SBT issue 447

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

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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Issue 447

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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 INSPIRE PROGRAMME

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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,

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