SBT issue 460

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.

SBTWelcome

As we head towards the festive season and a new year, many will be asking themselves what the future holds. How much damage will a recession do to my business? Will our charity survive economic turmoil?

It is important to pause and remember that the answers to such questions aren’t black and white, and don’t always hinge on the actions of politicians. Markets evolve, sales trends can go up as well as down and, importantly, innovation has a strange way of pulling rabbits out of hats - at the very time a bit of economic magic is needed.

In this issue of the Sussex Business Times, we meet innovators from a diverse range of sectors - law, the arts, charities... The list includes many who have broken down barriers to make their own success from virtually nothing.

These inspirational business leaders are a cue for startups to be fearless and really embrace change to power up not just what they offer but how they offer it. The entrepreneurial spirit can bring about better products and services, not to mention stronger brands.

Crisp nights are drawing in, moving us ever-closer to the

season of goodwill - a time to reflect on the less fortunate and the many wonderful non-profits that exist to support them here in Sussex. It should also be a time for selfreflection and, as we discover in this issue, a moment to put yourself first. Being in the right head space will give you an advantage when it comes to tackling the challenges 2023 could throw your way.

We are delighted to have EMW and S-TAX as our cover feature for the final issue of 2022. It is good to know that expanded services and an ambitious team are providing more support for clients - whenever they need it.

As we head into the season of good cheer, the Sussex Business Times will be playing its part in the business community by trying to catch up with as many of you as we can at various events and gatherings.

For now, we hope you enjoy the informative features in this issue and, of course, wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

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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

Sussex businesses back new arts venture

Sussex has a rich heritage when it comes to art and artists. The rolling Downs and breathtaking coastline have inspired artists for centuries, including some of the most celebrated artists that ever lived. Picasso, Miró, Man Ray, Moore, Constable, Turner, Burra, Grant, Bell, Beardsley, Ravilious, Nash and Grayson Perry all have links with Sussex.

Sussex continues to provide inspiration and a home to some amazing emerging talent, and October saw the launch of a new addition to the art calendar that specifically showcases the amazing creativity that the county has.

The Sussex Contemporary had a vision

that is simple but is also ambitious. They want to celebrate and promote the fantastic artistic creativity of Sussexlinked artists. This included artists that were born here (but may have since moved away), studied here or currently live or work here.

Sussex has a growing, vibrant arts scene and they wanted to show off the best of it to the world, and they

did that spectacularly. They put out an open call for artists to submit work and then deployed a panel of art-world heavyweights to judge what should go into the final exhibition.

The judges were led by Dinah Casson CBE, designer and founder of Casson Mann, and include Chris Kendall, collector and founder of Hidden Gallery group, Alex Leith art journalist and editor

of ROSA magazine, and Julian Bell, the internationally renowned painter, author, critic and lecturer.

The judges had the difficult task of whittling down the entries to 146 pieces which went on display at the Brighton i360 for two weeks last month and the exhibition was seen by around 10,000 visitors making it one of the most visited Sussex art exhibitions ever. The art was also for sale with a percentage going to local charity Table Talk Foundation.

“We came up with the idea of The Sussex Contemporary to provide artists with a platform to show their work to a bigger audience. The Sussex is now a

major exhibition in the arts calendar, and we want artists of all abilities working in any medium to get involved.” Said Joanna Myles, co-founder of Sussex Contemporary. “But it would have been impossible without support from Sussex businesses, so our thanks go out to our wonderful sponsors.”

“We don’t take the stance that art is for the cultural elite, art is for everyone, so we also want our exhibitions to be free to visit too and that requires sponsorship. It’s really important to us that in every event and exhibition we do, everybody wins. Suppliers get paid, sponsors get a return, we cover our costs and most of all; art lovers

get to see some amazing Sussex art and Sussex artists get exposure and a chance to sell their work.” Said cofounder Jason Edge.

Local businesses that got behind the project included one of the region’s largest law firms, Mayo Wynne Baxter, as headline sponsors with support also comiing from Brighton i360, Seawhites of Brighton, Platinum Media Group, King & McGaw, Creative Pod, MPB, Whitespace, Absolutely Sussex, Brighton Gin and of course SBT.

For details of future Sussex Contemporary events visit their website www.thesussexcontemporary.co.uk

Family business couple celebrate a combined 116 years of service

Sussex-based cleaning, hygiene and healthcare products business Wightman & Parrish is celebrating more than 100 years of combined service for married couple, Michael and Pam Parrish. Monthly News

Michael and Pam celebrated a combined 116 years at a celebration dinner in The Hardwick Suite at the International Lawn Tennis Centre. Family, friends and work colleagues came together to thank the couple for their drive and dedication over the years. Having both joined the company 60 years ago, they have grown with the business and reached many milestones along the way.

Michael Parrish joined the family business in 1960, taking over from his father, Eric Parrish, as the Managing Director. Having previously done National Service, Michael was also a Royal Naval Reservist and Magistrate alongside his role as Managing Director, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander over his thirty-year career. Michael was also lucky enough to meet her Majesty Princess Elizabeth when she visited Lewes in 1951. Michael’s father was the Mayor of Lewes at the time and Michael managed to get a day off school to be there on the day to meet the Princess.

Michael grew the company rapidly, having to purchase new warehouse space twice during his time as MD as the business continued to expand. Winning the tender for Sussex Police in 1968 was a huge turning point for the business, and Wightman & Parrish have been supplying many local authorities with cleaning and hygiene products ever since.

His son Nicholas Parrish took over as Managing Director in 2005, and Michael took on the role of Chairman, helping to make the business one of the largest distributors in the south-east. Nicholas is the fourth generation of Parrish’s working at the company. The Parrish family have solely been running the company, following the death of George Wightman in 1918.

Pam Parrish previously worked for Strutt & Parker before joining the business in 1964 and took on a variety of roles over the years, from payroll to accounts, and used to price up every invoice by hand in the early years. Pam supported both Michael and her wider colleagues throughout the years and together they were a great team and ran the business together.

A total of 78 people joined the sit-down dinner, with special guest Sir John Timpson CBE from The Timpson Group giving a speech.

Nicholas

said: “It was great to get so many people to come together to celebrate the success of my parents. They have achieved so much over the past 60 years, and it was wonderful for them to receive the recognition they deserve.

“It was also great having Sir John Timpson join us for the celebration. My father has been a fan of his for many years, as he also runs a family business and started his employment around the same time as my father. John used to write a column in the Telegraph every week, and my dad would cut these out and send them to me, so it was a special moment for our family.”

Wightman & Parrish is an independent, family-run business that specialises in the collation and distribution of both cleaning and hygiene solutions and has sustainability at the centre of the business.

www.w-p.co.uk

Parrish, Managing Director at Wightman & Parrish,

Carpenter Box Financial Advisers expands with acquisition of Ammonite Wealth client book

Carpenter Box Financial Advisers (CBFA), which has offices throughout Sussex, has acquired the private client book of London-based wealth management company Ammonite Wealth, representing a strategic investment in its future growth and prosperity. Monthly News

The book comprises affluent individuals who pay annual fees for advice on financial issues such as cash management, tax, investments, retirement and later life planning.

Roy Thompson, partner and head of financial services at CBFA, said: “Ammonite Wealth has taken impeccable care of its private clients over the years so, when considering the sale of its financial advisory clients, it needed a buyer that would show the same level of dedication.

“We have many synergies with Ammonite Wealth when it comes to private advice. What’s more, we also have our sister practice Carpenter Box on hand for accountancy services, enabling us to offer a comprehensive package under one roof.

“We were looking to expand our business and our commitment to client care is second to none, so the timing was perfect.”

The average age of CBFA’s newly acquired clients is 47, young in industry terms. This represents a big growth opportunity for the company to provide products, services and financial advice over their lifetime.

Some of CBFA’s new clients live locally, with others spread across the South of England and London. It has assembled a top team of professional advisers with many years of experience and expertise to service them, which Roy oversees.

Rob Harradine, co-founder of Ammonite Wealth, added: “It’s been a pleasure getting to know the team at Carpenter Box Advisers and we know they will take great care of the clients.”

To find out more about the services on offer and how Carpenter Box Financial Advisers can help you make the most of your finances, please call 01903 234094 or visit their website.

www.carpenterboxfa.com

Roy Thompson

Achieving your dreams and financial freedom, but feeling unfulfilled?

Take heart from this eye-opening feature. CBC Stories meets inspirational entrepreneur Chris Goodman, Co-Founder and Director of Focus Group, a UK telecommunications and IT business. He talks about how he achieved all his goals but felt unfulfilled - because he had failed to invest in himself.

CBC Stories

Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey

Focus Group now has nine offices around the UK. We’ve got nearly 800 staff and almost 30,000 customers. So, it’s constantly growingbut it wasn’t always a big business.

We set up in 2003. We actually didn’t start trading until 2004. It was just me and my business partner. We’d both worked in sales, and both worked for somebody else. As most people out there know, who have founded a business, you perhaps realise that you are not going to achieve all your dreams and ambitions working for somebody

else. We took the plunge in 2004 to quit our jobs and go it alone.

We were really young. I think Ralph was 21 when we set up the business and I was 23. I think being young, a bit green around the edges, meant that we came in with a completely fresh approach. We weren’t burdened by doubts and fears.

We hadn’t built a life of things to lose yet. At that age, there was a work hard, play hard mentality.

Was starting your own business something you always wanted to do?

I think it was. My great-grandfather was an entrepreneur. He was the chap who invented the snap-lock safety pin, so in my family history there was an entrepreneurial spirit and commerce. And growing up, I saw the trappings of what that can come with. Not in my personal life but I’d seen it in past generations, so I was pretty keen that, if the opportunity presented itself, I’d find my way into business. My parents were both teachers so, as all teachers out there will know, it’s not the highest-

paid job. More of a vocation. While that’s incredibly admirable and we need people who are willing to put themselves second, I was always driven to make a success of myself.

What is your definition of success?

That definition of success has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. I suppose, in a way, the perception of financial and material success is what drove me. I find now, when I am having conversations with people about motivation, work ethic, work-life balance, it is easy to view it in a different way and say ‘Maybe you should be careful about that work-life balance’.

There is always a question mark over whether you would have been so successful if you weren’t so driven in those early days.

When we got to 2020 and sold a share of the business, we’d had a fantastic journey, but had I really taken the time to enjoy the journey - to reflect at various moments on the highs and the lows and all the things that come with running a business, like having responsibility for staff? The answer is absolutely no.

While I would diligently write my to-do list and goals for each year, the extent of my ‘have I succeeded or not?’ was at the end of the year either putting a tick or cross next to the various items.

There was no emotional aspect to it. No sense of appreciation.

The level of enjoyment or satisfaction I would get from the ticks was far outweighed by the one or two crosses, where I’d written ‘Lose some weight’ or ‘Play more golf’. Negativity bias is very common.

We don’t give ourselves the time to be aware of these traits. Most aspirational people reach that point and within minutes they are ‘What next, what now?’.

You tell your kids ‘You can have anything, but the one thing you can’t have is everything.’ So, you have to realise at some point that sometimes it is enough and understand what is enough, because if you are constantly striving you are never going to be happy. You are never going to find that contentment that, ultimately, people are searching for. It’s not necessarily about wealth. It’s the sense that it gives you. The opportunities it creates for you. How sad is it that you get to the point where you have those opportunities but, actually, you are not content with who you are?

Maye, you are not content with the choices you’ve made. Maybe, you breached your moral code in order

to get there and, if you are living with cognitive dissidence where your actions don’t portray the morals that you’ve got, then you are destined to live a life that is not as fulfilled as maybe it could have been, which is a real shame.

Let’s be honest... When do you seek out counselling or a life coach? You seek them out when you aren’t doing well. When you are in a bad place. What we actually need is great people around us from a very early age to just check in with us. ‘How are things? How are you progressing?’ We all need that bit of a steer from time to time. Sadly, we don’t reach out for that until we are struggling.

Talk to us about some of the

sacrifices you have made

This realisation came in the past couple of years through having counselling, both in a traditional sense

but also life coaching. I sacrificed things around my personal life, really. Whether that was my physical health, my mental health or the health and well-being of my family and relationships. Not in a catastrophic way. Certainly not in a way that I could perceive but, over time, these things have a tendency to build. In terms of physical and mental health, it was in a non-productive way. I think that was putting myself last. That’s very different now; I put myself first.

If I put myself first, I am the best version of me and I have more to give myself and my family. That’s a complete shift.

I had my first really poor mental health experience in 2005. When that happened in 2005 and 2012, my approach was ‘OK, I’m not very well and I need to see a doctor’ and invariably the doctor prescribes you

with antidepressants. In my case, it was an anxiety/panic disorder. But I didn’t change anything else. As soon as I’d taken the medication and felt better, I saw no reason to change my lifestyle.

Those periods were two or three months of not being able to work properly. Not being able to go outside so much, because you develop a bit of agoraphobia. I was continuing to work hard to play hard. My life was not in balance. I didn’t listen to my body or my brain, which was crying out for help.

Ironically, it was the pause that was forced upon us by covid which coincided with a third dip in my mental health. I had a moment where I had a completely different way of looking at it, thinking this is just ridiculous. It

coincided with effectively realising all my dreams.

I thought, this can’t be right. Something has to change, so that’s what triggered the last couple of years of self-reflection.

I am in a very different place nowadays.

Having stability away from work was massively important.

I would say to anyone struggling with their mental health, just invest the time in you. Everyone will find their own source of comfort.

What does happiness look like to you?

It is about understanding what is enough. What makes you feel content?

For me, being able to look myself in the

mirror and know that I am being true to myself. Doesn’t matter how successful I am, if I am pretending to be someone I am not then I know that. That’s not going to sit well with me.

My mentality over who I am prepared to spend time with has changed. I am not going to compromise and pretend that I am friendly with people who I don’t like. I don’t think anyone should compromise on their values and what’s important to them.

Getting outdoors is so, so important.

The simplest things, if you give yourself the time to be present, will bring you absolute joy. For most of us, what we have in front of us is more than enough.

What one bit of advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Put yourself first.

This is a very small extract of a lengthy podcast interview, which also touches on Chris’s blog and the Focus Foundation, launched in 2021.

Full podcast - https://youtu.be/ EMPngHvf-SA

Focus Foundation - https://www. focusfoundation.org.uk

The EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 – What does this mean for employers?

On 22 September 2022, the government announced the introduction of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022. The bill was initially thought to impact 2,400 pieces of retained EU law, but this has since been revised upwards by 1,400. Could there be more? This cannot be completely ruled out.

The laws are spread across hundreds of policy areas and, consequently, many sectors of the economy. The detailed concentration in this article is on the employment provisions.

On 31 December 2023, and in accordance with the ‘sunset clause’ in the bill, any EU based regulations in UK law will be repealed (cancelled) or revoked (withdrawn) unless they are specifically preserved and incorporated into UK law.

The bill does include the potential extension of the sunset clause until 2026. This allows additional time to assess whether some retained EU laws should be preserved. However, it has to be doubted that proper scrutiny would be possible in that time frame.

The bill also provides for some other important changes; first, it removes the principle of EU law supremacy, which as it stands means that EU law trumps

Martin Williams, Head of Employment Law at Mayo Wynne Baxter, explains.

Legal

domestic legislation where there is a conflict; secondly, it also facilitates the move away from EU case law taking precedent in the UK courts. It allows the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court to depart from existing and binding domestic cases which have already been decided on the legislation but which are tainted by EU law if the courts consider it “right to do so”.

At the time of writing, the bill is at the committee stage and the challenges to its broad scope are many. One of the key concerns is the power it gives to ministers, without recourse to Parliament, to decide what should and should not be law.

Areas of employment law, which businesses and HR professionals have all become familiar with, and which fall under the bill’s remit, include:

• The Working Time Regulations 1998, which deal with maximum weekly working time and paid holiday.

• TUPE 2006, which deals with the employment implications of business transfers.

• The Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations.

• The Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations.

• The Agency Workers Regulations 2010; and

• The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004.

This means that the bill could impact long-established employment rights like the maximum 48-hour working week, rest breaks and holiday pay, rights of employees when a business transfers under TUPE, equality of treatment of part time and fixed term workers, among other rights.

It is worth noting that, since the bill only applies to regulations and not acts, an employee’s right not to be discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010 will not be affected.

So, what does this mean for employers?

At this early stage it is uncertain exactly what the bill will mean for employers. The bill hands power to the government and they will decide what survives the cull, and in a way that will not be transparent. What we do know is the bill has the potential to be the biggest shake up in UK employment law in many years.

Theoretically, the government could decide that they do not want to retain any of the EU-derived legislation, and they could revoke it. With many of these employment law provisions being now deeply rooted in UK law, this seems highly unlikely.

However, the revolutionary zeal of a government seeking to demonstrate the benefits of Brexit may know no bounds.

Added to this is the mantra of creating growth by cutting the ever cited, but undefined, “red tape”.

It therefore seems most likely that a number of the EU-derived legislative provisions that have become part of our domestic employment law landscape will be undergoing changes, whether an overhaul or minor amendments.

The Trade Union Congress is greatly concerned about the bill and the changes that might be made, considering that it could lead to the erosion or, worse, the removal of workers’ rights, for example, in respect of holiday, safe working hours and limits and parental leave. However, the government has said that it is committed to keeping “high standards in areas such as workers’ rights…”.

Whether the government can “realise the opportunities of Brexit” while maintaining “high standards” of workers’ rights, remains to be seen.

If the intention is to replace all EUderived employment provisions, this seems an impossible task. Nevertheless, this is the target date the government has set. It could be that they will, therefore, inevitably rely on the extension to December 2026, but this will take us past the next election.

The only thing that does seem clear at this stage, is the uncertainty which now follows for both employers and employees. Meanwhile, businesses should keep a watchful eye out for any changes that do filter through and be sure to implement them when that happens.

mwilliams@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk https://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/

Martin Williams

Employment law: The problems of the office Christmas party

We are now at the time of year where there are lots of articles and guides on “How to avoid the pitfalls of the office Christmas party”. I am sure that, as you start to read this, you will be thinking, ‘oh no, not another one’, but please bear with me!

I regularly read the identikit articles on avoiding staff issues at the

Christmas party and find myself trying to work out whether or not they were all written in one place and, more importantly, do the tips that they actually give help employers avoid employment claims should something go wrong. Many do not, merely saying the same thing, with the advice almost always listing two key points that will help employers avoid claims, i) write a policy; 2) tell staff what is expected of them.

Whilst both of those are a good starting point, they will not stop the problem and, in many respects, make it worse if the employer puts a policy in place - and then does nothing.

I have specialised in employment law claims (both bringing and defending them!) for over 20 years, and I have dealt with employment issues involving office Christmas parties, and have two (amongst many), very specific examples:

Alex Jones, of 365 Employment Law, goes beyond run of the mill advice to employers to reveal what most guides don’t tell you.

Legal

1) I acted for a Claimant Employee, who when drunk at the office Christmas party at a restaurant made an off-hand comment to the owner. The owner then launched a drunken tirade at my client, who then responded by doing the same back. He was dismissed on the spot. He woke up the next morning and assumed it wasn’t an actual dismissal, so attended work - only to be told by the owner that the dismissal stood.

Unsurprisingly, my advice to my client was that it was an Unfair Dismissal due to the complete lack of procedure. The employer had the potential, the next day, to remedy that defect, but chose not to.

My client would almost certainly win such a claim, and the matter was settled after we issued proceedings. That employer had a policy in place about expected behaviour at work

events but chose not to follow it. Not acting on the evening, and talking legal advice, would have avoided the majority of the claim.

2) I acted for a Respondent Employer, who faced a claim for constructive dismissal, from an employee who resigned following the Christmas party. The employee resigned because of her drunken behaviour, then later, when realising her resignation affected the value of her bonus, alleged that the employer had deliberately wanted her to resign, and had magnified the allegations to do that.

That employer took advice immediately, took statements from other employees, asked the employee to be sure about her resignation, then confirmed everything in writing. They were able to defend the allegations and reach a settlement on the bonus amount. In that situation, the advice was much more important than the policy, as the action was steered in the right direction.

The lesson from both of these examples is that putting a policy that deals with staff behaviour at external events is valuable, but without the correct advice on how to deal with specific situations, it may not be as relevant as the employer thinks.

The other situation, where a policy setting out standards, but in reality can affect the employer, is an allegation of sexual harassment, which I have seen happen and had to advise on as a result of staff parties.

Most employers who have an antiharassment policy have expectations set out, and a confidential reporting structure in place, often with the aim of attempting to avoid liability.

For an employer to have an allegation of harassment at a staff party, and

then try and avoid liability by saying that the policy set out standards of behaviour expected, is destined to fail. The employer is running the event and their staff are there. That is why it is so important for those at a senior level, to be told what to do in the event of such issues arising, including direct intervention at the event itself.

The difficulty employers face is setting out expected standards of behaviour, and monitoring those standards, without being accusatory of staff enjoying themselves. This is why regular advice is so important, so that different scenarios can be discussed, and in particular how and when the employer should respond and act.

Please always take advice on any staff related issues.

Alex Jones

Tips to get your business booming

Business Services Partner

The Bank of England just raised interest rates to 3 per cent and said that the UK has entered a recession. With high inflation, particularly due to energy prices, businesses are having to trade under extremely challenging conditions.

on these and become one of the ‘lucky’ businesses thriving through adversity?

Finance

However, there are many opportunities for growth and there are plenty of success stories out there. So how do you capitalise

Here are our top tips:

Have accurate information

It is important to ensure your management information is up to date and accurate to allow informed business decisions made. Up-to-date management information will also assist in the preparation of forecasts. Regular forecasting will be increasingly

important to monitor cash flows and identify any pinch points. Sensitivity analysis and increased rigour may need to be factored into cash flow models to reflect different short-term scenarios.

Stay on top of your cash

Most businesses go through slow periods. A seasonal business, for example, will have decreased income during the off-season compared to during the on-season. There can be less obvious peaks and valleys in your income,

though, that you have to prepare for ideally in advance of them arising.

Your cash flow forecast can help you monitor your day-to-day cash flow and anticipate when times will be slow before they arise. By anticipating when cash coming into your business might be light, or when you might have to spend more than you’re accustomed to, you can avoid a cash crisis.

By examining your cash flow over the previous years and forecasting your future cash flow, you can better anticipate financial cycles and how they may affect your bottom line.

Adapt, don’t recover

When business gets disrupted, most businesses focus nearly all their attention

on how to recover their old services.

By looking forward, you’ll see that the business environment has moved.

It’s not about hoping that old services become popular again; it’s about adapting old services to make them better, more relevant, and more valuable to consumers today.

Stick to your strategy

When the only constant is change itself, it can be easy to find your business further and further away from your initial objectives and goals. Detailed plans and forecasts are near enough impossible at the moment so strip your strategy back. Focus on your vision of where you want to be and then build a one-page-plan of how you are going to get there.

The plan should be a guide, not a rule book and stick to what you are good at. Each adaptation should be to move you back in line with your vision. You should adapt your services and operations, not your strategy.

External solutions for internal problems

Keep track of what’s going on around you, what looks like it works and what

clearly doesn’t. Competitor analysis and product surround tools can be great for identifying opportunities to adapt, but in its simplest form just keep track of what your competitors are doing and don’t be left behind.

Also, keep an eye on what businesses in other industries are doing. Whilst they might not be directly comparable to you, they might give you ideas which you can adapt and apply.

Take advantage of support

They say there are only seven types of story, and that every book is just an adaptation of these. Much the same can be said for business. The solution to your biggest challenge has probably been done by another business somewhere at some point.

In difficult business conditions, it’s time to use the support that’s available. Build a network of colleagues, professional acquaintances and business advisers and use the advice and support they can provide.

How we can help our clients

Carpenter Box can provide guidance to help review your business, provide advice on accessing support and assist with identifying options for cash flow needs.

We can provide support for your business strategy, including preparing forecasts and projections to assist with decision making, and applying for financial support where needed.

For more information, please visit www.carpenterbox.com or call 01903 234094 .

Sarah Fitzgerald

Is it too late to cash in on Black Friday?

World First explains how e-commerce sellers can still claim a slice of the cake long after the November sales events.

Black Friday has evolved into an international, multiday online shopping festival that finishes on Cyber Monday.

Finance

Amazon may be a favourite for many merchants – but it’s certainly not the only option for e-commerce sellers.

Most western marketplaces offer Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.

Customers start researching their Black

Friday deals as early as October, so you need to get your brand out there and on their “wanted” lists as soon as possible.

There’s no need to despair if it’s a little too late to get on board with Black Friday 2022, many of the tactics and strategies that apply to Black Friday can be extended to your e-commerce on a whole, especially for major shopping events like Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

Decide well in advance what offers you’re going to make and ensure

you have the necessary stock and manpower in place.

Use sales figures and analytics from throughout the year to better hypothesise which of your products will sell best and focus your efforts on top sellers or products you want to showcase.

Learn more about how to cash in on Black Friday on the WorldFirst website.

https://www.worldfirst.com/uk/blog/ selling-online/too-late-for-blackfriday/

A practical guide to your Intellectual Property with BIPC Sussex

At the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Sussex, and across the BIPC National Network, there is a particular focus on Intellectual Property (IP). So why is IP so important that it takes up half of our name? The team explains in this feature.

In the UK, increasingly more and more business’s assets are intangible – brand, designs, trade secrets – rather than tangible – property or machinery. Because of this, having a practical understanding of the basics of IP is vital to protecting what makes your business great.

At BIPC Sussex, we will help you understand the different ways that IP can be involved in your business. Whether you chose to apply for protections of your assets such as registering a trademark, or

you’re just looking for as much information as you can get on IP, we can help.

Here are our five steps to making the most of your IP, and how BIPC Sussex can support you at every step.

Identify

A great first step is to book an Intellectual Property one-to-one clinic with a member of our team - bookable through our Eventbrite page or by emailing us. This can be in person at Jubilee Library, Brighton, or online, and our team member can sign a non-disclosure agreement to

ensure that your IP stays protected. We will talk specifically about your business, and together we will identify what IP is involved and will be most important for you - whether that’s your content, branding, designs or inventions (which may be protected by copyright, trademarks, registered designs or patents, respectively.)

Protect

We will explain the process of applying for IP protections and help guide you along the way. This might take the form of:

• Searching online databases for existing IP – to make sure that your trademark

hasn’t already been registered by someone else, for example

• Showing you how to format your designs for a UK registered design application

• Discussing how to protect your copyright if you hire a freelancer

• Helping you to choose the correct class in which to register your trademark

If you have a question on the more complicated side of things, or need specific advice from a qualified IP attorney, we will refer you to one of our Expert Partners for Intellectual Property, either a registered Trademark Attorney or Patent Attorney, who can provide you with half an hour of specialist advice for free when you access them through our service.

Exploit

One key way to exploit – that is, to make money from – your IP is through licensing and franchising agreements. Even if you’re at an early stage of your business, it’s great to know what opportunities licensing and franchising may present in the future. One of our Expert partners, Pam Gordon QFP, runs webinars and in-person workshops focusing on licensing and franchising, and offers one-to-one appointments.

Review

We always recommend to new businesses to start strong by knowing and understanding your IP, but it’s equally important to continue to review any new IP that may arise as you continue your business journey. Once you understand the basics of IP, you can stay alert to any new IP you might want to protect, as well as being aware of other people’s IP that you need to make sure not to infringe upon. We will always welcome you back for new queries.

Likewise, we encourage more established businesses who haven’t looked at their IP in a while to book a one-to-one with us, or book one of our Introduction to IP webinars to get a quick refresher. We also run a series of short, lunchtime webinars focusing on individual Intellectual Property Rights in more detail, such as Introduction to Copyright or Introduction to Patents.

Defend

If you’re in a position where you need to defend your IP, we can help by talking through your problem, and referring you to our Expert Partners for

Intellectual Property, or signposting to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)’s services and support, such as their mediation service.

But by identifying, protecting, and reviewing your IP as early as possible, you put yourself in a far stronger position if you later find that your IP rights are being infringed upon.

Take the first steps

We know that when you’re starting or running a business your time is extremely valuable, but by taking an hour or so out of your busy schedule to access our free services and learn about your IP, you are making an invaluable investment in the future of your business.

Drop by BIPC Sussex at Jubilee Library, Brighton, 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, email us at bipc@brightonhove.gov.uk , or book an IP one-toone, webinar or workshop through our Eventbrite (BIPC Sussex Eventbrite).

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

Greater Brighton’s innovative product makers

Product Foundry is a BRITE innovation programme for cutting-edge product makers in the Greater Brighton region. After an incredibly successful first cohort in the summer, on 13th October the BRITE team at Plus X Brighton welcomed the second set of exciting innovators making a difference to the physical world.

In six weekly sessions, the group will be introduced to prototyping, learning how to develop products that generate investor buy in. These businesses will take over Plus X Brighton prototyping workshop to use 3D printing, laser cutting, and testing methods to progress their products and meet their goals.

Get to know the clever creators setting off on their journeys with Product Foundry below. And, if you’d like to join the Product Foundry yourself, get in touch with the BRITE team’s Alex Valeri to find out more.

Ian Byrne, Founder at 3Dify 3D scanning specialists 3Dify specialises in creating models for the creative industries using photogrammetry. Their full body scans have been used in films and exhibitions, including sculptures of King George IV and famed hat maker Stephen Jones at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

No stranger to the specialist equipment in the Plus X Brighton workshop, Founder Ian Byrne joins Product Foundry to explore a new idea for the business, gain insight from the programme’s product design experts, and take advantage of the structured development time. During the course of the programme, Ian will explore ideas

for a digital productivity timer for people using the Pomodoro technique.

Matthew Withers, Founder at CD02 Innovators in magnetic imaging of batteries, CDO2 has developed a new technique for monitoring the current flow in batteries for the automotive and aerospace sectors. Their real-time current imaging system helps tackle safety and reliability concerns around EV batteries.

CDO2’s CTO Matthew Withers became a member of Product Foundry to focus on scaling technology and develop the product for larger scale manufacturing as electric vehicles become increasingly popular.

Laura Bossom, Founder at Cultiva Kingdom

Laura Bossom is the founder of Cultiva Kingdom, a sustainable textiles brand that puts mother earth at its heart. She joins Product Foundry to experiment with an innovative and ethnical plantbased alternative to the hair industry.

With an academic background in design and four years’ experience as an entrepreneur, Laura is an allround expert in running a sustainable business. She joins the cohort to meet other creative entrepreneurs, and revisit manufacturing processes and testing methods with the support of a professional team.

Paul Dungworth, Founder at FunkyHaler

FunkyHaler is a new creation aiming to reduce the stigma associated with using an inhaler. Through vibrant and distinctive designs, FunkyHaler will change users’ relationships with their inhaler from medical device to something that reflects the personality of the user. FunkyHaler… the coolest way to ease the wheeze.

This decorative actuator is the creation of Paul Dungworth, who has been testing different materials. He joins Product Foundry to identify texture and colour options for the product, as well as to get access and training to specialist equipment and support.

Kris Pointer, Founder at MakeHub MakeHub is a business concept set up to counter the decline of design and engineering education in UK state schools. In September, it began running a beta project with primary schools in Sussex and Adur.

The brainchild of Kris Pointer, MakeHub joins Product Foundry to use the workshop’s machinery and software to develop projects that will provide more opportunities for students.

Reianna Shakil, Founder at Studio ZRX Sustainable design practice Studio

ZRX exists to balance experimental playfulness with timeless functionality. Reianna Shakil is undertaking the programme to focus attention on her innovative idea for a ubiquitous domestic appliance - a complete redesign of the existing product on the market that has largely remained unchanged for decades.

She joins Product Foundry as a recent graduate and current Makerversity resident and is looking to further her knowledge and confidence in product development as a precursor to working on her innovation, as a recipient of Innovate UK’s Young Innovator’s Award 2022-2023.

Ed Chason, Designer at Spark & Bell Spark & Bell design and create handmade lights from their workshop in Portslade. With a focus on materials including brass, recycled plastic, and glass, Spark & Bell make beautiful creations to brighten up your home.

Lighting & Sustainability Designer Ed Chason joins Product Foundry to focus on optimising processes and product efficiency. Regulars to Plus X Brighton may recognise Ed from his stint on the front desk – make sure to say hi while he’s back in the building!

Bryn Jones, Founder at Cable and Cotton

Bryn Jones, Founder at Cable and Cotton, joins Product Foundry to build new products, meet likeminded people, and share skills and ideas.

As creators of colourful LED fairy lights, we’re excited for Cable and Cotton to bring their bright ideas to the BRITE Project!

Heidi Swinyard, Founder at Teddy Brighton

Over the last six years, Brighton-brand Teddy Brighton has illustrated over 8,000 pet ‘pawtraits‘ to bootstrap the development of their bespoke ceramic gifting and sister brand souvenir range.

After perfecting the ceramic components

within her Hove studio, Founder Heidi Swinyard now joins Product Foundry to prototype the silicon, resin, rubber, and steel components ready for manufacture in 2023.

Jennifer Gould, Founder at Glazy Glazy is a brand-new venture for Founder Jennifer Gould. She joins Product Foundry with a working prototype for an innovative and sustainable DIY double glazing that fits any window.

As an experienced leader and creator with her existing business Divine Company, Jennifer brings strong design problem solving skills into the programme.

Interested in joining Product Foundry? Design products that have a positive impact on the planet, eliminate waste and create value throughout their lifespan.

Learn how to:

• Build a design-based business that is capable of making net-positive products, where customers, suppliers and investors all benefit from a regenerative design approach.

• Measure the impact of your supply chain, the materials and processes used in manufacturing, the useful life of your products – and what happens to them next.

• Design out waste from your products; make them more repairable, adaptable and longer-lasting; and find new materials that make a positive contribution to the environment.

Product Foundry is part of BRITE (Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange). Led by Plus X, in partnership with the University of Brighton, BRITE aims to support leaders of companies that have ambitions to grow and scale their business, receiving up to £5.5m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund. To find out more, visit briteinnovation.co.uk/ product-foundry

How The Black Market champions equality

Romy Alford explains equality is achieved by changing the conversation in the hospitality and entertainment industry. She encourages corporate business to have a circular business model through supporting our champions for change and creating long term impact in these industries.

Good Business

Inequality in the hospitality and entertainment industry

Let me start by saying that there are a lot of good businesses out there who are dedicated to championing equality in the hospitality and entertainment industry. My focus is bringing businesses together to create partnerships and really make sustainable and long-term change, rather than working in isolation. I’d really like to create a community of businesses who become representatives of the same

values and ideologies because to me, this is how society is changed in the long term.

Since entering the world of entertainment I’ve seen a lot of good representations of diversity and equality, and I also have seen the opposite. What strikes me is the lack of consistency in the industry and I’ve yet to see one industry leader whose representative of the changes that ultimately will benefit us all.

I focus on giving up and coming entertainers the opportunity to perform in a venue that they wouldn’t necessarily

have access to as well as mixing them with more seasoned professionals who can pass on their experience. Innovation to me is borne of being open to new ways of thinking and not being afraid of development, feedback and reflection. The Black Market is about creative expression and creating educational as well as entertaining moments in time for audiences, as a producer I want audiences to make conscious choices about the entertainment they support and how their support makes impactful change not only to the performers but to the wider community. Call it ‘ethical entertainment!’

The other area that’s close to my heart as a former union rep in secondary education and as someone who’s been subject to exploitation across many of my jobs is the working practices across these industries. It cannot be that a performer or waitress or producer has to have three jobs in order to survive.

As a single mother, I see lots of solo parents who are unable to pursue their dream careers in hospitality and entertainment because the hours are horrific, don’t work with childcare, are unsustainable and don’t pay the bills. I’m also aware of lots of working practices which would (in my old world of education) be a cause to call in the unions. I get riled up when I hear about performers working in a culture of fear and exploitation, let alone the sexism that seems to be rife, especially in the cabaret world. It’s just not on. But it needs champions in the businesses to lead on making change, and for that to happen businesses need to work together across all levels, corporate and independent.

My goal is for The Black Market to be known as a representative of good practice within the industry and become a leader of change and innovation in these areas on a national scale.

What’s the potential benefit to society if this changed?

In terms of overall society, reflecting our natural diversity and promoting a society based on inclusion can only benefit people in the long run. Persistent isolation obviously allows other negative attributes to fester and we already struggle as a society to cope with the range of mental health issues that impact people on a daily basis. Our national services (NHS, social services etc) are overburdened and so many people either slip through the net or are unable to be helped. There has to be a grassroots revolution to resolve this, it can’t be left until children become young adults with a range of mental health issues that are so ingrained they can’t be undone.

A lot of my work through The Black Market has been informed by my career as an educator. I’ve seen what can happen when children don’t see themselves as valued, loved, able to explore or be themselves. The Black Market is about giving opportunities to be seen and heard, standing in your own power and being celebrated for being your authentic self. I think if there were more days lived by society being happy and comfortable within

themselves and feeling valued, there’d be a lot less conflict across the globe.

How is The Black Market making that change happen?

I live out this ethos through my working practices and how I represent performers and brands I work with. Each performer is a valued member of my TBM team. I spend a lot of time working with performers to ensure they have the maximum value from the facilities and space in the venues we work with e.g. arranging custom lighting, staging, animations, venue tours etc.

I am an independent business that’s entirely self-funded so I show my gratitude to performers for their time and effort where I can. I arrange a promotional photoshoot (currently at Hotel Pelirocco) because it’s important to me to have high end advertising but also because I know how important portfolios are. Performers receive a catalogue of professional photos with some retouching, they also receive footage and images from the show for their showreels.

I think you can only carry on living out your authenticity as a business and invite people with similar values and ideologies along with you, in order to affect change my next step is to engage corporate clients to book TBM so we can start to make long lasting partnerships and encourage more businesses to adopt this circular business model. The more the message gets out there, the wider the is spreads?!

Come to the December event!

Sussex Business Times’ readers are welcome to utilise the code TRADE10VIP for my show on December 2nd, which entitles them to 10% off VIP packages and silver standard seating.

What’s the idea?

Part of The Black Market’s uniqueness is not only that the events are made up entirely of local entertainers, food and drink brands as well as other local businesses, but we provide an entirely plant based, seasonal and ‘free from’ menu that ensures none of the 14 allergens are used in my recipes for the VIP canapes. The food is ‘free from allergens, definitely not from flavour!’

Your experience

As a guest of The Black Market, you will be treated to a welcome cocktail by our mixologists (made using our local handmade spirit brands), saunter to your seat and get ready for a non-stop, super sexy and stylish show packed with the best of local talent all wrapped up in a beautiful burlesque bow! Hosted by the fabulous Glenda Swing & Rita

Herringbone (@wereallylikemovies) you will be transported back into a bygone glitzy and glamorous era, but is all as it seems…? Join us to find out!

As a VIP, after indulging in handmade canapes in your VIP room, sashay to your cabaret table, sample another fabulous cocktail and glam up with our burlesque accessories, with an opportunity to meet and greet the artists after the show.

All seats are automatically entered into our competition to win a chance for six tickets to our VIP after party at The Plotting Parlour.

Hope to see you there - it’s Christmas and our first birthday so expect lots of surprises!

Gold package

(VIP: Cabaret table of 6 people min.) £350+£10 levy

Per person

● 2 x cocktails (worth £8 each) made by mixologists and using local handmade spirits

● Cabaret table with burlesque accessories

● VIP room with handmade canapes

● Meet & Greet performers after the show

● Chance to win 6 tickets to performers after party

Silver package

£33 + £2 levy

Per person

● 1 x cocktail (worth £8) made by mixologists and using local handmade spirits

● Seat in main audience

● Chance to win 6 tickets to performers after party Book tickets via: bit.ly/3CrSrdR

www.theblackmarketbrighton.com

Seven reasons why your website isn’t performing well

Whether it’s poor SEO or not enough content, automotive Shoreham-based website specialists, 67 Degrees, reveal why your website may be underperforming.

Now more than ever, it’s so important that your website is performing the best it can. Car buyers are browsing thousands of dealers’ websites each and every day, and you want to make sure yours is fulfilling expectations. Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is your dealership appearing in the relevant online searches?

2. Is your website easy to navigate for customers?

3. Are you capturing all the necessary leads in the correct way?

Getting your website to perform at its best can be a timely process, which is why at 67 Degrees, we’re here to help. Our website design and development team have explained seven of the key reasons why your website isn’t performing…

Poor SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an extremely important factor to your

website. There are quite literally millions of people searching for cars every single day on Google – it’s certainly tough competition to make sure you are on page one of the search engine!

Make sure you are ranking for the most relevant keywords; these include those relating to the brand and the type of stock you have. If you are a specialist Mercedes-Benz dealership, you’ll want to make sure you rank for primary keyword terms such as ‘Mercedes-Benz in [insert location]’ - this is SEO 101.

Bad user experience

User Experience (UX) is important to any website. To put it into perspective, it’s how browsers turn into buyers. If the user journey hasn’t been properly thought out, you could be missing out on leads flooding your inbox.

If you don’t have internal links on your homepage sending people to stock or services, how are users going to find them? Many car dealers want to talk about ‘their story’, which is great, but this should be a secondary thought. Why not put yourself in the shoes of customers by seeing how easy it is to navigate your website – you may be surprised by the results!

Not fully optimised

Every website should be optimised to whatever device the customer is using to browse your website on – be it desktop, mobile or tablet. If your website isn’t optimised, it’s harder for customers to navigate. It may be that the user needs to keep zooming in to try and view a page correctly on mobile – eventually they will get fed up and exit the website. Be aware that Google penalises websites which don’t have a mobile version, by showing them further down the search results.

Little to no content

Content is so important on your website – and we don’t just mean blog articlesbut wording on all your pages. All of the pages on your website should have at least 500 words per page to be optimal for SEO purposes. Google considers pages with 300 words or less to be ‘thin’ and could be penalised by being shown further down the search list.

Your website content should answer your customers’ questions, and in the case of our automotive clients, it’s all about vehicles. The quality of your content is also very important; don’t just waffle for the sake of filling words on a page.

Page load speed

Did you know that 40 per cent of online buyers will exit a website if a page doesn’t load after just three seconds? Because technology has evolved so quickly over the past 10 years, consumers are used to being served information immediately. Slow page loading = lower Google ranking, it’s as simple as that.

Unclear call to actions

A clear call to action (or CTA for short) is a key factor of your website’s performance. A CTA usually appears as

a button to highlight what a user should do, and in this instance will be:

Buying a car

Enquiring about a car

Sending an email enquiry

Calling the dealership

Substandard design

Everybody loves a great looking website and as we know, first impressions count! The one thing potential customers want to see is images of your cars in stock. As such, your website should have big bold images that are full width, and the overall website design should be eyecatching and appealing. A website that has been created with design in mind can instil trust in your brand and show professionalism as a business.

Your website, your way!

Here at 67 Degrees, we pride ourselves in making sure each and every one of our car dealer websites is up to the highest standards. We have won multiple awards for the design and UX of our websites so we’d love to show you what we can do. Find us online at 67degrees.co.uk or call us on 01273 007855.

www.67degrees.co.uk

Broadened legal and tax services from a growing team with a refreshing approach

At EMW everything is about delivering the best possible outcomes. Ambitious and competitive, it provides sound legal advice to clients that range from individual ideologists to FTSE 50 businesses. Behind that advice are experts who aren’t just good at what

they do, they are people clients like.

S-Tax, part of the EMW family, is a specialist, boutique consultancy providing advice on capital allowance tax reliefs.

With a combined team that is now 170 people strong, services are delivered from

offices conveniently located in Brighton, Gatwick, London and Milton Keynes.

Its refreshing and flexible approach to working has positioned EMW as an attractive employer. It has become ‘home’ for the entrepreneurial independently minded, and that is something clients have been quick to appreciate.

We meet EMW and S-TAX to discover how expanded services and an ambitious team are providing more support for clients - whenever they need it.

Always on the lookout for new talent, the firm says it is the right fit for those who want to work in a less formal setting and can challenge conventional thinking - attributes that have helped to shape the business it is today.

Its office at Gatwick has been growing steadily since a re-launch - meaning it can get to know and provide outstanding services to ‘more and more of the people and businesses that make this region one of the most important economic areas in the UK’.

The current EMW team comprises personable lawyers who have built a unique, fresh-thinking brand.

They came together in early 2021, following a period of reflection after the departure of three of the partners. EMW launched an intense recruitment drive knowing that the goal was to find the right people to broaden the legal services provided from the Gatwick base.

The result is an aspirational, energised team with laser focus.

Ian Mabbutt, partner in EMW’s Corporate Team, said: “Undoubtedly the resilience and conviction shown by those who remained, together with some bold decisions about which direction the office would take, has resulted in a closely bonded team taking real pride in each other’s success.”

Senior lawyers

The team is led by senior lawyers with significant industry experience in utilities, financial services, media, technology, fashion and telecoms. We have experts in all areas of legal services including

employment, banking, technology, real estate, dispute resolution and corporate. As we grow we are providing experience and mentoring for the next generation of lawyers, some of which attended the recent RICS Matrix event which was sponsored jointly by EMW and S-Tax.

Caroline Watkins is one of the longest serving members of the team and has been delighted to watch the team grow since being the sole partner at the time of our relaunch. Caroline provides expert construction legal advice and contract documentation (standard and bespoke) for a number of sectors such as housing, healthcare, education, commercial, retail, industrial and renewables. She acts for clients providing finance on matters of due diligence, insolvency protection and security. Her background includes six years spent in the City providing advice to clients in the professional indemnity insurance market and two years in-house at a large water supplier. Her route to construction law has been far from direct – her previous

career in radio led to recruitment into a major tech firm to complete her training, but experience in construction clients and projects swayed her to decide to embark on a career as a specialist construction lawyer. Caroline considers herself privileged to have carved out her early career in three high-profile firms despite the backdrop of the economic conditions in 2008, and finally finding her home (via two invaluable years in-house) making the best use of her experience at EMW. Balancing her career with solo parenting her son has been a massive challenge and one which she considers could not be met without the absolute belief, support and limitless energy from EMW management.

Aiden Dunning has 20+ years working in-house with global brands in Financial Services, Media and Technology sectors and, having joined the team as the first partner to join Caroline following those recruitment decisions made in 2021, he now shares this experience with our clients. It is essential to Aiden that he is able to provide clear and demonstrable

value to the businesses he works with – this ethos was a key reason Aiden chose to make the change from previous management roles to join EMW. “Having spent 26-27 years building and managing legal teams and hiring external law firms, I could see that there are very few law firms that operate in the way EMW does. During the interview process it was clear that the lawyers at EMW are focused on delivering the outcome for their clients and that this is more important than highlighting the legal work involved in doing so. This was fundamental to my decision to join EMW at such an exciting time in their journey.” Aiden advises on a range of commercial deals and compliance for owner-managed and private-equity backed companies and global corporates.

Adrian joined EMW in October 2021 to head up the Dispute Resolution offering in the Gatwick area. He has since been appointed head of litigation across the firm with team members in Milton Keynes, London and Gatwick. The Dispute Resolution offering at EMW

is comprehensive providing litigation advice on all areas of litigation.

Adrian made the difficult decision to stay in his position, however, as with a lot of people, the pandemic and the changes it brought with it meant that Adrian welcomed a call from EMW in March 2021. “Law firms dealt with the challenges that the pandemic presented in different ways some decisions made me question whether I wanted to remain where I was. By chance EMW got back in touch and asked if I was interested in a new challenge.”

When considering his options, Adrian noticed that the new offering at the Gatwick office had a much broader base, with added depth in real estate (Caroline with construction and Daisy’s appointment was on the cards at the time) in addition to corporate and commercial. “This was the clincher for me. As a property litigator, much of my work comes from working very closely with the real estate team. It was therefore important that we had as broad a base of service offering as possible. EMW had recognised the need to offer a much broader and comprehensive corporate and commercial service and had taken steps to address this”.

Daisy Waldren is the latest partner to join the team and she heads up the real estate offering in the Gatwick office as well as specifically the Real Estate Finance team across the firm as a whole. Previously Daisy was a partner at a large regional South-East firm, so brings with her a wealth of experience and existing clients based in the South-East and London. Daisy acts for many lenders and investors on both investment and development finance, and investors acquiring and disposing of mixed-use property and the landlord and tenant management of those interests. She provides jargon-free, efficient and proactive advice, as a result of getting to

know the goals of her client’s businesses and being part of their team.

“I chose to join EMW for the challenge of being part of a growing business and developing a real estate practice in the area for EMW. It was important for me that I was going to be given the autonomy to create a team and profile for the property side at EMW in Gatwick and the partners have allowed this.”

The S-Tax team are able to identify capital allowances that general practice accountancy firms don’t capture as the team includes both accountancy and surveying professionals. S-Tax serves client operating care homes, bars & restaurants, hotels, offices, surgeries, Zoos, furnished holiday lets and industrial units.

Allan Shaw (S-Tax) has been involved in B2B business for over 25 years and heads up the S-Tax sales efforts, he is also

responsible for growing our introducer/ partner network along with looking after our existing referrers. Allan loves the reaction he gets when S-Tax identify tax allowances that provide real-life savings which deliver clients unexpected upside. One recent project involved the purchase of a high value commercial property where the buyer was told that no Capital Allowances were available, an initial review was undertaken by S-Tax and terms were added into the sales contract that enabled the buyer to claim any Capital Allowances that might be available. Once the sale was completed S-Tax undertook a full survey of the property along with a validation of claim history and a successful claim was made for £1.6m.

Supporting the business community

EMW is proud of the support it offers local initiatives that deliver benefits to the wider community.

“Our involvement in the Crawley Town

Centre Business Improvement District is very important to us as local business community members and we have hosted meetings for Wendy Bell and their team at our offices (at the top of the old High Street in Crawley),” said Ian.

“We have done the same for the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards which is another example of our use of the great location and facilities we have here.

“Our collaboration space is great for informal chats with clients and for breaking down the barriers often experienced when dealing with lawyers!”

The business is running a series of breakfast sessions - so far covering topics such as Business Resilience, Employee Ownership Trusts, Water Neutrality, Construction Projects, Post-Brexit Employment Issues, Business Immigration, and B-Corporation applications.

Each of the roundtable events provides clients with an opportunity to meet and share their experiences with each otherall under Chatham House rules.

On an even less formal note, the team ran a one-off cycling event from the office to the iconic Box Hill and back.

Before they finished the ride, EMW was petitioned to make it a regular event! This is now a permanent fixture on the calendar, with a different route being devised for next year.

Business and pleasure

Caroline said: “The large roof terrace at our penthouse office has offered opportunity to enjoy sun-downers during

the summer with local business partners and was the backdrop to our End of Summer Drinks event, which was well supported by Charlie from Ridgeview and their excellent wines.

“We are also arranging a private evening at popular outlet Mint Velvet with a personal stylist able to guide everyone who attends through their range of women’s clothing (and offer a generous 15 per cent discount).

“These informal events are very much how our team like to spend time with clients and understand how we might add value to their business. These events also provide great networking opportunities for attendees.”

Corporate social responsibility

Aiden said: “We take our corporate social responsibility as seriously as our client service.

“During the last year, we have supported Crawley Open House

homelessness charity with a number of events and will continue to do so. We will continue our tradition of selecting our next charity partner from suggestions provided by the team during our staff Christmas dinner.

“There is more to come from us over the next year too. Our breakfast sessions, cycle and fashion events will continue as will our involvement in the Crawley Town Centre BID, Gatwick Diamond Business, Building Sussex Connections and the Boundary Club.

“We are sponsors of the Gatwick Diamond Business award for the Business of the Year (over 1M) and we are looking forward to meeting the nominees.

“Victoria Bevis, from our Employment team, will continue to serve as a board member of the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and provide her Inclusive Employment seminars. We’ve partnered with Littlegate Farm (a supported employment charity) and Strive Caf 頨a not-for-profit business employing

neurodiverse people) for those seminars and are very happy to help raise the profile of these great organisations.”

EMW will also further develop its relationship with the team at Plus X where it is part of their partnership programme.

The reputation of both EMW and S-TAX has been built on the work started at the office in Gatwick back in 2018. The current team has further expanded that excellent reputation - thanks to its unbridled drive and desire to be standout different.

It could not have been prouder when a client commented: “We were looking for advisers that we know, like and trust… and that’s EMW.”

Website: https://www.emwllp.com/ Twitter @EMWlaw

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/ company/emw-law-llp

Black+White Birthday Ball

Saturday March 11th 2023 at 7pm

In aid of Wolo Foundation - Helping to improve the quality of life of families in Sussex affected by cancer

Dress Code: Black tie & Sparkles

Put on your black tie and sparkles and join us on Saturday 11th March 2023, for Wolo Foundation’s

Birthday Ball, at the newly refurbished Hilton Brighton Metropole. Following the success of WoloBall last year, we’ve gone even BIGGER and BETTER!

You will be greeted with a welcome drink on arrival, followed by a deliciously stunning 3 course meal with half a bottle of wine. There will be live entertainment, a charity raffle/auction, dancing and live music into the early hours! Join us for an evening to remember!

Wolo supports families on their cancer journeys and inspires everyone to live their lives to the full. They help the whole family, not just those diagnosed, and provide regular family events to reduce isolation/loneliness. They also offer practical help, opportunities to improve mental health and overall wellness, and encourage everyone to live their best lives one day at a time. By supporting the event, you are helping to make a big difference to families all over Sussex. Book early to avoid disappointment - individual tickets are available now! Tables of 10 and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

For more information and to book, visit our website www.wolofoundation.org or email contact@wolofoundation.org

#wolomoment #weonlyliveonce

BRIGHTON METROPOLE

Sponsor Media Partner

Olympians turn out to support The Starr Trust Winter Extravaganza Ball

The

Held on 29th October at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, the event was generously sponsored by Rubix VT and Handelsbanken, meaning all £40,000 raised on the night will go directly into supporting young people aged 10-25 years old who are struggling to overcome roadblocks in their lives.

During the evening, Chairman of the Starr Trust, Rob Starr candidly interviewed special guest and

inspirational Olympic Legend Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards, where the audience were invited to ask their own questions of the Olympian.

Guests and Young Starrs supported by the charity were inspired by Eddie’s definition of success. “Success means something different for everyone, but for me it is about actually giving your dreams a go rather than just dreaming about them,” said Eddie.

Eighteen-year-old Alex, who is

supported by the Starr Trust, confidently spoke live on stage to over 300 guests about her journey, telling how the funding and support has enabled her to overcome huge trauma and roadblocks in her life, to now being a thriving university student studying to become a special educational needs teacher.

Good friend of the Starr Trust, Olympian Decathlete Daley Thompson CBE attended the occasion. He chatted and posed for photos with

Winter Extravaganza is the biggest fundraising effort in the Starr Trust charity’s annual calendar of events and this year returned for the first time following the pandemic, raising £40,000.

Charity

Long term supporter Gemini Print

Headline Sponsor_Rubix VT

Rob Starr Interviewing Eddie the Eagle

young people supported by the Trust and said of the event: “My first Starr Trust Winter Ball and it was a lovely night out for a charity I love with people giving generously, but the best thing is obviously the number of young people and their families, the Trust will now be able to help.”

Scottish television personality Gail Porter joined her good friend and Ambassador of the charity Marc Abraham OBE to cohost on the night, encouraging guests to get behind the cause.

Nick Poyner, MD of Rubix VT and Sponsor of the Winter Extravaganza, said: “The hardworking team at the Starr Trust truly delivered an amazing event with their Winter Extravaganza Ball at the Hilton Brighton Metropole.

We were very proud to be a sponsor and had a fantastic time. As well as being great fun, the ball and auction raised huge amounts to help the charity remove roadblocks for young people, which we are proud to play our part in.”

Rob Starr, Founder and Chairman of the Starr Trust said: “A wonderful occasion amongst friends with both new and long-term supporters showing their support. We can’t thank the generous sponsors and guests enough for helping to raise these funds which will literally change lives.

“We are incredibly proud of Alex for all she has achieved so far and very grateful to her for bravely telling her story on the night. We were all blown

away by the pledge from sponsor Rubix VT to top up the fundraising even further by rounding the final figure up to £40,000! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who gave their time and contributed to making this event the success it was.”

Also kindly supporting the evening were Highweald Wine Estate, who provided the English Sparkling Wine for the drinks reception, along with Creative Pod and Gemini Print who provided support through their design and print services, and E3 Events, who managed the live auction and event production on the night.

Co-sponsors Handelsbanken

Ambassadors Jason Burrill and Nicholas Taylor of Healys

Wine Sponsor_Highweald Estage

Creative Pod and Guests

DaleyThompson_Eddie_Nathan_Rob Starr

Young Starr Alex with Mum Janine Starr Trust Team with Eddie the Eagle_Gail Porter and Marc Abraham

Supporters White Cloud Coffee

Ryan Heal Best of British

Wolo Foundation

What is Wolo?

Wolo stands for ‘we only live once’, the perfect way to describe their ethos - to make the most of each day. Life is a blessing and we need to enjoy it; doing the things we love, with the ones we love.

Husband and wife team, Justin and Fler Wright set up Wolo Foundation after a cancer diagnosis of their own. With three young children to support, they were shocked at what little help there was out there for families like theirs.

Knowing they didn’t want others to go through it like they did, ignited a little flame inside their hearts - and that’s how the idea began.

Wolo Foundation registered as a charity in 2020 and helps families living in Sussex through their cancer journeys. They support them by offering practical help and support to make their dayto-day lives easier. They work with other charities, local businesses and communities to offer families a wealth of services to support them through diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

Who do Wolo help?

Any family living in Sussex with a child or children under the age of 16 years at the point of diagnosis. They support all family members, whether it be an adult or child with a diagnosis - siblings and partners are supported too. They currently have almost 100 families and upwards of 200 children in their Wolo community.

How do Wolo help?

Every family is unique, and every cancer is different. Wolo’s bespoke approach recognises that people don’t always

Helping to improve the quality of life of families in Sussex affected by cancer.

Charity

know what they need. Wolo offers all family members emotional guidance and practical help. From mental health support and complementary therapies, to practical help with cleaning, childcare, will writing or home maintenance issues. Nothing is too much trouble. Regular family events help to reduce loneliness and isolation and encourage new friendships. Tickets to local attractions and short family breaks help to ensure families can spend quality time together making memories.

Wolo’s work is about practical help, health and well-being and developing long lasting relationships. Ultimately they want to increase life enhancing experiences for the person with cancer and their family, and try to encourage everyone to live their best lives, day-by-day.

How can you help?

Wolo are looking for anyone who can

offer a service to a family going through cancer treatment - whether it be therapy, childcare, legal help, memory making opportunities, counselling, gardening, decorating, car maintenance or a meal - literally anything! These can all funded through the charity. Wolo are passionate about collaboration with businesses, community groups and other charities to help make a difference to the lives of local families going through cancer.

Wolo hold a variety of fundraising events throughout the year, and are always looking for willing participants who want to help raise funds by doing a skydive, wing walk, ice bath or similar.

Wolo are seeking 100 businesses/ CEO’s to join the exclusive Wolo 100 club. To join, you need to commit to donating £100 per month to Wolo, for a minimum of 12 months. This regular income means Wolo can spend their

time directly supporting families in need - the number of families they are supporting has grown by over 1333% in 2.5 years. In return, members will receive priority invitations to events such as the WoloBall (11/3/23), opportunities to network with likeminded individuals and direct access to support should any of your workforce receive a diagnosis.

Statistics show that 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Life is precious - we need to make the most of it - we only live once - Wolo!

contact@wolofoundation.org wolofoundation.org

Be a Rockinghorse Star for children spending time in hospital over Christmas

Spending time in hospital over Christmas isn’t fun for anyone, but it’s even worse for children - not knowing if Father Christmas will know where to find them, not being able to enjoy the time at home with their family, not to mention being scared and worried about their treatment.

But every year Rockinghorse brings Christmas to children in hospital, delivering advent calendars, decorations and presents to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton and children’s wards across Sussex.

They even ensure Father Christmas makes a visit and that families have a Christmas dinner to help them feel more at home during the festive period.

But they can’t do this without your help.

If you can be a Rockinghorse Star this Christmas, it will help children enjoy the Christmas they deserve despite being in hospital at a time they should be at home with their families.

Holly is a mum whose baby girl spent Christmas at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital. She said: “My daughter was in critical care over Christmas. I remember that Santa came to visit on Christmas day. It was lovely for my other child to receive a present when we visited. These small things really helped to calm me down and relax while being in one of the most stressful times of my life.”

How you can help

There are lots of ways to help children spending time in hospital this Christmas. You can donate straight to the charity, arrange a present collection in your local area or sponsor a star in a dazzling projection on the side of the Royal Alexandra Children’s hospital in December.

In return you will receive an invitation to their Stars launch event at the children’s hospital, be featured in their online campaign hub, included in all PR and social media before and after the campaign and receive a personalised thank you from the Rockinghorse team.

Sponsorship options

The charity has a range of sponsorship options available:

£5,000 Super Star – in return you will have the largest logo star in the projections, your logo on the top of the main Christmas tree in the Royal

£2,000 Shining Star - in return for a £2,000 donation, you will receive a large star with your logo in the projection and a bauble with your logo on the Christmas tree in the hospital.

£1,000 Bright Start - you will have a star with your logo amongst the magical display and your logo on a bauble on the Christmas tree.

£500 Star – you will have a star included in the display along with a small bauble on the Christmas tree.

Whatever you are able to donate, every single penny will help ensure that children get the Christmas they deserve, even if they are in hospital.

Find out more about how you can support Rockinghorse at https://www. rockinghorse.org.uk

Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

Could you sponsor a star in a magnificent light display at the R oyal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and help give children in hospital the Christmas they deserve?

Charity

Sussex business owner undertakes 24hour podcast for local children’s charity

Sam Thomas, host of County Business TALKS Podcast, co-founder of County Business Clubs and managing director of Sussex Business Times, completed a 24-hour live podcast as part of a £10,000 challenge in support of Rockinghorse.

Sam joined the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity board as their first Parent Trustee in February 2021 following his family’s experience at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital where their twins were born in 2015.

Charity

While Sienna was born without any complications, Sam’s son Luca struggled to survive due to a prolapsed cord.

Despite interventions, they were given the devastating news that Luca may not survive and, if he did, he would likely face severe brain damage. But, thanks to the dedication and care shown by the incredible staff at the unit, Luca slowly built up his strength and the family started to get more positive feedback from the doctors.

Eventually, after four weeks, they were finally able to take Luca home to meet Sienna and,after two years of monitoring and testing, he reached every milestone along with his sister.

Since 2015 Sam has raised the equivalent of £20,000 for the charity through a range of challenges, events and sponsorships. And during this, the charity’s 55th Anniversary year, Sam decided to set himself the challenge of raising £10,000 through a range of events and challenges, including completing a 24-hour podcast.

Sam already hosts the weekly County Business Clubs TALKS podcast, where he

speaks to local business people to share their stories and inspire listeners, so Sam decided to use these skills to organise the charity version of the podcast where he would speak to 24 different guests.

Sam said: “My love for podcasts and having these conversations is what led me to take on one of my biggest challenges of the year.

“On 13 October at 12pm in the Plus X Studio in Brighton I began my challenge, on the hour every hour I interviewed another guest from entrepreneurs and business leaders to professional athletes, Master Chef winners, radio and tv presenters and many more.

“Throughout the 24 hours we also hosted over 60 people to watch two of the episodes live on stage with Dragons Den winner and founder of the Tiny Box Company Rachel Watkyn and Giles Palmer founder of Brandwatch. “I had 24 amazing conversations that were streamed live and have so far raised £2500 which takes my total this year to over £7500!”

Amanda

said: “It was such a great idea of Sam’s to use his podcast platform as a fundraiser for Rockinghorse. It was fascinating listening to all the different guests he interviewed, despite him losing his voice towards the end!

“Having Sam as such a passionate supporter of Rockinghorse really makes a difference to us. As a small local charity, people like Sam enable us to support thousands of babies, children and their families every year. So, a massive thanks to him for his continued support”

You can donate to Sam’s £10,000 challenge on his Just Giving page, just search ‘Sam Thomas 10k Trustee Challenge.’ Or join Sam and the team on 15th December for the final charity fundraiser at the County Business Clubs Christmas Party. To get your tickets join here - https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/countybusiness-clubs-christmas-partytickets-461677589097

Heatherington, Corporate Engagement Manager at Rockinghorse,

Join Martlets for #BrightonFlock

Charity

Shaun by the Sea will see a colourful cavalcade of oneoff painted Shauns decorate Brighton streets from September next year for eight weeks.

In a truly ewe-nique opportunity, local businesses are being invited to sponsor a Shaun. Alongside this there are of a host of additional exciting sponsorship options, including the chance to lead our learning programme and sponsor the trail app.

Brandwatch, the world’s premier social suite, has already confirmed its role as a headline sponsor of what promises to be one of the biggest and brightest charity events of 2023. So don’t delay, sign up as a sponsor - Rockwater, Trident, Enter Gallery and Green Insurance are already part of the flock.

Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, has committed to sponsoring a sculpture through his Big Beach Café. He said: “If you’re thinking about joining us in being a sponsor for the next trail, my advice would be to go for it! To be a part of such a creative and inspiring community project, in support of a local charity we couldn’t do without, is absolutely priceless.”

Martlets CEO, Claire Irving said: “At Martlets we’re passionate about connecting people in need with people who care. Shaun by the Sea will bring together individuals, families, fundraisers, volunteers, schools, artists, community groups and businesses in support of those affected by terminal illness in our community. We very much hope local businesses will seize this opportunity to be part of the #BrightonFlock with Martlets.”

Rachel Peacock from Aardman, the studio behind Shaun the Sheep, said: “We are delighted to be working with the brilliant charity Martlets on their next trail. We look forward to working with sponsors and artists to bring Shaun to the streets of Brighton and Hove; he is sure to add such fun and colour and we are in no doubt many will flock to be part of the fun!”

The trail is brought to the city in association with Wild in Art, the organisation who partnered with Martlets on the previous art adventures - Snowdogs and Snailspace. These trails generated millions of social media impressions and global TV and media interest.

To find out more, visit www.shaunbythesea.co.uk or email Susi or Amber at Sponsors@ shaunbythesea.co.uk

There’s a baa-rilliant new art trail coming in Autumn 2023 - thanks to Martlets, the muchloved local charity that provides life-changing hospice care.

Search Seven celebrates charity fundraising success

2022 has been a fantastic year for fundraising for the Search Seven team, raising just under £20,000 for charity. They are now on the brink of reaching their 100k fundraising target. We hear from Founder and CEO Gavin Willis, who gives a review of the year and also announces some exciting plans for 2023

Charity

At the start of 2022, we launched our latest charity campaign called #S7100, endeavouring to increase our fundraising efforts from £77,000 to £100,000 by the end of 2023. With a year still to go, we are well and truly on course to not only hit this target but exceed it.

2022 has seen the introduction of new events to the S7 Events roster, including the Rockinghorse Ryder Cup, which brought two teams of 12 together to compete over two days, with SBT’s Sam Thomas and myself as the team Captains.

It was a great victory for Team Yellow in an epic event that raised over £4,000 for Rockinghorse, Search Seven’s flagship charity, of which Sam is a Trustee.

Over the summer, and during the heatwave, the Search Seven team rallied together to complete a half-marathon walk in London in support of their chosen charities. This was a brand-new type of event for the company, alongside the community events that we usually organise, seeing an incredible team effort.

Each member of the team set up their own JustGiving pages to raise money, and awareness, resulting in

an incredible £5,000 raised across all the charities. It proved extremely successful and is something we plan to replicate next year.

The final event of the year was the inaugural S7 Golf Day, which took place at the Dyke Golf Club, and was organised with the help of TPG Sports Events.

With a thick mist refusing to clear in the morning, the event was close to being cancelled. With minutes to spare within our window for a 10am latest start, the competition got underway at 9.50am and was a real success, raising almost £5,500 for charity.

Search Seven invited a few of its chosen charities to say a few words on the day, with The Children’s Respite Trust, The Lucy Rayner Foundation, and Rockinghorse all raising awareness for their causes.

Are there any other charities Search Seven has supported outside the #S7100 Charity Campaign?

Yes, very much so.

As well as the #S7100 Charity Campaign, there has been a further £4,000 raised and donated to other charities.

In March 2022, we decided as a team to make a £1,000 donation to help the victims of the Ukraine War, providing support to Ukraine and showing solidarity in their efforts.

We have also introduced our Charity Referral Scheme.

With the intention of bringing people together to make a difference and say ‘thank you’ to those that have recommended us, we now operate a seven per cent Charity Referral Scheme,

with five per cent of our revenue from the successful referral going to the referrer, and two per cent going to a charity of their choice.

With several partners and clients recommending us in 2022, we are delighted to announce that we have raised over £3,000 for different charities to date, with more money to be added before Christmas.

Were there any other big announcements in 2022?

You could say that!

Over the last 18 months, we have seen the team grow from four to 14 people, including new additions to the team to support our SEO and Paid Media offerings, which has led to a significant change in Search Seven’s leadership structure.

We have seen real investment in growth, with our current headcount being matched by a 50% increase in yearly revenue, putting us in great shape to scale sustainably in 2023.

Our efforts have been recognised too, as Search Seven has been named a Finalist at the Sussex Business Awards for the Business Growth Award, as well as Employer of the Year, which we are absolutely thrilled about.

Any big plans for 2023?

Yes indeed!

We are planning to host a big community event next summer to ‘hopefully’ celebrate reaching our 100k fundraising target - plans are top secret and are yet to be revealed, so watch this space. There will be another S7 Golf Day too, and I know Sam is desperate to hold a Rockinghorse Ryder Cup rematch.

In addition to sponsoring the Sussex Business Times’ Charity section, we are also delighted to announce that Search Seven will be the charity sponsor at next year’s Sussex Business Show, where I will also be on stage as a keynote speaker, talking about our charity fundraising journey, and sharing a few tips to those looking to embed a purpose-driven approach to their business.

It’s set to be a big year indeed!

I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to the Search Seven team, our clients, partners, suppliers, and everyone who has supported us this year. It means a lot, and by coming together as a community, we are all helping to make a difference.

If you would like to schedule a call with Gavin to chat about partnerships, SEO and/or PPC requirements, or CSR and corporate fundraising, email gavin@ searchseven.co.uk or visit our website www.searchseven.co.uk

Best of British finishes 2022 with a bang in Gatwick

Charity

The event was at Crowne Plaza Felbridge, Gatwick, where over 300 guests were in attendance to help raise many thousands of pounds for the amazing Starr Trust - while listening to the legend of Sky Sports, Jeff Stelling.

It was great to hear from Starr Trust Chairman, the inspirational Rob Starr, who is approaching his 52nd Olympic Triathlon of the year, raising an incredible amount for the charity.

The event was sponsored by Creative Pod UK, headline sponsor; RubixVT, DevAssist and Britton and Time Solicitors, event co-sponsors, and media partner Sussex Business Times.

The event raised over £10,000 for The Starr Trust, taking the total to £18,000 raised for the charity by Best of British Events this year.

Best of British have also raised an amazing £156K for a variety of charities throughout 2022 and it has been a true

privilege to have supported such as amazing company, that do so much for our community as well as supporting so many fantastic causes.

We look forward to supporting Ryan and the team in 2023 across all their events in Brighton, Gatwick, Eastbourne, London and their new venue in Tunbridge Wells.

If you would like to be a part of one of next year’s events, please do get in touch - info@bestofbritish.org.uk

November saw the final Best of British event of 2022 and, once again, it was a fantastic one.

Events Not To Be Missed

Silicon Brighton is a community-led initiative supporting those working in our local digital sector. We provide a variety of free and accessible events to help people learn new skills, make connections, and progress their careers in tech. This month is buzzing with activity, so read on for a taste of what’s in store!

Scan the QR code or visit hub.siliconbrighton.com/events to find out more.

Tackling Fake Traffic from Artificial Engagement

Fri 18th November | 12:30-1:30pm | Online

Recent research shows that potentially up to one-third of a website’s visitors are fraudulent, meaning your sales and marketing funnels could be polluted with bad, or worse, stolen data. Come and learn how to identify bots and prevent them from being on your website.

Amazon’s Culture of Innovation

Weds 23rd November | 6-8pm | Online /

In person at Spaces

Get a glimpse behind the curtains of Amazon’s peculiar approach to innovation and how they deliver bespoke engagements with customers, presented by Amazon’s Digital Innovation Lead, Robert Hodges.

From Conversation to Software

Thurs 24th November | 6-8pm | Online /

In person at Spaces

Get best practice advice on how to transform conversations with clients to software that solves their problems, using user stories, story mapping and release planning to create meaningful and insightful choices for your clients.

Detecting Financial Vulnerability with Unsupervised Machine Learning

Weds 30th November | 6-8pm | Online /

In person at Barclays Eagle Labs Hear how EDF have used data science and machine learning to analyse Smart meter Pay As You Go (PAYG) customers for signs of financial distress, to develop better support for those customers during the cost of living crisis.

Game Dev Drinks

Fri 25th November | From 7pm | In person at Green Door Store

Are you a game developer? Want to meet other developers in the Brighton area? Come along to Game Dev Drinks, a monthly networking, social and live music get-together hosted by Justin French (Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Dream Harvest).

People + Culture Club Christmas Meet Up

Thurs 15th December | 5:30-7:30pm | In person at North Laine Brewhouse

If you’re looking for a community of People-people who have a bias against traditional ‘HR’, then People + Culture Club is the place for you! Join them for a natter and a drink of whatever takes your fancy at this relaxed and informal get-together.

Calling all Brighton dads

A grassroots movement pioneering for change…introducing Dad La Soul.

space for dads and kids to let off steam, have some banter and ask for help.

Networking & Events

From stand-up comedy to silent discos and dad dance battles, Dad La Soul playdates create a safe space for dads to connect with likeminded people, enjoy quality time with their children and have some fun.

Dad La Soul is a multi-award-winning revolutionary grassroots movement that uses art, tech and music to battle social isolation and loneliness in dads across Sussex.

They create kick-ass Saturday morning playdates for dads, stepdads, grandads and male-identifying carers who want to hang out with their kids, play, learn, teach and make new friends.

Dad La Soul events bring people together, challenge conventions, spark conversations and start friendships with dads that perhaps might otherwise struggle in silence.

“Dad La Soul is a lot of fun but there is a serious message behind it. We bring dads and kids together with amazing activities, to break down barriers and start conversations which dads may not otherwise have,” said Dan Flanagan, Founder at Dad La Soul.

Founded in 2017 in Worthing, Dad La Soul has just launched a brand-new play date in Brighton, and it is calling all dads to get involved.

The Dad La Soul community will be ‘taking Brighton by storm’ one Saturday a month, at Plus X Brighton in Moulsecoomb. Each event will focus on a different theme designed to engage the children and of course the dads! The events are a safe

The launch took place on Saturday 12th November. The inaugural event welcomed more than 100 dads and children to play, create connections and make some music.

The music workshop was led by the fantastic Audio Active, a grassroots social enterprise organisation that help young people engage with music across Sussex.

Reece Pickett, Youth Project Manager at Audio Active, said. “One of the best Audio Active sessions I have seen…all the kids were super engaged and really enjoyed it.”

After launching at their new HQ, Dad La Soul Brighton has created some great collaborations with people, places and businesses to bring the events to life. Collaborators include The Bevy, Brighton’s number one community run pub/hub, County Business Clubs, a growth engine for Sussex Businesses, Brighton and Hove Council and Plus X innovation hubs.

“This event was incredibly impressive. I think around Brighton there just isn’t support around for dads...having this is a great way for dads to meet people,” said Chris Llewellyn, a member of the Management Committee at The Bevy.

Plus X Brighton is a seven-storey innovation hub for all types of businesses from freelancers to corporates. Located on Lewes Road in Moulsecoomb, the innovation hub encompasses business growth innovation programmes, coworking and office space, support for sustainable product makers, design workshops, podcast studios, media suites, meeting rooms and event spaces. Plus X is committed to creating

purposeful partnerships to deliver positive social impact to local communities, especially those residents located in their home of Moulsecoomb.

Mat Hunter, Co-CEO at Plus X innovation hubs, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Dad La Soul. Not only are they focused on the health and well-being of dads and children, but who knows, perhaps spending Saturday mornings in our innovation hubs will ignite an interest in starting a new business!”

Dad La Soul is passionate about creating a supportive and accessible community. They have a range of ticket options available to ensure all families are welcomed. Tickets cost just £6 for a family of four, with free entry available for families with low or no wage.

Isabella Hoffmann, Community Lead at Plus X, said: “When Dan first approached us to be the new HQ for Dad La Soul, it was an immediate nobrainer. We endeavour to support and champion impact-focused events that encourage collaboration and connection in the community, which is exactly what these events do.”

The next event will be on Saturday 10th December, 10am-12pm at Plus X Brighton. Join Dad La Soul for the Christmas celebration of the year, as well as the world-famous Beach Punch and Judy show.

Book your ticket tby scanning the QR code or visiting https://bit.ly/3Aj5GNz

By Alicia Sullivan

The importance of networking during economic downturns

Archie Hampshire, Marketing Assistant at Network My Club, explains why you should still be building connections during a period of run-away inflat ion, ever-increasing interest rates and an energy crisis.

It’s no secret we’re going through hard times. And there’s real potential for it to get even harder.

I’m sure it won’t be too long before we’re paying £1 for a Freddo.

But chocolate inflation aside, in this current economic climate it’s essential you keep networking to grow your business.

Why should you keep investing in attending networking events when all the signs are pointing towards making cutbacks?

Because people might not be ready to buy from you now but, by becoming the person people think of in your industry means when they are ready, you’ll be at the forefront of their minds.

There are plenty of ways to use your networking wisely - even when it might not necessarily be driving the new business you’re perhaps used to.

Get

closer to prospects

Learn their current challenges and pain points. Use that information to think about how to evolve your offering and help them overcome them.

Listen to clients

Your clients will likely be out networking too. Either there or away from events, take the time to listen to how you could better serve them. What challenges are

they experiencing? Are they are having to evolve? How can you support them by connecting them with your network?

Use your network to help others

You might not be receiving so much, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving and finding ways to connect others with your own network. How can people you know help them?

Adjust your offering

Maybe there is an opportunity to try something new, either short-term or long-term. During the pandemic, we had to adjust our event offering to online (never did I think we’d do online when starting the business), but still embrace it today as behaviours shifted.

Learn from other businesses

Businesses of different sizes, ages and sectors could all be going through different challenges. Improving your knowledge here will arm you better to help others, provide insight and

ultimately add value to your network.

Speak to your membership organisations

Update them on current challenges, changes in the business, or where the growth opportunities are. They are there to help you!

In a nutshell

To summarise, avoid burying your head in the sand because you don’t think you can get anything from networking.

Keep yourself out there. Don’t be forgotten.

Because when people are ready to buy, or they know someone that is, is it you or your competitor they think of?

https://www.networkmyclub.co.uk/ Twitter @NetworkMyClub

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/ company/network-my-club

Networking & Events

The Director’s Hub: founders’ ‘support’ club

A peer-to-peer networking group for small business directors is expanding across Sussex to create more opportunities for likeminded entrepreneurs.

Networking & Events

Aimed firmly at business owners who don’t have a big management team to support them, The Directors’ Hub connects individuals who want to share knowledge and achieve growth.

The Hub already has peer-to-peer support groups in Brighton and Mid Sussex and has now launched in Eastbourne and Worthing. There are plans to create more in Crawley, Chichester, and Hastings in 2023.

Founder and entrepreneur Sonny Cutting said: “The Directors’ Hub has grown from a tiny seed of an idea into something which is much-needed and much-supported by small business directors throughout Sussex.

“I’m delighted to announce the new Hubs and intend to open more in 2023. I want to support entrepreneurs who want guidance from those facing similar issues. They can meet in a welcoming environment where they can discuss ideas and let off a bit of business steam.”

Each hub is an intimate, informal support group with 12 like-minded members who meet once a month to share successes, discuss business issues and learn strategies to help with business growth. At each meeting

members have the chance to chat and get to know each other followed by a motivational speaker and then a topic for discussion. There is also a closed WhatsApp group where members can chat and ask for advice at any time.

“We wanted to create something that would provide real value for small businesses, that was unlike other largescale peer-to-peer groups. At The Directors’ Hub you get to know other business owners well, build lasting and meaningful relationships and receive the support larger companies get from their management teams,” added Mr Cutting.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way it has grown, indicating a clear need for this kind of peer-to-peer support group, and I look forward to adding more Hubs in Sussex and beyond in the future.”

Mr Cutting plans to grow The Hub, which is part of the Sussex Business Show and has been running for three years, to 20 groups. He is also in the process of creating a new website to support both.

The hubs meet once a month in different locations around Sussex. Hurstpierpoint Hub meets on a Wednesday afternoon for Lunch Hub, Brighton Hub meets

on a Tuesday evening for the Supper Club, Eastbourne Hub meets Tuesday evening and Worthing Hub meets Wednesday afternoon.

As well as offering a standard membership at £600+VAT, there’s a tiered membership for those who want to be involved with more than one group in their designated area. For more information about joining visit directorshub.uk or call Sonny Cutting on 07889 533641 or visit sussexbizshow.com

A peer-to-peer hub for small business directors expands to help more entrepreneurs.

(Photo from left to right. Sabreen from Active Physio Clinics, Pippa from Global OHS, the host, Sonny Cutting, Paul from Gordian Solutions, Ben from Second Voice, Robert from Management Inspirations and Wes from Adapt Fitness.) This was the Hurstpierpoint Lunch Hub meeting earlier this year.

And it’s a sell out!

A big thank you is due to this month’s breakfast networking sponsor, PrimeBlue R&D services.

Primeblue is a specialist in R&D claims. With hundreds of successful claims under their belt, they make sure you get the amount you are entitled to, maximising your claim within the boundaries set out by HMRC.

The team at PrimeBlue are highly trained experts. Sector specialists and business entrepreneurs work in partnership with you and your business to make sure the claim process is simple and straightforward.

PrimeBlue have chosen The Martlets as the beneficiary for this BBBC.

Martlets is a local charity that provides terminally ill people in Brighton and

Hove, and surrounding areas, with the very best care and support.

Their expert team helps patients live life to the full during the precious time they have left.

Martlets opened in 1997. The staff and services were formed from the merger of three separate charities: Copper Cliff Hospice, Tarner and MacMillan Day Hospice.

Across the hospice services, more than 34,000 local people have been supported and cared for since 1997.

Most people receive care from them in their own homes. Outpatients also visit the hospice for pain relief, physiotherapy, counselling, welfare advice and social activities. Others choose to spend their final days there, or to join them as inpatients for respite care or symptom management.

Great to hear from our guest speaker, Alice Reeves. from The Joyful, a purpose-first based consultancy for future-focused businesses.

Always great to hear from Alex Ryan, of Marketing 101, with his regular spot delivering marketing hints and tips to make your business pop. Make sure to get there nice and early so you have plenty of time to meet other like-minded businesspeople in the room.

We look forward to seeing you next month on Friday 16th December at Hove County Cricket Ground, sponsored by World First supporting the Chailey Heritage Foundation.

Look out for more details soon on social media

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ bigbusinessbreakfastclub/803366/

The November Big Business Breakfast was sold out almost a week in advance, with 80 tickets purchased by business people from across Brighton and the South.

Networking & Events

I f y o u a r e l o o k i n g t o r a i s e b r a n d a w a r e n e s s , m e e t p o t e n t i a l n e w c u s t o m e r s a n d g e n e r a t e l e a d s i n S u s s e x , b o o k a s t a n d a t t h e e x h i b i t i o n t h a t b r i n g s t h e e n t i r e b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y t o g e t h e r i n o n e p l a c e t h e i c o n i c A m e x S t a d i u m . L e a r n m o r e : e m a i l m i k e @ b r i g h t o n a n d h o v e b u s i n e s s s h o w . u k

Electric cars and solar panelswhat you need to know

As more and more individuals and businesses get familiar with the benefits of electric cars, they may be keen to find the most environmentally friendly ways to power them.

The ideal option is solar electricity, produced by panels on the roof of their homes or business premises.

Rivervale says: “We already know that

swapping a diesel or petrol vehicle for an EV alternative removes local emissions and reduces CO2 emissions by 50%. Why not take it further and run your car with zero carbon impact?”

Sound tempting? While the use of solar panels to charge a car battery may prompt you to ponder the word ‘complicated’, once you are in the know, it is actually not.

Below, the team at Rivervale answer some of the most commonly asked

questions about electric car solar panels.

Can I charge an electric car with solar panels?

Yes! You can use solar panels to charge your car battery.

How does it work?

Solar panels generate electricity from UV lighting by absorbing packets of photons. Many think it only happens when the sun is shining, but solar

panels can be effective even in overcast conditions.

How does charging an electric car with solar panels work?

As part of the process, the solar panel inverter changes the current to AC (from DC) so that the energy harvested can be used domestically. This means that the energy can be used to power your home and charge your electric vehicle. But remember, solar panels can’t retain or store the energy they create. So, as an electric car owner, you may prefer to have a power-stored battery so that any surplus energy is stored for use at a later date.

How long does it take to charge an EV from solar panels?

Of course, there is no set amount of time your EV will take to charge, but it can range from 30 minutes to 12 hours. This depends on the size of the battery you are charging and the speed at which your charging point charges. However, if you have power stores installed, then you may find it quicker to charge. Of course, during the daytime, there is more sunlight available. But a home battery system

Are there any financial benefits when you charge an electric car with solar panels?

Even though electricity is one of the cheaper traditional fuels out there (when compared to gas, for example), installing an EV charger in your home is going to add considerably to your electricity bill. Therefore, many financial benefits come with installing solar panels in your home for charging your car.

You can also rent out your solar EV charger to other drivers and earn extra money too.

How many solar panels does it take to

run an electric car?

A standard solar panel installation for a domestic property that consists of eight to12 panels should provide enough electricity to charge an electric car with an average-sized battery. But this depends largely on the type of electric car you have and how many miles you drive, as electric range may not be that important. If you want to

charge your electric car with solar panels overnight, then solar battery storage is a must-have.

Can I get solar panels for the roof of my car?

Of course, it would seem a lot easier if you could drive your car around with solar panels on the roof. This would mean that you could charge your car as you go. But, sadly, this isn’t possible right now. As you would imagine, the surface area available on a car is not big enough to provide enough energy to run it.

However, as the technology behind solar panels and electric vehicles develops, we hope to see solar panels on cars to help top up batteries and act as a ‘portable power bank’. Here at Rivervale, we think the best time to go electric is now!

Interested in an Electric Car? Get in touch with Rivervale on 01273 433480 to discuss EV leasing. Alternatively, you can request a callback for a time that is convenient for you!

is essential if you will be charging your electric car at home overnight.

10 cheapest electric car leases

Leasing an electric vehicle is cheaper than you think - as Rivervale Leasing explains in this informative Top 10 guide.

Looking to go electric but worried how much it might cost?

There are plenty of affordable electric cars currently available. And with more rolling off production lines every few months, it’s never been easier to find your best value electric car.

Rivervale Leasing has put together a list of some of the cheapest EVs available to lease right now - from the ever-popular Renault Zoe to the stylish Mini Electric.

Here are ten of the cheapest electric cars to lease...

What is the cheapest electric car lease?

Renault Zoe

Range: up to 190 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in under 2 hours

Lease price: from £300.21 exc. VAT per month

Great for: Family-friendly, city driving

This popular, family-friendly supermini is a comfy and fun drive. Roomy on the inside and compact and stylish on the outside, this little plug-in packs a real punch, especially with its new R110 engine which provides better acceleration. With an updated 52 kWh battery and a refreshed design, it combines the best of both performance and practicality.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, you might want to check out the brand’s quirky Twizy. This eye-catching quadricycle is currently the cheapest electric car in the UK and sure to turn some heads on the road.

SEAT e-Mii

Range: approx. 135 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in an hour

Lease price: from TBA

Great for: Economy, city driving

Cut from the same cloth as the Skoda E CITiGO, the e-Mii is the electric version of the combustion-engined Mii. Along with its new electric motor, this city car boasts shiny new alloys, a redesigned dash, as well as some lux leather-trims, ambient lighting and smartphone connectivity. The effect is a model that feels slightly more elevated all round than its predecessor.

Vauxhall Corsa-E

Range: approx. 180 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in 30 minutes

Lease price: from £261.13 exc. VAT per month

Great for: Economy, first electric car

Nippy, economical and reliable, the Vauxhall’s plug-in version of its popular Corsa model offers a fantastic step into the world of battery-powered vehicles, as far as small electric cars go. With an ample everyday range of 180 miles, solid handling and a comfortable interior, it’s quickly becoming one of the UK favourite EVs. And, with a 100 kW DCrapid-charge capability, it’s easy to maintain.

Mini Electric

Range: up to 145 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in 35 minutes

Lease price: from £312.79 exc. VAT per month

Great for: Style, city driving

It’s the classic hatchback we all know

and love but this time greener. The Mini Electric has lost none of the recognisable style and sophistication the original Mini is known for. With a healthy powertrain (courtesy of the i3S) and strong grip, handling and performance, this is an agile city car that’s exciting to drive.

Honda E

Range: up to 137 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in 25 minutes

Lease price: from £406.89 exc. VAT per month

Great for: Affordability, first electric car

Surprisingly compact and efficient due to its rear-mounted motor, the Honda-E delivers on big car handling, albeit in a smaller, nifty package. Available in 134 bhp and 152 bhp, its great suspension and lots of innovative touches that make it a fine choice for getting a taste of the EV market.

Kia eNiro

Range: approx. 282 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in 45 minutes

Lease price: from £395.82 exc. VAT per month

Great for: Family-friendly, longer journeys

Now, this is a family car for the electric market. Advanced tech, comfortable driving and an impressive range mean this plug-in is quickly becoming a fast seller in the EV market. This all-electric car boasts front-wheel drive, regenerative braking, a spacious interior and advanced sound system among other attractive features.

VW ID.3

Range: approx. 185 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can

reach 80 per cent in 45 minutes

Lease price: from £303.44 exc. VAT per month

Great for: family-friendly, longer journeys

As the first release of an entirely new line-up of new battery electric vehicles, the ID.3 is promising high-performance and exceptional design packaged along with all the most cutting-edge tech. This five-door hatchback looks like it will be roughly the size of the Volkswagen e-Golf, so it’s sure to provide lots of space for those long, family car journeys.

Peugeot e-208

Range: approx. 185 miles

Charging speed: Rapid chargingreaching 80 per cent in 30 minutes

Lease price: from £266.89 exc. VAT per month

Great for: longer journeys, easy charging

With much of the style of its petrolpowered predecessor, the e-208 is still a Peugeot at heart, just with a few new upgrades. With 185 miles, it’s easy to make a whole journey on a full charge while smartphone connectivity adds a touch of practicality for scheduling and maintaining its charge.

BMW i3S

Range: up to 188 miles

Charging speed: Rapid chargingreaching 80 per cent in 35 minutes

Lease price: from TBA

Great for: Style, longer journeys, city driving

While BMW is known for its signature premium build and style, the i3s is surprisingly good value for money. As a pure electric vehicle, it offers an extended range of up to 188 miles and great charging potential. While refined, it’s’ also a rather easy-going drive with well weighted controls and a pleasant ambience.

Hyundai Kona Electric

Range: approx. up to 300 miles

Charging speed: Rapid charging - can reach 80 per cent in an hour

Lease price: from £316.39 exc. VAT per month

Great for: Economy, city driving

The Kona is already a firm favourite in the family hatchback market, so the electric version is a great choice for those after functional innovation and design. From smartphone connectivity to an impressive sound system and an eye-catching exterior, the quality of this plug-in is apparent throughout.

How leasing works

Now you know about some of the cheapest and best-value electric car models on the market, what about how electric car leasing works?

How does electric car leasing work?

Rivervale says: “Electric car leasing is a straightforward process. Once you’ve decided on your preferred car, you can request a quote via the website or give us a call on 01273 433 480, and we will provide you an official quote via our online system.

“Then, if you are happy with the quote, you can proceed to the next step by clicking ‘Apply’ on our online system and completing a short application form. We will then pass it on to the underwriting team to run a standard credit check, which takes between 2-5 hours before a response is received.

“Assuming all is okay, and the credit check has passed, you will be approved for your chosen lease. At this stage, we will provide you with an estimated delivery date for your vehicle, with the chosen colour, options, and specification. An order form will be available for you to review in our online system. If you are happy with the details, you can submit it back to us, authorising us to secure your chosen vehicle.

“Before delivery, you will receive official documentation for your new vehicle

by post. These documents need to be signed and returned to us before the vehicle can be delivered.

Following the signing of the documents, we will confirm a date and delivery address with you, and your brand-new vehicle will be delivered.”

If you have any questions throughout the process or after delivery of your vehicle, get in touch with Rivervale and a member of the team will be happy to assist.

Why switch to an electric car lease?

Electric car leases come with a range of benefits to both the environment and to your wallet. They are also equipped with the latest in safety and technology.

Is an electric car cheaper to run?

As they utilise electricity instead of fossil fuels, they are much cheaper per mile to run. That is also taking into consideration the price of energy increases. We go into depth and crunch some numbers on our blog about rising energy prices. Secondly, they have fewer moving parts. This leads to less wear and tear overall which makes them cheaper to maintain. Also, with a rapidly growing charging infrastructure, you are able to drive and graze with ease. Top up your range in the car park while you do your shopping – how convenient!

Like any of the models on this list? All of these are available to lease as part of our growing electric & hybrid leasing collection. From marketleading models like the Tesla Model S to fantastic deals on value-for-money models, there’s something for every driver at Rivervale.

Just call us on 01273 433480 or request a call back to find your EV with us today. For more information and EV reviews, visit https://www. rivervaleleasing.co.uk/blog

Removing trade barriers key to boosting export growth of UK businesses

Trade barriers are the biggest hurdles to overcome if businesses want to grow exports.

• 54 per cent of businesses say smoother customs procedures are the key to boosting UK exports

• 42 per cent favour lowering tariffs, while 35 per cent say there is a need to reduce regulatory barriers, and 29 per cent want better support for smaller businesses

• Overcoming the new requirements of the UK-EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA) has encouraged one-in-ten (nine per cent) UK exporters to Europe to trade with new non-EU markets

While barriers to trade affect most firms, overcoming recent EU challenges has led some to expand into new markets, a survey from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and DHL Express has highlighted.

The survey of almost 1,000 UK businesses, 92 per cent of them SMEs, shows almost half (48 per cent) said the top barriers to exporting were costs and disruption, alongside tariffs (48 per cent), and customs procedures (47 per cent). A further 41 per cent of businesses said regulatory issues such as product certification were a hindrance to trade, and 37 per cent cited political, social, economic or environmental uncertainty.

Only nine per cent of firms surveyed

Ana Christie, CEO of Sussex Chamber of Commerce, writes about challenges and how businesses surveyed believe they can overcome them.

Chamber News

said their business does not face any barriers to exporting.

The lack of engagement amongst businesses with Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) is another stumbling block preventing more international sales. Four out of five firms (79 per cent) had not carried out any assessment into what they may need from a trade deal with major international markets. This falls slightly to 69 per cent for UK exporters.

However, businesses want their trading journey to be straightforward and allow them access to new markets with ease and speed. More than half (54 per cent) of respondents said ‘smoother customs procedures’ would be a top priority for future trade deals between the UK and other countries, followed by ‘lowering tariffs’ (42 per cent) and ‘reducing

technical barriers’ (35 per cent).

When it comes to trading with the EU, almost two thirds (61 per cent) of UK exporters to the EU say they can meet the requirements of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), while 20 per cent say they can’t.

But overcoming the challenges presented by the TCA has offered growth opportunities in new markets for some businesses.

Of the exporters to the EU that agree they can satisfy the TCA requirements, nine per cent say they are now trading with new non-EU markets as a result of this, and a further nine per cent say they will now consider doing so in future. This highlights the opportunities that trade presents for businesses, especially those who show resilience in the face of challenges.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Our findings highlight the real priorities traders have for UK trade negotiations with partners across the world, and other trade policy developments. Faster customs processes, tariff reductions, removing technical barriers to trade, focused support for SMEs’ easier labour mobility, and mutual recognition of professional qualifications are the top six issues for the UK’s SME exporters.

“For traders exporting to the EU, speed, efficiency and reduced hassle are even more to the forefront of their minds. The BCC has a plan to cut red tape on UK-EU goods movements. We also have ambitions to boost UK exports across our key global markets through new Single Trade Window developments and trade negotiations. While there are challenges currently facing exporting businesses, there are also of course many opportunities. It’s crucial that in the coming years, SME exporters

working with trusted logistics partners feel the significant benefits of global trade as we hopefully see the removal of barriers and the opening up of new international markets.”

Ian Wilson, CEO, DHL Express UK said: “Businesses have been through enormous challenges over the last two years, but they have shown incredible resilience. During times of economic uncertainty, having a presence in a number of markets is an effective way to minimise risk, so we need to ensure that UK businesses are encouraged to keep looking for international trade opportunities. While international trade can be challenging, businesses don’t have to go it alone. We can see from the research that most businesses aren’t aware of what FTAs could mean for them. It’s in everyone’s interest for them to succeed overseas, so we want exporters to feel empowered to talk to Government, their trade bodies and businesses like ours about what support they need.”

Global Business Network

We’re so much more than a UK network. Did you know there’s a wider international community too? Well, British Chambers of Commerce represent our members in over 40 countries around the globe. We call this our Global Business Network (GBN).

Do you import or export goods and services? Would you like to start?

Every Accredited Chamber offers International Trade advice and services. Including customs declaration certification and documentation. So, if you import or export goods and services; or if you’d like to start – you’ll be needing Sussex Chamber. Contact us at export@ sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk or call the office on 01444 259259.

The science behind the four day week

Four day weeks, nineday fortnights, flexible working - topics which have regularly dominated the news in recent years. They have been hailed as the utopia of the modern workplace, but what’s the science behind them?

Over 60 local businesses made their way to Brighton Chamber’s event ‘The science behind the four day week’ on 26 October to find out.

Introduced by Kerry Watkins, Managing Director of Social for Good, and chaired by Dr Charlotte Rae, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sussex, the scene was set for a fascinating evening.

Dr Rae introduced business leaders to the initial findings of her trial to measure the biological and psychological benefits (spoiler - there are many!) of reduced working hours alongside business performance. The Sussex four day week is the only study specifically looking at the biological component.

Trial is the first of its kind

Six Brighton businesses, including Cloud9 Insight, Social Firefly, St John’s College and Brilliant Noise, undertook a series of assessments, from in-depth questionnaires to biological tests such as MRI scans and blood tests.

The trial lasted three months, with

employees receiving 100 per cent of their wage, working 80 per cent of their regular hours.

Dr Rae set out her findings, which included:

● Improvement in mood

● Reduction in burnout

● Increase in enthusiasm and motivation

● 10% increase in self-rated productivity

These benefits were immediate upon starting the trial and continued throughout.

In short, extra time for rest – sleep, hobbies, relaxing and time with families

– meant employees were happier and

Mel Berry, of Social Firefly, examines the facts following a trial in Sussex, supported by Brighton Chamber and led by the University of Sussex.

Chamber News

better rested, enabling them to maximise brain function on days they were working.

The highs and lows of taking part

‘Pilot

it first’

We heard from four businesses about why they got involved, the benefits, the challenges and if they think the four day week is the future.

Cloud9’s employees tested having Friday off once a fortnight, spending the other Friday on strategy and learning within the organisation, getting employees away from their day-to-day work and benefitting the development of the business.

CEO, Carlene Jackson stressed it looked good for recruitment but not necessarily for retention - clear career paths, paying well and great management were bigger contributors for keeping staff.

Their advice to anyone thinking about it - pilot the scheme before introducing anything concrete.

‘A greater respect for staff’

James Armstrong, Director of Social Firefly, highlighted that team wellbeing, while maintaining output, was at the forefront of his mind. An unexpected bonus was that people respected each other’s time more and there seemed to be greater focus.

Overall, he felt that taking part shows trust in colleagues, and that can only be a good thing, right?

‘Consider the costs’

Christina, Registered Care Manager from St John’s College, got involved in the pilot to improve recruitment and retention in an already squeezed sector - social care. She said it was particularly useful for those in emotionally demanding roles, who reported feeling happier and more

patient – meaning they were able to deliver a higher quality of care.

However, if they were to continue, fees would need to be increased to cover additional costs of having to take on staff to cover additional day. Despite this, she felt the benefits greatly outweighed the negatives.

‘A more human approach to work’

Antony Mayfield, the Founding Partner and CEO at Brilliant Noise, said he simply wanted to build a better place to work. The shorter week was useful in flushing out ineffective systems, creating a better talent offer, making team members more disciplined and focused. He felt a four day week was the more humane thing to doto allow time for people to be people.

The effect on business performance

Now onto the biggie - how was performance affected? Business performance metrics have shown productivity was maintained or improved, with five of the six companies intending to make the four day work week permanent - a pretty resounding success.

Is a four day week the future?

It is not, in itself, a silver bullet but,

accompanied with other benefits, it bolsters employers’ offerings, staff happiness, motivation and the businesses bottom line. And that’s the thing - it’s seen as a benefit. How long before it’s the social norm?

Inspired to take the plunge?

The Sussex team are continuing to enrol employers. If you’d like to try a four day week for your business, contact Dr Charlotte Rae: c.rae@sussex.ac.uk

This event was run by Brighton Chamber and the University of Sussex as part of the 20 years of the Economic and Social Research Council’s flagship of Festival of Social Science.

Brighton Chamber would like to thank Mel Berry for this article and Stuart Robinson, University of Sussex, for event photography.

https://www.brightonchamber.co.uk/ Twitter @brightonchamber

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin. com/company/brighton-and-hovechamber-of-commerce/

In 2022, Brighton Fringe showcased over 4,000 performances of 765 events at 124 venues in Brighton, Hove and beyond, with an estimated attendance of 370,000 people, and an economic impact of £14 million for the local economy.

There was something for everyone with a jam-packed programme of comedy, cabaret and theatre, plus circus and dance performances, and also workshops, tours and more. Venues varied from big top circus tents to candlelit churches and pop-up

performances in parks. The vast appeal of Brighton Fringe was demonstrated by its audience demographics.

Just over half of Brighton Fringe attendees fell in the 45-64 age range (51.1 per cent), with 14.8 per cent of audience members in the 64+ range and the remaining audience ranging from 0-44 years old (34.1 per cent). Around 60 per cent of the Brighton Fringe audience possess a BN postcode but the reach of the festival was felt both nationally and internationally with audiences travelling from the USA, Japan and even Australia.

Despite delivering a successful festival considering the economic landscape, Brighton Fringe still finds itself vulnerable. “As we have emerged from the pandemic, with the current economic uncertainty, in many ways we are all still in survival mode,” says Brighton Fringe CEO Julian Caddy. “The arts sector remains extremely vulnerable, so as a festival that provides an open-access platform for people of all backgrounds and perspectives to take part, we aim to keep costs as low as possible, whilst still improving services wherever we can, the only way to do this is through support from the wider community.”

England’s largest arts festival, Brighton Fringe, aims to remain affordable for artists and audiences during the cost-of-living crisis but it needs your help to do so.

Brighton Fringe needs your support

Brighton Fringe not only runs England’s largest arts festival but also offers a free year-round education programme, ‘Fringe Academy’, which promotes artistic development, and additionally provides artists with financial support to take part in Brighton Fringe through their bursary scheme.

Brighton Fringe is a registered charity that receives no regular public funding. Its finances are dependent on generous donations, box office commission, grant applications and partnerships with local and national businesses.

Previous partnerships have included sponsorships by major brands such as Citroën, Uber Eats, Hendricks Gin, Aperol Spritz and Alpro; travel industry giants Gatwick Airport and Govia Thameslink Railways; media partners such as The i Paper; utility company Southern Water, and financial services organisations such as Legal & General.

This year, several partnerships have already been announced. A partnership with local business Bird & Blend Tea Co. will see a number of bursaries given away, allowing those who may not otherwise be able to participate to host a Brighton Fringe event, alongside a generous donation through sales of a specially selected tea at all their stores across the country next spring. Uber Eats are also set to continue its

relationship with Brighton Fringe as the headline ticket sponsor, allowing them access to Brighton Fringe’s audience and providing a platform for them to compete for customers with other delivery services in the area.

There are many different ways for you or your business to get involved with Brighton Fringe and support the arts in the Sussex community and beyond. Brighton Fringe is currently seeking an overall festival sponsor, as well as sponsorship for its Fringe Academy programme, bursaries and awards and other assets.

The small development team at Brighton Fringe work hard to tailor each partnership to your business needs through a variety of channels and strategies, whatever your requirements.

‘Why the arts?’ you may ask. Whilst there are so many worthy causes in this current climate, those involved in Brighton Fringe believe there is still space at the table for the arts. The arts allow each one of us a form of escapism and encourage us to explore our emotions, expand our imaginations and develop our understanding of the world. Brighton Fringe works with community groups such as Gig Buddies for Good Mental Health, The Ledward Centre, BARCO and others to ensure access to the arts for all, no matter the economic landscape of the day.

This year, Brighton Fringe is also offering free registration to several young people via our partnership with Brighton Youth Centre, as well as working closely with the Pebble Trust which nurtures young creatives in their endeavours.

To do all this, alongside delivering England’s largest arts festival requires support from the local community. If your business would be interested in getting involved with Brighton Fringe through a partnership, please get in touch.

The first release of tickets for Brighton Fringe 2023 will go on sale on Thursday 1 December for Friends of Brighton Fringe, and Friday 2 December for the general public. Brighton Fringe 2023 will run from 5 May - 4 June.

To support Brighton Fringe, contact Amy Keogh, Head of Development and Operations, at amy.keogh@ brightonfringe.org www.brightonfringe.org

County Business Clubs’ Wine of the Month November 2022

Moving into winter and planning for Christmas

Harvest seems a long time ago and, as we move towards Christmas, I start to think about what wines to stock up for the festive period.

After a tough year, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with friends and family. For me, winter brings out the darker spirits, perfect sharing in a flask by a bonfire or by an open fire at the end of the night. In addition, I look forward to sharing some fine bubbles over the Christmas period as easy drinking aperitifs or to go with fine foods. It’s great to treat yourself every once in a while with a bottle of bubbles - not just to mark an occasion.

December’s Wine of the Month comes from a relative newcomer to Sussex Wines based in Streat near Ditchling in Sussex called Artelium, whom you may not have heard of - although the head winemaker, Dermot Sugrue, is recognised as one of the UK’s finest winemakers, crafting some of the finest sparkling wines. Artelium founders Mark Collins and Julie Bretland have combined their wines with a passion for art and so there host a number of events at Artelium Wine

Estate which is based at Malthouse Farm, Streat Lane, Streat, Sussex, BN6 8SA.

Artelium vineyard at Streat near Ditchling, Sussex

What I like about this producer is the fact that they have not released their wines to early due to commercial pressures but have aged their wines for five years on the lees which adds complexity and character to English bubbles. You get a real toastiness or bakery flavour coming from the time spend in the cellar maturing before the bottle has its metal cap replaced with a cork one ready for sale and serving.

One excellent example of this is the new rose, which is our wine of the month.

Makers

Rosé from Artelium from 2015

Artelium 2015 Rose is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier; hand-picked from a single vineyard and skilfully made by celebrated winemaker Dermot Sugrue. This traditional method wine has been aged on the lees for over 48 months. It has an Intense strawberry colour, is bold

yet nuanced with a rich depth of red fruit flavours

Tasting notes

An aromatic, exciting nose with bold, lifted red berry fruits alongside savoury spice and baked brioche. Tart baked rhubarb and crunchy, juicy cranberry on the palate. A lovely approachable style, offering excellent maturity and depth of flavour. Great concentration with fresh acid and lovely lees texture. A rich, complex rosé. Long, clean finish.

Serving suggestions

A perfect example of a gastronomic rosé! Yes, it’s delicious on it’s own, but pour it alongside delicious cured hams, asparagus draped in lardo, or roast duck leg and it’ll sing. Epic with mature, hard cheeses like Lincolnshire Poacher. Roast Turbot with brown butter and capers wouldn’t go amiss.

Winemaker - Dermot Sugrue

Grape variety 50% Pinot Noir 30% Chardonnay 20% Meunier

Vineyard characteristics - Soil Chalk Maturity - Lees aging of 5 years

Disgorgement - August 2020 & June 2021

ABV 12%

Suitable for vegans

Explanation of the 2015 vintage conditions

Typical. Summer was cool too! Slow ripening, with acidity remaining very high and sugars low through August in to September, but from mid-Sept on the temperatures soared – an Indian Summer was upon us and lasted well in to October. The grapes ripened brilliantly, balance was found and we harvested exceptional quality fruit. A tense year – both in the waiting for ripening, and the resulting wines.

Recent awards for Artelium at GB Wine Awards 2022

A number of their wines received medals at the awards, the Artelium Blanc De Blancs 2015 that stood out at the star of the show winning the Trophy for the ‘Best Blanc de Blancs’ and going on to win the Best Sparkling. The entire team were over the moon to be awarded Best Newcomer, but probably a bit overwhelmed and very honoured when we were awarded “Supreme Champions”.

Artelium wines are available direct from the vineyard or at selected outlets in Sussex, alternatively you can purchase online at https://www.artelium.com/ english-wine-shop

New 2020 vintage Sussex Brandies and Grape Spirits from Spirit of the Downs Award-winning Spirit of the Downs has launched new spirits from the 2020 vintage.

Sussex Brandy aged with English Oak vintage 2020 - This brandy benefits with 11 months of aging on the Chardonnay grape and traditional aging in casks made by the UK’s last Master Cooper Alistair Simms based in Yorkshire. The grapes create a young, fruit led English brandy with subtle floral notes of elderflower and honeysuckle, together with butterscotch and oak. The brandy is well balanced and has a lovely sweetness and sits in style between a calvados and an Armagnac.

Sussex Brandy with French Oak vintage 2020 - This brandy benefits with 11 months of aging on the Chardonnay grape and aging with French oak to provide a “VS” style Sussex brandy. The grapes help create a more intense English brandy with plenty of fruit with flavours of sweet caramel, Crème Brule, Raisins, Butterscotch and balanced Oak and Vanilla with Smokiness and long finish.

The previous vintage was a winner of Great Taste 1 star 2021 and IWSC Bronze 2021. Judges’ comments on the 2019 vintage were: “A refined and elegant spirit with a rich lim4rousin oak spiciness. Remarkably smooth with a

very slight toast/smoke character and sweet biscuity note making this a very accessible and easy drinking brandy with a refined medium dry fruit flavour. A very elegant brandy, with bright notes dancing across the tongue. Marzipan and toasted sugar notes come through well. Lacking a touch in depth, which may develop from more time in the barrel, but still absolutely delicious.”

Spirit of the Downs is available from Steyning, Shoreham and Arundel

Farmers’ Markets every month, local vintners, breweries and selected cocktail bars as well as a plans for a pop-up shop at Shoreham Airport terminal for the two weeks before Christmas from 12nonn till 6pm Wednesday to Saturday.

Plans for new Spirit of the Downs distillery Spirit of the Downs also plans to open its new distillery in Shoreham ready for summer. Further updates to follow in the coming months.

Michael Yeoman, Founder

Brighton and Hove Wine Club and Spirit of the Downs – Great Taste Producer, Winner of Great Taste 3 Star Award and IWSC Bronze

www.spiritofthedowns.co.uk

Spirit of the Downs

Award Winning Handmade Local Brandies and Grape Spirits

Spirit of the Downs uses grapes grown by small batch English sparkling wine producers, the South Downs National Park in Sussex. These premium spirits are created using traditional production methods with a combination of both indigenous wild and champagne yeasts aged for a minimu m of a year. Spirit of the Downs is a sustainable product using pressed grapes from small batch English sparkling wine production, the used pomace from Spirit of the Downs is used to fertilise the apple orchard at Trenchmore Farm enhancing the soils biome creating better quality fruit .

Our Brandies and fruity Grape Spirits are the perfect gift for Christmas . Enjoy our brandies on their own with Christmas Pudding or as an after dinner digestive by the fire for Christmas!

Sussex Brandy aged in French Oak Great Taste Judges tasting notes for 2019 vintage ;

" Floral and perfumed: revealing honeysuckle, orchard fruit, vanilla cream and a touch of black pepper. " Producers tasting notes; This is a lovely brandy with great balance between fruit and oak aging in a VS Cognac

Sussex Pinot Grape Spirit is a fruity spirit with taste of Maraschino Cherries and dark berries, ideal on its own, with ice or a light tonic. J udges comments on last years 2019 vintage; “This is rather exceptional there's a beautiful creaminess to this Eau de vie. It carries its alcohol so lightly, it's positively dangerous. Buy Spirit of the Downs at

or Christmas markets, your local vintners, brewery or cocktail bar alternatively order online from www.spiritofthedowns.co.uk

or Arundel

Steyning, Shoreham

Farmers