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ISSUE 453
FREE
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.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 9
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
10 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
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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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:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 63
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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