTs, the key terms of the
fixed dates or on a “rolling” basis
spend significant time negotiating
for). Break rights can either be on
proposed letting should be clearly
throughout the term with a set
set out in the HoTs;
3. K ey Terms – the following are terms
period of notice to be given in
each case.
that are often included in HoTs:
c. Rent – what is the annual rent and
a. P roperty – the exact extent of the
quarterly or monthly in advance).
how often is this to be paid (usually
property to be let, and any parking
Such rent will be exclusive of VAT
stage (preferably shown on a plan).
be checked.
rights, should be agreed at an early
b. Break Right(s) – without a formal
and whether VAT is payable should
d. Rent-Free Period – are you to have
break right you cannot bring the
the benefit of a rent-free period (for
agreement of the landlord (which
Property before you can open for trade).
lease to an end early without the
example to allow fitting-out of the
LEGA L e. R ent Review –the landlord may require
the ability for the rent to be reviewed at set periods (but usually only where the
lease is for more than five years). Whilst this is usually by way of an upwardsonly review to the level of the market
rent on an agreed date (or dates) there are alternatives. For example, it could
be agreed that any increase be linked to an index (e.g., the Retail Prices
Index (RPI)) with the advantage that the
increase is easily determined and could
save professional costs establishing the market rent;
f. R epair – often HoTs will refer to the
tenant having a full repairing liability.
In this case you would be obliged to
put the property into repair (even if not in repair when you take the lease). If the property is in disrepair (and you
Jonathan Clays
should instruct a surveyor at an early stage to determine this) you should
strongly consider having your repairing obligation limited to keeping the
property in the same state as when you entered into the lease. This is
usually evidenced by a Photographic Schedule of Condition.
g. S ervice Charge – if the property
forms part of a larger building it is usual for the landlord to recover a percentage of costs they incur for maintaining, repairing, cleaning,
etc, the building through a service charge. Details of any service charge (including any recent
service charge accounts) should
be obtained. In addition, to avoid
having to contribute towards costly
repairs you should consider whether there is to be a cap on the service charge in any year.
h. Security – the landlord may require
you to provide either a guarantor and/ or rent deposit. You should consider if this request is reasonable. If it is,
then each have their advantages and
disadvantages (with a guarantor being
personally liable for all liabilities of the tenant and a rent deposit possibly
impacting cashflow with a sum being tied up for some or all of the term of the lease).
i. Permitted Use – the permitted
use of the property and the ability to change this (subject to being permitted under planning laws) should be clearly set out.
j. Assignment and Underletting – are you
l. Landlord’s Works – are there any works the landlord is required to carry out?
4. P rofessional Valuation Advice – you should strongly consider obtaining
professional advice from a surveyor
or property agent on the terms to be agreed (including the Key Terms set out above).
5. (And finally, but not least) Instruct
a solicitor – serious consideration should be given to instructing a
to be allowed to assign (transfer) the
solicitor at an early stage not only
shorter term)? If you are this will usually
to avoid any delays once HoTs are
be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
by confirming whether Stamp
lease or underlet (grant a lease for a
to advise on the draft HoTs but also
be with the landlord’s consent (not to
agreed. A solicitor can also assist
k. Security of tenure – is the lease to
Duty Land Tax is payable (and the amount) as well confirming other
have security of tenure (often referred
likely costs such a Land Registry
so that you are entitled to a new lease
payable to third parties.
to as being ‘inside the 1954 Act’ and at the end of the term) or not? If not, then it would be entirely up to the
Registration Fees and other costs
www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
landlord if they wish to offer you a
new lease at the end of the term and they would have full discretion as to the terms of any such lease.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21
The future of flexible working By Marika Monaghan, Associate Solicitor Prior to the pandemic
Legal
68% of British workers had never worked
from home. However, according to a recent
YouGov survey, 81% of employees who worked at least some of the time from home following the outbreak want to
be able to continue to do so after the pandemic has come to an end.
From June 2014 an employee who has at least 26 weeks’ continuous service
has the right to make a statutory request in writing for flexible working, although they can only make one such request
in any 12-month period. The employer has a duty to deal with the request
in a reasonable manner and to notify
the employee of the outcome within a
3-month period unless the deadline has been extended by mutual agreement. The employer can only refuse the
22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
request on one of the following grounds: • the burden of additional costs;
• detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand;
• inability to reorganise work among existing staff;
• inability to recruit additional staff; • detrimental impact on quality;
• detrimental impact on performance;
• insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work; or
• planned structural changes.
Although flexible working has existed
as a legal concept since 2003, prior to
COVID-19 the uptake of flexible working had been a lot slower than anticipated.
To address this, in December 2019, the Government announced its intention to introduce changes to flexible working
legislation to bring in what is often referred to as ‘flexible by default’, where jobs
would be deemed to be flexible unless the
employer can justify otherwise. Although this change has not been formally
implemented, for many businesses the pandemic has, in any event, led to the
adoption of flexible working patterns by default at least for the time being.
Although from March 2020 the upsurge in employees working from home may have been borne out of necessity, it has given employers the opportunity to explore
the various potential advantages and
disadvantages of a working model that they may have previously discounted.
From an employer’s perspective there are several potential advantages of remote working such as
• Savings to office space and cost
• Access to a wider pool of workers (due to geographic location or employees who need to fit work around other responsibilities such as childcare)
LEGA L
Marika Monaghan
from home and the remainder of their time in the office. • Better employee retention due to
employees’ achieving a better work/
life balance and higher job satisfaction
• Reduced stress and sickness levels • Possible increased productivity
• Savings in costs and time for reduced commuting and the associated environmental benefits
A number of large companies, including Google, Virgin Media, Aon, John Lewis, HSBC and Natwest Bank have publicly
announced their commitment to a hybrid working model.
Given the emerging trend towards flexible working models, it is more important than
ever that employers can deal appropriately
Some of the potential disadvantages of
with flexible working requests. Introducing
• Difficulty in managing remote workers
a phased return of their employees may
• Loss of team cohesion
social distancing regulations which remain
remote working include
and monitoring performance
• Increased risk of sense of isolation
• Increased telecommunications costs and higher data security risks
a regime of flexible hours and/or organising also assist the employer in complying with in the workplace.
However, the employer will need to
ensure that it deals with requests for
Given that that there are advantages
flexible working sensitively and fairly.
it is not surprising that a significant
personal circumstances to avoid
of those surveyed according to CIPD,
employee or group of employees.
Resources staff), are now developing
encounter challenges in balancing the
employees to work some of their time
and may wish to seek legal advice
and disadvantages to working remotely,
It should consider its employees’
proportion of companies, (two thirds
discriminating against a particular
the professional group for Human
Sometimes an employer may
hybrid working models that will allow
competing needs of its employees
regarding the best way to deal with these thorny issues.
Any changes to an employee’s working hours or place of work should be
confirmed in writing to avoid ambiguity or misunderstanding. If the employer does
not feel able to grant a request for flexible working, it should ensure that its reasons for refusing falls within one or more of
the 8 permitted grounds listed above and that this is confirmed in writing.
Sometimes an employer may wish
to make changes to some or all its
employees’ hours and place of work and the need to do so may become
more acute following the pandemic. Generally, to make such changes
unilaterally would amount to a breach of contract. It is therefore recommended
that an employer seeks their employees’ agreement and that they seek
legal advice if they experience any
resistance from their workforce before
implementing any fundamental changes to their employees’ working patterns.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23
Employment Law: Redundancies as we exit the pandemic
As we start to see an exit out of the covid 19 pandemic, the issue of staff redundancies will be in the news. The reasons for this are obvious. Since March 2020,
Legal
businesses who
otherwise would have
made staff redundant, have, in many cases,
avoided the need to do so because of
the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). This is the mechanism through
which employers are able to place staff on furlough, and recover a percentage of their salary (at times up to 80%), through the scheme.
I have had lots of conversations with clients and other professionals such
24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
as accountants about this, and the
consensus is that once furlough ends, those redundancies that were put on hold, will start to happen quickly. Employers that have held off on
redundancies would be wise to consider the next steps they might want to
take, when the financial support ends. The focus on this article, is to break
down how redundancy occurs in law,
something that many employers assume is more complicated than it actually is. If the number of affected staff is over
20, then collective rules apply. I do
not focus on those for the purpose of
this article, but on the smaller number redundancies, that affect SME’s on a
more regular basis, and that will have to be faced when furlough ends, currently in September 2021.
The legal position relating to
redundancy of staff sets out that it
can happen in one of three situations, business closure, workplace closure, and the most commonly used, a
reduction in the need for staff to do work of a particular kind:
LEGA L have a fair selection process to decide which employee
goes, but one of those roles is redundant.
A redundancy situation does
not occur under this heading if an employee is made
“redundant” and someone
else is hired into exactly the same role. Using the above example, if another bar
manager is immediately hired, a redundancy situation would not exist.
Alex Jones
be moved to other premises, and has
An employee made redundant under any of the above
scenarios will be entitled to
statutory redundancy pay.
been used in the past. Without both of
The right to qualify for that pay is
redundant. A passive mobility clause
employment with the employer.
those points applying, the staff will be i.e. one that is in the contract but
has not been used, will not avoid a
conditional on two years continuous
The reason why it is important for
redundancy situation.
employers to get this process right, is
3) A reduction in the need for staff to
or they are unfairly selected, or a
do work of a particular kind.
This is the most common route to staff 1) Business Closure
redundancies. The staff are redundant
business ceases trading, the staff will
requirement for staff to do work of a
that if an employee is not redundant, fair procedure is not followed, the
employee will have an Unfair Dismissal claim, and could receive much higher amounts of compensation.
This is as simple as it suggests. If a
if the employer no longer has the
be redundant.
particular kind. The test is not whether
2) Workplace Closure
not the role is needed to do the work.
premises that the employer runs
because of specific work reduction,
365 Employment Law
open. This is also a redundancy
organisation purposes. As an example,
Alex Jones
understand the basis of how this
area, a bar owner may have two bar
Tel: 01903 863284
factories, one in Brighton, and one
so both are needed. The employer
www.365employmentlaw.co.uk
one, the staff there are all redundant.
redundant to save costs, despite the
factory as being nearby, and the staff
of the shifts themself. That would
have an active mobility clause in the
requirement for a bar manager has
Please always take advice on any staff
the work still exists, but whether or
related issues.
This situation is where a particular
This means that redundancy can be
By Alex Jones, Managing Director,
closes but the wider business remains
for costs saving purposes, or for re-
situation. Many employers do not
in hospitality, a widely affected
365 Employment Law Solicitors
works. Eg, if an employer runs two
managers, both of whom share shifts,
ajones@365employmentlaw.co.uk
in Worthing, and closes the Worthing
may decide to make one of those
The employer cannot cite the Brighton
work need being there, and do some
not redundant as a result, unless they
be a genuine redundancy, as the
staff contracts i.e. that allows them to
ceased. They would of course have to
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25
Selling, buying or starting a business? Call us on 0800 84 94 101 Offices across Sussex
26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
SBT COVER FEATURE
WE TALK TO PLUS X BRIGHTON
WITH CO-FOUNDERS MAT HUNTER AND PAUL ROSTAS
SBT COVER FEATURE SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27
We talk to Plus X Brighton
In this month’s SBT Cover Story we talk with Co-Founders Mat Hunter and Paul Rostas about Plus X Brighton, why here in Moulsecoomb, what the innovation hub brings to a county like Sussex and how the pandemic has changed the way people work.
Cover Story
Please introduce
and became involved in a property group
readers tell us about
program for startups. So my world
yourselves to our Plus X and you.
Mat: My name is Mat Hunter and my background is very much from the
called U+I creating a startup accelerator is absolutely around innovations for businesses big and small.
Paul: I started out as brand manager for
world of design and innovation. I went
Unilever and then Johnson & Johnson.
my career in San Francisco, and spent
world in the city, focused on analysing
for startups and corporations. Then I
propositions. I then worked in real estate
the government at the Design Council
derivatives business for a big company
to two top art schools and then started
I spent 20 years in the capital finance
15 years consulting around the world
companies and their investment
became chief design officer working with
before I created a brand new property
28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
bringing me into contact with the largest property owners in the country. I had a
little midlife crisis about 10 years ago and
decided to leave and try something much more entrepreneurial, starting with angel investing into startups and then helping startups directly. I then started to raise money for my own little tech startup. I started to understand the excitement
over being an entrepreneur did some consulting work for U+I where Mat
and I met. Together we came up with a strategy which was the genesis of Plus X.
COVER STO RY
requirement to make their idea real. Paul: Some of the best entrepreneurs say,
So, why Moulsecoomb? Why here?
not run it.” Usually it requires a catalyst. If
Paul: We worked at Hayes in
you look at the post global financial crisis
your own business?
of 2008, the biggest number of startups
Paul: I remember interviewing for
it is happening again, because people
interviewed me I wanted to be sitting in
haven’t got a choice, or I’ve got a bit of
created through 2008-2011. Post COVID
Johnson & Johnson telling the guy who
are saying well it’s now or never, or I
his seat in five years! When I worked
redundancy money to invest.
business in the market, and that made
Mat: I think there is a journey of
my own business. Then it was just
say why not, let’s give it a go.
for ICAP, they sponsored me to build a me realise that actually I wanted to run about finding a great idea.
things better. It’s about mindset.
“I’m going to start this business and get it going, I want to stay involved, but I might Had you always thought about running
even with a competitor, might make
confidence building so more people can
Paul: Luci Keaton from RumaTech has
Mat: Personally, I don’t think I
worked this out. It’s about working out
like my own consultancy. What we
what you are not. Part of our mission
confidence to take an idea forward.
the other party. Then it’s about how you
envisioned myself running a business
your skillset, what you’re good at, and
do here is to help people have the
is to help you identify that and then find
Entrepreneurship is a necessary
collaborate together. Sharing something,
Middlesex, which was severely affected by the manufacturing recession in the 1980’s. It left
huge empty office space and the
landlord of this building discovered this opportunity and believed it could become a fantastic new
neighbourhood. But the problem is,
nobody wanted to go to Hayes. The
idea was to give businesses so much value that the only place they could get it was in Hayes, which would
attract other businesses to be part of that community. And on the back of that, companies like GoDaddy took
space in the same building. So that
was the genesis. Moulsecoomb is in the top 10% deprived wards in the
country. It needs economic changing,
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29
C OVE R F E AT URE
confidence-building and regenerating. We know how to create jobs and we
have all this transferable experience, and believe we can change the dynamic of
Moulsecoomb. In Hayes we were doing it in 10,000 square feet, let’s call it 100
people, and in Brighton, we’re doing it at 50,000 square feet and 600 people. We
decided to design great rapid prototyping workshops and make sure the space is designed to promote connectivity.
Mat: It’s about creating a community. You might think everyone’s got to be some tech coder, but you need the
graphic designers, the video makers, the accountants who can all collaborate. You opened in July 2020, during a
global pandemic, tell us about that experience?
Mat: We had a short golden period
between the two lockdowns but last winter got much tougher. We were
working with people who made physical
30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
things and the government guidance
allowed us to stay open. In fact, during
the first lockdown we were making PPE
for the NHS. So when we came to open this place, we had a lot of experience of operating during the pandemic. Month
on month people continued to come and said psychologically and practically, they needed that. And here we are towards
the end of lockdown with 300 people in the building.
Paul: There are inspirational
entrepreneurs like Jack from Nords,
the GPS company, and Martin the AV
guy, who are raising money and thriving during the pandemic, so it is possible.
Mat: The lockdown has really exposed
people’s approach to risk. We found that the small businesses just get on with it
and move forward but bigger businesses find it very hard.
Paul: People like being around other
people. Not everybody has the luxury
of a private space, some people are working on their beds. It is better
physically and mentally. You can have a cup of tea or a chat.
Mat: It might be efficient to work
from home, with no commute and no
distractions, but there is a mental health and exercise issue. Being efficient isn’t
the same thing as being effective. People are able to be more innovative, creative and energized by being in a space like
this. That goes for startups, but also big
businesses as well, the corporate teams that need to be just as innovative.
Paul: Probably more so because bigger companies will typically
process risk-averse decisions. If
you’re an entrepreneur, you can make a decision to take five desks or take
the entire floor. We want them to be complementary, we want them to
contribute to the community but also
benefit the community. It’s got to be a two-way street.
COVER FE ATU RE What type of companies has Plus X
opportunities, partly due to space and
does success look like for both Plus X
keep people in Brighton and attract
Brighton welcomed to date? And what and your community of members?
Mat: I think one of the key things that we
partly lack of support. We’d like to
opportunity and facilitate a solution. Has the pandemic changed how
discussed was diversity. You really do
people work in the innovation hub?
Some things unify everyone, like
Mat: Aside from the masks, people
sustainability. Brighton in particular
will be businesses considering flexible
sustainability and social justice. It’s
that uncertainty.
Brighton and Sussex very close by with
Paul: During the pandemic, the death of
need multiple skill sets to come together. health and well-being or environmental believes hugely in environmental
amazing having the Universities of
are getting on with it. I suspect there
offices because they need to deal with
rich seams of skill and competence.
the office is exaggerated. How you use
Paul: We tried to listen to the challenges
might change, but there’s still a need to
an office and how much space you need
that Brighton has faced. There is a
come together.
addressing through trying to level up.
Mat: Its flexibility in time but also in
lot of the town doesn’t stay, or it does
that can take twenty or thirty people.
aren’t a lot of those exciting career
idea behind our shared spaces.
national issue which is the government Brighton has a great deal to offer yet a
space. We have collaboration spaces
stay but it commutes. It’s because there
Utilization is the core. So that’s the whole
Paul: You might use a podcast studio once a week. You might afford to
choose to spend thousands on it or
choose to become a member of this
space and use the money to hire more people and grow the business much
more quickly. The video conferencing has become more hybrid, using
the bulletproof Wi-Fi as well as the
infrastructure and big displays. For
example, our event space downstairs was always wired to be able to live stream. The hybrid nature will be
required, and you wouldn’t necessarily want to pay for that yourself.
Mat: I think ultimately, we want the
best of both worlds. We talked about the energy in the room but also the
incredible efficiency of pulling people
in electronically. So of course, we can bring in world class innovators based
in China or San Francisco together into Brighton. It’s the most important thing to be both local and global.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31
C OVE R F E AT URE much more honest, so people collaborate and indicate
that they have a need and
someone has the ability to
help them. Unlike networking events, people can be less in
sales mode and hopefully help
understand people’s needs and collaborate more.
Paul: We need a safe space to do risky things, like in
Silicon Valley. If a startup
fails, you can jump to another startup. It is safe to learn
and collaborate but also to
re-think and collaborate and start up something else. What’s the future of
innovative business in a region like Sussex?
Mat: We hope to help more
businesses scale and get more BrandWatches. Also to help
some of the bigger businesses become engaging and You run an innovation project called
for them. It’s about trying to make it
should Sussex businesses apply?
amount of time. It is only available to
BRITE, tell us about that and why
Mat: BRITE is a collaboration between
the most effective business in a finite members of Plus X.
us and the University of Brighton. We
Paul: It has helped businesses see
from the business school to understand
academics will tell you these support
can prove scientifically that particular
the basic assumptions they made
one of the things that we do here is to
together. In Sussex we are great with
learning, bringing together businesses
at helping them sell. They get to a
knowledge. You can get some time
they have to get over that hump. We
Brighton to work on problems and fix
the challenges and applying solutions
are using the knowledge that they’ve got
things from an external viewpoint. The
what the proven models are. Academics
programs help businesses retest all
ways of working are very powerful. So,
when they were putting their business
support peer groups in that peer-to-peer
supporting startups, but not so good
at a similar stage of evolution to share
certain point where they hit a wall and
with the researchers at the University of
have the track record of understanding
something maybe deeply technological.
to that particular problem.
types of business intervention and we
Mat: The pandemic has revealed we
and each business to find what’s right
It is possible for a hub like this to be
BRITE offers a great menu of different work with The University of Brighton
32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
all have challenges juggling with life.
innovative, as well as drawing
them from Central London to
a better quality of life, to be part of innovative communities like this.
Paul: London offices could have a satellite space and maybe take fifty spaces
there. Some of the bigger corporations have tens of thousands of people all
around the country. Taking some space
at Plus X would be more convenient and also allow for working with lots of other complimentary businesses.
Mat: We want to see the truly world-
class stunning business ideas starting
in Brighton. There are many people in Brighton who are making purposeful
businesses as well, doing something
good for the world and society. Why
shouldn’t it be global? It is not always about a sense of power. www.plusx.space
SBT
COVER FE ATU RE
START UP & ENTREPRENEURS
STARTING UP? START HERE! BY BUSINESS & IP CENTRE SUSSEX
INSPIRING INNOVATORS CREATING A BRITE FUTURE WITH PLUS X INNOVATION CENTRE BRIGHTON
SBT START UP & ENTREPRENEUR SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33
Natalie Taylor Founder of Acacia Facilities
start�ng up? Start Here! Sussex Libraries, in partnership with the British Library, are transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses. We’re supporting a thriving community of bright and inspiring people by partnering with local libraries all over the UK. It is free to join and open to everyone.
The BIPC provides access to a range of business databases, business literature and guides to support your business information needs. Whether you are just starting out, need advice on protecting your intellectual property, or are ready to take the next step in your journey, we are here to help.
Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Sussex with its regional centre based in the Jubilee Library in central Brighton, supports entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses from that first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business.
We’re bringing business inspiration and support to more people than ever before with resources available in the Jubilee Library, with the addition of select libraries across Sussex in the upcoming months.
34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Our Serv�ces Workshops/Webinars
One-to-one advice
Legal and accountancy clinics
Intellectual property (IP) and trade mark advice
Free access to online databases
Links to useful start-up websites
Networking opportunities
All services are provided free of charge to the local community.
�ntellectual Property You may not have thought that you have intellectual property (IP) that you need to protect, or it’s something you can think about later. Most businesses rely on some sort of ‘know how‘, idea or way of doing things, that distinguishes them from their competitors. To be successful and grow your business, understanding what it is that is unique about you is crucial. That’s where we come in. There are many different sorts of IP and we can help you identify the type you need to know about and how to protect it. Copyright Copyright is an automatic right that does not need to be registered. It applies to the expression of an idea such as literature, music or art. Patent A patent protects your invention and lets you take legal action against anyone who makes, uses, sells or imports your invention without your permission. Registered designs Registered designs protect the look and appearance of a product. Designs operate on a first-come, first-served basis. If someone else has already registered or disclosed your design or a similar one, it is not available. Trade marks A trade mark is any sign used by a trader to distinguish their goods and services from those of others. It must be both: • capable of being graphically represented • capable of being distinguished.
Get �n touch To find out more about how we can support your business, if you have an Intellectual property query or need advice on how to research a new business idea, drop us an email and we’ll get back in touch.
BIPC@brighton-hove.gov.uk brighton-hove.gov.uk/bipc @BIPCBtnHove Business & IP Centre Brighton & Hove
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35
Inspiring innovators creating a BRITE future
As things are beginning to ease, it is feeling like a positive start to June, the sun has broken through the clouds and lockdown is easing. This week, eleven exciting scaling businesses met together and moved into their new home, Plus X Innovation Hub on Lewes Road, Brighton. Plus X creates
Start Ups
inspiring workspaces that unlock
potential, drive
business growth and
innovation, community collaboration and positive social impact. Plus X
Brighton is a seven-storey innovation hub for all sizes of business, from freelancers to corporates, in the
creative, cultural and purposeful city of Brighton and Hove.
The innovation hub encompasses a range of unique innovation
programmes, specialist prototyping
36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
workshops, high-spec media suites,
and wellbeing benefits such as weekly yoga classes and a nutritional cafe. With growth at the very core of the
Plus X business ecosystem, members typically begin their journey with desk membership, before taking on a team
and moving into one of the studio office spaces (available for 3-150 people). These businesses are founded by some of the top entrepreneurs of
Greater Brighton and beyond and are
part of the new cohort for the INSPIRE innovation programme developed by
the University of Brighton and based
on world-leading research, informed,
and shaped by SMEs. This five-month open innovation programme supports growing businesses to identify
key partners, develop a bespoke
innovation readiness review and action plan, and pairs them with their very own innovation coach.
The programme is part of the BRITE project, run by Plus X Brighton and
created and delivered by programme partners, the University of Brighton.
Meet some of the BRITE businesses and their innovations below:
Compost Club
1. Compost Club
Bare Cacao
spaces between business innovation,
Intercepting food waste and
skills, culture and place.
Club is a company started by Michael
https://www.alwayspossible.co.uk
Diverting food waste from landfill
4. ParaStudio
Compost Club as well as creating
a full-service branding agency here to
which give life to the soil and make
unleash your potential. The result is an
goes back to members and is also
a powerful branding service that’s
regenerating soil since 2020, Compost Kennard with a purpose beyond profit.
always possible
film and media related subjects. With a team spanning continents, Quickclass come together for the collective
purpose of creating intuitive user
experience - enhancing learning and
saving teachers time that’s better spent
or incineration is very important to
Daniel Cushing is leading ParaStudio,
compost full of the micro-organisms
do two things: light up your people and
https://www.quickclass.net
nutrients plant available. This compost
empowered brand that fuels success,
7. Antelope Agency
available to purchase from their website.
bespoke to clients budget and needs.
Agency is a full-service marketing and
https://www.compostclub.online
parastudio.co.uk
2. Bare Cacao
5. MAD (Make A Difference) Courses
founder Aaron Newland. Bare Cacao is
for MAD Courses. MAD Courses
to create your own personal ritual, made
into worlds beyond the classroom.
of the richest natural sources on the
communities and social entrepreneurs,
and potassium., and high in antioxidant
people to investigate the world,
coaching students.
Managed by Jen Welford, Antelope
creative agency, which has developed a unique formula for search engine
optimisation. Alongside its standalone
products such as brand development,
Created and produced in Sussex by
Thomas Graham will be innovating
a healthy caffeine free, coffee alternative
open doors for students to step out
from roasted organic cacao beans, one
Connecting students to local
planet of Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, copper
MAD’s programs encourage young
https://antelope.agency/
rich flavanols.
broaden their perspectives, and
8. Ledgrr.
https://barecacao.co.uk
ways. Programs focus on sustainability,
Ward, Ledgrr’s are an accountancy firm
3. always possible
communicate their ideas in exciting
social innovation, and good enterprise.
Kate Regester will be innovating on an
https://www.madcourses.net
possible, a service-based consultancy
6. Quickclass
problem-solving, storytelling
is the invention of a team of passionate
organisations shape the future and
whose mission is to provide the world’s
exciting new development for always that uses facilitation, design,
Founded by StJohn Smith, Quickclass
and research to help ambitious
educators, designers, developers
create lasting impact. They join up the
best mLearning solutions, starting in
stunning UX focused websites and social media services, the brand is
now developing an accessible 12-week
programme that SMEs can follow to take their SEO into their own hands.
Founded by Rene Pavlides and Robin
with a difference. Ledgrr help creative businesses and scale-ups proactively manage their finance function, so they can better understand their
profitability and cashflow. They take
the stress of finance and accounting away from business owners, so they can focus on what they love doing. Ledgrr are not just an end-of-year
accountant businesses see once a
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37
N EW B US I N E S S FE ATU R E
ParaStudio
MAD Courses
Ledgrr
Ixxy
year, they provide an extended finance team, working collaboratively with businesses, to achieve success. https://ledgrr.co.uk 9. Ixxy
Ixxy has over 10 years of experience in
digital media and web development. Its
founder Andy Baker is based in Brighton and has worked in the sector for over
25 years. He has grown the Ixxy team
by finding skilled and experienced staff
(such as Vanessa who will be leading the way on their Innovation plans) and subcontractors in and around the tech hub
that Brighton has developed into in recent years. The innovation project at Inspire is
related to the development of a Geospatial data visualisation service using Python,
Quickclass
County Business Clubs
10. Rowan Orchid Architects
Rowan Orchid Architects was founded in 2008 in London by Lars Christian Schneider. ROA work on a range of
different types of projects, from single family houses and interior design to
conceptual schemes for large-scale
regeneration areas, to product design, 3D modelling and visualisations.
The use of a sophisticated parametric (3D) software allows working in
virtual building models and general
achievement of BIM level 2 standards, and assists with clash detection, scheduling and cost control.
https://www.rowanorchidarchitects. co.uk
Machine Learning, and 3D visualisation.
11. And last but not least, County
https://www.ixxy.co.uk
Co-founded by Sam Thomas, County
38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Antelope Agency
Business Clubs!
Business Clubs is a multipurpose platform and a growth engine for Sussex businesses. By bringing five different platforms together they have created a single business ecosystem that can support all businesses with different needs at different times in their commercial journey. https://www.countybusinessclubs. co.uk
Applications for the next INSPIRE
programme in November are now open! To apply and find out more about the fully funded BRITE business innovation and growth programme available at Plus X Brighton, visit briteinnovation.co.uk.
SBT SALES & MARKETING
CLIENT COMMUNICATION IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD
BY KATE BONESS, CONSORTIUM MORE THAN MARKETING
SBT SALES & MARKETING SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39
SA L E S & MARK E T I N G
Client communication in a post-pandemic world
Coronavirus has changed the way professional services firms communicate with their clients, staff and stakeholders. Sales & Marketing
We don’t need to
Necessity made us all embrace digital
pandemic has had a
not have considered beforehand. As an
tell you that the
profound impact on our everyday work
and home lives. Some of the changes have been temporary, others longer lasting – and one of the most
obvious changes has been to the way we communicate.
From one day to the next, lockdown
made us move from face-to-face to digital
communication channels that we may
example, Zoom saw its sales increase
by a whopping 326% in 2020. Despite the vaccination programme progressing worldwide, the firm is predicting
further growth of 40% in
2021, in line with their view that video conferencing is here to stay.
communication channels. Who would
As restrictions ease and
be Face Timing with granny, speaking to
in real life again, will digital
have thought in early 2020 that we would clients on a WhatsApp group, or having birthday parties on Houseparty?
40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
we are able to see people communication channels remain as popular?
You may have noticed a shift in
your work environment, and the
way you communicate with your
clients and stakeholders. Having
had more exposure to other digital
SAL ES & MARKE TI NG then moving the conversation to an
email or phone conversation seems to be the way that firms are dealing with this.
Whilst the advancement of technology and the adoption of more digital
channels has certain benefits – most of all enabling us all to continue working
from home throughout the pandemic – it is important to remain aware of some of the downsides:
• Zoom fatigue and staff feeling that they are constantly staring at a screen.
• Blurred lines with a feeling of having to be available outside of normal working hours.
• Everyone has different communication styles and preferences.
• Body language or facial expressions that could be lost in translation on a
Kat Boness
communication channels throughout
the pandemic, it is possible that they
have changed the way they would like
to be communicated with. We are now hearing of more professional services firms liaising with their clients on
messenger apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook Messenger.
It is of course impossible to predict the
future, but if we had to have a go, these would be our main guesses:
1. Video conferencing will remain popular for regular and routine meetings, but more important
meetings will take place in person.
It will become more a question of ‘is this meeting important enough for
me to go to the effort of travelling?’. Businesses may want to consider
drawing up guidance for their teams, e.g. an initial client consultation
should happen via Zoom, annual
reviews should take place in person. This is particularly important for
sectors that rely on positive and
long-lasting relationships, rather
video call. than business activities of a more transactional nature.
2. I n order to offer a truly customer-
centric experience, businesses will
need to find a way to communicate
with their prospects and customers on THEIR preferred channel, not
the business’s. This means having
to conduct research into customer
preferences - and as a result, putting in place the internal processes to
facilitate the effective use of those channels. Considerations such as
staff training and satisfying audit or
compliance requirements will need to be taken into account.
3. Messenger services will become more popular for professional
services firms. Prospects and
clients will expect quick responses. It is important for firms to have a
plan in place as to how to respond to communications on the wide
Most importantly, despite all the
challenges we have had to deal with
since the start of the Covid-19 crisis,
digital communications are unlikely to
fully replace our most basic human need for physical human interaction.
What are your predictions for how
our communication preferences will
change as we come out of the crisis? We’d love to know.
If you would like to find out more about how you and your team can embrace getting digital in a virtual world, or if
you are looking at ways to use digital
communications to communicate with your clients, do get in touch with us. By Kat Boness
Associate Director
kat@consortiumbiz.co.uk www.consortiumbiz.co.uk
variety of channels available. In our
experience, responding to the initial query on the native channel and
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41
Does your business need a helping hand? During these unprecedented times, many businesses are struggling so we would like to help. We are offering free general guidance on: • Unpaid invoices & contract disputes • Commercial landlord & tenant issues • Professional Negligence • Commercial insurance claims
• Trading Standards & consumer complaints • Shareholder & Partnership disputes • Employment claims & settlement agreements • Franchise disputes
Call us on 01273 223290
or visit www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/here-to-help
Offices across Sussex
www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT
COVER FE ATU RE
TECH
BEHIND THE SCENES AT WHITESPACE
WE FIND OUT MORE FROM CO-FOUNDER, STEVE ELFORD
SBT TECH SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43
TEC H
Behind the scenes at Whitespace
This month we had great pleasure in speaking with Director of Web Development and Co-Founder of Whitespace, Steve Elford to go behind the scenes at Whitespace and get into the technical side of building websites.
Tech
Why is a bespoke
the underlying code can
than an off the shelf
me wince! It happens
build a better option template or a build you own website?
be a mess, it makes
behind the scenes but it is this solid quality build
I’m tackling this question all the time.
that’s going to perform
to build your own website, like Wix,
this is what you pay for.
annoyingly good but they come with a
We focus on the user
can be overwhelming. It can also be
navigation to get
between pages.
know as quickly as
For the long term, when you want
many seconds you
where we come in. We take your
for, otherwise they will
build a bespoke designed site. You get
will lose them. We use
your original intended design. It means
for example ‘Hotjar,’ which creates
images and create new pages. We
you don’t need to find loads of different
spots in places where visitors slow
and we work almost exclusively with
it work for you.
and understanding what they are
which is one of the most widely used on
We keep plugins to a minimum and
up in the design stage. Then we can
theme, install that and then configure
of messy code behind the scenes. I’m
and sub-pages.
themes from scratch, from design right
code because performance is more
What is a CMS? Which ones do you
through so many years working alongside
CMS means Content Management
called Traffic, which we have been
they use drag and drop interfaces, but
to the backend of your site and it gives
years. It was built from the ground up
There are great platforms out there
Squarespace or Shopify. Some are
well at a nice speed,
fixed template and so many options it
journey and simple
quite easy to break or lose consistency
what you need to
possible. It’s only so
something really special, then that’s
have their attention
brand, or we create the brand and we
leave the site and you
an intelligent build with a CMS to create
some background apps,
you the ability to update text, change
it is not an ‘off the shelf’ model and
heat maps of a webpage, showing red
install it on virtually every site we build,
compatible plugins afterwards to make
and think. It’s knowing your audience,
two platforms, one being WordPress
coming to the website for. This comes
the web. You can pick an off the shelf
intelligently advise on menu structure
it yourself. But what we do is build
ensure that we don’t have a tangled web quite meticulous about clean source
through to development and testing.
important than anything, I’ve learned that
guys work with?
Our other option is our own platform
SEO specialists. With website builders
System. It is where you would log in
developing and maintaining for over 10
44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
TECH
are all at the mercy of Google. You can have a website that loads instantly to your own eyes, but when you run it
through one of Google’s page speed tools, it will give you a 30% performance score! It’s
not just the speed of loading, it’s things like accessibility
and best practices in the code that make a difference to your general visibility.
There are a few new options we’ve been playing with
recently. One is an image
manager called Cloudinary. As well as intelligent image
cropping, it uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN),
distributing your uploaded
content over loads of servers all over the world. Your web
browser then loads the content that’s geographically closest to you, optimising images on the
fly and using next-gen formats for quick page loading. We’ve as the core system, with general page
and image management, but then we’ve got a bunch of extensions, similar to
WordPress plugins, but built by us. These include e-commerce, projects, staff
profiles, event management and so on. It gives people complete freedom and we
have had great feedback over the years for its simplicity and ease of use. We
now have a fairly equal split of clients
using Traffic and WordPress. The next
step for Traffic is the Version 2 rollout. It’s been given a complete facelift and we’ve been rewriting a lot of the foundations to bring it up to speed with modern
standards and we are hoping to have that ready by the end of the year.
We also have all sorts of other internal
We’ve trialled the project manager with
our animation partner Ticktockrobot and
they’re over the moon with it and using it for several clients now.
Then we have Sussex County Business
Clubs, our clients for the digital members’ cards which is fantastic, using digital
wallet cards which enable users to use
interesting features such as geolocation.
So if, for example, if you are exhibiting at a
trade show and someone is in your vicinity, it can pop up and invite you over. I love it. It also means I can walk near, for example a member restaurant that has an offer on
a Wednesday, and the offer will pop up on my phone. We have awesome, positive feedback received already.
side projects on the go, like a CRM we’ve
What are the technical considerations
accounting system and a project manager.
That’s the big question, isn’t it? We
called Blend which incorporates an
used it on a few websites
now and it’s massively improved the performance scores on the sites. It
demonstrates that behind the scenes
of a website is a lot of work that people might not be aware of.
There is a lot more to consider these days than just HTML and a bit of
styling. I’d say the majority of the
websites we work on will integrate
with an API, in some shape or form.
The flexibility is great but it has to be done in a way that doesn’t impact the performance of the site. It is
complicated what goes on in the
background, and that’s probably why I don’t get much sleep!
www.whitespace.studio
for good website performance?
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45
Digital, design & branding
We are a full service creative agency specialising in design, web and marketing. Founded by three passionate creatives.
whitespace.studio 4 St. Georges Place, Brighton BN1 4GA 01273 258000 / hello@whitespace.studio 46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT CHARITY
RYAN HEAL BECOMES HONORARY PATRON OF ROCKINGHORSE
ROCKINGHORSE CHILDRENS CHARITY
GOLF DAY RAISES OVER £5K
IN AID OF ROCKINGHORSE CHILDRENS CHARITY
CHOSEN CHARITY PARTNER:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47
C HA RI T Y
Ryan Heal becomes Honorary Patron of Rockinghorse
After eight successful years at the helm, Ryan Heal is made Honorary Patron of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity. Ryan, 45, took
Charity
charge of the
Brighton & Hove based charity in
September 2012 and
revived its fortunes to lead it through
one of the most successful periods in the charity’s 53-year history.
After such a successful tenure leading
the team and making such a difference to sick children across Sussex, the Trustees
of Rockinghorse felt that it was important to recognise Ryan’s achievements and thank him for all his hard work.
So, a small, socially distanced group of
heart. My son, John, was first admitted
at the Grand Hotel in Brighton to award
admissions) aged 4 in 2011 and the
badge, created by Posh Totty designs,
enough to insert a standard canular.
Honorary Patron.
“This went on for some time until the
Chair of Rockinghorse Trustees Phil Frier
Rockinghorse) came into the room. On
all he had done to support the charity
in a virtual reality, smiling as the nurse
an emotional speech thanking staff,
to take as much blood as she liked!
staff, trustees and supporters gathered
to the Royal Alex (the first of numerous
Ryan a certificate and one of a kind pin
nursing staff could just not get him still
to commemorate his appointment as
3-D Pain Distraction unit (fully funded by
made a short speech to thank Ryan for
went the 3-D glasses and he was away
since 2012 before Ryan himself made
not only got the canular in but was able
supporters and trustees alike.
“This was the start of my
Along with thanking his professional
Rockinghorse journey, I was amazed
his wife Anne and children Emma,
by the charity. One year on from that
the celebration.
become the charity’s Chief Executive
Ryan also spoke about how John’s
so many wonderful memories, it’s
awareness of the charity that soon became
Rhian Walsh, Finance and Operations
always hold a very special place in my
that Ryan played in the development of the
colleagues, Ryan also paid tribute to
that this piece of “kit” was fully funded
Elizabeth and John, who joined him at
initial experience I was invited to
and what an honour it has been. I have
experience in hospital prompted his
impossible to document them all.”
a big part of his life: “Rockinghorse will
Director at Rockinghorse, praised the role
48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
charity: “His passion and enthusiasm for
Rockinghorse has made such an amazing impact on what we have been able to
achieve over the last eight years, leading us to double our fundraising income
without increasing our running costs. “It’s also thanks to his leadership that we were able to raise over £600,000 last year despite the challenges that confronted us in March 2020.
“He’s always been such a wonderful
ambassador for the charity, and we hope that in his new role as Honorary patron, he will continue to fly the flag for our wonderful charity.”
And whilst Ryan is moving onto the
next stage of his career, running his
own business consultancy and events
business, he will never forget his time with the charity: “Rockinghorse will always
hold a very special place in my heart, and I look forward to continuing to support
Rockinghorse for many years to come.”
CHA RITY
Golf day raises over £5k for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity
A golf day, organised by Jamie Westley, proved a great success with golf lovers from around Sussex helping to raise £5,000 for the children’s charity.
Around 150 keen
Charity
golfers attended the successful event at
the Mid Sussex Golf
Club in Ditchling, the
first event in aid of the charity that has taken place all year.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of
the South Downs, the Mid Sussex Golf Club proved to be a wonderful venue
for the teams to enjoy 18 holes of golf
followed by a delicious lunch, raffle and prizes handed out for nearest the pin and beat the pro winners.
Jamie is a long-term supporter of
Rockinghorse, having supported them for the last 10 years, and also running
the Rockinghorse Football Team. Over this time, he has raised a significant amount for the charity including
£2,000 at his last football tournament at Crawley FC.
Thanks also to the generous sponsorship of James Ross Jewellers and Preston
Insurance Brokers, the golfers were also able to enjoy meeting and playing with
three ex-professional football players on
the day: Matt Le Tissier, ex- Southampton and England, Paul Walsh, ex- Tottenham and Liverpool and Russell Martin, exNorwich City and MK Dons.
Jamie really enjoyed organising the
event in support of Rockinghorse: “It was so fantastic that everyone was
able to get out on the golf course again today, after such a long time away. The day was a real success, and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Thanks
so much to Matt, Russel and Paul for joining us and of course to everyone who came along and donated so
generously to such a great cause.” Amanda Hetherington, Fundraising
Manager at Rockinghorse, thanked all the
players, sponsors and the Mid Sussex
Golf Club for hosting the event and added: “It was so lovely to see everyone out on
the greens and enjoying a fun day – it feels like such a long time since we have been able to attend an event like this.
“But this isn’t a one off; we are really hoping that this is the first of many
events that our supporters can look
forward to during the rest of the year,
where people can come together, have some fun and help raise funds for
Rockinghorse. Just keep an eye out on our website and social media feeds to find out what’s coming up!”
To find out more about Rockinghorse, take a look at their website at www.
rockinghorse.org.uk where you can find
a range of virtual events that you can get involved with to help raise much needed funds for the charity.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49
50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT MOTORING NEWS
DOES YOUR EV CHARGER AFFECT YOUR HOUSE PRICE?
WE FIND OUT MORE
2021 BMW 1 SERIES
A RIVERVALE LEASING REVIEW
SBT GO GREEN!
SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES HAS OPTED FOR A FULLY ELECTRIC CAR
SBT MOTORING NEWS SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51
MOTO RI N G N E WS
Does your EV Charger affect your house price?
With the UK firmly on the road to electric, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is steadily on the rise. Over 175,000 EVs were registered in 2020 – the biggest increase to date – and 2021 is expected to break that record. We surveyed Brits
Motoring News
and found one in five
won’t switch to an EV because of limited
access to a charge
point. While you can install one at
home, EV chargers cost around £800£1,000, including labour – a hefty fee
to pay upfront. But for some, a home charge point could be linked to the value of your property.
After analysing 1,000 house prices
across 50 UK areas, we found that
homes with an electric charge point installed sell for 13% more than the local average. With the average UK
house price now at £194,000, according to the ONS, that could mean a value
increase of £25,220 to your property. 76% of homes with an EV charger
installed showed an increase in value From the 1,000 homes analysed, 76% of UK homes with an EV charger showed an increase in value, when compared
to the local average. For the 38 out of 50 areas which saw a positive link between value and home charge points, our
analysis showed an increase of £50,595 on average.
Top 10 areas where house prices with an EV charger increased:
Swindon house prices see the
biggest increase, compared to the local average
The areas around the UK that saw a
52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
positive link between house prices and EV charger installation were largely in
England. Swindon takes the top spot,
seeing a huge 84% increase to £455,000 when compared to the local average house price of £247,441.
Walsall closely followed with a 75%
increase to £341,400 on the average
property value of £195,246. Next up, Birkenhead showed a 55% increase to the average property price from £115,270 to £178,00.
Winners and losers – which house prices increased the least with an EV charger?
Out of the 50 cities surveyed, only one
in four (24%) did not see a positive link between house prices with a charger installed and the local average. The
average loss was -16% in value. See
our winners and losers table below to
see which house prices don’t appear to benefit from installing an EV charger.
The City of Westminster has the most
significant reduction when comparing a
home with a charging point to the area’s average. Westminster’s average sale
price came out at £1,676,758, however, homes with an EV charger were valued at £1,037,750 – that’s £639,008 less
or a -38% reduction. While Londoners
might be incentivised to choose electric and avoid the Congestion Charge, car
usage is declining in the capital. Private car trips have decreased by 13% since
2003, according to Christina Calderato, the Head of Transport Strategy and Planning at Transport for London.
This appears to be linked with more
MOTOR I NG N E WS Londoners taking public transport and opting for home deliveries, rather than
grants, plus risk damaging your car and home.
For more automotive updates and
research, check out the Rivervale blog,
going out to shop, lessening the need to
4. Install solar panels – installing a
Westminster was followed closely by
5. Choose the right charger – if you
If you’re looking to cut costs on driving
a while to charge your EV, such as
deals, where you can drive your dream
own a car personally.
Wigan at -24%, with house prices
typically costing -£41,936 less than the local average of £173,636. Glasgow,
at -23%, sees reductions of -£45,361 against the £194,598 average.
80% of homes without an EV charger sold for less than the local average
We also analysed the prices of houses without an EV charger installed and
solar panel to charge your car saves the average driver £1000 per year.
don’t travel huge distances and have overnight, a lower kW charger can save you around £250.
With new-build homes, you could get
a free charging point as standard. The government is already taking steps to
ensure new builds have an EV charger
installed in a bid to bring emissions down.
compared them to the local average.
Why else should you install a
with no EV charger installed or nearby
Installing a charging point in your home
Our analysis found that 80% of homes sold for less than the local average. The average difference in price was -20% or -£64,696.
This could indicate that EV chargers are
valuable to potential homeowners when they’re looking for a new property.
5 tips to save up to £1,850 per year with a home charge point
The cost of installing an EV charge point at home (including labour) is around
£800-£1,000, with prices increasing for higher-capacity models. It might seem like a lot to pay upfront, but there are
ways to keep EV charger costs down. Here are five top tips to save up to £1,850 over a year.
1. Apply for a government grant -
the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) pays up to 75% (£350 max) towards the cost of installing your charge point.
2. Energy Saving Trust (EST) grant – for residents of Scotland, there’s
an additional £250 (£350 in remote
locations) available towards the cost of your charge point installation.
3. Avoid installing your own charging
point unless qualified – if you opt for a self-installation, you’ll miss out on
charging point?
isn’t just linked to property value –
they’re also much more efficient for charging your EV.
1. Convenient – charging your car and
handy for friends and family who stop by.
2. Money-saving – it’s estimated to
save you £1,000 a year using your
own charger rather than one outside your home.
featuring the future of Tesla and how much we really know about EVs.
an EV, consider our electric car lease EV while making affordable monthly payments. Some of our deals even
include a home charger for you to rent, making the switch to electric easier than ever.
Methodology
We compared 1,000 sold house prices on Rightmove to the average local
area price over 50 UK areas. House
prices were recorded where there is an EV charger installed at that postcode’s address, using Zap-Map, chosen by the properties most recently sold.
When recording areas with no charge
point installed or any nearby, locations were selected within 10 miles of the
houses with a charge point for a fair representation. The findings shown
are from our study only and may not represent other experiences.
3. Faster charging – EV charge points are
30-60% quicker than using a standard wall socket.
4. More efficient –
traditional sockets
aren’t designed for high power loads
over long periods, making charging less efficient.
5. Get ahead of the curve – the sale
of new petrol and diesel cars will
be banned from
2030, so installing
a charge point is a good opportunity to get your home ready.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53
2021 BMW 1 Series Rivervale Review The latest BMW 1 Series brings a high-tech hatchback to the road with sleek aesthetics and a roomy cabin for passengers and drivers alike. Previous versions of
Motoring News
the BMW 1 Series
featured a rear-wheeldrive layout which
offered impressive
handling aptitude for eager drivers.
A unique feature for standard family
hatchbacks, BMW has decided to ditch the rear-wheel-drive with their latest 1 Series and make the switch to frontwheel drive.
More practical than ever before with
added tech features and a contemporary
interior, the new BMW 1 Series is sure to provide a pleasurable driving experience.
54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
But will the fact it’s no longer rear-wheel-
come as a cost option. Leasing prices
model handled? We review the newest
or £222.14 inc. VAT, with the Automatic
drive bother those who loved how the old
for the Manual start at £185.12 +VAT,
model from the outside in and how it
just a little bit extra at £193.20 +VAT, or
performs on the road.
£231.84 inc. VAT.
The deal
Video review
yourself, we have both a Manual and
Lad gives us a rundown on his thoughts
a mix of colours coming through for
around sunny Brighton...
worth noting too, these cars are the last
On first look…
forward it will no longer be included
your eye on the new BMW 1 Series is
If you’re looking to get a 1 Series for
Rivervale Brand Ambassador Jack The
Automatic deal available in white, with
of the BMW 1 Series, with a test drive
delivery towards the end of July. It’s
to receive a free leather interior - going
The first characteristic that captures
in the standard specification and will
the flowing silhouette. The 1 Series’
MOTOR I NG N E WS
BMW 1 Series Leasing prices start from £185.12 exc. VAT per month
With a keyless start, six gears and front and rear parking sensors as standard,
the BMW 1 Series driving system is sure to be a smooth experience no matter where you’re driving. Technology specs
Each model has BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies including Auto Start-
Stop, Electric Power Steering, reduced rolling resistance and Brake Energy
Regeneration. Alongside this, other useful
additions such as lane departure warning, switch to front-wheel drive means the
cabin for everyone and a bigger boot
bonnet. Instead, the sportier look
for all five seats including better leg and
car no longer has its long, spacious
features a number of angular grooves and precise lines.
The change to transverse engines also
means more space which translates to
too, there’s more space than the old car foot room. The driver also enjoys plenty of wheel and electric seat adjustments allowing driving position modifications for ultimate comfort.
less weight and more efficiency. Plus,
Out on the road
driven anyway.
BMW 1 Series perform on the road?
you can hardly even tell which end is
Read more: How Much Does it Cost to Lease in 2021?
Boasting a large grill and 5-door design,
this sleeker looking model offers optional
More importantly, how does the latest The hatchback offers various models
with the low-powered petrol and diesel
engines being transverse three-cylinder engines while the 18d and 18i and above are four-cylinders.
extras to refine your car even further.
Just like the previous BMW 1 Series,
a variety of metallic, eye-catching paints
on automatic or manual with optional
These include 19-inch alloy wheels and including Misano Blue and Storm Bay. The interior
Things are a little more toned down on the interior but BMW’s familiar high-
quality style still oozes out of every nook.
you’ll be able to make your own choice four-wheel drive for extra grip. BMW has
also added the option of high-tech driver assistance systems which will help you
to reduce stress while driving for long periods of time or in heavy traffic.
Full leather seating and steering wheel,
Whichever BMW 1 Series you go for, it
a 9-inch display form the foundations of
about in congested areas and busy cities
clear, round speedo and rev-counter and the modern interior space.
Sending power to the front wheels rather than the back means BMW can provide
a boost to interior space. With a roomier
will remain comfortable while out and
thanks to the light yet precise steering. The new 1 Series will perform just as well at higher motorway speeds as it
does on winding country roads or while conducting nippy urban manoeuvres.
real-time traffic navigation, gear shift indicator, speed limit assistance and
traffic sign recognition ensure a safer
driving experience and puts BMW ahead of its competition.
Read more: Which Cars Have Been in the Most & Least Accidents?
Each model also possesses up to the minute technology including BMW’s personal assistant system, Apple CarPlay and gesture controls. The verdict
The latest BMW 1 Series is right
up there in the competitive arena
of premium family cars. All in all, it
delivers a practical car choice with
impressive driving comfort that has been ergonomically and stylishly designed. Up to the mark driving performance,
good engine systems, generous room, modern aesthetics, high-quality specs and appropriate in-car technology. If you weren’t too attached to BMW’s
rear-wheel-drive then the newest BMW 1 Series is guaranteed to make your driving experience a pleasure.
Need help finding a vehicle perfect for you? Talk to one of our expert team today on 01273 433480, or request a callback at a time that suits you.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55
SBT go green!
Yep, you read it right we’ve gone green! Sussex Business Times has opted for a fully electric car as its first company vehicle. Sam Thomas, SBT Managing Director explains how things unfolded: “Over the last
Motoring News
few months the anticipation of
lockdown ending
and the easing of
certain restrictions has seen some
return to normality within the business world. For me as an avid networker I
have always preferred to get out and
about and speak to my clients face to
face. When my last car went in for yet another repair and service I knew it
was time to look at a change. Having
56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
worked with Rivervale, sponsors of
was the saving in fuel and servicing. I
now after a few short conversations
to look into going green and doing our
the SBT motor section for some time
highly recommend all business owners
I knew exactly what was best for me
bit to help the environment”
couldn’t be better, working in sync
To understand more about the
tend not to do many long journeys
that would look like for you and your
me ample opportunity to plug in and
on 01273 433480 or email info@
and SBT – a fully electric car. The fit with my ‘out and about’ work load I
implications of going green and what
but lots of mid to short ones giving
business, get in touch with Rivervale
charge. When I saw the cost savings
rivervale.co.uk
from a tax perspective I was already sold but the real icing on the cake
SBT CHAMBER NEWS
AN INTRODUCTION TO INVESTMENT & THE INVESTOR MINDSET BY BRIGHTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SUSSEX CHAMBER LAUNCHES A NEW SERVICE
T1 TRANSIT DOCUMENTS - COMPLEMENTING THE CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS SERVICE
THE BETTER BUSINESS SHOW 2021 THURSDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57
An introduction to investment and the investor mindset Navigating the world
Chamber News
of investment can be difficult at any stage of your business. Writing after his
Catch the Wave session for Brighton
Chamber, with Nicky Craddock of Cow Corner, Mark Crowter of Galloways
shares their introduction and insights into the investor mindset.
What are investors looking for? To be your partner
This can be one of the biggest personal development challenges if you’ve spent
58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
years being the sole decision maker.
Before you start looking for an investor, you need to get comfortable having a genuine partner.
Investors need to see that you’re
comfortable being open and honest with them. See them as a critical
relationship in the development of
the business, rather than just a source of capital.
Understand your story, aims and goals To form that genuine partnership,
investors need to understand why
you’re doing what you’re doing, where
you’ve come from and where you want to get to.
Alignment of values and goals is
everything. Be brave. Be honest. Be open. Sector and market focus
Individual investors and investment directors will have different backgrounds, and different
understanding of sectors. When
meeting investors, be confident that they understand the dynamics of your market.
CHAM BE R N E WS You don’t need to be an expert in
Some technical bits
We get a lot of questions about the
There are a huge range
investment
technical terms around investment. This is usually because business owners want to speak the same language as investors.
My honest advice is don’t try. Any investor worth their salt should talk
Valuations
of ways to value a
business. Ultimately, you and the investor will reach a point
where you’re both
happy you’ve found the right spot.
in terms you understand (see above
If you find an investor
speaking the language of your business.
have shared goals, and
about relationship building!) Focus on
Investors will spend time listening to you and shared language will follow as you learn from one another.
Key lessons we’ve learned
you get on well with,
can achieve your outcome quicker -
or deliver more value - the amount of
cash you’re taking off the table now is much less important.
Investment works
Your options and how to explore them
business can be a really challenging
there. Get out and network. Someone
Bringing someone new into your
step, but we’ve both seen time and time again that, done well, investment works. We’ve seen people realise dreams of early retirement; a complete change
There are a whole host of investors out will know someone who knows
someone, so the more ‘someones’ you know, the more likely you are to find the right partner.
in role from a 70-hour a week CEO to
As well as bankers and accountants,
booster rockets to their business.
investor groups which are prime for a
a 1-day a week Chairman; or to strap
Whilst the outcomes have been
completely different, in each case, the
honesty over long term plans were there
there are a whole host of business
good LinkedIn stalk. See if you have any shared connections who could introduce you.
at the point of investment.
EIS / SEIS
Ego is worth zero
for investors who back eligible
Only once have I seen an investment
go really badly. In that case, both the investor and the business owner had huge egos.
Communication was poor; there was
clearly a large amount of ‘head-in-the-sand’ over central business issues; and over the
There are a range of tax reliefs available businesses – potentially up to 50% of any investment can be used to offset taxable income. This may be a real sweetener to attract them.
Find Mark’s full blog on the Chamber website here.
next 4 years it crippled the business.
Galloways are sponsors of Brighton
Talking openly about the issues that
support programme. To find out what
need attention, as well as the things
that we’re proud of, builds a much more robust, saleable business.
And stay up to date with the latest
Brighton Chamber events by signing up to our mailing list.
Finding funding for your business
There are plenty of free resources that
can also help you to find grant funding for your business.
Access Invest4 grant funding through the Business Hothouse
Delivered by the University of
Chichester, the Business Hothouse
offers free, hands-on business support and access to the Invest4 match-fund
grant. Read their guide to getting up to £170,000 to help your business or idea grow here.
Find your funding with GRANTfinder The Business & IP Centre Brighton
and Hove offers support to businesses
through workshops, events, information databases and one-to-one support. Their free-to-access GRANTfinder
database is a comprehensive one-stop-
shop for most publicly available funding in the UK. Find out what you can do with it here.
Chamber’s Catch the Wave business
support is available for your business, head over to the Chamber’s Business support page.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59
C HA M B E R N E WS
Sussex Chamber launches a new service T1 Transit Documents - complementing the Customs Declarations service Chamber News
The UK has now
A new Transit Service - T1 also
vital all businesses
Document (TAD)
left the EU, so it is
comply with the new rules for any import
and export of goods outside of the UK and ensure customs declarations are in place.
“Do you Import and/or Export goods to the EU or rest of the world?”
Sussex Chamber offers an HMRC
compliant service that you can trust.
This service offers traders a high level
of compliance with HMRC procedures and offers a direct link for customs
clearance through all sea, air and road ports and terminals in the UK.
60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
known as Transit Accompanying We now offer customs transit, this is a
customs procedure used to move goods not in free circulation moving between
• ChamberCustoms will arrange
comprehensive bank guarantees
through SGS to cover your goods
• TransitNet operates under EU CT regulations and principles
two points of a customs territory, via
The benefit of using ChamberCustoms
two or more different customs territories.
is through our agreement with SGS
allows for the temporary suspension of
your premises to our Authorised
measures that are applicable at import.
you to start your transit movements
another customs territory; or between
to create your transit documentation
Using the Customs Transit procedure
TransitNet, we may be able to add
duties, taxes and commercial policy
Consignor license which will allow
We will create Transit Declarations on your behalf using SGS TransitNet;
•C hamberCustoms will submit and monitor Transit declarations on
your behalf
from your address.
Why do I need a T1?
The main benefit is that no customs duties or taxes are payable as the
shipment moves from one country to
CHAM BE R N E WS We complete Import/Export
declarations (EU and Rest of the world). •W e complete the declaration using
information the customer providesinvoices/ packing lists/ excel
spreadsheet (containing transport and licences info (as per tariff).
•W e send the customer the customs documents which they would then
forward on to their haulier/ transport Ana Christie
company which allows them to travel through the border.
the next within the European Union.
It is important to note, whilst there
arrives at its intended final destination.
(businesses might receive goods without
T1 is a certificate used for the
HMRC will still require a customs
The non-community status basically
and imported. Not doing so could result
This is the case until the shipment
Imports-
• There is a Free Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU.
• This means that most goods
“originating” in the EU attract a 0% customs duty rate.
• If the goods have a non-EU origin, you
will not be able to claim EU preference. Duty will be payable.
Documents we will send you:
• C88 SAD document (has all the details of the import- addresses/ commodity codes/ licences info)
are easements currently at the border
• Plain Paper C88- has the tax and duty
completing a customs declaration).
• DTI report- status of the declaration
amounts payable.
e.g., route 6 means no further controls required.
movement of non- community goods.
declaration for goods being exported
means that certain formalities have
in HMRC penalties.
Exports-
the product is under customs control.
Customers need to be Onboarded
- You instruct ChamberCustoms to
of import tax, for example. When
you have signed our T&Cs - Inform
from A to C, sometimes the product
ChamberCustoms is your clearing agent.
B. The T1 document tells customs
This is a very simple process requiring
physically present in country B,
check and contract agreement.
• A copy of the C88 if you require it.
circulation. Therefore, they can be
representative and will only complete
You can now instruct your haulier to
stored in a bonded warehouse under
are taken when on-boarding.
end destination, the T1 document is
Invoicing
not yet been fulfilled and therefore,
The formalities can be: the payment
before we can represent you - Ensure
certain goods need to be transported
your supply chain and haulier that
has to cross the border of country
that although the products may be
company information, a quick credit
they are not yet cleared for public
Sussex Chamber will act as the direct
either transported between borders or
declarations when requested. No fees
customs control. Upon arrival at the
settled, taxes will be charged and the
Customers are invoiced monthly after
goods are cleared for circulation.
completion of declarations.
Paid services we offer at Sussex
What we provide:
• Import declarations (Full)
•W e will research issues customers
Chamber:
•C ommunication by email or telephone
• Import declarations (Simplified with
may have and try to find a solution;
• Export declarations
contact to help with more difficult
additional charges)
• T1 Transit documents Within our main ChamberCustoms hub we also offer an Advisory Service at an additional charge.
Before the goods leave your premises prepare an Export Declarations Documents we will send you:
• An Export Accompanying Document (EAD) showing the barcode with the
Movement Reference Number (MRN) that your haulier will need.
collect the goods
Sussex Chamber also provides an
export documentation service, numerous international trade training courses to
support you in your global growth as well as global events and forums. Please email customs@
sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk or call 01444 259 259 to find out more.
we also have a helpdesk we can problems.
•W elcome Pack including additional excel document with further info
that we require in order to streamline the process.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61
BEE PART OF THE BIZ BUZZ Worthing Leisure Centre Thurs 23rd Sept • 10am - 4pm
NEW VENUE!
At the show...
BIGGER SHOW FOR 2021
140+
exhibitor stands Explore local opportunities
Enjoy some networking over a hearty breakfast
Meet the buyers
From local larger companies and Adur & Worthing Council
Free business support From business experts in various fields and industries
FREE ENTRY
Packed programme with Keynote Speakers
Lunch Box
New for 2021 Eco Zone Well-being Zone
...network and mingle
#betterbiz2021
www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk SHOW ORGANISER
62 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
HEADLINE SPONSOR
Branding & Design: yoohoocreative.com
Breakfast Power Hour
New skills for the digital world
Sponsorship opportunities
SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS
THE BEST OF BRITISH MEMBERS CLUB
WE TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR LAUNCH EVENT WHICH WAS HELD IN MAY
5 BOOKS THAT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER NETWORKER WITH NETWORK MY CLUB
BRIGHTON BUSINESS EXPO THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2021
SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS SPONSORED BY:
BRIGHTON
BUSINESS
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 63 Thursday 7th October 2021 1 0: 00am - 2: 00pm
N ETWORK I N G & E V E NTS
Stella Buckingham, Ryan Heal, Anne Heal, Sophie Sheperd
The Best of British Members Club After 18 months without live networking events, the launch event for Sussex’s New Best of British Members Club in May, at the fabulous MalMaison was an extremely welcome affair. Many of you will
Networking & Events
have attended or be aware of the Best of British Charity
events over the years
in Brighton, Gatwick, Eastbourne and London. Ryan Heal, founder of Best
of British Events (and former CEO of
Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and now Honorary Patron) has launched The Best Of British Members Club, which is a brand new corporate
networking, hospitality and events club for Sussex. Exclusively for senior level
business executives to come together,
64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
share best practice, network with likeminded fellow directors in a relaxed,
informal, Covid aware environment in the best venues, at the best events,
with the best hospitality and hearing from the best speakers.
The BBMC is positively restricted to just 50 members. This protects the
‘less is more’ ethos of the members club by preserving the fundamental requirement that members must be
decision makers for the business in
the capacity of Owner, Director, MD, CEO etc.
To welcome you to the members club
all members received a hand delivered welcome pack from Ryan and his wife
Anne that included your members card to receive many special offers from a variety of venues and products, along with a
specially designed Gresham Blake Tie and BBMC lapel badge, making you really feel part of an exclusive organisation.
The launch event on 19th May at
MalMaison saw 50 business people come together for the first time in 18 months to enjoy an amazing
Networking Lunch with guest speaker,
N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS
Stephen Edwards, Ryan Heal
Stuart Noakes, Sam Thomas
David Gower, Ryan Heal, Paul Barber
former England Cricketer, the brilliant
David Gower. Ryan and the team have really managed to encapsulate the
essence of the large-scale BOB events but in a small Intimate setting.
Over the course of the year the BBMC
Members will meet at a variety of great venues with a mixture of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The second
event was an evening meal at Hotel Du Vin where Moet Hennessy UK
presented their Veuve Clicquot, La
Grande Dame for all members to enjoy whilst hearing from one of the guest
speakers Oliver Smith, Private Client
Manager, who gave us an insight in to
been invited to become a member
by one of Sussex’s finest chef’s,
how a networking event should be
a glimpse of what it takes to become
it. I am looking forward to attending
MasterChef The Professionals, train
members and taking advantage of
the LVMH story.... This was followed
of the BBMC. You really feel this is
Steven Edwards, who gave members
and I for one have certainly missed
one of the youngest ever winners of
future events, getting to know all the
with Raymond Blanc, be Head Chef
some of the member benefits.
launch your own restaurant - Etch in
Although Memberships are sold
Edwards Riverhouse in Richmond
to receive registrations of interest
at Sussex’s own South Lodge Hotel, Hove in 2017 and then open Steven
out for 2021, the team are happy
during the year of the pandemic!
should any openings for membership
After two amazing events, I on behalf
you are interested please contact
of SBT feel truly honoured to have
come available in the new year, if
membersclub@bestofbritish.org.uk
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 65
N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS
5 books that will make you a better networker Human beings are
Networking & Events
complex. Building strong business relationships
doesn’t always
come easily to everyone.
Many factors are at play when networking. First impressions. How you communicate. How you listen. What you say. How you say it. Your approach.
After all, networking is a skill; not a one size fits all activity.
Whether you’re brand new to building
business relationships, or an experienced networker, here are five books that have shaped how I approach networking,
interact with others and traits I’ve noticed from the most successful networkers.
1. Never Eat Alone - Keith Ferrazzi
This book had such a positive impact on me I did a standalone LinkedIn post.
66 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
It should be a bible for anyone looking
to make their networking more efficient, those already in the industry and those
just starting out. It has so many actionable tips about how to develop new, and nurture existing, relationships.
Ferrazzi’s lifestyle in maintaining his
relationships is thorough, extreme and pretty relentless. But the results speak
for themselves. Taking just a few of his tangible methods will positively affect your relationship management, or
‘Relationship Action Plan’ as he calls it. My Key Takeaway: ‘Build it before you need it’. The idea that you should be
networking before you need something, rather than when you do. You should
always be building your network; being
able to tap into different corners of your
network when you can help someone or when you are seeking something.
2. Chimp Paradox - Steve Peters
This book taught me more about
communicating and understanding
different personality types than any other I’ve read. It changed the way I observe, interact and communicate with people. When networking, I’ve spoken before about being a chameleon in adapting
to your surroundings and who you are
speaking to. You meet a lot of interesting and different types of people; Peters’s
Chimp Paradox helps you prepare for that. From dealing with introverts and
extroverts, opinionated and self-centred
people, to shy and reserved, I’ve seen it all. But being able to manage myself through
different conversations successfully has all stemmed from the Chimp Paradox.
It helped me understand why you react emotionally to certain things, how to
manage and recognise that in yourself, but also in others. This is hugely impactful not just in conversation at networking events,
N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS but in the follow up (and often more
emotional) part of the networking process, as you explore opportunities to work, partner or collaborate with others.
My Key Takeaway: How ‘Gremlins’ can affect your relationships with people.
‘Gremlins’ are what Steve Peters explains to be beliefs or ideas about certain
people or ideas that we hold. I see this a lot when networking, where people may judge people based on certain factors.
Size of business, the industry they work in, their job title. If it doesn’t suit their
agenda, they have a closed mindset with these people, thinking they won’t benefit from a conversation or a relationship. But in reality, you never know who
knows who when networking, and any conversation can lead to something (if you ask the right questions). I’ve learned never to judge or assume something about anyone.
Here’s a story from my own experience. I met a lady who was working part-time in
If you don’t have good networking habits
and aren’t consistent, it won’t work for you.
when you’ve first met them.
the ‘networking doesn’t work’ club.
For example: Hi John nice to meet you.
This book teaches the importance of
business solve? That’s interesting you
You’ll simply join the hundreds of others in
say John, I’ve found that too.
ensure you attend events regularly.
5. Never Split the Difference -
good habits that make yours and other
As chief hostage negotiator for the
out your diary each week/month to
Then when you are at an event, building
Chris Voss
attendee’s time spent there worthwhile.
FBI, Chris Voss knows how to ask the
Networking aside, this book is one of my all time favourites. Whatever habit you’re
My Key Takeaway: “Every action you
will make your networking experience
and was in her current position to be able to balance work with bringing up her two
young children. She ended up introducing
me to three or four really great people from
her previous career whom I’ve since added to my network or worked with.
And I’ve never forgotten it. Never write anyone off. Let go of your Gremlins. 3. Atomic Habits - James Clear
Networking should be a habit. It’s all
about consistency and being in it for the long-term. We talk about that a lot with our community and when onboarding new members.
that. However, asking the right questions
take is a vote for the type of person you
more positive and fruitful.
person or business you want to become.
Being prepared going into an event
informed and a key person of influence
sleeve is a hugely worthwhile part of
event is a habit you can build into your
experience, as well as those on the
wish to become”. Think of the type of
Want to become more connected, better
with effective questions (LINK) up your
in your industry? Attending a networking
the networking process. It’ll help your
activity to achieve that, and is a ‘vote’
receiving end of the questioning.
towards that goal.
This was one of the first personal
on the board of a FTSE 100 company,
For him it’s a matter of life and death. Thankfully, networking isn’t quite like
However, we got chatting and ended up
Turns out prior to her current role, she was
right questions.
looking to build.
4. How to Make Friends and Influence
discussing her previous career.
So, John, what problem does your
implementing good habits by blocking
a network marketing company that had a
poor reputation on the networking circuit.
name; say it three times in conversation
People - Dale Carnegie
Rather than; “Have you been to this event before?’ How about; “What do you hope
to achieve from being at this event today?”
development / psychology books I read
It starts with genuine curiosity,
I’m so glad it was.
the most thought-provoking and
as I was starting Network My Club - and
It’s had a huge impact on me. How I
asking the right questions to elicit productive responses.
interact with people. How I develop and
My Key Takeaway: Voss’ skill of
live day-to-day as a good human being.
Understanding the other person’s
There’s a reason this is one of the best
Arguably, it’s one of the most powerful
time. Written in 1936, the principles are
networking. Empathy is great, but using
nurture relationships. And generally how I
‘tactical empathy’. It’s about listening. viewpoint, and making them feel heard.
selling and most influential books of all
skills you can demonstrate when
as true today as they were back then.
it tactically to help others feel more
My Key Takeaway: Highlighting the
comfortable and understood is powerful.
most important thing that belongs to
Once you’ve read them. Put what you’ve
thing remembering someone’s name, but
numbers of networking events. Find out
I meet. One tip to remember someone’s
www.networkmyclub.co.uk.
anyone - their name. It’s such a simple
learned into practice with our growing
so powerful. I try to do this with anyone
more by visiting
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 67
BRIGHTON
BUSINESS
Thursday 7th October 2021 1 0: 00am - 2: 00pm Join hundreds of local businesses at the annual Brighotn Business Expo which is taking place on Thursday 7th October 2021 at Brighton Racecourse. The Brighton Business Expo aims to attract over 250 attendees including company directors, senior executives and business owners from across Brighton. Here's a preview of what's on at the business expo: Network with over 250 local businesses Leading industry experts and keynote speakers Speed networking session Prize draws and much, much more If you’re looking to raise brand awareness, meet with potential new customers, generate leads, build your database and increase exposure to businesses in Brighton, you really must consider exhibiting at our upcoming expo. Our event brings the entire business community together in one place, under one roof. Finally, we know that many people may be worried about returning to live events after the coronavirus pandemic, but we're taking every step to ensure our events are safe. To enquire about booking a stand, please call us on 07885 490266.
Brighton Racecourse, Sussex, BN2 9XZ The Brighton Business Expo is taking place at the Brighton Racecourse. The venue is easily accessible by car and public transport.
700 FREE car parking spaces
Book with confidence If our event is postponed, we'll transfer your booking free of charge
68 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Covid- 19 secure We've introduced industry approved guidelines to secure your safety
High quality attendees There will be a fewer attendees, but we're focused on quality not quantity
SBT LIFESTYLE
NOSTOS RESTAURANT, HOVE
THE SBT LUNCH REVIEW IS BACK!
TAPAS REVOLUTION IS COMING TO BRIGHTON
DELICIOUS TAPAS IN BRIGHTON & HOVE
COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS WINE OF THE MONTH
WITH BRIGHTON & HOVE WINE CLUB
SBT LIFESTYLE SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 69
SBT Lunch Review is back Nostos Hove
After such a tough year for the hospitality industry it was with true delight that this month we were able to return for the SBT lunch time review. It was fantastic that our first review back was at the award winning and County Business Clubs Virtual Award Finalists Nostos Hove. I have been following
Lifestyle
Nostos Hove since they opened their doors and was
excited to visit. Being
Greek Cypriot and with my passion for
Greek cuisine I was keen to explore their modern twist on some of the famous traditional dishes.
We arrived at 12:30pm and was
welcomed with a warm greeting, the
restaurant has a nice modern spacious
feel to it, despite the COVID safe barriers separating tables. It was a warm day
70 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
and I was looking forward to a nice glass of white wine. Nostos have an extensive wine list which is predominantly Greek wine which I loved. I opted for the Thema Pavlidis which has a dash
of sauvignon blanc that boosts this
successful brand with grassy – vegetal character and stone fruit aromas. It certainly hit the mark.
I was delighted to be joined at lunch by my good friend and Managing
Director at Midnight Communications, Flo Powell. Also with a Greek Cypriot
background Flo was my perfect guest
in more ways the one. We both not
only share a love for this fine cuisine but also how we should eat it, a
selection of dishes in the middle of
the table so we could both try a wide selection of the menu.
For our starter dishes we had Xtenia,
Pan fried scallops with ginger & orange sauce, avocado mousse and crispy leeks. I am a huge fan of scallops,
although they are not always the easiest to get right, but these were cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth.
We also had Xtapodi, Grilled octopus,
L I FE STYLE The main course
delights. Those of you that know me
only be one thing,
so had to try the Mastelo Chiou, pan
favourite Greek dish
sweet spoon and crumbled Kalamata
many times over the
or twice in this review but feel it is the
roasted lamb shank.
we had the Portokalopita, orange pie,
Lamb’, was
and raspberries.. The richness of the
that was stolen and
combination.
avoid detection. This
To end what can only be described
sweet potato puree,
Greek coffee.
with a red wine and
The vision for Nostos is and I quote:
The meat was so
food, as it should be. Honouring
fell of the bone, I
inspiration from local ingredients to
it (pains me to say
iconic dishes as well as lesser known
for me could really
know that cheese is my biggest vice
possibly my most
fried Greek cheese with a pomodoro
and one I have made
olives. I may have used this word once
years . Kleftico, Slow
best way to describe it… Wow! Finally
Kleftico, or’Bandits
chocolate namelaka, Swiss meringue
supposedly lamb
chocolate with the fruit was a perfect
cooked in a pit to
was accompanied by tender-stem broccoli rosemary sauce.
‘To serve authentic, wholesome
tender and literally
our culinary heritage while taking
simply couldn’t fault
create a varied menu that includes
but certainly gave
gems of Greek cuisine’
run for its money).
Well, hats off to the team at Nostos
mains and our
certainly achieved this. It was an amazing
the Spalomprizola
although a certain modern twist to the
our family recipe a
Santorin fava bean puree and wine,
fennel capua pepper sauce, again this can on occasion become quite chewy and tasteless if not cooked correctly,
but again cooked perfectly and worked really well with the bean puree. Finally
a truly traditional dish of Spanakopita, Traditional handmade filo pastry,
spinach, feta and kale pie. Growing up this was a staple dish in our house so this had a lot to live up to, and wow it was incredible, my Mum would have certainly enjoyed this one.
We had a short break before moving
on to the mains, because despite the amazing presentation of the food, in
traditional Greek style it the portions are still a good size (which I love).
as an amazing feast I had a traditional
Flo and I also shared
Hove because in my opinion you have
second choice was
experience from start to finish and
Stifado. Stifado
dishes, the food still had a strong element
is traditionally a beef style stew, this
of tradition, leaving me feeling like I had
crushed jersey royals with a stifado
Greek) completely stuffed and satisfied.
tried Stifado this way and have to
After visiting it is easy to see why this
cooked medium rare on the chef’s
and has the support of the community.
and tenderness of the meat was divine.
you haven’t been then please please
changed to a red wine, again keeping
slightly biased, Greek cuisine is one of
same Thema Pavlidis, which was a well
Nostos Hove do it more than justice.
however was a 10oz ribeye steak,
sauce and pickled onions. I had never
just left my Stede’s or Yaya’s (Nan in
say it was delicious, the steak was
restaurant in Hove is award winning
recommendation and again the quality
I urge our members and readers if
To accompany the meat dishes I
do pay it a visit. Although I maybe
to a Greek choice sticking with the
the best in the world and the team at
balanced red with a light touch of oak.
I can not wait to return and bring my
By now we had maybe only a little room
will both love it as much as I did.
not leave without sampling some of the
www.nostos-hove.co.uk
for dessert but in true Greek style could
Mum and Uncle George – I know they
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 71
Tapas Revolution is coming to Brighton
North St location set to open authentic Spanish Tapas bar and restaurant Lifestyle
A new Tapas
Located near Brighton Pavilion at 165
tasters around the city. Follow @
to Brighton. Set to
open daily from 11am to 11pm offering
out for more details.
restaurant is coming open at the beginning of June, Tapas
Revolution promises to bring authentic Spanish tapas, large sharing plates, sangria & cocktails to the site in the heart of Brighton’s North Street. While the menu stays true to
traditional, authentic tapas, the look and concept is reminiscent of airy, modern day Barcelona or Ibiza.
Offering an all-day dining experience,
the 100 seater venue will also feature a “Spanish Terraza” for up to 80 people to soak up the summer sun.
72 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
North Street, Tapas Revolution will be an array of small plates, traditional
tapasrevolution on Instagram to watch
Spanish mains, paellas and churros.
Hoping to provide a platform for
selection blending Spanish favourites
the team say they are planning several
The drinks list includes an extensive wine with biodynamic / organic producers, including working with local Sussex producers “Kingscote” alongside a
premium range of cervezas and cocktails. The restaurant will be open for both
bookings and walk-ins, with bookings
through reservations@tapasrevolution. com recommended to secure a table.
Local residents can get a sneak preview of the menu from a pop up van offering
Brighton’s vibrant Spanish community, community events in future, including a street market celebrating local Spanish artists and producers. Interested community groups, artists and
producers are encouraged to contact
brighton@tapasrevolution.com to find out more, or get Tapas Revolution’s support with an existing event.
Promising a lively, bustling tapas bar
vibe, the casual dining atmosphere at
L I FE STYLE
Tapas Revolution will evolve through the day from churros and a morning coffee, bottomless brunch, working lunches or
somewhere to sit and graze on multiple small plates over a long evening. This will be set against a curated music
playlist including emerging Spanish talent and Fiesta Favourites!
Diners can enjoy a range of menus, including Bottomless Brunch for
bottomless sangria, wine and beers
every Saturday & Sunday from 11am
until 2pm, Aperitivo Time providing 2 for
1 Sangrias, G&Ts and Cocktails between
3 - 6pm Sunday – Friday, typical in Spain giving the chance to sample various
recipes before dinner and they are also offering “Tapas Time” allowing guests
to taste 3 Tapas dishes for £18 between
Croquetas de Jamon, Calamari and
Monday - Friday from 12 - 6pm.
Chorizo cooked in Asturian cider.
The independent operator’s site will
Omar said: “Brighton is such a vibrant,
special touches individual to Brighton,
the amazing food scene here. We hope
Madrid-born Executive Chef and author
hospitality, showcasing the wonderful
talented Brighton Chef team. Menus will
relaxed and welcoming way to socialise.
ingredients sourced from local producers.
We’re excited about meeting members
Albondigas En Salsa (Beetroot, oat and
events and working with groups, creators
vegetable ‘sofrito’ sauce) and Garbanzos
on how we can support and celebrate
feature Spanish inspired decor, with
culturally rich city, we can’t wait to join
with Menu development being led by
to offer a little taste of true Spanish
Omar Allibhoy Cuende, alongside the
food that goes hand in hand with a
include a range of vegan dishes using Some of the feature dishes, such as
of the local Spanish community, hosting
lentil albóndigas served in a rich tomato
and artists, so would love to hear ideas
Con Espinaca (Spiced chickpea stew
Spanish culture’s place in Brighton.”
sit alongside classics such as Tortilla,
www.tapasrevolution.com
with baby spinach, garlic and spices) will
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 73
WI N E OF T H E MON TH
County Business Club Wine of the Month To celebrate English wine week I have chosen a wonderful still white wine blend from Plumpton Estate in East Sussex, home to UK’s centre for excellence on training the next raft of wine producers. The college has a variety of course up to degree level in Viticulture but also runs weekend or WSET courses for those people that are keen to enhance their knowledge of wine. Ana Dogic is head wine maker and produces a wide range of still and sparkling wines at the college.
As we finally move into summer I have selected their still white wine called
Plumpton Rock Lodge White which
retails for a very affordable £11 which is
great value for a quality dry English wine. Plumpton Rock Lodge White 2018
What I like about this wine is that the
blend varies according to what is grown each year on the estate and also the
preference of the students making the
wine. The four grapes that make up this wine are Bacchus, Ortega, Pinot Blanc, Regner, Riesling.
What we find from this combination is something light, fruity with good
74 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
acidity, which is great on it’s own but also with food.
a case to ensure you do not miss out Michael Yeoman,
Tasting notes from the winemaker are
brightonandhovewineclub.co.uk
notes with a hint of elderflower and a
Michael Yeoman owns Brighton and
or try pairing with scallops, poultry or
range of Sussex spirits using the pomace
as follows; “Ripe peach and pear fruit crisp refreshing finish. Enjoy on its own
Hove Wine Club and also creates a
mild soft cheeses.”
from English wine production. He
I would say that this wine is very quaffable,
wine producers in and around Sussex
sits in between an Italian Pinot Grigio and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
At present we are on the glorious 2018 but we will soon be moving onto the
new vintage for this wine so why not buy
specialises in working with small batch and the South Downs.
SBT ASK THE EXPERT
DO YOU NEED TO BE AN ALPHA? WE SPEAK TO AN EXPERT COACH
WHY IS RESILIENCE SO IMPORTANT & 5 TIPS ON HOW TO REMAIN RESILIANT
BY THE PEOPLE CENTRIC BUSINESS
SBT ASK THE EXPERT SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 75
Do you need to be an Aplha? In my honest opinion,
Ask the expert
it all depends (this a
phrase I use a lot), let me explain why.
Being an alpha male can mean a lot
of different things to a lot of different
people. It can also come with its own
set of preconceptions and stereotypes. I know for me personally growing up in my impressionable years there were a
lot of examples of alphas. Gotta love the 80’s man! Here’s a list of the alpha’s that I was introduced too via the means of TV, movies or people around me. • He-man
• Lion-o from the Thundercats
• Rocky Balboa and all his opponents • John McCain (die hard movies)
• My Dad’s an alpha, great sportsman, tradesman and never really got
much wrong
• My grandad was a captain of a very
high level cricket team, a leader in the army and a very big personality
• Cowboys from old westerns
• Friends of my parents were other
builders, mechanics and police men.
76 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
As you can see there are a lot of alpha
type characters here. This is what crafted my opinion of what a man should be.
The rough and tumble action hero that’s amazing at everything he does. It took
me till my early 30’s to realise this isn’t
what being an alpha is all about. I love a
good nature documentary and in all those documentaries the alpha is the leader of
their troop. They are protectors, they get the pick of the food, females and who
sleeps where. The reason I bring this up is because this started to change my perception of an alpha.
What are the characteristics of an alpha male?
I came across this in my early 20’s after discovering a book about picking up
women. I know it doesn’t sound like a great source for knowledge. But what
this book did was highlight for me how
as humans we’re programmed to behave in certain ways. I call this our link back
to the caveman, in professional realms it’s known as evolutionary biology or
psychology. Here is how the book listed out characteristics of an alpha male in
terms of what women are attracted to.
1. S miling and being friendly and approachable
2. L ooking good (look your best) and presentable
3. S ense of humour and being your own kind of funny
4. Connecting with people 5. Being the social centre 6. Confidence
Or with the following in terms of 1. P reselected by others
2. P rotector of loved ones 3. L eader of men
4. W illingness to show an emotion By understanding these qualities it
meant that I didn’t have to go around all guns blazing, beating my chest and grunting. All I had to do was
demonstrate was that I wasn’t alone, I am friendly and approachable. I am
the leader of my group and I will talk to
and include and protect everyone in my
circle. That is being an alpha to me now,
it’s a quiet confidence, noble behaviours
and positive energy that people can feel. Think about Neo at the end of the 1st
Matrix film flexing and bending the walls.
ASK T H E E XPE RT
being a grafter. When people realise
lessons… and some sports results…
positive people. They will want to
What makes a perfect alpha?
to influence and collaborate. It doesn’t
think of is Muhammad Ali. He was a
It just means the opportunities will
faith in himself, his faith in Islam and he
often. These opportunities will attract
thought of him. He stood up for what
such more and more possibilities of
He upset his parents, the boxing world
breeds success.
his beliefs. He also lifts others up, he
you’re a magnet attracting other
That to me is alpha, it’s that inner power
and that inner confidence. That ability to
have a disagreement with maturity and not actually be afraid of conflict. The ability to lead people, rise to the top of your field and empower people on the way.
What are the benefits of being an alpha male?
Let’s face it we’ve all seen the movies and TV shows where women are
swooning all over the lead male. For me I put the benefits into 3 different
categories. None of this is set in science
it’s simply what I’ve observed and drawn conclusions from my own studies.
1. P opularity, being popular means
that people are much more willing to help you in any aspect of your life.
You have the attention of men and
women. People tend to view you as a leader. Generally speaking, being
a popular alpha guy will make day to day living that little bit easier.
2. S uccess. This comes about through
the alpha not worrying about pleasing other people. The alpha is focused
on his own success. He’s committed to doing what needs to be done in
order to succeed. This doesn’t mean stepping over people in the process.
Although I know that does happen. In my opinion a true alpha will support
those around him while he is making
advancements to the top of his field.
3. O pen doors and better opportunities.
This comes from the alpha displaying
characteristics listed above of smiling, being confident, looking good, and
go back tell my 3 year old self some
you’re friendly and open to suggestions,
present you with opportunities to work,
The perfect example of an alpha I can
mean you’re always going to say yes.
true alpha, 100% convinced by his
present themselves more and more
genuinely didn’t care what other people
more and more people to you and as
was right by him and for his religion.
advancement. As they say, success
and everyone associated with him for
What are the downsides to being an alpha?
protected those closest to him, and he was happy, funny and approachable. Even though he didn’t conform and
This can be quite tough to answer, purely
wound up a lot of people. He was
character dependent. You can have non
world at one point in the mid 70’s.
You can find alpha’s who are the same
Do You Need To Be An Alpha?
their way to the top. But in my experience
doesn’t mean you exert physical or mental
because it’s all going to be individual
alpha’s who are vindictive and arse holes.
probably the most popular man in the
and are happy to step on everyone on
As far as I’m concerned being an alpha
here are the downsides to being an alpha.
dominance over another human being.
1. The tendency to use people and not
because that’s how we see it in the movies
I know a lot of people see it that way
look after people. This is the really the
or on TV. I believe once we shift our
to being an alpha. I’ve witnessed this
protector and provider things change. But
only internal down side that I can see
perceptions of the alpha to one of leader,
first hand, trust me it’s not pretty.
fundamentally, no you don’t need to be
an extroverted alpha like it is portrayed in
The alpha has enough courage in their
movies and the TV. I tell my clients that you
by other in their own mission. They
when you accept who you are as a person.
of think them, but a true alpha and
terms and have that deep rooted inner
true to their core beliefs. My issues
become that alpha leader and people will
insecurities and my own need to be
confidence and they will see you as their
own convictions not be dissuaded
will naturally find your own alpha skillset
do care about what other people
When you start to live life on your own
leader will know their why and will stay
confidence and calm. Then you naturally
with alpha’s stemmed from my own
want to be around you. They will want your
a people pleaser. My upbringing was
protector and provider.
and do what people want you to do.
Be your own alpha, live in your own
backwards trying to get people to like
Dean Rahaman
that you always need to be a good boy As a result I was the one bending over
present and be happy.
me. Rather than actually just being
www.coachingformen.net
me and living in the now for my own
happiness. I was doing everything that I thought was right for other people
to try and like me. God I wish I could
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 77
AS K T H E E X PE RT
Why is resilience so important, and 5 tips on how to remain resilient; As the country navigates 2021 and the effects of COVID-19, it has become apparent that resilient and agile businesses are more important now than ever before. However, creating
Ask the expert
teams of resilient staff can be
challenging,
especially if you are
the only person on the payroll.
Resilience is the ability to succeed in times of uncertainty, to weather the
storm and to come out the other side in control, confident and ready for more. Here are 9 reasons why resilience is extremely important at work and in business;
1. Helps you to become emotionally agile.
2. H elps to avoid worry or self-doubt.
3. S upports you to overcome rejection. 4. A llows you to accept negative thoughts, without judgement
and allow them to pass without consuming your thoughts.
5. H elps communication, negotiation or conflict with others.
6. H elps you to stay focused.
7. S upports an effective work/life balance.
8. I mproves wellbeing.
9. S upports effective decision making and problem solving.
Here are my personal, 5 tips on how to create a resilient mindset;
1. G o on a peaceful, mindful walk. Clear your mind, with each step, notice the feeling of the ground beneath your
feet. Breathe and focus on the ground
78 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
beneath your feet.
As you place each foot down, say
an affirmation - I
am amazing, I am confident, I am capable.
2. T ake your mind away from the situation you are trying to
overcome. Focus
on what is around you; Look for 5
sounds, Look for 5 colours, Look
for 5 red things,
Look for 5 square
things. Allow your
Tamzin Hall
mind to simply
focus on what is
the past, you are already capable
around you.
and have overcome so much before.
creatures, we need to be around
have faced challenges and how you
3. C onnect with others. We are social others. If you can, meet your tribe,
friends, business buddies, mentors and talk things through. Bounce
ideas around and come up with a plan. Do not try to do it alone.
4. J ournal, write your thoughts down,
Remind yourself of all the times you overcame them.
Enjoy the process, and never forget how amazing and capable you are!
If you need any further help and
this is a great practice to get into the
support in creating resilient, profitable
simply write down 3 things you
business, please let me know, I
too much, take a coffee, pen and
reach me via my website www.
habit of doing daily. Each evening
and successful staff within your
are grateful for. If overwhelm is
am here to support you. You can
paper and sit in the garden (if it’s
thepeoplecentricbusiness.com
thoughts down.
Speak soon,
you have overcome challenges in
The People Centric Business
not raining and cold!) and write your 5. R ecall and remember all the times
Tamzin,
BRAND NEW County Business Clubs Sussex Community Platform
NOW LIVE
Content Hub
Community
Marketplace
Growth Services
Your Business | Your Community | Your Platform www.countybusinessclubs.co.uk
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 79
80 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
