SBT issue 453

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022

WE CELEBRATE SOME OF SUSSEX’S MOST INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS WOMEN

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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

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SBTWelcome

W E LCO M E

Welcome to this very special issue of SBT.

This month, International Women’s Day takes place on March 8 and will champion the achievements of women - including those in technology and innovation as well as sport.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is all about making women feel safe and included within the workforce. At a time when around 35% of women in corporate sector jobs report experiencing sexual harassment and just six countries give women equal work rights, it is crucial businesses strive to make workplaces as inclusive as possible - not just for women but for everyone.

We at SBT wanted to celebrate IWD with an amazing and special cover feature. While the day celebrates women throughout history, in Sussex we have a plethora of women making big strides in business and beyond - today.

In our cover feature, we meet 14 inspirational women from a diverse range of sectors who share their achievements to inspire others.

This issue is, as always, 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 for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the issue, Sam Thomas, Managing Director

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Issue 453

Cover 453

Joint Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 07894 762304 Joint Managing Director Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk Production & Design Kim Butler kim@lifemediagroup.co.uk Accounts Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Licenced to TBG by Pixel Publications Ltd Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by Gemini Print Group 1A Dolphin Way Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex BN43 6NZ 01273 464884 www.gemini-print.co.uk

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of 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. 2020 ©

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05

Monthly News

11

SBT Legal

17

SBT Finance

21

SBT Start Ups & Entrepreneurs

25

SBT Cover Story

57

SBT Sales & Marketing

63

SBT Tech

69

SBT Good Business

73

SBT Charity

81

SBT Motor News

87

SBT Networking & Events

95

Chamber News

99

SBT Lifestyle

103

SBT Sport

109

SBT Ask the Expert

A roundup of News from across the County

We hear from Mayo Wynne Baxter and 365 Employment Law

Seofon Business Services Celebrate Ten Winning Years

What’s in an idea?

International Women’s Day Special

Automotive Agency Accelerates into 2022 Are you Building relationships or trying to sell

Speaker Spotlight: Here to Extraordinary with Matt Bagwell

What does a Diverse and Inclusive Team actually look like?

From little Acorns do Mighty Oak Trees Grow, The Italian Job event coins that phrase perfectly

Bringing Luxury to the 7 Series- Rivervale

Freedom Works partnership, Creating a Collaborative Community

How to build a strong Personal Brand

Britton & Time Team up with County Business Clubs Team and Dasaki for team building event

Laurence Elphick sports round up from across the County and much more…

Don’t Throw People at your Sales Problems

SBT MONTHLY NEWS

SBT MONTHLY NEWS SPONSORED BY:

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MO NT H LY N E WS

How regular exercise will help protect against Covid-19 and other viruses

Wave Leisure Trust is promoting regular physical activity to help reduce the impact of Covid-19 and fight off winter colds.

This comes after

Monthly News

a recent study by

the British Journal

of Sports Medicine suggests that

regular physical activity may help to

protect people who get Covid-19 from becoming seriously ill.

Over a third of people in the UK do not

get enough weekly exercise, putting them at an increased risk of multiple health

conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes. Data has consistently demonstrated that being

physically active is beneficial in preventing many diseases and as the weather gets colder, immune systems weaken and struggle to fight off harmful bacteria.

Many viruses thrive in cold conditions

and an increase in physical activity can help flush bacteria out of lungs and

airways, reducing the chance of getting a cold, flu, or other respiratory illness.

With research suggesting that Covid-19 is transmitted more easily in colder

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temperatures, it is important to keep

will help to protect individuals from a

active to reduce chances of transmission.

number of illnesses, and we encourage

Recent research by Harvard states that

being more active.”

and catch Covid-19 have a significantly

Hannah Maybury, Health Improvement

admission than those who regularly

said: “By moving your body every day,

individuals who are regularly inactive

everyone to make that first step in

higher risk of hospitalisation and ICU

Practitioner at Wave Leisure Trust,

participate in physical activity.

you are strengthening your muscles

Wave Leisure Trust works closely with

coordination. This will help us keep

referral schemes, to help those taking

lives, which also provides the body

which improves stability, balance and

GPs to develop successful exercise

strong in our functioning everyday

the first steps to becoming more

with multiple health benefits.”

people who attend this scheme have

Wave Leisure Trust has fifteen sites

continue to be regularly supported by

is promoting a joint and couple’s

physically active. A total of 30% of

gone on to become a Wave member and

across East Sussex. Currently, it

the team on site.

membership which promotes

Liz Allsobrook, Head of Community

family member at a reduced cost.

Leisure Trust, said: “At Wave Leisure

For more information about the joint

healthy lifestyles, whether that be one-

please visit www.waveleisure.co.uk or

and Health Improvement at Wave

exercising with a friend, partner or

we continue to promote active and

membership at Wave Leisure Trust,

to-one support or group classes and

email info@waveleisure.co.uk.

activities. Consistent physical activity

MON T H LY N E WS

Midnight wins Mayo Wynne Baxter

Midnight Communications, an award-winning PR agency based in Brighton, has started the year with three new clients, including leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter.

Midnight will support

Monthly News

Mayo Wynne Baxter with a regional

and national PR

campaign following

the announcement that the firm has

joined national legal and professional

services group, Ampa, to enhance its ambitious plans for growth.

“We are delighted to be working with Mayo Wynne Baxter, especially at

such an exciting time for the firm” said Midnight’s joint managing director Flo Powell. “We’ve got great experience in the legal sector and one of our

aims was to increase our professional

delighted to be working with them.”

news for our agency. We’re looking

Founded 150 years ago in Lewes, East

the firm.”

(MWB) is considered one of the best

Martin Williams, Partner and Head of

winning and progressive law firm has

added: “We’re excited to be working

Crawley, Eastbourne, Storrington,

team to support our growth following

has ambitious plans to grow further into

services clients, so this is fantastic

forward to smashing our targets for

Sussex, today Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP law firms in the South East. The award-

Employment at Mayo Wynne Baxter,

seven hubs across Sussex, in Brighton,

with Midnight. We were looking for a

Lewes, Seaford and East Grinstead. It

our recent merger with Ampa -

Kent and Surrey.

successfully with law firms and have

For more information, please visit

already been a great help and we’re

mayowynnebaxter.co.uk.

Midnight has a long history of working been on my radar for a while. They have

www.midnight.co.uk and www.

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MO NT H LY N E WS

Mayo Wynne Baxter wins breakthrough case for holiday home owners Leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter has won a breakthrough case in helping a group of holiday home leaseholders purchase the freehold of their properties – by proving that the properties were houses, by law.

Property litigation

Monthly News

solicitor at the firm,

Helen Bell, was asked to represent several people who wanted

to purchase the freehold on a group

of holiday rental properties, but came up against an unusual challenge: the

freeholder claimed that the properties did not qualify as houses by law,

because they were holiday homes.

The case was the first of its kind to go to trial (Mortimer & Others v Eco Chic

Limited), and Helen had to prove that the buildings on Lower Mill Estate, a leisure and holiday site in Gloucestershire – 8 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

could be defined as houses under the

legislation which allowed people to buy

Leasehold Reform Act 1967.

the freehold for the first time.

Helen said: “Purchasing the freehold is

“While not all holiday homes will meet

we were up against tough opposition

that these buildings could be defined

normally a straightforward process but

the criteria in the Act, the court ruled

from the freeholder.

as houses.

“In this case, we had no previous

“In the past, others may have not taken

the first time that a court had directly

That’s why this is a really exciting

court decision to guide us – it was

on their landlords for fear of losing.

addressed this issue.

ruling – it’s the first of its kind and could

“We had to satisfy the court that the holiday homes did in fact meet the

criteria to be classed as houses under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 -

impact future cases.”

For more information, please visit: www. mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

MON T H LY N E WS

Brighton Skies photographers reach new heights at Edward Street Quarter

Photographers from the Brighton Skies Facebook Group captured the first sunset shots from Brighton’s newest view – the roof terrace at Edward Street Quarter.

Their beautiful images

Monthly News

showcase the views from the residents’ roof terrace which

is the showstopping

feature of the new neighbourhood.

The photographers were invited for a sneak peek by Socius, which is

developing the site in collaboration with First Base, Patron Capital and

Investec alongside delivery partner McLaren Construction.

Views from the roof terrace stretch from The Royal Pavilion to Brighton Palace

Pier and BAi360 and on a clear day it will

even be possible to see the Isle of Wight.

The roof terrace wraps around the south and western side of the building, so

residents can also look out across Kemp Town’s regency architecture, Brighton city centre and towards the top of the South Downs near Worthing.

Brighton Skies member Eliza

Kaczynska-Nay said: “It really is an

amazing view on top of here with the

Steve Eccles, Director at Socius said:

horizon. I absolutely love it.”

Skies members up to the roof terrace to

Photographer Anna Tinner added:

The residents’ roof terrace is a stunning

angle and being able to capture it in all its

will also help neighbours to get to know

expanse of the sea, the Downs and the

“We were so pleased to invite Brighton

capture these spectacular sunset shots.

“Seeing The Royal Pavilion from this

feature at Edward Street Quarter and it

splendour was the highlight for me. You

one another, strengthening the new

never get to see it from this height.”

community we’re building.”

Brighton Skies member Michael Harris

There has been strong interest in the 60

from a new vantage point. It’s a pretty

purchase, with many already under offer.

amazing to view the city from a fresh

The largely pedestrianised new quarter

something a bit different.”

installations will offer residents more

The roof terrace forms part of the

Edward Street Quarter also comprises

Edward Street Quarter, Brighton’s

well as 20,000 sq ft of leisure, retail and

commented: “I really like seeing things

fantastic view of the Pavilion and it was perspective. It’s always great seeing

apartments currently available for outright

with green spaces and public art

spaces to relax, get active and socialise.

£120m mixed use development

125,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, as

newest neighbourhood.

hospitality facilities.

Based on Edward Street in the heart of

To book a show home viewing, please

and three-bedroom apartments - many

Property or Savills, via:

Brighton, the development offers one, two

contact our residential agents, Oakley

with outside space and all with access to

www.edwardstreetquarter.com.

the impressive communal roof terrace.

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MO NT H LY N E WS

How ‘precise and exacting’ focus on statutory requirements avoids rejected ballots With campaigning well underway ahead of the local elections on 5 May 2022, digital-print security firm Zunoma is helping to ensure ballot papers and election materials meet the statutory requirements demanded in the UK. In a report from the

Monthly News

Office for National

Statistics published in

December 2020, there were 49.1 million local

government elections in the UK , one of the highest numbers recorded. Ballot

papers and other voter materials must not create barriers for the public when making their mark. Poorly designed

voter materials can contribute to ballot papers being rejected, cause voter

confusion and ultimately, lead to the

campaign information missing and failing

obligations, ensuring the efficient and

to deliver invoicing in time.

lawful delivery of well-run elections

Zunoma has successfully produced

registration process.”

quality control measures by both the

overseas elections for decades. It is

Kim Beaumont, Electoral Services Team

out. All ballot printing needs to be

Group and works closely with councils,

said: “Since 2014, Zunoma’s seamless

instructions, covering authorisations to

electoral suppliers to ensure all statutory

printing all election materials has

content, security and distribution.

security of materials and improve lead

elections. The added layer of protection

outcome of the election not being a true reflection of the electorate’s choice.

and complete integrity in the electoral

Before printing ballot papers, intensive

electoral materials for both UK and

council and the printer are carried

a member of the Elections Suppliers

Manager at Winchester City Council,

undertaken in line with precise control

government officials and other key

approach to accurately creating and

print and transfer material, quantities,

requirements are met, to increase the

been essential to the success of our

times for projects.

that Zunoma give us throughout the

ballot papers are vital. Some of these

Jaime Gower, Elections Project Manager

for our projects, making proof approval,

marks printed close to each other on the

of end-to-end elections, ballot and

increasingly more efficient.”

emblem printed adjacent to and to the

working with government organisations

As elections print and mailing experts,

world, we understand the importance

tight deadlines and budgets, providing

Statutory requirements for printing

process help us improve the lead times document workflow and reporting

requirements include unique identifying

at Zunoma, said: “As a leading provider

back of the ballot paper, and a registered

voting services, and with experience of

right of the candidates’ details.

and electoral commissions around the

Zunoma is experienced in delivering to

On its website, The Electoral Commission

of maintaining the legitimacy of the

confidence that elections services are

shares details of investigations into the

electoral process.

compliant with electoral law and secure.

have failed to produce electoral materials

“At Zunoma, we work with electoral

To find out more about Zunoma and

failures are publicised to highlight the

to produce election materials that

other authorities, please visit www.

procedures. Some of these investigations

requirements. We advise and support

government-elections.

local authorities and organisations which

that follow statutory requirements. These

administrators and returning officers

its services for local government and

importance of following the correct

meet precise and exacting legislative

zunoma.com/security-print-software/

look at failing to add imprints, important

councils with their data protection

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SBT

LEGA L

LEGAL

HOW DOES DIVORCE AFFECT THE FAMILY BUSINESS?

BY MAYO WYNNE BAXTER

EMPLOYMENT LAW: WHAT WILL THE TOP ISSUES BE IN 2022? – PART 2

BY ALEX JONES, MANAGING DIRECTOR, 365 EMPLOYMENT LAW

SBT LEGAL SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 11

How does divorce affect a family business?

A business, in which one or both of the parties in a divorce has an interest, is a financial resource which the court considers when determining a fair financial outcome. This will be determined in accordance with what are called the s25 factors.

S25 Factors: What

Legal

does the law say?

These are the range of factors set out

in s25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act

1973. These factors include: the needs of the parties, the standard of living

enjoyed during the marriage, income

and earning capacity and contributions made during the marriage.

The court has two essential functions

before proceeding with a valuation.

businesses:

Step 1: Valuing a business

1. To establish the value of the parties’

There are several different methods an

in financial remedy cases involving

interests in the business.

2. To decide how that value should be reflected in the final financial distribution.

The decision about whether to value a

The court treats business interests as a

business in proceedings for a financial

(a) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.

is essential to obtain expert legal advice

resource of the parties under section 25(2)

12 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

remedy may not be straightforward and it

expert may use to value a business. The expert will value the business taking in account various factors - for example,

the assets that the business owns, the

business earnings and profit and the way the business was established and is run.

In valuing a business, an expert may consider issues of liquidity and how money can be withdrawn from the

LEGA L based on the current market value of shares may not be appropriate. For

example, in B v B [2015] EWHC 210 (Fam) the husband was part of the

senior management of a pharmaceutical company, in which he held shares and

loan notes acquired during the marriage.

The shares and loan notes were non-

transferrable, and the court found that the wife should share in their future

value as and when they were realised,

by the husband paying her a lump sum or series of lump sums.

What happens if the business is not

Grant Parker

doing well?

The value of a business is not the same as the value of cash. In Wells v Wells [2002] EWCA Civ 476, the husband retained the majority of shares in

the business, which was performing

poorly and which the judge had found

impossible to value. In addition, he was

awarded £695,000 and the wife received around £1.35 million. The husband appealed and the Court of Appeal

increased the husband’s share of nonbusiness to fund a settlement, or the

extent to which the business provides income to meet ongoing periodical payments (spousal maintenance).

Is divorce settlement money from a business taxable?

There are tax implications in extracting money from a business to fund a settlement and an expert should

be asked to consider the most tax

efficient methods of raising capital. If a

substantial dividend is extracted to allow a party to pay a large lump sum and

continue working in the business, both

CGT and dividend tax may be payable.

What happens in regards to shares?

In exceptional circumstances,

determining a fair financial outcome

business assets.

Step 2: Achieving a fair financial outcome

To achieve a fair financial outcome, courts may:

•D ivide the assets in specie to provide

each party with a proportionate share of the liquid and illiquid assets

•T ransfer shareholdings held by one party to the other.

This would particularly be the case

where the parties to the divorce are both shareholders in the business and would be in accordance with the ‘clean break’ principle (that former spouses should

It would be rare for a court to order

the transfer of shares to another party

where only one party owns shares in the company as this would go against the

clean break principle. It could also cause disruption to the running of the business.

• Apply a discount to illiquid assets received by a party.

The court also has the power to order a sale although a court will rarely do

so because often, a business will be a source of wealth for the parties that, if

sold, would bring an end to the income that it generates. Also, if a substantial

part of the family wealth is the business, its liquidity might make it difficult to achieve a clean break.

If you would like any further information

on how the court treats business assets on divorce, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team for a confidential discussion about your personal circumstances.

Grant Parker

Grant Parker is a Partner and Head of Family, based in our Crawley office.

gparker@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

settle their financial affairs in a way so that financial relations between them completely come to an end).

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

Employment Law: What will the top issues be in 2022? – Part 2

By Alex Jones, Managing Director, 365 Employment Law Last month I wrote

Legal

the first part of what I see as being the key Employment

Law Issues in 2022.

The five I focused on where Covid and a return to the workplace, working from home, flexible working and

discrimination, employee monitoring and safe home working environments.

Whilst a number of ongoing COVID-19 issues are lessening as we start 2022, employers will need to have in mind how we transition back to a normal and hybrid workplace as the year

progresses. Employers who accept

14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

that the workplace is transitioning,

and who focus on the challenges and

opportunities will be much better placed than those that immediately insist on

a pre-pandemic return to a fully office based workforce.

This month I focus on the next five

issues I think will be most relevant in employment law:

1) Health and Safety

A lot of employers have misunderstood their Health and Safety Obligations throughout the pandemic. This has

not been helped by the poor nature

of the laws relating to covid, with

guidance and law often interchanged in messaging. The messaging now is that employee should return to

the workplace, and that there is no

requirement for anyone to self isolate, even if they have covid symptoms or

have a positive test. Employers should not naively impose that messaging in the workplace. The obligations they

owe to staff (and customers) to create a safe working environment under a

myriad of existing legislation and case law takes precedence over guidance.

In simple terms, employers should not have employees in the workplace with

LEGA L covid symptoms without a negative

4) Protecting

employers knowingly allow positive

Information

test. It goes without saying that if

staff in the workplace, and negative outcomes could lead to liability

that will be both costly and cause reputational damage.

2) Working Time Issues

Employees’ rights under the Working Time Regulations are clear. They

cannot be opted out of, other than

in respect of the maximum working

week of 48 hours. Those regulations

require employers to allow employees to take reasonable rest breaks,

including 20 minutes every 6 hours, 11 hours uninterrupted every 24 hours, and either 24 hours every 7 days or

48 hours every 14 days. A breach of any of these will be a breach of the

regulations and lead to liability. There are some limited exemptions which will not apply to most workforces.

Given hybrid working, and working

from home, employers should make

sure staff take sufficient breaks. Are employers clear that their staff are

doing that? What systems do they

have in place to make sure happens?

Liability will be the same regardless of the working location.

3) Data Protection (GDPR)

Employers should be extra cautious in the new hybrid working environment about their own data/confidential information, as well as that relating to customers

and third parties. As an example, if a

senior employee works from home and has access to top level confidential

information (eg trade secrets), do others in their household and/or unconnected visitors see that information if their

workstation is open? Do similar visitors see third party or customer information

in those circumstances? Can employees be monitored in the same way if they

are working from home? These are all

questions employers should address when setting up any form of remote working.

Confidential

Specific contractual provisions give

employers protection from employees who leave and wish to

exploit confidential

information, customer lists etc. Most

employers I speak to

do not understand how restrictive covenants

work in practice. There is rarely a middle view, with most employers taking the view that post termination

restrictions are always unenforceable and

therefore pointless,

or that the courts will enforce everything

including very wide

Alex Jones

non compete clauses.

Neither position is

correct. Protecting the goodwill of a business from departing employees is more complicated in a hybrid

working environment eg if there is a geographical non-complete clause

where is the workplace now calculated from? How do employers protect their confidential information with home

working? All employers should review

their existing provisions in light of new working methods.

5) Whistleblowing

Whistleblowing protection is well

established. Employers often have

avenues in place for staff to talk of any concerns before they escalate. Those

avenues are harder in a hybrid/remote working environment. Employers

to distrust. In particular, given less staff

are in the workplace, employers should be available to discuss any concerns about potential illegal behaviour

including bullying, health and safety, or any potential illegality that might cause legal and reputational risk.

Employers should always be alert to

any issues involving staff outside the

traditional workplace, and always take proactive advice in how to deal with these issues.

Alex Jones

365 Employment Law Solicitors Tel: 01903 863284

ajones@365employmentlaw.co.uk www.365employmentlaw.co.uk

should make sure that staff have the

ability to easily address any concerns.

A lot of employers view the ability to

discuss whistleblowing as a means of

limiting their own liability, often leading

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

Family Law Specialists

Call us on 0800 84 94 101 Offices across Sussex

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT FINANCE

SEOFON BUSINESS SERVICES CELEBRATE TEN WINNING YEARS

CELEBRATING THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN JANUARY

SBT FINANCE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

Seofon Business Services celebrate ten winning years We are proud to announce that Seofon Business Services celebrated their 10th Anniversary in January.

Finance

We set up the

Development and Human Resources.

business support

Ten years on we still deliver all of these

company to offer a hub for local and

regional business;

a ‘one port of call’ to cover so many

of the different disciplines needed to run a successful business. Centred

around our team’s seven key business strengths, Seofon Business Services launched providing Bookkeeping,

Payroll, Tax Returns, Admin Services, Business Mentoring, Website

18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

business services, with the ‘number’

disciplines still being managed in-house and strong referral partnerships with

trusted business associates providing the knowledge and information for

the others. For those that are curious,

our name Seofon also means seven in ancient Anglo Saxon!

Starting out as directors in a small, and

we must say cold and slightly cramped office, we have continued to expand

our expertise, services and business strengths and now reside in Planet

House, Horsham. Keeping our doors

always open, we enjoy the large meeting rooms, ample office space and room to further expand our hub services as we look forward with anticipation.

To be honest, the ten-year marker feels like an amazing achievement. And, our

very real company values that we set up

FI NA NCE

We actively support our staff in their

and grow from a business starting at

local community goals. Many of our

Working and supporting the client

community. And, over the decade,

developing business gain recognition,

supported local charities, and taken part

sector has been brilliant.

time, funds, businesses support,

So, after ten years, we still enjoy coming

secure their vital work. Continuing with

diligent, fun, and as the results clearly

are supplying and planting a number

make a difference for our clients and the

interests outside of work and in their

home into a larger award-winning brand.

team hold positions that help in the

from the initial concept and seeing the

our company has sponsored youths,

confidence and respect within their

in fundraising initiatives by donating

at the start have stood the test of time

and are still as important today as they

were then. We committed to ‘delivering the best in all we do and learning from our mistakes’ and to ‘growing our

business in a way that makes us proud.’

We firmly believe that this has been

integral in our success, and is one of the key reasons that clients who engaged our business services ten years ago are still with us. They have grown

with us and vice versa; our company values of being ‘open and honest in

all that we do’ and ‘always looking for

better ways of working’ has cemented our joint successes.

We are so very proud of our Seofon team and everything that they do.

bookkeeping and admin services to help

into work. We have a great team that is

this commitment and to celebrate, we

show, so very skilled. We really do

of trees in the new sensory garden at

communities we work in, by saving them

Chestnut Tree House.

time, money and stress!

There are always some events that

The Seofon Business Services team is

when we found and reclaimed £23K

ready to help. If you need some

new client. Our full investigation into

and accounts, please call us on 01403

uncovered incorrectly accounted for

visit our website www.seofon.co.uk.

this, we knew that this would trigger

Written by Chris Cooper and Caroline

findings supported ours.

Services.

stick out in any journey, and one was

accomplished, welcoming and always

from HMRC in overpaid VAT for a

advice or help with your bookkeeping

his accounts and VAT remittances,

588639, email info@seofon.co.uk or

VAT payments. As with all findings like a VAT audit. Once again, HMRC’s

Klamm Director at Seofon Business

Another highlight has been business

mentoring. With one particular case, we have seen a client’s new concept thrive

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19

C HA RI T Y

20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT

COVER FE ATU RE

START UPS & ENTRPRENEURES

WHAT’S IN AN IDEA?

BUSINESS PLANNING WITH THE BUSINESS & IP CENTRE SUSSEX

INTRODUCING MOULSECOOMB STORIES

WITH PLUS X

SBT START UPS & ENTRPRENEURES SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

What’s in an idea?

Business Planning with the Business & IP Centre Sussex Ah, business planning!

New Business

If you’re thinking of starting up or have

been plugging away at your business for

a while now, the idea of sitting down

and writing a business plan might very well fill you with dread. For some, just

the terms involved are really off-putting: Executive Summary, Market Research, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan, and Management Bios.

Let’s face it, if it takes longer to learn how to talk about your business than it does to do the business,

chances are you’ll pop the whole ‘Business Planning’ stage on the

back burner, strut off with a jolly good improvisational attitude and have a vague sense of anxiety around the

notion that, if you just sat down and

22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

worked some of these ideas though, you might know what your business was and, frankly, why.

Do you need a business plan?

In some existential sense of us not really needing anything in life, no. You could get through your business life without ever having to sit down and write a business plan. That’s true.

And there’s certainly some truth in that adage that ‘one person’s business plan is another person’s back of a cigarette packet’. If what you do

with a business plan is stick it in a

draw and never look at it again, then probably no, you don’t need one.

Except, if you ever want to appeal to

investors, communicate your ideas to

your partners, or understand how your

core product or service is valued by your customers... well, then a business plan starts to look like a useful tool.

And, when we think about the

business plan informing how you

position your products and services

in the marketplace, honing your USP, and increasing your revenue, then

business planning starts to look like a pretty good idea.

Market Research

If business planning was a movie, then your product or service idea would

be the premise – the ‘what if’ - your

customers would be your audience, and market research would be the

plot. It’s what everything hangs on. It’s what makes your business different

from the others. To take that metaphor further, market research also keeps

N EW BUS I N E S S

you within your genre too. It helps you stop your idea from spiraling off in

five different narrative directions and confusing your audience.

You might well have a fantastic premise

but no idea how to turn that into a movie.

Sometimes our customers come to us

with it all mapped out, having worked in a similar business or industry for years.

Either way, at some point there’s a

moment where your product or service

idea hits a wall because you’re lacking a key bit of knowledge or even – and this is so common and needs to be talked

about much more – you don’t even know quite what it is you’re missing because you don’t know what you don’t know.

Maybe you’ve been a barista for years and you’ve always dreamed of setting up your own coffee shop. You might

know everything about customer care, how you want your café to look, even

the suppliers might not be a mystery to you. But how to even begin to finance

a commercial property? That could be your particular stumbling block.

Whatever your sticking point, or your

your customers and uncover the

how to finance the whole idea, market

assumptions into provable hypothesis.

edge, be it where you fit in the market or research is your friend.

tools you’ll need to help turn those

Your business plan should work for you.

Market research might mean doing

It can become an evolving document

advantage of our 10 business databases

that trust is in yourself. Sometimes it’s

trends, competitor analysis or checking

at the BIPC we can help you untangle

some desk research by taking

that allows you to build trust, if only if

and looking at consumer and market

hard to even know where to begin. Here

the legalities of your industry.

the overwhelm, ask the right questions

Or it could be about taking the time

your business journey.

want and need, through field research

Get in touch with BIPC Sussex for more

customers or even run a trial version

our free business databases, or book

to focus on what customers really

and point you right in the direction on

where you speak to your ideal

details on business planning, to use

of your product or service.

a free one-to-one session with a BIPC

Breaking it down and making it simple Here at the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Sussex, we can help from the idea-

Information Specialist.

Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bipc or email bipc@brighton-hove.gov.uk

stage and onwards throughout your

business journey. Everything in business starts with a story - a ‘what if’.

At our one-to-one Information Clinics, we can use a visual planning method to help you uncover your idea, find what assumptions you have about

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

N EW B US I N E S S

Introducing Moulsecoomb Stories As a tribute to the Plus X Brighton and wider Moulsecoomb communities, the team at Plus X has curated a fantastic storybook that showcases the community-wide collaboration taking place in Moulsecoomb, Brighton.

Positive social

New Business

impact, collaboration and innovation are at the heart of the Plus X model and

so the organisation champions ways to engage with the local community.

Moulsecoomb Stories is exactly that!

Moulsecoomb Stories is a beautifully presented report that uncovers the social impact Plus X Brighton and its members has had on the local community since opening in July

2020. The storybook tells the narrative

of the scaling disruptors, social impact champions and change-makers that are innovating for good.

Plus X Brighton is situated on the

previously derelict Ministry of Defence site Preston Barracks. The report

focuses on the people, ideas, culture and impact that has encapsulated

Preston Barracks since its regeneration began in 2017, in partnership with

U+I, the University of Brighton, and Brighton and Hove City Council.

24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Since opening in July 2020, Plus X

Moulsecoomb Stories also highlights

130 innovative businesses, supported over

the Plus X Brighton community. Meet

project, and housed more than 400

location data technology. And, learn

Brighton has become home to more than

some of the bold thinkers that make up

75 scaleups through the BRITE innovation

Naurt, the Brighton startup reimagining

members from businesses large and small.

about MarinaTex, an innovative business

The report uncovers the journey of the

friendly alternative to single-use plastic

led by Lucy Hughes, that created an eco-

very inception of Plus X by Co-CEOs

from waste from the fishing industry.

way through to the social impact that

The curation of the book saw

in its early years. Learn more about the

Moulsecoomb Community: from

the BRITE and Better World Collective

local designer Victor Hagger, and

local talent that make Plus X Brighton

very own filmmaker Zachary Hyland.

Mat Hunter and Paul Rostas, all the

the Brighton innovation hub has seen

collaboration from across the

Plus X Brighton prototyping workshop,

illustrations from the hugely talented

innovation programmes, and meet the

photography from Plus X Brighton’s

such a wonderful place to work.

The book was printed at Ganda Media

The book includes features from local

Leisure Centre.

players including Plus X artist in

Interested in reading this storybook?

the social enterprise charity that runs

now! They are located all throughout

ground floor; and the Art of Inclusion

Alternatively, you can visit our website to

partnership with Urbanflo Creative.

moulsecoomb-stories/.

inspirational innovators and community

located by Moulsecoomb Community

residence Lois O’Hara; Team Domenica,

Pop into Plus X Brighton to read a copy

Café Domenica on Plus X Brighton’s

the building and the ground floor café.

photography exhibitions created in

read it online now: https://plusx.space/

SBT COVER STORY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022

WE CELEBRATE SOME OF SUSSEX’S MOST INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS WOMEN www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25

International Women’s Day 2022 We celebrate some of sussex’s most inspirational business women International Women’s

Cover Story

Day takes place on March 8 and

will champion the achievements of

women, including those in technology and innovation as well as sport.

In addition to increasing awareness of

female creatives and business leaders,

26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

the day will also promote health choices and decisions.

A core theme is the promotion of

inclusive workplaces and this year’s

call to action will be #BreakTheBias, a global message aimed at tackling

discrimination. People everywhere will

be urged to celebrate their differences to forge an equal future.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is all about making women feel safe and

included within the workforce. At a time

when around 35% of women in corporate sector jobs report experiencing sexual

harassment and just six countries give women equal work rights, it is crucial

businesses strive to make workplaces as

inclusive as possible - not just for women but for everyone.

Only 19% of technology workers

are women - and that is why IWD

wants to throw a spotlight on those who are contributing to digital and

technological advancements that are innovating the world.

Sport is often male-dominated and

women still only receive 4% of sports

media coverage. IWD is highlighting the

importance of ensuring women secure

equal pay, visibility and sponsorship for their talents.

IWD was first celebrated in 1909. It was

While the day celebrates women

throughout history, in Sussex we have a

plethora of women making big strides in business and beyond - today.

then known as National Women’s Day.

Here, we meet 14 inspirational

had spread to Europe by 1911 and,

of sectors who share their

Initially observed in America, the event in 1975, was first championed by the United Nations.

women from a diverse range

achievements to inspire others.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27

C OVE R STORY

Paige Collins and Warren House Chartered Accountants

International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women the world over, but it is only one day. Every day women achieve great things, they are kind, brave, and bold, as they change the bias that has existed without challenge for centuries. How fabulous is that for every woman?

Women’s voices are

Cover Story

getting stronger and the rhetoric behind them ever more

compelling, women

supporting women, collaborating

rather than competing, with strength in numbers.

Paige leads the Warren House

Chartered Accountants team (“WHA”), a small, perfectly formed, and agile

firm of Chartered Accountants. WHA prides itself on helping its clients to

manage their business and financial

28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

affairs. They benefit from the wealth

of experience that Paige and her team bring, by influencing the future, and

through helping clients engineer their business objectives.

The WHA team is 12 strong with a diverse range of experience,

from corporate and personal tax to

accounting and banking, and includes

a team that helps clients manage their payroll requirements.

The team is keen to embrace Paige’s some 40 years of experience and

vision, but they also develop their own skills by the continued investment in a diversity of opportunities. This can

range from attending courses such as

the Virtual Finance Director to learning new technologies, all with the aim to assist WHA clients.

The most important part of the team’s engagement with clients is meeting

them, being with people, and being

business curious. And, if they are not

able to meet clients in person, they use the latest technology to engage with

clients wherever they are, through virtual

COVER STO RY meetings across 10 different countries,

from as far a-field as Australia and New Zealand to near home, in Europe.

Paige gains her diverse experience by being involved in roles outside of the traditional accountancy sector and

from having been involved in family

businesses, even carrying out a company reorganisation before being qualified.

Paige is also a long-standing governor of Brighton Girls, an independent day

school for girls based in Brighton, which is part of the UK’s largest educational charity, the Girls Day School Trust

(‘GDST’). Her role includes promoting

the ethos of the school and supporting the leadership team to develop the

girls to be resilient and strong and able to stand up and make a difference. In

addition, Paige is a trustee of a locally based charity, Project Eileen (www.

projecteileen.co.uk), which delivers a

multi-media programme into secondary

schools. This is designed to help young people tackle the topics of death and

grief and enables them to develop the skills to deal with these.

Brighton Chamber of Commerce is an important part of the business

community that WHA is part of, and Paige is a proud member of the

Chamber Ambassador Team, having been an advocate of the member

engagement for several years. WHA is

also a sponsor of the Brighton Chamber

book club. The business books reviewed are thought-provoking and lead to a diversity of thoughts among the Chamber members.

WHA has recently started to support

the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity,

DVLCC (dvlcc.org.uk) which started with sponsoring Bernie Bear, the charity’s newest team member and a real favourite with the children.

Recently Paige was ‘arrested’ by the

Police on the alleged charge of fixing the company’s bake-off competition after Paige won the prize she had donated herself (a bottle of English sparkling

wine). The bail was set at £999, and

Paige used her business and sporting

connections to raise the sum required.

The final figure raised was more than £1,350 in just a little over five hours

(a big thank you to all who supported Paige in raising such a large sum in

such a short space of time, and meant she was eventually released!). The

DVLCC was started by Dame Vera Lynn herself and supports children under 5

12). She also holds a motorsport race licence and recently took part in the Goodwood Sprint meeting and the Brighton Speed Trials, which is the

oldest organised motorsport event in the UK. Paige was proud to finish second in class on her first attempt and she

followed in her father’s wheel tracks who won the trophy in 1936!

Always, remembering that: You cannot change history, but you can influence

the future. Paige and the WHA team are helping clients influence their futures.

with cerebral palsy in a wide range of

activities. Outside of WHA Paige enjoys several hobbies, ranging from Cricket, Hockey, and Golf (with a handicap of

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29

C OVE R STORY

Lyndsey Clay shares the story of Connected Brighton to mark International Women’s Day

Connected Brighton is a social network creating lasting personal and professional relationships through bespoke events that support local businesses.

The idea for

Cover Story

Connected Brighton came to me in

lockdown 2020. I

found myself single,

surrounded by couples and families, wondering what life post pandemic

would look like. I had more anxiety at the lockdown ending than continuing as being let out highlighted that I

didn’t have the same social circle to be let out with.

30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Deciding that I couldn’t be the only one who was looking for new connections, I started floating the idea on many

a lockdown walk with friends who’d

moved to the city and had needed a

network when they’d first arrived here, but didn’t know where to start.

Seeing an opportunity to support those moving to Brighton & Hove on mass (thanks to home working) I started

writing a newsletter on city tips to help

those new to the city acclimatise. This proved popular with my subscribers list and social media with followers growing quickly.

At this point, I believed so strongly

that the business would be needed by those who had been impacted by the pandemic that I set up as a Limited

Company before I’d even held a single event or had worked out how the business would make money.

COVER STO RY

Build it and they will come was my attitude, it still is, and they have

come. We’ve attracted wonderful

professionals and academics, who are new to the city in singles or couples, who are looking for a network,

friendship and to make meaningful connections.

Our first event was a picnic in the April lockdown, then we played petanque outside in May and June, before

finally in July we were allowed small

groups indoors. Now I personally host 3 events a week, every week for our

community of members and guests. We are also a proud Visit Brighton partner

helping tourists make the most of their Brighton experience. And I still write

my weekly newsletter with city tips (our subscribers list is now almost 1000).

From the very start I wanted to make

sure that everything we did supported local businesses. I had watched my

favourite places pivot in every direction to survive through the darker days and decided I wanted to do something positive to show my support.

All our events are hosted with local,

independent and small businesses. We work on bespoke menus and activities

to make it more interesting and test new ideas all the time. Our events include kayaking, Mexican Bingo, brunches,

lunches, fancy dinners, games nights, Ping Pong tournaments, cooking

classes, pottery, foraging and tours to name a few!

In December we launched a

membership scheme which gives our

members access to all our events and

experiences, plus special offers from our local business partners. Encouraging

people to shop small and support local.

Our Founding 50 members joined within

8 weeks of launch, and our membership grows every week with new partner offers every month.

The benefits of

Connected Brighton for our members

has been amazing.

We’ve watched

great friendships

form, relationships blossom, some

of our members

spent Christmas

together, referred

work to each other

and have become a

close and supportive community. Our

testimonials talk about needing

connection, not

knowing where to

find it and now feeling a sense of belonging.

I’m really proud of what we do, how

we do it and the impact we have. And especially of myself, because I made

this. I’ve never run a business before, I’m green but keen to learn because I

believe in what I’m offering. Every day

is a school day when you run your own business and I am loving that journey (even when it’s tough).

Realising we had a trusted voice and could do more to promote local we

launched our marketing & sponsorship packages in February this year. This

offers brands who share our values of inclusivity, premium experiences and supporting local a chance to access

our engaged audience. And giving us a chance to cheerlead and champion more local businesses.

As well as supporting local on all our events we also started a monthly

Entrepreneur Wellbeing Coaching through the Jubilee Library.

This year our focus is to grow our membership and sponsors, offer

Connected Brighton as an employee benefit for management teams who

want to be part of our professional social network and growing our member offers to support local and shop small.

Our long term plan is to franchise into other cities, supporting more businesses and connecting more

people across the UK. If you want to sponsor us or if your business could

benefit from giving membership to your employees get in touch letsconnect@ connectedbrighton.com

To see what we do and join Connected Brighton check out all our events and membership plans online

www.connectedbrighton.com Lets connect.

podcast to share Brighton stories from local celebrities and entrepreneurs (check us out on Spotify). Plus we

run two regular networking events a month to support small businesses.

And I am also a BIPC Expert providing

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31

International Women’s Day – Let’s Continue to #Breakthebias Every year on the 8th March, women in the UK and across the globe celebrate International Women’s Day. International

Cover Story

Women’s Day has

been celebrated in a variety of forms globally for over

one hundred years. This movement

was initiated to support and promote equality for women.

It provides a great opportunity for

women as well as businesses and communities to come together to

32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

inspire, educate and discuss our

successes, as well as on-going social

and economic barriers. Why? To build and create a fairer, equal and more prosperous society for all.

This year, I worked with a range of businesses to support the

#breakthebias campaign. This

campaign is about questioning what we, as individuals (and businesses)

can do, to action changes we wish to

see in society and collectively, break the bias.

In support of IWD, I had the

opportunity to work with SBT

Magazine, alongside thirteen Sussex

based leaders in business on a unique magazine shoot. This shoot was a

campaign for International Women’s

Day, aimed to achieve something new and different … a local female-led front page magazine cover.

COVER STO RY

Initially, like me, you may wonder why

would something so simple be difficult

to achieve in this modern day and age?

Why do women in business struggle

to be the face of businesses and lead on such initiatives when it comes to

promoting a brand and its expertise?

When working on this project with co-

founder of SBT Magazine, Sam Thomas, and Community & Events Manager,

Jackie Irving-Wilkinson, we discussed

what needed to be considered in order

to approach this initiative to achieve the desired outcome. This meant exploring previous and potential barriers that

may have contributed to less women in business taking advantage of leading marketing and media opportunities.

There are a number of well-known

factors that will contribute towards a lack of representation for women in

business. Despite many companies

doing what they can to close the gender gap at leadership positions, a recent

report found that, overall, women make up approximately 25% of boardroom presence in the UK.

Another common barrier when

approaching such initiatives is budget and overall value of the initiative

presented. Many corporate and

commercial companies can be cautious (especially after a pandemic) to invest

in campaigns that cannot guarantee to generate a direct return in investment.

This could be a contributing factor as

to why we see less women in business in prominent and more costly spaces, such as front covers of magazines,

prestigious male dominated events

or even consideration of nominations

and short listings for key business and community based awards.

Additionally, I have come into

conversations with leaders who are at the top of their game, but may

not necessarily be used to being the

centre of attention for their business. This

could be in terms of photography, video,

public speaking and other media and marketing based activities. It is

a new experience - an opportunity that they

have previously been not

considered for or has not been presented to them directly.

Sometimes it is at this moment that we may experience imposter syndrome and talk

ourselves out of taking advantage of the

challenge or experience

presented. Am I the right person? Am I ready? Or

as well as collectively work together to

questions can be common mental

for women in business. This event was

aspiring and leading women in business.

invited to participate alongside some

Ultimately, there needs to be more

photoshoot is a privilege in itself.

marketing managers like myself, as well

This month’s magazine cover may be

platforms to help us lead on diverse,

certainly won’t be the last. International

also just as important that businesses

been achieved historically, but also that

brands. A new PR and communications

and achieve more too…

opportunities to achieve this!

Happy International Women’s Month!

For International Women’s Day 2022, SBT

Thank you to Sam Thomas & his team at

am I even good enough? All of these

support the #breakthebias campaign

barriers imposter syndrome presents for

also an empowering experience. To be

buy-in from the top down to support

of Sussex’s leading boss ladies in a

as media and marketing based business

the first of its kind, but I am sure it

meaningful and innovative content. It is

Women’s Day reminds us of what has

empower key players representing their

there is still plenty of opportunity to do

strategy can provide a range of

Magazine made local history by leading

SBT Magazine.

fourteen local leading business women an

Photography by Stephen Lawrence.

on a creative collaboration that provided

opportunity to come together to feature on SBT Magazine’s front cover page.

It was a great opportunity to network

and meet other local leaders in their field

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33

C OVE R STORY

Sussex Business Times’ International Women’s Day Q&A

By Flo Powell and Alex Hankinson, Joint Managing Directors, Midnight Communications Cover Story

Why is it important

What does Midnight bring to businesses

Last month that included The Times, The

Women’s Day each

Midnight is a national PR company

and MailOnline. We’re an owner-managed

with large agency impact, there are

whom are ex-journalists.

with bigger outfits. Being Brighton-

Midnight has two female owner-MDs.

and energised team primed to deliver

agency’s culture?

costs are lower than our London

together for nine years, first as Account

to mark International year?

Women have been

campaigning for equality since the mid-1800s. Today, inclusivity and

gender equality are legislated for,

but there’s a long way to go. Even in the UK, unconscious and conscious bias play a part in women being

underrepresented at senior level

in many sectors. We feel a shared responsibility to ensure the next

generation of women don’t face the same barriers. Midnight is female-

owned and we pride ourselves on our

supportive and inclusive agency culture.

34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

that other PR agencies don’t?

based in Brighton. As a small agency none of the drawbacks that can come

Daily Telegraph, London Evening Standard agency with a core team of ten, half of

based means we have a happy, loyal

Does this make a difference to your

standout service. Our operational

Alex Hankinson and I have worked

counterparts, so we’re excellent value.

Directors, and since our MBO in 2018

We’re mainly B2B with some B2C clients,

and yang – we share the same values

goals. Taking a holistic view of the media

together like a jigsaw puzzle.

regularly land coverage in the nationals.

Highlights of 2021 and 2020 so far?

and we’re plugged into all their commercial means we deliver creative ideas, and we

as co-owners and Joint MDs. We’re yin and our skills and personalities fit

COVER STO RY

We’ve recently won several new clients and have grown existing

contracts. Key wins include A-Plan

in November. We’re hoping for sunny climes in 2022.

(insurance broker), Moda Living

Despite pandemic challenges,

Archaeological Society (owners of

has bringing on a business mentor

(property developer), Sussex

eight properties including Lewes

Castle and Fishbourne Roman Palace), Eastbourne College, Stakester

(gaming app) and Mayo Wynne

Baxter (solicitors); and we had two

longstanding clients return to the fold, including the Youth Sport Trust.

Midnight has grown by 30%. How helped?

Midnight has a long history of growth

other as much as we could.

We introduced a 24-hour phone

support line and switched out gym

memberships for monthly wellbeing vouchers, which the team used for things like exercise equipment.

and success, but we don’t want to stand

Your Instagram is full of pictures of

turnover reflected that last year with a

the most to you and why?

still – and we were delighted that our

you picking up awards – which mean

jump of more than 30%.

I’m very proud of the awards that

One of the things we’ve added to the

than sixty. Last year, we took home

experience of running and growing

Sector Campaign for Boundless,

Midnight has won, which number more

mix is a Non-Executive Director with

the CIPR Pride Award for best Public

national PR agencies. She’s helping us

which was our first big client win after

streamline our processes.

Alex and I bought Midnight in 2018.

You have an impressive staff retention

The workforce has changed over

What really warms our cockles

We look after our Midnight family, and

adapted to support your team while

Communicator of the Year. In 2019,

We also made two key hires: Rose Lock who joined us from The Argus, and

Meganne Tillay, who’s spent the past

couple of years as a reporter at Law.com.

rate – what’s the secret?

we bring our team in on big decisions.

Plus we have great staff benefits

– private health care, face-to-face

counselling and a 24-hour support

line, gym membership, Christmas off

on top of holiday allowance, birthdays off and loyalty days. Our salaries are

competitive, and we’ve always offered hybrid working.

We also like to take our team away every year. Our last foreign trip was in Palma

in 2019, and we managed a trip to Rye

the past 24 months. How have you preserving agency culture?

are the awards we win for Young

just before the pandemic hit, I drove

Although Midnight has always had a

Account Manager Emma Hynes to

we value being together. We believe

memory I shall treasure forever.

brainstorms rather than video calls.

www.midnight.co.uk

hybrid approach, as a creative agency the best ideas come from in-person

Bristol to pick up that award, and it’s a

The pandemic has, therefore, been tough – not least because, like

everyone else, team members have sometimes struggled on a personal level. Our family-feel culture came

into its own and we looked after each

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35

C OVE R STORY

Growing Brighton’s most active business angel investor community South East Angels facilitates an engaging and valuable experience for local angel investors where they can gain experience, make connections, and get access to interesting investment opportunities.

This community, in

Cover Story

turn, creates a source for founders in the region and beyond who are looking

to secure early-stage funding from

individuals who are keen to support them on their journey.

Solving the equity funding gap for early stage startups in the region

After running Brighton’s largest startup

accelerator for 5 years, founder Kristina Pereckaite noticed that, with London next door, the rest of the South East

was quite neglected in terms of funding options for startups.

36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

She says: “Having had the opportunity

to work with some of the most ambitious entrepreneurs in the city I could see the potential that Brighton had to offer to

the startup world. But there was a big

problem: early-stage startup funding.”

With no angel group, VC, or fund to tap

into in the region, getting the backing to take a business to the next level can be extremely difficult. Every major city in

the UK had an investor group, except for

Brighton, so Kristina decided to start one.

We have created a valuable community for individual investors, both

experienced or new to the game, to

learn, find opportunities, and connect

with others. And most importantly,

Brighton now has a source of funding for local early-stage startups.

A promising first year

Since launching in November 2020, South East Angels have invested a total of

£600,000 into seven startup companies.

Kristina says “Our goal for the first year of business was to simply create an active

community for local investors and a go-to

funding hub for local, early-stage startups.

Whilst it’s still early beginnings, and

we’re coming up to 18 months of activity, we are excited to have already seen a

promising increase in investment, and a positive impact on local founders.”

COVE R STO RY

What is an angel investor?

An angel investor is simply a self-

certified high-net-worth individual

who is interested in investing their money into startups. They will

usually invest anywhere between £10k - 500k into a startup,

depending on their preference

or how much money they wish to allocate. Most commonly

angel investors make a number of investments in a variety of

companies and form a portfolio. In many cases an angel investor will be involved at an early stage of

the business and, if appropriate,

support them occasionally through mentoring, sharing contacts, or sitting on their board - which in

turn, helps them to maximise the potential of their investment.

There are some really appealing tax

incentives for UK investors that have been

in place since 1993 which allow individuals to gain up to 50% of their investment back through their income tax return if they

invest in early stage companies that have been assured by the HMRC Enterprise Investment Scheme.

Credible & friendly investors from a variety of backgrounds

The investors in the group consist of

Tech, Marketing, and Events. Through collaboration and co-investment the

3 Things to prepare before

best practice and make more informed

Kristina shares a few key things

members in the group are able to share decisions together.

“South East Angels were fantastic

during our fundraise and Kristina and her team have done a brilliant job

of bringing investors to the region.

We have had a wonderful working

relationship with our South East Angel investors in realising our vision and growth plans.” Akshay Saswadee Founder, Percept Imagery

Helping women get into angel investing In total, only 15-18% of all angel

investors are women. In order to get more women into angel investing,

South East Angels have just launched

Future Angels Forum, a group for high net worth women who are interested

in learning about investing in startups

but are not quite ready to join as active members. Kristina says: “We know that a big barrier stopping women

from getting into angel investing is not

having access to other active investors where they can learn and share best practice and invest with others. Our

Future Angels Forum aims to open our doors to aspiring female investors,

give them access to our investments, contacts, and deal process.”

both seasoned investors and first-time

Visit southeastangels.co.uk to learn more

including Engineering, Insurance,

resources for both founders and investors.

angels from a variety of industries

pitching to angel investors:

founders should know before pitching to investors

1. Be crystal clear on your vision and storytelling around your

solution - it doesn’t matter how

great your idea is, if you cannot

articulate it clearly and get others on board your mission, you will struggle to raise funding.

2. Know your numbers and have prepared a detailed financial model - investors know that

financial forecasts are not going to be accurate, but they will

need to see something from you which will help them to

understand the assumptions

you’ve made around the growth of your business.

3. Have a well thought out plan of what you will achieve and

in the next 12 months - whilst South East Angels doesn’t

require businesses to have a lengthy business plan,

they will want to see what

milestones you will achieve in the coming year and how.

about their mission and for some brilliant

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37

C OVE R STORY

Doing things differently in business Cover Story

Let’s be honest,

isolation? Wouldn’t there be more benefit

business is hard work

and best practices rather than spending

running a good

The way in which

in coming together to share lessons

resources going through our own trial and error cycle? Isn’t there a benefit in being

we do business needs to change and

able to tap into the collective knowledge

environmentally sustainable models and

diverse experience and expertise that we

with it sees the rise of more ethical and

held by business owners who have

approaches to running a company.

don’t ourselves hold?

But let’s not kid ourselves, running

Together we can have a lasting impact

the planet alongside profit is no easy

set up The Good Business Club three

creating what it means to be a “good

knowledge to be accessed by like-

takes into consideration the impact on

good businesses thrive - people and the

a business that aligns people and

Myself and my co-founder, Ruth Anslow,

task. We are still debating and co-

years ago to create spaces for this

business”. Every decision we make

minded business owners, because when

more than the bottom line but financial

planet survive.

juggling act that tests the best business

The Club now supports over 117 first-

sustainability is still necessary. It’s a owners every day.

time good business owners across the

So why are we tackling this issue in

to set up sustainable businesses

38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

UK, who are doing business differently,

without having to have decades of experience behind them.

We enable them to tap into the

experience and expertise of others in

the community so they can approach

their own business with the clarity and

confidence they otherwise wouldn’t get working in isolation.

Building a different business community

What we discovered was key to having an impact was creating safe spaces

and a culture that encourages honest conversations about the challenges

rather than the usual “looking good” dance we go into when you’re

asked “how are things going with

the business?”. We want to know

what is keeping business owners up at night and what they would like to

COVER STO RY

pick someone’s brains about.

Understanding what is needed is the first step to making

impactful connections to what they really need.

It also means encouraging

people to go against the grain of asking for help, which

culturally isn’t the norm. Sharing vulnerability and admitting that there are areas of the business that they aren’t confident in is

something that takes courage

in a world where “fake it till you

make it” is much more common.

What we weren’t expecting when we launched was the

sheer level of generosity when you work with businesses that

are standing for something bigger than themselves. When we were

onboarding members they were more focused on talking about how they

could contribute to others than what they were looking to tap into.

The outcome after three years of

building this community is one where 60% share that they have developed

their business because of the input from other members in the Club and where 58% have secured new business or

increased their income directly through connections in the Club.

Our influence goes beyond our members

when looking to have a more positive impact on people and the planet.

As well as working in partnership with

looks like to support business owners create sustainable businesses, for themselves and the world.

media outlets and other business support

Sara is an impact-entrepreneur and

Federation for Small Business and Social

co-founded The Good Business Club.

announcing our Ambassador of the Club

of leaders looking to redesign the world

networks such as Enterprise Nation, The

good business optimist, most recently

Enterprise UK, we are excited to be

She also mentors the next generation

later this month.

of business, for good. When she’s

Ambassadors are first-time good

led business, you can find her touring

and the mission of the Club and are

the taboo around mental health.

business is possible through what they

sara@saraosterholzer.com

Follow @TheGoodBizClub on social

www.thegoodbusinessclub.com

business owners who share our values proving that running a sustainable good have already achieved in their business. media or sign up to our newsletter via

not banging the drum for purpose-

around on her motorbike or breaking

www.saraosterholzer.com

our website to find out which founders

Twitter: @SaraSophieOst /

good businesses.

Instagram: @saraosterholzer /

and advice on how to become a better

Bio

LinkedIn: Sara Osterholzer /

the community does not disappoint with

The world of business is changing and

Unsurprisingly our community stretches outside the Club, with 4.1K businesses

looking to our community for inspiration business across our social channels. And features on our blog as well as external articles going out each month, such

as The Good Business section of this

magazine, educating and sharing honest

insights into the challenges and solutions

have joined the movement to support

@TheGoodBizClub @thegoodbizclub

The Good Business Club

Sara Osterholzer is leading the charge.

She believes there’s a different way

to do business that positively impacts people and the planet while still being

profitable and is demystifying what that

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39

Accelerating the transition to local clean energy with Kayla Ente MBE, founder and CEO of BHESCo For most people

Cover Story

across the UK, the

recent rise in energy prices has come as a nasty surprise.

Why have prices suddenly risen by so much, and so fast?

From 1st April 2022, gas and electricity costs will soar by 54%, adding around

£710 to the average annual household bill.

Unlike most people in the UK, Kayla

Ente has been warning of such a crisis

for years and has been working tirelessly

40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

to protect residents and businesses from a shock on this scale.

“The fossil fuel industry has always been volatile. We can only expect

that to get worse as pressure from

developing nations for access to global gas and oil supplies increases. That’s one of the reasons I set up BHESCo,

because I saw that the most effective way to protect communities from

unpredictable energy prices was to

start generating locally owned, clean, renewable energy, combined with energy efficiency.”

As well as reducing energy costs for consumers, Kayla yearned to start a business which would empower

communities to play an active role in

tackling the escalating climate crisis,

while giving them the opportunity to own their own energy supply.

“It was clear that governments around

the world were talking the talk on climate change without taking significant,

consistent action. I established BHESCo to offer all the tools and support that

people need to make the transition away from fossil fuels towards low carbon.

COVER STO RY Fortunately, economics and global tensions are making that easier.”

Reducing energy costs and reducing

carbon emissions to create a fair and just energy industry. These are the

dual goals of Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo).

Founded in 2013 by Kayla Ente, a

native of Massachusetts, USA, BHESCo has come to be considered a leader

in the UK’s community energy sector,

recognised for delivering innovative lowcarbon projects that are funded through the power of community finance.

The idea behind BHESCo came from

Kayla’s past experiences with climate

campaigning, emerging from her work

for a Dutch renewable energy supplier.

After graduating with an accounting degree from a college in Rhode

Island, USA, Kayla was working for Greenpeace International when it

became clear that campaigning alone wouldn’t create the system change

needed to avert climate catastrophe.

She decided to focus on the energy

industry as a major producer of global climate change where solutions could be addressed at a local level.

“It was clear that ‘business as usual’ was not working, for people or for the planet.

Complacency with existing convention is not my way, so I began to develop a business model around the provision of clean energy to customers as a

service, as opposed to a commodity.

BHESCo is all about offering a holistic,

caring and ongoing relationship with our

customers, instead of simply completing a standalone project and moving on.”

BHESCo does things differently, by

focusing on people and communities instead of maximising financial

returns. The co-operative model is a

striking alternative to capitalism, as

that BHESCo is only just getting started.

of care for people’s welfare. Making

“We are always looking to the future. Our

a way of doing business with a duty a profit, but not at the expense of our collective wellbeing.”

Working within this co-operative model, BHESCo helps people act on climate change by removing the barriers that can get in the way.

“We have the technical solutions to solve climate change. The problem

is that people don’t always have the

financial resources, know-how or time to take things forward. BHESCo makes it

easy by providing upfront project costs, courtesy of our co-operative members, and by designing a state-of-the-art

energy system for our customers that

will deliver affordable low-carbon heat and power for decades.”

Since launching their first share offer in Summer 2015, BHESCo has attracted more than £1.4 million of investment from over 400 shareholders, which has financed the development of

58 community owned clean energy projects in and around Sussex.

Project customers range from schools

and churches to art galleries and leisure centres, with BHESCo installing all

manner of low-carbon technologies

including insulation, solar panels, heat pumps, and energy storage batteries.

Over their lifetime, these projects will

collectively save BHESCo customers

nearly £2 million on energy costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by

solutions are scalable so we concentrate

on ways to mobilise communities to take action to safeguard their future, starting with energy efficiency.

“We are developing more community

renewable heat projects, particularly in

rural villages which are not connected to the gas grid. Decarbonising heat is one of the greatest challenges for the UK,

and community energy has a key role to

play in supporting this transition. In rural communities, heat is responsible for the lion’s share of carbon emissions. With 2.5 million homes off the gas grid, it’s

important to address, especially as oil

prices skyrocket because the UK is a net importer of heating oil.”

On top of driving forward BHESCo’s

growth, Kayla is motivated by a wish to see the community energy sector

become an established player in the UK’s energy market.

“Ultimately, what drives me the most is a

strong desire to help communities around the country to start their own energy

co-ops, expanding on the local energy model and bringing more democratic

ownership of our energy resources to

residents and businesses. We saw how people mobilised to support eachother during the pandemic. The same

spirit will propel our quest for energy

independence while bringing affordable, clean energy to our communities.”

around 7,000 tonnes, the equivalent of

In recognition of her services to the

are certainly impressive, Kayla insists

MBE in 2021.

planting 115,746 trees. While such stats

community, Kayla was awarded an

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41

C OVE R STORY

Rebecca Kimber, CEO of Create, talks to us on International Women’s Day

Rebecca Kimber,

Cover Story

CEO of Create, talks

to us on International Women’s Day about how sustainability

is taking centre stage in the everyday decision making and longer-term

strategies of the business, and why

it’s important for all businesses to be

more aware of how they can help fight climate change.

For over 20 years, Create has been

empowering small business owners to

design and manage their own website.

The Brighton-based company builds

their own software to enable anyone to get setup online.

“It’s all designed to make it fast and

easy”, says Rebecca, “and you don’t need to know any code.”

They’re clearly passionate about helping

42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

people achieve more online, but their focus on the climate emergency, and

the impact small businesses can have, is particularly resonating with both customers and peers.

“We’ve always been a conscious

business,” Rebecca explains, “but

after watching David Attenborough’s documentary ‘Extinction’ in 2020 it

was clear that we had to do more. Our business is about making good things happen for people and it has to leave the world in a better place than we found it.”

It turned out that Rebecca wasn’t alone in this belief and being in the middle

of the pandemic would actually prove beneficial for learning a lot more and

making some great new connections.

It no longer seemed to matter where you were based or what you did,

having a common cause was unifying

and everyone was open to having a conversation on Zoom.

It also became apparent that there

was plenty of confusion surrounding

the subject, from debates about tree planting benefits to the difference

between net-zero and carbon-neutral.

It’s one of the reasons Rebecca started giving talks on understanding your digital carbon footprint.

“It’s so easy to think that because it’s in your computer it’s not a tangible thing,” said Rebecca.

But emissions from the ICT sector

actually surpassed that of Aviation

back in 2018 and have been growing ever since.

For example, all those photos we snap on our phones (around 900 a year per person). Most of them will be synced

COVER STO RY

to online servers like iCloud and stored indefinitely. Those stored photos are

estimated to be causing the equivalent carbon emissions of 112,500 return flights from the UK to Australia!

With numbers like these, it’s obvious

that everyone can play a part in reducing their environmental impact. From an

individual’s simple action of deleting what they don’t need, to creating

company policy around managing

resources and choosing suppliers. In

many cases switching suppliers might

be hard, so just starting a conversation with them about this issue can be

influential. After all, we are all connected.

This shift isn’t just for a feel-good

factor either, in the next couple of

years more reporting responsibilities are becoming mandatory for large

corporations and financial organisations and this will lead to requests for this

information during pitches, tenders and procurement processes.

For most small businesses around 90% of carbon emissions will be in their

supply chain, this is known as Scope 3 and is recognised as hard to measure.

Rebecca shares that their own struggle to determine this is ongoing.

“To be honest we’re still learning and

working on this. What you don’t realise

when you start is that the measurement

the impact Create could make on its

and includes everything from your team

12 other businesses, including Brighton-

generated by your customers as they

found The Million Tree Pledge.

of emissions covers a lot of activities

own was small, they joined forces with

travelling to work, to the carbon dioxide

based Digital Agency Propellernet to

use your finished products.”

The Million Tree Pledge is about

For this reason Create began investing

taking bold action for the planet and

start of the process. Carbon reduction

pledges to plant a million trees by 2030

raised is put to use eradicating or

Since its launch on Earth Day in April

meet a number of the UN’s Sustainable

been planted and 35 million trees have

benefits for people and the planet.

£4.5 million of future donations towards

in carbon reduction schemes at the

biodiversity. Every company that joins

is a form of offsetting where the money

and Create have so far planted 275,000.

reducing emissions. Good schemes will

2021 a total of over 5 million trees have

Development Goals so there are multiple

been pledged. This equates to around

“Our own struggle has been a key

reforesting the planet.

motivator behind the work we’ve done at

“For us, the Million Tree Pledge solidified

the emissions might be for using a piece

goal and I’m incredibly proud of how it’s

Create. It was so hard to determine what

where we were going into an ambitious

of online software, and lots of services

grown from an idea into something really

just weren’t saying anything about it.

powerful,” says Rebecca.

“The process we underwent made me

“Amongst the pledge members we have

doing was and it now means that our

a family business this resonates with us

to worry about. We know we’ve made

families, and for their families after them.“

positive for the planet too.“

For more information please

It’s not all been about greening Create

milliontreepledge.org

realise how important what we were

a saying about being good ancestors. As

customers’ websites are one less thing

wanting to safeguard the future for all our

their lives easier and done something

visit www.create.net and www.

either. One of the things Rebecca is

really passionate about is restoring the planet’s ecosystem, and knowing that

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43

C OVE R STORY

Flexibility Matters: Founder and Director Emma Cleary

Flexible recruitment consultancy Flexibility Matters was set up three years ago, but Founder and Director Emma Cleary has been championing flexible working for eight years.

Emma’s passion and

Cover Story

ambition to bring

flexible working to all is driven by her

personal experience

of trying to find a job in newspapers and media, which allowed for anything other than the traditional 8-8 24/7! This sort

of working practice was just unfeasible

with three children under the age of five.

The only option was to start a business dedicated to flexibility, to work around family needs and support others in finding a better work life balance.

44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Fortunately, now the situation is very different – thanks in part to

Emma’s offering bringing flexibility to the fore, and certainly aided by the

pandemic, which has enabled so many businesses to experience the benefits of flexible working.

“The pandemic has shown us that

flexible working brings huge benefits to businesses and individuals alike,

and the good news is it looks set to continue long after Covid,” comments Emma.

Flexibility Matters specialises in finding professional talent from all disciplines, with the USP being firmly anchored in recruiting flexibly. Emma continues: “Talent is at such a premium in the

South East, and by championing flexible working, we are able to help businesses grow and develop their culture with flexibility at its heart.”

Post-pandemic, culture is so important in ensuring that businesses not only

recruit but retain their talent, and are

not simply paying lip service to flexible

COVER STO RY working. Emma is finding the emerging trends in hybrid and flexible working fascinating, and says “by recruiting

professionals flexibly through Flexibility Matters, businesses benefit from the

huge bank of high quality, experienced, professional candidates on our books, built up over eight years – we are the leading specialist in our field.”

And Flexibility Matters is about is

helping businesses grow and succeed through flexible recruitment. Emma continues: “The benefit of having

experienced individuals joining your team cannot be underestimated.

Where senior team members on a

full time basis may be over-budget, recruiting flexibly can be a cost-

effective way of gaining quality talent.

Testing the water a little by taking on

an experienced consultant, is another way we can help.”

There is certainly an appetite for flexible

working, as, since inception, Emma and her team have built a network of over

6,000 businesses, placed candidates in

over 100 South East based businesses, have over 3,000 registered candidates, over 4,500 followers on LinkedIn and 3,000 followers on Facebook.

Emma is a constant figure on the

networking scene. Warm, friendly and approachable, she is well known to

businesses and a regular at networking events in the South East, through the Gatwick Diamond Business Group, where Emma sits on the executive committee. In this role, Emma has

been involved in the new membership

structure and the stronger links with the Manor Royal BID, Manor Royal.

Additionally through, Gatwick

Diamond, Emma has been an Inclusion and Diversity sponsor at the 2020

career conference at Canon. Flexibility Matters are also active members of the Haywards Heath Business

Association,

the Burgess Hill Business Parks Association,

and Emma is

an Ambassador

for the Brighton Chamber of Commerce.

As part of their

mission to help businesses

access new

talent in 2019, Flexibility

Matters created

three discussion groups on Best Practice in

Flexible Working, piloted with

25 companies, based in

Brighton,

Crawley and Surrey. The

resulting White Paper on Best Practice in

Implementing

Flexible Working was delivered to

the local Chambers

of Commerce, the Gatwick Diamond

Business Group and the Task Force on Flexible Working.

Since then, Emma and the team

have developed conversations much further, launching a series of “Action Learning Groups”, supported by the Financial Services Compensation

Scheme, Pfizer and Thales, the aim

being to help businesses make flexible working successful. Emma says:

“We are delighted to be bringing the 6th Action Learning Group session, supported by a team of experts, to

businesses on May 13th, where we

support on how to implement successful hybrid working”.

It’s little wonder then that Flexibility Matters is a Finalist in the Gatwick

Diamond Business Awards 2022. Emma says: “We are so delighted to be a

finalist in these prestigious awards. The winner will be announced on March

17th and we have our fingers well and truly crossed!”.

To find out how flexible recruitment

could help your business grow, contact Emma at Emma@flexmatters.co.uk, on 07810 541 599 or visit www. flexibilitymatters.co.uk.

will deliver peer to peer practical

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45

How every business can play its part in gender equality

By Carlene Jackson, CEO, Cloud9 Insight I hate to begin on

Cover Story

a negative (we’ll

be looking at the

positives in a few paragraphs, I

promise!) but if you believe gender

inequality has been stamped out in UK workplaces, you’re mistaken.

Stark figures from the Government’s

recent “Gender equality at every stage: a roadmap for change” white paper illustrate the scale of the problem.

On average, women enter the labour

market with higher qualifications than

46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

men – but earn less per hour from the

start. Women tend to work in lower paid sectors and lower paid roles.

Women aged 55 to 64 are almost 20% less likely to have a private pension,

and those who do have almost 40%

less wealth held in them. The pay gap

increases sharply at the point couples

have children. By the time their first child is aged 12, mothers’ average hourly wages are a third below fathers’.

Yet, that same white paper reveals that companies in the top 25% for gender

diversity on their executive team were

21% more likely to experience above-

average profitability than companies in the bottom 25%.

As former UN Secretary General Ban

Ki-Moon put it: “Companies with more women leaders perform better…the

evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all.”

So how do we get the whole economy to raise its game on gender equality?

Here are five ways you could put your business on the right side of history

by making it part of the solution, not the problem.

COVER STO RY

overt sexism, like misogynistic language, but unintentional sexist behaviours still go unnoticed. They might include: -E xpectations about physical

appearance that ask more of women than men;

-A ssumptions that male colleagues can simply delegate childcare to female

partners when required to work late;

-G ender-based role stereotyping – for example men taking out the rubbish and women dishing out the office Deliveroo order.

What can you do about it? Create a space where, without referring to specific incidents or making

accusations, mixed-sex groups can

discuss how sexism might go unnoticed in the workplace. At Cloud9 Insight, we recently dedicated an hour over lunch

to discussing where unintended sexism might crop up and how we might avoid

it. We also support flexible and part-time working – as well as unlimited unpaid leave – so men can be as involved in childcare as women.

3. Provide safe spaces to talk about 1. Mentoring

It is crucial for young women to have female role models in the workplace.

Mentors give people an avenue to

practice their communication skills in a

safe environment by focusing on growth and improvement. As they face bigger hurdles, women stand to benefit most

from mentoring programmes. At Cloud9

Insight, we have had several self-starting, street-savvy grafters with ambition who – for whatever reason – were not given

financial or educational support systems early in life. Senior female employees

championed these women by sharing advice, tips and career strategies, allowing them to flourish.

2. Discuss unintentional sexism

Most workplaces in 2022 have tackled

violence and intimidation against women and girls

Victims of domestic violence and

intimidation can experience decreased performance, causing their careers to

suffer. You can address this by creating a safe and supportive culture. This

means ensuring colleagues can speak to

someone at work about domestic violence.

It also means ensuring policies support

potential victims with flexible working or leave arrangements and education and

training programmes for line managers.

At Cloud9 Insight, we have an ‘Employee

Assistance Programme’, which offers a raft of services – free to employees – including

the UK economy today is the urgent

need to attract women into digital roles by creating opportunities at all levels.

“Less than a fifth of tech roles are

occupied by women, while at Cloud9 Insight we have achieved a figure of 41%. This rises to 50% at senior

level as we believe strongly that just hiring women is not enough – they

need to be in management and on the board. You should also think about minimising restrictive language in

your job advertisements. Often men

will look at required qualifications or experience in an ad and think “I can just about pass that”, whereas an

equally qualified woman is more likely to think “ah, I don’t quite match up to that”. Our managers encourage their team members to draw up “10 year CVs”. These provide roadmaps for

long term development that support

employees to think beyond any genderrelated barriers. They help employees

overcome any marginalisation or micro-

aggressions they might experience later in their careers due to their sex.

5. Join the national conversation

We take every opportunity we can to join the national discussion on the

need for more women in technology.

For example, a colleague and I have

joined the Microsoft’s Women In Tech Network, a community that is doing

great work to promote gender equality.

I also speak regularly in the media

about ways of encouraging young or disadvantaged women and girls to

believe they can have fulfilling careers.

You might be amazed how inspiring it can be for your female workforce to see your own managers joining

conversations beyond the walls of your business!

legal advice, financial guidance and confidential counselling.

4. 10 year CVs

One of the biggest challenges facing

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47

Rebecca Blott: Being a woman working in construction has been my superpower

In a male-dominated industry, our clients find dealing with me a breath of fresh air.

Being a good listener and communicator allows me to understand exactly what they want and ensure Castle Construction gives them even more than they were hoping for.

I founded Castle

Cover Story

Construction with

my husband Scott in 2004. Together, we offer home

improvements including basements,

extensions, garden rooms and much more, but it isn’t our range that sets

us apart, it’s our incredible attention to detail, and our industry-leading customer service.

While I’ve always been closely involved,

48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

I took up a leading role in the business

in 2018 and now jointly run the company with Scott. Truth be told he’s the real expert in construction, with years of successfully managing large-scale

civil engineering projects, including

everything from bridges to underground car parks …but I keep the whole

show on the road from a strategy and leadership perspective!

One of my main roles is to oversee the customer-facing side of Castle

Construction. I ensure projects run

smoothly, to plan, and on budget. I often deal directly with customers,

managing their relationships with our architects, structural engineers and construction workers.

Working within people’s homes and

enhancing their personal spaces might sound like a cushty job, but while I do

really enjoy it, it takes serious intuition, tact and diplomacy! Beyond this I’m always

busy bringing in new business, engaging

COVER STO RY

then ready to invest my experience and

Looking to the future, I am focused on

business, Castle Construction.

business. This will allow us to create

I have never been phased by being

influence change within construction.

consider it an advantage. As a woman

with Brexit, Covid and the escalating

learn quickly to believe in yourself and

definite silver lining. Many more people

a distinct lack of female role models

home and want to improve, reorganise

as construction. As a mum of two

we’ve been kept very busy fitting home

good role model for my children. And, I

in basements. And now, our exciting

in an industry that has an undeniably

spectacular, modern garden rooms.

in some cases!

It may sound immodest, but I truly

At Castle Construction our core

above the rest. We use a steel frame

and Transparency.

as durable as they are modern and

These underpin everything we do. For

potting sheds …our garden rooms are

employees to develop, and are signed up

beautiful, last for generations and bring

energy in our rapidly growing family

We’ve had a bumpy couple of years

in an industry dominated by men, you

cost of materials, but there is one very

stand up for your ideas. But there are

now have the chance to work from

in business …and in sectors such

or extend their space. Which has meant

daughters and a son, I want to be a

offices, extending homes and putting

am passionate about raising standards

new offering for 2022 is our range of

values are: Quality, Integrity, Respect

down exactly what they are looking for.

My background wasn’t originally in construction, but I’m very used to

working in traditionally male industries.

Having graduated in Electrical

Engineering & Management, as only one of two women in the final year,

I joined Ericsson’s graduate training scheme as a software engineer.

I then moved into IT, consultancy and financial services, where I held both

strategic and delivery roles, including

managing large teams delivering multi-

million dollar projects. After a successful 20 years in the corporate world, I was

believe Castle Garden Rooms are a cut and aluminium cladding to make them beautiful. Forget simple man caves or

example, we create opportunities for our

works of art that are designed to look

to the Living Wage scheme. These are

space and light into your home.

also the values I adhere to in my daily life.

…which means working with them to pin

more job opportunities and positively

in the minority as a woman. In fact, I

poor reputation …and deservedly so,

with new clients and drawing up contracts

continuing to grow our construction

Running a business as a mother of

My vision for Castle Construction is

three can be challenging. There isn’t

trusted construction company. Trust,

most of family time with days out and

Most of our projects involve significant

enjoy a bit of ‘me time’ and go running

homes, enhancing and expanding

Hungarian Vizsla, Rocco. I am looking

live, eat, work and play. Our changes

bringing beautiful spaces to families

to become Brighton and Hove’s most

much time off! Scott and I make the

after all, is crucial to our success.

camping trips. Occasionally, I get to

structural alterations to private family

on the Downs with our 1-year-old

people’s personal space - where they

forward to a fantastic 2022, and

hugely impact the daily lives of our

across the South East.

having their absolute trust is paramount.

m: +44 (0)7776 182892

Many of our clients will never have

w: www.castle-construction.co.uk

clients and for us to do this successfully,

e: rebecca@castle-group.co.uk

undertaken such a large project

themselves. This is one of the reasons why our projects are overseen by

a dedicated Client Manager. With

attentive, insightful customer-service,

we guide our clients through the process from start to finish.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

C OVE R STORY

RubyMoon: the world’s only not-for-profit sustainable swimwear and activewear brand

Jo-Anne Godden is an ethical swimwear and activewear specialist, mother and activist.

Social Impact:

After working 25 years

Cover Story

in the unsustainable

RubyMoon is a social enterprise powered

fashion industry,

by women for women. We donate 100%

Jo decided to be

of our net profits to women entrepreneurs

part of the solution

in developing countries to help start and

and founded RubyMoon in 2010 - The

support their businesses. Through our

world’s only not-for-profit sustainable

partners lendwithcare, we have invested

swimwear and activewear brand.

in over 2,200 women and their families

helping them break free of generational

“Once you understand the catastrophic

cycles of poverty. These loans are then

impact that the textile and clothing

returned and then re-invested, therefore

industry has on people and the planet

the money goes ‘round and round’

you can never go back.” says Jo.

empowering ever increasing numbers of

women. Investing in microfinance enables

RubyMoon combines the industry’s

women to drive development and

substantial potential to positively

impact the social and environmental

progress in communities where they often

state of our planet with the

“Our values are really about creating an

are the key to a better future. Jo is

meaningful, fairly paid work and can

impact, raising awareness around

by everyone. We need to stop this

women’s potential.

people or products” says Jo.

knowledge that women and innovation

equitable society where people have

committed to lowering environmental

create clothing with value- to be enjoyed

issues of social justice and activating

culture of disposability- whether that’s

50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

don’t have a voice. Gender inequality

promotes poverty and 60% of chronically hungry people are women and girls.

According to the United Nations, when

women are able to gain income, money is more likely to be spent on nutrition,

housing and education, consequently, children and communities thrive.

COVER STO RY

from fishing nets and carpets- it’s

already a regenerated material- but

we want to keep that material in the

system because it’s really strong and completely fit for purpose.”

In fact polyamide yarn is certified to be twice as strong, prolonging the life of your clothing is the greatest

environmental impact that you can make with regards to your clothing.

All of RubyMoons designs are

manufactured according to circular, Jo said: “We are lucky enough to

select the women we invest in through lendwithcare.org. Typically it is small-

scale farming, a shop of sewing business.

These businesses, however small, have a huge positive impact on the family,

housing, children and nutrition and most

of all empower women to have a voice in their own community.”

All our garments are named after these inspiring women and every time we

make a sale, our customer creates a

positive impact for another women and

they both become our ‘Impact Women’.

Quote from one of our female entrepreneurs:

“I just want to grow, but not too much, just enough to cater for my family’s needs and

if possible, help my community grow too.”

- Mavis Soko, female entrepreneur

from being destructive to constructive through circular economy principles.

“My advice is always to re-evaluate any plan by thinking ‘what would a man do here? Be bold!”

Environmental impact

RubyMoon transforms ocean waste into

beautiful ‘Gym To Swim’ garments which help empower women to feel good and do good through ecological and ethical high quality active wear. All the fabric used in our garments is made from

Econyl, regenerated nylon from waste,

such as fishing nets. These nets would

otherwise be polluting our oceans, killing over 100,000 sea animals per year, so every purchase with us helps to save

regenerative and slow fashion principles.

Our ‘Gym To Swim’ capsule collection

can be worn in and out of water allowing us to do ‘more with less’ and in turn, reduces waste and consumption.

With a transparent supply chain,

manufactured ethically and safely the distribution is managed by

bagsofsupport.co.uk a charity employing working mothers.

RubyMoon are now working on an

exciting project to completely ‘close

the loop’ on our garments. By working

with two leading universities on research and development to facilitate a new

‘superfibre’ textile. Our blog is the best

place to keep updated on our process.

marine animals.

www.rubymoon.org.uk

Jo says: “We use Nylon 6, made

Photographs courtsey of Chris Parkes

Was it difficult setting up your own

sustainable fashion business? And if so, what kind of problems were you faced with?

“Just like our women entrepreneurs the issues are always the same- finance

and time. For us- we were before our

time. We spent a lot of time explaining

why we need to preserve our marine life, reduce carbon, pay a living wage and ensure a safe and transparent supply

chain and ultimately why the textiles and

clothing industry needs to change to flip

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

Kelly Thomas: Shining a light on women solicitors and barristers It was an absolute honour to be asked to take part in this article for Sussex Business Times. I thought I would take the opportunity to shine a light on women solicitors and barristers working in the world of criminal legal aid.

I am a Managing

Cover Story

Partner of the

Sussex branch of

the national criminal defence solicitors’

firm, Tuckers Solicitors. I started from

relatively humble beginnings, growing up in Dagenham in Essex, and there were few opportunities that were

presented to me at the end of my

school years. Largely the girls would marry and have children and support the men who would go into manual

work. I was very lucky in that I knew

52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

what I wanted to do from the outset,

so my career decisions were obvious,

although not easy. I worked very hard, both in education and in my part time jobs to fund my studies. I completed

my law degree and my Legal Practice Course and qualified as a solicitor in 2008.

From a very young age I always

believed in equality of arms, and it has always been my passion to seek fair

treatment and justice, both for those

accused of crimes and their accusers.

I have a part to play in being a voice in the police station and the courtroom for anyone accused of a crime. It is especially important where those

accused are vulnerable, for example

due to their mental health or age. I have seen many changes over the years, but most notably the considerable

reduction in those vulnerable people

getting access to legal representation.

Since 2012, year on year, there have

been sweeping funding cuts for legal aid specialists which has caused

COVER STO RY

The profession is hugely

underpaid, and is not set up to allow for forward planning, some courts

only issuing the times of their hearings as late as

5.30pm for the following day. On the salaries that solicitors and barristers make, it is not viable to have to pay for all day

childcare, travel several hours for a hearing

which takes less than 15 minutes, and then return to find you have spent

more on childcare than you have earned in the

day. It is not uncommon to spend a full day

representing numerous

clients at court, and then remain on call in the

evening and weekends for last minute police

station interviews. It is becoming unworkable and there is now a

crisis in criminal legal aid which simply has relentless and widespread under

resourcing. The natural consequence of this is that many have left the

profession in their droves, overworked and underpaid for what is in fact an extremely demanding and stressful

job. The criminal court case backlog

existed long before, but the pandemic has accelerated the increasing rate of delays in the system.

This has affected all genders in the

profession. For this article I focus on

the impact on women, who historically take the lion’s share of childcare, and

who have suffered particular hardship.

I am observing brilliant women who just would not step into, or stay in, a profession like this as it is nearly

impossible to have a work/life balance.

to change. The only

sensible answer is to

increase funding. The profession

is now at a point where graduates

aren’t choosing to work in crime and

shortly, there will be little or no choice for those vulnerable people but to

represent themselves in court. The

system is now at breaking point. This has been bubbling away for years.

Those interested may wish to follow the progress of the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid.

enjoy picking apart the legal elements of a case and the banter of the

courtroom is beyond compare. I enjoy it just as much now as I did then, and this is what keeps me loyal to the

cause. Whether you win or lose your arguments, there is no beating the

feeling of leaving court knowing you have presented your case well.

I know I am in good company for this article with the wonderful women

also featured, all of whom are rightly respected for each of their own

achievements. I simply acknowledge

those women who still, in 2022, have to make a choice between a family

and a career, due to issues like these.

We have achieved a great deal, but there is a long way to go to ensure equality in all areas.

Kelly Thomas

Managing Partner Sussex Branch

Tuckers Solicitors www.tuckerssolicitors.com

On a lighter note, those still fighting clearly have a loyal and feisty

determination to offer a voice and

access to justice for those in need.

I personally fell in love with the job

the first day I got on my feet and the

profession is stuck with me now! I still

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

C OVE R STORY

Rebel supermarket brand that puts people and the planet first Ruth Anslow was a pioneer of social enterprise businesses twelve years ago when, together with her sister, Amy Denro, she embarked on a remarkable journey - launching a rebel supermarket brand that puts people and the planet first.

Joined by Jack

Cover Story

Simmonds in the year of its launch, HISBE

(How It Should Be) is

a beacon of light for a

growing number of consumers who want local, seasonal food and packaging free options from a retailer and producers committed to ethical practices. With

stores in Brighton and Worthing, HISBE

is an award-winning business that is not afraid to put its people, sustainability and animal welfare before profit.

54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The concept has been remarkably

successful, with many other brands now following its example.

We spoke to Ruth about being a woman running a purpose-led enterprise and

discussed how International Women’s

Day can be a launchpad for women with new ideas.

You are a recognised leader in purposeled businesses, what are you doing to

inspire others to follow the same path?

Through our Bootcamp scheme, I

mentor and help other food businesses.

I also support social enterprises through business clubs, including Coast To

Capital, the Small Business Charter,

Power To Change and the Impact Hub. I also founded The Good Business

Club with my friend, Sara Osterholzer, to help purpose-led entrepreneurs

connect, work and learn together. It’s

close to my heart. I know it is difficult

to run a business at the best of times, but purpose-led businesses have

COVER STO RY unique challenges. We’ve seen that

collaboration is key to creating a lasting impact. The Club happens to have

a lot of female members from a very broad range of sectors. We support those with businesses that have

sustainability goals. What unites our

members is that they are in business for more than just money. They want

to make a contribution to society and

the environment. I mostly support food shops and food brands, because I’ve already made the mistakes they are

going to make. We talk about staffing,

finances, getting customers and all the

personal stuff like self-belief, confidence and burnout.

What has been your biggest

explain what your vision is. Get help

achievement so far?

from like-minded people who have

Getting the first HISBE shop open. In

having faith in your idea and taking that

my sister in a flat in Brighton with an

was based on a burning concern about

idea off the ground and there were a

it is”. Why are we flying food all over

telling us we wouldn’t do it. It was a

are available - especially when you

Lucas cut the ribbon. We had created a

damage of using gas and oil? I

a lot of people turned up to support

transparency on things like food waste,

our crowdfunding scheme - we raised

brand supports many local producers,

they had money-off vouchers to spend.

some of them HISBE kept them going

done something similar. It’s all about

the beginning it was just myself and

leap. For me, the idea for a business

idea. It took three years to get that

food and the need to challenge “how

lot of people around us at that time

the world when local, seasonal options

wonderful day. Brighton MP Caroline

consider the cost and environmental

following before the shop opened and

was concerned there was a lack of

us. Many of them had participated in

slave labour and climate change. Our

£30,000 through that channel - and

who all have great back stories, and for

People just wanted to come in and see

during the pandemic.

sustainably sourced products. It had

How do you see the future for social

lovely locally-made food and our other

been a hard journey, but that day I was

enterprises?

like an enormous achievement.

I see growth. Businesses have to go this

What would you say to another woman

enterprises in the UK. They contribute

elated. We got a lot of press and it felt

way. There are now over 100,000 social

thinking of starting a business?

£60 billion to UK GDP and employee over

The best time to start is before you are

as the future of business - big business. It

everything to be perfect. I would

goals at the heart of the economy -

it with as many people as possible and

movement. 47% of social enterprises are

2 million people. I see social enterprises

ready. Most people put it off, wanting

is about putting sustainable development

encourage them not to wait; talk about

and women are at the forefront of the

led by women and 83% of leadership

teams include a woman. This is far higher

than other forms of business – only 6% of FTSE100 companies have female CEOs

and only 18% of SMEs are 50%+ owned by a woman.

Was Brighton the best place to launch HISBE?

We looked at Brighton and we looked at

Bristol. There were several places where we could have started; places where there was food activism and ethical

concerns about food. But, we said: ‘If it doesn’t work in Brighton, it is not going to work at all.’ And, for us, it really was the best place to launch.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women’s Day showcases

what women can do - all their great work and achievements. It is inspirational

because it shows other women that they can be successful too.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55

56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT SALES & MARKETING

AUTOMOTIVE AGENCY ACCELERATES INTO 2022 WITH SIXTY SEVEN DEGREES

ARE YOU BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, OR TRYING TO SELL?

BY LEARNING COG

SBT SALES & MARKETING SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57

SA L E S & MARK E T I N G

Automotive agency accelerates into 2022

67 Degrees is an automotive website and marketing agency doing things differently. Its unique approach to the industry, paired with unrivalled customer service has seen the business grow from strength to strength during 2021, when the company more than doubled its team.

Supporting a cross-

Sales & Marketing

section of car

dealerships across the country, 67

Degrees works with

independent and prestige dealers, car supermarkets, and multi-franchise

groups, delivering striking and impactful results for the trade.

Since 2016, the agency has been at

the forefront of creating award-winning

websites and digital marketing strategies for car dealerships all over the UK, and in its home county of Sussex.

Website launches and welcoming new clients

58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Automotive marketing is evolving, and

67 Degrees is well positioned to help its customers stand out from the crowd by

driving businesses beyond the forecourt and into a digital marketplace.

As well as welcoming influential new clients from across the industry, the

team has launched websites for Sussexbased car customers, including; Premier GT, Monza Sport, Tempest 4 Cars,

Manor Car Sales, and more recently,

Lighthouse Car Centre in Shoreham.

Justin Woodford, 67 Degrees co-founder and CTO, says: “The success of any

dealer’s digital presence should be a

fundamental part of their strategy and

growth. From an independent dealership with just 10 cars in stock, to a giant car

supermarket with hundreds of vehicles on offer, we can cater for any size business.

“Our platform is not a one-size-fits-

all solution; we understand that every customer is different, so each of our

website builds requires a unique and

bespoke approach. Ultimately, we are

here to bring our clients ideas to life in the best possible way.”

Functionality is key to an outstanding

website, so 67 Degrees work with a wide variety of third-party providers to ensure seamless integrations to power any dealership’s online capabilities.

SAL ES & MA RKE TI NG

Similarly, in a world where demand for

online shopping has grown exponentially, the agency now offers its very own

e-commerce product. It works in two

ways; either allowing a car dealership’s customers to reserve a vehicle, or to

fully transact online, so a customer can have a vehicle delivered to their home

without the need of visiting a showroom in person. It’s a plugin that can totally transform the business of any dealer.

Award wins and accolades

Through the creation of innovative

products and marketing solutions, 67

Degrees have picked up many awards and commendations over the past 12

months - not only for their achievements as an agency, but also for their customers’ successes too.

In 2021, 67 Degrees were recognised in the annual Car Dealer Power Awards,

designed to highlight the best suppliers to do business with - awards which are voted for by the dealers themselves.

The agency celebrated winning the ‘Website Provider for Independent

Dealers’ award for the fourth year in a

row, as well as the coveted ‘Extra Mile

Award’ for the second year running - an accolade not yet achieved by any other business in the trade.

It’s safe to say the 67 Degrees team

were over the moon with both these

achievements. Laura

Coleby, the company’s co-founder and CEO, says: “It’s extremely humbling to be

recognised by our peers

in the industry by bringing home some prestigious industry awards over the last few months.

This type of recognition

pays tribute to our ethos of working closely with

our customers, in order to

achieve outstanding results.”

As for its customers, 67 Degrees

also celebrated 13 award-wins and

commendations for its online solutions and campaigns on behalf of dealers -

with hopes to do even better this year.

Laura adds: “If you are a dealership

striving for the best, wanting to own an incredible reputation and accelerate in

the industry, then we would love to hear

from you - your business and ours could be the perfect fit!”

Ready to recruit new talent

67 Degrees is a team of like-minded

professionals all working towards the same goal; to be the leaders and innovators in their field, whilst providing outstanding

customer service. Specialising in bespoke website design, e-commerce solutions

and marketing services exclusively for the

automotive industry, the agency is actively recruiting fresh new talent to join its evergrowing team.

Located in the grounds of Brighton City Airport, the Shoreham-based company

currently has a number of job openings available, including; Paid Media

Manager, Front End Web Developer, Full Stack Software Engineer (PHP), and

an Office Administrator. From flexible working hours, a work-from-home

policy, free parking, team days out and great office perks, there’s so many reasons to join the team.

If you’re looking for a new challenge and want to be part of an award-

winning team, then 67 Degrees wants you to get in touch. To find out more,

visit 67degrees.co.uk/work-with-us for further details about each of the available roles.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59

SA L E S & MARK E T I N G

Are you building relationships, or trying to sell?

I ask this as building relationships is something we have to master pretty quickly in our role.

That could be as

Sales & Marketing

a subject matter

expert who has to sell what they do, or as a salesperson who

is out and about everyday selling their

business. Those networks we build are

vital. With each other, business owners, employees, earning their trust and

confidence is what helps us thrive.

Influencing others is something we all do when selling to customers,

pitching ideas, or getting approval from stakeholders. We are using our natural

influencing skills to lead conversations and sometimes those conversations

fall short. The problem is that what we

60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

say often isn’t enough to sway those decisions or change minds. What’s

more important is who you are and more importantly who you’re talking to.

We already know how to adapt our

approach to different audiences. We start to hone these social relationship skills

from birth, and we all have our own way of communicating. But it’s a skill that like any other can be developed and improved.

Why am I talking about this? Well,

mainly because it is all I have been talking about recently. I have been

ruining workshops for teams, sales

teams, and organisations, supporting as we all get back to normal and

integrate back into society, and the

workplace. One of the things that is

coming up over and over is that people aren’t adapting their style anywhere near as much as they used to.

In fact, Insights, the organisation,

states that 74% of people’s personal

style has changed. We are becoming

less adaptive to others. This has been put down to us working differently

during the pandemic and becoming a

bit more focussed on ourselves rather than the external focus on others.

To connect to the people around us

effectively we need to first understand how we perceive the world and then how others perceive it.

SAL ES & MA RKE TI NG

Our Perceptions

Using a psychometric tool (We use Insights

If you have a higher number in one

world through our own filters, our

lets us explore our unique approach to

your preference for this way of

know and what we believe; by the

are and how you show up to others. It

Blue, Column 2 represents Fiery Red,

things we see around us every day.

to influence, what you can learn about

and Column 4 represents Earth Green.

create is often called our ‘world view’.

important for Salespeople and, now more

If you are Fiery Red, who likes a fast-

A way for us to understand the concept

strengths and weaknesses when you are

you are dealing with Earth Green, who

We all see and experience the

Discovery, there are several out there)

of the columns this could indicate

perceptions are coloured by what we

influencing others. It looks at who you

working. Column 1 represents Cool

labels that we use to describe the

also looks at the people that you need

Column 3 represents Sunshine Yellow

This belief and knowledge system we

them to help you build a connection. It is

than ever before, to learn more about your

paced action-oriented meeting, and

of ‘world view’ is to think of it as a map.

interacting with your customers.

likes a calm meeting where they have

destination but you have been given the

If you can learn to understand your

that these two styles may clash. It is

on the map you got and instead of London

your style to their needs, then you are

meeting you get the opportunity to

been labelled London. You are now the

relationships widen your influence and

your customer and build a better,

Think of attempting to arrive at a specific

some time to think, this could mean

wrong map. There was a download error

customers on a deeper level and adapt

here that as the person leading the

you have a map of New York, but it has

on to a winner. You can build stronger

adjust your style to the needs of

only person looking at the map, no one

even improve your sales performance.

stronger relationship.

how frustrating it must be as you try to

Here is a quick way to have a think

Being influential starts with you

Choose all the words that you feel are

natural strengths. You can develop

else can see it or appreciate it. Think about navigate your way to the destination.

about what your preference might be.

and how you choose to use your

If you keep hold of the wrong map, all that

representative of you:

the knowledge you need to adapt

Self-help books, coaching, the people

1.

2.

attitude. This can help, but if you still have

Consistent

Determined

will be happy while you are lost.

Analytical

will happen is you will get lost quicker.

around you often say to adopt a positive

Accurate

the wrong map all that will happen is you

Logical

One approach to look at new maps is

Concise

Assertive Daring

Strong-Willed

world view. It is important to be open to

Friendly

Stable

maps. When selling this becomes so

Engaging

Fun

much more important.

Enthusiastic

connecting more than converting your conversations will never fall short.

www.learningcog.com

4.

change and able to understand others

completely unique. If you focus on

By Ric Hayden

3.

Sociable

each individual as what they are -

Driven

to examine your own mental maps and

avoid being too attached to your current

to different circumstances, treating

Calm

Caring Loyal

Harmonious

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61

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SBT

COVER FE ATU RE

TECH

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: HERE TO EXTRAORDINARY WITH MATT BAGWELL WITH SILICON BRIGHTON

HOW EXTECH CLOUD HELPED A START-UP BUSINESS IN THE FINANCIAL SECTOR A CASE STUDY BY EXTECH CLOUD

SBT TECH SPONSORED BY:

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TEC H

Speaker Spotlight: Here To Extraordinary With Matt Bagwell

Each one of us has the capacity to be extraordinary. So do our teams. And companies.

What can we all learn

Tech

from a local ultra-

endurance athlete, entrepreneur and

coach, who ran 628

miles across England in less than a

month, about unlocking that potential?

We recently hosted a special evening

at PLATF9RM with guest speaker Matt

Bagwell, inspiring us to think differently and perform better.

Matt is a Performance Coach,

Endurance Athlete and Advanced Oxygen Advantage™ Breathwork

Instructor. His career spans Executivelevel creative leadership, driving highperformance team cultures, working for companies including Dell EMC,

AKQA, Barclays, Salesforce, B&Q, Virgin

64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Atlantic and Zego. Simply put, Matt

Can you tell us a bit about yourself

can; to realise their full potential through

I am a coach. There’s lots of words

helps people to perform as well as they conversation and practical exercises.

The night saw over 160 businesses and individuals from the local

digital and tech community come

together, both online and in-person, to hear Matt’s extraordinary story

about running 22 consecutive ultramarathons in under a month, all to

raise money and awareness for the

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), as well as his battles with

and the work you do?

that people use to prefix “coach”, like Business, Performance,

Transformational… I combine many

of these areas to support people who

want to optimise their professional and personal life. I’m also an Advanced Oxygen Advantage Breathwork

Instructor, teaching people how to

breathe better, from everyday individuals like myself, to elite athletes to huge teams and companies.

mental health, what helped him change

How and why did you become a

uses to help others.

I started with a virtual run during

his outlook, and the learnings he now

We caught up with Matt following the

event to learn a little more about him...

fundraiser for CALM?

lockdown. I had had discussions with

CALM about marketing in my role as a

agency leader, so I knew how important

TECH

activations are to them. After that first

10km, I decided to dedicate my running activities to helping them raise as much

money and awareness as possible. I have had struggles with my mental health in

the past, planning to take my own life on two occasions. In fact, suicide is one of the biggest causes of death in the UK,

especially in young men. I wanted to use my story to help others.

Tell us about Run The Country, plus your best and worst bits?

Run the County was one of those crazy

ideas that you have, that I actually went

on to do! 22 consecutive ultramarathons across every county of England,

it’s three easy steps. Keep it simple. Make

a month. It was an adventure, with

it matter. Tell other people what it is.

mattcoaching.com. Oh and LinkedIn?

The lockdown meant it was moved

What piece of advice would you give

We want to support you! How can we

to run! The worst part. Ah, there were

Have faith and follow you heart. I am

Please donate generously here.

low. I remember one 8-hour stretch in

and a job that I love. It works for me.

And finally, Silicon Brighton wouldn’t be

The best bit? Meeting new people who

We all have mental health – good or

to the community so… what does the

conversations and getting to watch

better maintain good mental health?

covering 1012 kilometres in less than months of preparation and planning. twice so I spent nearly two years ready

your younger self?

a few occasions where my spirits were

blessed with a wonderful family, friends,

the pouring rain that nearly broke me. joined me along the way; I loved the

people smash their own personal goals.

Can you tell us about a moment that helped define your career?

At my age, there’s been so many. However,

bad. What things can we all do to Gosh, that’s a simple question with a lifetime of answers. Breathe well,

meditation (quiet thinking), eat good food,

hydrate, spend time loving yourself, spend time with friends, look up, look out. Run,

I’m here.

do that?

here without people like you giving back word community mean to you?

Community is to share time and space with other humans, wherever. Yes, it’s where I live, and networks such as

Silicon Brighton too. But it extends

further than this, across boundaries.

A community is wherever I give my

I can remember my first professional

walk, cycle, swim. Laugh, dance, shout.

show how I would complete a simple task

down. Say yes. Say no.

Highlights of Matt’s talk will soon be

struggled. I turned to the interviewer and

Honestly, my life is pretty much dedicated

you missed it or would like to watch

faster than anyone else in this studio.”

fact, just think of it as health – a priority.

later? That would be telling…

So…what’s next for you?

Coaches talk a lot about goal

distance to the date every day in

interview very clearly. I’d been asked to on a Mac. I wasn’t an expert, so I really

said “if you hire me, in six weeks I will be

Cocky? Maybe but I got the job. Six weeks

setting - how do you suggest people go about doing that?

Goal setting can be made more

Don’t forget to have fun. Put your phone

to this now. Make your mental health – if

496 kilometres, running the equivalent March. And yes, it’s to continue my fundraising for CALM.

complicated than it should be. You need to

How can people get in touch with you?

and why. You need to know yourself. Then

Instagram. For me as a coach, matt@

really question what you want to achieve

For breathwork, @lovetolearnto on

attention and consciousness.

up on our YouTube channel in case

it again, so be sure to subscribe to be notified when it goes live!

Working hand-in-hand with Brighton’s tech community, we run a range of free meetup groups that cover a

broad spectrum of specialist areas; from marketing to programming,

product design to data. Check out

what’s coming up here and join our

community of like-minded individuals in the local tech scene.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 65

TEC H

Case study: How Extech Cloud helped a start-up business in the financial sector When financial services provider Verdant Financial Planning was founded in 2020, the founder recognised the importance of choosing a dependable, flexible and easily accessible IT solution, which has supported the company in getting to where it is today.

Putting its IT system

Tech

completely in the

Cloud with Extech Cloud from the

start has not only

helped Verdant Financial Planning to run smoothly and effectively, it has

66 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

also enabled successful growth. The

advice because we have experience

growing to a team of eight staff, just

wealth management industry. On the

business began with just one employee, eighteen months later.

Verdant Financial Planning originally

approached Extech Cloud for expert

working with start-up businesses in the guidance of the highly experienced and

professional Extech Cloud team, Verdant Financial Planning opted to position its IT network completely in the Cloud.

TECH

As the team today is based in different parts of the country, the flexibility of the IT solution provided by Extech

Cloud has also been valuable, enabling collaboration across multiple locations.

Being established in the Cloud is a

step towards one of Verdant Financial Planning’s long-term goals, which is

to become a carbon neutral business.

Extech Cloud has also helped with

specifying suitable hardware, providing

support in backing up valuable data, and ensuring compliance and cybersecurity,

alongside day-to-day support as needed.

Find out more about how we helped

Verdant Financial Planning, by reading the case study on the Extech Cloud website.

If you are starting up a new business or you are interested in transforming your

existing business in the Cloud, talk to us

about a feasibility study by calling 01444 443200, emailing info@extech.co.uk, or visiting www.extechcloud.com.

Andrew Hookway

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 67

68 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT

COVER FE ATU RE

GOOD BUSINESS

WHAT DOES A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE TEAM ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?

BY DIVERSITY AND ABILITY

SBT GOOD BUSINESS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 69

What does a diverse and inclusive team actually look like?

Diversity and inclusion isn’t a side project. It’s not a tickbox exercise. It needs to be the bedrock of your team structure and culture.

But what can you

Good Business

do to make that

happen, and show

your team that you’re genuinely committed

to celebrating diversity and fostering inclusion?

As a diverse team of disabled and

neurodiverse people, who have been

helping individuals and organisations create inclusive spaces for over a

decade, here are some of our top tips for how you can transform your team

culture and ensure everyone is included.

Get comfortable with being

zone. Being prepared to get things

wrong, and having a mindset where you recognise what you don’t know, but

should, is just good business practice.

But even more importantly, it’s also the

only mindset that creates the space for

productive conversations about inclusion.

The only way you can progress towards a more inclusive team space is by

recognising where you’ve fallen short in the past, and who you’ve excluded by

doing so. As your first step, ask your team: What have I been doing wrong?

What could I be doing more of?

What do you need from me that I’m not

uncomfortable

providing you?

Nothing good happens in your comfort

were me?

70 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

What would you do differently if you

These conversations will feel

vulnerable for all of you, so create

multiple avenues for feedback and

take your time; have meetings, send surveys, ask questions in 1-to-1

settings, and give people space to

formulate their responses. But over

time, you’ll create a feeling of mutual trust and respect, a culture where

360-degree feedback is celebrated, and an environment that your team knows is inclusive of everyone.

Centre lived experience Adam Hyland, one of our founders

and our Director of Accessibility and Inclusion, says that we should really

be talking about inclusion and diversity rather than diversity and inclusion.

GOOD BUS I N E S S

bringing in external experts to share

their knowledge and experience, give your team members the opportunity

to bring something of themselves to

this environment. We’ve worked with

groups of all sizes - from local charities to global humanitarian organisations “Diversity isn’t something we can create.

Diversity is already here. What we’ve not always got is inclusion. But if you put

inclusion first, diversity will naturally follow.”

Your team may even be more diverse than you realise, but unless you make it clear

that you recognise diversity is something to be celebrated, they may not feel safe sharing their diversity with you.

To create this culture shift, enable environments that centre lived

experience. At D&A, we build bespoke workshops led by our inclusion

specialists, all of whom have lived

experience of disablement, so you know you’re amplifying the voices that matter most in conversations about disability, diversity and inclusion.

But remember that those voices will

also exist within your team. As well as

- to support them in developing ways to recognise, amplify and celebrate the lived experiences within their

team. A series of ‘Lunch and Learn’

sessions, facilitated by experts but led by team members themselves, won’t just give individuals a space to feel

heard and represented, but also their peers a space to listen and improve.

We always prioritise this internally,

with members of the D&A community delivering sessions on topics like chronic pain, gender identity,

experiences of mental ill-health,

and many more. Not only does this

demonstrate to our team that they can safely bring as much of themselves to work as they want to, but it also

enables each of us to become better colleagues, friends and allies.

Don’t just think about what you say, but when and how you say it

A vital aspect of creating a team that’s

inclusive and diverse is ensuring that all of your communications - both internal and external - don’t exclude anyone.

For internal communications, you can take advantage of the rich resource

of communication methods we now have at our disposal. You probably

noticed how communication within

your team shifted and changed as you all adapted to home working. Perhaps those who were usually vocal in faceto-face meetings seemed withdrawn, or quieter members of the team

seemed more comfortable speaking

up. Maybe you noticed how different people used written communication methods, with some flourishing and

others struggling. No matter what your

specific observations were, we all know now just how many ways there are to communicate with our team.

This knowledge gives you an

opportunity. If you employ diverse

communication methods, you give

everyone the chance to engage and

feel heard. Make sure you’re making the most of asynchronous communications,

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 71

GODD B US I N E S S

Ellie Thompson

such as messaging platforms and emails, as well as synchronous

communications like phone calls and

meetings. Demonstrate good practice yourself by being open about what

communication you prefer and asking the same of your team members.

For example, you could add a line

to your email signature stating that

you prefer phone communication and

encouraging people to call or text you, or include in your phone’s voicemail

disability and neurodiversity to give

neurodiversity and disability inclusion,

you all the answers you need.

creating positive and lasting culture

Realise that diversity genuinely does

consultancy and support. Inclusion

make things better

shifts through bespoke workshops,

should be woven into the very fabric of your organisation’s environment; we’ll

Before you create a diverse and

help you get there. And we’re offering

need to understand why you’re doing it.

half-hour consultation to discuss your

Yes, there’s a legal requirement

your team, and how you can make that

culture where everyone feels safe,

at workplace@diversityandability.com

inclusive environment for your team, you

SBT readers the opportunity of a free priorities, challenges and vision for

and a moral imperative to create a

vision a reality. Just get in touch with us

welcomed and valued. But beyond

to find out more.

success. More and more, research

As Senior Communications Officer at

companies have higher employee

uses D&A’s communications channels

greater profits (for example McKinsey,

inclusion, share lived experience

Deloitte, 2018).

celebrates diversity. You can join D&A’s

So keep in mind that inclusion and

Inclusion), LinkedIn (diversity-and-

be your motivation for committing to

ability) as well as taking advantage of

team, and reap the rewards!

our YouTube (Diversity and Ability). To

to really get you started consider a

About the author

diversityandability.com.

on inclusive communications from

Diversity and Ability is a social

that you prefer email and people will

receive a richer and quicker response that way.

External communications are just as

important and give you the opportunity to shout from the rooftops that you

value and prioritise inclusion in all your business practices. There are so many incredibly important changes you can

make to your external communications to make them more accessible, and

a lot of them are simple shifts. Quick

fixes like including image descriptions or alternative text, and using images that represent a diverse range of

people, will make a difference. But

personalised, interactive workshop our team who have both the comms knowledge, and lived experience of

72 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

this, an inclusive team will see greater is showing that inclusive and diverse

Diversity and Ability, Ellie Thompson

retention, a better reputation, and

to help progress towards intersectional

2018, findcourses.com, 2019 and

and advocate for a future that

conversations on Twitter (@DandA_

diversity is a win-win situation, let that

ability) and Instagram (@diversity-and-

fostering an inclusive culture for your

free guides, support and insight on

enterprise led by and for disabled

people. We champion intersectional

find out more, head to our website at

SBT

CHA RITY

CHARITY

FROM LITTLE ACORNS DO MIGHTY OAK TREES GROW. THE ITALIAN JOB EVENT COINS THAT PHRASE PERFECTLY

ROCKINGHORSE PARENT TRUSTEE KICKS OFF A YEAR OF FUNDRAISING WITH THE BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON

COULD YOU BECOME A CORPORATE SUPPORTER? WITH THE STARR TRUST

A VALENTINE’S CHARITY EVENT TO WARM YOUR SOLES WITH CARE FOR VETERANS

CHOSEN CHARITY PARTNER:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 73

C HA RI T Y

From little acorns do mighty oak trees grow The Italian Job event coins that phrase perfectly.

The idea started as

Charity

little more than a

jokey conversation amongst a group

of friends in a Hove

pizzeria way back in 1989. One of

the group suggested we organise a

Beaujolais Rally style event amongst ourselves but to Italy (we were in an

Italian restaurant Topolino’s in Church Road after all). Another suggested using Minis and another still came up with the name the Italian Job.

Someone else suggested fundraising for Children In Need and Childline.

I had spent three glorious years at

University in Italy, so my input was that we take the event to my old

university town, a little known corner of North East Italy called Trento.

The idea for the Italian Job was born but at that stage that was all it was, an idea.

So the next day I took the concept to my mother Giulia. She is Italian

(Neapolitan actually) and had been

involved in the travel industry all her

working life. I knew she would have a

better idea of how to actually take the

idea from the drawing board to real life.

Chatting with her about it then, I saw a

light bulb switch on in her head and her

passion for the Italian Job was born. It’s

that don’t know, John Cooper was

88 is still very evident and strong.

the Mini Cooper. He was incredibly

Together we wrote to the city authorities

my mother and the authorities in Trento,

a passion that still to this day at aged

the motorsport legend who invented approachable and receptive and just like

in Trento and laid out the bare bones

he loved the concept.

sent a cheeky letter to John Cooper

John Cooper was heavily involved at

of our idea. They too loved it. Next, we in Ferring, West Sussex. For those

74 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

that time with Rover Group developing

what was to become the re-launch of the classic Mini Cooper in 1990. So

the timing was perfect even though it

was accidental. John took the idea of

the Italian Job to Rover. Guess what?

Just like my mother, the authorities

in Trento and John Cooper himself,

Rover Group loved it too. They loved it so much they threw a lot of effort and

CHA RITY weight behind the event and helped

open many doors for us. We were off.

So in little more than a couple of

months we’d taken the step off the drawing board into real life, with a

plan, strategy and support. Next came a series of press releases (the old

fashioned way of typing them, printing

them, and posting them, not knowing if

the idea would ever make it into column inches in motoring magazines and

newspapers). We were lucky, because it did and it appeared everywhere.

We were literally inundated with

enquiries from people to join us, so we hastily prepared an entry pack, in the old fashioned way of photocopies on coloured green, white and red paper

plus a very simple explanatory leaflet.

Our first ever Italian Job in November 1990 saw us take 55 teams to Trento for two days of adventure driving

through the Dolomites and across the region of Trentino. We had the

full support of Trento City authorities, local Police who gave us escorts

everywhere we went and the local

wine growers association who saw the Italian Job as a gentle way of

introducing their relatively unknown

but delicious wines to the UK market.

Our return route from Trento back to Brighton saw us have an overnight

pit stop in Lausanne, Switzerland and

then a crazy dash across France back to Dieppe for an overnight four hour ferry crossing to Newhaven. At 2am

in the morning the final teams arrived at Dieppe waiting for the 6am ferry.

With time to kill many teams did what any discerning Mini driver does and

started washing and waxing their cars.

It really was a surreal sight.

We arrived back in Brighton Marina

mid morning under escort from Sussex

Police to a chequered flag being waved

enthusiastically by the legend that was

Between 1990 and 2019 the colourful

was almost overwhelming.

turning heads wherever we go and we

It was an incredible event in 1990, full of

Italy: Rome, Turin, Imola F1 Circuit,

labours come together like it did was

Modena, Maranello, Bologna, Milan,

John Cooper. The sense of satisfaction

Minis of the Italian Job have been

have been to some magical places in

emotion and joy. To see the fruits of our

Monza F1 Circuit, Mugello circuit,

such a rewarding experience.

Naples, Florence and Venice. Across

Even more rewarding was our

Nurburgring, Munich, Innsbruck, Paris,

£70,000.- in total. We knew then that we

and Spa Francorchamps.

what we did.

A personal highlight for me came

The Italian Job has run every year from

months of negotiation, we managed

million pounds have been raised and

Minis onto and around quite possibly

across the UK.

their private circuit at Fiorano, near

We’ve evolved the event enormously

achievement, one of my proudest

fundraising success that first year…

just had to do it again, and that’s exactly

Europe we have stopped at the

Reims, Geneva, Monte Carlo, Dijon

in 2005 when somehow, after many

1990 to 2019 and in those years 3

to persuade Ferrari to let us drive our

donated to incredible children’s charities

the most hallowed asphalt on earth…

Maranello. It was quite simply an incredible

in the interim years and of course

moments of the Italian Job to date.

along the way. We now have satnavs

The pandemic of course suspended the

which makes the task of actually

our next event in October 2022.

much easier. We are now a 12 day

I would urge anyone reading this to

competitive navigational ‘rally’ as part

with a real difference. We can promise

competitive element has elevated the

fun, driving on incredible roads and in

benefitted massively from technology and mobile phones for instance,

getting to the start line in Italy that

Italian Job, but we’re back and planning

long event and incorporate a mildly

consider joining us for a fundraising event

of our driving experience. Adding this

all teams an unforgettable few days of

event even further.

some breath-taking spots, fabulous

We have a fully equippped service crew

we wind our way across Europe to Emilia

who accompany us on our travels, to

and back to Blighty.

continue to turn. They often break and,

All you need is the volition, time to

means they need some extra special

a Mini. We accept any age, shape, size

manned by two qualified mechanics,

ensure the wheels of the mighty Minis

camaraderie and amazing adventure as

Romagna, Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont

covering nigh on 3,000 miles in 12 days,

participate and fundraise and of course

tender loving care.

or colour of Mini, so beg, borrow or

In 2001, the New MINI was born and we

pursuit of our next fundraising target of 4

‘steal’ one and join us as we set off in

accepted them as participants straight

million pounds for children’s charities.

away in 2000, had been heavily involved

It really will be the second most fun thing

away. John Cooper, who sadly passed in the creation of the new MINI so, for

you can do in a Mini.

the new form of the mighty Mini.

www.italianjob.com

us, it was only right that we welcomed

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 75

Rockinghorse parent trustee kicks off a year of fundraising with the Brighton Half Marathon Sam Thomas joined thousands of runners in this year’s Brighton Half Marathon, raising money for the charity after his son Luca needed emergency care when he was born.

Sam, from Saltdean,

Charity

ran in the event to

kick off 12 months of fundraising

challenges, aiming

to raise £10,000 during Rockinghorse’s 55th Emerald anniversary year.

Sam, the co-founder of County

Business Clubs and managing director of Sussex Business Times and

FirmBalls, joined the Rockinghorse

board in February 2021 as their first

Parent Trustee. This was following his

76 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

family’s experience at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Alexandra

Children’s Hospital where his twins were born in 2015.

While daughter Sienna was born without any complications, Sam’s son Luca

struggles to survive due to a prolapsed cord. Immediately the medical staff

rushed to help him, giving him oxygen

and ‘cooling mat’ treatment that stopped his brain from swelling.

Despite these interventions, they were

given the devastating news that Luca may not survive and, if he did, he

would likely face severe brain damage.

But thanks to the dedication and care

shown by the incredible staff at the unit, Luca slowly built up his strength and

the family started to get more positive feedback from the doctors.

Eventually, after four weeks, they were finally able to take Luca home to meet

Sienna and after two years of monitoring and testing, he reached every milestone along with his sister.

CHA RITY

It was at this point that Sam decided

to do as much as he could to support

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity so that

other families who find themselves in the same difficult situation can get all the support they need.

Sam said: “Over the past six years we’ve organised various events, fundraisers

and auctions raising funds to go to the people and equipment to whom we literally owe our lives.

“Now, as a Trustee, I aim to continue

my support and want to do even more to spread awareness and support for

this incredible charity. In this, their 55th year and my first full year as a Trustee,

I wanted to make as much of an impact as possible, so I am aiming to raise

£10,000 over the year through a variety of events and challenges including lots

of running, a 24-hour podcast marathon and even jumping out of a plane!

“This race is the first of many this year and it’s great to get things started

with such a wonderful event. It was

lovely to see so

many supporters

along the course, especially the

Rockinghorse

cheering squad

outside the Grand – they really

help keep your

motivation up.”

Donna Holland,

Rockinghorse CEO

said: “This is such a

brilliant idea, what an incredible challenge

for 2022 and for our Emerald year. We will be helping Sam every step of the

way in reaching his goal – from cheering him on at events like this, to staying up with him for his podcast-athon!

“Having someone like Sam on our

Team, as such a vocal supporter of the work we do, as well as a committed and passionate Trustee makes such a difference to us. As a small local

charity, people like Sam enable us to

support thousands of babies, children and their families every year. We can’t wait to get cheering and helping him achieve this marvellous milestone.”

So, if you’ve been inspired to sign up

for your own challenge after seeing the

runners in this year’s half marathon, take a look at the Rockinghorse website at

www.rockinghorse.org.uk or call them on 01273 330044. And to support Sam

in his £10k Challenge, just visit his Just Giving Page here.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 77

Could you become a Corporate Supporter?

The Starr Trust has one main objective: to Remove Roadblocks that young people may be facing, to give them the opportunity to completely change the trajectory of their lives.

Your kind support

Charity

by us for

can change a young

7 years. In

person’s life forever. It

2021 she

can help them achieve

was awarded

their goals, encourage

a wild card

independent thinking, develop a social

to Junior

conscience and fill them up with self-

belief. With your support we can help them succeed and thrive in whatever

Wimbledon Alicia

they put their minds to.

Who We Are

We are an independent, family-run

charity. Our income comes entirely from community fundraising, events and

donations from generous companies and individuals. Thanks to our key

benefactor, Seico Group, covering

all our overheads, all funds raised go directly to our cause.

Who We Support Alicia

Tennis player Alicia has been supported

78 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

where she

was the only British girl

to reach the

quarter final, losing only to the World No1. Alicia is following her dream

by moving to University of Florida to continue and progress her tennis.

it further. We have supported Hannah

over the years to buy equipment, help with training costs and mentoring to develop her confidence. Hannah is

now a senior lead instructor running sessions of her own!

Nathan

Nathan applied to the Trust for a racing

wheelchair when he was 11. Our support enabled him to compete Internationally

for England at the Cerebral Palsy World Games 2018 in Barcelona. Nathan

Said; “The Starr Trust support isn’t

only financial, they have

Hannah

also provided

Kayaking transformed Hannah’s life

opportunities

after she faced some challenges at

for me to

school. After 3 years, she became

develop as a

very skilled and was keen to compete

person. I will

at a higher level, however the costs were prohibitive for her family and

they were unable to support her with

always be Nathan

grateful to the Starr Trust.”

CHA RITY

How can you get involved?

Attend one of our events…

Sponsor an event or donate an

We have a diary of events listed on our website - from golf days to black tie

events - there’s something for everyone!

Get in touch to sign up for news updates

from us to hear what we have coming up.

Take on a Team Challenge!

auction prize!

Sponsor a Starr

The Starr Trust relies on the generous

By sponsoring a Starr, you

donations of businesses to help as many

can help us to remove

young people as possible.

roadblocks that a young

To find out more about becoming a

person may be facing and

corporate supporter, scan here:

give them the opportunity to completely change the

Run a marathon, jump out of a plane,

trajectory of their life, from as

cycle across France with our team…

little as £125 per month.

We have a huge variety of challenges to choose from and you’ll be

supported by us every step of the way.

Sponsor a Starr

Sponsored Bike Ride

Winter Ball

Nicholas Taylor – Partner and Head of Media & Entertainment - Healys LLP

enable them to prosper in their chosen fields including education, sport and

the arts. It has been a privilege to get

“It is an honour to work closely with The

to know the team and see the real

have had the opportunity to see first-

I look forward to continuing to support

support and other resources provided

projects such as their mentoring

Starr Trust Charity. As an Ambassador, I

difference their dedicated work makes.

hand, how their mentoring, financial

the charity through their ongoing

have helped young people in order to

schemes and local fundraising events.”

Meet the New Starr Trust Ambassadors…

Jason Burrill,

Fran Dirand,

Dr Marc Abraham

Brother Winner

Cycling Team

Author, and Animal

Developer said: “It

the Trust said: “I’ve

says: “I’m really

announced as an

the work Starr

the Starr Trust and

Actor, Big

Personal Trainer,

OBE, Media Vet,

and Property

Leader and friend of

Welfare Campaigner

is an honour to be

always admired

proud to support

Ambassador to the

Trust do to help

all the opportunities

Starr Trust. It’s exciting to get involved

young people. It is the greatest honour

it provides for young people, often from

supports young people to achieve their

this inspiring organisation, which has

hopes, dreams, and aspirations.”

the future brings to everyone the Trust

I look forward to leading more bike

Please do something positive and

to help wherever I can.”

people’s lives for a long time to come.”

or visit www.starrtrust.org

with such a committed charity that

to be asked to be an Ambassador for

dreams... I look forward to seeing what

become like a second family to me.

supports and to working with the team

rides and making a difference to young

less fortunate backgrounds, to fulfil their

contact us today enquiries@starrtrust.org

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 79

C HA RI T Y

A Valentine’s charity event to warm your soles

On February 13 an event involving a barefoot walk over red-hot coals raised over £6,000 in vital funds for a Sussex-based veterans’ charity.

Twenty-four

Charity

eager but slightly apprehensive

fundraisers took part in the Valentine’s

Firewalk at Thomas A Becket Pub in Worthing. They walked over wood embers measuring around 800

degrees to support Care for Veterans.

The charity provides care and

rehabilitation to disabled ex-armed forces personnel from its 60-bed

facility on Boundary Road. The event

was sponsored by local estate agents, Aspire Residential.

Participants explained why they decided to step out onto the burning embers to complete the challenge:

Sam Woodger, said: “As it’s my birthday and I am 18 months free of cancer, I

decided to support this very worthwhile local charity.”

From Britton & Time Solicitors, Lissie, Theresa and Sophie bravely took the challenge and didn’t let fear inhibit

their actions, walking safely across hot coals to meet their fundraising target.

They said: “It was great, it was so much fun and really exhilarating. The team

at Britton and Time Solicitors is really

proud to support Care for Veterans to

help provide care and rehabilitation for ex-military personnel with neurological and medical disabilities.”

Lou Wilkins, who completed the

challenge, said: “I’ve got to be honest I was both excited and nervous, but

I am humbled to be supporting such

80 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

an amazing cause. On a personal

disabled veterans achieve their

note, I can’t think of anything better

rehabilitation goals.

mentally. After all, if I can do this, then

Current residents are aged between

doubt holding me back.”

have Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) or a

Christine Gillott, Senior Fundraiser

such as multiple sclerosis, motor

to challenge myself physically and

I can achieve anything without my self-

36 and 101 years old, and the majority degenerative neurological condition,

at Care for Veterans, said: “It was

neurone disease and Parkinson’s.

my ‘hottest’ year yet. I joined our

The charity receives no regular

fears to support the residents at Care

over £1.5 million each year to maintain

challenge of their lives. Many of them

ex-Service personnel and their immediate

but are prevented by their disabilities.

nursing, physiotherapy, occupational

and our sponsors, Aspire Residential.

therapy to help rehabilitate those who live

a ‘burning’ desire to make 2022

amazing supporters and faced my

Government funding and must raise

for Veterans, who face the toughest

its nursing and rehabilitation services for

would love to participate in the Firewalk

families. It provides services such as

Thank you to everyone who took part

therapy, and speech and language

The proceeds from this event will

there to live more independent lives.

personnel get the specialist care and

For more information about Care for

lives and regain their independence.”

www.careforveterans.org.uk.

help ensure our disabled ex-military

rehabilitation they need to improve their

All proceeds will support Care for

Veterans to provide its comprehensive and high standard of care to help

Veterans, visit

SBT MOTORING NEWS

BRINGING LUXURY TO THE 7 SERIES: THE BMW 2022 7 SERIES

THE FASTEST SPEEDING OFFENCES EVER WITH RIVERVALE LEASING

SBT MOTORING NEWS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 81

MOTO RI N G N E WS

Bringing luxury to the 7 Series: The BMW 2022 7 Series

BMW has long set

Motoring News

the standard high with its high-end,

luxury motors. As its most famous model

enters its seventh generation, BMW is reimagining the luxury car landscape

with the BMW 2022 7 Series. The new 7 Series incorporates defining technology from earlier models and new luxury

elements under the current 7 Series.

This vehicle is the newest contender in

the luxury car market. Available in diesel and petrol equivalents, the BMW 2022

7 Series will focus on combining power and cutting-edge design to create a

generation-defining car. And if growing concerns about the environment are

high on your agenda, BMW is actively

addressing this by releasing the updated all-electric BMW i7.

Want to know more about the 2022 7

Series? We’re here to take a closer look at this model and help you decide if it’s the right car for you.

Meet the BMW Luxury 7 Series 2022 As a brand, BMW has continuously distinguished itself from the rest of

the market, boasting luxury and high

82 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

performance across every model it has

produced. BMW has released its cars in every corner of the globe, and in 2020,

it enjoyed its highest-ever annual sales

figure, with 144,218 BMWs sold in the UK. This car is certainly no exception.

Designed with the distinctive features

consumers have come to expect from one of the biggest car manufacturers

in the world, it combines the modular Cluster Architecture (CLAR - found

under the current 7 Series), as well as the staple rear-wheel drive.

Moving away from its older five series design, BMW introduces a bespoke headlight design to distinguish this

vehicle from its older saloons. This car

also features slimmer, sleeker taillights

and the ability to adapt to any climate or environment. In short, the BMW 2022 7

Series combines the beloved aspects of the earlier ranges while actively moving

towards innovation - making it the ideal vehicle for any BMW lover.

Performance

Anticipated to be a worthy contender against the Mercedes EQS and Tesla

Model S, the 2022 7 Series will prioritise efficiency above all else. It’s set to be

the first BMW with various alternative drive technologies offered alongside it. BMW chairman, Oliver Zipse, has

indicated that hybrid, petrol, and diesel models will be released. An all-electric

version of the 7 Series will be available as a separate model - the BMW i7.

BMW is yet to release official details on the specification of the 2022 7 Series.

However, various industry experts expect

BMW to continue offering different ranges featuring four and six-cylinder engines.

These engines will likely utilise 48v mildhybrid technology to promote efficiency and maximise performance.

As emissions laws have impacted

previous BMW engines, such as the

flagship V12 across Europe, experts

predict that a V8 engine will likely return for the 2022 7 Series models. However, for the plug-in hybrid variations of this car, a significant increase in electric range and efficiency is expected.

Aesthetics

Perhaps more distinguishable from

earlier models, the 2022 7 Series will

feature large kidney grilles alongside the

newly designed headlights. And if you’re looking for luxury, the 7 Series’ striking

MOTOR I NG N E WS

design innovation is sure to deliver.

Ditching the former daytime running lights and main headlights, BMW

introduces split units, the latter being located at the car’s rear bumper.

With a streamlined nose referencing the iX SUV, the 2022 7 Series will

be available in standard and longwheelbase layouts. Check out the

Rivervale review of the iX SUV. The

length of the layout will depend on the trim level of the model.

Although innovation is an important component in the majority of the 7

Series, the 2022 7 Series leans more on traditional BMW conventions towards the rear. This is demonstrated by the taller reshaped boot lid and slimmer

tail-lights. In addition, higher trim models will feature a twin-exit exhaust system

set into the diffuser to increase power.

Check out who is eligible to lease a car guide to find out more about the finance application process.

Sustainability and Driving

BMW 7 Series leasing prices start

The 2022 7 Series range is expected

from £877.69 inc. VAT per month

diesel and 3.0-litre turbo petrol

Conclusion

turbo V8. A hybrid equivalent model is

BMW 2022 7 Series, the vehicle is

electric range. Each variation of the

Mercedes, so it’s set to be one of the

overall power of the model while

Drawing upon the distinctive and

overly excessive.

while still striving for innovation, the

Alongside the diverse range of engines,

options to the luxury car landscape.

feature plush and supreme technology,

about BMW History and some fun

to start with a selection of 3.0-litre models, as well as a 4.4-litre twin-

Although little is yet known about the

anticipated with an expected 40-mile

expected to rival the likes of Tesla and

engine type will help to improve the

most anticipated releases in 2022.

ensuring fuel consumption is not

well-loved aspects of former models, 2022 7 Series will bring diversity and

the 2022 7 Series is expected to

If you love BMW then why learn more

comparable to that of the iX SUV, as well

Fun Facts.

drive is comfortable.

Interested? Here at Rivervale, we can

BMW 7 Series

2022 is the model you need for the

as a spacious cabin to ensure that every

help you decide if the BMW 7 Series

Specification

future, give us a call on 01273 433480.

•0 -62 MPH: 4 Seconds

at a time that works for you.

•L uggage Capacity: 515 Litres

www.rivervaleleasing.co.uk

•T op Speed: 155MPH •C O2: 247 g/km

Additionally, you can request a callback

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 83

MOTO RI N G N E WS

The fastest speeding offences ever Speeding. Something

Motoring News

we all know we

shouldn’t do, but so many of us fall into

the trap of anyway!

For most of us, it might be driving at

76 on a 70 mph motorway, or 32 in a

30mph residential street - sometimes

unwittingly, not having grasped a change of speed limit in time.

But for some, a few miles per hour is just not enough. Some drivers really

want to see what their cars can do, and actually strive to max out those top

speeds - but speeds like these were not made to be experimented with on the public roads of the UK!

The ten highest speeding offences

recorded in 2019 were all above 150 miles per hour - that’s almost a jaw-

dropping twice the legal motorway limit.

84 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Moving too fast

witnessed in the UK, covering the most

found out some fascinating information

most shocking, and the most head-

Insurance comparison site Confused

terrifyingly quick, the most idiotic, the

through a recent freedom of information

scratchingly stupid…

million drivers were caught speeding. As

Maxing out the machine

in fines, they revealed that some drivers

purr, and almost will a driver to long for

one or two miles per hour over the legal

illegal - but we sort of get it. The top

request. They discovered that in 2019, 2.5 well as notching up a massive £250 million

Okay, so some sports vehicles roar and

were not only edging the speedometer

those highest speeds. It’s still massively

limit on that stretch of road but driving at

speeds are even part of the sales spiel.

speeds wildly over the limits.

But some cars just weren’t built for speed!

The highest speed the freedom of

One man in Suffolk is a living example

a South Yorkshire driver, who managed

His speeding offence wasn’t committed

more shocking reveal, though, was the

He managed to reach an awe-inspiring

120mph - through a 20mph zone!

Cupra! It’s worth remembering that

Below we’ve listed five of the most

the manufacturer, at a top speed of

information request discovered was for

of going against the grain in this regard.

to clock up 162mph. Perhaps the

in some high-end luxury sports car. No.

driver who was caught when driving at

154 miles per hour - in his Seat Leon

shocking speeding offences ever

this model maxes out, according to 155mph, so this driver really has pushed

MOTOR I NG N E WS

the model to its absolute limit. We’re

surprised it didn’t fall to bits around him on the road!

And precisely what did this hare-brained driver receive for their troubles? Well,

this illegal driving stunt resulted in a 56day driving ban, as well as a £365 fine.

They should consider themselves lucky

after the 2017 Speeding Fine Increases - here is all you need to know!

Visit Scotland

This next driving ‘genius’ managed a

real hole in one when they reached the highest speed that the Scottish police

had ever recorded, back in 2003, whilst

Putting your money where your mouth is

Audi RS6, the driver captured their

already disqualified from driving. How

was reportedly by the Swiss police, in

rocketed up from beneath the 70mph

also - the icing on the cake - being

The biggest ever speeding fine given out

stupid can you be?

Switzerland, back in January 2010. How

Hitting 156.7mph on a stretch of the A90

because this is going to hurt. This

driver of this BMW M3 was hit with five

of… £180,000! This Swiss motorist was

considering their disqualified status.

85mph in a 50mph zone (the British

Photo finish

an 80km/h zone).

GT-R doing a terrifying 192mph

Why was the Ferrari Testarossa driver

Northamptonshire road that saw

reasons. This was both because he was

Instead, they incriminated themselves!

was calculated based on his personal

decided to film their foolhardy actions

massive £14.1 million.

later on. Unfortunately enough for them,

Escaping Scot Free?

unrelated to speeding). When the police

revealed that footage had been

We’re in love with all things motor here

found these incriminating videos stored,

themselves driving on a UK motorway at

economical car to get you from A to

much was the fine? Take a deep breath,

between Aberdeen and Dundee, the

penalty came in at the jaw-dropping sum

months in jail and a four-year driving ban,

hit with such a hefty sum whilst doing

Back in 2015, the driver of a Nissan

equivalent of Switzerland’s 137km/h in

somehow didn’t get caught on the

handed such a very large fine? For two

them hit these super-illegal speeds.

a repeat offender and because the fine

How you ask? Well, they ill-advisedly

wealth - which was assessed to be a

- presumably to show off to their mates they were later arrested (for offences

Back in May 2020, the Metro newspaper

looked through the driver’s phone, they

found online of an Audi driver filming

and the charge was made!

a staggering, sickness-inducing 201mph.

A decade-long ban from driving ensued,

capturing this illegal feat on camera, they

on top of 28 months of jail time. Worth it? We think, somehow, not!

To make matters worse, as they were

had only one hand on the steering wheel.

The police of course are keen to track

No wonder UK drivers are caught

down the driver of the car seen in the

motoring offences are speeding crimes.

online. Believed to be driving an

speeding every 5 minutes, 3 out of 4

video, which was posted anonymously

speedometer on video as it quickly motorway maximum speed limit to

reach a shocking highest speed of 201 mph. Viewers of the video online have

suggested that the stretch of motorway captured in the video is the M23, which

runs near Pease Pottage in West Sussex.

These are just five of the most astounding speeding offences we have discovered.

We must stress that such inconsiderate,

idiotic driving is nothing to be marvelled at - there’s nothing impressive about willfully endangering yourself, and countless others, on the roads.

Speeding is, arguably, the most obvious driving law to be broken. However,

there are other driving laws you didn’t know existed!

at Rivervale. Whether it’s a comfy and B or a high-end sports model you’ve

been hanging your nose over, we pride ourselves on helping you find the best car to suit your needs. With no admin fees and fixed monthly repayments, why not get in touch with Rivervale

today on 01273 433480 to discuss your

leasing options. Alternatively, request a callback at a time that suits you.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 85

86 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS

CBC IN COLLABORATION WITH FREEDOM WORKS WITH COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS

NETWORK MY CLUB PARTNERS WITH FREEDOM WORKS

BY NETWORK MY CLUB

BRIGHTON & HOVE BUSINESS SHOW

AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 87

N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS

County Business Clubs in collaboration with Freedom Works On Thursday 24th March, County Business Clubs in collaboration with Freedom Works kicked off their brand-new monthly member meet up.

Two great

Networking & Events

communities

came together and welcomed over 50 members to the

fantastic Astral towers, the newest

freedom works space in their portfolio

of 8 great work hubs across the South.

With County Business Clubs sharing

the same values and ethos as Freedom Works it would make for the perfect

partnership. The night was a relaxed environment to simply connect and

Clubs at the

amazing Astral

Towers in Crawley last month. There

was an ideal number of attendees

drawn from both

organisations, with an excellent buffet and even wine to enjoy, creating a very relaxed

atmosphere and

a great chance to

conversation over a glass of wine really

usual networking circuit. Next stop is

venue, clear lanyards and a friendly

March and I would strongly recommend

have got the balance spot on!!!”

network to attend.”

Places are limited for the Hove meet

Hove and Worthing.

Janella Merritt - Head of Fundraising

You can book your space here:

Ahead of these events, all attendees will

“It was great to link in with a range of

freedom-works-collaboration-hove-

build relationships, no hard selling and no pitching.

These monthly meet ups are designed to help people extend and grow their

network so we will be hosting a member meet up on the last Thursday of every

month, rotating between Astral Towers,

receive a list and the County Business

Clubs’ team will be on hand to introduce

you to anyone you would like to meet over a glass of wine and some light nibbles.

Here’s what a few of our members had to say:

Karl Elwood - Elwood Wines “With two great organisations collaboration.

“Great collaborations offer the best

of both worlds and when done well, it’s great to have an opportunity to

be part of it. That was the case at the launch night of the Freedom Works

Collaboration with County Business

88 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

make new connections from outside my

works. Combine that with an impressive

at Freedom Works Hove at the end of

welcome and County Business Clubs

to anyone serious about expanding their

up and we expect it to sell out early.

at Rockinghorse, children’s charity

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/

businesses in the Crawley area last

tickets-287795773907

Sussex for us and it was lovely to be able

For CBC premium members, these

We are really looking forward to the next

the membership. Membership is only

week. Crawley is a fairly new part of

share our work with a new audience.

events are included free as part of

County Business Club event!”

£14.99 a month so, if you would like

Claire Harding - Senior Protection

your space for March 31, please

Services Limited

take you through all the benefits of

to join or upgrade ahead of booking

Specialist at Aspen Financial

drop CBC an email and the team will

“I’ve tried a lot of networking events,

being a premium member.

but was really impressed with County Business Clubs’ event with Freedom

Works.. It was a relaxed but professional atmosphere with a great mix of people

and a perfect opportunity to chat openly about our businesses. Structured

networking has its place but a relaxed

N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 89

N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS

Network My Club partners with Freedom Works for exclusive members-only offering Teaming up was a ‘no brainer’ says Bradley Hatchett Networking just

Networking & Events

got a little bit more

exciting as Network

My Club announces a new partnership

with office space providers Freedom Works. Bradley Hatchett, founder

of Network My Club, and Jon Trigg, founder of Freedom Works, have

collaborated to give more offerings to their respective members.

Network My Club, an innovative

networking group with a sports twist, has collaborated with flexi-office

space provider Freedom Works. The

two business directors met earlier this year when it became “immediately clear that Jon & I shared the same

values in building communities and

Bradley Hatchett

collaboration,” Bradley commented.

(London), The Kia Oval Cricket Ground

offering Network My Club members the

Soon after their initial chat, they began

group, Vicarage Road (Watford), making

collaboration looks to be a fantastic

communities together and offering

business will thank you for but also an

(London) and their latest addition to the

chance to meet up at their spaces, the

discussing ideas on bringing both

their networking not only something your

union with a range of benefits.

added value to their respective

exciting experience for you too.

“Teaming up with Freedom Works

their businesses together. This brand

Their new partners, Freedom Works

Bradley. “Jon and I share the same

Club members to have 10 x hot desk

themselves as the South East’s agile

building communities. Our respective

at any Freedom Works space every

Gatwick, Southampton and Hove just

to one another’s communities. We look

receive 1 x free month membership

Their beautiful office spaces are not

members the chance to use Freedom

experience the unique nature of this

also give self-employed business

Works members to the NMC Family!”

business people and create an inspiring

Take advantage of this perk and others

memberships, and how they could bring

was a no brainer for me,” said

new partnership enables Network My

have shown equal success, cementing

beliefs about collaboration and

tokens and 5 x meeting room hours

office space with offices across

businesses can offer significant value

year, whilst Freedom Works members

to name a few of their many locations.

forward to giving Network My Club

to Network My Club, where they can

only aesthetically pleasing, but they

Works whilst welcoming Freedom

networking for themselves.

owners a chance to bounce off other

Network My Club hosts events at

working environment.

the South East, including The Amex

With Network My Club offering

(Southampton), Twickenham Stadium

opportunities, and Freedom Works

a range of sporting venues across

Stadium (Brighton), The Ageas Bowl

90 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Freedom Works’ members networking

with Network My Club by signing up as a member: https://bit.ly/35lp3sI

N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 91

N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS

Brighton & Hove Business Show An impressive line-up of speakers has been confirmed for the inaugural Brighton & Hove Business Show.

Taking place at the

department before directing

Topic: ‘How to use LinkedIn for lead

“Connecting Businesses” Networking & Events

Amex Stadium in

Brighton on June 23, the event aims to

connect businesses

during a day of networking that will also showcase what businesses across the South East can do for each other.

Darrel Butlin, CEO and founder of

Hexology, has been confirmed as the

headline speaker. His speech is on the

topic of ‘Social Media 3.0 where your life is really happening’.

Mr Butlin is a visionary creative

industries innovator and entrepreneur.

He combines expertise in technology

and digital media to originate cuttingedge ventures that focus on positive social impact.

With an international track record of working at the highest level within

the commercial film industry, he led an independent post-production

92 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

music videos and cinema and TV

commercials. Creator of the Digimator, a ground-breaking digital camera

technology for feature film production

used by Cosgrove Hall Films, Darrel is now based in Brighton and draws on

his film and technology experience in his work at Hexology.

Other speakers, who will lead seminars and workshops, have now been confirmed as:

Henry Laker, of UK Growth Coach.

Topic: ‘Enable your business to

advance: Moving from functional to highly profitable’. He says: “Having

the ambition to grow your business is one thing, it’s quite another to make it happen.” His speech will talk you

through how to achieve your business growth ambitions without simply throwing more of your time at it.

Emma Pearce, of Pearce Marketing.

generation’. This seminar will offer practical insights on how to best

optimise and present your LinkedIn

profile and what to post and where, to assist with your marketing. It will also explain how to use LinkedIn for lead

generation (using the free version as well as Sales Navigator).

Frank Marsh. Topic: ‘What is the

sales person’s value to a buyer today’.

This seminar will cover how a sales

person is viewed today by the buyer and what the basic points are that

a buyer looks for in a sales person

(taken direct from buyers in a two-year

study). Mr Marsh will also explain what a sales person can take from the talk

that will give them a key to unlock and engage with a buyer.

Claire Mason, CEO and founder of

Man Bites Dog. Topic: ‘How market research can help your business grow’. For this seminar, you will

N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS

Darrel Butlin

Emma Pearce

Claire Mason

Henry Laker

Frank Marsh

Mike Monk

discover how market research can

help your business scale and keep a competitive edge. Claire will explain that market research is the simplest

way for entrepreneurs and businesses to size up opportunities, find new

customers and know what others are

doing. Claire will introduce you the top three free-to-use business databases for start-ups and scale ups to use.

In addition to the speakers, the freeto-attend show will also feature a

Slo-Mo networking session hosted by Brighton Chamber.

Mike Monk is organising the event

and has been thrilled with the amount of interest shown so far. He recently sponsored a Network My Club

meeting in Brighton where he was able to talk about the show as well as its aims and objectives.

He said: “Our seminar timetable has

high-level and relevant speakers, each

offering something that will be of value

looking to grow and prosper. It is

to those attending the show.

ideal for both those in established

“The day will also offer networking

early days, including start-ups and

involving more than 400 businesses, as well as speed networking.

“Brighton & Hove Business Show

will further feature competitions and much more.”

businesses as well as those in their those considering going into business.”

He aims to attract B2B brands, and

others, from Brighton, Sussex, Surrey and Hants.

The full seminar schedule is

If you’re looking to raise your brand’s

now available to view online

potential new customers, generate leads

for future reference) at https://

not to be missed.

where you can also register for free

The show will bring the entire local

lots of stand options, making the show

awareness, introduce yourself to

(and can also be downloaded

and build your database, this is an event

brightonandhovebusinessshow.uk, show tickets or book a stand. There are

business community together - in one

affordable for businesses of all sizes.

wonderful amenities on offer at the

Brighton & Hove Business Show will run

amazing Amex Stadium.

from 10am to 3pm.

Mr Monk adds: “It will be the ultimate

To contact Mike, use the form on

for ambitious businesses who are

him on LinkedIn.

place, under one roof - with all the

networking event, specifically designed

the show website or connect with

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 93

ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2022 AT THE GRAND 08 JUNE

10:30 - 17.30 PM

SUPER EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW SOLD OUT GRAB OUR LIMITED EARLY BIRD OFFER NOW As one of the largest business events outside of London, the event has successfully inspired, educated and helped develop new professional relationships for over a thousand decision makers over the years.

NETWORK . LEARN . BE INSPIRED acumenbusinessconvention.co.uk

01273 447 065 94 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT CHAMBER NEWS

HOW TO BUILD A STRONG PERSONAL BRAND

BY BRIGHTON CHAMBER

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING SERVICE AVAILABLE THROUGH SUSSEX CHAMBER

BY ANA CHRISTIE, CEO, SUSSEX CHAMBER

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 95

C HA M B E R N E WS

How to build a strong personal brand Your personal brand can help you grow your business. Here are 5 top tips from Chamber member and Brighton Photographer Lauren Psyk.

Jeff Bezos, founder of

Chamber News

Amazon, is famously quoted as saying:

“Your brand is what

people say about you

when you’re not in the room.”

But more than that, your personal brand is your unique blend of experiences,

skills and personality traits. It’s how you present yourself to colleagues, clients

and suppliers. It helps you differentiate yourself from your competition and

stand out online. It helps you build your reputation and position yourself as an

expert in your industry. Quite simply, a

great personal brand will help you grow your business.

But how?

I’m Lauren Psyk, a Brighton headshot photographer. I’m often asked for advice on personal branding, so I

thought I’d share the love! Visuals are a

crucial element of a successful personal brand, but the words you use are

also very important. Using words and

96 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

pictures together you can build yourself a strong personal brand and rock your marketing in 2022.

Here are my 5 top tips: 1. Be visible

A successful personal brand is about

visibility. To connect with your audience, you need to let them see you and get to

know your personality. You can’t do that if you’re hiding behind a logo or stock

photography. If you include photographs of yourself in your social media posts

(even if they’re selfies), you’ll notice an uplift in engagement.

Be consistent. Show up regularly

across different social channels and

keep repeating your message. Don’t worry about sounding like a broken record. As Tony Blair’s spin doctor Alistair Campbell used to say, just

when a politician is completely sick of parroting a political slogan is the

moment the general public have only just started to notice them using it.

2. Tell a story

Storytelling is a really important

marketing tool crucial to effective personal branding.

Remember, your story is completely

unique to you and can’t be copied by

your competitors. One of the simplest

and most effective ways to tell a story is with a varied set of headshots.

Everything in your headshots - from the outfits you wear, to the locations you

choose and the props you have in the shot with you - is telling a story and giving clues to the viewer.

When people look at your headshots, they’re instantly (and often

subconsciously), making judgements

about you, what sort of person you are and whether they’d like to do business

with you. So, think about what clues you

want to give and the messages you want to get across to your audience.

3. Use colour

Your headshots are a great opportunity

CHAM BE R N E WS

Lauren Psyk

to use your brand colours, so you can

tell a consistent brand story in all your marketing. You can do this both with the clothes you wear and with the backdrops you choose.

For example, if your business is all about outdoors and adventure, shoot your

headshots in a park or rural setting with

plenty of greenery. If you want to build a personal brand that’s all about trust and

stability, blue would be a great choice. If you want to evoke feelings of optimism and positivity in your audience, get

some yellow into your headshots and brand visuals.

4. Know your audience

A great personal brand uses words and pictures which complement each other

and help to reinforce the same message.

Be sure to speak in the language your

customers use. If you’re not sure, listen for the phrases your customers use when you talk to them.

When you’re networking, ask people

what problems or ‘pain points’ they have

in their business, and then use language

posts, you can elaborate on the story in

sure the tone of voice in your copy

some things they might not have known

example, perhaps a friendly, irreverent

juices flowing!

industry. For mentors and coaches, a

Lauren Psyk is a Brighton photographer

be more suitable.

headshots for people who want to

5. Show your personality

a vibrant personal brand. She’s also a

that addresses these problems. Make

the photographs and tell your audience

is appropriate for your audience. For

about you. I hope that gets your creative

tone is suitable if you’re in a creative

more sincere, compassionate tone might

Ultimately, your personal brand is about

specialising in natural, colourful outdoor become more visible online and build

copywriter with a marketing background.

what makes you ‘you’. Don’t be afraid

Check out her website here.

audience what makes you tick! Use

Read more blogs with helpful tips,

and build engagement. Some great

members at brightonchamber.co.uk.

your favourite books. Why not think

member news, Chamber events and

to show your personality and tell your

props in your headshots to tell a story

advice and insights from Chamber

props include a notebook or some of

And stay up-to-date with the latest

outside the box and choose something

more by signing up to our mailing list.

a bit more unusual that will be a great talking point on social media?

I’ve had clients bring all sorts of weird and wacky props to their headshot

photo shoot - musical instruments,

bicycles, juggling balls, hats, their dog, and a pair of boxing gloves! In social

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 97

C HA M B E R N E WS

Mental Health & Wellbeing Service available through Sussex Chamber

by Ana Christie, CEO, Sussex Chamber of Commerce Take mental health

Chamber News

seriously

Mental health is

something that we

all have and it’s something that can

evidence the steps

you are taking in this

area. There are a range of courses, resources and support tools.

have a big impact on our lives, and the

Why is it important

mental health, and it exists on a scale

mental health of your

lives of those around us. We all have

to look after the

of good to poor, just like our physical

employees?

‘mentally healthy’ is able to make the

Investing in the

stresses of life, and function personally,

your employees

understand mental health can change as

your businesses.

through different chapters of your life.

productivity and lower

• Mental health problems are believed to

staff turnover. It also

health. A person who is considered

most of their potential, deal with the

mental health of

socially, and at work. It is important to

is beneficial to

circumstances change and as you move

It can improve

affect around one in four people each year in the UK.

• 51% of young people believe that anyone their age diagnosed with a mental health problem would be embarrassed.

• The World Health Organisation reports that close to 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide every year.

absenteeism and

demonstrates that you care about employee

health and wellbeing.

Poor mental health is believed to cost UK businesses £42bn-

Ana Christie

£45bn each year

(Deloitte, 2020) so it’s

a pressing issue to tackle.

Mental health problems can vary from

Employers also have legal obligations

severe psychological issues. We can

employees in the workplace and this

more short-term to more long-term and

to ensure the health and safety of their

help to look after our own mental health

includes their mental health.

by getting support when needed.

Our service provides businesses

Sussex Chamber has a mental

with e-learning courses, factsheets,

businesses in the management of

videos, and a national directory of

platform helps your business address

get the help they need when they

health & wellbeing service that helps

resources, surveys, educational

employee mental health. Our digital

support services so employees can

mental health issues effectively and

need it.

98 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Contact Sussex Chamber on

01444 259259 to find out more

or visit our site and complete the application form: https://www.

sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk/ MentalHealthandWellbeing

SBT LIFESTYLE

COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS TEAM UP WITH DASAKI

TO DELIVER A TEAM BUILDING EVENT WITH A DIFFERENCE FOR BRITTON & TIME STAFF

COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS WINE OF THE MONTH

WITH BRIGHTON & HOVE WINE CLUB

SBT LIFESTYLE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 99

L I FEST Y L E

Britton & Time Solicitors team up with County Business Clubs and Dasaki County Business Clubs Team up with Dasaki to deliver a Team Building event with a difference for Britton & Time Staff.

Britton and Time

Lifestyle

are one of County

Business Clubs’ Value Added Partners, and

you would have heard

from the podcast episode with Paul Britton

a lot about the culture within Britton & Time Solicitors and how Paul has created a

space where people want to work - hence

their huge growth over the past two years.

They like to do things differently at Britton & Time, so when Paul and

County Business Clubs’ Co- Founder,

Sam, discussed hosting a team building event with a difference they decided to team up with Dasaki to deliver a Greek Cypriot cooking class.

In February, 18 members of the team attended the Community Kitchen on

Queens Road in Brighton where Sam and his Uncle George shared four of their family recipes that have been

passed down through generations.

They started with Koupebia, stuffed

100 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

vines leaves but with a vegan twist. The

Sam Thomas said: “The event was

the sauce, rolling the vine leaves, whilst

kitchen is such a fantastic facility

teams of 3-4 worked together making

a true success. The community

sharing a glass of wine or two.

with amazing, friendly staff. We love

Whilst the vines leaves where cooking,

Britton & Time team and this was a

working with Paul and the fantastic

the teams then made a traditional

real joy to host this event.”

combines Greek yoghurt, lemon,

“Everyone loves to eat, and most

extra virgin olive oil.

way to bring the team together.” Paul

Finally, the teams separated again into

Britton & Time Solicitors

separate pasta dishes. The vegetarian

To find out more about Dasaki and view

macaroni dish cooked in vegetable

to book a team building event email

Greek Cypriot dip called Tzatziki which cucumber, garlic, mint and a drizzle of

vegetarian and meat eaters and made

people love to cook, so what better

Britton, Owner, Director and Solicitor,

dish was Village Macaroni, a very simple

the recipes visit www.dasaki.co.uk and

stock with Haloumi cheese and mint.

info@dasaki.co.uk

pasta with fresh plum tomatoes, spicy

To find out more about Britton & Time

Greek Cypriot Sausage and Coriander.

Solicitors visit https://brittontime.com

After the cooking had finished the team

To find out more about the Community

Family style and enjoyed the dishes

cookery-school/

The meat dish was Pasta Pastourma,

all sat around the table in a true Cypriot they had prepared.

Kitchen visit https://bhfood.org.uk/

L I FE STYLE

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 101

WI N E OF T H E MON TH

County Business Club Wine of the Month March 2022

Nutty Vintage Brut 2017 - £25.50 It’s been a few years since I last visited the lovely vineyard at Nutbourne,

positioned just North of the South Downs near Pulborough in West Sussex, in a

beautiful setting with an old mill where

you can taste the vineyards wines. We

had a lovely walk (with pram) around the vineyards which lasted around half an

hour and included a meeting with their

pack of lovely Llamas who graze in the

vineyard. The vineyard offers a range of

different growing techniques for vines on different structures around the vineyard

which offers an insight into how vines are grown across Europe.

The vineyard is well worth a visit, with the knowledgeable Olivia who will take you

through the range of wines they have to

offer. What I like about Nutbourne is that they very much do their own thing, both with their still and sparkling wines. They make a wide range of wines including

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Reichensteiner.

The winemaker’s tasting notes are; A traditional Bottle Fermented

Sparkling Wine made with Pinot Noir

and Chardonnay to create a zesty, dry,

balanced wine with excellent fruit. This

wine is matured in the bottle for 3 years before a vintage is released.

This artwork is of the vine in Winter

– old intertwined wood, resting after producing the wine, which is gently maturing in the cave.

Michael’s tasting notes:

This wine has a nice fruity nose from the

pinot noir grape together with a nice floral note. This is followed by a nice fruity

burst in the mouth with a citrus backbone followed by a nice bit of complexity from 5% of the wine being aged in oak.

Awards - 2021 Silver medal at WineGB Awards

As well as selling their wines locally

Food pairings

showcase their wines through a selection

From the vineyard:

to vintners and restaurants they also

of their own restaurants in London. A nice touch with Nutbourne is the art on each bottle, just as Nutbourne wines are only made from grapes grown on the estate, every bottle features owner Bridget Gladwin’s paintings.

This month’s wine of the month is their Nutty Vintage Brut 2017 which is their

latest release of sparkling wine for 2022.

Nutty Vintage Brut 2017

It is traditional champagne method

style and offers a bit more substance for the start of spring.

102 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Nutty Vintage can compete with any sparkling wine in the world. Great

for lavish entertaining and special

celebrations, it is a lovely aperitif to pair with canapés, oysters, smoked salmon

and quail eggs. It is also a treat to cut the sweetness of rich chocolatey desserts.

From Michael:

The Nutty Vintage will work well as an

aperitif or with food with salty nibbles such as smoked salmon canapés, local salami (such as Rebel) or a mushroom pate.

Fact of the month for English Wines -

The English wine sector is up to about 3,800 ha now under vine, which has

more than doubled in in eight years.

There has also been 70% increase

in the last five years, so people are

planting more vines in the UK. Even this year with lockdown and the

pandemic, there was still another 1.4 million vines planted in 2021. (taken from Harpers.co.uk) Michael Yeoman,

English Wine and International Wine Specialist

Michael Yeoman, produces his

own range of sustainable spirits with Spirit of the Downs (www.

spiritofthedowns.co.uk) and works

with small batch local vineyards with his Brighton and Hove Wine Club (www. brightonandhovewineclub.co.uk)

SBT SPORT

SPORT AND EDUCATION WITH UP-GRADE TRAINING...

REWARDING YOUNG PEOPLE IN SUSSEX

GOLF IN SUSSEX IS REWARDING

AS LONG AS YOU PUT THE EFFORT IN!

SBT SPORT SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 103

S PORT

Sport AND education with up-grade training...

Rewarding young people in sussex Last November saw the return of the Active Sussex Sports Awards and this month I caught up with the winner of the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sport’ Award, Dan Barfoot, the owner of Up-Grade Training in Bexhill. This honour was in recognition of Dan having a major impact within sport and the community, having mentored/supported others whilst driving and influencing change.

Dan leads a busy

Sports

life - he is a school teacher, father of four, counsellor

and elected town

councilman. He also has a black belt in kickboxing and was the UK and

Southern Area kickboxing champion.

Whilst being a fully qualified sports

coach, he’s currently completing his

Master’s Degree in Psychology. I began

by asking Dan about Up-Grade Training and how it all started.

“I was a schoolteacher in a children’s

residential home as well as a martial arts and kickboxing coach for a local gym. I was fighting semi-professionally during my time at school, and I began to see

the benefits of mixing martial arts and

104 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

school education. Initially, I implemented my ideas into my very small class of 4 children at the residential home,

where the young people who previously

displayed severe behavioural challenges began responding positively to school work, resulting in a 50-60% rise in

attendance. Eventually those pupils went on to be the first in the history of their

home/school to complete their GCSE’s!

It was then I decided to start Up-Grade

to bring my approach to education to as many young people as possible.”

Up-Grade Training’s approach is to

promote a relaxed, one-to-one approach to education that focuses on the

individual child’s interest by working

sensitively and therapeutically to help

them re-engage with school. It operates

by working with Sussex’s local authorities who refer young people to them that are unable to access education due

to, amongst other things, anxieties, or special needs. Additionally, they work

with children’s residential homes, Pupil Referral Units, Young Offenders teams and many mainstream schools.

Once a referral is made, the young

person is engaged in a one-to-one to find out what makes them tick. From

there, a curriculum is created together

including a physical martial arts syllabus.

Dan says: “It’s a team effort to be able

to find a way back to school or positive

educational outcomes, as well as reaping

the benefits of the incremental but steady

improvement and achievement inbuilt in a martial arts syllabus.”

S PO RT With this unique approach to combining education and sport I was interested to find out how Up-Grade compared

to other offerings in Sussex? “Finding ways to educate those young people

who find it the most difficult to engage with education is so important, and

Up-Grade is truly unique in its delivery.

The therapeutic approach to martial arts and education, the personal projects with tailored curriculums, and the

encouragement for creative expression

both physically and mentally, makes us a one-of-a-kind for now.”

Health and wellbeing didn’t seem to be

so much of an issue when I was growing up, so why is it important for young

people today? “The truth is of course

differences whilst demanding they

providers that our truly unique brand

through no fault of anyone’s, there are

cause them great anxiety and difficulty.

for young people with such specific

games and social media that offer a

empower the young person to find what

projects and courses coming up, we

satisfying endorphin hit! The trouble is

them that they are perfectly capable of

and won’t stop until we are bringing

providing those endorphin hits, are the

as simple as taking a couple steps back

education to as many young people

in the first place. The depression

forward. Breaking negative behaviour

feel when it comes to school can be

case that once young people accept

motivated every day? “It is difficult

achievement is so far from their level

incapable, their faith in themselves and

to society than the quality of its

that it has always been important, but

adhere to rules and regulations that

of education is one that truly works

now so many temptations like video

At Up-Grade, we turn that around and

needs. We have so many interesting

far quicker and often more immediate

it is they love about learning and remind

are embracing the challenge of growth

that the very things like social media

achieving it in their own way. It’s often

our now celebrated approach to

very things inducing so much anxiety

to be able to empower them to move

who need it as possible.”

and anxiety that some young people

cycles is what we do, and it is often the

Finally, I asked Dan what keeps him

crippling, and as a result, any sense of

that they were temporarily stuck, not

to imagine anything more important

of understanding. We look to reverse

their education journey is restored.”

education. Education is everything

slow, sensitive, incremental achievement

After winning the ‘Outstanding

to fall in love with the process of

confidence, boosting activity.

year Dan remains proud and humble

it is something that never goes away

What in your opinion needs to change

highest of honours. We have been

giving. Our first ever student is now

importance of their lifestyle? “Education

type of unique education for as many

knowing the direction this young man

fits all’. Young people are taught the

To be recognised for this hard work is

so wonderfully today is one of the

themselves and always to embrace their

forward with even more enthusiasm

keeps me motivated to keep fighting

what is encouraged in the mainstream

extend and begin to work with more

every single day.”

mentors, we are simultaneously telling

that quality-seal provided to us by

To find out more visit

this negative experience by introducing

and if a young person is lucky enough

Contribution to Sport’ Award last

learning during their formative years,

in equal measure. “It was truly the

and something that only keeps on

for young people to understand the

working so tirelessly to implement this

an employee of the company and

has been structured to be too ‘one-size

young people who need it as possible.

was heading in and seeing him thrive

value of being unique, independently

incredible and has inspired us to push

many things about Up-Grade that

differences, however this is not always

and vigour. Moving forward as we

for education and every young person,

school system. As educators and

and different services, we know that

young people to celebrate their unique

Sussex Sport will help reassure these

and through self-esteem and self-

www.up-gradetraining.org

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 105

© Getty Images

Exciting times lie ahead for Sussex cricket

Ahead of their confirmed match against New Zealand in May, Sussex begin the 2022 season next month with an LV=Insurance County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove on Thursday April 7th followed by visits to Derbyshire and Worcestershire before welcoming Durham to Hove on the 28th.

News in January saw

Sports

the announcement

that former players Tony Cottey and

Chris Adams have

joined the Club’s committee to help shape the future of Sussex Cricket

and develop the next generation of

players. In addition, Grant Flower was appointed as the club’s new batting

coach, who arrives with over ten years

106 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

of coaching experience at international having worked with Zimbabwe,

Pakistan and more recently, Sri Lanka.

This followed the news that hugely popular and former Captain, Mike Yardy had returned to the fold as

Academy Director after spending two years as batting coach at Kent.

After the departures of long-standing

players, Chris Jordan and Phil Salt to

Surrey and Lancashire respectively,

together with County Championship

Captain, Ben Brown, it’s most certainly time to look to the future.

The return of Rashid Khan for the

2022 Vitality Blast will be the Afghan leg-spinner’s fourth spell with the

Sharks, after taking 26 wickets in 23

appearances since his debut in 2018.

Khan is the fourth highest wicket-taker

S PO RT

© Getty Images

© Getty Images

in T20 history at just 23 years old, with 403 wickets in 292 matches.

He will join Australian Travis Head for his second spell at Sussex, this time as Championship Captain, who will

be looking to prove a point after the disappointment of last season.

Additionally, Pakistan wicket-keeper

batsman Mohammad Rizwan has signed for the majority of the 2022 season as one of three overseas players in the Sharks’ T20 squad this season.

Rizwan’s arrival will follow Australia’s tour of Pakistan in early April,

and he will be available for both

Championship and T20 cricket until the end of the Vitality Blast in mid-

July. According to Sussex Cricket’s

website, the 29-year-old is regarded as one of the most accomplished

wicket keepers in the world, who also has a formidable batting record in

all formats, averaging over 43 in first class cricket, including nearly 1,000

runs in 19 Test matches at an average of over 42. In 2020, he was named

Pakistan’s player of the series during

his country’s three match Test series in England, averaging over 40 runs.

Let’s also remind ourselves that former Middlesex and England seam bowler

ranks. His guile and experience will

no doubt be an asset to the crop of

exciting youngsters coming through, including the players that have

signed new contracts, namely Henry Crocombe, Jamie Atkins, Harrison Ward and left-handed batter and

left-arm wrist spinner Tom Hinley who signed his first professional contract just before Christmas.

After what has been a difficult and challenging last few seasons for

Sussex, the prospects for the future, especially this coming season are exciting. I for one, can’t wait!

Steven Finn has joined the Sussex

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 107

Golf in Sussex is rewarding – as long as you put the effort in!

Whether you’re a keen golfer with an increasing desire to avail yourself of a course soon or looking to pick up a seven iron for the first time, next month sees the first Major tournament of 2022, The Masters in Augusta, so I decided to check out what’s been happening more locally at Mid Sussex Golf Club (MSGC) with General Manager and golf pro, Lee Andrews.

I began by asking

Sports

Lee how MSGC

differs from other clubs? “I believe that most clubs

now have moved with the times and

even the pandemic has helped them understand how important outside

business is. If we have a ‘different’

or USP I would say having five PGA

coaches along with myself means we listen and can react to members and

108 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

other golfers needs quickly. This has

created eleven different membership categories to suit the time and affordability of each person.”

Mid Sussex Golf Club first opened

its doors to the public in 1995 and, with a host of strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, the

course has a reputation for being

fun to play on for all standards of

golfers – from complete beginners to

members representing the County.

With the driving range located a short pitch from the first tee, beginners or seasoned regulars can utilise grass

tees as well as the all-weather mats

plus it’s now partly covered allowing all year-round use.

Every year though, increasingly

harsher conditions during winter

means that all clubs face a challenging task to maintain the course at the

S PO RT refreshingly modern and progressive approach to golf, I was keen to find out more about the challenges of running the club.

“The biggest challenge is undoubtedly time, and then trying to keep all the members and the staff happy. This

is achieved by having a great team around me and an understanding

family! When I was asked to take the

role, one of the criteria was that I was allowed to continue to coach. I don’t

see this as work, it’s a vocation. I love coaching and my aim is to get more people playing this game which can only help golf and golf clubs. My

coaching is separate to the running

of the club and my decision is to do more hours so I can coach as well.

There are many PGA professionals who have moved into General

Manager roles at golf clubs, but I

believe I am one of the few General Managers that still coaches.”

I remember my dad imparting some

advice in my early years that I should

learn to play golf as I will certainly do business on the golf course, so how

important is it for golf and business to go together and how does this work

at MSGC? “Anything that brings golf

level that players expect. “Investment and a good team of green staff are

hugely important. I am lucky to have a course consultant who liaises with

myself and the green keeping team to

work out the best programmes for the course. We have course development programmes that run on one-, threeand five-year cycles.”

But whilst many businesses have

had to adapt to changes forced by

the pandemic, many golf clubs report a surge in ladies participating in

golf – earlier this year, Golf Business Magazine reported that female

participation at UK golf courses more than tripled between 2019 and 2020,

with nearly 1.5 million women playing

to more people is good. We have used

Essentially the number of women

businesses such as Wellesley Wealth

1.46 million – and from 14 percent of

and TLC electrical wholesale who are

Lee comments: “It’s the fastest growing

here both on and off the course.”

to get away from the stereotype

events we host tend to overlap

me it is a personal goal. When I arrived,

raised for their chosen charities. We

now have close to 120 ladies actively

2022 Macmillan Cancer Research,

classes and a route into the club

Martletts and Chestnut Tree House

at least one full round of golf in 2020.

this to great effect as we have local

golfers grew from just over 400,000 to

Management, Mayo Wynne Baxter

all golfers to 28 percent in that time.

hole sponsors and host their events

section in golf clubs. We’ve needed

Additionally, most of the corporate

membership of male and retired…for

into Charity events with proceeds

we had around 75 ladies playing, we

have many Charity days booked for

playing. This is largely down to ladies’

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity,

through stages of learning.”

are all booked in, and we love helping

Whilst saying they are committed to a

much money for them as we can.”

them to run their golf day to raise as

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 109

S PORT

Some golf clubs have taken to

introducing other activities into

their set ups too. MSGC has been

an advocate in the rise of footgolf,

and with a footgolf league planned this year, I wondered what was

the thinking behind this and how it

benefits the club? “It’s something else to get more people to visit the golf

club. Sam Thomas (SBT Managing

Director!) needs to take some credit for this one. I think this might have

see the talent further down the line.”

evening! Many people don’t own golf

What does the future hold then for

but they can all kick a ball. When they

are not profit-making machines; they

the scoring of golf and how this works,

the job is to provide an experience to

game of golf.”

have a great experience when they

been over a beer or two with him one clubs or know how to swing a club,

Mid Sussex Golf Club? “Golf Clubs

play footgolf it helps them understand

are a facility to offer to the public and

so it is a great introduction into the

those visiting. If members and visitors

But what if you think you’re a decent standard, or after a few rounds of

pitch ‘n putt you think you’ve got what it takes to be the next Justin Rose

or Georgia Hall, how can Lee know if

he is looking at real talent? “Golf has a technical aspect (the swing) and

therefore in my opinion, other than

hand/eye co-ordination, talent does not exist. To be great at something

you give all your time and energy to

that activity. You can achieve whatever you want if you put the effort in, the rewards are there. If you are driven

110 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

and obsessed by something, then I

visit us, then the future will be fun!”

For more information, visit

www.midsussexgolfclub.co.uk

SBT ASK THE EXPERT

SAVE HUNDREDS OF HOURS EVERY MONTH BY AUTOMATING ADMIN TASKS

BY PLUS ACCOUNTING

DON’T THROW PEOPLE AT YOUR SALES PROBLEMS

BY BEN BENNETT, SECOND VOICE

SBT ASK THE EXPERT SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 111

Plus Accounting saves hundreds of hours every month by automating admin tasks One of the leading accountancy firms on the South Coast, Plus Accounting, reveals adoption of new business automation systems are saving hundreds of non-billable hours.

Designed and launched

Ask the Expert

in April 2021, the new

system automates their new business process and client onboarding

processes. Prior to the new system

being implemented, manual time was

spent chasing lead information, setting

up meetings and sending proposals. The accountants on the Business Services

team now save on average 30 hours per month on admin and repetitive tasks. In

addition, the time it takes to convert leads has dropped from 10 days to five.

112 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

What did we do?

This revolutionary new process starts

their CRM and automation agency,

ensuring quality and accuracy. It is

to save time and money, increase

for tracking and providing reporting

Plus Accounting worked closely with

by gathering digital lead information,

Bright Dials, to create the strategy

immediately entered into the CRM

transparency, and speed up their client

transparency .

registration process.

Leads are encouraged to sign up for

Once the design was complete,

an appointment using Calendly, and

using a combination of tools

up as quickly as possible. A Deal is

Pandadocs, and Gsuite with

conversation has taken place, with

Bright Dials built out the system

the team is encouraged to follow

including ActiveCampaign, Calendly,

automatically created and once the

Integromat connecting it all together.

the click of a button, a proposal is

ASK T H E E XPE RT

• Consistent communication with

range of tax and accounting services.

• Huge time saving in admin time with it

thinking about selling your business, we

professional proposals sent every time spent on billable hours instead

For more information, please read our case study on the link here.

can provide you with the support and

guidance that you need to keep control

of your finances and plan your affairs for maximum efficiency.

Paul Feist, Managing Director of Plus

What makes us stand out from the crowd

the work with Bright Dials, we save

business. We take time to understand

Accounting, said: “Since completing

hundreds of hours every month using automatically generated and sent out

So, whether you are just starting out or

ActiveCampaign. The team embraces

is our genuine interest in you and your

what is important to you and then tailor our services to your requirements.

to the client for signature.

it because it increases the number of

On signing, the client enters a

opportunities that might otherwise slip

bespoke tracking document enabling

great value for money.”

Bright Dials is an independent agency that

register the client quickly and efficiently.

Lindsey Pickles, Founder of Bright Dials,

most out of their CRM and automation.

What are the benefits?

automating key processes for our client

registration process which creates a the Client Onboarding Manager to

inquiries and we take more advantage of past. This new system has proved to be

said: “We invested significant time in

• Improved data accuracy to speed up

and I’m delighted with the results. The

• Transparency on new business to

is now spent elsewhere. The improved

• Overall reduction in lead conversion

too, a real win for everyone.”

lead conversion process

team saves time on the mundane, which

enable better marketing and planning

efficiency means making more money

time in turn improving the overall leads won

Who are we?

better experience

Plus Accounting offers a comprehensive

• Smoother client onboarding creating a

www.plusaccounting.co.uk 01273 701200

specialises in helping businesses get the Taking your current data sources as a starting point they identify where

responsive, data-generated processes

attract the hottest leads to your business and accelerate the sales cycle. www.brightdials.com

Plus Accounting:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 113

Don’t throw people at your sales problems

Have you ever found yourself in the position where you think to yourself “If only I had an extra pair of hands”?

Many of us find

Ask the Expert

ourselves in

that situation as

business leaders,

sales leaders and

salespeople, all of the time! An

extra pair of hands is actually very

appealing when you find yourself at

maximum capacity, unable to handle any more new sales opportunities.

What I am about to share with you, is

one of the most powerful growth metrics that is used internationally in scaling technology companies.

If you’re not in a tech company, don’t worry, the same logic applies.

We are going to discuss Sales Velocity.

114 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

This is a story about mathematics and logic, not one of technique and skill.

If you have access to your sales data,

then this is a great topic to be exploring.

In this article, you will learn what to

to ‘throw’ more people at a problem in order to get the desired outcomes.

Let’s explore this situation in a bit more detail:

look for in your sales data in order to

• You sell contracts for a product or

even quadruple your sales, without the

• You can manage 10 new prospective

these lofty goals.

• For every qualified lead that you are

potentially double, triple and sometimes need to hire more people to achieve

Understanding the levers that we can

pull to influence the outcomes of sales

revenue is fundamental for a few reasons.

First of all, we can establish whether

service that costs on average, £1,000. customers per month.

working with, you convert 20% to customers.

• On average it takes you three months to close a new deal.

the time and effort spent are in the

£1,000 contract value x 10 prospects x

also recognise that we don’t always need

Divide the £2,000 by three-month

appropriate place, and secondly, we can

0.2 (20% success rate)) = £2,000

ASK T H E E XPE RT making any recommendation to hire a new team member

(which may also be a viable solution by the way), I

would explore all of the

components of the Sales Velocity calculation…

Ask yourself the following…

“Can I reduce the length of the sales cycle?”

If you can reduce it to

just 2 months, your Sales

Ben Bennett

Velocity will increase by 50% to £1,000.

The practical outcome of having a

shorter sales cycle means that your

sales team can handle more prospective opportunities.

Prospects x Success Rate)/Sales Cycle Legth

In any normal situation, some seasoned sales leaders would see their team

reaching capacity under the workload.

Also noticing that (depending on the data for your own business) each

salesperson is paying for themselves

through the new business revenue that they are securing.

A business case gets made to hire more salespeople, and then scale the sales

team, which in turn will grow revenue and the cycle continues.

Well, what if there was another way?

If I was looking at your sales data, before

that anyone working on lead generation is delivering quality, then this can be factored in.

If you can do this through upskilling and

There is so much money being ploughed

cycle, your Sales Velocity increases by a

Sales Velocity = (Contract Value x

efforts are aligned with each other, and

I’ll let you do the calculations on this one.

coaching, as well as shorten your sales

Velocity of £666.67

by ensuring your sales and marketing

“Can I increase my success rates to 30%?”

sales cycle, and you get a Sales

This one is slightly more subjective, but

further 50% to £1,500.

The practical outcome is less time spent nurturing more prospects through to a

higher rate of conversion. Which sales leader wouldn’t want that?

“Can I increase my contract value?”

Pricing is a whole other topic that we can spend time on, but for the purpose of

this illustration, let’s just increase prices by 10% and our Sales Velocity is now

£1,650. That is a 147% total increase on your original Sales Velocity figure.

To put that in context, doubling your sales team and taking no action on

improving the other variables would have netted you a theoretical 100%

into tech companies that their sales

reporting and forecasting need to be

bulletproof, and we can all learn from

some of the best analysis out there. This is just one way to take more control of your own revenue generation.

Ben Bennett is Managing Partner of

Second Voice (secondvoice.co.uk) a

Brighton-based consultancy focused on enabling B2B companies to accelerate growth through sales and operations.

Ben is also a business growth mentor for the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator and Partner at Plus X.

If you’re looking to grow your own

company and want impartial advice

or support, please reach out to Ben at sbt@secondvoice.co.uk

uplift in revenue, plus all of the other

overheads that come with that increase.

“Can I get more qualified prospects?”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 115

A GOOD N E WS STO RY

A good news story from Hisbee

Rebel Supermarket HISBE opened their Worthing store during the pandemic and it’s already generated over £300,000 for the local economy. So, as people emerge from Covid, HISBE calls for shoppers to ‘Go Back To Better’ and shop small, independent, and local.

Good News

HISBE Food is a

expand in challenging times - with

supermarket with

making more environmentally friendly,

social enterprise

shops in Brighton

and Worthing and a

focus on local suppliers, packaging-free

food, values-led brands, and sustainable

60% of consumers reported to be

sustainable, or ethical purchases since the start of the pandemic [source: Accenture survey.]

Sample quotes from Worthing customers in the survey: -

“Brilliant, helpful, different kind of SUPERmarket.”

“A great unique local shop stocking

shopping options.

So now HISBE is asking Brighton and

high-quality local goods with a strong

In January 2020 HISBE raised funds to

back to normal, when you can go back to

environmentally friendly products with

to rely less on the big supermarkets and

in any other shop.”

shop, be it big or small.

“If everyone shopped at wonderful

Worthing store, in January 2021.

Ruth Anslow, HISBE co-founder,

free loose fruit and veg, refill section

Since the beginning of the pandemic,

our Worthing store going given the

would be doing something positive

from our customer survey makes it all

coffee and cakes too. I love HISBE.”

staff, and environment - and when

“A supermarket that actually cares

would be to recommend HISBE to

more expensive usually but it’s worth

of 1267 respondents said 10. We

quality. It feels really nice and welcoming

experience first-hand the difference a

experience than normal shops.”

can make.”

www.hisbe.co.uk

open their store on Portland Road in

Worthing town centre. The pandemic hit

just weeks after signing the lease on the premises. But against all odds, the local supermarket still managed to open its

customers in Worthing have spent

over £600k at HISBE’s tills and HISBE has spent over half of that money on

Sussex suppliers, staff, and services.

For every £1 you spend at HISBE stores, they spend 57p in the local economy,

whereas when you spend £1 at the big

supermarkets, they spend only 5p in the local economy.

Shifting consumer habits are helping social enterprises like HISBE to

116 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Worthing shoppers the question “Why go

emphasis on higher welfare and

better?” They want to inspire more people

a range that you would struggle to find

to make sustainable swaps in their food

independents like HISBE with plastic

“We had such a struggle to get

and local/sustainable ethos we really

circumstances, but the feedback

for the climate emergency - and great

worth it! People praised the produce, we asked customers how likely they

- and sells great produce. It’s a little

others on a scale of 0-10, 830 out

getting a little less because it’s better

invite everyone to visit our stores and

and modern in there too, a way nicer

local independent supermarket

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022

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