Sussex Business Times December 2013

SBT

ISSUE 373 FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

WOMEN ON BOARDS

The UK still has a long way to go to meet EU equality targets

PAGE 34

PLUS

FINANCE: BUDGETING & TOP TIPS ON SAVING TIME

PAGE 15

DEFINE DEVELOP DELIVER

CELIA SAWYER OFFICIALLY INSPIRATIONAL! PAGE 44

DRAKES RESTAURANT, BRIGHTON REVIEW PAGE 41

POP-UP BOOKS HOTTEST TRENDS IN BUSINESS

PAGE 48

Cover story: jag press & publicity on communication you can’t afford to ignore PAGE12

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Space Air has a dedicated R-22 replacement advisory team

Replace or repair?

Space Air, independent distributors for Daikin Europe since 1980, can provide the solution to your R-22 phase-out programme Supplying the full range of Daikin air conditioning and heat pump technology, we can select from over 650 models, from a 1kW split system to a 2MW chiller including direct replacement equipment where existing R-22 pipe work can be retained. We also hold over 5,000 genuine Daikin parts.

If you already have Daikin air conditioning, chances are Space Air were involved in the original system and would retain all the project information including on-site controls and accessories, and any templates from your project.

Tel: 01483 504 883 Email: R22@spaceair.co.uk Web: www.spaceair.co.uk ď ° Scan here for more information about the HCFC R22 Replacement legislation. Š 2013 Space Airconditioning plc. All rights reserved. 101470-09.13

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SBT Welcome MEET THE TEAM

Lee Mansfield, Managing Director/ Publisher

Laura Knight, Editorial

Graham Carn, Financial Editor

Tim Cobb, Contributing Feature Writer

Lottie Dowdeswell, Commercial Business Manager

“After a false start we are still a long way from achieving equal representation of the sexes in the boardrooms”

Welcome to a Women in Business special issue of Sussex Business Times.

There was some debate over a special issue focusing on the achievements and issues facing women in our business community was appropriate. After all, we aim for equality, and it could be argued that making any such distinction on the basis of gender could be counterintuitive. However, whilst complete parity of the sexes is the goal for UK businesses, it’s not where we are yet. As you will read in our summary of the latest Cranfield report on Women in Boardrooms, after a false start we are still a long way from achieving equal representation of the sexes in the boardrooms of high profile, high turnover businesses. Despite some promising leaps, we are still behind on meeting equality targets which have been put in place by the EU. So it’s clear that further direct recognition of is women in business is needed and if you’re unclear on what it sometimes called ‘positive discrimination’ in this instance, it’s outlined there for you, from page 34.

Female-led businesses are our focus this issue, and there is certainly no shortage of inspiring entrepreneurship in Sussex. From service accreditation to quirky book-tiques, it’s great to see local businesspeople identifying key trends and kickstarting businesses that fill a need in the region.

As usual, we balance the ‘who’ and ‘what’ with plenty of how, and advice which specifically pertains to women in business takes precedent this issue, though that’s not to say the advice in question is not relevant to everyone. Casual and constructive discrimination is something that workplaces of all sizes need to be watching for all the time. For parents of any gender who are not breaking from and returning to a long term place of work but who are thinking of (or in the process of) starting their own business to work around their family life, achieving a balance can be hard. We spoke to Antonia Chitty, industry expert and author of several books on the subject for her expertise on reducing stress whilst optimising opportunities if beginning a family is the catalyst to your entrepreneurship.

As always, we’ve also got our usual mix of motoring, shopping, restaurant selections, news, comments and opinion, in addition to a few special events and extras. Keep an eye on the Sussex Business Times group on LinkedIn (and of course, feel free to join if you’re not yet a member) for details of all the exciting networking opportunities coming up as we roll into the festive season, and keep warm!

Laura Knight

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Contents SBT Issue 373

SBT

ISSUE 373 FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

WOMEN IN BOARDROOMS The UK still has a long way to go to meet EU equality targets

PAGE 34

PLUS

FINANCE: BUDGETING & TOP TIPS ON SAVING TIME

PAGE 15

DEFINE DEVELOP DELIVER

CELIA SAWYER OFFICIALLY INSPIRATIONAL! PAGE 44

DRAKES RESTAURANT, BRIGHTON REVIEW PAGE 41

POP-UP BOOKS HOTTEST TRENDS IN BUSINESS

PAGE 48

Cover story: jag press & publicity on communication you can’t afford to ignore PAGE12

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Ann Grain jag press & publicity www.jagpresspublicity.co.uk

Sussex Business Times Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk Commercial Director: Simon Skinner simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk Operations Director: Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk Commercial Business Manager: Lottie Dowdeswell lottie@sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk Financial Editor Graham Carn Editorial Laura Knight laura@lifemediagroup.co.uk Design: Harriet Weston harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk Media Director Linda Grace linda@lifemediagroup.co.uk Accounts: Amelia Wellings amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk Subscriptions subs@lifemediagroup.co.uk Published by LMG SE LTD Park View House 19 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3YD 01323 411 601 Printed by Gemini Press, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6NZ All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of Life Media Group LTD. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright Life Media Group LTD 2013 ©

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Welcome

Roll up roll up for another great issue of SBT – your essential guide to business brilliance in Sussex

Spending It! A few of our favourite feminine touches for this special issue

Company Profile jag PR: The importance of marketing, done properly

Finance SBT’s Finance Editor Graeme Carn looks at managing budgets and savings

Special Feature: Logorama SBT speaks to the man behind the Academy Awardwinning animated short Logorama, Ludovic Houplain

Flexible Working One woman takes on one of the most complex issues facing women in business today

Women in Boardrooms The latest Women in Boardrooms report shows the UK still has a long way to go to meet EU equality targets

Working Lunch SBT spends a rainy Brighton lunchtime at Drakes. See what we thought!

Interview Celia Sawyer - Officially Inspirational!

Pop Up Books One enterprise, two of the hottest trends in business today.

Indie publishing and selling come together in the south

SBT Ask the Experts Your questions answered by those in the know locally

Made In Susex Kallikids - A Sussex entrepreneur sets out to provide peace of mind when you need it most

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Unt

6 & 7, Orchard Industrial Estate Christen Way, Maidstone Kent, ME15 9YE refurb@rapinteriors.com

0333 600 1234

www.rapinteriors.com

Moore House - Brighton

Commercial Services - Kent

“Our office move was a very important occasion in the Company’s history and RAP have created an amazing space with a vibrant, fresh atmosphere. The change internally has been emphatic already!!”

“We have been very impressed with the attention to detail from the team at RAP. You all have exceeded our expectations as a contractor and added value to the project before its even began.”

Alex Sinclair - Director Globetec

Facilities - Commercial Services

Whilst the workplace should reflect the brand of the company, it is imperative that it provides an environment where employees want to come and work, and be highly productive, and stay healthy.

RAP Interiors understands your business and undertaking creative space planning, we make the workplace environment better, increase productivity and maximise your businesses results.

Generating inspiration through workspace design positively influences the performance of the people.

For 25 years we have strived for perfection in all aspects of our project management and we continue to deliver on time.

Contact us to discuss your Commercial refurbishment and we will be delighted to offer advice, our experience and cost saving ideas which will ensure your budget is maximised.

www.officedesignbrighton.comwww.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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Fresh Cleaning Services are a Sussex based family owned commercial and domestic Fresh Cleaning a ourselves Sussex based family ow cleaning company. Fresh Cleaning has been established for 10 Services years. We are pride on the personal touch to each individual client.

Our staffcleaning are fully trained, achieve highCleaning has been domestic company.

Fresh standards which we except and maintain for our clients.

ourselves on the personal touch to each individual clien

high standards which we except and maintain for o

WHAT WE OFFER:

Office cleaning

• Office Cleaning Stripping andresealing resealing floors • Stripping and • Carpet floorsCleaning Carpet cleaning • Consumables provided • FreeConsumables estimates and advice provided • Drive ways, patios and flag stone jet washed Free estimates and advice • Washroom services Drive ways, patios and • Fully insured

flag stone jet washed • Competitive rates Washroom services • Testimonies available Fully Insured • Initial ‘spring clean’ to all new contracts Competitive rates • Visits from management to client sites Testimonies available • Monthly audits/reports from long established

sed family owned commercial and ng has been established for 10 years. We pride dividual client. Our staff are fully trained, achieve

aintain for our clients.

Initial ‘spring clean’ to all new contracts

For more information contact us:

Visits from management

Fresh Services LTD to Cleaning client sites ParkMonthly View House audits/reports 19 The Avenue Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 4YD

Fresh Cleaning Servi

Park View Hous

19 The Avenue Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 4YD

01323 411601

Hydro Hotel Eastbourne

Mount Road Eastbourne BN20 7 Email: sales.office@hydrohotel.com

d.stephens@fresh-clean.co.uk or 07976 568241 d.sinden@fresh-clean.co.uk or 07964338026 www.fresh-clean.co.uk

The Hydro is the perfect choice for all occasions and has a num

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Gadgets and Accessories

The Feminine Touch

Business doesn’t need to mean bland. Combine style and practicality with these seasonal picks.

DRESS Incredibly flattering, wool blend dress by Poem in a tailored design with exposed gold zip. The black colour blocks at the sides are super slimming and the length is not too short and not too long, just right. Poem, £65. www.oliverbonas.com

d GLOVES Standout this winter in this leopard print bow detail glove. Features leather material with a leopard print pony bow trim. Team with a woollen coat and a beret. Dune, £35 www.dunelondon.com

WATCH The exotic meets classic in this DKNY Park Avenue ladies’ watch.

It features a red python print leather strap on a sleek gold-plated case.

A minimalistic gold-coloured dial with simple indexes is all that’s needed to complete this fabulous timepiece. DKNY, £69. www.watchwarehouse.co.uk

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SAMSUNG NOTE III From extraordinary creativity to everyday tasks, you can do it all smoothly and easily with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

New S Pen features help you stay organised and access everything you need with no hassle. With the Galaxy Note 3, you can design your life in perfect detail. www.samsung.com

PORTABLE CHARGER A fusion between fashion and technology, the Mighty Purse is an essential handbag accessory for the modern day woman. The Mighty Purse features a hidden lightweight built-in battery that can recharge most smartphones, ensuring that you will never be left powerless again. £84.99. www.mighty-purse.com

LAPTOP COVER

SCARF A lightweight soft scarf with subtle graduated ditsy floral print throughout. Complete with raw edges for a soft finish, make the pattern pop and team with a neutral ensemble. John Lewis, £30 www.johnlewis.com

Handmade in Spain, this Rigid briefcase from Lacambra is made in cowhide leather, it holds a 13” laptop, plus documents, etc. The breifcase has a double direction zipper closure, exterior pocket and Interior slide pockets with compartments for business cards and documents.

Lacambra, £242.25. www.mylacambra.com

BLAZER Selected Femme’s single breasted Collarless Blue Linen Blend Blazer is a lightweight essential - team with a white t-shirt and skinny jeans for casual smart daywear. Selected Femme, £120 www.thestylestandard.co.uk

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Gadgets and Accessories

LUNCH POT The Lunch Pot has two pots that have an ingenious watertight locking seal. It allows you to separate your yoghurt and granola, or noodles and fruit salad and is the perfect vessel for carrying your breakfast or lunch to work. Black+Blum, £16.95. www.black-blum.com

HANDBAG DRESS

Go to work with this stylish oversized handbag from Paul’s Boutique. It has a Navy and dusty pink striped centre panel with neon coral and dusty pink detailing to trims. It also comes with a customised Paul’s Boutique charm.

This bag is perfect for all your essentials, including laptops.

Pauls Botique, £70. www.pauls-boutique.com

The super versatile Swift Long-Sleeve Black Dress

by Libby London is an absolute essential for any girl’s wardrobe.

With full-length sleeves gathered into a slim, buttoned cuff, a wearable V-neckline and soft A-line shaped skirt, the Swift Dress fits and flatters in all the right places! Libby London, £158. www.thestylestandard.co.uk

COURT SHOES Feminine and fierce, these luxurious heels are guaranteed to steal the spotlight. Crafted with a punchy printed textile, mirror metallic heel tip and signature gold sole.

Ted Baker, £110. www.john-lewis.com www.tedbaker.com

IPAD CASE Bespoke leather iPad case handcrafted in yellow grain leather. Each iPad case is hand-made and unique.

Made in Great Britain in a small independent leather tannery with the finest materials using traditional methods and local craftsmen.

Annabel James, £45.00. www.annabeljames.co.uk

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Define.

Develop.

Deliver.

SBT speaks to jag press & publicity on communication you can’t afford to ignore

“Every contact leaves a trace,” begins jag’s mission statement, Profile encouraging businesses to think carefully about how they communicate before embarking on any project.

Every business communicates with different people everyday, be it staff, clients, suppliers, media, the public, associations, partners etc. Knowing the best way to ‘reach’ them – and what to say to them when you do - is vital.

Each and every decision you make will have some effect on how the business is perceived by your stakeholders, and having a good communications strategy in place can help manage your audiences’ perception of you. Yet so many businesses view PR as a luxury… an expendable that would be nice, but that they can probably do without,

particularly when budgets may be tight. jag PR has made it their mission to educate businesses throughout Sussex and beyond that taking communications into account can help to manage the perception of your organisation and ensure your audiences are kept informed strategically and consistently.

As such, many businesses find it is an essential step in the process of attracting customers and keeping them happy: an important investment with measurable return.

“Effective PR helps you to shape your brand, build your identity and communicate that identity in everything you say and do as an organisation ... to all your audiences,” explains jag’s owner, Ann Grain, MCIPR. “The right communication strategy will help your organisation to keep messages consistent and therefore help your audiences to understand who you are and what you do ... and then they

will hopefully like you and buy from you! PR needs to be seen as a long term investment ... it will play a part in increasing your bottom line.” jag PR is a dynamic, results driven communication consultancy passionate about creating communication solutions - traditional and online - that deliver real business value.

“In only a couple of years we have not only built up a client base in Sussex, London and the South East but we are now attracting companies up and down the country. Our clients tell us it’s because we provide a PR service that suits their needs,” said Ann. “We work across a varied number of sectors but have a special interest in communication issues affecting the health and wellbeing sectors, with particular reference to the NHS, mental health, nutrition, lifestyle, complimentary therapies and social care issues.” With these focuses in mind, jag PR split into

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Business Profile

three distinct divisions: • Health, mental health, social care and wellbeing; • Campaigns/issues management • General PR: in other industries and charity sectors.

Under these distinct headings, jag PR offers a number of bespoke services that are suited to today’s proactive business.

In this article Ann Grain sets out the first steps you need to take to ensure you get the best PR available.

What is PR and how will it benefit my organisation The text books define PR as: “The determined, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its audience”.

A company’s reputation is its most valuable asset, therefore whether you are a big or small organisation, local or international, private or public, you will benefit from good public relations.

Range of services available The services available from a PR company may vary but will always include one or more of the following: • Media/press relations • Marketing (of products, services and issues) • Copywriting • Website activity, social media • Media training • Event and conference organising • Strategic planning • Sponsorship • Campaign planning and implementation A good place to start in PR is with press activity. It can help you get more bangs for your pounds… and get you noticed!

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So how do you choose a PR company?

The size of your project, your budget and the length of the project will all play a part in deciding whether you appoint an independent or freelance consultant, a small consultancy or a larger consultancy.

The basic rule of all media work, publicity and marketing is to know what you want to say and who you want to say it to. Unless you know these two things you will end up wasting time and money and possibly confusing people.

A good consultant will help you establish the ‘5 W’s and the H’: who, what, where, when, why and how.

But remember: better press relations and publicity will only be as successful as your product deserves. If you haven’t done the right market research, or if the quality is poor, or if you are constantly letting down your employees or customers, then the best media coverage and publicity in the world will not help much.

What do you need to do to get the most out of your PR consultant?

• Be clear about what you want them to do and by when. Be clear on your objectives and deadlines, and

“Better press relations and publicity will only be as successful as your product deserves” communicate them succinctly.

• Establish that they can hit the ground running; are able to understand the sector’s and your issues quickly and intelligently; can show you how they performed with other companies etc.

• Do you want them to be based in your office or from their own? With email and internet access, operating from an outside office is as efficient as having someone in the office.

• Who will they work with and what resources will you give them?

Sometimes consultants will need to be part of a team and other times they can operate on their own. Make sure your team knows what the consultant’s role is so there is no confusion.

• Be clear on your expectations and set this out at the outset.

• And remember – the job of a good PR consultant is not just to spread favourable news, but to create understanding in good times and bad.

Things the consultant will need from you at the outset to establish what he or she can do for you Every PR practitioner will have his or her own information needs. The objectives, your issues, challenges, the expected solution and the available investment should be enough to enable prospective consultants to identify their capabilities for helping you.

A consultant will also need to see a copy of your business plan – a good PR strategy should support the company’s overall strategy and goals.

However, you may also be asked for a whole raft of information so it’s worthwhile taking a moment to collate information on the following: 1. Your organisation, your mission and goals and structure 2. Existing communication – publicity material; old press releases; website; social media etc 3.The market such as future potential

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Business Profile

markets and your competitors 4. Audiences: who are the opinion formers, commentators etc?

5. Resources such as company spokespeople and technical expertise; data; research Getting the best from your relationship • Trust your consultant. Don’t keep secrets that will hinder the relationship or the quality of their advice. And remember: PR/press work done by committee leads to leaden prose and delay.

• Involve them at an early stage in any activities that will require their support – last minute briefing usually means lost opportunities!

• Ensure your top management is aware of the PR goals and are committed to their achievement. The consultant should have full access to people and information.

• Plan and manage all PR activities carefully, but be prepared to act quickly when the consultant advises you it is necessary. News does not wait!

• Give them a clear understanding of the limits to their brief.

• Conduct regular reviews of progress and achievements.

• Agree what constitutes success and measure the results against the benchmark agreed.

And finally …Remember, just because you read the papers, listen to the radio and watch TV it does not mean you are a PR/media specialist. Driving a car does not make us all mechanics!

Managing your message is an expert activity – it always pays to get affordable PR/media advice.

www.jagpresspublicity.co.uk Contact: Ann Grain, Lucy Jones Mob: 07861 376 844 Tel: 01403 793836 ann@jagpresspublicity.co.uk info@jagpresspublicity.co.uk Join the conversation on: Facebook.com/jagpresspr Twitter: @jagpr Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ anngrain and watch the jag PR video here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7KFGxH-qnSU

Five Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line Through PR Joined-up Communication The messages you send out about your organisation will be stronger if they are all ‘saying’ the same thing ... both internally and externally. And remember: it is about content, tone and delivery.

Things you can do to improve messaging: • Draw up a list of key messages about your business and ensure they run through all aspects of your inward/outward communication, including: websites, leaflets, letters, social media, emails.

• Ensure your staff know what your key messages are and use them!

Perhaps they even helped you draw them up.

• Communicate news with staff, as well as to outside stakeholders, to ensure they hear the story... and they hear it first!

Media Coverage This is one of the most useful ways to communicate with all audiences at the same time ... and create a profile • You can reach your staff, customers, future customers, stakeholders, suppliers; opinion formers etc ... all in one go!

• Media works best if it consistent – just like your messages.

• Make a plan – schedule in what you want to say and when.

Different stories will work well at different times of the year.

• News doesn’t always have to come from your business, product or service. It can also be about your staff, your strategic alliances or your charity work for example.

• Integrate whatever you say with social media.

Social Media Social media is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for organisations to engage directly with different audiences.

• Twitter, Facebook and Linked In are free but managing them takes time.

• These services don’t work on their own – they must be integrated and work to support the rest of your communication strategy.

• Once these services are set up they must be used regularly to maintain interest.

• Keep it relevant to your business ... if you are creative and exciting you are likely to get a large following.

Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances with key opinion leaders or other organisations can help to shape how others perceive your business. These relationships can help add credibility to your business or show a more human side.

• Charity support – supporting a charity can help to show the human side to your business and that your organisation cares.

• Using an expert can help to give a product or service 3rd party credibility, for example using a nutritionist to comment on the ingredients in a health supplement.

• Using a high profile celebrity can help to raise the profile of your organisation and give a clear message about who you are and who you are trying to attract.

• Working with other complimentary businesses who are also trying to achieve similar goals to you can also help to reinforce your messages.

Lobbying Some organisations build their identity by calling on decision makers to bring about changes that will benefit their members or customers.

• Calling on members of Parliament or local councils to raise questions or issues.

• Using the media to further highlight the problems faced.

• Using petitions to force issues.

www.jagpresspublicity.co.uk

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SBT S SBT SBT ISSUE 371 FREE

ISSUE 370 FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

PLUS

No.1

ISSUE 369 FREE

for busin in Suss ess ex

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

THE BATTLE FOR BETTER BROADBAND PAGE 17

NEW BANKS ON THE BLOCK

PLUS

PAGE 22

FINANCE ROUND-UP

SBT ROUND TABLE

THE HOFFMANN AND RATHBONE WINERY

REVIEW OF THE RANGE ROVER EVOQUE AND JAGUAR XFR

PAGE 17

PAGE 30

PAGE 26

REVIEW OF THE MERCEDES A CLASS & KIA SORENTO

PAGE 38

PAGE 38

THE ERGONOMIC ACADEMY

Make a Splash

Local hero company Posturite provides ergonomic solutions for the workplace

Morgan Sindall has successfully delivered an iconic leisure centre on the south coast for Worthing

PAGE 12

THE SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS

PAGE 54

SITTING COMFORTABLY?

The twenty fifth Sussex Business Awards 2013 are now open for business

First Sussex, now the world for Posturite

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Finance

BUDGETING Keep Your Business’s Budget on Track

Whether a new business start-up, Finance or an established enterprise it is very Insight often the case that unfortunately there never seems to be too much surplus cash around.

Therefore a business has to keep a very close eye on its cash by being on top of its costs and overheads – thus maintaining the cash it does have and generating new. If you are thinking of starting, or already operating, a business and your capital is limited and a potential issue here are five tried-andtested methods for growing it.

1. Create your cash up front Firstly, if it is at all possible, try to create a business model that enables you to earn your cash up front. Cash is always king and the lifeblood of any business so any way you can think of to increase your cash will serve you well. A subscriptionbased company is an ideal example, as too is a marketplace business where the consumer buys a product and pays you, before you order it from the third party, negotiate extended payment terms and make your margin. This gives you a real cash buffer.

2. Keep right on top of your debtors A successful business will be rigorous

about collecting money from its customers on time. This is not just vital for cash generation but also in order to keep potential bad debt to an absolute minimum, as bad debt poses a significant threat to any business. Apart from dealing with invoice collection yourself, directly with the customer, consider hard who else chases your debts. You need to have someone with authority and a persevering nature, not for example a trainee work experience junior. I did hear of one business owner who creatively involved his grandmother into chasing invoices. It proved much harder for accounts departments and FD’s to turn down a sweet old lady! I

am clearly not saying everyone should employ the same tactic, but hopefully you see the serious point?!

3. Don’t buy anything you don’t need to!

Many businesses make the mistake of thinking that to be considered credible they have to give the right impression.

Well, that is true to a large extent but it is not necessary to have a fashionable address and lots of expensive furniture and art work. Don’t necessarily operate from a garden shed and serve coffee in cracked cups but actually too plush an image may be counterproductive in potential clients thinking that your

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“Concentrate your cash generation on where it can create more cash – more stock that can turnover quickly.

Watch the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves is still a true adage”

profit margins are too high and seeking your service of wares elsewhere. Really consider what value any expenditure adds to your business in terms of achieving new orders otherwise expenditure can be a complete waste of money. As a start-up behave like one – there are plenty of opportunities to buy good quality second hand items at auctions or on Ebay. Keep your eyes and ears open. In the early days of a business, you don’t want to be throwing money around on fancy chairs or desks for example when it would be better directed towards more product upon which you can make more profit!

4. If you are taking on staff prioritise on those that will make you money What do you want to see your business do? Presumably selling more widgets or services is likely to be at the top of the list. Therefore the priority for staffing should first be on sales and income generation, not those that develop or have limited value to the bottom line.

Once you have sold sufficient of your product or service, you can then afford to build and develop it further. It is also important that you get the timing of recruitment right. Make sure you take on the right people at the right time. In the early stages, don’t look for people that your business will need in three to four years’ time, or anticipate success.

Think of those who you will need in the next six months. You want versatile and enthusiastic people who can wear multiple hats, not overly experienced higher cost individuals that are likely to be less flexible and can only help the business when its reached a certain size. Individuals that have worked in small business in the past, and it may sound odd, but even those that may have tried themselves at business and failed will make good employees as they understand what it’s like to work in a young business. People who may have got too comfortable working for a big corporate do not. As your greatest overhead as a business is likely to be salaries, use that money wisely.

5. Have tight budgets Be realistic about your earnings. As a small business the most important thing is that your business works. Take the least money you can out of it, as it grows you can take more but too much too soon will risk starving it of the cash it needs to survive and grow.

Concentrate your cash generation on where it can create more cash – more stock that can turnover quickly. Watch the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves is still a true adage. I have been around the block in dealings with businessmen and trust me the sharp suits and flash cars are not the

things that impress me. All too often I have seen new company directors acquiring all the trappings when that does not help the business. I am impressed by business people, with drive, enthusiasm, resourcefulness and creativity - not image related chattels which send a completely different message out to me, and raises potential concerns about the business delivering on its side of any contract or agreement.

As we emerge from a difficult trading time for many businesses and the illusive recovery that we have been hoping for appears to be gaining momentum, it would be a mistake to loosen the purse strings on a business’s budget. Good housekeeping is essential and at the heart of all successful enterprises.

Graham Carn, Financial Editor SBT. [Graham Carn is also Managing Director of Blackstones Consulting Limited – blackstones@btinternet.com]

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Tops Tips:

Saving Time

With so much to do in your business how can you save time? Here are six top tips that may help

1.

First off – time Finance management itself!

Insight If you have what appear to be 101 different things to do make a list of them – do not try to remember them in your head. Apart from giving you a headache inevitably something will be forgotten.

Make a list of things that you need to do and then simply place in an order of priority.

With the most important tasks keep in mind the time of the day when you want to do them – avoid busy phone times possibly or when your mind is fresh and you can be the most effective.

Time management is another word for ‘organisation’, a good business person needs to have order within what he or she does. It’s great to be a good salesperson or a creative genius but unless the basic running of a business can be achieved selling lots of ‘goods’ where there are supply problems, or creating products or services without the ability to find and capture demand will not work.

2.

Don’t go full out all the time – take a break If you are working flat out on something and for a long time, it is quite often the case that you can lose concentration and, if so, mistakes will creep in and ultimately you will be less efficient. Also focussing on just one job or aspect of your business can result in loosening your grip on other important tasks.

Plan to fit in regular, short breaks into your to-do list, and stick to them.

Scheduling in some shorter tasks to break things up is good for your brain and also to manage the other day to day priorities that will exist.

Taking a break from something, doesn’t mean necessarily sitting down and doing nothing (although there is nothing wrong with some ‘thought time’ on a regular basis) but a change in activity is a good mental stimulus. If you can recharge the batteries a little by taking a breath of fresh air, or grabbing a drink or bite to eat, at the same time, it is a positive behaviour.

3.

Make telephone calls rather than email The easy, almost default, communication route now is to send an email. As an early riser I am as guilty as others sometimes in pinging off a few emails to be on people’s screens when they arrive at their office or workplace. However the ‘old fashioned’ direct telephone call can be even more immediate and effective to get something done quickly. Often too it is easier to make oneself understood by a conversation than by the written word. Emails are great for certain things such as when you cannot ring someone, you need to involve a large number of people, or you do need to write something for the file, as it were,

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to avoid any misunderstanding or miscommunication. However, phone calls are generally quicker and thus more efficient to get what you want to get across, and at least also you know your message has been heard and understood – not possibly disappearing into someone’s junk mail for some bizarre reason, or any other black hole!

4.

Meetings If you need to hold meetings they can very easily become a general talking shop with all sorts of tangents and red herrings being introduced. It is essential for good time management that any meeting has an agenda, however brief, otherwise not only will they last much

longer than necessary but issues risk not getting resolved, or even raised, for lack of time. A simple good habit is to draw up an agenda and circulate to attendees prior to the meeting, and then, most importantly, adhere to it.

Even put time slots against agenda items if necessary and make it known in advance that attendees are all expected to have read relevant material in advance. In that way you don’t get people reading out a presentation for example – circulate beforehand and the time is spent solutionising - far more effective. Also don’t have meetings unless they are necessary – they are essential and vital for certain communications, sharing ideas, problem solving, focus and so on but unless you are including those aspects

“It is essential for good time management that any meeting has an agenda, however brief, otherwise not only will they last much longer than necessary but issues risk not getting resolved”

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“Do tasks that you do well by all means, but delegation is a very valuable behaviour and enables others to work to their strengths too” a meeting for a meeting’s sake is a pointless exercise and just becomes a huge time stealer for not just you but everyone else too – the opposite to what you will want to achieve.

5.

Think about your strengths and the strengths of your workforce If you are good at a particular task play to your strengths but do not do it just because you can - and it avoids doing something more challenging. I knew a manager once that always did the evening office post, sticking on stamps!

Clearly he could do that but what a waste of resource as that task was easily delegated, and just as efficiently done, leaving him to do something more managerial and valuable, not indulging in a bit of play-penning! Do tasks that you do well by all means, but delegation is a very valuable behaviour and enables others to work to their strengths too. On the opposite front doing jobs that you don’t like or

haven’t done before will take you longer than necessary and you always need to think about the most valuable use of your time. When it comes to time management if you are one of those people that like the personal interaction and the sales aspect (because no-one knows your product or service like you!) and you don’t like the paperwork, then find someone reliable who can do the house-keeping for you. Your time is then well spent and problems are not being stored up else where!

run for you too. Also the advantage to have someone else to do a job for you is that you can use the time you would have spent doing it to get something else valuable accomplished. By the same token if you need something done fairly regularly that you cannot do be cautious when it comes to looking to recruit someone permanently. This sounds obvious but I have seen it many times – ask yourself is there really sufficient workload to take on an extra overhead? Even reasonably regular work is possibly best solved by using people on an ad-hoc basis before hiring anyone full-time. It may seem a little more expensive for one-off tasks but not as expensive as a salary (and all the other employment costs) and someone sitting around idly for a lot of the time!

Finally if you do get someone in to help on an ad-hoc basis and they do a good job, remember them, and make a note of their contact details. That way if you need a similar thing done in the future you can quickly turn to them safe in the knowledge they will deliver what you want and save you time in reinventing the wheel.

Managing time is something that we develop and certainly there are those of us that are better at it than others.

However, time organisation is vital to ensure we can be as efficient and effective as possible and it is worth everyone, however good they believe they are, taking time out every so often to think hard about and review their activities and whether there can be a better way to accomplish all the tasks that are necessary in a typically busy working day or week.

6.

Outsourcing and recruiting Although you and any team you have will undoubtedly have a mixture of skills, there will be some areas where you have less expertise. If you need to have something done that requires a specialist skill, don’t necessarily try to do it yourself, involve a specialist to do it for you. This will mean the job is done correctly, saving time and perhaps duplicated effort in the long

Graham Carn, Financial Editor SBT [Graham Carn is also Managing Director of Blackstones Consulting Limited blackstones@btinternet.com]

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“IF I WAS DOWN TO MY LAST DOLLAR, I WOULD SPEND IT ON PUBLIC RELATIONS” Do you know who said that? More importantly, when was the last time you said that?

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What’s in a Logo?

Design of the company logo ranks highly in the most Interview important decisions a company ever makes, yet for many it is still an afterthought.

A quick glance at freelance designer resources reveals an overwhelming number of stories from designers who have been asked to create materials – from business cards to vehicle graphics – for start up businesses, and when asked for a logo have been met with the response “oh, we don’t have one. Could you make us something?” Or worse, the ever-dreaded “can’t you get something off Google?”

A popular mobile game last year required players to identify brands by their logos, with the lettering removed. Simply

by displaying shapes and icons in certain colours, the app developers were able to invoke the idea of particular logo strongly enough to get players through dozens of levels with scores of logos each. In short, companies with the right visual branding don’t even need to use their brand name in order to be recognised. Just a strong colour or a distinctive shape can be enough.

It can’t be denied that logos are everywhere in our culture. The 2009 Academy Award-winning animated short Logorama highlighted this fact, making a mindblowing point about the use of branding in today’s landscape… both business and physical. A product H5 design studio in Paris, the movie tells the story of our times through the products and services that surround us on a daily basis, and has since become a go-to

point of reference for corporate culture. Ludovic Houplain, studio director and co-director of the film, spent an entire year researching the piece, collecting more than 40,000 symbols and trademarks that are an integral part of our lives and culture.

The archive Houplain amassed later became the basis for Logobook – an enormous reference guide, featuring approximately 7,000 logos, all arranged alphabetically.

It’s become an essential reference for designers, marketing professional, artists and students alike (as well as attracting a fair audience from those who are simply fascinated by popular culture) and features contextual information about the designers, year of creation, country, brand, and company for each logo.

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SBT speaks to Ludovic Houplain, the creative mind behind the Academy Award winning Logorama

French philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky an extensive critical essay on brand culture for the book, and Ludovic Houplain’s insights into his work on both the film and the book itself are fascinating.

We asked Ludovic about the influence of logos on business culture, and how his work is relevant to ever business today.

What would be the primary questions that a branding/design agency would ask any business when approached to create their visual identity?

First, they need to define the axis along which the client wants to travel, according to his demand. Essentially this comes down to three possibilities : • Pure creation… of a new brand or a new product, from scratch (e.g. Facebook).

• Evolution… working on a brand or

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product by adapting it from something that already exists, by giving it new media and marketing orientations, whilst maintaining its heritage, its likeability, its fame (e.g. : Michelin, Pepsi). Some might call this a ‘revamp’ • Revolution… working on a brand or product with a need to break away from previous associations (eg. Kraft Food).

This revolution could evolve as far as new naming (eg. Swissair becoming Swiss after bankruptcy) and is more commonly what we think of as a ‘rebrand’.

Would you say that the strongest brands grow organically, or have they jumped ahead by way of clever marketing association?

Can you give us a good example of both?

As organic brand, we can talk about MagLite, the famous flashlight company: its success is due a single product - a single product, existing in different sizes.

A product that has never tried to adapt to the market, but has grown as it is, along its own trajectory. This, to me, is the perfect example of organic growth.

New media may also have this kind of growth, because they don’t need a huge supply to grow, which in today’s business climate can be helpful. I’d say the best recent example of this is Angry Birds.

Conversely, brands like Coca-Cola, never cease to adapt to market. CocaCola maintains brand code, but adapts both its name and products (zero, light,

looking to create a new logo for branding purposes?

I think one must first find a brand and expression territory that enables him to distinguish himself from all the existing brands and images. But, this usually goes with a brand name and a product (or service). Nowadays, there are three pillars on which a brand can be based: product, name and image. In fact, the only counter example I can imagine – and I have quite a few brands committed to mind - is Hello Kitty: an image which is not based on any original product: no cartoon, no books... nothing…just a licensed design. Now there’s a success based purely on marketing genius.

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The very strongest brands rely essentially on products and services in the first instance, and then on their reputation from which they derive profits. A brand cannot grow internationally without this proper added value, which must represent it well. This has evolved with virtual and dematerialised brands based on services – things like Facebook, Wikipédia or Angry Birds.

To my mind, marketing strategy is the development which those brands to consolidate their power, to conquer markets, to maintain their leading position. It is a question of territory occupation, and, when possible, these most successful brands do not let anyone evict them.

caffeine free, cherry…) to suit the target country. It is a real war machine which, after its market conquest, has only one purpose: to maintain its leading position.

Red Bull is not far from the approach of Coca-Cola, with the need to innovate with new products to survive... as many who followed this school of thought predicted, we saw a ‘diet’ option and are now beginning to see limited editions and new flavours, each with their own colour branding… just like Coca-Cola did.

In an age that’s seen such exponential growth in the importance & value of branding in general, what would be the number one piece of advice that you would give to anyone

Ludovic Houplain is the founder of H5, a multidisciplinary design studio established in 1996 in Paris, and co-director of the Oscar-winning short animation film Logorama in 2009. His inventive work for music and cultural institutions as well as luxury industry and advertising can be seen in association with big names like Air, Dior, Cannes Festival, Audi, Citroën, among others.

You can watch Logorama on Vimeo here: http://vimeo.com/10149605

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7 Ways to Make Your Presentation Message Stick

Eric Fitzpatrick of Toastmasters International explains how to get the most out of your visual and verbal communication

So, you’ve honed your visual branding and your communication, Top Tips and you have an audience of interested delegates in front of you… how do you make sure they take home the message you want them to? Say you’re one of 50 speakers at a major conference. This is an opportunity to shine and put your business on the map… so how you can be sure that your presentation will stand out - and, even more importantly, that the delegates will remember what you want them to?

1.

Be different.

Work out how you can stand out from all the other speakers. For example, Steve Jobs was well known for standing out as a presenter and this was because of his appearance, because he stepped out from behind the lectern, because he rarely, if ever, used notes because his power point slides mostly contained images instead of text and because he ignited the imagination of his listeners.

Work out how you can be different… but in your own way, not his!

“Humour breaks down barriers between a presenter and their audience, humanising the presenter and making them more identifiable”

2.

Tell stories.

People are wired for stories. Stories allow listeners to create pictures in their mind, which help them to understand the speaker’s message. A presenter’s story allows the listener to recall their own version of that story, which in turn makes it easier to relate to the message. Stories are easier to remember than lists of facts or arguments. A good story is easier to recall a day, a week, even a year after it was heard. The best are never forgotten.

3.

Use humour.

At a conference, the speaker who can make their audience laugh will be long remembered. Listeners want

useful information but they need to be entertained, and as long as your humour is inoffensive (NB: if you need to check whether it’s offensive, it might well be!), they will remember you for the right reasons. Humour breaks down barriers between a presenter and their audience, humanising the presenter and making them more identifiable – an extra bonus if you are looking to network, as people will be more inclined to open conversations with you and swap business cards following your presentation. Humour allows an audience to relax - and relaxed audiences learn. An audience that laughs is more likely to remember your message and buy into it.

4.

One message.

Whether you are speaking for five

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Communication

minutes or forty five minutes, give your listeners one message to take away with them. Make three to five points that support that message, by all means, but give them one message only. Each of your supporting points should then go towards reinforcing that message, so that whatever part of your presentation they manage to retain, the outcome is the same. Before you start creating your presentation ask yourself the following question “What is my objective?” The answer will be the message you want to get across. Don’t credit your audience with any more retention ability than you would usually have during a presentation – think how much information you can usually take away from a briefing like this.

Keep it short and sweet.

5.

Use concrete images.

The best way to explain abstract ideas or technical information is with metaphors or similes. Comparing difficult to understand subjects, to visually strong or familiar images, will make them easier to comprehend. If you want your message to be remembered, explain it in terms your listener is already familiar with. Think carefully about whether business-specific analogies, cultural references or everyday life experiences will make you point best, and how they are most appropriate to the occasion you’re presenting at.

6.

Connect emotionally.

It has been said that 80% of the decisions we make are based upon emotion. We are all connected by six

emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust. If you want to connect with your audience, connect with one or more of these emotions, and depending on your topic, you should not need anybody’s help guessing which to engage.

7.

Focus on your audience.

Create a presentation that focuses on the benefits to your listener and NOT the features of the product, service or whatever you are presenting about. As we all do at such events, your audience is thinking “what’s in this for me?” and as a presenter, you need to view that thinking as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

Answer that question in terms of benefits to your audience and they will be focused on your message.

It takes work to stand out from the crowd but the rewards can be great.

Using these seven ideas will allow your audience to catch all of your key points, including the message you want them to come away with.

Eric Fitzpatrick of Toastmasters International and Owner at ARK Speaking and Training www.toastmasters.org www.arkspeakingandtraining.com

“If you want your message to be remembered, explain it in terms your listener is already familiar with”

ABOVE: Eric Fitzpatrick

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SUSSEX PAYROLL SERVICES Here at Sussex Payroll Services we are passionate about payroll. We pride ourselves on our great relationship with our clients, our attention to detail and great teamwork. We have worked together for 13 years and are large enough to guarantee you peace of mind but small enough to care. We look after over 400 payrolls from all sectors and sizes, ranging from 1-300 employees.

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“Sometimes it’s about finding that gap in the market, for example our domestic side is doing incredibly well in Lewes as it seems we are unrivalled there. We have much more competition in Eastbourne although having a dedicated, reliable and well trained team is ultimately why we’ve grown so considerably and retained clients.”

Not only does TLC look after domestic properties but it’s recently launched into the commercial market. Jules says, “The commercial cleaning industry is very male dominated, which makes me all the more determined to break that mould.”

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Family Friendly Working New families aren’t easy, and neither are new businesses. Anthonia Chitty gives her expert advice on how to have, and make the best of both...from someone who knows!

Maternity and childcare are amongst the most talkedAdvice about issues facing women in business, yet ‘mumpreneurs’ still make up a relatively small slice of local business. It’s not that the interest is not there: according to Antonia Chitty, author of several books

including The Mumpreneur Guide’s Start Your Own Business Book and Start a Family Friendly Business: 129 Business Ideas for Mums, around three in four mums would love to start a business, but it can be difficult to know where to start.

Having completed the book ‘Family Friendly Working’, about helping mums and dads finding flexible ways to work or start their own business, Antonia found

herself with plenty of enforced ‘resting’ time during her difficult third pregnancy and began to turn the additional material from her book research into informative blogs for the book’s website.

“I had worked on Which? magazine so it was easy to take some of the things I’d learnt about how magazines run and apply them to the blog,” explains Antonia. “I decided to run regular profiles

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of parents with businesses: we all like reading about how other people do it.

Now the site runs business opportunities, book reviews, profiles of parents with businesses as well as fun and family posts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with a mix of fashion, cooking, competitions and news of events.

Interspersed between these regular slots we include business advice and are always open for guest posts on topics related to parenting, work and enterprise.

“A year or so into running the blog I added the chance for people to advertise on the site, and it has become a successful business in its own right.

Most importantly of all I have an audience who know me as a source of good news, advice and articles on family friendly ways to work.

Antonia’s advice on how to get a business started around a family: 1. List your priorities such as earning money, or finding work that lets you stay home with your children. Then, write down your skills, and ask others what they think you’re good at.

2. Think about the hours you can devote to work. Be realistic if you plan to work around the kids, as children may not understand “mummy’s working”.

3. Research the market for your business.

Will people buy your product or service?

Is it unique enough to be appealing?

Look at your competition and work out how your business could be different or better.

4. Decide on your business idea. Here are a few to get you thinking. Do you want to: a. Start a service. A service business can use your existing skills and is a great business to choose if you want to start earning fast. b. Turn a hobby into a business. If you are crafty and creative you might like to start selling your crafts. Carefully cost up the materials you use AND factor in the time it takes you to make each item before you set a price. c. Buy into a franchise. This gives you a proven business idea plus start up support. d. Make money online. There are hundreds of ways to make money online, but it helps to have some guidance to find genuine opportunities. Drop shipping allows you to set up an online store without having to hold stock. e. Start up an online information site.

Pick a topic that you are an expert in.

Plan how you will make money from your site: advertising and sponsorship or membership subscriptions.

5. Prepare a business plan. Set out aims and objectives, and the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. Pop into a local Enterprise Agency for advice.

6. Register as self employed. You have 3 months to let the Inland Revenue know you have started a business, or you could end up with a £100 fine.

7. Plan how you will promote and market your business. Add a margin to your product or service price which will

“Set out aims and objectives, and the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. Pop into a local Enterprise Agency for advice”

go towards promotion. Note on a wall calendar what activities you will do each month to promote the business. Spend 15 minutes each day on promotion.

8. Promote your business online. Start a Twitter account in the name of your business, create a blog and a Facebook fan page.

9. Keep good records. Note down every item of expenditure from the start: it makes it easier to claim your business costs against tax. Start a customer database so you can send out regular newsletter and exclusive offers. It is easier to get existing customers to buy again than to find new ones.

10. Get some support and training. Go back to your list of skills and add in areas that you struggle with. Allow in your business plan for help: you could find a bookkeeper, or get someone to help with PR, marketing, packing and post office runs or admin.

Find other mums starting a business too, and make sure you invest in training for yourself: start with the free ‘Mumpreneur in a Month’ e-course at www.becomeamumpreneur.com.

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Flexible Working

Tips for Working Around a Family Working when you have a family is a skill that it takes time to learn. Compared to when it was just you there are different needs to juggle. Childcare is expensive and you may prefer to look after your children yourself. Read our tips based on our own experiences and on those of other families: If you have under-fives with you as you work Many mums avoid working with toddlers underfoot as they feel they are not being fair to their business or their children.

Others decide to working in a flexible way because they want to be with the children at home, and accept the limitations that this presents. It’s certainly not an easy option and you are bound to have many distractions as the children might not understand that “mummy needs to work now”. Here are some tips: • Allocate regular periods of time to focus one-hundred per cent on the children.

Don’t have one eye on your inbox as you’re playing with toy cars, for example.

• Before you start work, give your children an activity to do. Perhaps they could sit beside you and draw pictures as you work?

• There are some tasks you can do in a quick ten-minute slot here and there, such as checking email, Facebook or Twitter. Other tasks that require more concentration may need be left until your children are not around.

• Rather than trying to get bits and pieces of work done throughout the day, you could focus on getting the children to bed promptly every evening so you can get on with your work in peace.

• Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time you have.

Don’t Forget • Remember what’s important to you. If you are running your business so you can be there for the children, don’t let it take over all your time together.

• Don’t stress about the state of your house. Something will have to give and

“Being able to ignore a pile of laundry and get on with your work is an asset if you run a business from home” it will probably be the housework. Being able to ignore a pile of laundry and get on with your work is an asset if you run a business from home!

• Be realistic about the hours you can devote to working.

• Allow enough time to spend with your partner or your relationship could suffer.

• Your time is precious, so spend it on the things you are good at or enjoy doing.

Hate bookkeeping? Get a bookkeeper!

Or find another business mum and work on a project together and work to your strengths.

• And book in ‘me-time’ every week so you can have a long bath, a coffee with a friend, or time to paint your toenails… whatever relaxes you!

Finally, watch out for your work-life balance. Business can easily take over.

Have a finish time each day, put your work away, and make some time to relax.

Start a Family Friendly Business: 129 Business Ideas for Mums and The Mumpreneur Guide’s Start Your Own Business book are both £9.99 and available from Amazon.

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28/11/2013 14:15

Discrimination

The Discriminating Employer

Why businesses fall into the discrimination trap

by Robin Williams of rwLaw

May the gods preserve us from DIY law. My fellow Insight solicitors will know what I’m getting at, particularly if they work in an area that involves the basic elements of running a business such as establishing terms and conditions or employing people.

How many times have you been asked (or even done the asking…shame on you!), ‘I’m taking someone on and I’m told they have to have an employment contract? Do you have one I can have a look at?’ (They mean copy.)

Failing that, it’s over to Google to find some boilerplate contract they think they can hammer into shape for their own business. I heard of one employer who did this and wondered why any disputes had to be settled in the Florida courts. Yes, he’d downloaded an American template.

You are probably thinking to yourself that this is another bit of spin from the Lawyers’ League of Self-Preservation and Vested Interests. Well it isn’t. Would an electrician approve of householders doing their own rewiring? Of course not. It is not only unsafe, it is potentially illegal. The same goes for what I do, which is advise employers on how to structure their relationship with employees in a safe and legal manner.

The consequences of not having it done properly are potentially disastrous for all concerned.

The Dark Ages There was a time when employers in the UK had free rein to hire and fire at will, with little concern for workers’ welfare or safety. They were the Dark Ages or, as we like to call them, modern day America. Yes, in the United States employees have no statutory rights: no unfair dismissal rights, no holidays, and no sick pay, other than what the employer feels like offering. You may be thinking to yourself, wow, if only…

And it is hard not to sympathise with the contention that making the labour market more mobile by repatriating some powers from the EU would give employment in the UK a shot in the arm. As it is, with the change in 2012 to qualifying rights for unfair dismissal from one to two years and this year’s introduction of fees for employees bringing tribunal claims, a move has been made in that direction.

As ever, though, it is a case of being careful what you wish for. In the United States employees cannot sue for unfair dismissal, so they sue for discrimination instead. The same is beginning to happen here. Employees dismissed within their first two years of employment cannot sue for unfair dismissal so their only recourse is to cry ‘discrimination!’ How on earth are you going to protect yourself from a discrimination claim if you do not have the proper, tailored policies and contracts – and training - in place? No amount of boilerplate downloads or cribbing off your friends will save you.

What is discrimination?

The UK has come a long way from when it was legal to advertise for ‘men only need apply’ positions, and this has to be a good thing, although it sometimes feels as if nowadays a divide is being perpetuated by women. I personally dislike the division implicit in the promotion of ‘Women in Business’.

I own a business, and I happen to be a woman. So what? It was my mother’s generation who fought for this state of affairs which we now consider normal, and I am not keen on once again separating things out into pink and blue corners.

So now we are all enlightened, we know what discrimination looks like, yes? Paying or treating a woman less than a man, treating someone unfairly because of their race, religion, sexual preference or disability, firing someone who announces she is pregnant,

Robin Williams

allowing a culture of sexual harassment to develop and fester. Of course.

But do you know about indirect discrimination? Being guilty of this is every bit as damaging to an employer as the more obvious kind, but it can be very difficult to detect. If you want to test your business for this kind of discrimination, ask yourself if any of your policies or behaviours have a disproportionate effect on a particular type of employee; if any of them provokes a complaint and your response is, ‘Well, everyone else has to do it!’ watch out. You could be guilty of indirect discrimination.

If this makes you uneasy, your safest bet is to get your business, your contracts, your handbooks and your staff training checked out by a professional. It is not expensive, certainly nothing like as expensive as landing before a judge at tribunal. Most importantly, having the right contracts, documents and policies in place leads to confident and secure relations between staff and employers, which in turn can only be good for business and employee retention.

So stop using the Internet to manage your business. Or I’ll come round and rewire your house.

Robin Williams is principal of rwLaw, a specialist employment law and HR practice retained by clients 01306 700021 info@rwlaw.co.uk www.rwlaw.co.uk

C

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02/12/2013 11:19

False Dawn of Progress for Women on Boards?

Monitor of women on the boards of FTSE companies ďŹ nd progress promising but still slow, despite a legal requirement to improve boardroom diversity

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Women in Boardrooms

The latest progress report published by Cranfield School of Insight Management shows that women now account for 19% of FTSE 100 and 15% of FTSE 250 board positions. This is the highest level since Cranfield began monitoring the number of women in Britain’s boardrooms in 1999.

Since the Lord Davies report into women on boards was published in March 2011, the percentage of female appointments to FTSE Boards has increased, although the pace of change has varied. In the last six months 27%

of FTSE 100 and 30% of FTSE 250 new appointments went to women.

Professor Susan Vinnicombe OBE, Director of the Cranfield International Centre for Women Leaders and CoAuthor of the report commented: “We are definitely seeing a cultural shift taking place within UK business. We have seen progressive steps taken by many stakeholders to increase the level of female talent at the most senior levels of the UK’s top companies and we are starting to see a shift in perceptions from Chairmen and Chief Executives. It has been a long and slow journey but it is encouraging to see the UK is making steady progress towards the 2015 target

of 25%. I am confident that with renewed effort over the next two years we should reach the target.”

The report also looks at the progress FTSE 350 companies are making in adopting the new recommendations in the Corporate Governance Code 2012, which requires them to publish, by the end of their current financial years, how they plan to implement their boardroom diversity policy.

The Cranfield academics found that nearly all (94%) FTSE 100 companies now acknowledge the need for greater boardroom diversity and two-thirds state a clear policy to achieve this.

However, less than half opted to disclose

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measurable objectives to increase the number of women on their Board and only a quarter address diversity in their board evaluation process. Overall, there is little change in diversity reporting by the FTSE 100 companies, compared with early adopters of the Code reported on last year.

The picture appears to be worse among the FTSE 250. In a sample of 50 companies, while 82% recognise the need for greater boardroom diversity, only 18% state a clear policy and just 14% have set measurable objectives, although almost a quarter do address diversity in their board evaluation process.

Dr Ruth Sealy, Co-Author of the report, commented: “It is disappointing that a significant proportion of companies have not yet fully responded to the new Code provisions on reporting gender diversity.

Nevertheless, our research did uncover a number of excellent examples of companies that get it right when it comes to reporting on diversity, including Diageo, Rolls Royce, Experian and BAE Systems, in the FTSE 100, and WS Atkins in the FTSE 250. They all had clear objectives not just on numbers, but also on the processes to achieve those numbers”.

In the report’s executive summary, the Authors explained that is had been a

year of “extraordinary changes for women on Boards.”

“The number of women holding FTSE 100 Board seats is 169, an increase of 28 on the 2012 figures. The overall percentage of female-held board directorships is 17.3%, an uplift of 2.3% on last year’s figure.”

There are still companies with all-male boards in the FTSE 100, but that number has dropped to seven.

There was a noticeable lift in the proportion of new appointments of both FTSE 100 and 250 Boards going to women, at highs of 44% and 36% respectively. However, those numbers slowed in the latter half of the year to bring the averages down to 26% and 29% respectively, which leaves a struggle to reach the 33% required to keep up with Lord Davies’ target of 25% women on Boards by 2015. The target is still possible, and indeed still in sight, if the rate of new female appointments regains momentum quickly – the UK cannot afford complacency on this topic. Of particular concern in the report was ‘the pipeline’: the observation that dwindling numbers of women being appointed to other roles within the companies in question would make it increasingly difficult to promote at the rate that will be

needed to reach these targets.

Burberry came top of this year’s ranking, with three women directors out of eight, covering both the Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer roles. It shone out as the only FTSE 100 company that has two female executive directors. Diageo came in second with four women directors out of 11. Capita, Glaxosmithkline and Standard Life, each have a 33.3% female board, statistically speaking, and it must be noted that a quarter of the FTSE 100 companies have already achieved the target set by Lord Davies in 2011.

183 companies of the FTSE 250 companies now have women in their boardrooms – up 54% on last year.

The idea that companies need to make their boards bigger in order to meet female employment targets, or that there is no room for women due to the smaller size of FTSE 250 boards, seemed to be a misapprehension: despite the increasing numbers of women, the average board size of FTSE 250 companies has come down slightly from 8.1 to 8.0.

“We urge companies to view the diversity provisions in the 2012 Code as an opportunity for improved corporate governance and to focus on outcomes rather than activities in monitoring their

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Women on Boards

progress towards increasing gender diversity in senior roles. Thus setting measurable objectives and sharing practices that appear to really work is crucial,” added Caroline Turner, co-author of the report.

Minister for Women and Equalities, Maria Miller said: “Women are vital in building a stronger economy and we need to make sure we are making full use of their talents. We have made significant progress in removing barriers which

commented: “During my career I have been inspired by, and worked with, many talented women. I am therefore delighted by the strong momentum surrounding female career advancement and, in particular, by the increased visibility of the link between gender-balanced Boards and better business.

“At Barclays, as we change the way we do business and set a new course for the future, Diversity & Inclusion will remain firmly embedded in our approach. We

“I am committed to ensuring that our long history of valuing female talent and enabling women to fulfil their potential – as colleagues, as customers and within their communities – will continue” - Antony Jenkins, Chief Executive, Barclays PLC Group prevent those that choose to work from achieving their full potential, but what we also need to see is business embracing a wider cultural change.

“This new research shows that we’ve made unprecedented progress in increasing the number of women on boards following Lord Davies’ report in 2011. It is good to see the pace of change in the number of board appointments in the FTSE 250 have been higher than in the FTSE 100. However, FTSE 250 firms need to ensure that they are producing and publishing policies on boardroom diversity. I want firms to redouble their efforts on both fronts to ensure we are enabling women to fully contribute their talent.”

Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE said: “There are real grounds for optimism in this report, not least the case studies and examples of good practice from companies across a range of sectors.

They know that using all of the talent available to them, fostering the right mix of skills and backgrounds to provide different perspectives and customer insights, is not an optional extra. It is a compelling business need.”

Commenting within the report itself, Antony Jenkins, Barclays PLC Group Chief Executive (sponsors of the report)

recently looked afresh at what we want to achieve and what we want to be known for.

“I am committed to ensuring that our long history of valuing female talent and enabling women to fulfil their potential – as colleagues, as customers and within their communities – will continue. It’s why we have a robust plan to increase diversity at senior levels, including our Board. I strongly believe in diversity as a differentiator but that comes with a leadership responsibility to manage talent inclusively. I am holding our leaders accountable for our inclusion goals, as well as personally taking action.

I value the time I spend mentoring senior women and am sponsoring our global Unconscious Bias programme for over 8,000 leaders.

“I am also delighted that we welcomed Diane de Saint Victor to our Board as Non-Executive Director in February this year.

“There remains much to do before gender parity is achieved both at Barclays and across the UK – or, indeed, globally.

In challenging economic conditions and industry pressures, gender parity requires sustained focus.” www.som.cranfield.ac.uk

Is favouring female candidates legal? The EU directive, at a glance On 14 November 2012 the European Commission published its proposal for a Gender Diversity Directive for improving gender balance on Company Boards.

The objective is that 40% of NonExecutive Members of Boards of publicly listed companies in Europe should be women by 2020. The Directive obliges companies with less than 40% of women Non-Executive Directors to make significant efforts to make appointments in the next seven years to reach this target. If Boards are unitary (i.e. include executive Directors, as in the UK) then this figure is one third of all directors.

The European Commission proposals require Member States to apply sanctions to companies who do not achieve the minimum objective of 40%.

The Commission has the legal right to bring these measures through the principle of equal treatment for men and women in the workplace.

That principle permits positive action to be taken during recruitment and promotion to assist the underrepresented sex. This is currently permitted by the UK Equality Act 2010. For example, if a Primary School Headteacher felt that in her school of all female teachers it would be beneficial to have a male teacher, she may choose the male candidate where he competes on equal merit with a female candidate.

The European Commission has made it clear that there should be no diminution of quality in those selection decisions.

Executive search teams will need to make sure they extend the pool of talent available so that women of sufficient quality and skills are put forward. Member States need not apply the Directive’s “procedural justice” if they can show they have sufficient initiatives in play to meet the 2020 target.

Quoted from The Female FTSE Board Report 2013 by Cranfield University School of Management.

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Women in Business

“The Pulse of Great Business is Driven by the Heartbeat of Passionate Women” ...but women are still being left behind in the pension saving stakes. Dulcie Brookfield of Mike Oliver Associates helps to unravel this mystery and ensure that everyone is prepared!

What effect might Company Pensions Auto-enrolment Advice have on women at work?

Auto-enrolment will be fundamental in helping the nation’s workers to think about saving, but women outside the workplace need greater access to information and guidance about other retirement options. This initiative will encourage individuals to seek advice and take full responsibility for their own financial independence.

Analysis from Scottish Widows recently found that female pension saving remain at an all-time low, lagging behind male saving rates.

The Women in Pensions Report 2013 found just 40% of women - compared to 49% of men - are building sufficient pension savings.

‘On average women are putting aside £182 a month - well below the average amount of £260 amongst men. This creates a gender pension savings gap of nearly £1,000 a year’, the pension provider added.

Women typically earn less and work for fewer years than men which makes it harder for them to save as much and have historically also lost out in the state pension system, although the new flat rate state pension will provide a more level playing field.

The pensions industry, government and employers need to work together to raise awareness of the pressures that take their toll on women’s savings at different ages and help women prioritise their pensions.

What career advice do you have for women starting out?

Initiating a career path with limited time and resources means working smart and making the most of the cards you have been dealt. Read motivational material with creative meaning and purpose to fortify yourself mentally. Build a solid upward spiral of

Dulcie Brookfield, Operations & Business Development Manager, Mike Oliver Associates

accomplishment and career resilience, a step at a time. Identifying and living by your core values and standards will help you to make positive decisions about what you want from your life and will guide you when the chips are down.

Maintain a sense of humour, be emotionally intelligent perhaps even thick skinned (when you need to), stick up for yourself and your rights and thrive on hard work! Most importantly of all, “be happy” a wise friend recently told me, and your authentic self will sparkle.

Now for some background, who are Mike Oliver Associates and what do you do?

Winners of Sesame Firm of the Year, Mike Oliver Associates is an established leading Financial Advisory company in the South East. I currently head up Business Development and Operations and was a finalist ‘High Achiever’ at the Venus Awards last month in recognition of my part in the company’s success.

I am also an active member of the business community and Secretary of the Haywards Heath and District Business Association.

What is an Independent Financial Adviser?

Advisers are regulatorially-divided into one of two types. Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) are unbiased and can advise on products from any provider right across the market. They are required by the Financial Conduct Authority to give ‘best advice’. So they

are morally and legally obliged to act as the Agent of the Client rather than that of any product or service provider.

Restricted advisers are the type of advisers you’ll often find in high street banks, or those who have chosen to specialise in certain providers’ products or certain areas of advice.

Their ‘restricted’ status means that they can only sell and advise on a limited range of products, or from a limited number of firms. So, if you’re looking for an adviser, try to ensure it is an IFA if you’re looking for an unbiased recommendation.

What would you say to anyone wanting to become an adviser?

I’m delighted to hear the Government wants all students to be equipped with the “financial skills to enable them to manage their money on a day-to-day basis as well as to plan for future financial needs” in the National Curriculum.

Hopefully this will implant an interest in finance from an earlier age.

We are working with The Financial Adviser School which is part of the Sesame Bankhall Group, the UK’s largest provider of support services to professional financial advisers, in order to develop a structured training and development programme for our new generation of financial advisers.

Our ambition, supported by The Financial Adviser School, is to make our profession more attractive and accessible to a younger audience.

We appreciate that developing the skills of new financial advisers is imperative to their future success and the financial well-being of their customers. The Financial Adviser School exceeds most training programmes by including the supervision of advice to customers and the attainment of Competent Adviser Status in its programme. www.thefaschool.co.uk, Tel: 0845 6022050.

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27/11/2013 08/11/2013 12:04 16:33

SBT

Corporate Christmas Parties

Alexander House Hotel, East Grinstead is an impressive venue for hosting the corporate Christmas party of the year. This glamorous five star hotel will be fashionably decorated and ready to spoil you with a superb four course dinner, dancing till midnight and casino entertainment. To add extra sparkle to your event, Alexander House are offering new corporate Christmas party bookings taking place on Thursday evenings throughout December a complimentary glass of bubbly for every guest!

Party nights start from £40.00pp. To make your enquiry contact sales@alexanderhouse.com and quote ‘SBT PARTY OFFER.’ Special offer is limited to dates and availability.

Alexander House Hotel and Utopia Spa Turner Hills, East Grinstead, RH10 4QD 01342 859 753 www.alexanderhotels.co.uk

Christmas at The Grand The Grand, Brighton is the perfect place to book your end of year conference or meeting. Plus, with any booking this December, we are offering you and your colleagues the chance to celebrate the festivities in style with a FREE Christmas party at The Grand all for just For just £149 per person.

Get in contact to find out what The Grand offer!

GB1 97-99 King’s Rd, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2FW Tel: 01273 224300 www.devere-hotels.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT 01323 433 706 OR LOTTIE@SUSSEXBUSINESSTIMES.CO.UK Say No To Turkey! Alternative Christmas at Yum Yum Ninja Yum Yum Ninja, Brighton’s newest Pan Asian restaurant, has launched its exciting Christmas menu entitled ‘Say No To Turkey’.

The Bo Ho Ho Feasting Menu for just £25 per person is sure to tantalise the taste buds with a selection of tasty appetisers, delightful dim sum and a sharing feast of slow roasted beef rib, whole Asian style salmon or whole Chinese duck followed by a selection of desserts.

The Kurisumasu Set Menu at £35 brings Asian fine dining to Brighton’s Christmas scene featuring soup, sashimi and a trilogy of top class dim sum followed by the Yum Yum Ninja Grill; a tongue tingling option sure to delight even the most discerning food lover.

Yum Yum Ninja is now taking Christmas bookings for parties of 8 to 80, all festive party and dining needs can be accommodated without a turkey or mince pie in sight.

15-18 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB 01273 326 330 www.yumyumninja.com

Christmas is coming at The Spread Eagle Hotel & Spa We have a fabulous choice of private dining rooms - perfect for office parties and family get togethers. With roaring fires and twinkling lights the Spread Eagle is quite magical.

Christmas Dinner Parties - From £44 per person • 6–24 people in a private dining room • 25–90 people in our Jacobean Hall • Choose from a selection of three course Christmas party menus (available on request) • Half bottle of wine per person • Includes room hire • Christmas crackers The Spread Eagle Hotel and Spa South Street, Midhurst,West Sussex, GU29 9NH 01730 816911 • www.hshotels.co.uk

Christmas at Crowhurst Park Christmas at Crowhurst Park is a very special time. Set in a 170 acre country estate our Manor House is the ideal location for your Christmas party or Christmas day dinner. You are assured of a warm welcome in relaxing and elegant surroundings, with superb food and friendly service.

Buffet Option (£9.95 per person) or Sit Down Option (£19.95 per person) We are offering a Christmas Buffet Lunch throughout December. Ideal for families or company celebrations. You can dine in our restaurant or for larger groups we can offer our private function rooms. Buffets can be held in the evenings by special arrangement.

Crowhurst Park Telham Lane, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0SL Telephone 01424 773344 Email enquiries@crowhurstpark.co.uk

Now taking Christmas Bookings Different Menu Everyday Fresh Ingredients Sourced Direct from Italy Daily Lunch Menu Beautiful Suntrap Garden

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8 Bolton Road BN21 3Jx Eastbourne, East Sussex tel: 01323 723023 Find us on Facebook

02/12/2013 11:15

Tried & Tested

K

Working Lunch

SBT stops by Drakes Restaurant, the highest scoring Brighton restaurant in the Good Food Guide, 2014

Drakes Brighton

Address: The Restaurant At Drakes Drakes Of Brighton 43-44 Marine Parade Brighton BN2 1PE 01273 696 934 therestaurant@drakesofbrighton.com www.therestaurantatdrakes.co.uk

son) r arger he

The accolade “Highest scoring Brighton restaurant” Review in The Good Food Guide 2014, was what initially enticed us into The Restaurant at Drakes of Brighton. Some might say you’re spoiled for choice when choosing somewhere to eat in Brighton, but with a seafront location – the bar itself has a sea view – and demonstrably some of the best food in town, our minds were made up.

The very contemporary bar and restaurant spaces are relaxed but stylish, focusing on modern prints of Brighton which give the place a nice sense of local pride and provide some

ambience whilst you peruse the menu.

Choosing a cocktail was no mean feat; with so many to choose from: old originals like the classic Martini through to the delicious Tacky Tacky - a blend of coconut rum, lemon and grapefruit juice, which was almost enough to remind me what sunshine felt like on the blustery November day we sat overlooking a dramatic sea and grey, rain-heavy skies… I did say almost.

Once the cocktails were finished we were shown to our table in the basement where again subtle greys and bold brickwork complement the crisp white linen at each table.

The wine list – extensive without being pretentious - offered something for everyone’s taste and budget. With the help of our waitress, we chose a Rioja that was promised to complement our choice of dishes superbly, and I can happily report that was certainly the case. For true wine aficionados, The Restaurant at Drakes offers a five course tasting menu, with wine for every course, which is specially selected to bring out the exquisite flavours of the food. We opted for three courses from a fixed but impressively diverse menu for just £39.95.

Our waitress was a delight: the restaurant reviewer’s ideal compromise of attentive, without hovering over you as you’re trying to eat, or not be too obvious about making notes.

Our fresh bread and amuse-bouche – Kipper pate, with apple jelly and horseradish cream - was followed by beautifully presented fresh scallops,

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Tried & Tested

Scallops

“As there was to be a twenty minute pause whilst our desserts were whipped up, we were served another course of Greek yoghurt and a soy caramel sauce”

Private Dining Room

Souffle

BOOK YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY at the restaurant at drakes and receive a FREE bottle of House Wine for every 4 people booked

Plating up fillet

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cooked to perfection. The main course, with a five pound surcharge for the fillet of beef cooked rare came to the table with a potato cake laced with shavings of truffles and a wine jus was an ample serving for even the healthiest of appetites.

As there was to be a twenty minute pause whilst our desserts were whipped up, we were served another course of Greek yoghurt and a soy caramel sauce, which kept our tastebuds occupied whist we awaited the heavily-recommended blackcurrant soufflé. We took on board the waitress’ recommendation that the best way to enjoy this particular sweet spectacle was to make a small hole in the top of the soufflé and flood the airy cavity inside with hot buttermilk custard from the jug provided, and the result was beautiful: a perfectly comforting yet delicately crafted dose of sweetness for a cold day.

With three courses for just £39.95, not forgetting the amuse-bouche and sweet treat, we felt for the quality of food, excellent service and beautiful surroundings this is well worth a visit.

The lunchtime menu, a more tailored version of the extensive evening menu, would be perfect for a business lunch with three courses at £25 a head.

Also available for bookings of up to 12 people is the Private Dining Room. For exclusive dining parties this room can be booked complete with a dedicated member of waiting staff to attend to your every need. With service and food the quality of The Restaurant at Drakes, whoever you take can’t fail to be impressed.

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Delicious Restaurant Quality Sauces for Home The Curry Sauce Company produces a range of superb curry sauces that are ready prepared and so offer wonderful convenience. At the same time however, the sauces are so gorgeous that they allow you to prepare a meal in minutes every bit as good as you would expect from your favourite restaurant.

Our sauces, naan breads and chutneys are stocked nationwide by ďŹ ne food retailers such as Delicatessens, Farm Shops and quality Butchers.

Meanwhile we offer a Mail Order service ensuring delivery of your favourite curries to your home or place of work.

Browse and place your order through the website at www.currysauce.co.uk or telephone 01243 550045 and we will process your order for you. www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 43

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Celia Sawyer

A D.I.Y Star

...In more ways than one. “It’s no longer a man’s world” says TV star and entrepreneur Celia Sawyer. Then she tells us why...

Having taken the world of interior design by storm, 47 Interview year old mother of two Celia Sawyer Luxury Interiors is quickly becoming a familiar face with her hit Channel 4 programme Four Rooms. A versatile entrepreneur, Celia collects and deals in antiques, using her network of contacts and her passion for art to source unusual items that make great additions to her clients’ collections… or hers!

Now launching her own furniture and jewellery ranges, with a new television series due to make its debut in the new year, Celia Swayer speaks to SBT about being a woman on a mission.

Tell us about 2013 in business for you. What have been your greatest challenges and achievements?

Where do I start? It has been a very exciting year. All in all I think the hard work over the years has really started to pay off. Interior design has been very

busy and we have some lovely projects on the go with striking penthouses and homes ranging from 4 or 5 million pounds to 25 million pounds. We were approached by a private aircraft company which is very exciting, and all another new and glamorous angle to add to our interior design.

I am in discussions for my own jewellery range which was an idea that came to me after an appearance on the Four Rooms television show, when I was inundated with requests as to where I had bought my jewellery… I thought, whilst everyone is asking, why don’t I create a range myself and wear that instead!

I also have made huge headway with a new furniture range, all made by craftsmen in the UK, and am in the midst of photographing individual pieces and getting them up on the website. I also had a fabulous opportunity in February, as BBC1 were looking to create a new show about interiors so my agent, who I have only been working with since around last

“Once I heard I had been shortlisted I decided I’d better go along to the final event and see what it was all about. It was a great evening and I am very touched to have won.”

OPPOSITE: CELIA SAWYER

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Christmas, put me forward and I got the starring role! It will be a primetime makeover show called Your Home in Their Hands, and although I am a bit nervous, I am extremely excited about the show.

I think the biggest shock after the BBC signing is the Inspiration Awards for Women and being nominated, shortlisted and then winning an award.

I’m not sure how that all came about but I’m very grateful and very proud of it.

Tell us about your recent award at the Inspiration Awards.

It’s been an unbelievable experience, in the best way possible. I was completely taken aback and think I may still be in a bit of shock. Firstly, when I received an email telling me I was nominated, I almost binned it as I thought it was spam! A few weeks later I was asked to go to an event to find out who had been shortlisted. However, I was extremely busy and also skeptical about it going any further. Once I heard I had been shortlisted I decided I’d better go along to the final event and see what it was all about. It was a great evening and I am very touched to have won.

How did it feel to be recognised with that accolade?

Well, the event itself was quite something, as it was a great evening and an opportunity to meet and talk with all the truly inspirational women attending. I went with my mum and daughter and they were both in tears when I was called up on the stage. I was so sure I wouldn’t win, that I hadn’t prepared a speech and for once in my life was actually pretty speechless, in all senses!

Over the course of your career, what struggles have you faced in business that you think a man in your position might not have?

The business world has changed, even since I entered it I suppose it’s the old cliché of a man thinking you are interested in him as oppose to it being just a business arrangement, which can cause uncomfortable situations. That doesn’t happen so much now, I guess I’m older and scare them away now, and I think since I have appeared on TV I come across as a no nonsense woman so they wouldn’t dare cross me!

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Celia Sawyer

“I think it’s given me more plusses than minuses and to be really honest I have at points used it to give me an advantage over the men!”

Ian Fle Susse

So do you feel that being a woman in business has ever given you an advantage, or been a hindrance?

I think it’s given me more plusses than minuses and to be really honest I have at points used it to give me an advantage over the men! There are still plenty of circumstances in which the business community still subtly, perhaps even unconsciously favours men so, whilst there is still inequality floating around, I feel it’s only fair we use that for our own ends where we can! I have always got on well with men and think I have a good understanding of them and once you have this, you can use it in business for sure. When you perhaps don’t tally with their expectations of a woman in business, that can certainly work in your favour.

What would be your top piece of

advice for women in today’s business community?

Go for it! You have all the opportunities out there so don’t let anything or anyone stand in your way. It is no longer a man’s world, as all the inspiring women I met at the Inspiration awards – and, of course, countless thousands of unsung female heroes – go to show!

Just keep going and at every hurdle… jump over it and don’t let anyone step in the way.

What’s next in your plans?

Next… well there’s plenty on the cards already, and I am always open to new opportunities that may cross my path along the way. First, chronologically at least, I am filming a new series of Four Rooms in January, which will be a set of 15 shows: some for prime time viewing and some for daytime viewing. I will be

launching my jewellery and furniture ranges and filming my new show for BBC1 show all in the springtime. Who knows what else will happen along the way, business is an exponential curve and I want to reach the tipping point by next year!

www.celiasawyer.com

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28/11/2013 15:57

Pop-Up Books

Daisy White’s ‘Booktique’ is taking Sussex by storm... is it popping up near you soon?

Daisy White’s PopUp Indie Bookshop Young launched in March Business 2013, as a unique promotional marketing platform for independent authors and publishers. Now with more than eighty authors and publishers ready to showcase their material every time the store ‘pops up’, the Bookshop allows authors to interact with readers – and potential readers – on a personal level, with book signings, launches and other personal touches that are often found to be lacking in the flood of Amazon selfpublishers, and which can make all the difference in the struggle for promotion.

‘As a small publisher of children’s books, we are very pleased to be part of the Pop-Up Indie Bookshop venture,” enthused a spokesperson from Hogs Back Books, an independent UK publisher. “It’s very difficult for

independent children’s publishers to gain exposure through traditional bookshops because of the way books are placed on shelves, with only a very narrow spine visible to the buyer. At the Pop-Up, all our books are on full view and are therefore able to attract the attention of passers-by.

‘Karen Hodgson, the author of one of our books, ‘Boris the Boastful Frog’, attended the Pop-Up in Horsham in June, and sold more than 10 copies in under an hour. The friendly, personal atmosphere, in which shoppers can chat to authors, editors and publishers, certainly seems to be conducive to sales. Having interesting and engaging books from a range of different independent publishers is also a draw to the Bookshop.’

Based near Horsham, West Sussex, where it had its first incarnation, the Bookshop is entirely self-contained and mobile.

“This week we are in Ashford, Kent, having been chosen for the PopUp Britain

retail showcase of the most promising young businesses,” explains Daisy White, who is an author herself and lives in Horsham. “After a swift turnaround we will be off to Guildford for a six week run over Christmas! We started off in Horsham Market, and later when we moved into shop space, Horsham Council and Swan Walk Shopping Centre Manager Gill Buchanan were very encouraging and happy to support new local business.”

“I am a mum of two small boys and feel very lucky that, although I often work long days and nights, much of my work when we are not on the road, can be done at home. That said, after working as cabin crew for 12 years and spending my time rushing round the world, I like the fact that for the time being the business is slightly nomadic! It is great to able to meet so many creative people and support them in their work, and I remain passionate about the business ethos, which is providing an affordable way for

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“I am a mum of two small boys and feel very lucky that, although I often work long days and nights, much of my work when we are not on the road, can be done at home” independents to reach the High Street.”

Keith Mapp, a self-published author of six novels, says it’s working for him.

“After booking signings, and attending events with The Pop-Up Indie Bookshop, I have noticed in addition to my hard copy sales, a sharp spike in the of my books on Amazon Kindle. I can only assume this is because I am now able to interact with more potential readers at a high street level.”

The Pop-up Indie Bookshop ticks off two key current business trends: selfpublishing and pop-up shops. Travelling around the South East, the vibrant and unusual retail installation occupies empty shops and community spaces, bringing a lift to retail areas that have been devastated by closures forced by the recession.

Recently, the Bookshop expanded and diversified by adding a small Gallery and a ‘Booktique’ section which has proven very popular. It sells luxuries that

are specially chosen to complement new book purchases, from soft furnishing to snuggle up in to exquisite chocolates - all sourced from local Sussex suppliers!

Susan Moss author of ‘The Bother in Burmeon’ - Circaidy Gregory Press “With my background, I should be a publisher’s dream, having mis-spent most of my adult years in the wild world of advertising, 13 of them at Saatchi & Saatchi. But there’s one small catch: I live in Germany and my book is in English.

I am seriously limited in the number of personal appearances I can make with my book in the UK, so I’m cock-a-hoop about Daisy White’s Pop-Up Bookshop and the opportunities it gives overseas authors. In my day job, we often judge the strength of an idea by the ‘jealousy factor’. When it comes to the Pop-Up Bookshop, I really DO wish I’d thought of it myself!”

Daisy White

www.daisywhiteauthor.co.uk

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27/11/2013 12:06

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Women in Business

On the Move

Emmah Mansfield, MD of CityGym Express, explains how a woman’s touch makes gym memberships more accessible for everyone.

There has been a rise in the number of ‘women only’ Focus gyms to combat the male sway of this industry.

How do you feel a unisex gym like CityGym Express can compete?

I can see why people have felt the need to segregate, but ultimately I don’t feel it’s helpful. It may circumnavigate some issues, but also inadvertently promotes casual sexist division, which is not what we want. We aim for an inclusive, diverse environment in which everyone feels comfortable working out and enjoys their gym experience, and I don’t believe excluding either gender does that.

Instead, we’ve looked at why gyms have traditionally been seen as favouring men, and work to even the scales. We listen to our female customers and make sure we have plenty of the services and equipment they use the most, including but of course never limited to lighter weights, classes for different types of exercise… this is about making the gym accessible to newcomers too, whatever their sex.

On the whole, changing facilities are important to women when choosing fitness facilities, and when you cater to a business audience like we do, we made sure it was a priority to provide a bit more luxury than many gyms offer… after all, nobody wants to go back to work looking like they’ve been to the gym, so good showers, secure lockers and things like hair straighteners and adequate mirror space means that everyone can go back to the office looking presentable, which is an understandable need if you’re working out on your lunch break.

What trends do you notice amongst your female customers, as a business-oriented gym?

They work out earlier! I am not sure what that says, exactly, but I would definitely

“We’ve designed our gym’s business model specifically to fit into busy lives, and not to exclude those who work full time or balance work with a family, be they mum or dad” make the observation that women tend to make up the larger proportion of those who work out before work and in their lunch break, rather than after work. We’ve designed our gym’s business model specifically to fit into busy lives, and not to exclude those who work full time or balance work with a family, be they mum or dad!

Classes are popular, and high impact, functional training is increasingly popular with both sexes.

Are you seeing growing interest from female gymgoers?

Definitely, both in our gym and across the industry. Women are more interested in fitness now than they have ever been, and the emphasis is no longer on weight loss but on strength, which means proper training and equipment is essential. We’re also combining gyms

with other health, wellbeing and beauty facilities that women make use of and already have factored into their routines like hairdressers, so making the most of your time by combining visits becomes a smart choice.

Although our clientele all take their fitness seriously, we note that they still appreciate the friendly and personal touches that we offer at CityGym. Because we’re a small business, everybody knows everybody and you’re always welcomed, whether you’re a regular or just getting started, so it’s not as daunting for newcomers as some big gyms can be. More women than ever are visiting our shake bar, where we whip up protein shakes, smoothies, liquid breakfasts, etc, to ensure they have the nutrients to back up all the hard work they’re doing and prepare them for a busy day.

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03/12/2013 16:22

The Longest Road The new longer Range Rover is the world’s finest, improved further. We find out why

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Review

LONG WHEEL BASE RANGE ROVER

Notching up ten international motoring industry awards in its first three months of production, the new Range Rover quickly proved that it was not being called The World’s Finest Luxury SUV for no reason.

The Range Rover we see now is actually the fourth incarnation of the iconic Range Rover line, that has

been developed from the ground up to provide the ultimate luxury SUV, following the innovative spirit of the original design from over 40 years ago.

For a start, it was the first SUV in the world to feature a lightweight allaluminium body, bringing the whole Range Rover concept to a new level, with even greater luxury and refinement, enhanced performance and handling on all terrains, and significant advances in sustainability.

The new Range Rover preserves the essential, unique character of the

vehicle – that special blend of luxury, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability. However, its clean sheet design and revolutionary lightweight construction have enabled Jaguar-Land Rover to transform the experience for luxury vehicle customers, with a step change in comfort, refinement and handling. They’re now going even further to extend that appeal to the luxury vehicle audience.

At just under 5m long, the new Range Rover has a very similar footprint to the outgoing model, but with a smoother

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Motoring

“Even more seat adjustability – on top of the extended legroom – means ultimate comfort for passengers and driver alike”

and more streamline profile – the most aerodynamic Range Rover ever.

The luxurious interior has a modern and pure character, incorporating distinctive Range Rover design cues, but with a fresh and very contemporary treatment. The cabin retains the characteristic strong forms, emphasised by extremely clean and elegant surfaces which are flawlessly executed using the finest leathers and veneers… even more luxury trims are available in the new special editions, but more about those later.

With over 118mm more legroom, the rear compartment offers vastly more space and comfort, with the option of the desirable… and that’s just the standard option. But wait, there’s more.

They’re now making it even more exclusive, and if you’re anything like us, words like “exclusive” and “limited edition” are as appealing as the purring of the engine to your ears. We couldn’t resist a look at the new model.

The first Range Rover long wheelbase in 20 years, this new model will cater for a growing group of drivers looking for the ultimate luxury SUV, and an alternative to the traditional long wheelbase saloon cars in this segment.

Even more seat adjustability – on top of the extended legroom – means ultimate comfort for passengers and driver alike.

The new Range Rover Autobiography Black edition mades its debut at the Dubai motor show just this month. It represents the pinnacle of desirability to

bring even higher levels of refinement to the world’s finest luxury SUV. The interior has been carefully crafted and tailored to meet customer needs with subtle but distinctive exterior detailing and is appointed and finished with the highest quality leathers and materials.

“With the addition of the Range Rover long wheelbase to our portfolio of luxury SUVs, customers can now choose a vehicle that offers superior levels of interior space and comfort to compete in a market dominated by saloon cars up until this point,” says Phil Popham, Group Marketing Director, Jaguar Land Rover.

“The Range Rover Autobiography Black is our most luxurious specification yet. It epitomises sophisticated design with immaculate attention to detail.

The subtle, elegant and luxurious finishing touches combine with a first class experience for both driver and passengers to deliver new levels of exclusivity to our customers.”

Range Rover long wheelbase models will carry a distinctive ‘L’ badge mounted into the exterior accents behind each front wheel arch, and you’ll be able to get your hands on one early next year.

www.landrover.com

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WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

Q&A

Gearing Up for Growth Vouchers – Help for Small Businesses to Grow

What is the background of the programme?

The £30 million Growth Voucher programme was announced by the Chancellor in the last Government Budget to help micro and small businesses. That’s businesses employing less than 50 people. The programme is offering Growth Vouchers worth up to £2,000 to businesses and using it as a test to find out the best ways to help businesses grow and boost their bottom lines in the current difficult economic climate.

We know that businesses that take advice grow, so the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is offering Growth Vouchers as part of a research project to find out what works best when trying to find this advice.

What is the programme trying to achieve?

We want to find out what type of expert advice really makes a difference to businesses development. The Growth Voucher programme wants to stimulate small and micro businesses to think

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about what sorts of advice they could take to grow. The vouchers offer a subsidy to firms who want to take the next step and buy in this advice.

All those taking part in the programme will be part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT).

These are more commonly used to for research in international development, medicine. This is the first time it has been used to test business support.

At the end of the programme in 2015, we will have not only allocated vouchers, to five in six firms that apply, but will also have some good evidence on which to base future government support initiatives.

What are Growth Vouchers?

Growth Vouchers can be used by businesses who take part in our test to subsidise expert advice. The vouchers can be worth up to £2,000 which will need to be matched by the businesses they are awarded to.

This subsidy is up to a maximum of 50% of the cost of buying the advice. The external advice offered will be from real experts in the market.

These will have to meet rigorous and specific standards criteria before being approved to give the advice.

The programme will focus on five themes of advice: • Financial Management • Sales and Marketing • Building Leadership and Management • Capabilities • Expanding the Workforce • Exploiting internet/digital technologies How will it work?

Businesses can apply to take part in

the Growth Voucher Programme when it launches in January 2014.

First they will need to see if they are eligible. If they are, they can they proceed to apply for the programme.

After they have completed the application, they will be directed to information to identify key areas of advice their business needs. This is done on one of two ways. Some will progress to an on-line filter to explore what type of advice they need. Some will receive a face-to-face diagnostic.

A randomised number of these will be allocated vouchers on a lottery basis. All those to take part – those that do get a voucher and those that don’t – will continue to be tracked through the Randomised Controlled Trial over the next two years. BIS will monitor what effect the vouchers have had. Did they enable lots of businesses to take up advice, did it help their growth, what effect did it have on those that did not get them, did they grow anyway? What lessons can BIS learn from the programme about how to help businesses in the future?

It will help to form a blue print for the kind of business advice really works for micro and small businesses.

When and how can businesses apply for a voucher?

The programme is due to be launched in January 2014. Micro and small businesses will be encouraged to apply via an on-line marketplace, which is currently being developed.

For regular updates on the Growth Voucher Programme, register by email: growthvouchersbis@bis.gsi.gov.uk

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SBT

ASK THE

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Insurance disputes – what happens when insurers are not there for you?

SBT speaks to Michael Axe from Rawlison Butler about insurance disputes

As cases where insurers seek to decline cover on questionable grounds appear to be on the rise, Michael Axe from our Commercial Disputes Team looks at common areas where insurers purport to decline cover when you make an insurance claim.

The age-old story with insurance is that if you have it, you hope you never need it - but you can guarantee that if you don’t have it, you’ll wish you did. But what most businesses find truly frustrating is paying for expensive insurance, only to have their insurers attempt to leave them high and dry when they try to make a claim under the insurance policy.

In the current economic climate, we’re seeing more and more insurers attempting to find ways to justify declining cover in relation to claims made by third parties against their clients. Whilst every case depends on its own relevant facts (including the specific terms of the relevant insurance policy), we have set out below some of the tactics that we are seeing being increasingly deployed by insurers.

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Limiting what type of losses are covered It is common practice in public and/ or product liability insurance policies for there to be promises made in one section regarding the indemnities provided in the event that a claim is made against the client, only for there to be extensive exclusions clauses set out elsewhere in the policy which significantly restrict the scope and usefulness of the indemnities. Trying to reconcile the widely drafted indemnities with the very restrictive exclusion clauses can, in some cases, be a very tricky exercise, especially when the different sections may often appear paradoxical to each other.

For example, a policy may include an indemnity to cover the costs of replacing the third party’s damaged “property” in the event of a claim, but an exclusion clause may then state that the indemnity will not apply if the damage was caused by a defect in the product supplied by the client.

Whilst that scenario is relatively common, what the client may not discover, until it tries to make a claim, is that the insurer might attempt to argue that the indemnity to cover the replacement costs of the damaged “property” does not include the costs of replacing the actual product supplied by the client (regardless of the fact that, in this hypothetical example, the damage was not caused by a defect in the product supplied, and therefore the exclusion clause should not apply). If the product supplied by the client was, for example, worth considerably more than the third party’s other “property” which was damaged, such an argument by the insurers could potentially undermine the commercial value of

having had the insurance in the first place.

Limiting the type of work that is covered Another way in which insurers may attempt to limit what they have to pay out under an insurance policy is by using an exclusion clause which imposes some (perhaps seemingly arbitrary) limitation on the type of work carried out by the client that will be covered by the indemnity.

For example, some public liability insurance policies relating to work carried out at height (ie. off the ground) may impose a maximum height exclusion clause, saying that any work carried out above that height will not be covered by the indemnity. In that scenario, if the client comes to make a claim but some of the work which it carried out was above the maximum height limit, the insurer may attempt to argue that the indemnity will not cover any of the work carried out, because the job as a whole could be said to have been carried out above the maximum height limit.

Failing that, the insurers are almost certain to argue that their liability should be limited to the percentage of the work that was carried out under the maximum height limit, which in turn could lead to ancillary disputes over the correct apportionment between insured and uninsured losses. This would mean that if the insurer alleged that, say, only 25% of the work was carried out under the maximum height limit, then the insurer should only pay 25% of the claim, meaning that the client could very well find themselves expected to cover the majority of the claim made against them on their own.

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Disputing the scope of any additional or retrospective cover In certain situations, a client may want to obtain additional cover, for example, “retrospective” cover for bookings made/taken but not yet performed. If an insurer is prepared to provide any such additional or “retrospective” cover, there are likely to be very strict conditions to such cover, for example, a requirement that the client discloses full details of each individual future booking for which “retrospective” cover is sought. In the event that a claim subsequently needs to be made in relation to any such “retrospective” cover, the insurer will be looking for any failure to comply with the conditions set, as a justification for declining cover.

any requirement, no matter how small, which is set out in the policy documents. Because of the way in which the policies are usually drafted, a failure to comply with even the smallest of conditions may still be sufficient to enable the insurer to decline to provideany cover under the policy even if the client’s failure to comply with a minor condition didn’t adversely affect the insurer’s position under the policy at all.

Disclosure and Notification Equally, issues relating to the nondisclosure of relevant facts when the client applies for the insurance policy, and issues relating to late and/ or inadequate notification once a

with the third party that is bringing a claim against them, and on the other hand, instructing us to represent them in a separate legal dispute with their insurers over the insurer’s decision to decline cover.

Do insurers have a point? As each case is different, sometimes they obviously do have a point, but often they might not. Either way, becoming involved in simultaneous legal disputes with their insurers and their former customer can be very complicated and stressful for clients, and was the last thing they were expecting when they took out the insurance policy in the first place. The Commercial Disputes team at Rawlison Butler LLP have experience in relation to disputes with insurers who

“Insurers will often spend a great deal of effort scouring all of the policy documents for any sign that the client has failed to comply with any requirement” Relying on the policy certificate On a related note, the client may have requested additional elements of cover in addition to the “standard” indemnity under the policy, either through a third party broker or directly with the insurer. However, if any such additional elements of cover are not expressly set out in the insurance certificate and policy documents, the insurer will almost certainly attempt to argue that those additional elements are not covered, despite the fact that the client may have received unequivocal assurances (either verbally or in writing) from the insurer or the broker before the policy was taken out.

Relying on the smallest of the small print It may be stating the obvious, but insurers will often spend a great deal of effort scouring all of the policy documents for any sign that the client has failed to comply with

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third party threatens to bring a claim against the client, are areas where insurers will often look for grounds to justify declining insurance cover.

These issues are often complex in terms of what relevant facts need to be disclosed in the insurance application, and precisely when an insurer must be notified about a potential claim against the client, and could form the basis of a separate articles in their own right.

A war on two fronts The above examples are, of course, just a taste of the kind of arguments which insurers are raising in an attempt to justify declining cover, but as each case hinges on the specific terms of the relevant insurance policy, no two cases are ever quite the same.

What we are seeing is an increasing amount of clients who are having to instruct us to fight a war on two fronts; on the one hand, instructing us to represent them in their dispute

have attempted to decline cover, and so we might at least be able to assist you if you do find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

For more information on this or any other issue relating to insurance disputes, please contact Michael Axe by emailing Michael or by calling him on 08450 990045, or speak to your usual contact in the Commercial Disputes Team.

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28/11/2013 12:30

Society SBT

LWS Marketing Re-launch If you went down to the woods recently you may have been surprised to find something of a celebration taking place.

At their woodland offices in Arundel, the team at leading full-services marketing agency, LWS Marketing were marking the company’s relaunch and rebrand with clients from across Sussex.

Previously LWS Creative, the company’s metamorphosis to LWS Marketing follows its own consistent growth through marketing and the strategic marketing-lead focus it takes towards growing clients’ own businesses.

“We are delighted to celebrate our own growth with very people we are working with to build their businesses,” said Adrian Slade, managing director.

A superb buffet of hot food and refreshments were served to guests by LWS’ client Nineteenth Catering from Ham Manor Golf Club.

Adrian Slade, Managing Director, Claire Love, Business Development & Founding Director and the LWS Marketing team

Claire Love, Business Development & Founding Director of LWS Marketing with John and Sarah Mills of Sproutbiz and Arbonne

Hayley Martin of Nineteenth Catering

Self-help author Ben Bonetti and Monica Carpena

A welcome from Claire Love, Business Development & Founding Director of LWS Marketing

A presentation from Adrian Slade, Managing Director of LWS Marketing

LWS Marketing ladies Seanin Hann, Jacqui Davies and Hannah Knott

Fay Watt of Renapur Ltd

Luke Mead of LMS IT Services with Sarah Engerran, Head of Communications at LWS Marketing

Chris Evans of Redwood Films with Mike Escott, Chairman of LWS Marketing

Graham Franks Photography ©

Melanie Peters of Best of Worthing with Claire Love, Business Development & Founding Director of LWS Marketing

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28/11/2013 11:58

Launch of Anfora

The restaurant team at Anfora

Shisk kebab for Lindsay Hills

Enjoying the music, Lesley Fennell and Anita Ellison

Hen Party for Happy Dalda and friends

Lisa Kelly

Anfora Restaurant is a new Turkish family-run restaurant that serves a wonderful selection of steaks, seafood and mezes and opened its doors officially to the very diverse cultural restaurant market in Brighton & Hove.

A packed restaurant including many celebrities helped to celebrate the launch evening and were entertained with some authentic cocktails, belly dancing, a live Turkish band and multi ethnic food for its very diverse clientele.

The ethos of the Restaurant, based at 64 Western Road in Hove is to guarantee amazing food, local and seasonal in a warm, friendly atmosphere. It will be open seven days a week as well as serving lunch every day.

Raci Isgin, the Owner said, “Its been an amazing evening and we feel very honoured to be welcomed into the business community of Brighton & Hove in such a great way. We hope this is the beginning of a long and successful relationship.”

For more information and to book a table especially for your Christmas parties at the Anfora, please call 01273 721182 and checkout www.anforahove.com

Edith Manganiello, Jose Oscar Fernandez and Vanessa Kennedy

Simone Amimi and Veysel Karalar from Bodram Barbers

Anfora owner Raci Isgin breaks his way into baked fish in a salt crust

Ian Miller and Amanda Lucas of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach

Graham Franks Photography ©

Chris and Anita Ellison with Peter Qvortrup and Lesley Fennell

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28/11/2013 11:59

Home Grown Hero

Made In Sussex:

KalliKids Often referred to as “Checkatrade for Brand kids”, Kallikids is the first online portal for Focus finding approved children’s activity providers in your local area. The no cost site is easy to use and a quick postcode search brings up a list of recommended activities and services for children and their locations.

The business was founded in 2012

by Karen and her husband who had problems finding quality activities and services for their two daughters. When searching for tutors and sports clubs, they felt there was no way of judging the quality of the provsion, and felt there was need for an industry standard.

Karen said: “We felt far more confident when a service had been recommended by a friend but felt a bit lost without this sort of guidance.”

With so much coverage of poor care and sub-standard provision in the press, it’s hard to believe that Kallikids is the first website to offer this kind of accreditation service for the child care industry.

Karen found she had spotted a gap in the market and recognised the need for a standardised rating system.

She then got to work researching the business, looking at accreditation sites from other sectors and discovering what sort of criteria parents used when describing a great provider.

Karen said: “The pivotal moment happened over a glass of wine, when I asked my two sisters which they felt was more important: recommendations from other parents or proof of qualifications. They answered the opposite to each other and that is why KalliKids operates both on recommendation and evidence.”

Thanks to this revelation, every single business on the Kallikids website has

Karen Bach is the entrepreneur behind a new website, Kallikids, that helps parents source accredited services from private tutors to sports coaches

“The mums in the team understand completely what other parents go through in searching for great activities and services” both been recommended by parents and had the necessary documents requested and reviewed by mums in the KalliKids team so other parents can be assured knowing their offspring are in good hands.

The website, launched in January, now lists over 180 accredited clubs, classes, sports groups, music tutors, places to go, photographers and health specialists in Sussex. Nearing the end of its first year, the company is now expanding into Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.

Karen said: “I’m very happy with the way things have gone, but it took a lot of courage to take the leap of starting the business. Nearly 20 years into a professional career as the Finance Director of quoted and private equities businesses, I had been frustrated for some time but didn’t truly believe I had the grit or the idea to become an entrepreneur. My husband had given up work to bring up our two girls and so my salary was key to our financial stability.”

In her new role as entrepreneur Karen enjoys pushing the business forward with her team of mothers who work part time, university graduates and students. She said: “The mums in the team understand completely what other parents go through in searching for great activities and services. They therefore speak with credibility to the teachers, the coaches, the dance schools and other providers. An added benefit of active and engaged mums in a team is the occasional home-made cake in the office!”

Kallikids accreditation is designed for parents by parents, to rate how good a teacher is, as well as to confirm their qualifications. To achieve this Kallikids speaks with three parents as independent referees and requests proper identification, justification of all qualification claims, and DBS (what we used to know as a CRB check).

And they’re strict - based on these criteria Kallikids has already had to one application and removed accreditation from another.

Karen said: “Our values and ethics are as responsible parents and we make decisions based on what we would do with our own children.”

If you are interested in using the Kallikids website to find recommended activities for your children visit www.kallikids.com

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28/11/2013 11:57

Friends of the Albion Networking Group

Promo

al c o l t i ng

b

s with s e n i us

in Sussex

Join the Friends of the Albion Networking Group today and promote your business to over 130 other Member companies.

Enjoy monthly breakfast meetings with superb facilities at the Amex stadium and the chance to belong to the most interesting and enjoyable affinity group in the area.

Your business will also have a Member listing in every Albion home matchday programme.

01273 878278

Call Albion Commercial on or email commercial@bhafc.co.uk for more information.

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28/11/2013 11:57

“Our bank has £250m to lend owner managed businesses... and we’re getting our share.”

Our bank has lent us the capital we need at a good rate, with no fees. We like dealing with a specialist business bank, especially as our local manager understands that owner managed businesses are the engine of the economy. Here in the engine room, our business is firing on all cylinders.

Mark Cain, Director, Velvet Central Limited

0845 045 0900

* Visit our website or call 8am-8pm Monday to Friday to contact your local branch

Michael Wilkins, Senior Branch Manager, Brighton branch, 20/22 Marlborough Place, Sussex BN1 1UB

Our business is business banking

aibgb.co.uk

*Telephone lines open from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales. Calls may be recorded and monitored for security and training purposes. BT landline calls to 0845 numbers will cost no more than 5 pence per minute. Charges from other service providers may vary and calls from mobiles usually cost more. Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 4 Queens Square, Belfast BT1 3DJ. Registered Number NI 18800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

AIB1 SB