SBT June 2018 ISSUE 425

SBT SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

ISSUE 425

FREE

THE SPORT YOGI THIS MONTH WE WELCOME LEWIS HATCHETT AS THE NEW SPONSOR OF OUR HEALTH SECTION. WITH HINTS, TIPS AND ADVICE HE WILL BE HELPING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY ACHIEVE A HEALTHIER WORKPLACE.

ROUTE ONE WE INTERVIEW MATT ROSINE, FOUNDER OF ROUTE ONE, TO DISCUSS HIS MISSION TO ASSIST GRASSROOTS AND NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL CLUBS.

VENUES WE WELCOME BACK BRIGHTON RACECOURSE TO OUR PAGES AS WE LOOK AT VENUES FOR CHRISTMAS PARTY SEASON.

IN THIS MONTH’S COVER FEATURE, SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES’ FOCUS IS ON OUR OFFICIAL MOTOR SECTION SPONSORS, RIVERVALE. WE SPEAK TO CEO VINCE PEMBERTON AND THE TEAM TO FIND OUT MORE.

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

SBTWelcome MEET THE TEAM

Sam Thomas, Managing Director/ Publisher

Mark Butcher, Partner

Belinda Bennett, Editor/ Head of Social Media

Greg Carroll, Partner

James Morrison, Production

Stephen Lawrence Photographer Snap it Now

CONTRIBUTORS

James Dempster, Managing Director, Cobb Digital

Alexander Wood, Coffin Mew

Welcome to our latest issue of SBT! After an amazing summer in Sussex, people are now already discussing Christmas. We have another packed issue for you with all the local news, local insights and reviews from across the county - SBT giving a voice to the Sussex business community. We hope you enjoy the issue.

This month’s cover feature focus is on Rivervale, the official sponsors of our Motor Section. We talk to CEO Vince Pemberton and the team to find out more.

We have great pleasure in welcoming ex-Sussex CCC professional cricketer, Lewis Hatchett, to our pages as sponsor of our Health and Wellbeing section.

He gives an insight into his amazing story and tells us all about the Sport Yogi, as well as gives advice, hints and tips to assist the Sussex business community achieve a healthier workplace.

We have a Q&A with Matt Rosine to learn about Route One’s mission and how they will assist grassroots and non-league football.

As always, alongside these great features, we have Ask the Expert columns and our Made in Sussex feature. In our popular motor section, sponsored by Rivervale, find out why you should get an electrical vehicle health check. This month, Working Lunch was at the fantastic Riddle and Finns, whilst our hotel review is on the oldest hotel in Brighton, the Old Ship. In these pages, we bring you some fantastic Q&As as we catch up with Mike Monk and hear more about the success of Brighton B2B Expo, and next month’s event at Brighton Racecourse. As well as your usual local, national, motoring and chamber news.

Enjoy this month’s read.

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

Daniel Sheppard, Bodifix

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 3

Issue 425

SBT

ISSUE 425

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

THE SPORT YOGI THIS MONTH WE WELCOME LEWIS HATCHET AS THE NEW SPONSOR OF OUR HEALTH SECTION. WITH HINTS, TIPS AND ADVICE HE WILL BE HELPING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY ACHIEVE A HEALTHIER WORKPLACE.

ROUTE ONE WE INTERVIEW MATT ROSINE, FOUNDER OF ROUTE ONE, TO DISCUSS HIS MISSION TO ASSIST GRASSROOTS AND NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL CLUBS.

VENUES WE WELCOME BACK BRIGHTON RACECOURSE TO OUR PAGES AS WE LOOK AT VENUES FOR CHRISTMAS PARTY SEASON.

IN THIS MONTH’S COVER FEATURE, SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES’ FOCUS IS ON OUR OFFICIAL MOTOR SECTION SPONSORS, RIVERVALE CAR AND VAN LEASING. WE SPEAK TO CEO VINCE PEMBERTON AND THE TEAM TO FIND OUT MORE.

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

Cover: Rivervale

Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Head of Production Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk Web Designer/Developer Tom Alexander Accounts: Clare Fermor accounts@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 016 Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by L&S Printing Limited Hazelwood Close Worthing BN14 8NP 01903 821005 www.ls-printing.com

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2018 ©

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News

View the latest local and national headlines.

Spending It

As Summer draws to a close, we take a look at all your Autumn essentials.

Finance: Brexit: Breaking up is hard to do

PIMFA has followed the ongoing spate of conflicting and often contradictory political, economic and technical statements on Brexit with interest, trepidation and concern over what some have identified as the increasing possibility of a hard or no deal Brexit.

Legal – Irwin Mitchell: Employment status does matter

Irwin Mitchell return to our pages again this month as the sponsors of our Legal section. Here, in these pages, Matthew Irvine discusses the world of work with the rise of the so called ‘gig economy’, ‘zero hours’ contracts and ‘self employed’ contractors. He examines the question: is the law keeping up with these developments?

Charity

Search Seven’s #share7 hits a hole in one on its charity golf day.

Insight – Insight 6 leads the way in Customer Experience

The UK and Ireland-based customer experience specialists Shopper Anonymous has rebranded to become Insight6.

Cover Feature: Rivervale A Q&A with CEO Vince Pemberton and the Rivervale team to find out all there is to know about Rivervale.

Historical Sussex: Go Huguenot or Go Home

This month’s history column is on Rye Castle Museum, focusing on a group of people who are lesser known in our area – but deserve more attention.

Tried and Tested in Sussex

Our Working Lunch this month is at the fantastic Riddle & Finn’s, whilst our hotel review focuses on the oldest hotel in Brighton, The Old Ship.

Chamber News

For this month’s Chamber News section, we have again partnered with Sussex Chamber of Commerce.

Motoring – Rivervale

Why should I get an Electronic Vehicle Health Check?

Ask the Expert

Local Sussex business experts advise on relevant issues.

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SBTLocal News British Nacra 17 sailor from Hailsham announced as Marlow Ropes Ambassador for Tokyo 2020 leading rigging specialist. It’s very exciting to be involved with the research and development of even more innovative systems - even more so for a manufacturer from my home town!”

Ben Saxton said: “We are excited to team up with Marlow Ropes. Nikki and I are in the business of being the best, and quite simply Marlow Ropes is a perfect partner for us! There are exciting times ahead.“ Marlow Ropes is delighted to announce Ben Saxton and local Sussex sailor Nikki Boniface as its latest brand ambassadors. Nikki is from Hailsham, East Sussex where the Marlow Ropes UK factory and head office is based.

The British Sailing Team Nacra 17 sailors will fly the flag for Marlow Ropes during their bid for Tokyo 2020.

Paul Honess, leisure marine sales director at Marlow Ropes said: “As the Nacra 17 boat is relatively new to the circuit, Marlow Ropes is keen to research, design and develop new products to improve some of the systems within the foiling class. Ben and Nikki are the perfect team to help us achieve this. We wish them continued success in their bid to represent Team GB in 2020.”

The pair achieved early success together scooping silver medals from their first two events. This convinced them to make their partnership official for a Tokyo 2020 campaign.

More recent successes include third place in the Sailing World Cup Final, fourth in the European Championships, sixth Overall European Championships and tenth in the World Championships.

Nikki Boniface said: “I love that we can work with a world-

Ben Saxton made waves as a young sailor. He claimed the prestigious Optimist national title in 2004 and was selected for the British Optimist World Championships team in 2004 and 2005. At youth level he won silver at the 420 Junior Europeans and finished second U19s at the 420 Worlds 2008 in Greece. Later that year he progressed into the Olympic 470 class, winning 470 European silver with Richard Mason in 2012 before switching to the Nacra 17 class when it was introduced for the Rio 2016 cycle.

Saxton went to the Rio 2016 Olympics with Nicola Groves before pairing up with Katie Dabson in mid 2017, winning the world championships the same year. When Dabson suffered an injury prior to the Princess Sofia Trophy, Palma earlier this year, Nikki Boniface stepped into the breach.

Nikki is a multihull specialist who has been racing since she was 12 years old. She used to compete against Saxton with previous helm Tom Phipps.

Marlow Ropes is the competitive sailor’s brand of choice, proudly manufactured in Hailsham, East Sussex. It is the official partner to the USA and UK sailing teams, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, TFW Foiling Week and The Offshore Academy amongst others.

New research into South East property trends SHW has produced new research into the office, industrial and development sectors across the South East Significant trends identified by the research include:

Offices

‘Hot’ locations such as Brighton and Croydon continue to see higher rents and availability falling. Vacant office space in Croydon, for example, stood at 1,800,000 sq ft in 2013 – today, it stands at a mere 206,000 sq ft, just 3.7% of built stock.

The relatively few speculative builds are faring well, with many pre-let before completion, such as Brighton’s seven6 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

storey Brinell Building, 65,000 sq ft of A Grade new-build offices next to the main railway station.

Healthy stock levels can be found in locations such as Crawley (17%), but these figures are seen as temporary as several large occupiers have released space in the town due to relocation to new-build options leaving a few large vacancies.

Industrial / logistics

Prime locations continue to suffer from low stock levels, with Crawley / Gatwick currently encountering a mere 2.7% available.

Most interest is from the Warehouse & Logistics sector.

Development

Strong demand for commercial land in prime locations with Croydon and Crawley seeing high prices paid on the back of good demand for stock.

Good demand in selected locations for residential land, especially land suitable for houses.

Head of Business Space Tim Hardwicke said: “The overall picture is generally healthy in the main with good demand across all sectors.”

SBTLocal News New Head of SHW Eastbourne office as a Director and Past President of Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, will continue in his role in the firm’s Professional Division where he specialises in valuation, rent reviews and lease advisory work.

SHW Partner Adam Jordan BSc (Hons) MRICS has accepted an invitation from the firm to be the new Head of our multi-disciplinary Eastbourne office.

Adam who has been with the firm for eight years - will be responsible for the continued good running of the office including fee generation, business development, marketing and crossselling, and ensuring SHW remains the “go-to” firm of surveyors in the Eastbourne region. Adam specialises in Building Consultancy work.

Mark McFadden, who has made an invaluable contribution to the economic development of the town, both in his capacity as a partner at SHW and

Commenting on his appointment Adam said: “Under Mark’s leadership the office has grown and SHW is well-known and has a respected professional reputation within the town. I relish the opportunity to take on that role and further develop the SHW offering in East Sussex. We not only manage residential blocks but are busy with commercial property agency, lease advisory, valuation and building surveying work.

“Last year we sold the 44,000 sq ft former East Sussex Fire & Rescue HQ in Upperton Road, were instrumental in the letting of a 36,000 sq ft new building to Vacgen at Swallows Business Park in Hailsham and are currently advising both public sector and private clients on over 180,000 sq ft of industrial, office and retail premises for rent reviews and lease renewals across East Sussex.

“We have negotiated new lettings or leases on over 60% of Ridgewood Industrial Park in Uckfield for our client, a large investment fund and acting for a tenant we have saved over £120k on a dilapidations claim for another Uckfield-based client and reduced the claim to approximately one-third of the landlord’s original claim.

We are currently project managing the conversion of redundant office accommodation and adding a new floor to provide new flats above the Iceland store in Eastbourne Town Centre.”

Commenting on Adam’s appointment, David Martin SHW’s Sussex Coast Regional Head said: “The appointment of Adam reflects the growth of this office which provides a multidisciplinary service. I would like to take the opportunity of thanking Mark for his continuing efforts in promoting SHW in the East Sussex area and to congratulate Adam on his appointment.

I look forward to working closely with both Adam and Mark going forward.”

Brighton business shortlisted for four different awards Brighton-based online accountancy

firm Crunch is celebrating being shortlisted for four national business awards.

The nominations, which are spread across three award ceremonies, recognise the work of Crunch as a business, its accounting software, and also the individuals that help the company excel.

Following award successes in 2016 and 2017, Crunch has recently been nominated for these overall business awards:

British Small Business Awards – Accountancy Software Provider of the Year This nomination recognises how Crunch’s continually evolving services suit the needs of SMEs – based on its innovation, customer care, value for

money and, most of all, as a system that best assists freelancers and small companies with managing their finances.

British Accountancy Awards – Practice Excellence, Mid-Tier Firm of the Year

This award recognises four main elements at Crunch; strategic planning, profitability/growth, professionalism and people/community.

And these individual awards:

Accounting Excellence Awards – Practice Accountancy Pioneer of the Year CEO and Founder of Crunch, Darren Fell, has been nominated for his inspirational leadership and the growth and innovations he has led Crunch to achieve in the past year.

British Accountancy Awards – Rising Star of the Year

Dillis Wei Qin, an Accounting Services Manager at Crunch, has been shortlisted for the Rising Star of the Year Award. She is an integral part of the accountancy team and this nomination recognises her hard work.

Darren Fell, CEO and Founder of Crunch, said: “These nominations reflect the tireless efforts of our talented employees in supporting the brilliant self-employed people and small business owners who trust us with their finance every day. Whether we win or not, finding ourselves shortlisted for four awards at once is something to be proud of and grateful for.”

Crunch has to wait until 20th September for the first announcement, with another a week later and the final ceremony on 31st October.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 7

SBTNational News Twitter Cull Hits Follower Numbers

You are not alone if you have noticed your Twitter follower numbers drop off.

Over the summer Twitter deleted around six per cent of its accounts.

The mass cull predominantly saw automated, fake or suspicious accounts permanently deleted. This is of concern if you use Twitter a lot, because promotional tweets can sometimes get caught up in Twitter’s spam filter.

If your account is ever temporarily suspended, take immediate action.

Twitter will reinstate genuine accounts.

Ignore a suspension at your peril.

Treasury Seeks to Extend Carney’s Tenure at Bank for ‘Continuity’ Canadian economist and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is the subject of high-profile talks. His tenure at the bank is set to end just at the UK exits the European Union. The Government wants him to delay his departure to provide the country with continuity.

Mr Carney is due to step down at the end of next June. He has been Governor of the bank for five years. When he was appointed, he said he did not want to remain in the post for the maximum term of eight years.

Mr Carney was due to appear before the Treasury select committee as the Sussex Business Times was going to press. It was widely expected he would be asked to clarify his future plans.

Andrew Bailey has been tipped as a potential replacement, if Mr Carney insists on leaving. Mr Bailey is the widely respected chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority and is a former deputy governor of the Bank of England.

He initially planned to leave after five years but was persuaded to stay for an extra year. Now the Treasury is seeking a further extension. Reports suggest Mr Carney is being asked to stay at the bank until 2020.

If talks fail, the Treasury will face the task of finding a replacement.

Recriminations After House of Fraser Sold for £90m to Sports Direct Owner all plain sailing. Mr Ashley has inherited issues from the previous owners – and he is not happy.

It is reported that he wants the Insolvency Service to investigate House of Fraser’s former directors. Mr Ashley is understood to be concerned that they may have misled suppliers and the department store’s delivery company.

A staple of Britain’s High Streets since 1849, House of Fraser is attempting to reinvent itself with a new man at the helm. Sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley, owner of the Sports Direct empire, has bought the failing department store chain for £90m. The business had previously been put into administration.

His rescue deal, temporarily at least, has saved many House of Fraser outlets from going the same way as British Home Stores. But it hasn’t been

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House of Fraser has endured a tumultuous recent history. It collapsed four years after it was bought by Chinese owned Sanpower. It had hoped to turn the retail giant around.

The department store had debts amounting to £1b when it entered administration this summer. It is said to have owed £30m to the owners of its distribution warehouses, XPO Logistics. The firm has suspended

deliveries to House of Fraser, giving Mr Ashley a major obstacle to overcome.

The good news for House of Fraser staff and customers is that Mr Ashley is a long-time fan of the department store. He is reported to have made an offer for the chain once before. He is also said to have totally immersed himself in the task of saving as many stores as possible.

Mr Ashley is quoted as saying: “I believe that XPO and others were totally misled by Frank Slevin and the House of Fraser board, and the demise of House of Fraser should be fully investigated.”

As one store staff member said: “If anyone can save House of Fraser, Mike Ashley can.”

SBTNational News Free Brexit Insurance Consultations for Construction Sector

Manufacturing Set for ‘Zero Growth’ Low confidence in the UK’s manufacturing sector has been highlighted by the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI).

Concerns over lack of skilled labour following Brexit has led to the offer of Brexit insurance consultations to construction companies.

Experts predict work could stop on major projects as UK firms train up British workers. Fears over increased costs and uncertainty has prompted Construction Insure to take action.

TSB Boss Paul Pester Stands Down

It follows a survey that reveals confidence in British manufacturing is at its lowest level since the Brexit referendum.

Sector commentators believe the sector is heading for zero growth in the third quarter.

IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (Cips) conducted a survey that revealed confidence fell to 52.8 in August. In July, the figure was 54.0. The research shows confidence in manufacturing is at its lowest point for two years.

Historically, PMI data has reflected gross domestic product growth.

Businesses Under Pressure Over Fire Safety Owners of landmark or historic buildings are facing pressure to invest in state-of-the-art loss prevention equipment. A number of high profile fires have led to calls for greater investment in automatic sprinkler systems.

The boss of the TSB bank has resigned following an IT failure that locked thousands of customers out of their accounts.

Paul Pester was chief executive of the TSB for seven years. He is leaving with a golden handshake of £1.68m.

Announcing his resignation, he said: “The last few months have been challenging for everyone at TSB. However, I want to thank all my colleagues across TSB for their dedication and commitment during this period and for their focus on putting things right for TSB customers.”

The Littlewoods Pools building in Liverpool was partly destroyed by fire earlier this month. It has stood empty since 2003.

Campaign groups are calling on the Government to significantly improve fire safety requirements in its ongoing review of Building Regulations.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 9

Autumn Essentials

With memories of summer starting to fade, autumnal weather is heading this way. Be prepared with our guide to Autumn Essentials. Browse our tip picks and choose products that will help you make the most of this time of the year in Sussex.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY Temperatures may be predicted to remain higher than average until the end of October, but we forecast the odd spot of rain. Be prepared with this Fulton Huntsman Umbrella.

£22 www.johnlewis.com

EFFORTLESS LAWNCARE Keep your garden neat and tidy with this McGregor 24V leaf blower.

Practical and powerful, it will keep your pathways, patio and lawn looking good all year round. This lightweight autumn essential is a five-star buy.

PERFECT PUMPKINS Autumn wouldn’t be autumn without pumpkins. Whether you love them for their seeds, as an ingredient for stew or simply to carve out for Halloween, they are a must-have for this time of the year.

Price depends on size. www.waitrose.com

£39.99 www.argos.co.uk

WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT? Alas, it’s time to think about keeping warm. This Evergreen ST0311-11 Cedar 5 kW multi fuel wood burning stove is a practical and stylish addition to any home.

£299 www.gr8fires.co.uk 10 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

TRICK OR TREAT? Create your own haunted house with these colourful buy creepy spinning Halloween lights. Spooky fun for all the family. Light is 11cm.

£3.99 www.partydelights.co.uk

WONDERFUL WELLIES These autumn essentials will keep you clean and dry in the garden – not to mention while you are out and about. Men’s original tall wellington boots from the wellie specialists Hunter.

£100

LET THERE BE LIGHT Autumn is a great time to invest in stylish lighting. It won’t just lift the look of a room, it will provide a sense of warmth and comfort. We love the Martha ceramic table lamp from John Lewis. It boasts a beautifully painted ceramic base and comes complete with a neutral coloured linen shade.

www.johnlewis.com

www.hunterboots.com

£85

THE GREAT COVER UP Keep warm as the temperature drops and look simply stunning in a longline oversized coat from Kaleidoscope.

This contemporary autumn essential is made from soft-to-the-touch material and is available in a choice of colours.

£99 www.kaleidoscope.co.uk

FOR YOUR SECURITY With darker nights closing in, now’s a great time to think about security.

This 10W 6000K LED square floodlight with PIR is perfect for your home or business. It will help to keep you safe and act as a deterrent against would-be thieves.

£15.54 www.electricaldirect.co.uk www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 11

BREXIT: BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO PIMFA has followed the ongoing spate of conflicting and often contradictory political, economic, and technical statements on Brexit with interest, trepidation, and concern over what some have identified as the increasing possibility of a hard or a no deal Brexit and the abrupt change and disruption that could bring to business flows and relationships. We believe this should be avoided.

We have long argued for a three-phase approach to Brexit Finance negotiations and a one-step change to operating businesses in and from a nonEU member state. This means ensuring after formal exit from the EU (phase 1) a proper transitional period close to the current status quo and as near to two years’ duration as possible (phase 2), with the final, phase 3 post-transition EU/UK agreement being known as much as in advance as can be to give firms time and knowledge to adapt as required.

Despite all this, and the common thinking that PIMFA shares on these issues with many commercial businesses and other representational

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bodies, it appears that financial services, the UK’s largest industry, biggest taxpayer, major exporter and largest employer, is still having to fight on both sides of the Channel for recognition of its key role in the EU economic enterprise.

The main recent UK developments in the form of the Chequers Agreement, adopted by Cabinet but publicly rubbished by two of its members as they resigned, and the Government White Paper, promulgated as the solution to differences but unacceptable to EU negotiators, have perversely led to the prospect of No Deal being raised once again – far from the “principled and practical Brexit” with a new relationship with the EU which is “broader in scope than any other

that exists between the EU and a third country” which they were supposed to presage.

More recently still, the proposals raised by ex-cabinet ministers for a second referendum have further muddied the waters. The much publicised Commons vote on the pro-EU rebels’ amendment to the Trade Bill which could have legally bound the UK to seeking a customs union with the EU went against by a mere 307 to 301 (assisted by the absence from the vote of the Liberal Democrat leader who would surely have been in favour). This showed pretty clearly that Parliament, far from being unified in an understanding of the national interest, is as divided as the country with MPs intent on fighting their respective corners. And in this torrid

Finance Politicians appear to have shown a marked and arguably regrettable disregard for the fact that 80% of the UK’s GDP lies in services, of which the financial services sector is the biggest and most rewarding to state coffers, and that services’ cross-border supply and overseas market access depends not on common tariffs but on common regulation. They have made a halfhearted stab at dealing with this with the vague ”enhanced equivalence” concepts in the White Paper, but there is a long way to go before these become a broad-based and enforceable framework for business operations.

environment the prospect of a General Election is never far from certain commentators’ lips.

And for financial services the nub of the problem remains the question of how common regulation can apply if the UK is not in the single market. Without common regulation and the application to all 28 member states of the acquis of EU law, with its associated crossborder enforceability both for contract and against misdemeanour, how can services be applied across border without restriction or limitation, as now?

And even if they do, the private investor and the firms that deal with him/her do not look like being included. All nations are jealous to protect their citizens, so in the dismantling of the systems for cross-border financial services access the first to go are the mechanisms that help firms to assist private clients in investing their money wisely and effectively. Conversely, in the replacement of those systems by some new device the individual and family, and the cross-border means to help them, are the last to be considered.

Sometimes they never are.

So the result of all this is that whatever happens with Brexit, the part of the financial services industry most concerned with helping individuals and families, who are most likely to be adversely affected if the Brexit process

goes wrong, is the one least likely to benefit from measures to mitigate any costs. There is nothing in the White Paper or any other proposals for handling the changes that Brexit will bring that helps professional work to alleviate stresses that may rise for private investors and their assets. And this is regardless of whether there is a deal or a no deal: apart from issues of timing, the two are much the same for the PIMFA community.

So the UK private client investment, brokerage and advice sector in financial services is going to have to develop new approaches all round to dealing with its EU business once we are out of the EU. This may even in some cases go so far as having to shed clients in other EU member states, including UK expatriates, and hand them to firms with bases already in the other EU 27 who can continue unaffected with business as before.

If UK firms do wish to access those clients they will have to develop new entities in other EU countries to do so. That will cost and the clients will have to pay – not a good start for new, globally competitive UK. Meanwhile access to products such as funds for retail investment, or to continental exchanges to trade EU equity, will also be more difficult; this will put new sand into the works and risk piling up the extra payments clients will have to make. Unsurprisingly, some firms and

“So the result of all this is that whatever happens with Brexit, the part of the financial services industry most concerned with helping individuals and families, who are most likely to be adversely affected if the Brexit process goes wrong, is the one least likely to benefit from measures to mitigate any costs.”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

investors are thinking of shifting their operations and assets to other shores.

“For the EU, Michel Barnier has ruled out the UK’s proposed customs arrangement as a means of resolving the Irish hard border issue” Taken with the reduction in the value of the £ and the associated lowering of the comparative value of individuals’ sterling assets, as well as other factors such as the relatively smaller UK economy (than it would otherwise have been) and (so the Bank of England tell us) lower household incomes, this seems to suggest that the risks and costs of Brexit have got well ahead of any potential gains. For PIMFA, it is very important for both the UK economy and individuals and families that the Government recognises this and ensures that measures are in the pipeline to compensate and rectify.

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The Parliamentary 6 week Summer Recess is now upon us and, while this provides the opportunity for a short period of reflection, it leaves hardly any time for further debate before the European Special Summit of the full 28 EU members to discuss Brexit on 20 September, and the crucial European Council on 25/26 October when a decision will be taken on whether to send the Withdrawal Agreement (including the transition period) for ratification by the end of the Article 50 notification period (12 midnight CET on 29 March, 11.00 pm BST).

For the EU, Michel Barnier has ruled out the UK’s proposed customs arrangement as a means of resolving the Irish hard border issue, saying “The EU cannot — and the EU will not — delegate the application of its customs policy and rules, VAT and excise duty collection, to a non-member who would not be subject to the EU’s governance structures”.

Most recently, UK International Trade Minister Liam Fox warned Theresa

May not to extend Brexit negotiations, claiming that doing so would amount to a “complete betrayal” of Brexit voters. This contrasts sharply with the received understanding from most of UK business.

Against this potentially gloomy and highly unsettling background, PIMFA urge that good sense prevails so that a solid consensus may be achieved on how best to take the UK out of the EU in a manner avoiding serious damage to the UK and EU economy, not to mention to the hopes and aspirations of the generations of families and individuals to come.

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www.snapitnow.co.uk stephen.lawrence@snapitnow.co.uk 07976 504 832 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

Employment status: does it matter?

As the world of work changes with the rise of the so called “gig Legal economy”, “zerohours” contracts and “self-employed” contractors, is the law keeping up with these developments and can you be confident of someone’s employment status, especially once you scratch the surface?

Employment law recognises three categories of person; an “employee”, a “worker” and those who are “selfemployed”. It is important to know someone’s actual status because employees and workers have certain rights which the genuinely selfemployed do not have. Equally, there are certain freedoms and advantages to being self-employed.

Unfortunately, it is not always straightforward to identify from the legal definitions which category someone falls into. The Employment Rights Act, for example, helpfully defines an employee

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

as “an individual who has entered into or works under a contract of employment”.

It is often a fine balancing act in which certain factors pointing to employment status need to be weighed against others which point to self-employment.

It is also worth noting that even if HMRC agree that someone is self-employed for tax purposes, a court could potentially still reach a different decision for employment status purposes. This is because for tax purposes, HMRC only recognise two categories, namely “employees” and “self-employed” but not “workers”.

It is fairly common in certain industries to see agreements between individuals and companies which expressly state that they are “independent contractors” in business on their own account rather than employees. Even if both parties have signed the agreement, however, it may be disregarded if it does not reflect the reality of the situation.

This was the outcome in the case of

Smith v Pimlico Plumbers 2018. Mr Smith worked for Pimlico Plumbers for six years. His contract expressly stated that he was self-employed and he was treated as such by HMRC. In order to bring claims for non-payment of holiday, arrears of pay and discrimination, Mr Smith had to establish that he was in fact a worker. To be a worker, Mr Smith had to establish two things: (1) that he was required to undertake the work personally (rather than send someone else to do so) and (2) he was not a client or customer of Pimlico’s.

As to providing personal service, plumbers working for Pimlico could be accompanied by an apprentice or mate to assist them. Also, if they did not have a specialist skill necessary to complete any part of the job, they could engage an external contractor (at their own expense) to do so. The plumbers would continue to do the basic work and neither of these circumstances amounted to substituting the work to someone else. Mr Smith did, however, have a limited right to ask another

Legal Smith was indeed a worker.

And in the recent Uber case, two Uber drivers argued that they were in fact “workers” rather than self-employed.

Uber had argued its drivers were independent contractors and valued the flexibility that working for the Company provided.

The Employment Tribunal found that Uber’s contracts drafted by “armies of lawyers” did not reflect the reality of the relationship. The drivers did contract with Uber to personally perform the work for the Company and Uber could not be described as a customer of the drivers. The drivers were also successful in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. It was confirmed that the drivers were incorporated into the Uber business and were subject to controls that pointed away from them working in business on their own account.

Clearly, there may be significant implications for businesses that get the status of their workforce wrong. As well as facing claims for backdated wages and holiday pay, there are potential tax ramifications with HMRC examining whether income tax and National Insurance payments are owed.

Matthew Irvine

Pimlico operative to undertake any work he was unable or unwilling to do. Pimlico argued this right was inconsistent with an obligation of personal service.

The Supreme Court disagreed. The right to substitute someone else was restricted to other Pimlico plumbers and it did not override Mr Smith’s general duty to work personally. This was evidenced by the personalised language contained in his contract, which referred to “your skills, competencies and appearance” and the fact that any substitute was subject to the same “heavy obligations” imposed by Pimlico.

If Pimlico could show that the Company was Mr Smith’s client or customer, however, they would still have been successful. The key to this was the extent of Pimlico’s contractual obligation to offer work to Mr Smith and his obligation to accept it. The contractual terms were inconsistent.

His contract included a standard clause that “the company shall be under no obligation to offer you work and [you] shall be under no obligation to accept such work” but the manual stated that working hours were a minimum of 40 hours over five days a week. This arrangement amounted to an “umbrella contract” and Pimlico was under an obligation to offer work to Mr Smith where it was available.

In addition, Pimlico were promoting a brand and its operatives had to wear its uniform, drive its branded van with a tracker applied, carry an identity card and closely follow the administrative instructions of its control room. Mr Smith’s contract also referred to “wages”, “gross misconduct”, “dismissal” and contained restrictions preventing him from competing against Pimlico following termination. All of these factors were inconsistent with him being a truly independent contractor.

The Supreme Court confirmed that Mr

The Supreme Court in Pimlico did not take the opportunity to set down any new principles on how to determine status. This means, therefore, that cases will continue to be decided primarily on their facts. Both cases, however, are a reminder that you cannot necessarily rely on a carefully drafted document if it does not reflect the reality on the ground. When assessing whether someone is an employee or not, it may be helpful to remember the saying that: “if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck!”

By Matthew Irvine, Associate of Irwin Mitchell

Matthew Irvine, Charlotte Sloan and Sarah Burke are lawyers working in the Employment team at Irwin Mitchell’s Gatwick office and can be contacted at matthew.irvine@irwinmitchell.com; charlotte.sloan@irwinmitchell.com and sarah.burke@irwinmitchell.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

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Unit 4, Poets Corner House, 83a Montgomery Street, Hove East Sussex BN3 5BD 01273 233 558 info@mcrmedia.co.uk @mcrmediaUK 18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

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Culture

Seaford Contemporary Illustrators & Printmakers announces ambitious plans Seaford Contemporary Illustrators & Printmakers (SCIP) hosted Seafords first Creative Networking Evening on the 19th July with over 40 creative professionals joining them for an evening of big reveals and informative talks.

SCIP announced exciting plans for their 2019 exhibition Culture The Green Show, which will be a multifaceted event held at the iconic South Hill Barn on Seaford Head. And launched their crowdfunding campaign on Just Giving to fund the venture.

The art exhibition will showcase exclusive new artworks by over 40 of the UK’s best known award-winning illustrators with artworks inspired by the natural world, landscape and climate change.

Alongside this extraordinary exhibition SCIP hope to show a series of short films for visitors to view, exploring the Seaford Head Nature Reserve with Sussex Wildlife Trust, The Rampion Wind Farm and Seafords Plastic Free Campaign.

A diverse creative workshop programme will also be on offer for the community to take part in, with free workshops for children. These will include Quiet Zone workshops for children with learning disabilities, and those who struggle in noisy large groups.

And if that wasn’t enough in the evenings the barn will host visiting lecturers from a variety of industries and backgrounds. These talks will cover a range of subjects including illustration, conservation and climate change.

One of the biggest challenges facing the SCIP team is the venue. The South Hill Barn is a treasured part of the Seaford and East Sussex Community, and the group is excited to be the first to host an event up there and start to

breathe life into this beautiful location.

The Barn has been cared for by Seaford Town Council and is structurally sound, however it comes with great challenges as it has no electricity, running water or toilet facilities…and currently houses a family of pigeons!

Although SCIP will not be installing these facilities, using the barn does create extra expenses a ‘traditional’ venue would not. This, however, has not put these dynamic women off and they will be rising to the challenge of bringing the barn back to life for the whole community to enjoy.

The creative collective has always self-funded their events, and their latest exhibition The Book Show has enabled SCIP to fund a series of free children’s workshops for the 2018 Artwave Festival, and more planned for the spring of 2019. “It’s really important to us that we can provide free art workshops for children in Seaford, with the arts being slowly removed from the school curriculum it is vital for them to have a portal to express themselves, as for some children it can be their only voice to the world” - Josie Swan SCIP Co-founder.

fundraising campaign and to make a contribution visit www.wearescip.co.uk “We are so excited to be launching The Green Show, and we hope to make this just the first in a series of groundbreaking events for Seaford.

We want this to be something the community can be proud of, and which will put Seaford on the map as a creative hub. If you can contribute to our fund will be truly grateful, please share on social media and spread the word too.” - Alice Carter, SCIP Co-founder The creative collective are also approaching companies and organisations to be supporters of the event, offering unique marketing opportunities in return for their involvement. Please contact SCIP directly if you would like to have your company associated with this unique event.

The SCIP team hope this is the start of creating extraordinary events in Seaford which put this beautiful town on the map as a creative hub for East Sussex.

The Green Show is a much bigger event, and the largest creative arts event ever hosted in Seaford. To raise the funds to make this unique event happen, SCIP are asking the community to help through online crowdfunding on Just Giving. For every contribution to The Green Show, SCIP are offering some extraordinary rewards from show posters to illustration classes. To learn more about The Green Show, the

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19

BTN BikeShare celebrates its first birthday Brighton and Hove’s award-winning bike share scheme, BTN BikeShare, celebrates a year of success with better than anticipated usage figures, multiple scheme expansions and a city of happy riders.

Since its launch on 1 September Community 2017, 53,591 BTN BikeShare users have made 347,234 trips across the city, collectively riding for a total of 680,624 miles – the equivalent distance of 27 trips around the world (and then some).

In response to user demand, the Brighton & Hove City Council and Coast to Capital funded scheme expanded its boundaries to the east and west, opening several new docking

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stations including King Alfred leisure centre and Hove Lagoon.

Further expansion is planned for later in the year following the arrival of an additional 120 new bikes, making it easier for more users to get riding.

Based on user figures, the American Express and Life Natural Spring Water sponsored scheme is believed to be one of the country’s best-performing bike share scheme outside of London, becoming a staple for residents and visitors alike.

BTN BikeShare aims to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle and provide a sustainable, environmentally friendly mode of transport.

One BTN BikeShare user, Martin, says: “I get to explore places I’ve not been before, despite living here for 16 years!

I’ve used the scheme since day one – I love that it promotes sustainable transport by encouraging more people to cycle.”

Another Brighton bike share enthusiast, Marilena, adds: “It’s so easy. I no longer have to worry about my bike being stolen or breaking down. And it’s social – my wife and I love going on bike rides together.”

Tim Caswell, owner of Hourbike, the company operating the scheme, said: “Community is at the heart of the bike share scheme and we’re delighted

that it has been fully embraced by the people of Brighton and Hove. It’s been brilliant watching locals and visitors support the bikes, choosing to cycle as a healthy and sustainable way to get around the city. We’re excited for the scheme to grow and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays!”

“Community is at the heart of the bike share scheme and we’re delighted that it has been fully embraced by the people of Brighton and Hove”

Chair of the Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, Cllr Gill Mitchell, added: “It’s great to see the popularity of the bike share

scheme which means it can expand to benefit more people in more places.

We’re hoping to encourage even more people to try cycling during Cycle September and enjoy a sustainable and healthy way of getting around the city.”

BTN BikeShare will be celebrating its birthday at a free bike breakfast and networking event, hosted by Love to Ride for the launch of Cycle September.

Join them and other local businesses on Thursday 6 September from 8 to10am at The Meeting Place Café on Brighton seafront – and nab some birthday cake to take back to the office.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

Almost half of businesses report graduates lack vital employability skills - what should schools teach students to allow them to enter the workplace as valued employees?

Claire Granados, Principal at Quest Professional, a business college focused on equipping A-level and university leavers with the business acumen, employability and interview skills required to fast-track aspiring students into the world of work, discusses the vital proficiencies young people need to enter the workplace.

Almost half (49%) of businesses Education believe that a large proportion of graduates ‘do not have the skills expected of them at the point of hiring’, according to the Institute of Student Employers. This is a shocking statistic, particularly when you consider that the desire to find a job is among the top motivations for attending university.

As a former business leader myself, I believe the lack of key skills among graduates and young people in general is certainly an area in which UK institutions need to improve.

Universities, and particularly schools, need to examine the competencies businesses require and build these into the curriculum, which will enable young people to hit the ground running when starting their careers.

What are the key skills schools need to teach students?

Top of the list for businesses - and flagged by organisations as varied as Microsoft and the BBC - is sector awareness. Candidates who can demonstrate they have a good awareness of the business and wider

22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

marketplace will move to the top of an employer’s hiring list. Knowledge of companies’ main competitors, their threats to expansion and governing principles will also impress an interviewer.

Also key are effective communication skills. This doesn’t just mean being well-spoken in an interview - it also encompasses strong presenting ability, audience awareness, the ability to communicate as part of a team and knowing how to summarise information concisely. Developing and honing these competencies before entering the workplace will ensure that students are able to confidently begin their careers and achieve success from the outset.

Time management is also crucial.

Teaching students not to be chained to emails, to prioritise tasks and meet multiple deadlines is another important skill which cannot be gained solely through essay assignments.

Good candidates should be able to demonstrate that they can cope with multiple tasks as well as perform under pressure.

Strong team work is another essential.

Very few university assignments require students to work as part of a team and

Claire Granados

simple skills like communicating with colleagues and reporting to superiors are often lacking in graduates. Part of being a good team player is the ability to motivate others and foster a positive attitude. Employees who demonstrate a sullen or unmotivated demeanor are unlikely to progress no matter how competent they may be. On the flip side, employees who are polite, personable and enthusiastic to progress will always impress managers - and mark them out as future candidates to move up the corporate ladder.

Practice Interview

How can schools encourage students to hone key business skills?

In the current education climate of budget cuts and teacher retention issues it’s easier said than done to say that teachers should be doing more. If, however, a whole-school or countrywide approach is taken to embedding business skills within the curriculum we may be able to prepare our young people to begin their lives in the working world far more effectively.

For example, why not use creative writing to teach children how to write blogs or to differentiate between newspaper articles aimed at different target audiences? These skills are useful for those wishing to pursue

Lloyds visit

careers in sectors such as journalism or marketing. Similarly, persuasive writing can be used to examine the way companies use advertising to convince and persuade their audience.

Using extra-curricular activities or even time within lessons to teach students how to plan and co-ordinate projects is another valuable real-life skill. Using food technology to teach students how to make a product, then market and sell this to a real audience (such as their fellow students in the cafeteria) is one way in which this could be achieved.

Arguably a project which students complete themselves and where they are able to see the results of their hard work is more valuable than a week’s work experience spent making tea!

How can schools prepare young people to face workplace challenges?

Teaching students to recover from failure is essential. This is a key skill which the current exam-based system – where students receive either a pass or a fail – highly discourages. In the real world our young people will meet with failure; being able to recover and learn from this will hold them in good stead for their career.

Starting tasks over from scratch is difficult, even for seasoned professionals; however, the ability to be able to change tack, re-think strategies and embrace new perspectives is a skill all successful people possess.

There are, of course, many schools that already do an excellent job of educating pupils through schemes, such as Young Enterprise, debating societies and additional extra-curricular activities. To really encourage business skills, though, I firmly believe we must do more to embed these vital practises within the curriculum, something which will be of huge value not just to young people but to the UK as a whole!

To find out more about Quest Professional and their courses for A-level and university leavers please visit their website questprofessional.co.uk or give them a call on 020 7233 5957

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

Splashing Time at Charity Watersports Challenge Two Brighton-based charities joined forces for a fantastic fundraising day at Hove Lagoon, with Sussex businesses making a splash!

The Starr Trust and Rockinghorse children’s charity Charity hosted the Starr Water Wars Challenge last Sunday September 2nd which saw participants take part in a series of water-based tasks in a bid to be crowned 2018 champions.

Hosted by Latest TV presenter Guy Lloyd, competitors welcomed the September sunshine as teams battled to become Starr Water Wars champions. There was a lot of intense (playful!) team rivalry but following a thrilling finale, Bright View Lofts were crowned the winners, with 2nd place going to Sheridan Coopers and Jurys Inn coming in 3rd.

Sixteen teams of four competitors went head-to-head in a number of challenges, including giant paddle boarding, kayaking, raft building and the finale – a raft race across the lagoon!

Other businesses that participated were: Accordance VAT, Beales, Clearline, Coole Bevis, Crunch, Enterprise Rentals, Gardiner & Scardifield, Green People, Hilton Brighton Metropole, Seico Mortgages and the Treatment Rooms.

With monies continuing to come in, in excess of £5000 was raised to support the important work of both these children’s charities. The Starr Trust supports young people aged 10-18 to fulfil their potential in Art, Sport and Education and Rockinghorse is the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.

24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Rosie Molloy, Fundraising Manager at The Starr Trust, said “We are so grateful to all the businesses that put in teams, especially Beales and Airsprung who were our headline sponsors for the third year running. Everyone had such a fantastic time, and the gorgeous sunshine, delicious bbq courtesy

of Steyning Butchers and marquee donated by ABC Structures all helped to make the day a huge success.”

Terrina Barnes, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Rockinghorse, added: “What a day! Well done to everyone who joined us at Hove Lagoon to make Starr Water Wars such a great event and raise a fantastic amount of money.

We couldn’t have done it without the support of some very generous individuals and businesses such as Green People who were the shirt sponsors. Our thanks to all those who helped make the day happen.”

To register your interest and involvement in Starr Water Wars next year, email rosie@starrtrust.com or terrina@rockinghorse.org.uk

Come and join us for a unique charity fundraiser in aid of Sussex Cancer Fund

Brighton Medieval Banquet Saturday 2nd March 2019 at the Grand Hotel, Brighton In aid of

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Media partners:

Sponsors www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25

Hole in one!

Search Seven’s #share7 campaign closing in on 17k target after successful charity golf day.

In June’s issue, we covered the first #share7 fundraising Charity event by Search Seven, a Hove based digital marketing agency, by reporting on their charity football match at the Amex stadium which raised just under £8,000.

The second event was a charity golf day, hosted at Mid Sussex Golf Club on August 30th. The event marked the halfway point of the #share7 charity campaign - this year’s Search Seven campaign.

Search Seven specialises in search engine marketing and conversion optimisation, maintaining a ‘passion over profit’ ethos in the process.

Managing Director Gavin Willis says: “I set up the agency to give up to 7% of our profits to charity and the local community. As we reached our seventh year in business, I decided to do something really spectacular to celebrate: to try to match the entire sum that we had raised in the previous seven years in one. The result is #share7.”

26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The target

“The #share7 campaign is our goal to raise £17k for our seven chosen charities: Rockinghorse’s Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU), Group B Strep Support, Alzheimer’s Society, RISE, The Sussex Beacon, The Clock Tower Sanctuary and the Nkuringo Foundation, through which Search Seven sponsor a local primary school in Uganda. Every employee personally selected a charity close to their hearts for us to support.

holiday weekends on record, we struck gold again with the weather with it being yet another hot and sunny day at the Mid Sussex Golf Club.

“As well as the usual longest drive

Our events aim to get the whole community involved, from the charities we are fundraising for, as well as to sponsors, advertisers, clients and partners who all help out and contribute. Lots of work goes into the build-up and on the day itself to ensure it runs smoothly. For me, this is exactly what #share7 is all about, people coming together and sharing the experience – being part of something that’s is making a real difference.”

The Tee Off

“After the football match, which was on one of the most glorious May bank

Caffyns winning team

Charity

Bobby G’s Boys - Alex Mitchell, Ian Macara, Bob Grace & Graham Lind

and nearest pin prizes (sponsored

by FirmBalls), plus winning team and individual trophies (donated by Toast Sussex), we had a star prize competition up for grabs. This was to be won on every par three on the course, with 10k cash being the top prize of them all.”

“To top this off, Tates Garage in Crawley & Brighton (the main event sponsor) donated a brand new DS7 Crossback as a nearest the pin prize on the 15th hole. This was won by Joe Kavanagh from Caffyns AUDI Team, winning the week loan of the car with a shot just three feet away from the pin.”

The final scores

“Other final scores to mention include Vishal Sethi from the Elleven Dental team winning best individual score,

scoring 43 points, and the Caffyns Audi team, skippered by Nick Mepham, picked up the S7 Ted’s Trophy and crowned as winning team on the day.”

Closer to the flag

“Following on from the 8k raised at the football event, we set a tough target of 5k for the golf day. However, following a great auction, star prize competition, mulligans, bunker fines, a game of heads and tails, donation from the halfway hut and all the sponsorship we did pre-event, we ended up hitting £7,500 – this was amazing and completely unexpected.”

“The current tally is now up to £15,500 with just one event to go, and I know that this is going to make a massive difference to seven special charities.

On behalf of Search Seven, I want to say a big thank you to our event sponsors: Tates Garage Crawley & Brighton, Me & You Create, Firm Balls, Face Media Group, Your Instant Replay and Toast Sussex. Also a big thank you to our 18 hole sponsors, ranging from clients, partners and local companies – thank you so much for your support!

A big shout out to the volunteers who helped on the day, including Terrina and Amanda from Rockinghorse, and our very own Becky Henderson, Tom Shaw, Ornella Mignella and Andy Austin from Search Seven.

We also had a resident lifeguard in Jay Griffiths from Oakwood Lofts who was on beach patrol and collecting fines from people loitering in his bunkers, and a big thanks to Mike Abbott and all at Mid Sussex Golf Club for being excellent hosts and helping us to make

the event a great success.

The hard work involved in organising and delivering a charity event, as well as our other charity initiatives, are a great platform for people to see what we’re all about at Search Seven. We focus on getting great results for our clients and partners with our search marketing and conversion services, and this enthusiasm and commitment is more than matched in the charity events that we love to organise. We hope this makes us stand out from the crowd as an agency in a competitive space.”

In fact, Search Seven recently won Corporate Fundraiser of the Year at the Brighton and Hove Business Awards (BAHBAs) for our #share7 campaign. It is great to have our efforts recognised by the community and we look forward to our final event to finish off our celebratory year by smashing our 17k target.”

What’s next?

Our final #share7 event is a quiz night at Grand Central on November 22nd but we need your help! We have limited spaces for the quiz night so reserve your team quickly! For more information please see: https://www. searchseven.co.uk/blog/share7/ and to sign up to the next event or enquire about sponsorship opportunities, email: events@searchseven.co.uk.

Search Seven also offering a FREE PPC and initial SEO Audit to all SBT readers – email info@searchseven. co.uk to enquire.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27

Insight

insight6 leads the way in Customer Experience after rebranding from Shopper Anonymous UK and Ireland based Customer Experience specialists, Shopper Anonymous, has rebranded to become insight6.

A leading national provider of client feedback for Insight professional, groups and family operated businesses has announced that it has rebranded from Shopper Anonymous to insight6.

The comprehensive rebrand aligns the business to ensure it totally represents its full product offer of Customer Experience (CX) tools and support which it delivers to over 1200 clients.

The change comes after significant research into the needs of those within the professional, groups, and family sectors.

Paul Matthews is the Customer Experience Director for Sussex. He commented on the rebrand: “This is an exciting time for insight6, we have grown the tools and services that we provide to help transform businesses and the changes to our brand reflects that. Customer Experience is so important and 80% of CEOs say that it will be the number one business differentiator by 2020.

As Customer Experience Director in Sussex I have a great knowledge of the local area and am always happy to talk to local businesses to find out how we can work together to make real and positive changes.”

Jonathan Winchester, CEO, explained the thinking behind the change: “Our customers spoke, and we listened.

“Our brand needed to better reflect how we behave and what we deliver. Without doubt this is the most exciting time of our development since we started the business 23 years ago.

“We took this opportunity to rethink not just our name, but our entire brand.

We are proud to be ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving industry, and our new brand identity, insight6, will now illustrate just how far the company has come. We shall continue to put our customers first and listen to what they need as well as being ahead of the CX development curve.”

Over the last five years, businesses within the professional, groups, and family sectors have started to use a wider range of CX tools as oppose to exclusively using the traditional mystery shopping service.

The new brand, insight6, reflects these changes in the market and the full range of services that it provides across the UK and Ireland.

Paul Matthews

28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Research also showed that there was further need to support businesses locally. Each Customer Experience Director has built up a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience within the region that they look after. insight6 are unique for six reasons:

1.Customer Experience Directors are based across the entire UK and Ireland meaning clients have someone local, who knows the area, to partner with. As well as being CX experts they deliver world-class training and mentoring and help businesses innovate and improve their customer’s experience.

2.The CX products help businesses understand how their clients feel at all stages before, during and after the customer journey.

3. Its feedback is easy for the customer to understand, through the new CX portal.

4.It has developed a 6-stage process icx6 - which helps develop the very best customer experience for clients’ customers.

5.The team are sector specialists able to benchmark CX findings to help clients define where they are positioned in today’s market.

6.Transformation comes as standard

A new website has been launched as part of the change. Head to www.insight6.com to see the full range of services.

We are a Brighton based creative agency specialising in design, web and marketing.

Founded by three passionate creatives.

whitespace.studio

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29

A Q&A with the Rivervale team Cover Feature

VINCE PEMBERTON CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER INTERVIEW

Rivervale has been around for quite some time - what is it that Rivervale actually do?

If you ask 10 people in and around Brighton the same question, 8 out of the 10 will say we are the Mercedes dealer in Brighton. Well the truth is that we haven’t been the local Mercedes dealer for over 15 years now. Mercedes-Benz UK took the decision to redefine the areas and our franchise agreement ended.

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Sam Thomas and Vince Pemberton

Cover Feature we are doing business one thing is certain not to change and that is our commitment to exceptional customer service.

As we say “Do it the right way, Do it the Rivervale way!”

JEFF NAILARD USED VEHICLE DIRECTOR

With all the buzz around leasing options, where do used vehicles fit in?

Jeff Nailard

Back then a Mazda franchise was an attractive option, so the board decided to build a new smaller dealership to house the Mazda brand next to the original Mercedes site to become the Mazda dealer for the Brighton area. As a dealership business Mazda didn’t return the same expectations the Rivervale name had developed and our leasing division was fast becoming the core business of Rivervale. As we all know leasing is more popular today than it’s ever been.

Today the Rivervale business is located in Rivervale House, still in Victoria Road, and is made up of three divisions.

The leasing division which specialise in lease agreements on any make or model, car or van, business or personal.

This division is expected to deliver circa 2,500 lease vehicles this year. The used car division which specialises in prestige brands and this certainly fits with the Rivervale heritage. This part of the business is headed up by Jeff Nailard who was the sales director back when we were the Mercedes dealer.

Our Bosch Car Service Centre is the newest in Sussex and is a unique service centre because it can deal with any make or model of car or van, something you will struggle to find elsewhere. We still specialise in Mercedes-Benz and Mazda and over the years have retained large numbers of our Mercedes and Mazda customers.

You’ve moved premises but not gone very far – what’s the story there?

Largely due to the massive growth the leasing industry has seen, operating out of a small office unit on the industrial estate was just not an option anymore.

The department started out with just 4 people but today the staff number for all three divisions is up to 55. We built Rivervale House as a state-ofthe-art modern facility to be the first ‘leasing dealership’ in the country and accommodate the exceptional growth.

As crazy as it sounds, we moved into the new building at the back end of 2016 and we are already looking at how we can make it bigger to accommodate the next level of expansion.

With all the change that Rivervale has experienced, how do you see the future shaping up?

Even though the industry is changing the demand for good value, advice and being able to touch and feel the product is still very strong. It’s clear the way that people and businesses are acquiring vehicles is becoming more remote and digitalised and the traditional dealership set up needs to change to suit people’s needs.

I believe we are nicely positioned to cater for all. Building a facility where we can sit down with potential customers, look at what option is right for them over a Starbucks coffee is still a nice way to get your next car or van, new or used.

We are currently planning our next 5 year strategy and strong physical and digital presence is at the forefront of it all. Above all, no matter how and where

Where leasing may not be the right option for some people our used car division may offer the perfect solution.

We specialise in prestige vehicles and aim to offer cars that you won’t necessarily see on a franchised dealer’s forecourt or on leasing websites. Over 25% of the vehicle sales we complete are specially sourced based on tailored requirements from our customers, so if we don`t have what you are looking for we will find it for you.

Should businesses consider used vehicles?

Yes, they should! If a business is looking at purchasing a vehicle for an employee or a Director, then the options available are very interesting to say the least.

The company may choose to put the vehicle on a finance package or buy outright. We offer expert advice to each company based on their individual circumstances.

Our finance partners understand and appreciate that Rivervale vehicles are of the highest quality, which means we can offer the best finance options and are not restricted with choice.

What sort of guarantees or warranties can used vehicle customers expect?

Typically used car dealerships will offer off-the-shelf warranty packages that they have no control over. We offer warranties that are backed financially by Rivervale.

Having seen the frustrations that customers experienced with these off the shelf insurance company-based warranties, we decided some years ago to manage this internally.

All of our used cars come with a minimum 6-month Rivervale warranty and there are options for 12 months’ cover and beyond.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31

Simon Fuller

SIMON FULLER – LEASING DIRECTOR

For those that don’t know, can you explain what leasing is?

Leasing is a car is a bit like obtaining a mobile phone. Imagine you are looking for a new phone, you pop into town and visit the likes of carphone warehouse and all their competitors.

You would look at the different mobile phone makes and the different contract options and choose the one that suits you. What we do is very similar.

Through us you can view all the different car makes and tailor the contract options to suit your needs, whether this be a larger mileage allowance or the option to have your car serviced and maintained throughout the agreement.

“Above all, no matter how and where we are doing business, one thing is certain not to change and that is our commitment to exceptional customer service.”

In summary, leasing is a long-term rental agreement. It’s important to be aware that, unlike mobile phone contracts, at

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the end of the agreement you simply return the car to the leasing company, so there are no risks associated with depreciation or disposal.

Is leasing better for businesses or can anyone lease?

you through the entire lease process, whether you just enquire or lease a fleet of 100! So, quite simply, give us a call, drop us an email or pop into the showroom.

Traditionally, leasing has been considered more suitable for businesses.

However, in the last few years personal leasing has grown enormously in popularity, and in fact over 50% of the leasing we now arrange is for private individuals. As ownership seems far less important to people these days, leasing has become a cost-effective solution to driving a brand new vehicle.

For someone who is new to leasing, how do they go about enquiring?

For someone who is new to leasing the most important suggestion I can offer is to get advice from a professional. Many leasing companies will attract people with low monthly price adverts on top end vehicles and customers who take up these options can often find hidden charges, poor customer service and a list of t’s and c’s that have not been explained to them.

We offer everyone free impartial advice and each enquirer is given a dedicated account manager who can guide

Mark McNeil

MARK MCNEIL SERVICE MANAGER

What does being a Bosch Car Service Centre actually mean?

Bosch car service is a fantastic alternative to going to a main dealer, we offer full servicing, maintenance and diagnostics to manufactures specifications.

Cover Feature

Rivervale sales team

We are able to offer both Bosch and genuine manufacture parts, both of which will not affect any manufacturer’s warranty, but could vary in price.

Becoming a Bosch car service centre means we have opened our doors to a much wider customer base, offering a local family-run garage atmosphere, Within a new highly equipped facility.

At Rivervale we still offer all the usual customer services you would expect from a main dealer

What do you suggest to people who are nervous about getting their car serviced?

Firstly, don’t let main dealers lead you into thinking that you can only have your vehicle serviced at a main dealer to keep you warranty valid.

Secondly, and most importantly, don’t go somewhere based on price alone, make sure you do your homework and look at their reviews and reputation and if possible how they can evidence any faults with your vehicle.

Finally, make sure that you are happy with any suggested work before you agree.

Here at Rivervale we offer a complimentary health check system where we provide the customer with visual evidence of any faults with their vehicle and advise on the urgency of each.

With the advancement in vehicle technology, how do you see servicing and MOT evolving?

Paul Rogers

MOTs are becoming a lot more stringent and with the ever-changing emissions laws we are seeing less older vehicles on the roads.

We are seeing more people wait for the vehicle to self-diagnose and show warning lights. However, it is important to have your vehicle serviced regularly within the specified time scale and mileage set by the manufacturer.

Even with new and improved vehicle technology there is still huge value in going to a professional and having your vehicle properly checked over. Many people will wait for routine servicing, however frequent health checks can help keep your vehicle in its best and safest condition.

PAUL ROGERS

Tell us a little more about the RPP

We have created the Rivervale Partners Programme to allow the staff of local companies to gain access to the most competitive funding options available in the market. The team here at Rivervale will find the most suitable funding arrangement to suit the customer’s budget.

As well as the additional benefits such as discounted servicing, free winter car checks, mini valet and £100 of Love to Shop vouchers with every car purchased or leased.

If anyone would like further information on the RPP please contact paulrogers@rivervale.co.uk www.rivervale.co.uk

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Lewis Hatchett The Sport Yogi My background

Having played professional cricket for 6 years at Sussex County Cricket Club, I sadly was forced to end my career in the worst manner possible, injury. After a few (more than a few!) months of picking myself up, trying to rediscover myself, I did what every professional sportsman would do… fly to Hawaii to train as a yoga teacher.

Bear with me on this.

Health

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Why Yoga?

I had left my sport, and with a keen interest in the human body, became a personal trainer, but soon realised that it wasn’t fulfilling for me. I had begun my own yoga practice 4 year ago in 2014 on a training camp in the off-season.

I had become so frustrated with my injury rate by this point (I was picking up soft tissue injuries (mainly muscle tears) every 3 months. My body was strong, I trained well, but undoubtedly, I was lacking something. Flexibility. I took up yoga, with great hesitation I

might add! I was not at all keen on the spiritual element to yoga. I was quick to dismiss yoga as something that was for hemp wearing hippies that were going to get me to chant and om as soon as my bum hit the mat. However, I couldn’t bare anymore injuries at the rate I was getting them, and it was time to act.

I found some videos online of a class, got myself a mat, hid in a corner, did the class, rolled the mat up and scurried away hoping not to be spotted.

I instantly felt better. I did it again the

Health next day, and the next. Eventually building up to 30, 40, 50, 60-minute classes. I would travel to pro matches with my mat. If there was a hotel with a conference room that we were staying in, I was in there doing yoga before bed.

It became a part of my routine.

And it worked! I went from tearing muscles (whether it was hamstring, quad, side) every 3 months to not a single injury in 18 months. I went from being on the high priority injury list in the team, to the low priority list (a true achievement!). The team hired a yoga teacher. But I could tell in that the teachers that they hired were beginning to fit the stereotype that yoga holds. I could see the faces of my teammates cringe.

Fast forward to having passed my teacher training, and I to combine my past in sport, my love for health and

wellbeing, and yoga. Thus, the sport yogi was born. With the aim to allow you to do the things you love, for longer. Whether its running, cycling, playing golf, picking your kids up, or just feeling better in your body and mind. By taking away the spiritual element of yoga. I want to make it more accessible to the everyday person.

I currently run classes locally in Brighton. For all levels. As well as working on creating an online platform for you to be able to practice in your own time and own space.

But it’s not just sport or fitness orientated. Another area I am looking to make a big difference in is by making workplaces healthier. Businesses across the UK need to be focusing on the human beings that they are employing. With rising level off mental illness, an increase in sick days, it is

important now more than ever to have a work life balance. It is so important for our longevity to focus on the small things we are doing today that can help us in the future when we could regret it.

Therefore, I am so happy to have partnered with Sussex Business Times for this new health and wellbeing section. Each month I will be giving away tips and advice on various subjects including stretches to do while at work to help relieve tension in the body, nutrition tips, meditations, breathing exercises and more. All that you can use in your time at work or at home. To help promote an all-round healthier lifestyle both at home and work.

If you would like to find out more visit www.thesportyogi.com. Or find The Sport Yogi on Instagram, Facebook and new Youtube channel.

This section is SBT’s way of looking after the businesses of Sussex.

To help promote healthier workplaces across the county.

Meditation of the month

Nutritional advice

Stretch of the month

1 minute Meditation: Find a place where you can sit quietly, or not be disturbed for one minute.

Warm Lemon water in the morning.

Adding a couple of slices of Lemon to WARM water helps with:

Make yourself comfortable and sit in an upright position.

Vitamin C element helps keep a healthy immune system.

If you are at a desk, in the car, or generally sitting most of the day.

We are becoming more and more rounded in the front of the body.

Slowly close your eyes, inhale and exhale through your nose.

Popular remedy to help with clearing the skin.

The muscles in the front of the chest and shoulders become shorter and shorter. Use this stretch to open the fronts ofyour shoulders and chest.

Bring your focus to the cool feeling of the air as you inhale.

Liver health, helps our liver produce bile used for digestion.

Reach the arms behind you and interlace the hands.

As you exhale focus on the warmth of the air.

The smell of lemon water can help brighten your mood and make you feel energised.

Draw the knuckles towards the floor or seat, while pressing the chest towards the ceiling.

Hydration, helps replace electrolytes (such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc) that are lost during the night.

Breath easily.

Do this for 10 slow controlled breaths.

If your mind wanders, focus back again on the coolness and warmth of the air on the inhale and exhale respectively.

If you can’t interlace the hands grab a tea towel, strap, belt, anything.

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Route One Q&A At a time when community sports are more important than ever, SBT caught up with Matt Rosine to learn more about Route One’s mission Founded at the beginning of 2018 by Major Interview experienced League Soccer executive Matt Rosine, Route One Football Consulting is an innovative Sussex based company established to assist grassroots and Non League football clubs in all aspects of commercial revenue, digital marketing and fan engagement.

What is your background in football, and where did Route One come from?

I recently moved back to West Sussex after living in the States for 13 years with my wife and three young daughters. I spent 9 years building a very successful grassroots football business there, and then went on to become a Senior Director for the Chicago Fire, one of the oldest professional clubs in Major League Soccer (MLS). During my time with the Fire, I had the opportunity to work on many exciting commercial projects generating millions of dollars, as well as leading highly successful marketing and fan engagement teams.

When I arrived back to the UK, I was looking for a way to try and give back

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by working to bring a level of knowledge and expertise to smaller clubs who are usually starved of resources. I’m extremely passionate about all forms of football, but especially the kind that doesn’t get the same type of attention that the Premier League does. I see it from two different but related angles: we have an incredible opportunity to connect businesses with local clubs and help them tap into thousands of loyal, passionate fans who are extremely grateful for their support. On the other side, we can help clubs expand their brand into their communities, and attract people in the same neighborhood or town that may not even know the club exists. It’s a win win situation however you look at it.

What’s behind the name “Route One FC”, and who else is in the team?

I always chuckle at this one. The name is a great ice breaker when talking to new contacts! The style of route one football as a tactic does have a bit of a negative connotation in the world of football, especially in this modern age.

However, the analogy I give is that when we come into a club, we help move the “ball” (business success) up the pitch as directly and efficiently as possible,

banging it into the back of the net! I think it works, and hope others do too!

I’m a big believer in surrounding yourself with great people who also share your passion and vision. I’ve been lucky enough to bring on board several other co-founders who want to come on this journey with me. These are individuals who have had great success in both the playing and business sides of football, and have built their own successful organisations that offer a lot of synergistic value to our mission. In addition to that, a lot of my day to day work is bringing onboard consultants in the world of sports who have seen their own huge successes, and want to contribute and give back to local football. A great example is an ex colleague of mine who runs an awardwinning MLS digital media team.

We’re able to get him in front of clubs in the UK that would never normally be able to access that kind of expertise, and help them learn new ways of engaging their fans. It’s really exciting.

What does Route One offer to businesses in Sussex?

Route One is currently working to build our roster of companies who share our values of local community and the power of sport. There are many

Interview businesses out there who’d love to support more than one Non League clubs across Sussex, but don’t know how do it, or how to achieve the best ROI. This is especially true for those who have branches or offices in several different locations and want to gain highly targeted exposure within different communities at the same time. We will meet with you in order to understand exactly what you want to achieve, and then present several different options within clubs across Sussex at different price points.

You will then have one contact who manages the account from start to finish, including design, execution, communication and invoicing. We also put a large emphasis on the activation side of any sponsorship - thinking of new ways for the company to gain added value from the deal, and achieving the most success possible.

Our business will thrive if we help other businesses (and clubs) thrive. The beauty of this too is that companies can get involved in lots of different ways: it could be one pitch side board at minimal expense for a season, or we can help arrange a new stadium naming rights partnership on a five year deal with a huge amount of press attention and fan goodwill - and everything in between. Every level can be extremely powerful in its own way.

How can Route One help sponsors grow?

We want to help businesses tell a compelling story of altruism to their own customers. The mission of Route One becomes the shared mission of the sponsor, and we want them to proud of the work we do together. The commercial revenue raised through our organisation

directly helps fund all of the other assistance and consulting we offer clubs.

We’re not looking to simply give clubs “a fish”, and walk away. We want to teach those clubs “how to fish” and be a part of building an incredibly stable and successful long term future - it’s important that we give sponsors the information, advice and tools to turn the work we do together into actual, tangible ROI. A good example of a powerful connection we can make right now is Eastbourne Borough FC - the newest club working with Route One. They’re an ambitious organisation playing great football in National League South, with a passionate local fan base. They have so much to offer to new sponsors, and the timing is perfect especially if they realise their goal of being promoted next season.

What do the next two to three years look like for Route One?

It’s important that our model is scaleable in order to ensure both long term viability and the ability to benefit as many clubs and sponsors as possible.

Right now we’re concentrating on

working with a very small amount of clubs in strategically located areas in order to guarantee success for all sides, and we charge a small retainer for our services. However, in two to three years we want to have built a large group of around 50 to 100 sponsors who share our vision, and then use the six figure revenues we generate to pump cash and expertise back into local clubs playing anywhere between the County Football and National League levels - at no cost to the actual clubs themselves. We want Route One FC to be synonymous with community football success stories all over Sussex.

Of course, in the same spirit of ensuring scalability, in five to ten years I’d love us to be helping clubs all over the country, perhaps in partnership with the leagues themselves, and attracting large national and international sponsors - all directly feeding down into local football - the lifeblood of our country. When a club gets promoted through the divisions, we want them to say Route One and their sponsors played a big part in helping.

Likewise when a club goes from 800 average attendance to 3000, or when their youth academies grow to hundreds more local children because of the exposure we helped them gain.

How do people get involved in the mission right now?

Eastbourne Borough FC

I’d love to hear from anyone and everyone who feels the story resonates with them. Whether it’s a business owner who wants to talk sponsorship opportunities, an expert who feels like they can contribute to local footballing success, or even clubs who feel they could use our help! matt@routeonefc.co.uk

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Go Huguenot or go home For those people who have been reading my monthly column (thanks mum), hopefully one thing you’ve now realised is how rich and diverse the history of Sussex is. This month I visited Rye Castle Museum, focusing on a group of people who are lesser known in our area – but deserve more attention.

It’s fair to say that the English and French have not always played nicely.

There was the short war of 100 years that left a mark for generations after that and with Sussex being so close to our southern neighbours, our county was often involved.

For almost two hundred years across the 16th and 18th centuries, a group of people, the Huguenots, were not well-liked in France. Without going into too much detail, the Huguenots were a group of Reformists following Calvin’s teachings and were very much on the Protestant side of the fence, whilst France was still loyal to the Pope and Catholicism. This wasn’t an especially pleasant position to be in, so the Huguenots fled France and arrived in Rye. If you’re not already excited by this (hopefully) new piece of information, almost three quarters of English people today have Huguenot blood! (courtesy

of www.ryemuseum.co.uk). Reformist and randy – a possible new book title?

So, reader, you may very well have Huguenot blood! Rye was a natural destination for these refugees as in the late 16th century it was the largest port in Sussex and the town was known for religious acceptance.

Rye Castle Museum is a fantastic place to learn more about the Huguenots, in an atmospheric and welcoming setting.

With a rich maritime history, it’s possible to also learn about the various boats that docked here, including Cutters, Brigantines and Schooners.

Built in the early 14th century, Ypres Tower (which is part of the museum and in fantastic condition) provided defence to the people of Rye long before the Huguenots made this attractive town home. Climbing to the top of the tower gives a great view out to what was

once the largest harbour in Sussex and one of the largest in the country. As well as the museum in East Street, the tower has a great collection of exhibits, including some rather chilling cells.

As with much of the Sussex coastline, Rye was a key part of the roaring smuggler trade and it’s at this museum that you can see an extremely rare spout lantern. This lantern was a clever device that allowed the user to communicate with friendly ships and smuggle contraband into the harbour.

With no-deal Brexit on the horizon we may need to dust it off and learn how to use it to get French cheese in. I’m of course joshing but it’s worth remembering that the Huguenots that came to Rye were skilled craftspeople who helped to make Sussex what it is today – a beautiful welcoming home to all people.

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These colder days and nights won’t stop our fun!

The summer racing at Brighton Racecourse is almost over but that doesn’t stop the activity with events to keep us going right through to the new year!

You will be excited and intrigued to know that Brighton Venue Racecourse are hosting a drive through cinema throughout September and October with films such as the Greatest Showman and classics like Grease and ET lighting up the screens while you watch from the comfort of your car. “Drive through cinemas have such a nostalgic feeling” comments Lisa Duncan, commercial

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Manager at Brighton Racecourse.

“These cinema screenings are proving very popular with families and couples on date nights with plans to bring big blankets and buying hot chocolates – its all a part of the fun”. Check out the website at Brighton Racecourse for further information and screen listings.

Brighton Racecourse are also hosting a VIP Record fair, With Vinyl Records outselling downloads, these days, you will be pleased to hear of the return of this fantastic event for music fans.

The VIP Record Fair, Sunday 23rd September, Brighton Racecourse.

The following month, we also see the return of the Brighton Business Expo on the 11th October- At this free-to-attend business show, you will find a hive of creativity and activity from both our seminar programme featuring high-paced speed networking and inspirational keynote speakers, as well as from our variety of exhibitors showcasing the very best of local and regional businesses.

Interview

Our regular an incredibly popular event, The Antiques & Vintage Fair, will also take place as well as the infamous Boden Clothing event on the 3rd and 4th October, one of the most talked about events on the playgrounds of Brighton with fantastic bargains to be had! And of course who can forget Brighton Lions Fireworks on the 4th of November.

These fantastic and eclectic mix of events taking place at Brighton Racecourse really showcases the broad adaptability of Brighton racecourse as a solid venue in Brighton. “we have worked hard as an events team to show what we can offer as a complete blank canvas allowing you to put your own stamp on your event – whatever that may be”. Said Laura Rumsey, Events manager at Brighton Racecourse. “We cater for all sorts of events, therefore have a wealth of experience and knowledge that we can pass onto our clients to make sure their events are organised, managed and delivered successfully”.

“These fantastic and eclectic mix of events taking place at Brighton Racecourse really showcases the broad adaptability of Brighton racecourse as a solid venue in Brighton” You will also be excited to know that, once again, Brighton Racecourse are also hosting their own Christmas Parties, with the theme “Winter Wonderland” throughout Friday and Saturday in December. These magical evenings will involve a transformation of our inhouse restaurant into a winter wonderland atmosphere with entertainment, a Christmas carvery, wine and of course a disco all looking out over the spectacular views of Brighton from our stunning rooftop terrace.

These Christmas nights were sold out last year and we have any returning guests who are eager to get together, find outfits to match the winter theme and make a memorable night of it!

With prices at £36 pp – it really is an affordable get together during the silly season.

If you would like to join us, please get in contact with our events team at events@brighton-racecourse.co.uk who will be ready to book you in.

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Working Lunch: Riddle & Finns After the amazing summer we have Lunch had, I felt it only fitting for this month’s Review Working Lunch review to sample some fine seafood.

We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to review one of Brighton’s best - Riddle & Finns.

My client and I were due to review the restaurant’s venue on the beach, however on the morning of the review, despite the fantastic summer we had, the rain was pouring down. I was contacted by the restaurant and asked if I would prefer to change venues to the cosy, original Riddle & Finns restaurant in The Lanes, which I was delighted about.

We arrived at 12:30pm and were welcomed by our host, Sasha, whose warm welcome and attentiveness proved to be apparent throughout our experience. We started with a lovely glass of Pierre Mignon Champagne and did not need to divert from this throughout the meal as it was simply divine and

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complimented our food impeccably.

After perusing the menu for some time, and torn between so many fantastic choices, Sasha asked if we required any assistance. We explained we were both huge seafood fans and there was not much that we would not try. Famous for being an oyster bar, we knew they had to be our starters but left it to our host to choose some smaller plates for us to share, so as to sample a wider selection.

I am personally a huge fan of this style of dining. Being a foodie, I always find it difficult in a restaurant to choose one main course and often have food envy if people on my table choose something I was considering, and it comes out more appealing than my own dish (that’s maybe just me though).

As a little treat prior to our oysters, Sasha bought out some caviar to taste.

There were two types, Russian Imperial O, which were a pearl golden green, slightly larger eggs with buttery, nutty flavours. The second of the two was British Sturgeon Exmoor salted caviar,

smaller, darker eggs. Both my client and I preferred the British Sturgeon Exmoor due to its fresh sea salt flavours.

After another glass of Pierre Mignon, our oysters arrived. Again, we had a selection of four different types - all with there own unique flavours and textures.

Sasha explained the order the oysters should be eaten in to get the maximum flavour. We started with the Jersey oysters that were quite delicate, silky, buttery, creamy. These were followed by the Poole oysters, which were my personal favourite, they were so meaty and juicy unlike any other oyster I have had before. We also had the Mersey Island oysters that were quite subtle in flavour and so fresh. Finally we finished with the Irish (Carlingford Lough), which were very Intense, flavourful and salty and my client’s preferred choice.

We then allowed ourselves a short break prior to the main courses coming out. The restaurant was absolutely buzzing at this point and a fantastic atmosphere for a Thursday afternoon. I loved the way the dining experience is

(hazelnut, coconut, chilli). It also included roasted apple sorbet, lemon posset, chocolate tart, shortcake, fruits and Chantilly cream and, finally, my personal favourite - the Limoncello and white chocolate caprese cake. I have tasted something similar when visiting Italy and the taste took me straight back there.

set up as they do not have tables of two, but you sit next to your partner/client and share the table with another couple.

The tables are large enough for you to still have some intimacy but a great way to create a friendly, buzzing environment.

We are so fortunate to have so many amazing restaurants across the county, especially in Brighton and I can honestly say Riddle & Finn’s is up there with the very best and get’s a 5 star rating from us at SBT’ After our short break, we were presented with an eclectic array of dishes from squid sautéed with chorizo and chilli to monk fish cheek scampi with watercress mayonnaise and pickled shallots. We also had a confit sea trout with Kohlrabi apple salad, whisky walnuts and Roquefort dressing which is Riddle & Finns own

fishy take on a Waldorf salad. This was accompanied by mixed sashimi of raw tuna, bream, salmon and scallop with pickled ginger, seaweed, wasabi and soy sauce. As if this wasn’t enough, we were also spoiled with some amazing grilled langoustine with chilli, salsa verde and a burnt lemon followed by the special of the day which was crab meat, lemon mascarpone and watermelon stack. Each dish so different, yet cooked to perfection with a fusion of tastes and flavours.

After an amazing feast, there was quite a debate over whether we could squeeze the dessert in (although we didn’t take a huge amount of persuading). Again, after a short pause and another glass of Champagne I was tempted away from my usual favourite of a cheese board, and we decided to stick with the theme of the meal and share a selection of homemade mini desserts that included chocolate truffles

As you can probably deduce, it was quite a prolonged lunch, but Sasha and the team were perfect hosts, attentive throughout and her knowledge of the menu and its dishes were faultless.

We are so fortunate to have so many amazing restaurants across the county, especially in Brighton and I can honestly say Riddle & Finns is up there with the very best and gets a 5 Star rating from us at SBT. It really is an absolute ‘must’ for any seafood lovers among our readers.

If you are looking to impress a client then look no further. This venue is a real show stopper, a great place to entertain and with a superb atmosphere. I will be back very soon and am looking forward to trying Riddle & Finns at the beach before the summer is completely over.

To book at either one of the restaurants visit www.riddleandfinns.co.uk The Lanes, 12b Meeting House Lane Brighton, BN1 1HB, 01273 721667 The Beach, 139 Kings Road Arches Brighton, BN1 2FN, 01273 821218

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Review: Old Ship Hotel

This week took our reviewer off to the Old Ship Hotel on the Kings Road in Central Brighton.

The first thing to notice about the hotel is the Regency Review architecture. The first record of this hotel was in fact in 1559 which is why the hotel prides itself on being the oldest hotel in Brighton. With a long and impressive history spanning generations of royal and indeed musical visitors (Paganini stayed here in 1831, and left his name to the Paganini Ballroom at the hotel, which in 2017 celebrated its 250th year.

I arrived on a Sunday around 5pm. The outside seating area was packed with the Sunday crowd, a live singer was in full flow and the place was absolutely buzzing. I had a drink outside and soaked up the lively atmosphere which was a lovely surprise to my stay and I would recommend this for a quick visit after any Sunday shopping in Brighton.

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Upon entry it was immediately apparent that the place is huge. I ventured to the reception to check-in and was greeted warmly and without any fuss. After being directed to my room I confess that I took the long route to have a look around the hotel. Exactly as you would expect in buildings of that age and size, there were lots of little corridors and a maze of rooms which led all over the building and made it very easy to get comfortably lost and soak in the historic atmosphere.

I made my way to my room which was a standard room, decorated well, perhaps a little warm but this was easily remedied with a wide opening window.

The room was clean and the facilities were all in good order. Decorated with a sea themed style, it was very easy to relax straightaway. I had booked dinner for about an hour after so I took the time to people watch the revellers outside and listen to the final songs from the live music entertainer before

making my way to the restaurant, aptly named “The Wardroom.” There is also a “Mess Deck” bar menu if you prefer something less formal.

Upon arrival I was again welcomed warmly by Toby the bar manager, who I was happy to find had placed my by the window which allowed me to continue with my people watching hobby. A beautiful view of the sea made this a perfect place to enjoy dinner. The restaurant offers a very varied menu and I was pleased to see meals such as Dukkha spiced halloumi, and chickpea and spinach kofta which to me reflected the diverse range of customers this hotel is able to cater for.

I chose the standard fillet steak which was anything but. Cooked to perfection, with a mouth watering peppercorn sauce and triple cooked chips, I was thoroughly impressed with the standard of meal which you might

conscious that I am reviewing for the business customer. So I investigated the conference rooms too and they do not disappoint. In fact I might be so bold as to say that the “behind the scenes” facilities are the real gem for the business minded. There are no less than 12 meeting rooms, all with free wi fi. This is a perfect place for a stylish respectable business meeting in central Brighton.

struggle to achieve even at the most specialist steak restaurants. Washed down with the Temperanillo red wine, it was truly a magnificent feast. I didn’t feel out of place with the lack of company, the friendly Carolina chatted to me at various appropriate intervals throughout and was a happy addition to the evening. I watched a table of more than 6 people order and it seemed that the staff were expert in arranging everyone’s individual comfort which was a pleasure to see.

regretted as I left and saw others’ arrive!

Unusually each of the dishes looked as appetising as the next and I will most definitely make an effort to return to this restaurant in the near future.

Full up from my main course I chose not to have a pudding, a decision I

On a personal level it is a great place to unwind and enjoy a good meal, but I am

I enjoyed a peaceful, comfortable nights’ sleep and was able to enjoy breakfast in the same room the next day.

Although a little more rushed, perhaps understandable given the volume of breakfast guests, the food was hot and fresh and the coffee was delicious.

A real hidden bonus is the Wine Cellars (you would probably have to ask to be shown these), which were in fact smugglers tunnels, only quite recently discovered in 1995. They have been lovingly restored into a perfect private dining area which feels medieval and regal. A truly impressive secret which would allow any business group a private space to relax and socialise. I would strongly encourage our business readers to arrange a visit. It would be a perfect place for an exclusive private Christmas gathering.

The experience was a pleasant surprise.

The hotel is steeped in history with an evidently genuine commitment to keep the authentic historical décor alive, whilst maintaining modern business facilities, exquisite service and a Michelin-like food standard. The Wine Cellar is next on my To-Do list.

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International Trade

The Sussex Chamber of Commerce sits at the heart of local business communities, helping hundreds of companies of every size and sector to grow and thrive. Trade has existed for hundreds of years. Whether directly or indirectly, each and every business contributes to the global economy. Visitors, tourists, employees, components, parts, supplies, food, and currency move around the world helping businesses grow.

The Sussex Chamber of Commerce Chamber provides the network and business support News needed for the economy to prosper.

Our mission is to help business “Grow, Develop, Discover and Influence�.

Grow

The Chamber helps hundreds of companies of every size and sector.

There are over 80 networking events throughout the Sussex county to choose from which provide business with opportunities to network, gain key contacts, learn from inspirational speakers, pick up tips and ideas as well as providing forums to gain insights as to what is happening in the local community and beyond. The international trade forums open doors to allow SMEs to be part of the supply chain and work with larger organisations internationally. We hold regular forums to provide updates and case studies to help you on your export or import journey.

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As part of the British Chambers network, some services are provided for free or at heavily discounted rates to our business members. One of these services is Moneycorp, who are foreign exchange experts. If you have international payment requirements they provide money saving foreign exchange to Chamber members.

Develop

The global market can provide huge opportunities for businesses that import and export physical goods, but there is also a huge demand for professional services all over the world. We can connect business with British Chambers throughout the world and provide market snapshots, quarterly trade outlooks and market seminars through www.exportbritain.org.uk. A great way to connect with other countries.

In the last year we have seen almost a 50% growth in companies seeking bespoke training in international trade. A fantastic way to improve the effectiveness of your current workforce and motivate ambitious people.

Once a year, an international trade summit brings British Chambers and business from around the world together. This year this will take place on the 18th October 2018 in London http://www.bccexport.co.uk/

Training across your workforce, from shop floor to executive level and in any discipline, improves competitiveness, morale, profitability, market share, customer satisfaction and company reputation and profile. In these uncertain times training increases your ability to respond effectively to change.

Our highly respected international trade courses cover all the main principles of international trade dealings. Our courses provide you with the key skills required in understanding the paperwork, tariff codes, an introduction to export procedures, the use of documentary letters of credit, drafts and bills right through to understanding the rules.

Chamber News

The British Chambers of Commerce developed a Foundation Award in international trade training in response to the government’s focus on the need to grow the number of UK exporters as part of the UK recovery plan. It includes courses for exporters including a number of topics central to supporting any export drive. These courses are delivered by the Sussex Chamber to form an import and export curriculum, giving international traders the essential skills invaluable to small and large businesses alike.

Discover

The Sussex Chamber is licensed to certify and arrange legalisation of export documentation. We will also assist exporters throughout the process of completing the documentation; from choosing the right documentation to ensuring it is correctly filled in. Export documentation is required to comply with import regulations in the country of arrival, evidence the country of manufacture of the goods and ensure payment under a Letter of Credit.

We can help you with: • Certificates of Origin

• Certificate of Origin preparation service

• Electronic Export documentation

• Certification, Legalisation & Notarisation of Export Documentation

• EUR1 & ATR customs authentication • Letter of Credit processing service • ATA Carnet

A recent new service is the provision of certificates of conformity. Unsafe and unreliable imported products can result in injury, death or damage to property. This is the reason why most countries around the world have strengthened requirements in place to ensure their consumers are protected from sub-standard products and goods. Certificates of conformity show that the goods being exported comply with the relevant technical regulations and national, regional or international standards of the country of import, protecting the health, safety and environment of citizens from substandard imported goods and giving assurance to the local market. These are a mandatory document for customs clearance.

Did you know? In the last financial year, we produced over 20,000 documents for exporters. Over 80 documents per day. A growth of 12% in the last 12 months, with the majority of businesses exporting to the EU or Middle East.

Influence

We can help represent the interests of business in government. There is a quarterly economic survey which is the UK’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey. We provide policy updates, trade research and monthly economic reviews. By working together with the Local Enterprise Partnerships, local authorities, councils, town Chambers and MP’s we can help represent business interests where needed.

The British Chambers also produces a quarterly international trade outlook and has also put together a business Brexit checklist to help businesses consider the changes that leaving the EU may bring to their business as well as a business Brexit priorities report.

The Sussex Chamber is proud to be at the heart of Sussex, providing business the opportunities needed to grow the local and global economy, to develop its employees and the future workforce, to discover new markets and influence key decision makers.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

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Why should I get an Electronic Vehicle Health Check?

I guess the first question should be…what is an electronic vehicle health check, right?

Well, an EVHC (electronic vehicle health check), also referred to as a visual health check, is a complimentary check of your car’s components carried out by a skilled technician.

During the health check, technicians will check the function and condition of safety equipment inside the vehicle, as well as checking oil and fluid levels, also topping up water if required.

Most importantly, technicians will use video technology to give summary and show you the condition of the tyres, suspension and braking components on your vehicle.

48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

A fully detailed report using a ‘traffic light system’ on each of the different check points is then issued to you to show whether your vehicle is:

Green: Passed - Safe and good to go Amber: Advisory - Recommended work is required but not urgent

Red: Urgent - Requires urgent

attention

Effectively, an EVHC provides an authentic means of identifying and recording work on your vehicle that is

advised by your garage and presenting it in a clear, transparent manor to you.

It’s worth noting that garages can’t and won’t carry out any work on your vehicle without first asking for permission – the EVHC is there to simply check the state of your car and provide you with relevant advice. It’s then up to you to decide whether to take your garage’s advice or not.

Are Vehicle Health Checks mandatory?

A vehicle health check is not mandatory by law, but our view is that it’s generally a smart move to get your vehicle

“Our view is that Electronic Vehicle Health Checks are the best thing to be introduced in the aftersales industry” When should I get a Vehicle Health Check?

VHC’s are typically carried out alongside any MOT, service or repair work, but often you’ll find that a regular vehicle health check can save you a costly service or repair visit to your local garage as you would have been notified well in advance of any small maintenance issues that your vehicle may need – avoiding vehicle deterioration, damage or breakdown; 3 typical reasons you would normally have to visit your garage.

checked at least every six to twelve months – why wouldn’t you….they’re completely free and can drastically help you to ensure the long term safety of your vehicle.

Generally, vehicle health checks are advised if you’re taking your car on a long journey or abroad on holiday when you may be driving it in conditions which are different from those in which it’s normally used.

It’s at these sorts of times when you really need your vehicle to be reliable, because a breakdown abroad or while you’re on holiday is the last thing you’d want, let alone a dangerous and costly experience!

By letting an experienced technician carry out a vehicle health check before you set off in your vehicle on your holidays, you’re narrowing the chances of any potential problems or nasty surprises with your vehicle.

Our view is that Electronic Vehicle Health Checks are the best thing to be introduced in the aftersales industry, as trust and transparency was one major thing that seemed lacking for the average consumer when needing to take your car in to your local garage.

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Unless it was a friend or recommendation, there was always a constant fear of being ripped off or taken advantage of, an air of vulnerability, as most of the time you simply had to take your mechanic’s word for any repairs they told you your vehicle needed.

With the Electronic Vehicle Health Check system, you can now book your car into the garage anytime, not just when there’s an issue, and if there’s any work or maintenance to be carried out you’ll be able to see clear evidence of what’s wrong or needed – giving complete trust and transparency.

It’s worth noting that Vehicle Health Checks can also be useful if you’re planning on buying a used car, as a fully documented and accessible health check report serves as proof that the vehicle has been thoroughly checked for possible faults, thus giving you possible bartering power with the vendor if there’s any highlighted faults or tyre wear etc.

What’s included in a Vehicle Health Check?

A VHC includes checks on the following: • Brakes • Tyres • Lights • Fluid Levels • Exhaust • Steering • Suspension • Electrical

Your FREE vehicle safety check is colour coded Your Service Advisor will ensure that your vehicle is checked today Red – Urgent!

These items require urgent attention because they are potentially dangerous, or an MOT failure.

How long does a Vehicle Health Check take?

A VHC typically takes 15-20 minutes to complete.

Amber – Advisory

Items are advisory, but could need doing before your next service.

How much does a Vehicle Health Check cost?

VHCs is a service offered free of charge.

Is a Vehicle Health Check the same as an MOT?

Green – Passed

Items have passed the visual safety check.

No, a VHC is a non-mandatory vehicle safety check up, whereas MOTs are an annual requirement by law.

*Don’t forget to ask to view your Vehicle Health Check video

www.rivervale.co.uk

50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

SBTMotoring News No Cars Allowed – Ultra Low Emission Streets

Breakdown Warning for Motorists The majority of UK drivers would like their car to tell them in advance if it is going to break down.

According to a new AA poll, 66 per cent would like the heads up.

In fact, early warning of a potential fault is top of drivers’ wish list. They want innovative tech to warn them about tyre pressures, fuel levels even the health of their car’s battery – and the AA has the answer.

If the thought of not being able to drive your car home doesn’t scare you, take stock.

Two London boroughs are set to usher in restrictions that ban both petrol and diesel cars from designated areas at set times.

It is all part of a Ultra Low Emission Streets campaign, which aims to reduce C02 emissions and make streets safer for walkers and cyclists. The restrictions will see cars banned from certain streets during peak times. Very low emission vehicles will not be affected by the restrictions.

The prohibitions are being launched in nine streets across Hackney and Islington – a move that will be closely

followed by local authorities across the UK. Automatic number plate recognition technology will be used to identify those who flout the restrictions.

A new initiative to reduce risks to public health, it has public backing and is only being implemented following a consultation. The bans will be policed from 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday.

Motorists in breach of the rules will face a £130 fine.

The poll revealed that 25 per cent of drivers want vehicle location technology fitted as standard.

Previously, drivers told the AA they most worry about breaking down and getting a fair deal from a garage.

The AA has released its Car Genie App which monitors the health of a car and alerts drivers when something isn’t right. The app sends notifications to drivers’ mobile devices, allowing them to know in advance if their vehicle is low on fuel. This means a car can be fixed before they break down.

Beaulieu Gears Up for Harvest The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is gearing up to celebrate harvest with a festival that will appeal to the whole family. Traditional autumn soul cakes will be on the menu in the Beaulieu’s Victorian Kitchen.

Halloween face painting promises to add a touch of the ghoulish and there will be arts and craft activities on offer.

The festival is being staged during the half term, from October 20 to 28.

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Music to the Ears of Lexus Lovers Lexus has used its flagship sports car to make music. Exit Music is a new short film celebrating the thrilling sound of the muscular coupe’s V8 engine. Lexus says it has tuned the LC 500 to produce a great sound.

It adds “another dimension of driving pleasure to its high style and performance appeal”, Lexus explains. To create Exit Music, it utilised the skills of stunt driver and three-times British Rally Champion Mark Higgins.

He negotiated Bristol’s Cabot Circus multi-storey car park, using throttle and brake to produce a roaring crescendo of noise. Mark used ultra-quick flicks of the paddle shifts to move through the 10-speed automatic transmission and brush the 7,300rpm red line.

Lexus said it took great steps to give

the LC 500 a sound that would stir the emotions. Noise produced by the air intake at the front of the car was combined with the exhaust system at the rear to create a ‘concert hall’ effect inside the cabin.

“The air intake is fitted with a sound generator precisely calculated to maximise the desired sound frequency and level,” said Lexus. “Its opening is connected directly to the car’s cowl reinforcement, to generate reverberation in the enclosed space, giving the sound a natural quality.”

After his musical spin around the car park , Mark said: “The LC is a lovely car and it looks gorgeous. It gives you everything you want in terms of luxury but it’s fun to drive as well.

“And the sound it made through that car park at two in the morning was amazing.

It’s a car that I would be very, very happy to drive every day.”

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www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

SBT

ASK THE

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT

Daniel Sheppard, Bodifix the average head weight being 4.5-5kg and forward movement quadrupling the stress on the neck and upper back muscles, it is literally a pain in the neck.

As a person that may well be performing these tasks all day I would class you as a ‘head forward athlete’. You perform the position day in day out and become very proficient at it, you’re an athlete and you may not have known it!

Where is your head at? Or ‘Are you looking well?’

Within the world of driving, typing, making notes and smart phones the idea of looking after your neck and upper back health shouldn’t seem so crazy.

The ability to look left and right should be a movement performed many times a day, but with modern devices we often look forward 90+% of the day. With

EXPERT

The consequence of being a ‘head forward athlete’ is that we don’t do counteracting movements to prevent certain muscles being overly dominant and messing the clever system you developed as children. Headaches, muscle twinges and muscle spasms are often produced when rotating the head or a combination of lifting something with our hand/s and rotating the head simultaneously. This can happen in the car, laying in bed or lifting a goal post in

A business’s profitability and effectiveness can be affected by a variety of factors: whether unfavourable market conditions, boardroom conflict, inefficient management or a diminishing client base, the varied challenges of the trading environment can cause a business to fall into difficulties.

In the early stages of business distress, a company may suffer from cash shortages or suppliers who become more aggressive in their demands for repayment. These symptoms can be indicative of more serious operational or strategic problems. Unless they 54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

To eliminate any potential issues, we must listen to the signs our brain is giving us. Tightness in the upper back and neck are your warning, with the advice to start the exercises given at www.bodifix.co.uk. If you are currently experiencing muscle spasm etc. then visit a physiotherapist or Sports Therapist (Ideally Level 5 qualified) alongside the Bodifix exercises. The great aspect of this is it doesn’t need any equipment to combat the issue, doesn’t make you sweaty and are relatively hard to perform incorrectly.

Visit the Bodifix homepage to discover a downloadable PDF of exercises to help you ‘look good’ www.bodifix.co.uk

Alexander Wood, Restructuring and Insolvency, Coffin Mew are addressed quickly the business may face outright failure rather than just “distress” with consequences for staff, trade creditors, lenders and shareholders – all of which the directors may have liability.

What is the most effective strategy for turning around distressed businesses?

the garden….and it gives no prisoners.

Particularly bad issues can last for up to 2 weeks.

One way to halt the decline and find a way through is to ask a turnaround expert for objective, experienced guidance. Turnaround management involves planning and analysis to get companies back to solvency, and usually involves a professional practitioner who is often appointed to the company’s board.

The practitioner will quickly identify underlying problems and look at specific parts of the business’ operations and finance, plus assess key stakeholders.

Following that, the practitioner will formulate a recovery plan which may include restructuring debt obligations, reducing operating costs, streamlining product lines and accelerating growth of high potential products.

A turnaround can be an uncertain and worrying time; implementing the turnaround action plan can involve difficult decisions, which may include redundancies or the selling of unprofitable aspects of the business. It also means handing over the reins of a cherished business to an outsider who may suggest unfamiliar approaches that feel unwelcome.

So, is the turnaround process worth attempting? Aside from the obvious benefits of potentially avoiding the serious consequences of insolvency, companies that come through a turnaround often find themselves stronger than they were before the downturn; management practices become leaner, operations are more efficient, culture has been reformed and the company is more responsive to market conditions.

At the very least, even if the turnaround proves unsuccessful, attempting it can protect management, morally and legally, from subsequent criticism.

SBT

ASK THE

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT

James Dempster, Managing Director, Cobb Digital Do you use an email software provider, a survey builder, a landing page builder?

To operate effectively in a digital marketing environment, marketing technology should form an integral part of any business infrastructure, but these types of enterprise level technologies often come with a hefty price tag.

So, what can SMEs do to ensure they are not spending large amounts of money unnecessarily? Below are my top tips

1. Look for solutions that do more than one thing Making sure you have the right marketing technology In April chiefmartec.com released their 2018 ‘Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic’ and, according to their most recent stats, there are now a whopping 6,829 pieces of marketing technology, a number which has doubled since 2016.

Even for the savviest of marketers it can be hard to keep up. This saturated marketplace currently shows no signs of slowing down, with AI fast becoming a key component of the marketing mix across businesses of all sizes, the likelihood is it will continue this rapid expansion in the coming years.

“To operate effectively in a digital marketing environment, marketing technology should form an integral part of any business infrastructure”

If you double up a bit on functionality don’t worry, just ensure you are keeping a track of those all important contract renewal dates, that’s when you’ll get the chance to streamline things if you need to.

2. Visit a tradeshow

It’s always good to get an idea of the people behind the platform but more importantly meeting someone face to face will give you the chance to ask any questions or raise any concerns that you might not have wanted to over the phone. Technology for Marketing, which takes place every September at Olympia, is a great opportunity to do just that with the UK’s most established providers

3. What do the reviews say?

Take note of software reviews on sites like Capterra and G2 Crowd.

4. Don’t be a magpie marketer

With so many different pieces of technology out there, many of them offering free trials, it can be easy to get caught up in the martech maze!

Be cautious not to jump on the latest thing without giving proper consideration to how it fits in with your

marketing strategy overall and what your business actually needs.

5. Conduct an audit before purchasing an additional piece of software

In order to avoid being a magpie marketer conducting a martech audit is a great idea because it will allow you to see what you have and where the gaps are.

6. Consider using an agency

The beauty of a good marketing agency is that it is their job to be your ‘go to’ for all things marketing and that includes tech. So, if you don’t have the time or resource to deal with choosing these bits of technology let an agency take that headache away and have them run your campaigns for you

“When it comes to using marketing technology, the choice can be overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be” To sum it up

When it comes to using marketing technology, the choice can be overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be.

In order for any business’s marketing function to succeed, a more streamlined and considered approach should be adopted when it comes to your chosen tech.

Don’t be afraid to step back and question how each piece of technology actually benefits the business, nothing should be taken for granted.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55

Q&A With Mike Monk B2B Expo Brighton Ahead of next month’s Brighton Business Expo, SBT caught up with Mike Monk to discuss the upcoming exhibition and how it has grown over the past two years.

Expo

What was your original motivation for launching the Brighton Business Expo?

My motivation for starting the Brighton Business Expo was that , after being an exhibitor at exhibitions across the UK and Europe for over 30 years, I felt that I could do a better job than some of the organisers… This led me to Exhibit at B2B Expos in other areas which led them to decide to franchise so I became their first franchisee running the Brighton Business Expo.

What differentiates you from other business expos?

We really look after the exhibitors and make it as easy as possible to Exhibit…In addition we get good visitor numbers through the door by promoting heavily on social media, e-marketing, magazine & press coverage, website and networking events…We create a real buzz at the Expo and encourage people to network…

How has the expo developed and grown in the past two years?

The Expo has grown because we deliver what we say and make the Expo an enjoyable and fun day for both exhibitors and visitors alike…Having a Networking Breakfast at 8am on the day really helps to get everyone in the mood, especially

when we get 120 attend this…In addition we have three key note speakers, six seminars on good relevant topics along with two speed networking sessions, a network wall (very popular) and a café where people can sit and relax or talk business…

What are the main benefits for an exhibitor at the expo?

We give our exhibitors a professional shell scheme along with a table and chair(s) plus lunch for two people for their stand and we promote them on our website and social media.

We give the exhibitors the visitor list of those people who have agreed to share their information after the Expo ( most organisers charge for this). We also offer a FREE Exhibition Training half-day 3 weeks before the event to help them achieve a good return on investment, and on the day as an exhibitor you will get to meet hundreds of people.

What can attendees expect from this years event?

We are looking to have 100 exhibitors and 500 vsitors and the Mayor of Brighton & Hove will be there to open my event at 10am…

“I must be doing something right as another organiser has copied a number of my ideas!”

“The Expo has grown because we deliver what we say and make the Expo an enjoyable and fun day for both Exhibitors and Visitors alike” 56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Current Exhibitor list • Polestar

• Company Health Services Ltd

• Gemini Print Group

• Pearce Marketing

• Picture Book Films

• Lead Forensics

• Chestnut Tree House

• OFFICE PROFILE

• Gatwick Diamond Business

• Alkira Services Ltd

• Sussex Chamber of Commerce

• Turquoise Creative

• Network my Club

• The Beacon Group

• Mid Sussex Golf Club

• Kingston Smith LLP

• Starr Trust

• Worthing Coaches

• Gaydio

• Brighton Harbour Hotel

• Alchemy Events

• Sherrards Emploment Law

• Care for Veterans

• Panda Security

• Changing Hats

• KEEP+

• Brighton Racecourse

• Hendy

• Governors for Schools

• Chandlers BMW & Mini

• The Grand Brighton & Richmond Hill Hotel

• Basepoint Centres Ltd

• Yell Business

• Malmaison & Hotel Du Vin

• Counterpoint • Sussex Copywriting Services • ActionCOACH • Hawes Building Ltd • 3aaa Apprenticeships • Chase Valentine Ltd • Yes Promo Products Ltd/Intrigue • Skerritts Lifestyle • Vazon Technology • Viisana • Stackhouse Poland • Techclean • Business Doctors Sussex Coast • First Payment Merchant Services • Fast Track SME Ltd T/A: Catax • Brewers Decorator Centres • McMillan Wealth Consultants • Buxted Park Hotel • Online Account Filing

• Mitie Property Services UK Ltd • Convergence • Feefo • Phoenix High Court Enforcement • Cleankill Pest Control • Haines & Co” • ASL Group • European Office Products PLC • ASL Group • MHA Carpenter Box • Dotsquares • Davenport Property Investments • Worldpay & Nat West • Kreston Reeves LLP • The Old Ship Hotel • Avantis Wealth Ltd • Cooden Tax Consulting • Castle Water • Covers

• Whitehead-Ross Education and Consulting Ltd

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Network My Club

Record Month for Network My Club!

It was a record month for both the Network Albion Business Club and Network My Club at Goodwood in August!

Over 120 businesses were in attendance at the Amex Stadium Networking in Brighton for the latest Network Albion Business Club event.

Guest speaker for August’s networking breakfast was Executive Director at Brighton & Hove Albion, Martin Perry.

Martin gave an intriguing talk, retiterating the power of the club playing in the Premier League, the importance of increased revenue in relation to getting new players into the club, but also to improve pitch facilities at the Amex and the new state of the art

training ground in Lancing.

Following the event, attendee, Robin Smith of Economic Growth Solutions, said: “Great Network Albion Business Club event this morning at the Amex Stadium. Also very interesting to hear from Brighton & Hove Albion Executive Director, Martin Perry!”

August also saw Network My Club at Goodwood host the their third at the world famous Goodwood Motor Circuit!

Over 50 businesses were attendance to meet new like-mineded contacts in the Sussex area, enjoy breakfast, as well as hearing the latest from new members and the Goodwood Estate itself.

Following the event, member Tim Green, of Brain Tumour Research, said: “Another great networking meeting by Network My Club at Goodwood.” While Alison Taylor, from Chestnut Tree House, added: “It was lovely see everyone again at Network My Club at Goodwood! Great venue too!”

To find more information about Network My Club and see where they’re hosting events near you, visit www.networkmyclub.co.uk.

Learn more about Network My Club at www.networkmyclub.co.uk

58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Network My Club

“I’ve found the business club to be an excellent way to meet like-minded professionals and those are often in senior positions.”

- Engage Healthcare

“Network My Club make you feel very welcome and allow you the time to actually network!

They take a keen interest in your business and try to help any way they can, which I find very refreshing.”

- Best Vehicle Leasing

“The structure Network My Club have created really is the future of networking.”

- Detect Fire & Security “In today’s fast-paced business environment, I was struck by the time and care the Network My Club team dedicated to getting to know our business and objectives.” - Hero IT Support

Contact them on 01903 898025 or info@networkmyclub.co.uk

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Networking in Sussex

SBT

Social

Mayo Wynne Baxter’s annual golf day at Mid Sussex Golf Club was a very different take on the usual corporate format. 60 guests made up country teams for a round of Golf Olympics where each hole did not necessarily need golf clubs. Holes included tennis (tee shot was played with a racquet) and handball (throwing and rolling the ball by hand) to name just two.

Bronze, silver and gold medals were awarded for each ‘sport’ and £1,300 was raised for the Sussex Cancer Fund following generous prize donations from BHAFC, Vines BMW, Sea Life Centre, MSGC and of course the signed copy of SBT.

Emma Poore-Hendy Group Ltd

Tony Horn-NatWest, Scott Gair-Mayo Wynne Baxter

Jason Edge-Mayo Wynne Baxter, Andy Betts-Betts Finance

Emma Poore-Hendy Group Ltd

David Pegler-Brighton Capital Management

60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Networking in Sussex

Yiotis Diomedou-Advanta

Rob Bickell-Pure Design, Russell Wood-BHAFC Scott Gair-Mayo Wynne Baxter, Simon Robinson, Kieron Robertson- Simpsons Wealth Management

The Sprint

Avdo Alihodzic-Advanta

John Salako-SME Business Finance

Tony Cottey-Sussex Cricket, David Pegler-Brighton Capital Management, Andrew Lang-Languard Alarms, Yiotis Diomedou-Advanta

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61

Daniel Sheppard, Director of Bodifix

Made in Sussex: Bodifix Bodifix is a move away from Brand mainstream exercise and has been created Focus to fill the gaps in the way people train. Based in Eastbourne’s Sports Park, the facilities include an outside athletics track, 3G pitches, grass pitches alongside indoor courts and a small group gym. Aiming at those that wish to improve the sport they love, whether for personal achievement, for a local team or to progress professionally. Along with Sport Specific training, Bodifix also provides the most up to date methods of training those that are 30 years and older.

The unique selling point for Bodifix is the ability to review the body using a review system called ‘Functional Movement Screening’ that allows the weak links of the body to be highlighted and worked on systematically. Director and Head coach Daniel Sheppard explains “the current approach to exercise is that you walk into a gym or are personal trained to do a number of random exercises with no real reason or validation other than to be fitter or to lose weight. At no point is there a measure of quality of movement either

62 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

at the point of first contact or during the training sessions”.

To combat this Bodifix reviews the body as part of our first session to allow individual differences to be worked upon. For example, if you are unable to keep your foot flat on the floor (heel in contact) and allow the knee to go over the toes you have limited ankle flexibility, and this will impact on your running and squatting”.

“The unique selling point for Bodifix is the ability to review the body using a review system called ‘Functional Movement Screening’ that allows the weak links of the body to be highlighted and worked on systematically.”

This approach allows Bodifix to provide health and performance in a sea of exercise providers that prioritise full attack without a need for movement quality. Daniel explains “though there are a number of reasons for injuries,

the most common looks to be the inability to get into the correct position due to restrictions or being unstable.

Movement quality is the measure of whether you can achieve a desired position and how easy it is to attain it with control. This doesn’t need to be judged by an exercise but whether you can put your socks on without sitting down. It’s a great example of how we can review our movement quality, and when we realise we can no longer do it, we often justify it by age which is not a valid reason. The long-term benefits of good movement is the ability and desire to move more often. Move more often and you are healthier, burn more calories and psychologically de-stress”.

The business is looking to build upon Daniels 16 years’ experience within the health and fitness industry by forming a model that is repeatable throughout Sussex and beyond. The goal is to retain quality through staff development and the ability to repeat the framework where ever the Bodifix system is applied.

To find out more about Bodifix, please visit www.bodifix.co.uk

The Rivervale Partners Event V V Big Discounts on New & Used cars – Not to be missed!

V V V V V V V

Friday 21 September 10am -7pm & Saturday 22 September 10am-5pm

V

Test Drives Food & Drink Free Vehicle Health Check Get Your Vehicle Valued

Register online now to receive your

V EXCLUSIVE V

PARTNERS PACK WORTH

V

£500! V

Free Starbucks Coffee Free Vac & Wash

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Register at www.rivervale.co.uk/about-rivervale/partners

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www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 63

Rivervale House 50 Victoria Road, Portslade BN41 1XB

www.rivervale.co.uk

WinteR A Magical Wonder A Magical

WinteR Wonder CHRISTMAS PARTIES AT

Join us at Brighton Racecourse for our Winter Wonderland themed Christmas Party Nights taking place on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the month of December

ÂŁ30+VAT per person

Themed room An arrival glass of prosecco A Christmas carvery DJ and disco entertainment Christmas treats Rooftop terrace overlooking the city

A Magical

WinteR Wonder

Private hire also available – please enquire via the contact details below

Call us on 01273 603 580 to book your table or email us at events@brighton-racecourse.co.uk CHRISTMAS PARTIES AT

64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk