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All business is symbiotic in nature. You can be inspiring your peers one day, learning from them the next. In the end, people buy people. That makes sharing our stories the most compelling way to connect with one another.
What’s needed is a platform to embrace and empower our regional business ecosystem. Where varied backgrounds and perspectives provide new context. Harnessing potential, enabling growth. And at the heart of it, a dedicated term of curators unlocking insights for the good of us all.
So we’re changing the way people think of connecting. Because we believe in self-reflection, rather than self-promotion. By demystifying the art of storytelling, we deliver authentic thought leadership through events, publishing and broadcast media.
We come together to discover, share and grow. But we won’t be limited by geography, or our imagination. Instead, we’ll seek out local leaders, visionaries and experts, wherever great businesses thrive. Growing communities, in partnership with the businesses that power them. And nurturing the enterpreneurial spirit in everyone.
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SBTWelcome
W E LCO M E
Welcome to another issue of SBT
Innovation is the lifeblood of business. Without it, there would be no growth, no new markets, no fresh audiences - and, ultimately, no cash in the coffers to keep firms afloat.
In this issue of the Sussex Business Times, you will discover how innovation is penetrating every sector of the business community across the county.
Without experts, many businesses would fail to achieve or
sustain their goals. So, if you are heading into summer bursting with cutting edge ideas, it is always worth remembering that you are in a county blessed with the right people to offer qualified advice at the right time.
For innovators, this issue offers information that will support
There is inspirational news outlining a remarkable mix of retail,
office and community spaces in an Eastbourne shopping centre,
which has real potential to be trailblazer. There are also examples
of entrepreneurs recognising and implementing new opportunities - not least David Parr and Omid Moellemi, co-founders of Prsnt. Amid all the innovation is the prospect of a four-day week with
‘no loss of productivity’ and penalties for companies engaged in
‘greenwashing’. Thankfully, Sussex innovators can rely on robust
legal and financial advice from a raft of trusted professionals - just like Carpenter Box, which is this issue’s cover feature.
your next project - from insights on how to raise funding to financial planning.
Of course, you will also find compelling features on networking, charity, sport and much more.
But, from Brighton to Crawley and everywhere else in between, there is something happening. It is called innovation and Sussex is fully embracing it.
Sam Thomas, Managing Director
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Issue 456
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County Business Clubs’ Stories
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Legal
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Cover Feature
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Startups and Entrepreneurs
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Good Business
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Charity
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Networking
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Motoring News
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Chamber News
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Sport
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Ask The Expert
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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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Innovative developments at The Beacon, Eastbourne, top award for Extech Cloud and more news from around the county.
An interview with David Parr and Omid Moellemi, co-founders of Prsnt.
Seofon Business Services launches a new administration services department and Carpenter Box Financial Advisers are recognised for outstanding vulnerable client care.
Mayo Wynne Baxter examines the four-day working week and 365 Employment Law writes about ‘What happens if you face an unfair dismissal claim?’
Carpenter Box - Meet trailblazer Rachel Pearce and find helpful advice on planning for recent tax changes.
Entrepreneurship Conference and expert Pam Gordon writes about franchising as a business option . The four Cs of brand visibility.
Interviews with Gavin Willis, of Search Seven, and Roy Stannard, Head of Income Generation and Communications at Off The Fence Trust.
A round-up of networking events from across Sussex.
What Does The Rising Cost Of Fuel Mean For You? Plus, the six cheapest cars to insure in 2022.
The latest news from chambers of commerce in Sussex.
Profile of Crawley’s Paralympian Katie-George Dunlevy, Ben Stokes OBE and James Ross Jewellers’ Charity Golf Day.
The Journey To Net Zero by Ian Hopping, of Auditel.
Discover a superb offering from Poynings Grange Vineyard.
SBT MONTHLY NEWS
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MO NT H LY N E WS
Creative co-working revolution set to touch down in Eastbourne
The changing face of Eastbourne has attracted a revolutionary new style of creative space for local businesses with global ambitions. FOUNDRY will be opening in The Monthly Beacon this summer, News in a joint initiative with Beacon owners Legal & General Investment Management. FOUNDRY’s mission is about empowering the local business community, giving them space to think differently. It will be the first of 10+ locations within the next three years. With a large footprint over two floors, FOUNDRY Eastbourne will offer a range of office work spaces to suit all sizes which can be rented by the day, week or month. On the ground floor, and open to shoppers, will be ‘boutique’ concessions for independent retailers to launch an idea and a mix of ‘bookable’ lifestyle units supporting mindfulness, wellbeing and mental health. A centrepiece of the brand new kid on the block will be a large timber amphitheatre connecting the two floors where communal and meeting zones will enjoy a great sound system, live DJs, locally roasted coffee and a drinks bar with pop-up food traders. This will offer members unique places they can gather, network, perform, chat and work. FOUNDRY is inviting people currently working from home, co-workers to early-stage entrepreneurs to book a tour and sample the changing face of retail and commerce. “There’s a workspace revolution coming to our town centres, and it’s called FOUNDRY,” explained cofounder Adam Walker. “The daily commute has been shunted into the sidings and people from all sectors and life-stages are grasping the chance
6 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
to work closer to home, not at home! “Our beautifully designed lounge, offices and meeting spaces are inspired by Eastbourne’s local history and wider cultural impact,” he added. “They will banish the isolation of home-working and replace it with fun and inspirational communal areas for work, selling and hosting.” FOUNDRY Eastbourne is the pilot location and an exciting joint venture with Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM). More work and leisure spaces are planned in other L&G centres across the country. FOUNDRY is part of the wider Future Retail Blueprint launched by Denz Ibrahim, Head of Retail and Futuring at LGIM, in 2020. Its aim is to focus on the customer experience and expectation and to reimagine their retail places to meet these requirements. This involves re-modelling and future-proofing its shopping and retail centres across the country. LGIM Fund Manager Andrew Rice said shopping centres were undergoing seismic changes to deliver a more comprehensive offer across the community and to better reflect the needs of individual towns. “We are genuinely excited by the arrival of FOUNDRY at The Beacon,” Andrew said. “Never before have we combined business, retail, leisure and wellness in such a contemporary wrapping and at such highly competitive prices. We anticipate a positive response from Eastbourne and we cannot wait to start showing people around, in advance of our official opening later this summer.” Eastbourne & District Chamber of
Adam Walker at FOUNDRY Commerce chief executive Christina Ewbank praised the insightful approach of FOUNDRY and L&G. “We currently have no offer like this in the town and I am confident it will be an amazing success,” Christina said. “I would encourage our members to contact Adam Walker for a tour to see what a great attraction this will prove to be. We are planning a members evening at FOUNDRY in mid-July to show the business community what this is all about. Well done L&G for seeing the potential in this initiative and giving it wings to fly.” Eastbourne Borough Council leader David Tutt said the town was “100% ready” to embrace this type of investment. “We were absolutely delighted when L&G invested in Eastbourne in 2018 with an £85 million extension,” he said. “The arrival of FOUNDRY is another massive vote of confidence in the town and we cannot wait for it to open.” To book a tour, or to find out more about FOUNDRY Eastbourne, email hello@ foundryuk.com or visit the website www.foundryuk.com
MON T H LY N E WS
At the launch night of GATHER
New concept GATHER launches in The Beacon for local organisations and charities GATHER is the latest concept to be launched in The Beacon, Eastbourne, as the shopping centre continues its journey to reimagine its customer retail experience. The dedicated
Monthly News
community space is located in the unit
formerly known as
The Hut and is now
available for local community groups
and charities to gather free of charge for a variety of events and activities.
More than 60 people, representing a wide range of organisations and
charities, attended the launch event.
Eastbourne Gilbert & Sullivan Society
provided entertainment for the evening. James Roberts, director of The Beacon, said: “GATHER is part of our strategy at The Beacon to reimagine space in the
shopping centre so that we offer a much wider experience to our customers than
just shopping. This is a dedicated space that is inclusive for all groups in the
community, where we want to encourage innovative and creative thinking.
“Our strategy to build a community
in the centre, through play, work and
events for local people, began with
be a great platform for local charities
GATHER and we will have more exciting
shoppers and promote their services
our mall enlivenment, continues with
to meet up with clients, engage with
announcements to make very soon.”
to the wider public. 3VA is delighted
Hend Moussa, community manager
advantage of this facility in The Beacon.”
be a real community hub and I’m so
Hansa Raja-Jones, founder of Holding
from a diverse range of organisations
space for charities, right at the heart of
rap skills and circus skills workshop,
there, hold workshops and promote our
CV building and interview prepping
excited about the arrival of GATHER and
workplace. We really want people to
coming months.”
as creative way as possible.”
Bookings will be taken on a first-come,
at The Beacon, said: “This space will
to be one of the first charities to take
pleased that we already have bookings
Space, said: “This will prove to be a great
for some exciting activities including a
the community. We can meet clients
a chair yoga session and a session on
services to a wider audience. I am very
for people getting back into the
I look forward to making use of it over the
see this as their space and to use it in
One of the organisations that has
booked several sessions in GATHER
first-served basis.
The idea is that the space will evolve to
for June is 3VA, the voluntary action
the needs of organisations using it.
Eastbourne, Wealden and Lewes.
There will soon be a dedicated section
Emma Millar, community development
enquiries to book GATHER can be
organisation for the districts of
officer, 3VA, said: “GATHER is set to
on The Beacon’s website where
made. Visit thebeaconeastbourne.com
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MO NT H LY N E WS
First look: Edward Street Quarter’s exteriors revealed New photos reveal the first look at Edward Street Quarter’s bricked exterior as scaffolding starts to come down across the site.
The £120 million
Monthly News
build on Edward Street in central Brighton is set
to complete this
summer, delivering 168 new homes and 125,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, as well as 20,000 sq ft of
leisure, retail and hospitality facilities. The development offers one, two and
three-bedroom apartments - many with
outside space and all with access to an
8 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
impressive panoramic roof terrace and
expectations which is why we have
private garden for residents only.
incorporated elements such as our
Steve Eccles, Director at developer
apartments, three public art sculptures,
is always a highly-anticipated part of any
community together, an exemplary cycle
brickwork and it provides the first real
so much more.”
when complete.
For more information or to make an
“We were determined for Edward
leisure or retail space, please visit: www.
exclusive roof terrace for our residential
Socius, says: “Taking down scaffolding
two public squares, an app to bring the
development process – you can see the
scheme to encourage healthy living and
glimpse as to how the building will look
Street Quarter to go above and beyond
enquiry about the new homes, offices, edwardstreetquarter.com
MON T H LY N E WS
Extech Cloud crowned UK EDGE Partner of the Year at Vuzion Cloud Awards 2022
Business wins accolade in recognition of its cloud-centric IT services and commitment to a training platform offered through Vuzion EDGE The team at Extech
Monthly News
Cloud was proud
and delighted to be recognised for their achievements as a
cloud-centric company, providing cloud
IT services to customers. It demonstrates the company’s commitment to training and development through the Vuzion EDGE Training platform.
“We find Vuzion EDGE training useful to
learn about new features and apps, and how they can benefit our customers as
well as our business,” explains Andrew
Hookway, Managing Director of Extech Cloud. “Our dedication to learning and development enables us to offer the
latest Cloud IT solutions and systems to support our customers, helping to give them a competitive edge.”
Ongoing training also enables Extech
Cloud to maintain its status as a cloud solution provider and to keep its gold Microsoft partnership.
The Vuzion Cloud Awards was created
to formally recognise the achievements
and more collaborative working,” adds
make the transition as pain-free and
Andrew. “Put simply, we make hybrid
straightforward as possible for them,”
Extech Cloud was also shortlisted this
working work!”
Andrew says.
of the Year, and UK Partner of the Year
Extech Cloud works with small-medium
For support with your IT strategy, or
as possible about how people in the
products and support Extech Cloud
over five years, as the South’s leading
through its Feasibility Study.
sectors across the South, contact an
organisations transition to the cloud.
“We understand how it will impact
www.extechcloud.com, email info@
and successes of Vuzion partners.
year as a finalist for the AZURE Partner awards categories.
sized businesses, and learns as much
to learn more about the innovative
Having worked with Vuzion for just
business use and interact with data
provides to businesses in various
digital transformers, Extech Cloud helps “We enable remote, flexible, secure
them on a daily basis, and then
Extech Cloud specialist today. Visit
extech.co.uk, or call 01444 443200.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 9
MO NT H LY N E WS
Mayo Wynne Baxter raises money for Sussex mental health charity Heads On with village walk A team from leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter raised £535 for Sussex mental health charity Heads On by walking 5km when they set off from Glynde Place.
Heads On is the
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charitable arm of
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation
Trust and is Mayo
Wynne Baxter’s chosen company charity until 2023.
The team joined the fundraising walk, organised by Heads On, at the 16th
century manor house on Saturday, June 11, after it was postponed because of the pandemic.
Samantha Dickinson, Equality and Diversity Partner at Mayo Wynne
Baxter’s Brighton office, said: “It was
fantastic to be able to finally take part in this wonderful fundraising event after it was delayed by the pandemic.
“We’re so proud to support Heads On as
our chosen charity and back the important work they do in looking after people’s
mental health in Sussex, especially as we all know what an impact the pandemic had on everyone’s mental resilience.
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“Exercise is such an important part
On or other Sussex NHS charities.
or run in the South Downs in the
fantastic to add this new amount to our
definitely good for the soul. It’s even
really proud to have walked 5km with the
such a great cause too.”
joy to be able to restart in person
The team included marketing executive
the pandemic is behind us.
Eastbourne office, and her daughters,
“It has been a challenge to fundraise
Dickinson, equality and diversity
that society has opened up again and
Scarlett, as well as solicitor Kirsty
organising raffles and bake offs with
of caring for our wellbeing and a walk
Marketing executive Lorna said: “It’s
picturesque surroundings of Glynde is
fundraising for Heads On and we’re
better when you can raise money for
team and our children. It is an absolute
Lorna Gietzen, who works out of the
fundraising events like this again now
Isobel and Sophia Gietzen, Samantha
because of the restrictions but now
partner, together with her daughter,
we’re back in our offices we have been
Grimley from the Brighton office and
many more events planned for 2022.”
the Eastbourne office.
To donate to Heads On please visit
Mayo Wynne Baxter has been working
for Walk For Wards at: https://www.
already raised £2,000 for the charity and
wynne-baxter-team-walkforwards
Clare Smith, HR director, who works in
Mayo Wynne Baxter’s JustGiving Page
with Heads On since April 2021 and had
justgiving.com/fundraising/the-mayo-
helped to raise its profile locally.
For more information, please visit:
Participants had the option to run or
walk a 5km or 10km course around the rural estate and raise money for Heads
www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
SBT CBC STORIES
CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE GIFT AT A TIME AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PARR & OMID MOELLEMI, CO FOUNDERS OF PRSNT.
CBC STORIES SPONSORED BY:
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C B C STORI E S
Changing the World, one gift at a time An interview with David Parr & Omid Moellemi, Co-Founders of Prsnt. Omid Moallemi and
CBC Stories
David Parr have
revolutionised gifting with a viral app and business platform.
They are co-founders of instant gifting tech startup Prsnt and have recently appeared in Forbes magazine. Their
brand was named finalist in the FSB
Awards for Best Startup. They are on a
mission to change the world, one gift at a time - through smartphones, through
harnessing emotions and through tech. This is their story.
You have both had long careers
in design, tell us a bit about your business journeys and how you came together?
Omid: I went into the accountant route the glamorous side of the world - purely because I started young and my father
and brother have a local firm. I had been working there since I was a kid, going
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through that progression, but I just didn’t enjoy it. It took me a while to realise
that I am actually quite good at creative thinking as opposed to VAT returns and things like that.
David: I started off as a designer
and studied at art college. I studied
photography and 3D and then went back to branding and graphics, but I always had a passion for music
in parallel with that. Weirdly, those
two worlds merged. I moved down to Brighton and the opportunity of
becoming a designer with the output
being in the music industry was the way that I went. So we curated clubs, did
bookings, had a record label. All of that
stuff needed graphics in the early stages and we started building websites for the
club brands. Everything digitalised in the
web space and the music industry at the same time, so I went through that whole digital transition. As it went through, I got more excited and interested in it.
It just grew and, eventually, I started a small agency here in Brighton, which
was boutique but serviced some fairly
big brands. Along that journey, I needed a decent accountant and I met Omid at a photocopier looking fairly dejected.
They were brilliant accountants. They
really took me under their wing. I didn’t know anything about the mechanics of
business. I got into a project and needed a product designer for a project, thought of Omid and we have now been working together for 8 or 9 years.
Omid: I left the accountancy world and went into product design. I thought
‘Let’s get a degree in that’ and then did work in London for a couple of years, trying to understand how the design
world worked and how a consultancy could make money. Then, after two or three years, started up my own
consultancy in Brighton. As David said, they came to me and said they needed someone to design a product.
CBC STO RI E S
Did you both always envisage from a
some big parties. Some were free, in a
your own businesses?
and all of that. You think you are doing it
young age that you would one day run
Omid: My dad, my granddad - they
warehouse, parties out in The Downs
because that is what we wanted to do. That fact that it grew and that, out of
always got their bread and butter money
that, commercial opportunities came... I
business on the side. I was working on
and it was like ‘What? We can do that
I was about 10, doing whatever I can.
My mind just kept being blown. Through
argumentative, but I’d always question
obvious cool thing to do, I then realised
like that? We could do that better.’ I
that work. I had to work quite hard to
kind of thinking. For me, personally,
my relationship with Omid’s family has
own thing. I felt I had a lot to give to the
did help me out with the transition. For
design voice to be heard. I can make
that whole thing - creativity, events and
that. Since my playground days up to
to enable that to succeed, we created
Some worked, some didn’t. I think it’s
a platform but the mechanics of the
think David faced the same.
It wasn’t just luck. I met people in
David: Mine was the other way around
music. I moved from the little village I
but they have always been doing other
didn’t see the commercial opportunities
my mum and dad’s side hustle since
as well? We can start our own label?’
So, that’s ingrained in my DNA. I am not
following what seemed like another
the logic. ‘Why are we doing things
that we needed a business to underpin
couldn’t work for someone with that
understand that stuff, which is why
I have always had this urge to do my
been so strong because they really
world through design and wanted my
somebody that’s got pure passion for
money. I learned: you do this, you get
on the music side. To underpin that,
my early 20s, I had different businesses.
platforms. I could see how you create
part of the DNA of an entrepreneur and I
business was a steep learning curve. Cambridge who shared a passion for
and, quite frankly, I couldn’t believe we
grew up in to the nearest town as soon
down to Brighton and were doing
wanted to make stuff happen, doing
were getting away with it. We moved
as I could. I met some folk and we all
our own parties. They were moving to Brighton and I followed them about a
year-and-a-half later. By then, they had
established themselves here. Brighton is just one of those places - it’s so freespirited and entrepreneurial. People
really get behind you, rather than put you down. There was also this Acid
House movement that was so full of
love and making things happen for that reason. You could motivate 800 people before mobile phones to go and do
something together because they really wanted to. I keep coming back to that.
Highly organised, really motivated and it changed a lot of things for the better.
Omid: We’ve met a lot of people who have been helping us on this journey, running agencies and companies,
and lot of them come from a similar background to David - the clubbing
scene or ran a club. They’ve all grown up now and have an adult job.
Tell us about some of the challenges
you faced and how Prsnt came about? Omid: This is an idea that we have had for nearly 10 years. We had it on the
backburner and the timing wasn’t quite
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13
C B C STORI E S
right for it, through technology and a
few other things. We were also on our other projects. With covid, it was the perfect time.
David: This is the gifting solution for
when you can’t be there face-to-face to give someone a gift. How about
this for an opportunity? Covid turns
up and instead of it being something that affects people occasionally, it’s
everyone, everywhere. We’ve got to
move on this, right now. I think it made people realise quite how big what we were suggesting could be.
Omid: The challenge around that was starting a new company right as the pandemic started and then asking
people ‘Can we have some money
to see us through?’ It was creating a
robust business plan around that. And
then convincing people. It wasn’t easy.
If you fear it, you will never try. We have
identified pain points for the consumer, the brand and businesses and have created solutions around those three cohorts.
They are disconnected, they are working from home... How do you keep those
motivational touchpoints with staff who you are seeing once every week? It’s
14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
through those little touches or gestures through gifting. It works brilliantly.
David: Another thing we are solving is ‘What do you want?’ Through likes on products and also through profiling,
we can create, over time, a really, really good gift list without you having to
define it. It would be a suggestion but
works in quite a clever way. You can be told who a person is, what the special occasion is and what they like.
wrapping paper, then I’ve got to take it to the Post Office. It’s about six steps and different companies just to send
somebody a gift. And people just think, I’ll write ‘Happy birthday, mate’ or just
send them a text message. It’s just not good enough. I don’t think gifting has been looked at properly around the
consumer focus. 97 per cent of people
have smartphones, so why hasn’t gifting
moved on? I can go on Amazon but they charge £3.95 for gift wrapping, which
nobody ever pays, and the gift is going to With Prsnt you are looking to create a modern way of gifting. Tell us why.
Omid: We’ve got the consumer app to
send friends gifts and we’ve also got the business platform which is for corporate gifting. We started with the consumer
platform - the app - mainly because it came down to necessity. How many
times is it someones birthday? You find
out on Facebook - that’s how we find out when it’s people’s birthdays nowadays
arrive tomorrow at the earliest. Nobody wants to get a gift after the event. We
thought it was ridiculous. Why isn’t there an app on your phone that does all
your gifting requirements? When is their birthday? What do they want? The app
has got curated gifts for them. Whatever
you want is there. They can unwrap it on
their phone through a text message.A lot
of our bestsellers are immediates under a fiver but we wrap that up in an emotional
way with a video message. People love it.
mainly. You think, ‘Oh, go on Google.’
What does success looks like to you?
Now I’ve got to get it sent to me or I can
Omid: If you’d asked me that 10 years
You go on Google, find H&M and a gift. have it sent to them but I don’t know
their address. I’ve got to get a card and
ago, it would be Lamborghini and all that kind of stuff but, for me now, it’s seeing
CBC STO RI E S our product change the fabric of gifting and seeing our product lead that race. David: I think company-building. I
have had some experience of building companies and it’s quite a crazy thing
to control. I think there is an opportunity here to start a company where the
output is so obvious and good that the culture you build around it is amazing. We could build a great company that
people would really, really love to work for. I would just love to have one of
those brands that makes people think ‘That’s a good one.’
As a tech start up, you have had
£300,000 pre seed investment and are currently in the next funding round.
Tell us about the investment journey.
Omid: We’ve got previous fundraising
pitch. People will always throw all kinds
key so, to anyone reading this, that’s
going through that pitching process,
experience. Getting SIES status is
of stuff back at you. So, when you are
one of your first ports of call. Get your
keep both ears open.
numbers so there’s no ambiguity. As
How do you achieve a work life
financials bulletproof. Really know your long as you’ve got a passion and you
balance?
sticking with it. Somebody will buy
Omid: When your eyes open in the
at least six months. Don’t rely on that
and, when you close them at night,
they can pull out. Make sure you know
creatively, my brain automatically cuts.
because you don’t want to under-fund
time for the family.
know how you are going to do it, keep into that. You have got to give yourself
morning, you are thinking about ideas
one lead because at the eleventh hour
you are dreaming about them. For me,
what the money is going to be used for
My brain just does it. I do try to make
yourself and run out of money again. David: Storytelling is something we
have been really focussing on but we’ve been been criticised at every single
David: If it wasn’t this it would be
something else. My brain moves too
fast. If I have to put in a 16-hour day, I do. If I pick my son up from nursery, I
may have to put in some time later on. What does the future hold for Prsnt? Omid: Our ultimate goal is to be one of the main ways that we gift as a society. That’s
the mission. From a business perspective,
we are lining up our next round of funding. We’ve got a nice roadmap of features that you will have to wait to see.
David: What we are focussing on now is hard commercial truths, rather than
connections or how viral the app could be. What one piece of advice would you give to your 18-year-old self? David: You are enough. Omid: Be more confident. If you could give one gift to someone, what would it be?
Omid: I don’t think it would be a physical gift but an emotional one. I would gift someone time - like a meal for two. Website/App download www.prsnt.co.uk
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15
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16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT FINANCE
SEOFON BUSINESS SERVICES LAUNCH NEW ADMINISTRATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT
CARPENTER BOX FINANCIAL ADVISERS AWARDED FOR ITS VULNERABLE CLIENT CARE AT PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
SBT FINANCE SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17
Seofon Business Services launch new Administration Services Department Building on ten years of business success, Seofon Business Services have now further expanded its offering to include the creation of a new in-house Administration Department. Did you know that in
Finance
a survey conducted
by the Federation of Small Businesses, it was found that
on average a small business owner
spends around 33 hours per month
on administration? That is almost four
times the amount of time that is spent on new business development - or 8
hours and 50 minutes to be exact! And, in needing to spend around 4 days per month just on business admin, 55 per
cent of those surveyed then stated that
18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
they believed this onerous task was
instrumental in holding back the growth of their companies.
We set up Seofon to be a ‘single port-ofcall’ support hub for local and regional businesses from the start. With this in mind, we have always facilitated an
extensive array of key business services, either as part of our in-house provision, or with the assistance of strong referral partnerships with trusted business
associates. Our diverse range which includes Bookkeeping, Payroll, Tax
Returns, Business Mentoring, Website Development and Human Resources,
has always included Admin Services, but not always as a direct in-house facility. So… with our tenth anniversary
year currently in progress, we are
delighted to now have our new inhouse Administration Department
being brilliantly set-up, managed and
overseen by Mel Gillman-Davis. For us, being able to grow our admin support side of the business with Mel is an
exciting step for Seofon. And, having
FI NA NCE
and plans are afoot to bring more of
mentoring clients will also benefit
as suitable opportunities present
professional team will impart when
many business circumstances are
admin solutions.
each company’s newly emerging
Seofon assists small and medium
Our highly experienced team and
our qualified business administration
to quickly respond and provide
to comprehensively support, and
of our clients’ new and established
and numerical services we already
our service areas fully into the fold
from the advice and support this
themselves. We know that, currently,
it comes to best practice business
continuing to change and, as a result,
known and worked with Mel for several years, we have already experienced the wealth of skills and knowledge
that she will be infusing into our new administration provision.
Mel’s business ethos and hands on experience is a perfect fit for us. Having worked across an
extensive range of business sectors such as Airline, Pharmaceutical, HR, Recruitment and Chartered
Accountants, she brings with her over
20 years of practical work experience,
which just enhances her administration qualifications even more.
Seofon is an expanding business,
has an ever growing in-house team,
needs are becoming more prevalent.
owner-managed businesses, and
robust business model allows us
team has the hands on experience
exceptional business support for all
further enhance, the bookkeeping
operational requirements.
offer. Currently, the post lockdown
Our new Business Administration
up a myriad of unforeseen and
a small and growing businesses will
businesses. As a result, an increasing
Covering all aspects of business
the drain on staff time and the need
meeting notes, data collation
support to help them over the bumps.
onslaught is frequently throwing
department encompasses everything
time-consuming challenges for all
need on a regular or one-off basis.
number companies are recognising
admin, such as the collation of
for either temporary, or ongoing,
and management, recruitment
We are here to help!
the maintenance of office records
www.seofon.co.uk
administration, meeting scheduling, and the formatting and editing of
presentations, we can now assist with many of the time consuming day-today needs a business has. And, our
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19
FI NAN C E
Carpenter Box Financial Advisers recognised for its vulnerable client care at prestigious awards Carpenter Box Financial Advisers, which has offices in Brighton and throughout Sussex, has been crowned ‘Best Adviser for Vulnerable Client Care’ at the Professional Adviser Awards 2022.
The award aims to
Finance
recognise advisers
who have gone above and beyond for their vulnerable clients
during the coronavirus crisis.
Head of Carpenter Box Financial
Advisers, Roy Thompson said: “We
couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
Over the last few years, we have built up a great team and a lot of work has gone into the development of new processes to assist our clients, notably those that are considered vulnerable.
20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
“For those who fall into this category,
Adviser Awards seek to reward excellence
at the best of times, let along during a
the UK, recognising the best in multi-asset
to us to ensure that they felt financially
support and client engagement.
worrying time.”
To find out more about the services on
Carpenter Box Financial Advisers also
Advisers can help you make the most of
and product providers in the region as a
visit them at www.carpenterboxfa.com.
dealing with finances can be challenging
within the financial services sector across
pandemic. So, it was hugely important
investing, platform provision, adviser
secure and confident during such a
stood apart from the top advisers, firms
named finalist in the Southeast ‘Adviser Firm of the Year’ category.
Now in its 17th year, the Professional
offer and how Carpenter Box Financial
your finances, please call 01903 234094 or
SBT LEGAL
THE FOUR DAY WORKING WEEK BY MAYO WYNNE BAXTER
EMPLOYMENT LAW: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FACE AN UNFAIR DISMISSAL CLAIM? BY 365 EMPLOYMENT LAW
SBT LEGAL SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21
The four day working week
On June 6 this year, a six-month trial of the four-day work week began in the UK with over 70 businesses taking part from a wide range of industries - including food and drink, the banking sector, charities, education and retail. The trial is based
Legal
on the 100:80:100
model whereby the employee receives 100% of their pay
for 80% of working time in return for maintaining 100% productivity.
So what are some of the potential benefits?
• Increased productivity
It is clear when comparing the level of
22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
productivity in countries around the world against the average number of working
hours worked that working longer hours does not necessarily result in a higher level of productivity and that, in fact, the opposite may be true. Norway,
Netherlands, Denmark and Germany
are among the world’s most productive
countries and yet they have an average working week of 27 hours. Conversely, the Japanese workforce are known for working very long hours but Japan is ranked much lower for productivity.
It is also interesting to note that when
Iceland conducted the world’s largest pilot of a 35 to 36 hour work week in
2015 to 2019 (reduced from a 40 hour
working week), the pilot was deemed to be a success with employers reporting that overall productivity remained the same or even increased.
• Equality in the workplace
According to the Government Equalities Office, approximately two million British
people are currently unable to work due
LEGA L to childcare responsibilities, 89% of
whom are women. A four-day work week would help to promote a more equal
workplace as employees would be able to spend more time with their families and save on childcare costs.
• Attracting and retaining talent
Employers who are willing and able to offer their employees a four day week for 100% pay are likely to attract a
larger number of potential employees than their competitors who are still
operating on the traditional five day
a week model. As it has been widely reported that there are significant
labour shortages in many UK industries, the ability to attract and retain
employees is vital for many employers. A real-life example of this can be found in Atom, an online bank. They have
reported that after converting to a fourday week they experienced a 500% increase in job applications.
• Reduced carbon footprint
If the average working week was
reduced by one day per week this
would lead to a significant reduction in commuters and, therefore, a dramatic decrease in CO2 emissions. It would
also ease congestion on the roads and public transport.
• A happier workforce
It is not hard to see how working fewer hours per week is likely to lead to a
healthier, happier workforce. This was
borne out when Iceland conducted its pilot of a reduced working week and found that this led to a substantial
reduction in stress and burnout among employees, who also reported an
improvement in their work-life balance. If the six-month UK trial is a success, it is reasonable to assume that a four
day working week may become a reality for many businesses, so here are some key points employers who are thinking
of adopting a 4 day working week may
adjusted to reflect the new reduced
need to consider:
contractual hours.
1. Changes to contracts
4. Monitoring hours worked
changed their contract of employment
lead to a trend of employees working
Although it is unlikely that an employee
in work. An employer should monitor
change, a contract cannot be
working and discourage them from
to be done with their consent.
their working days. Failure to do so
2. Part-time employees
to reap the potential benefits that this
If an existing employee’s hours are
A reduction in working days could
should be amended accordingly.
longer hours on the days that they are
would object to such an advantageous
the hours that its employees are
amended unilaterally and would need
working excessively long hours on
may mean both parties are less likely
If a full time employee’s working week
working model is designed to achieve,
to four days with no reduction in pay,
susceptible to stress and burnout and
their treatment of part-time employees
which would, in turn, have a detrimental
is going to be reduced from five days
resulting in employees becoming more
employers will need to ensure that
failing to achieve a work-life balance,
is no less favourable. This could
impact on productivity.
workers’ hours on a pro rata basis
Marika Monaghan
be achieved by reducing part-time while keeping their pay the same.
Associate Solicitor
3. Overtime
mmonaghan@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
Direct Dial: 01342 310608
If the employer has an overtime policy
which is based on the number of hours worked per week this will need to be
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23
Employment Law: What happens if you face an Unfair Dismissal Claim? I have advised both
Legal
employers and
employees for over 20 years on employment
issues. When acting for
employers, that advice is often proactive,
seeking to minimise any risk that employer may face should an employee bring an Employment Tribunal claim.
Whilst an employer could face various
claims in an employment tribunal from lower level wages claims, to complex discrimination claims, the most
common are Unfair Dismissal claims.
This is a claim that can be brought by
an employee, provided that they have
24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
two years qualifying service with the
employer, and if successful, they could receive up to 1 year’s salary (which is capped), plus some other extras. This article is not an analysis of
what amounts to a reasonable or fair
dismissal, but to assist employers on
the process they might face, should an
employee bring a claim. It goes without saying that taking advice at the time
of dismissal dramatically increases an employer’s chances of successfully defending such a claim.
1) The Pre-Action Stage
Your former employee might instruct
solicitors, or may themselves, write
to you asserting that that have been
unfairly dismissed, and the reason they think why. This is not a requirement
in the process but it is often done in
tandem with a “without prejudice” ie off the record letter, seeking settlement. It is often important to engage with the possibility of settlement from a
commercial basis, as any legal costs (for either side) are not recoverable
from the other side other than in fairly extreme circumstances.
What is, however, a requirement for
Claimants (ie the employee) is to notify
ACAS under the Early Conciliation (EC)
LEGA L process. This can just be a notification without utilising the mediation service
ACAS provide, but prior to issuing the claim, the employee must have used
and completed this, and got a certificate number from ACAS, that they put on the Employment Tribunal Claim form
(ET1). ACAS can be particularly useful if the employee does not have legal
representation, as they act as informal
mediators on any settlement discussions. 2) The Claim and Defence
If an employee wants to bring a claim, they must do so within 3 months of
their dismissal. That time limit is paused or extended for the ACAS EC process (depending on the dates of that),
meaning in practice they have a matter of around 4 months to bring the claim. They can do this online or by sending the claim to the correct local office.
Once the claim is issued, it is processed and sent to the employer, who then has 28 days to rile their response/defence (Form ET3). The ET1 Claim Form and
ET3 Defence are often accompanied by a more detailed document setting out the relevant case.
3) Preliminary Hearing/Directions Issued What the Tribunal does next varies on the office and, more importantly, the
complexities in the case. They might
issue a set of standard directions ie a
timetable, setting out what the parties have to do and by when, or they will set a Preliminary Hearing. This is a
short remote hearing, where any legal issues in the case are discussed, and a timetable to the final hearing is set.
The timetable will usually comprise set dates by which actions must be taken, for example:
i) The Claimant must send the
Respondent Employer a Schedule of
Loss ie how much the claim is worth;
ii) Disclosure – This is each party
sending the other relevant documents they wish to use at the Tribunal;
iii) A Trial Bundle – This, usually prepared by the Respondent employer, is a
joint, page numbered bundle for use at the final hearing;
iv) Witness Statements – Each side
must send a signed statement for any
witnesses they will use at the hearing. The final hearing date will also be set at the Preliminary Hearing/Directions
stage. Unfair Dismissal claim hearings
can be as short as 1 day, but often run into multiple days eg a recent case I
had with 4 witnesses on each side was listed for 5 days.
4) The Final Hearing
This is where the Employment Tribunal hears and decides the case, and if
the Claimant is successful, how much money they will receive. On Unfair
Dismissal, an Employment Judge sits
Alex Jones
alone hearing the case. These can often be done on a remote basis.
The Judge will take into account a number of factors in deciding if the Claimant has been dismissed fairly or not:
i) Did the employer have potentially fair reason for the dismissal? Eg misconduct, capability?;
ii) Did they act reasonably in all the
circumstances? Ie in a way that a
comparable employer would have acted?;
iii) Did they follow a fair procedure in reaching their decision?;
iv) How credible were each sides’ witnesses?
If the employee is successful, they are awarded compensation. This can be reduced or increased depending on
deduct what they earn from that from their compensation claim.
Whilst an employer cannot stop an
employee issuing such a claim, they
can best place themselves to defend it. Even if they have made mistakes in dismissing, they can reduce compensation dramatically.
Employers should also always be alert to any issues involving departing staff, 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
a variety of procedural and conduct based factors.
The employee is also a under a duty
to mitigate their loss and try and seek alternative employment. If they do
secure alternative work, they must
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25
Does your business need a helping hand? During these unprecedented times, many businesses are struggling so we would like to help. We are offering free general guidance on: • Unpaid invoices & contract disputes • Commercial landlord & tenant issues • Professional Negligence • Commercial insurance claims
• Trading Standards & consumer complaints • Shareholder & Partnership disputes • Employment claims & settlement agreements • Franchise disputes
Call us on 01273 223290
or visit www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/here-to-help
Offices across Sussex
www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT COVER STORY
TRAILBLAZER: YOUNGEST TAX PARTNER IN LOCAL PRACTICE SHINES A LIGHT ON CAREER IN ACCOUNTANCY
PLANNING FOR RECENT TAX CHANGES WITH CARPENTER BOX
SBT COVER STORY SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27
Trailblazer: Youngest tax partner in local practice shines a light on career in accountancy Rachel Pearce, a chartered tax adviser and Partner at local accounting firm Carpenter Box, is blazing a trail in what was historically a male-dominated industry. Aged just 33, she is
Cover Story
the youngest member of the firm’s tax team
at this senior level and a keen advocate of
the benefits of a career in accountancy. “I absolutely love my job,” says Rachel,
who works in Carpenter Box’s Worthing office and lives in the town. “It is
enormously rewarding being able to
help businesses with their tax issues
and ensure they don’t overpay because
28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
ultimately it improves their bottom line
and helps our local economy flourish.” Rachel’s career in financial services
began at the age of 16 when she took a
temporary job as an office junior at another accountancy business in Worthing, where she assisted her colleagues in delivering various services to clients.
She enjoyed it so much she became
an accounting apprentice at the same
firm, and studied hard for 4 years with a
weekly day release for college to gain her
Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) qualifications. Rachel’s firm rewarded her with a
tax manager position, assigning her to a multitude of partner-managed
clients and setting her to work on tax compliance and planning issues.
Soon though, Rachel decided she needed a fresh challenge and landed an interview with Carpenter Box’s head of tax, Stuart Noakes, joining the firm in 2011.
COVE R STO RY recognised her burgeoning talents. After this, Rachel’s progress through
the firm was meteoric as she took on
more and more responsibilities. These
include managing other team members, setting and hitting key performance indicators (KPIs), marketing and
sourcing new business, as well as overarching client strategy.
She earned promotion to tax director in
2018 and was made tax partner in 2021 at just 31 – an incredible achievement. Now 33, Rachel is still the youngest
of six tax partners at the firm, and the second youngest overall.
Rachel now has overall responsibility
for a team of tax advisers in Carpenter Box’s Worthing office and runs the
advisory department. She manages
the firm’s training programme for tax
apprentices, interviewing and selecting the best candidates, and encouraging them in their career development.
Rachel added: “I encourage all young
people to consider a career in tax and financial services generally, it is very
rewarding. There is a huge variety of
work and the opportunity to meet and “Stuart is still Head of Tax today
help lots of different people. Having an
enormous inspiration and mentor to
person is a good start. The key is to
just supporting Stuart with his clients
values, good training programme and a
and over the years he has been an
analytical mind and being a good people
me,” Rachel explained. “At first I was
find a modern firm with a strong set of
and there was a learning curve as I
supportive culture.”
experience, but I quickly branched out
Rachel also helps make major strategic
broadened my skillset and gained
to assisting other partners at the firm.”
decisions for the firm as part of a
Rachel was promoted to associate in
who represent a cross section of
develop and nurture – something she says
finance, audit and assurance, payroll
committee with its 17 other partners,
2016, taking on her own clients to grow,
services including accounting, corporate
represented a major career milestone.
and private client.
At this time Rachel was working four
“Over the last few years, we have seen
commitments, and Carpenter Box
the firm nearly doubling in size to over
days a week, to allow for childcare
enormous growth at Carpenter Box, with
encouraged her to work flexibly and
200 people and investing in major IT and
infrastructure enhancements to ensure its
client offering is second to none,” she said. “However, it still feels like a close-knit
family team, and I feel completely aligned
to the firm’s overall vision and objectives.” Tax advice and accounting are traditional financial services and, historically,
the sector was overwhelmingly maledominated. But this has already
changed according to Rachel, at least as far as Carpenter Box is concerned.
She says the gender balance at the firm overall, which has always prided itself
on being forward-thinking, diverse and inclusive, is roughly equal. And that
opportunities for the right candidates are there for the taking.
In April Carpenter Box promoted no less than 12 women to different positions
in the firm ranging from tax managers,
associates (fee-earning roles) and directors to credit control and support staff.
Stuart Noakes, Head of Tax at Carpenter Box, said of Rachel: “I have enjoyed
working with Rachel in the tax advisory
team at Carpenter Box since 2011. She has a wealth of experience in so many areas of tax, including an exceptional amount of knowledge around tax
planning for owner-managed businesses and investors. Rachel is a real asset to the tax team and the firm.”
Away from work, Rachel enjoys her life in the seaside town of Worthing and says it
is a fantastic place both to work and live. Carpenter Box, which provides a
wide range of financial services, also has offices in Gatwick, Brighton and
Chichester, which serve businesses in their local areas and beyond.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29
Planning for recent tax changes
Maintaining the stability of the UK through the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in enormous economic costs; and inflation is only expected to increase the Government’s debt. The Office for Budget
Cover Story
Responsibility has indicated that the
Treasury will need to
find £45bn in interest,
before even considering paying off the debt itself. But it will be the taxpayers who will be providing this extra cash! Extra costs this year
• Income tax: The Chancellor is not
directly increasing the rates of income
tax that we pay. However, the basic and higher rate threshold will be frozen from
30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
April 2022 to April 2026. Essentially, this means that the amount we pay is rising as inflation increases wages.
• National Insurance: A 1.25% contribution has been added to both employee and employer National Insurance from April 2022, as well as a similar additional
charge on dividends. This is also known as the Health and Social Care Levy and from April 2023, this will be applied to
employees above the state pension age. The Treasury has also announced a
number of consultations which could all mean extra costs. For example, there
will be increased scrutiny on those who
are self-employed, or recently became a
landlord who will be expected to report a
new venture even before it turns a taxable profit. There could also be an increasing
pressure for collecting tax sooner –whilst this is still just a consultation at this
stage, the government is understandably keen to raise funds quickly.
These changes mean that the onus is
on you to ensure that you are not paying
COVE R STO RY
If your current assessment is correct,
you might wish to take a more proactive
the past are still correct.
be time to:
How can we help?
•M aximise your pension contributions
individual must be taken into account
approach to reducing your tax. It could
to make full use of tax relief
too much tax – and there are two key areas to look at:
1. Are you claiming all of your
whether the structures you set up in
•M ake yourself a detailed pension forecast – to see the effect your changes will have
The personal circumstances of each
when you are deciding whether a particular plan is suitable or advantageous. We hope that these suggestions give you some ideas and we would also be happy to discuss them with you in more detail.
allowances?
•M ake full use of your ISA entitlements
Our team can also provide a full tax
inform us of what we owe, HMRC are only
• For Shareholder/Directors, consider
marginal tax traps waiting for you – and
Whilst the majority of us rely on HMRC to human and sometimes make mistakes.
For example, if your income has fluctuated over the past few months, you may have forgotten an allowance or two.
It can be well worth reviewing your tax return. If you do find errors, there is
a straightforward way to query them.
HMRC has an established and efficient
the timing of bonuses and dividends to
mitigate the planned 1.25% rate increase •L ook at Salary Sacrifice arrangements
review which will help identify the help you to avoid them!
If you are unsure as to whether you are making the most of your tax
which can be particularly effective in
allowances or how you can reduce your
Insurance Contributions
our tax team on 01903 234094 or visit
mitigating income tax and National
tax liabilities, get in touch with one of carpenterbox.com
We recommend you carry out an
appeals system.
annual review of your financial affairs,
2. Can you reduce your tax liabilities?
paying more tax than you need to and
in order to check that you are not
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31
A DV I S O RY / TA X / AU DI T
Your local independent advisers Get in touch today for a free and informal consultation:
T: 01903 234094 E: info@carpenterbox.com www.carpenterbox.com 32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT
COVER FE ATU RE
START UPS & ENTREPRENEURS
STARTING A BUSINESS?
WHY NOT CONSIDER A FRANCHISE BEFORE YOU GO IT ALONE
BRIGHTON’S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND LAW HOLDS FIRST EVER ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE
SBT START UPS & ENTREPRENEURS SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33
STA RT UP AN D E N TR E P R E N E U R S
Starting a business? Why not consider a franchise before you go it alone Being in business for yourself - but not by yourself The great resignation
New Business
is what many people are calling this post-
covid period as people don’t want to return
to the corporate world and are looking
for alternative ways of generating income and starting businesses. Before going it alone and trying to find that unique idea or gap in the market, have you considered franchising?
Pam Gordon, Franchise Consultant with The Franchising Centre and one of the
Business & IP Centre Sussex’s Experts
in Residence, started her own business
under a franchise and this has given her the flexibility she wanted. So, we asked Pam about franchising and her journey into this business model: What is franchising?
The term ‘franchise’ is used in many ways (film franchises, rail company franchises) – but what I mean is a
‘Business Format Franchise’ – which
34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
is the replication of a proven business
model. A franchisee buys a ‘business in a box’, i.e., a proven model and brand. By having the training and
support of the original business owner and their team and by following the
model, they should achieve the same
success as the founder of the business. Franchising can offer a safer route into business – buying into a brand that
offers a structure, training and on-going support as well as a network of diverse business owners.
What types of franchises are there?
There are all kinds of franchises – from one person van-based businesses like dent
repair or lawn maintenance, management franchises in growing teams of people in
sectors such as care, through to running multiple-site food businesses – so every
sector will usually have a franchise within it. Could it be for me – what do franchisors look for?
There are over 1,000 franchise brands in the UK, offering franchise business opportunities. They range across
different sectors – from children’s
activities to quick service restaurants, so franchisors will look for many different things – often they aren’t looking for
industry knowledge or experience, they look for transferable skills and attitude. It’s often about someone coming in with a positive attitude, someone who wants to run and develop their own business but using someone else’s experience
and brand and is comfortable with doing
that – so not looking to reinvent the wheel. A genuine desire to listen and learn the
franchisors model, as well as vast amounts of self-motivation to develop the business. How to research the opportunities? There are lots of online directories and franchise exhibitions, such as: British Franchise Association, Encouraging
Women Into Franchising, Franchise Direct, Franchise Local or Total Franchise.
START UP AN D EN T R EP RE N E U RS How did you get into franchising?
something many people are searching
having worked for HSBC Asset
the benefit of things like walking my
redundant and found myself taking
one of her plays or sports days, as I’m
Carewatch Care Service (founded in
they say: money can’t buy everything.
homecare and franchising.
Why should others consider this
The care industry was moving into a
Franchising has given me so much
structure of a franchise model, and
be great if more people considered it
use franchise models for growth. I
It can give you a structure and
- seeing such passion in growing a
on your own and give you the backup
in franchisees as they started and
be a stressful time. The benefits
I have then worked for many diverse
during Covid has been immeasurable
and support roles from businesses in
financially and emotionally – by having
My own background is in banking,
for, now, post-pandemic. I enjoy
Finance in the late nineties. I was made
daughter to school, and never missing
a job with a care franchise called
in control of my time. It’s true what
Brighton). So, learning two sectors –
Pam Gordon, Franchise Consultant with daughter Beth
But I always suggest the 5-step rule for research:
1. Investment – what money are you able to put in and what are you comfortable borrowing? This ‘level’ is your starting point, as there is no need then to research things you can’t afford.
2. Industry/Sector – you’ve got to
be interested in learning about the
sector and have the enthusiasm to
research, which will help and ‘check’ the level of interest.
3. Family/Friends Support – making
sure you have people backing your
decisions, so talking about the plan and business and getting people to
understand what you are doing next. 4. Professional Advice – talking to
banks about investment, lawyers about legal agreements, local
business support organisations,
accountants – going in with your eyes open having taken advice.
5. Decision – knowing you are going to make the decision to become self-
employed and start your own business.
business model?
more regulated sector so suited the
over the last 23 years and it would
many domiciliary care businesses still
before starting something themselves.
loved care but loved franchising more
support when trying to start something
brand and the amazing transformation
and network to talk to in what can
grew their businesses over the years.
that many franchisees have found
types of franchisors in recruitment
and helped them to get through it
logistics like Fastway Couriers to cost
people who fully understand what you
management consultancy, like ERA.
are going through.
Where did your journey take you next?
If you join a franchise, I’m sure you
way to work more flexibly around
as you go in with the right level of
The Franchising Centre and bring
an exit plan. But, more importantly, a
and develop my own franchise
you are doing it!
Consultant I advise businesses on
If you’d like to learn more about this
as supporting existing franchisors
and book a one-to-one session
I enjoy helping businesses on
Pam’s webinar in July on the topic of
supporting them at many points on
Sussex Eventbrite page.
Have franchising meet your
or email bipc@brighton-hove.gov.uk
In 2014, I was looking myself for a
won’t regret your decision, as long
my daughter and decided to join
expectations, timeframe, and even with
my experience under their brand
firm understanding of your ‘why’ – why
consultancy. So, now as a Franchise their franchise development as well
business format, contact BIPC Sussex
with their recruitment of franchisees.
with Pam Gordon. You can also join
their journey into franchising and
Franchising. Find details on the BIPC
that path.
expectations?
Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bipc
Starting my own business under
licence has definitely been the right step for me. I wanted to earn the
right income for me and my family
and enjoy the ability to choose my
work-life balance – which I think is
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35
Brighton’s School of Business and Law - first ever Entrepreneurship Conference The University of Brighton’s School of Business and Law has held its first-ever Entrepreneurship Conference. It was in the planning for some years but Covid got in the way (as with so many other plans), Rachael Carden explains. The Showcase Event
New Business
was an opportunity for our students
at all levels (from Foundation year
– with their focus on Responsible
Enterprise – all the way through to
our PhD students, who shared their Entrepreneurial focused study) to
share the results of their University Entrepreneurship studies with an
audience of local business people,
ex-students (alumni) (who have started their own businesses after graduation)
and other supporters. There would also
36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
be time for networking, eating, drinking
and to learn from each other with prizes given at the end of the evening.
The whole project has had widespread
support from our Advisory Board whose members were instrumental in getting
this event off the ground since it was just
a back of the envelope idea last October. One member of the Board, Rosemary French, who supported me to get the whole project up and running, said:
“Academic teaching and understanding of entrepreneurship has always been at the heart of the University of Brighton
School of Business and Law. However, this inaugural Entrepreneurship
Conference introduced students
at all levels to the practicalities of innovation, internationalism and
economic and eco sustainability
involved in a successful enterprise pitch to potential investors.
“Initial nerves gave way to the passion which was evident in the students’
presentations and the business dragons for the day were encouraged that the
Business School continues to develop such prospective entrepreneurs.’’
START UP AN D EN T R EP RE N E U RS
Covid has brought many challenges to all of us but for these particular
students (who have been locked away in flats/bedrooms/living rooms for the majority of the last two years, we felt that it was especially important that
they get back ‘out there’ in terms of
meeting new contacts and presenting to business people that they didn’t
know rather than just presenting to their tutors as this would help them to gain
confidence when looking for work in the post-Covid world.
Not only was the Conference new, it
also took place in our new home, the
flagship building of Elm House located on the Lewes Road.
As part of our planning process for the Conference, we were able to develop new partnerships both within and
outside the University community,
including groups such as our alumni/
local entrepreneurs/teaching staff, our Enterprise Ambassadors, our School
Advisory Board and our current cohort of students and old friends who have acted as ‘Dragons’ for us for years.
Paul Levy (Senior Lecturer at SBL)
who hosted the second year Creativity Event stated: “A highlight was how
Elm House came alive with curiosity
and activity. Our new building is at its
best when conversation echoes up and down the atrium. It is an open space,
so ideal for open discussion, challenge and questioning.”
This Conference builds on new
connections with local entrepreneur
Sonny Cutting, who was instrumental in setting up his Tigers’ Pen event at our school (11th January 2022). This
culminated in the winners being allowed to participate in the Sussex Business
Showon May 6 and competing against other fledgling businesses in the area. The actual event:
Each group of students had a bespoke event which would give them the
chance to share their ideas with local
business people and our very own exstudents (alumni).
We started the evening with networking in our main Atrium but then the main event kicked off with a Keynote
Speech/interview between one of
our Enterprise Ambassadors – Sonny
Cutting and his interviewer, Steve
Bustin (Get your voice heard). This was
a ‘from the heart’ intro to the highs and lows of setting up your own business
and a general sharing of ‘things I wish I
had known about setting up a business when I was younger’. This was
particularly useful for students who,
while they might not all set up their own businesses, may well end up working for an entrepreneur. By 2020, the UK
had 5.9 million small businesses (FSB) and small businesses are businesses in the private sector with only 0–49
employees. In the UK, small businesses make up 99.3% of the total business population. If you include medium-
sized enterprises, this number reaches 99.9% (https://thecircularboard.com/ entrepreneur-statistics/).
The Keynote was followed by a selection of parallel student-focussed sessions
where guests and students were invited to participate fully by dropping in and
out of sessions, a selection of which are detailed below.
First years: Speed-dating for funding This activity was very popular. One
of the first year students (Anna - BSc
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37
START UP AN D E NTR E P R E N E U R S International Business Management) said: “Being invited to the ‘Dragons
Den’ event was a great pleasure and
an opportunity to grow upon my skills and experiences. Meeting some of
the local business entrepreneurs was an eye-opening experience as their feedback helped shape our project idea for an assignment.
Personally, I have found that, everyone
was lovely and gave us feedback for our future, mentioning how to improve upon what we already have as to become,
potentially, one of them in the future.” Entrepreneur feedback about the
foundation and first year students was also given. Entrepreneurs such as
Alex Bailey (CEO & Founder of Bailey
& French) showed his encouragement when he said: “What struck me was the quality of thought that had gone
into the pitches. I had to ask twice if I
heard correctly that these were first year
students… they all had more commercial savviness than many graduates and postgraduates I’ve come across”. Furthermore, there appear to be
opportunities for future engagement, with Steve Agace from GR8 saying:
“I would emphasise that the first years I met were the best cohort I’ve seen
at Brighton Business School in a long time. I’m already looking forward to
meeting them again when we are hiring for our 2023-24 placements. Some real talent there.”
Second years: A creativity session where students met experts from all over the world on teams.
Students clearly enjoyed this session, with one saying: “It was such a
fascinating session. I found the guest from Virtual Doctors very inspiring.”
NETWORKING/SHARING ACTIVITIES
1. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
was an opportunity for our students
to interview/meet our alumni such as
Ryan Hudson and Matt Denford from Ethicul, JP Omari from Streetfunk
(will hopefully make it next year) and Ella Gilchrist (Sociella). The session
was led by Clare Griffiths (BeePurple) about the experience of leaving Uni
and setting up their own businesses. Dan Hawes (from the Graduate
Recruitment Bureau – GRB) stated that:
“Supporting entrepreneurial students on
a one-to-one basis and enabling them to
connect with alumni is a brilliant initiative and one that GRB are proud to have supported for over 15 years.”
2. A ‘Meet the Heroes’ activity gave
students and budding entrepreneurs/ existing entrepreneurs to chance to meet volunteers who sat in the ‘hot seat’ to be quizzed about the local business community.
3. T he main networking event,
unsurprisingly, was over food and
wine at the buffet dinner which took place halfway through the evening.
In addition to those already mentioned,
other supporters and attendees included o Alice Reeves from We are the Joyful o Bradley Hatchett from Network My Club
o Chris Saratti from
BoogieSearch.com
o Flo Powell from Midnight.co.uk
o Grace Lawless (and colleagues –
sorry I didn’t make a note of all their names!) from We are Pragma.co.uk
o Jayna Shah from JPS Wealth Management
o Jonathan Lea from Jonathan Lea.net o Lara Squires from Consortium
o Lucy Dawe from Lawton and Dawe Property Limited
o Malcolm Brabon (Coast to Capital) o Ron Tanner from Palmeira Global.com
o Sam Thomas from County Business Clubs
o Sara Bassett from Shoreham Port
o Sonny Cutting from Sussex Business Show
o Steve Agace from GRB
o Tony Murrell local entrepreneur o Tor Hatton from Tor’s Law.com
o Victoria Mason from Cardens4U Accountants
Overall, the event was seen a great
success. There were lessons to be learned for sure, but the energy and positivity that was generated was fantastic.
Max Eaglen (Platform Group) said:
“It was really great to see so many enthusiastic speakers talk so
passionately about their work. This sort of event has a really a positive effect
on both the students and the business owners themselves.”
And Richard Freeman (CEO of Always Possible) concurred stating: “It was a
brilliant opportunity for me to hear ideas
and pitches at all stages - from first years putting together their first presentations
to graduate businesses with the potential to disrupt their industry.
“The university created a relaxed,
collaborative energy which meant that both students and businesses were at
ease, never fearful of awkward silence or curious conversations.”
Given all the great feedback we are looking forward to even bigger and better things next year...
Author: Rachael Carden (Associate Dean for Education and Student
Experience, School of Business and Law, University of Brighton)
SBT
COVER FE ATU RE
GOOD BUSINESS
THE FOUR CS OF BRAND VISIBILITY FOR PURPOSE-DRIVEN BUSINESSES
SBT GOOD BUSINESS SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39
The four Cs of brand visibility for purpose-driven businesses For businesses to be successful, they need to ask “How can I help you?” not “What can I sell you?” Good Business
88% of consumers
Let’s explore what it means to be
brands they’re
impact with your marketing, and the
net positive impact
community, contribution, collaboration
want to know the
purpose-driven, how to make more
supporting have a
four golden Cs of brand visibility:
on people and the planet, and 91%
are likely to move their custom to a
business that stands behind a cause they believe in.
and celebration.
What is purpose-led marketing?
Purpose means intention or the reason behind an action. The purpose of this
The future of business is ethical, and with
article is to get you thinking about more
and inspire more people, brands have
and connect with your audiences in
environmental change on a global scale.
your business.
marketing as a means to reach, enrol
authentic, valuable ways you can reach
the power to create systemic, social and
order to grow your impact alongside
40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Really, all marketing is purpose-led. For decades, big businesses have used clever marketing tactics to
infiltrate the collective subconscious and manipulate people into feeling bad about themselves so they buy
products. Feeling like they’re missing out on something so they buy
products. Feeling inadequate so they buy products. Wanting to belong so they buy products.
When we talk about purpose-led
marketing in the context of this article,
what we really mean is communicating
GOOD BUS I N E S S
a message that has a purpose beyond
Purpose-led brands need to be
reputation based on available online
authentic, helpful, focusing on human-
in their marketing to show they are
review before making a purchase.
selling a product or service. Being
to-human connection, and giving back more than you take.
Yes, we identify a need and look to find solutions through our communications, but we’re not deliberately creating a
need that doesn’t already exist, a need that may even have a negative impact
on people’s lives and the environment in the long-run.
What is a net-positive impact?
The key to purpose-led marketing is
authenticity. That means walking your talk. Marketing is just the tip of the
iceberg, and we must pay attention to every part of our business, especially the parts not seen by the public.
This is what we mean by net positive impact. When you look holistically at every element of your business
operations, including supply chain, employee wellbeing, diversity,
totally transparent and authentic
truly driving social and environmental change. There is no place for greenwashing in marketing.
Next, let’s explore the four Cs of brand visibility. 1. Community
Building and facilitating an engaged
community has a positive impact on your customers’ lives and your brand’s success.
People are craving connection like never before, and loneliness is a significant contributor to poor mental health, particularly in a post-COVID world.
As a purpose-driven business, your
community shares your values.They’re looking for information and support that helps them make more ethical,
sustainable choices. They also want to
be part of a tribe who think like they do.
accessibility, carbon emissions, your
Word of mouth is still the most effective
those micro impacts together, you get
vast majority of customers are looking
giving back policies and add all of
the grand sum of your impact. Is it
positive (leaves a surplus), or negative (leaves a deficit)?
way to grow your business and the for social proof from those in your
community. 93% of people assess whether a business has a good
reviews and 92% look at a product
We love to see sustainable fashion
brands using their customers in their
marketing, and user generated content remains one of the most impactful
elements of marketing campaigns.
Wherever possible, use your platforms to celebrate your community, and put your customers front and centre.
Snag Tights is a Scottish brand with a clear purpose: “We are here to make
clothes for everyone.” Making colourful
tights size 4-36, they have grown into a
dynamic, inclusive fashion business with
a vocal and loyal community. Take a peep at their social channels and you’ll see
their diversity, inclusivity, sustainability
and affordability values modelled by the people who love them most.
Communities make up the fans,
customers and followers that support
your brand to grow, and it’s your duty to give back to those groups and
provide value and support wherever
you can. Whether it’s through events
or online groups, find opportunities to
give back, stay engaged and show you value your audiences at every touch
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41
GOOD B US I N E S S businesses, that means co-pitching for
work and being upfront and transparent
about your partnerships and agreements. For B2C, you can get even more
creative. Sustainable jewellery brand
Catbird does this particularly well. They regularly invite artists to collaborate
on their collections, and deliberately
highlight the artists’ unique flair in their marketing, making collaboration a key part of their brand identity. 4. Celebration
Make room in your marketing strategy to celebrate the people and organisations you admire. point. Without a community, a business simply cannot thrive. 2. Contribution
Being a contribution is an essential
part of an impactful marketing strategy. Contribution asks, “How can I help
you?” It really listens to the answer, and responds accordingly. This is the value you’re providing to your communities, and your opportunity to communicate your values beyond your owned
channels such as your website, blog and social media.
When you seek first to support, you create a symbiotic relationship with your audiences. This in turn helps
you to understand their needs better, which makes your products and
services stronger and more relevant. It also provides opportunities to
diversify to meet the changing needs of your customers.
Contribution can be seen as a kinder
approach to PR. It’s creating content for publications for the purpose of being
helpful and getting ideas out there that really matter to you and that make a difference to your communities.
As part of your contribution, you might
42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
approach podcasts that share similar
You might do this through a ‘spotlight on’
and experience as a guest, or pitch a
whose expertise and values align with
approach must never be sales-oriented,
post where you promote the work of
values and messages, offer your insights
interview series for movers and shakers
guest article to relevant publications. Your
your own, or through a celebratory social
instead this is about asking “How can I
someone who inspires you.
use my knowledge to be of service?”
Make sure to include your team, clients
3. Collaboration
and partners in the celebration, and
of collaboration over competition is
love on their own networks.
purpose-driven SMEs.
Putting the 4 Cs of visibility into action
Look for opportunities to collaborate
our marketing strategies are value-led and
admire. Not only does this bring more
and grow communities of loyal customers,
their audiences and create wider like-
about in front of new audiences.
Together we are mighty, and the concept extremely powerful, especially for
always tag them so they can share the
The 4 Cs of visibility are tools to ensure
with other brands and leaders you
valuable. They’re ways to nurture, support
value to your audiences, you also access
and get the messages we’re so passionate
minded communities.
With every piece of content you create, first
You could choose to collaborate on a piece
ask yourself: what is my intended impact?
your skill sets complement one another’s.
and delight, you’re on the right track. If in
partnering with different organisations. This
can I help you?” And with this, we hope
of content, course or other offer where
If the answer is to educate, inspire, enrol
You could also diversify your offering by
doubt, go back to that key question: “How
is something we regularly do at The Joyful,
we’ve helped you too!
technical and creative projects.
Sophie J Turton
Collaboration is a more authentic approach
Brand and marketing for movers,
to your clients and customers. For B2B
Website: wearethejoyful.com
especially when working on large-scale
to outsourcing, and can be a real benefit
Director, The Joyful
shakers and change-makers
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DIGITAL MARKETING
WORKSHOP
CHARIT 7 GOLF DA
MONDAY 7TH MAY 2018 WE SPEAK TO MANAGING DIRECTOR, GAVIN WILLIS
THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER
MID SUSSEX GOLF CLUB, DIT
7PM KICK OFF AT AMEX STADIUM, BRIGHTON
WEDNESDAY 7TH JULY 2021
17K TARGET – 7 CHARITIES – 7TH BIRTHDAY
DYKE GOLF CLUB, BRIGHTON
£77K TARGET - 10 CHARITIES - 10TH
DONATE: SEARCHSEVEN.CO.UK/S7TEDSTROPHY2018
DONATE: JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING
£77K TARGET - 10 CHARITIES - 10TH BIRTHDAY Star Hole in
One Prizes:
7
DONATE: JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING/SHARE77K
in Europe, Golf Holiday £10,000 cash, UK Golf break and Set of clubs
PART OF
ENTRY INFORMATION
WHY ENTER? • Great prizes for nearest pins and longest drives • Chance to win £10,000 cash, a new car, an all-inclusive holiday, a set of golf clubs or a UK golf break • Breakfast & Lunch included • Raffle & Sponsor Sweepstake
Register now at: toby@tpgsportsevents.com
FRIDAY
FOR
CHARITIES 6TH MAY
BY ROY STANNARD, HEAD OF INCOME GENERATION & COMMS, OFF THE FENCE TRUST
#S7LOVESCHARITY
Sponsorship opportunities available
One Prizes:
XI
XI
ENTRY INFORMATION
WHY ENTER?
• £250 per team or £65 per person • Teams of Four • Stableford Points • 9am shotgun start
• Great prizes for ne longest drives • Chance to win £10 car, an all-inclusiv golf clubs or a UK g • Lunch included • Sweepstake, raffle
Register now at: events@searchseven.co.uk
search marketing & conversion specialists
IN SUPPORT OF:
IN SUPPORT OF:
IN SUPPORT OF 7 CHARITIES:
CHARITY 7 GOLF DAY
PRESENTS
DIGITAL MARKETING MONDAY 7TH MAY 2018
MID SUSSEX GOLF CLUB, DITCHLING
DYKE GOLF CLUB, BRIGHTON £77K TARGET - 10 CHARITIES - 10TH BIRTHDAY
7
Star Hole in
ENTRY INFORMATION
WHY ENTER?
• £250 per team or £65 per person • Teams of Four • Stableford Points • 9am shotgun start
• Great prizes for nearest pins and longest drives • Chance to win £10,000 cash, a new car, an all-inclusive holiday, a set of golf clubs or a UK golf break • Lunch included • Sweepstake, raffle and more
DONATE: JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING/SHARE77K
One Prizes:
in Europe, Golf Holiday £10,000 cash, UK Golf break and Set of clubs
SBT CHARITY SPONSORED BY: Register now at: events@searchseven.co.uk
POWERED BY
WEDNESDAY 7TH JULY 2021
17K TARGET – 7 CHARITIES – 7TH BIRTHDAY DONATE: SEARCHSEVEN.CO.UK/S7TEDSTROPHY2018
PART OF
One Prizes:
in Europe, Golf Holiday £10,000 cash, UK Golf break and Set of clubs
WORKSHOP
7PM KICK OFF AT AMEX STADIUM, BRIGHTON
£77K TARGET - 10 CHARITIES - 10TH BIRTHDAY DONATE: JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING/SHARE77K
Star Hole in
CHARITY 7 GOLF DAY
SEARCH SEVEN
THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2020
PART OF
SPONSORED BY
FRIDAY CHARITIES 6TH MAY FOR
XI
Sponsorship opportunities available
XI
ENTRY INFORMATION
WHY ENTER?
• £360 per team • Teams of Four • Stableford Points • 9am shotgun start
• Great prizes for nearest pins and longest drives • Chance to win £10,000 cash, a new car, an all-inclusive holiday, a set of golf clubs or a UK golf break • Breakfast & Lunch included • Raffle & Sponsor Sweepstake
Register now at: toby@tpgsportsevents.com
#S7LOVESCHARITY
Sponsorship opportunities available
search marketing & conversion specialists
IN SUPPORT OF:
IN SUPPORT OF:
IN SUPPORT OF 7 CHARITIES:
CHARITY 7 GOLF DAY
CHARITY 7 GOLF DAY
POWERED BY
MONDAY 7TH MAY 2018
THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2020
7PM KICK OFF AT AMEX STADIUM, BRIGHTON
DYKE GOLF CLUB, BRIGHTON
Star Hole in
One Prizes:
DONATE: JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING/SHARE77K
in Europe, Golf Holiday £10,000 cash, UK Golf break and Set of clubs
PART OF
XI search marketing & conversion specialists
XI
WORKSHOP
£77K TARGET - 10 CHARITIES - 10TH BIRTHDAY
Star Hole in
One Prizes:
in Europe, Golf Holiday £10,000 cash, UK Golf break and Set of clubs
PART OF
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43
SPONSORED BY
ENTRY INFORMATION
WHY ENTER?
ENTRY INFORMATION
WHY ENTER?
• £360 per team • Teams of Four • Stableford Points • 9am shotgun start
• Great prizes for nearest pins and longest drives • Chance to win £10,000 cash, a new car, an all-inclusive holiday, a set of golf clubs or a UK golf break • Breakfast & Lunch included • Raffle & Sponsor Sweepstake
• £250 per team or £65 per person • Teams of Four • Stableford Points • 9am shotgun start
• Great prizes for nearest pins and longest drives • Chance to win £10,000 cash, a new car, an all-inclusive holiday, a set of golf clubs or a UK golf break • Lunch included • Sweepstake, raffle and more
Register now at: toby@tpgsportsevents.com
PRESENTS
DIGITAL MARKETING
DONATE: JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING/SHARE77K
£77K TARGET - 10 CHARITIES - 10TH BIRTHDAY
7
SEARCH SEVEN
MID SUSSEX GOLF CLUB, DITCHLING
WEDNESDAY 7TH JULY 2021
17K TARGET – 7 CHARITIES – 7TH BIRTHDAY DONATE: SEARCHSEVEN.CO.UK/S7TEDSTROPHY2018
Sponsorship opportunities available
Register now at: events@searchseven.co.uk
Sponsorship opportunities available
PA
in Europe, Golf Holiday £10,000 cash, UK Golf break and Set of clubs
WORKING WITH CHARITIES WORKS FOR BUSINESS
SPONSORED BY
• £360 per team • Teams of Four • Stableford Points • 9am shotgun start
Star Hole in
FOR
FRIDAY
CHARITIES 6TH MAY #S7LOVESCHARITY
Sponsorship opport
C HA RI T Y
Search Seven: 100 percent (charity) effort With their 10th
Charity
anniversary still
fresh in the memory
and the end of 2021 being a high point,
after an incredible charity fundraising target was met, Sussex digital
marketing agency Search Seven is
raring to go yet again. This time, the
team has set themselves the challenge of bringing their fundraising total to
£100,000 by end of 2023 - part of a new #S7100 campaign.
We spoke to Managing Director Gavin
Willis to find out more about the exciting new charity campaign.
The #share77k campaign was a great success, what is different this time with the #S7100 campaign?
Yes, the #share77k campaign really was quite amazing, given we launched the
campaign just days before the pandemic was announced in March2020, and
despite having to cancel and postpone
44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
events, and pivot some to online events,
What fundraising events have you got
over £26,000 in 18 months to hit our target.
We have already organised one event,
we dug deep and still managed to raise
The money raised was shared amongst
10 charities, each nominated by the team.
From our grand total, we were delighted to
hit another landmark, in that £50,000 of our fundraising since we first began went to our flagship charity, Rockinghorse.
With the new #S7100 campaign, we have continued to support the team and the charities that are close to their hearts,
and as well as the usual events where we
involve the whole Sussex community and
beyond, like our annual Golf Day and quiz nights, we have some new events lined
up too, as well as a flagship event, which we hosted in April this year.
With the team seeing rapid growth, from
lined up in 2022?
teaming up with Sam Thomas and the County Business Clubs to host the
inaugural Rockinghorse Ryder Cup,
a two-day golf event with 32 players competing against one another. The
scores couldn’t have been closer, with team yellow just pipping it at the end
(sorry Sam!), with an incredible £4,000
being donated to Rockinghorse, a charity that’s very special to the both of us. In October, we have our annual S7
Charity Golf Day, which this year is being hosted at the Dyke, and as ever there will be fun and games throughout the
day to make it entertaining for everyone that comes along.
five at the start of 2021 to 14 come the
How can people get involved in the
introducing more team events where
We have only just launched the event,
start of September this year, we are
we can fundraise together, as well as
encourage team charity and volunteering.
Golf Day?
and they always fill up fairly quickly, so
if anyone is interested in entering, then
CHA RITY
please contact Toby at TPG Sports
Does your charity fundraising boost
to us. I have never worked within a more
www.tpgsportsevents.com/events/
It really does. Everyone in the team has
used to be pushing up numbers, now my
Seven as a vehicle to make a difference,
fulfilled I am and asking for guidance on
Events or book online here - https:// searchseven
It’s £360 for a team of four, which
includes breakfast on arrival, 18 holes of golf, prizes for nearest to the pins, longest drive & Beat the Pro, putting competition, and winning team and
individual. There are hole-in-one prizes,
including £5,000 cash, plus a meal after the round, along with a raffle. The event date is Thursday October 20th 2022.
Which charities are you supporting as part of the #S7100 campaign?
It’s important that the team chooses
charities that are close to their hearts. We always support our flagship
charity, Rockinghorse – and have done since day one. The other charities
have all been nominated by the rest of the team.
It’s fantastic working with so many different charities, both local and national, who are doing such
amazing work across the world; from supporting animal charities, mental
health charities, children’s hospitals right here in Sussex, to national
charities that support the elderly.
Meeting with the people who set up
the charities is humbling and reminds me of why I set up our 7% charity pledge in 2011.
team morale?
driven, caring or enthusiastic team. I
said that our charity ethos, to use Search
old colleagues are commenting on how
was one of the key reasons why they
how to introduce it in their own careers.”
such a fantastic, talented, and caring
Will Davis, Senior SEO Manager, said:
together to really help make an impact.
members raise via their own fundraising
One employee said: “I joined Search
year with us, and up to £150 thereafter.”
(Apprentice) in May 2022. Completely
How else can people support the
of the unique selling points was Search
Please do keep an eye out on our
team mentality. I was encouraged to
announcements of our latest charity events.
charity; an organisation that was so
We are really excited about our next charity
so rewarding to build a relationship with
our new target as soon as possible. A
part in fundraising events, making a
and volunteers, and a special mention
joined, and we are delighted to build
team, filled with people wanting to come
Seven as a Paid Media Executive
“Search Seven match the money our team too, contributing up to £250 in their first
new to the Digital Marketing scene, one
#S7100 campaign?
Seven’s strong charity focus and overall
social media channels and website for
research and reach out to my chosen specific and meaningful to me. It feels
venture and are very determined to reach
them by raising awareness and taking
massive thank you to all our S7 supporters
difference through my work.”
to all the amazing charities that we are
Amy Moore, Paid Media Executive, said:
fantastic work!
was beginning to feel like my work was first
Website: www.searchseven.co.uk
for companies. I wanted to find a way to
Socials: Find us on Facebook, Twitter,
“Before I came to work for Search Seven, I
delighted to support - keep up your
and foremost to help push the numbers up
Email: events@searchseven.co.uk
ensure that my work was pushing forward
LinkedIn and Instagram @searchseven
a goal outside of digital marketing. It’s the reason I joined Search Seven. Not only
working with clients that have an impact
beyond profits, but also for the non-client work we are doing that is fundamental
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45
Working with charities works for Business By Roy Stannard, Head of Income Generation & Comms, Off The Fence Trust What?!
Charity
Ok, you’re a fledgling business just making
your way in the world. You’re a medium
sized SME that has struggled to get
through Covid. You’re a large corporate whose shareholders scrutinise every digit in the management accounts. How on earth can you justify supporting a charity?
Yet, most of your peers and competitors are..
Why might that be?
On a superficial level, you want to
support a good cause, one that might be close to your heart. Off The Fence has
a couple of supporters who have been homeless themselves.
46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
But supporting a charity can also be good for business.
Raising morale as well as funds
The benefit most often fed back to
me is the boost to staff morale. One hundred people took part in our Big Sleep-out last November. Amongst
them were three companies with teams led by chief executives. Fun, fulfilling, profile raising.
It’s also a great reason to get out of bed in the morning.
..and what better way to get buy-in
than to allow staff to select the charity and then as a team engage – with
photos, testimonials, certificates and engagement - with both the charity and its clients.
Keeping your best staff for the long haul Your best people (you know, the ones
who bring you a coffee in the morning
with a smile) are the ones most likely to enjoy working with a charity. It makes
them feel good about themselves and the community they share.
If you allow them to explore their charitable instincts through volunteering with or
fundraising for a charity they believe in, it
means that they will stick around. Loyalty usually means more things get done and done faster. So that early morning coffee smile sticks around all day.
Talent retention also means that
core skills don’t need to be replaced
every five minutes – and you save on recruitment costs.
CHA RITY
Customers will say nice things about you
your profits and even better, it could be tax
Creating a conversation with your
deductible.
to fundraise or volunteer is also a
Back to our
business are they going to patronise?
Our patrons
one that averts its community face?
and Bruno
Ask them to leave reviews saying why
with Micky
Do go and check out your fellow
and slept out
Broxsome at Pysdro and the next
the 100. That
enables you to use a unique URL to
league clubs
things about you in text and video
couldn’t wear
carousel on the home page.
the homeless. By doing what he did,
https://www.psydro.com/
folk hero overnight and we got TV,
customers by encouraging them
positive win for your business. Which
Big Sleep Out.
The socially responsible one or the
Graham Potter Saltor, along
they do business with your company.
Reid, came
Brighton Chamber member Philip
with the rest of
level of business review platform. It
week premier
get your customers to go and say nice
were told they
form – allowing you to play them via a
away kits for home games in aid of Graham Potter became a football
radio and press coverage and a 4
You’ll be surprised by how many cite
minute video shot by the Club’s own
Favourite Voucher Codes that funnels
31,000 at the Brighton-Leeds game. I
charity. Your customers save money,
Seagulls could do with at present.
same very satisfying package.
One company alone, Insurance
Media darlings.. Media.
Hill, sent a team of eight to the
your charity involvement. Use My
film crew that was shown in front of
20% of their profits to your chosen
think that’s a win-win! Something the
donate and love you more all in the
brokers Sutton Winson from Burgess Sleep-out and promised to match
Charities also have a great relationship
fund the amount raised by their staff
mentioned in their press releases, blogs,
to £8,500, the total raised from one
your reputation at little or no cost.
for corporate giving in this event.
In networking environments your
business as well as good for the soul.
or charities will stand up in sharp
By the way, if you want to get involved
caring image of your company.
celebrations and challenges visit
Your bottom line will almost certainly
You’ll be in good company..
profile will accelerate profit margins.
Roy Stannard
with the media. Getting regularly
via sponsorship. As this amounted
social media and websites will add to
company alone was £17k – a record
relationship with your chosen charity relief, effortlessly shaping the friendly,
be boosted. An improved public
You can even donate a percentage of
Working with charities can be good for
in Off The Fence’s 25th Anniversary www.offthefence.org.uk/25years
Head of Income Generation
About Off The Fence Trust
roy.stannard@offthefence.org.uk 01273 933885 07803 269154 Since 1997, Off The Fence has been working in the Brighton and Hove
area with the area’s most vulnerable people, tackling social and spiritual poverty, and helping members of
the community who are facing crisis situations with little or no support.
Our priority is to provide a practical, emotional and psychological safety net for the socially excluded in
Brighton & Hove. To this end Off
The Fence operates three projects: Antifreeze, a day centre for the
homeless - part of an emergency
outreach to rough sleepers: a schools programme for 6-18 year olds; and Gateway, a newly purchased and
extended women’s centre supporting women in crisis.
Our mission can be summarised
as: Resisting poverty. Empowering people. Restoring hope. Our website:
https://www.offthefence.org.uk Charity No. 110877
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47
CHARITY 7 GOLF DAY POWERED BY
THURSDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2022 DYKE GOLF CLUB, BRIGHTON PART OF Star Hole in
One Prizes:
Europe, olf Holiday in G , sh ca 0 0 £5,0 break and UK Golf Set of clubs
SPONSORED BY
ENTRY INFORMATION • • • •
£360 per team Teams of Four Stableford Points 9am shotgun start
Register now at: toby@tpgsportsevents.com
IN SUPPORT OF:
48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
WHY ENTER? • Great prizes for nearest pins and longest drives • Chance to win £5,000 cash, a new car, an all-inclusive holiday, a set of golf clubs or a UK golf break • Breakfast & Lunch included • Raffle & Sponsor Sweepstake Sponsorship opportunities available
SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS
BEST OF BRITISH EVENTS
LOOKING FORWARD TO HOSTING UPCOMING FUNCTIONS
DESPITE THE PERFROMANCE, THIS WAS ANYTHING BUT A DRAG…. ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2022!!
LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR AT NETWORKING EVENTS BY NETWORK MY CLUB
NEW PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT AND BREAKFAST SPONSOR
THE FANTASTIC BIG BUSINESS BREAKFAST CLUB ALONGSIDE JIM CUNLIFFE AND HIS TEAM.
HAILED A HUGE SUCCESS
THE INAUGURAL BRIGHTON AND HOVE BUSINESS SHOW
HEALYS WOMEN IN BUSINESS GOLF DAY
BRIGHTON’S FIRST LEADING WOMEN IN BUSINESS GOLF DAY
JACKIE’S NETWORKING ADVENTURES SPECIAL WITH COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS
SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49
Best of British Events
Best of British Events is looking forward to hosting upcoming functions in Eastbourne and Gatwick following a hugely successful lunch with guest speaker Mike Tindall MBE and headline sponsor Rubix VT. The former England
Networking & Events June 10.
international rugby player drew a big
crowd to The Grand
Hotel in Brighton on
Co-sponsored by FRP, TSS Facilities, Britton & Time Solicitors, Extech
Cloud, DevAssist, British Airways and
Charles Stanley Wealth Managers, the event raised much-needed cash for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.
The Sussex Business Times was the media partner for the fundraiser.
Ryan Heal, founder and Managing
50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Director of Best of British Events,
the audio visual team at Mascols
been donated to Rockinghorse in the
He further praised Mike Tindall for his
support at local events.
disappoint, judging by the very kind
He said: “We can’t begin to express
of days.”
sponsored, attended, partnered with
The next event is taking place on
that had Rockinghorse as the charity
features guest speaker Phil Tufnell.
this fantastic amount of money.”
with Bob Champion CBE will take
revealed afterwards that £45,000 has
and all those who volunteered to help.
past nine months - thanks to superb
support, adding: “He certainly didn’t
our thanks to everyone who has
feedback over the last couple
us or volunteered at one of the events
July 8 at The Waldorf Astoria and
beneficiary. You have helped us raise
A Goodwood Race Day and an event
As well as offering special thanks to those who attended the lunch, he
expressed his gratitude to MC Aaron
James, the team at The Grand Hotel,
place on dates in September. To learn more, visit
bestofbritish.org.uk
N ET WOR K I N G AN D E V E NTS
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51
Leave Your Ego at the Door at Networking Events
Open yourself up and others you meet to more authentic and human relationships. I bet I can predict
Networking & Events
something you
hear very often at
business networking events.
Something I hear all too often. And that’s what seems to have become
the automated response when someone is asked: “How is business?”
Cue a response along the lines of: “Oh, I’m super busy…couldn’t be busier… absolutely manic.”
Well, newsflash. People don’t want to hear how busy you are.
Or how many clients you have. Or how you’re drowning in new business. Let alone the record month, quarter or year you’ve recently recorded.
52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
When someone says things like that to
are. Think, will they be able to help you
me at a networking event I immediately
with that information?
seem like I can help you. Or that you
People at networking events are there
think: Why are you here then? It doesn’t need the business!
for the same reason. Trying to seek out
I’d prefer to hear something like:
other achieve that.
the moment, but looking to meet X to
Because, believe it or not, people want
grow X part of our business.”
to know how they can help you.
Or “Things could be busier, hence why
Give them a chance. Start by leaving
“Business has slowed down for me at
new opportunities. Try and help each
I’m here looking to meet new people and
your ego at the door.
I’m looking to meet X.”
At Network My Club, we actively
Immediately, with these responses, I know
environment to ensure more human and
unearth new opportunities. In particular
encourage an ‘ego-free’ networking
how I may be able to help them.
authentic conversations.
engage when you show humility and reveal
I welcome you to try one.
And people are so much more inclined to
a problem they might be able to help with. So, next time you catch yourself about
to tell someone how incredibly busy you
www.networkmyclub.co.uk
N ET WOR K I N G AN D E V E NTS
New partnership announcement and breakfast sponsor
County Business Clubs are delighted to announce that going forward we will be partnering with the fantastic Big Business Breakfast Club alongside Jim Cunliffe and his team. This new partnership
Networking & Events
hopes to grow the
BBBC to be biggest
and best networking
breakfast in Brighton One change to help make this happen is we now have fantastic sponsorship opportunities with the sponsor
choosing the charity beneficiary that month. Both the sponsor and the
charity will have the opportunity to
speak at the event and the BBBC will ensure full social media coverage as well as an article in SBT.
So it gives me great pleasure to introduce our first sponsor Chris Mansfield of Fusion-The Business Catalyst
Chris started building his extensive
network of contacts and connections
in 2000 when he attended his first BNI meeting and totally grasped the ethos of “givers gain”.
20 years later, having previously
networked for his own businesses for many years, he now works on a daily
retained basis for businesses wanting to grow through lead generation, strategic partnerships or acquisition and uses
his trusted reputation to bring the right people together.
He is well known as a serial networker
and for generating good quality business leads and connections in and around Sussex and London.
He effectively short cuts the usual
process of emails and phone calls
trying to contact the right person and
being thwarted by the “gatekeepers”, by knowing the right person to speak
to or knowing someone who does, and
Wolo Foundation helps families living in
Sussex through their cancer journeys. They support them by offering practical help
and support to make their day-to-day lives easier. They work with local businesses
and communities to offer families a wealth of services to support them through their diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
Statistics show that 1 in 2 people in the
UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Life is precious
Attendees can choose to donate when
they purchase tickets. The default donation is £5 per person, which can be overridden. To book for event on 15th July at Hilton Metropole Scan here
because of the trust people have in him they are usually willing to take the call!
Chris has decided he would like WOLO to be the beneficiary of July’s breakfast.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53
Live Entertainment
There were queens, but the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION was anything but a drag…. A live performance by Britain’s Got Talent finalists, Brighton Queens, FreePlay Sessions, Threesome Networking, Spingo (Sponsors Bingo), Chill Room, Arenas with Local Heroes, Internationally Renowned Speakers - it can only be the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2022! It would be hard to
Networking & Events
describe this year’s
ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION in one word. Exciting? Tick.
Extravagant? Tick. HOT? Double tick. It was another successful event with
nearly 300 business decision-makers in
the room and plenty are already signing up for next year’s event on the 24th of
May 2023 - which Acumen promises to make an even bigger day.
54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
After a royal entrance accompanied by some of the finest and most
fabulous drag queen performers from the heart of Brighton, the delegates
gathered in the Empress Room to kick off the event. Every year there is an
extraordinary live performance at the
Acumen Convention, but this year the
crowd was on their feet with a standing ovation for the performance from Ruby
Murray, a Britain’s Got Talent finalist and a renowned performer in the LGBTQ+
community. The performance not only moved some to tears but generated
spectacular energy and engagement
which carried on to the upbeat number from all five of the Queens.
The stage was also graced by an
array of diverse speakers including an international businesswoman,
philanthropist, and activist, Heather Mills. As the headline speaker, Mills
took centre stage and provided insight
N ET WOR K I N G AN D E V E NTS
Ladies in red: Heather Mills (Entrepreneur) & Penina Shepherd (CEO Acumen)
on her entrepreneurial journey - the creation and supply of sustainable,
plant-based alternative food, nutrition, and cosmetics.
The marvellous array of speakers also
featured Hana Ben-Shabat, a leading Gen Z authority worldwide, who flew
all the way from Manhattan, New York;
Anthony Willoughby, a business leader and explorer who sailed half the globe,
shared his fascinating stories about his travels; Phil Carr, a hugely successful entrepreneur who started in his nan’s
bedroom and sold his business for an impressive 7-figure sum; and Karen
Dobres, the director of Lewes FC, who
described her radical journey in football
Hundreds of delegates at the Empress Suite, the Grand
which lead to less-than-predictable
results. Acumen also welcomed the
award-winning novelist and business
guru, Linzi Boyd, who shared how to
switch over to a 21st century mindset
and business model, in line with the rapid industry growth which inevitably affects
every business executive. Acumen’s very
own Penina Shepherd, CEO & Founder, shared a thought-provoking approach to
the notion of ‘Fake it ’till you make it’ and imposter syndrome.
As well as the inspiring speakers on the big stage, the day included an array of Arena Speakers, featuring three
local heroes in TEDx-style talks. These were all facilitated by Acumen’s own
speakers who shared a story of family
betrayal, turmoil and scandal with great
informative legal tips and takeaways for all delegates and their businesses
The day concluded with a prestigious Ridgeview Sparkling Wine Reception
which gathered all the delegates for a
final networking opportunity alongside a much deserved and enjoyed glass of sparkling wine and bagels from Brighton’s famous Bagelman.
The ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION once more delivered its manifesto, which is to educate, inspire, connect and
entertain. It certainly did all that, sparkled with surprises and Acumen magic!
2023 Convention Super Early Bird Tickets Launched! Due to the largely positive reception of the 2022 event, Acumen are already very close to selling out all of their Super Early Bird tickets. Make sure to catch the deal while it’s still here: www.acumenbusinessconvention.co.uk
Save the date: 24th May 2023, The Grand Hotel
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55
The inaugural Brighton and Hove Business Show has been hailed a huge success Staged at the AMEX Stadium on June 23, the event saw stand bookings sell out well in advance of the show. Organised by well-
Networking & Events
known Sussex
businessman Mike
Monk, it attracted a
wide cross-section of
exhibitors from the B2B sphere.
Boasting Slo-Mo networking, a world-first
from tech innovator Hexology and a stellar line-up of speakers, it garnered a steady stream of visitors throughout the day.
Mike, who is now working on plans
for next year’s event, said: “It was an incredible day, with many exhibitors expressing an interest in booking stands for 2023.
“The show had a great atmosphere
56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
and was perfect for networking. We
event, many coming up with ingenious
couldn’t have had a better venue; it
competitions and giveaways to attract
really was ideal.”
visitors to their stand.
Both exhibitors and visitors benefited
Mike says it proved to be a great platform
from free parking as well as world-
for local businesses to amplify their
class facilities.
presence and showcase what they do.
The theme of the show was Connecting
A date for next year’s event will be
Businesses - something it managed to achieve effortlessly.
announced shortly.
In the meantime, anyone interested in
Brighton Chamber led the networking
exhibiting at next year’s show is urged
was Darrel Butlin, of Hexology. Other
secure a stand.
Marsh, Emma Pearce and Claire Mason.
www.brightonandhovebusinessshow.uk
session and the headline speaker
speakers included Henry Laker, Frank
Dozens of exhibitors supported the
to contact Mike as soon as possible to
mike@brightonandhovebusinessshow.uk
Brighton and Hove Business Show-16.JPG 2,100×3,150 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 22:00
N ET WOR K I N G AN D E V E NTS Brighton and Hove Business Show-43.JPG 3,150×2,100 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 22:02
Brighton and Hove Business Show-93.JPG 2,100×3,150 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 22:03
Brighton and Hove Business Show-91.JPG 3,150×2,100 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 22:03
Brighton and Hove Business Show-106.JPG 3,150×2,100 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 21:54
Brighton and Hove Business Show-142.JPG 3,150×2,100 pixels.pdf Saved to Dropbox • 26 Jun 2022 at 21:56
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57
Healys Women in Business Golf Day Sponsored by Quantuma, Plus Accounting, Sussex Business Times, Starr Trust, TPG Sports Events & East Brighton Golf Club Last month, Healys
Networking & Events
LLP joined forces
with Quantuma, Plus Accounting, Sussex
Business Times, Starr
Trust, TPG Sports Events & East Brighton Golf Club to host Brighton’s first leading Women in Business Golf Day.
The event took place at East Brighton Golf Club, on Women’s World Golf Day.Traditionally golf has been a
male-dominated sport. Even when you ask Google ‘Why do less women play
golf?’, the search engine’s suggestion is that: “Since the wage gap between
men and women has not disappeared, women simply have less money to spend. In addition, the practice of
conducting “business” on the golf
58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
course is a corporate perk enjoyed largely by males who golf on the company dime.”
Even if there is some truth to Google’s
suggestion, the question in this modern day must be, how do we remove such barriers to make sports like golf more inclusive and diverse? To make this
event successful, we dedicated our focus to three things: Cost
It wasn’t as difficult as you may think. Using resources and a collaborative approach, each sponsor provided
time, funding and resources to not
only reduce the cost of each attendee, but to additionally raise funds for this charity event. Through the generosity
and resources provided by sponsors,
tickets could be provided at a reduced rate under £50.
Encouragement & Trust
There is a saying that behind one woman is an army of women. This event relied on an army of women, many of whom
had never played golf before, to trust in this initiative and encourage others to
attend. Initially this was tricky. Even using authentic professional photos of women playing golf ahead of the event could be
considered quite intimidating to someone who has never played golf before. Communication was key.
Through communicating our passion for this initiative, sharing our own
personal vulnerabilities surrounding
N ET WOR K I N G AN D E V E NTS
golf and leading on our marketing with local photographers, we sold our first tickets. Those who purchased tickets
and understood the vision, then kindly
shared this initiative with other women
in their networks who could benefit from the event. Through the support of our
local women in business community, we achieved a sell-out event in a field that was alien to many.
Victoria King, Plus Accounting:
‘Plus Accounting were delighted to support this event, not only was it a great local event for women in business, but it was held on International Women’s Golf Day – the day was curated perfectly by the Charity, Club and organisers and the Ladies Team at East Brighton Golf Club provided invaluable insights into the world of
Be the change you wish to see… Many of the most successful initiatives come from a place of passion and a care for change. As sponsors and event organisers, each of us had a genuine passion to not only lead on a new worthwhile initiative, but to actively support diversity and inclusion where possible in our community. This initiative came from a conversation between sponsors about attending an existing golf event. Sussex has a strong women in business community. Many of these women are successful, strong-minded and competitive - and, just like men, they mean business. Collectively, the attendees and sponsors involved highlighted that with a little courage, commitment and passion for change, we can not only accomplish what we set our minds
golf, with a number of us eager to
to but can also make history through
get back on a course!’
using our leadership skills to do things that, to date, have yet to be achieved.
Marion McClymont, East Brighton Golf Club
‘This was a memorable day… I
think the event definitely achieved
its objectives for everyone involved, particularly all the attendees, the very worthwhile charities, our Ladies Section and also East Brighton Club.’
The Healys Women in Business Golf Day raised over £2K for the The Starr Trust,
which is supporting The Girls’ Network. These funds will be directly used to
support more young girls and women from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access
to mentoring, resources and networks that enhance career opportunities.
For more information regarding Healys Women in Business events, contact
the Marketing & Business Development
Manager, Stephanie Prior at: stephanie. prior@healys.com
Photos by Lauren Mabbett Photography
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59
N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS
Jackie’s Networking Adventures
Best of British - Mike Tindall at The Grand Hotel On Friday the 10th
Networking & Events
June I was lucky
enough to attend
The Best of British at the grand hotel,
not only as a table co-host but also as a Rockinghorse volunteer. SBT were
absolutely delighted to be the media partner for this fantastic event.
In a previous work life before I started working for Sam, I used to volunteer with Rockinghorse for many of their
events and it was great to be back as a volunteer after a few years away.
The speaker for this Best of British lunch was the one and only rugby legend Mike
60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Tindall. Now, if im completely honest, I
enough you try one of the upcoming
didn’t know much about Mike as a rugby
events this year.
amazing man. Mike did not disappoint;
Every event has a guest speaker who
He was funny, he was entertaining
a wonderful day with several hundred
can honestly say he was my favourite
over a sporting lunch, what’s not to like?
player or a royal... However, what an
he came across as a true gentleman.
has a great story to tell. You will have
and he was very interesting. To date, I
other local businesspeople. Networking
speaker and I am now a huge fan.
Best of British Events have donated
The whole day, from start to finish, was
a whopping £45,000 to Rockinghorse
the food was fantastic, as usual, and
months which is incredible coming out
amazing. The room looked incredible,
Children’s Charity alone, in the last 9
the team of volunteers did a great job
of a pandemic.
activity. Ryan, Stella and Ann never fail
To find out more about the Best of
been to one then I can not recommend
bestofbritish.org.uk/
helping to assist with all the fundraising to put on the best events. If you’ve not
British events visit their page https://
N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS
The Big Business Breakfast Club
The Big Business Breakfast Club takes
place on the third Friday of every month
at a different iconic Brighton venue each time in support of various local charities from across Sussex.
Hosted by Jim Cunliffe, of Nettl.com,
Steve Darby, of City Utilities, and Janella
Merritt, of Rockinghorse, you can except to network with in excess of 60 like-
minded businesspeople from across Brighton and wider Sussex, with an
informative guest speaker each month
alongside Alex Ryan, of Marketing 101,
with his marketing tips.
could not be more delighted to
Engler (CROP ® Method) in a Q&A with
will be joining forces with BBBC to
coach, husband, father and world-class
networking breakfast. The team is
artistic and educational projects across
sponsor next month - Chris Mansfield,
being a featured speaker at TEDxJaffa.
The Hilton Metropole.
and meaningful resource for participants in
If you are interested in learning more
Last month, we were joined by Yaron
announce that, going forward, we
Sam Thomas. Yaron is an educator,
bring you an even bigger and better
musician. For over 25 years he has led
also pleased to welcome the very first
Europe, USA, Asia and Australia, including
of Fusion - The Business Catalyst, at
This blend of experience provides a deep his evolving suite of programmes.
about becoming a sponsor of the BBBC,
The County Business Clubs’ team
team@bigbusinessbreakfastclub.co.uk
then please get in touch with the team at
Speedee-boarding - Hove lagoon colleagues and the public together for an afternoon of entertainment and
raising money for charity. Each team chose their
own charity, seeing over 20 different charities
benefiting from this event. Twenty-eight teams of
four (most having never
Well, this was certainly networking and fundraising with a difference.
On Thursday, June 16, Hove Lagoon
set foot on a paddle board
before) competed in heats to qualify for one of two finals.
alongside Neil Laughton hosted the
My team consisted of Sam Thomas, an
boarding relay race tournament.
Carr and Alex Ryan - complete beginners!
world’s greatest SUP (stand up paddle)
OK SUP boarder, alongside myself, Keith
Bringing families, friends, work
We did OK. We didn’t win but we didn’t
come last either so, all in all, a great effort. My favourite part of the event was the demolition derby, each person out for themselves. Paige Collins, Keith Carr,
apologies for the attack! Mark Newman, I am not sorry for taking you down -
especially being the pro boarder you are!!! A big shout out to Neil and his team of
volunteers. The day was seamlessly run
and was one of the most entertaining and fun afternoons I’ve had in a long time.
The day ended with a BBQ, drinks and
music on one of the hottest days so far this year. Perfect.
Big congratulations to the winners of the event, Sussex Cancer Fund, and their fantastic foursome of boarders.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61
N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS
Boundary Club - Hove The boundary club is Sussex Cricket’s
own unique networking and membership club where business meets cricket, hosted on the boundary’s edge.
Thursday 26th May was a slightly
different Boundary Club as we were
fortunate enough to stay after the event for the T20 against Glamorgan, which
was a great game of cricket (although we didn’t win).
The day started with welcome drinks and an opportunity to network with
new and familiar faces. Followed by a fantastic three-course lunch. The
food never disappoints at Boundary
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and, if I’m honest, probably one of
favourites when it comes to the food.
The presentation is superb and the food choice is so different each month.
This month’s speaker was James
Elliot, a mental and resilience coach.
James had an incredible story to tell,
starting with his 14 years in the British Army, pursuing a career in mental
resilience delivery. He has worked with elite performance athletes, including gold medallists, special forces and rugby players.
Also an accredited psychotherapist,
he works with veterans to help them
find their way in what can often
be an increasingly confusing and
overwhelming, changing environment. If that wasn’t enough, James also
holds two Guinness World Records for feats of endurance.
Another very inspiring and fascinating
speaker to come from Boundary Club. I can’t comment much on the
actual cricket as I’m no expert but the highlight for me was definitely
Jermaine Weeden attempting a catch
as the ball came across the boundary, however James also had a full glass of red wine (well he did before the attempted catch).
SBT MOTORING NEWS
THE UK FUEL PHENOMENON WHAT DOES THE RISING COST OF FUEL MEAN FOR YOU?
OUR LIST OF THE 6 CHEAPEST CARS TO INSURE IN 2022 BY RIVERVALE LEASING
SBT MOTORING NEWS SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 63
MOTO RI N G N E WS
The UK fuel phenomenon - What does the rising cost of fuel mean for you? On Monday, the UK average cost of petrol reached record levels, hitting 169.61 pence a litre on Monday according to RAC data.
And while diesel
Motoring News pence per litre.
prices have dropped slightly, they remain inflated at an eyewatering 181.87
This isn’t just a UK phenomenon. The price of gasoline has also surged to
a new high in the US, and fuel prices in Europe are also well above the seasonal average.
With wages not rising anywhere near
as fast, UK households are feeling the
squeeze when it comes to owning and running a vehicle.
So what does that mean for the 12 million drivers across the UK? We’ll explain
exactly why fuel costs are rising in the
UK, what this means for your vehicle and wallet - and how you can mitigate skyhigh fuel costs to save some cash.
64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Why is the cost of fuel increasing? • Rebounding demand after Covid lockdowns
2020 was the year of empty car parks, airports and staying at home. 2021
was the year where we got to grips
with pandemic life, and demand for
fuel increased as we began a series of
vaccine rollouts alongside unprecedented levels of online deliveries. • Low supply
While the oil market was already
slowing before the pandemic hit, the recent snowballing of geopolitical
events has had a significant impact on crude oil and gas supplies.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in
February has threatened supplies from
Russia, and low output from renewable energy sources in 2021 has meant fuel prices have soared.
Why are petrol prices going up again? So why is petrol so expensive? The
price of petroleum gas usually follows
the trend of crude oil prices, which also remain remarkably high.
The build-up in demand after the
pandemic has a lot to answer for, as people rush to get back to normal.
To make up for lost time, so to speak,
British people are spending more money on day trips, holidays at home and
abroad, shopping and more. Demand is high, but supply is still low.
Curtailed energy supplies and rising
fuel costs have also coincided with the
spring and summer months, where British people are driving more frequently.
Combine that with a growing labour market post-pandemic, and people are willing to pay any fuel price to drive to work.
MOTOR I NG N E WS
How high will UK fuel prices go?
Unfortunately, for vehicle owners, there seems to be no sign of slowing when it comes to fuel prices.
The price of both petrol and diesel could be hiked up even further by a complete
ban on Russian energy imports by the EU. Experts predict that it will take a
recession to bring inflated rates back down - and they will continue to rise until that takes place.
We can expect fuel prices to remain elevated for weeks - if not months. But as with many aspects of the
economy, uncertain times lead to unstable prices.
How will the rising cost of fuel affect me?
• Higher cost of living
Diesel can be seen as the lifeblood of the economy; without it, the supply chain practically grinds to a halt.
We’ll see the rippling effects of rising diesel costs on the price of fuel, food and other consumer goods.
Essentially, everything that needs to be
delivered, whether by train, lorry or plane, can be expected to increase in price.
How can I save on rising fuel costs?
• Drive less
tyres are fully inflated and keeping
drive, the less you’ll need to buy fuel. But
economy efficiency of your car would
done - particularly if you have to drive to
used. Here is our list of the best and
The simple answer is that the less you
the weight light to use less fuel. The
for most people, that’s easier said than
also play a factor in the amount of fuel
work or drop the kids off at school. But,
worst vehicles for the environment.
option. However, there are problems with
• Opt for an electric vehicle
there are other options. Cycling is a great cycle lanes that need to be addressed.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of
• Use public transport or consider
there’s never been a better time to
carsharing
If you have the opportunity to use public
switching to an e-vehicle or a hybrid, go green.
transport, this might be something you
While electricity costs can fluctuate,
facilities post-pandemic means it’s safer
have the option to charge from home,
want to consider. Improved hygiene
if you’re in a pure electric vehicle and
than it has been in a long time.
then varying gas and oil prices won’t
Otherwise, consider carsharing with
There has been no better time to
affect your vehicle running costs.
family, friends and colleagues. If you’re
switch to electric than now!
certainly be more comfortable to share.
• Think about where to fill up
the distance between supply and
could also be cheaper in a town just a
the owner of an SUV or minibus, it’ll
Reducing the rush for fuel also shortens
Prices vary from region to region, and
demand, which should force petrol and
few miles away.
diesel prices down in the short term. • Adjust your driving habits
Did you know that keeping your foot off
While fuel prices are set to remain
inflated, consider filling up at your
local supermarket or keeping an eye
the brake while driving can save you
on local four courts.
braking, and consider driving slower or
Interested in a Car Lease? Give us a call
fuel? Be mindful when accelerating and turning off the engine in a queue.
on 01273433480 to discuss car leasing.
It’s also worth keeping up to date on
for a time that is convenient for you!
Alternatively, you can request a callback
servicing your car, making sure your
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 65
Our list of the 6 cheapest cars to insure in 2022 When it comes to motor running costs, insurance can often be the biggest expenditure. If you’d prefer to keep costs down, we’ve compiled a list of cars in low insurance groups. All cars are placed
Motoring News
in a group between one and 50, with one being the
cheapest and 50 the
most expensive. The insurance group depends on factors such as the car’s security, performance, repair times, safety and value.
Whether you’re looking for low-cost
insurance for a first-time driver, or simply
looking to spend less money each month; check out our shortlist of cars with the
lowest insurance - we’ve included a nice variety of shapes and sizes.
66 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Are newer cars cheaper to insure?
in mind that it may cost your insurance
A common query when it comes to
provider more to replace a new car.
result in higher premiums.
In short, the price of car insurance is
It may seem obvious that older cars are
model itself - so it’s important to get
valuable, but this isn’t always the case.
reduce the cost of your car is to lease
parts for older cars, but equally it may
leasing in the UK now?
or replace a new one.
So, what are the best cars for low car
insuring a car is whether newer cars
very specific and depends on the car
cheaper to insure because they’re less
a quote for each one. Another way to
It can be difficult to get replacement
rather than buy. But how popular is car
cost your insurance provider more to fix
While cars with smaller engines tend to
come with cheap cover, it’s not always the case if the car is new. It’s worth keeping
insurance?
Volkswagen Polo (excluding GTi)
Hailed as the new Golf, the VW Polo is
MOTOR I NG N E WS
where it’s at. It’s reliable, stylish and cheap to insure. The newest model comes with an updated infotainment system, it has
a modern feel - and compared to other
small cars, the comfortable interior comes with plenty of legroom. Citroen C1
If you were to think of a cheap car to
insure, we’re sure that the Citroen C1
comes to mind. This pocket-sized city car is the perfect choice for youngsters, with
its small interior, wheels and low insurance. What it lacks in substance and
acceleration, it makes up for in
manoeuvrability around town - not to mention that it can park in the
smallest of spaces. There’s even just
enough space for four adults and bags in the boot.
Volkswagen Up!
Unlike other small city cars, the Up
doesn’t feel like it’s dwarfed by lorries on the motorway, and is substantial enough to take corners with ease.
With a broad, boxy body, there’s plenty of room for four adults and bags in the boot - and the interior is as impressive as you’d hope from a VW.
The quiet, 60PS engine doesn’t guzzle
fuel, and it comes with great features such as air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and DAB radio. Nissan Micra
A reasonable alternative to the Volkswagen Polo, the Nissan Micra performs like a small car but in a larger body.
The newer version is more aesthetically pleasing than the classic Nissan Micra, and it has a neat interior with a full infotainment screen.
The suspension makes it relatively
smooth over bumps, but performance is what you’d expect from a low insurance group vehicle. Ford Fiesta
Looking for a car that doesn’t sacrifice an enjoyable driving experience for
cheap cover? Then the Ford Fiesta is the car for you.
It has everything you might need: a large
infotainment screen, air conditioning and smart interiors. With excellent steering
and balanced pedals, it’s certainly fun to drive - and takes corners with ease. SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is another great
contender for a Polo-style car, in fact, the
Volkswagen Polo shares parts with SEAT. It has a pretty decent interior for a small car, with five doors, a good amount of legroom for four adults and a 355-litre
boot. All models come with alloy wheels and a leather steering wheel, which
is quite a nice touch given that it’s a
1.0-litre engine. Overall, the Ibiza is nice to drive - but we recommend opting for
the turbocharged trim if you’re planning longer journeys.
Now that you’ve seen the best cars for
low car insurance, you probably have a
better idea of what you can get for your money. Making the switch to Electric is also a great option, here is why now is the best time to get an electric car.
If a dinky city car is the right fit for you, then you’re sure to find some great
deals on cheap cover. Otherwise, rest assured that there are more spacious or smoother models available in low
insurance groups. Not that you are you up on insurance, next it is time to learn
about the changes made to the highway code in 2022?
If you like the look of any of these
cars, give us a call on 01273433480 to discuss car leasing. Alternatively, you
can request a callback for a time that is convenient for you!
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 67
68 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT CHAMBER NEWS
BRIGHTON & HOVE LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN REACHES 800 EMPLOYERS SIGNED UP! OVER 4,000 SALARIES RAISED ACROSS BRIGHTON & HOVE
SUSSEX CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO 15TH JULY 2022
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 69
Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign reaches 800 employers signed up! Over 4,000 salaries raised across Brighton & Hove There was cause
Chamber News over 800 signups.
for celebration
recently, as Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign reached
Started in 2012, the campaign is led
by Brighton Chamber and is the only business-led campaign in the UK. At
805 signups, there have been over 4,000 salaries elevated across our city as a
result of the campaign - and it’s seen
steady growth with employers signing
70 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
up even throughout the pandemic.
On 19 May, Living Wage employers
from across the city came together to celebrate the milestone, network and share their stories.
Sarah Springford, CEO of Brighton
Chamber, spoke about the history of
the Living Wage Campaign: “Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign has been
running for 10 years, and we’ve come a
really long way since then. But, with over 16,000 businesses in Brighton & Hove, there’s still a long way to go.”
Brighton & Hove City Council have
supported the campaign since it was set up, and Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty,
Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council,
spoke about the impact of the campaign throughout our city, emphasizing that despite the impacts of Covid-19 and
economic changes: “Everyone should
earn enough to cover the cost of living” in Brighton & Hove.”
The Living Wage is set independently and updated annually according to
the basic cost of living in the UK, and
CHAM BE R N E WS
the amount a person needs to live to
a reasonable standard. The aim of the
campaign is to support and encourage
local businesses to voluntary commit to paying their employees the real Living Wage, instead of the government’s national minimum.
In a recent survey to Living Wage
employers, 4 out of 5 respondents said they would take into account
whether a supplier pays the living wage when searching for and choosing new suppliers to do business with.
Nearly half the respondents also felt that signing up to the Living Wage
Campaign was positive for both
and sign up (for free) on the Brighton &
some compelling stories around
livingwagebrighton.co.uk.
– particularly for employers working in
Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign
employee recruitment and PR, sharing retention, staff morale and productivity
Hove Living Wage Campaign website:
the hospitality industry.
is a collaboration between Brighton
The new rate is announced every
and UNISON Brighton & Hove Branch.
and businesses are given until 1 April
www.brightonchamber.co.uk
November during Living Wage Week,
Chamber, Brighton & Hove City Council,
to implement the new rate, which is currently £9.90 per hour.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the campaign, think you might
already be a Living Wage employer, or know someone who is – find out more
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 71
72 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
SBT SPORT
CYCLING SUCCESS IN TANDEM PROFILE OF CRAWLEY’S PARALYMPIAN KATIE-GEORGE DUNLEVY
BEN STOKES OBE WHAT MAKES ENGLAND’S NEW TEST CAPTAIN A WINNER?
JAMES ROSS JEWELLERS CHARITY GOLF DAY THE RETURN OF THE JAMES ROSS JEWELLERS CHARITY GOLF DAY AT WEST HOVE GOLF CLUB
SBT SPORT SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 73
Cycling success in tandem Profile of Crawley’s Paralympian Katie-George Dunlevy Katie-George Dunlevy
Sport
is a Paralympic athlete who has competed
in events such as the
mixed 4+ LTA Rowing
and tandem cycling, the latter where she has experienced huge success
representing Ireland at both the World Championships and the Olympics.
Born in Crawley on 26 November 1981, Katie-George is one of six
sisters brought up in Gossops Green
who went to school at both Copthorne Convent and Holy Cross in Ifield, but remembers she struggled with ball
74 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
sports during her formative years.
Unbeknown to her, she had a problem
with her peripheral vision which meant
while other kids were charging around, Katie would be missing the ball and running into the other kids instead.
Upon visiting the opticians, there was
concern that Katie had an eye condition and, after visiting Moorfields Eye
Hospital in London, it was confirmed
she had a degenerative eye condition
called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Essentially,
this means she has tunnel vision and no peripheral vision at all. Additionally, this means a longer time for her eyesight to
readjust when she goes from bright light into a dark room and vice versa. It’s a
slow process of degeneration which will eventually lead to blindness and hence why she is officially blind.
After getting used to accepting her
condition following her arrival into the Royal London Society for the Blind
School in Sevenoaks, Katie became involved in a variety of sports and
activities competing in the National
School’s competitions at swimming and athletics and even winning a
bronze medal in the 400m when she was seventeen at the Blind Sports
S PO RT
https://www.donegallive.ie/resizer/-1/-1/
true/1629984346353.jpg--.jpg?1629984348000 Associations European Athletics Championships.
The following year, she was contacted by the Great Britain para-rowing team
and became one of the first athletes to represent them, where she succeeded in winning Gold in 2004 and 2005. However, multiple rib injuries kept
her out of the boat for a number of
years which only served to affect her confidence and motivation. Then, in
2010, after realising she was eligible
to play for Ireland, because her father is from County Donegal, she ended up training for the Olympics but
unfortunately missed out on selection. However, things took a turn for the
better when the Irish para-cycling coach gave her a trial in August 2011, and she never looked back. She took to tandem
cycling very quickly however the London Olympics proved to early for a medal,
but Dunlevy reflects that it was really an event to gain exposure and experience. In 2014, Katie teamed up with Eve
https://img2.thejournal.ie/article/5535995/ river?version=5536071&width=1340
McCrystal and, in their first road race,
the pair instantly hit it off and won their first World Championship Silver medal.
The following year the pair won Bronze in the 3k pursuit at the UCI Para-
Cycling Track World Championships in the Netherlands.
At Rio in 2016, Dunlevy won a gold medal at the time trial B event and silver in the road race at the 2016
Summer Paralympics with pilot Eve McCrystal. However, the time trial
remains her proudest moment and she recalls: “I was so happy and
elated but I was in so much pain as
well having given everything…we fell to the floor completely exhausted
and, when I realised we’d won Gold, I just screamed”
Katie became double World Champion at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in September 2017 and the following year she retained both titles becoming double World
Champion again with McCrystal. In
the same year, she won Bronze in the
3k pursuit at the UCI Para-Cycling
Track World Championships. In 2019 she won Gold in the time trial at
the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships to become world
champion for the third time and won Silver in the road race.
In January 2020 Dunlevy and
McCrystal won Silver at the UCI ParaCycling track World Championships in both the time trial and road race,
and then last year the pair won a silver medal at the delayed 2020 Summer
Paralympics in Tokyo in the individual pursuit event.
A few days later, they retained their
title from Rio in the time trial, winning Gold whilst also winning Gold in
the road race to become the most
successful Irish female Paralympian. In 2021, Katie was named the Active
Sussex Sports Personality of the Year having been selected for ‘displaying
and outstanding level of achievement competing at the highest level’.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 75
S PORT
Ben Stokes OBE
What makes England’s new test captain a winner?
https://images.theconversation.com
Whilst England’s new
Sport
Test cricket captain hit the ground running by winning his first two
matches against New
Zealand, Ben Stokes certainly appears to be a born winner and the correct
choice to lead his nation forward after replacing Joe Root as skipper.
Leading by example is clearly the key to
being respected by your own team mates – respect brings support and players
who want to help can only serve to bring success. Add into the mix a high level of controlled aggression and bravery to an
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already complete all-rounder, Stokes has undoubted ability to win matches either with the bat or the ball.
Not only is Stokes captain of the
England Test team, but he also plays
for the England One Day International
(ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I)
teams. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple
Twenty20 leagues, including the Indian
Premier League, playing for Rising Pune Supergiant and the Rajasthan Royals.
As a left-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm fast bowler, he holds the
world record for most runs in an innings
at number six, scoring 258 against South Africa during England’s 2015-16 tour. In the same Test, both he and Jonny
Bairstow set the world record for highest sixth-wicket stand in Tests, at 399.
He made his ODI and T20I debuts in
2011, and his Test debut in 2013, and
was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He was
named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in
the World in 2019 and 2020 and won the ICC Award for Best Men’s Cricketer. Stokes made his one-day debut for
Durham in 2009 and his first class debut
S PO RT
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image a year later before being part of the 2013 Championship winning team.
But what about the character of Ben
Stokes then? Success always comes from realising the taste of defeat and
making mistakes, ensuring the lessons learned enable yourself to become a better person as a consequence.
Stokes’s list of previous infractions includes being dismissed from the
England Lions tour of Australia in 2013
because of some disciplinary action. He
was also suspended from the Ashes tour 2017 because of an incident outside a Bristol Nightclub.
However, the four consecutive sixes that West Indian Carlos Brathwaite
smashed off his bowling in the last over of the T20 World Cup in 2016 would have ordinarily demolished a lesser man’s mental strength.
Not Ben Stokes. How he’s bounced
back to become a leader on the pitch has been truly remarkable.
The way he has transformed those
negatives into positives is incredibly inspiring because he has become integral for England and a shining
example for the whole cricketing world. On 13 February 2017, Stokes was
Getty Images
appointed vice-captain of England’s
test team and in the same year, Stokes
was bought by Rising Pune Supergiants to play in the Indian Premier League.
He made his maiden Twenty20 century
against Gujarat Lions, hitting 103 not out from 63 balls, including seven fours and six sixes. He was named as the Most Valuable Player for that season. Then came his heroics of 2019,
performances which will last long in
the memory for those lucky enough to
witness them. First came the World Cup. In the opening match of the tournament against South Africa, he scored 89 runs
from 79 balls, claimed two wickets, and
took two catches to be declared “Man of the Match” in a comprehensive 104-run win for England. His catch to dismiss
Andile Phehlukwayo has been described as “one of the greatest catches of all
time” stretching backwards and catching the ball one-handed just in from the
boundary…a moment which has been
regularly replayed on Sky this summer. After producing multiple standout performances with the bat later
throughout the group stages, Stokes
played a hugely important innings in the final against New Zealand, where he
scored 84 not out, including 2 sixes in the final over to tie the game. He then batted in the super over with Jos Buttler, which
again was a tie, but England won the
match on the boundary countback rule
and he was named man of the match for the second time in the tournament.
During the Ashes in the same year,
England were seemingly heading for
defeat in the third Test at Headingly after they were bowled out for 67 in their first
innings. Stokes managed to overturn an
overnight Australian lead, hitting 11 fours and 8 sixes to win with an unbeaten 135 not out with his innings described as
“one of the greatest innings of all time”. Stokes’s incredible twelve months
culminated in being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year and he was
appointed Officer of the Order of the
British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to cricket.
England have produced true legends of
the game with the names of Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff springing to mind.
Ben Stokes OBE can without doubt be thought of in the same way. With the character to bounce back in the way
he has, he is unquestionably a winner. The question will be: can he continue
to produce at the highest level with the added responsibility and pressure of
captaincy? The signs for the future are good and long may this continue.
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 77
S PORT
James Ross Jewellers charity golf day
After a two-year absence, Friday 27 May saw the return of the very popular James Ross Jewellers Charity Golf Day at West Hove Golf Club.
Nick Ford Photography
Nick Ford Photography
Nick Ford Photography
Nick Ford Photography
A massive thank
Sport
you from James to
everyone who took
part. The event was deemed a huge
success and, thanks to everyone’s
perfect opportunity then for photographer
Preston Insurance Brokers for continuing
and take some great snaps of the day.
sponsors that should also be recognised
With the expected array of additional
LK Carpentry, Silver Star Cleaning,
Nick Ford to whizz around on his buggy
his sponsorship of this event, while hole include HR Smart, GC Fire & Security,
challenges over the day, the winners were:
Brighton Penny Farthing Tours and TICA
an incredible £11,000 for the three
Nearest the pin: Tim Bloxham
Lancing supplied the golf towels for all
Project, Turning Tides Homeless Charity
Men’s longest drive: Mark Judges
generosity, managed to raise just over nominated charities: Adur Special Needs and St Barnabas House. An amazing
effort by everyone involved and a figure that smashed the previous record.
The day itself provided perfect weather conditions with bright blue sky and
sunshine, and the players couldn’t have asked for a better course to play on. A
78 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
Ladies longest drive: Ruth Priestly
Hove. Additionally Wear Your Logo in the participants.
Team runners up: ‘Downlanders’
Also, special thanks go to Ryan Fenwick
Jeff Medhurst
their support and, of course, to West
Leigh Karadzas, Paul Zmack, Dave
stage this event for the 11th year.
featuring Alan, Roy and Jack Pook and
Golf Academy and Absolute Golf for
Team winners: ‘Fore Brothers’ featuring
Hove Golf Club for allowing James to
Sayers and Paul Nash.
If you want to be involved in 2023,
A special mention for Noel Preston from
jamesrossjewellers.co.uk
you can contact James at info@
SBT ASK THE EXPERT
THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO – DON’T SET OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT BY IAN HOPPING, AUDITEL
COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS WINE OF THE MONTH WITH BRIGHTON & HOVE WINE CLUB
SBT ASK THE EXPERT SPONSORED BY:
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 79
AS K T H E E X PE RT
The Journey to Net Zero – Don’t set off on the wrong foot How to calculate your Carbon Footprint the right way and avoid being accused of greenwashing
June 23rd 1988
marked the date
on which climate change became an international
issue when Dr. James Hansen, then
director of NASA’s Institute for Space
Studies, told the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: “Global
80 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk
warming has reached a level such that we can ascribe with a high degree of confidence a cause-and-effect
relationship between the greenhouse effect and observed warming.”
To minimise the effects of climate
change, we all need to significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels
and our greenhouse gas emissions, a large proportion of which come from commercial and industrial activities. Therefore, businesses must bear the responsibility for minimising
emissions. For certain categories of UK
organisations, carbon reporting, net zero planning and eventual net zero status are now mandated by law.
ASK T H E E XPE RT to do the right thing themselves,
standard has been set, it does leave
knowledge and resources to calculate
criticism and debate. A benchmark has
believing they have the internal
spurious claims and practices open to
their emissions with the help of online
been established.
The market for these products is
Auditel worked closely with British
If the calculation method is inaccurate
part of 2021 to raise awareness of
offsets at great expense, or even too
became one of the first members
objective and leading to potential claims
programme to be able to offer support
tools and bespoke software packages. unregulated and their accuracy varies.
Standards Institute during the early
a business might buy too many carbon
the benefits of using PAS2060 and
few offsets, defeating the original
of their Associate Consultants
of greenwashing. In trying to do the
to the standard.
themselves open to a PR disaster.
PAS 2060 presents four key stages
There are also professional services
reduction, offsetting and documentation.
on sustainable business practices.
can seek verification with an
Last year the government announced
time and in the absence of any
PAS 2060 applies to organisations of
than £5M will no longer accept bids from
their own, effectively marking their own
demonstrate the carbon neutrality of
carbon reduction plan. It is rumoured
by certification bodies that this activity
identified subject, such as specific
2022 all NHS procurements will include
can again leave clients vulnerable to
projects, or events.
value weighting and from 2024 the NHS
companies that they are ‘carbon neutral’
The benefits with PAS2060 are clarity,
carbon reduction plan. As the carbon
with scepticism. Companies such
no threat to claims of greenwashing.
the Carbon Footprint of their customers,
recently been accused of un-verifiable
legislation becomes more widespread,
right thing, organisations can leave
to carbon neutrality — measurement,
organisations promoting their beliefs
At the end of the process, businesses
Many have been around for some
independent third party like BSI or NQA.
that public sector tenders worth more
recognised standards, have created
all sizes and sectors. You can use it to
companies who don’t include a credible
homework. It has been acknowledged
your entire business or to any uniquely
that this figure will reduce. From April
encourages a ‘wild west’ culture, which
activities, products, services, buildings,
a minimum 10% net zero and social
claims of greenwashing. Claims by
will require all suppliers to publish a
are not always valid and may be met
consistency and transparency, leaving
emissions of one business contribute to
as Ryanair, Quorn and Shell have all
As knowledge about carbon-related
it’s easy to see how need to fulfil these
sustainability claims.
B2C and B2B customers (not to
the supply chain.
Building on over 20 years of energy
will increasingly scrutinise ‘green’
Since 1988 the environmental movement
Auditel realised that a standard for
is not only a PR disaster waiting to
to save our planet, however until recently
needed. Following extensive research,
became a criminal offence.
market. There are many providers of
internationally recognised standard for
Ian Hopping
requirements will spread rapidly through
mention shareholders and investors)
saving and supply chain experience,
credentials. Moreover, ‘greenwashing’
has developed at pace through a passion
demonstrating Carbon Neutrality was
happen – as of September 2021 it
this passion was in a totally unregulated
we adopted BSI PAS2060, the only
carbon footprint reports (CFRs), often
carbon neutrality.
Carbon Solutions & Procurement
testimonials from satisfied customers.
PAS 2060 was developed by BSI (and
T 01825 791128
report looks much like any other and
Neutral and Forestry Commission) to
W auditel.co.uk
However, all CFRs are not created equally.
needed to meet to demonstrate carbon
There are many organisations trying
was the game changer. Now an official
with a convincing sales pitch and
To the uninitiated, one carbon footprint
other organisations such as BP Target
it is tempting just to buy the cheapest.
specify the requirements an organisation
Specialist
M 07976 244456
neutrality. It could be argued that this
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 81
WI N E OF T H E MON TH
County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month July 2022
For July’s wine of the month, we have chosen a relatively new established vineyard at the foot of the South Downs, next to Devils Dyke, owned by Esme and Rupert. After spotting Esme selling at a local
farmers’ market, where she was offering
visitors a taster of her wines, I was taken by the quality of their small batch wines. I asked Esme and Rupert how they first started out as wine growers and they commented with the following;
“We jumped on the roller coaster of
vine growing back in 2010 when we
established our small 6 acre vineyard on our working family farm. Traditionally,
the farm had specialised in our Pedigree
Sussex beef herd, sheep flock and livery yard but the idea of creating a vineyard had circulated for many years. Being
lucky enough to have the perfect site on a green sand, south facing slope at the foot of the Downs, we finally took the
plunge, and 8,500 vines went into the
soil in April 2011. Having selected the
main sparkling varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, we also opted for Bacchus to compliment our range with a still white.
“Dealing with the seasonal variables that mother nature throws at you, or what
at times feels like biblical plagues, can
be stressful but also incredibly exciting. Our vineyard is small and so we and
our customers have to celebrate and
embrace what each year and vintage
brings us. All our energies are focussed on producing the most exceptional
quality fruit. We really want those fruit
flavours to shine in our wines so follow a minimal intervention winemaking
approach.” - Esme Crowther, Poynings Grange Vineyard
So, for this month’s CBC Wine of the
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Month, we have chosen their
Rose de Noirs 2015, of which
they are very proud. This wine is
a perfect summer treat. 2015 was a great vintage and has resulted
in a wonderful wine, which has an
attractive light pink and golden hue with well integrated, fine bubbles. For me, on the nose, I get a hit of
rhubarb and custard with a biscuity crumble to follow from the years of
aging in the bottle. On the palate, we have balanced acidity with summer
fruits and a hint of peach followed by grapefruit. Bravo, encore please! The price of their Rose de Noir is £29 a bottle.
In the winemakers own words;
“Beautifully delicate in colour and
brimming with characteristic Pinot red fruit flavours – cherries and
strawberries but also plum and wild bramble. This wine has a savoury
peppery nature which is clean and
refreshing. Long ageing on its lees
and in bottle enhances the complexity with biscuity flavours emerging. A
delicious summer celebration wine.” Other notable wines from this vineyard are the crisp 2015 Blanc de Blancs
and their fresh, floral and elderflower
driven 2018 Bacchus, most definitely worth a try.
A future plan is to bring customers
to their estate so they can share the
magnificent spot thevineyard occupies and of course a glass or two! Keep an eye out for this vineyard in the future,
one to definitely savour in the sun this
summer. 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)
www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 83
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