SBT MARCH 2018 ISSUE 421

SBT

ISSUE 421

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

IRWIN MITCHELL

CHARLOTTE SLOAN, SENIOR ADVISOR AT IRWIN MITCHELL EXPLAINS WHAT EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAX AND EMPLOYEE TERMINATION PAYMENTS

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE HEADLINE RENT AFTER TAKING OUR COVER SPOT LAST MONTH, GRAVES JENKINS RETURNS TO OUR PAGES THIS MONTH AS THE SPONSORS OF OUR PROPERTY SECTION

MOTORING WITH RIVERVALE RIVERVALE RETURNS AS THE SPONSORS OF OUR MOTORING SECTION THIS MONTH. THIS TIME AROUND THEY TURN THEIR FOCUS TO EXPLORING THE SUCCESS OR ELECTRIC CARS

17K TARGET - 7 CHARITIES - 7TH BIRTHDAY EVERY YEAR, LOCAL DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY, SEARCH SEVEN PLEDGE TO GIVE UP 7% OF PROFITS TO CHARITIES THROUGH FUNDRAISING AND DONATIONS. IN 2018, AS A CELEBRATION OF TURNING 7, THEY ARE AIMING TO DOUBLE WHAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED TO DATE AND THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT. IN THIS ISSUE, WE LOOK AT THEIR EFFORTS SO FAR, AND WHAT’S PLANNED FOR THEIR #SHARE7 CHARITY INITIATIVE SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

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SBTWelcome MEET THE TEAM

Welcome to our latest issue of SBT! As we enter the spring months we have another packed issue for you with all the local news, insights and reviews from across the county, written by the Sussex business community for the Sussex business community. We hope you enjoy the issue.

Sam Thomas, Managing Director/ Publisher

Jess Saunders, Head of Production

Clare Fermor, Accounts

CONTRIBUTORS

Gavin Willis, Managing Director, Search Seven

James Dempster, Managing Director, Cobb Digital

Phil Graves, Diector, Graves Jenkins

Charlotte Sloan, Senior Associate, Irwin Mitchell LLP

Chris Mansfield, MD, Davenport Property Investment

Stuart Duncan, Solicitor, Coffin Mew

Anthony Ward, MD, Psydro

Steve Opie, Independent Financial Adviser, Spectrum IFA

This month’s cover feature focus is on local digital marketing agency Search Seven, as they celebrate their 7th year in business and launch their #Share7 campaign. I had the privilege of meeting Managing Director, Gavin Willis and the team to find out how they are pledging to raise £17k for 7 charities to celebrate their 7th year. A true Sussex-based company who really are giving back to the community.

We also take great pleasure in welcoming Irwin Mitchell to our pages this month as sponsors of our legal section. Senior Associate, Charlotte Sloan gives us the lowdown on changes to the taxation treatment of termination payments. We also welcome back last months cover feature, Phil Graves and Graves Jenkins as sponsors of our Property section, providing us with expert advice within the property sector.

Brighton Racecourse join us again this month with some great offers for all SBT subscribers. Meanwhile, James Dempster, Managing Director at Cobb Digital gives us his third instalment of his Historical Sussex columns.

As always, alongside these great features, we provide you with our regular Ask the Expert columns and Made in Sussex feature, with this month’s home-grown hero being Samantha Trace Cosmetics Ltd. As ever, our popular motoring section is sponsored by Rivervale and focuses on electric cars. This month our Food and Drinks Editor takes to Brighton to review the popular Salt Room and - as we bring back our Hotel Review - the exquisite Hotel Du Vin. Also within these pages you’ll find your usual local, national, motoring and chamber news.

Enjoy this month’s read!

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 3

SBTContents

Issue 421

SBT

ISSUE 421

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

IRWIN MITCHELL

CHARLOTTE SLOAN, SENIOR ADVISOR AT IRWIN MITCHELL EXPLAINS WHAT EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAX AND EMPLOYEE TERMINATION PAYMENTS

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE HEADLINE RENT AFTER TAKING OUR COVER SPOT LAST MONTH, GRAVES JENKINS RETURNS TO OUR PAGES THIS MONTH AS THE SPONSORS OF OUR PROPERTY SECTION

MOTORING WITH RIVERVALE RIVERVALE RETURNS AS THE SPONSORS OF OUR MOTORING SECTION AGAIN THIS MONTH. THIS TIME THEY TURN THEIR FOCUS TO EXPLORING THE SUCCESS OR ELECTRIC CARS

17K TARGET - 7 CHARITIES - 7TH BIRTHDAY EVERY YEAR, LOCAL DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY, SEARCH SEVEN PLEDGE TO GIVE UP 7% OF PROFITS TO CHARITIES THROUGH FUNDRAISING AND DONATIONS. IN 2018, AS A CELEBRATION OF TURNING 7, THEY ARE AIMING TO DOUBLE WHAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED TO DATE AND THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT. IN THIS ISSUE, WE LOOK AT THEIR EFFORTS SO FAR, AND WHAT’S PLANNED FOR THEIR #SHARE7 CHARITY INITIATIVE SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

Cover: Search Seven

Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Head of Production Jess Saunders jess@lifemediagroup.co.uk 07528578177 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 Gemini Print A1, Dolphin Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 6NZ 01273 464884 www.gemini-print.co.uk

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

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

Copyright The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2017 ©

4 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

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News

View the latest local and national business headlines.

Spending It

This month’s Spending It feature turns its focus to the necessities of every working environment - office essentials.

Finance: Tax Advantageous Schemes & Attracting Business Investment

Clive Hyman FCA explains the ways in which the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) can assist businesses in securing investment.

Education: Ageless Apprenticeships

With the help of Whitbread - one of the UK’s largest hospitality companies - Sussex Business Times explores ageless apprenticeships.

Legal: Tax and Employee Termination Payments, All Change Charlotte Sloan, Senior Associate at Irwin Mitchell’s employment team explains what employers and employees need to know about the changes to tax and employee termination payments.

Property: It’s not all About the Headline Rent

After taking our cover spot in last month’s issue, Graves Jenkins return to our pages again this month as the sponsors of our Property section.

Cover Feature: Celebrating Seven Years with #share7

In celebration of their 7th year, Search Seven are launching #share7, an initiative to raise £17k for 7 charities. We caught up with Managing Director, Gavin Willis to find out more.

Tried and Tested in Sussex

Sussex Business Times’ Food and Drink Editor, Kelly Thwaites takes to Brighton to review the city’s Hotel Du Vin and The Salt Room. She feeds back on her thoughts.

Chamber News

For this month’s Chamber News section, Sussex Business Times has partnered with the Sussex Chamber of Commerce.

Motoring with Rivervale

Rivervale returns this month. This time around, they turn their focus to the issue of motoring on the environment, exploring air pollution and the success of electric cars.

Ask the Experts

Local Sussex business experts advise on relevant issues.

Made in Sussex

This month’s home-grown hero is ‘browologist’, Samantha Trace Cosmetics Ltd.

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SBTLocal News Caroline Ansell Welcomes New Government Measures on Pensions Former Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell has welcomed new Government measures to give workers assurances their future retirement savings are safe when a company fails.

The White Paper “Protecting Defined Benefit Pension Schemes” was announced in Parliament this week and will make it a criminal offence for companies to neglect pension schemes.

The proposals could see businesses and their owners hit with fines or even prison sentences if they fail to meet their duty.

The move comes in the wake of the BHS and Carillion collapses, which caused concern in Eastbourne when the local branch of BHS closed.

“There have been several highprofile cases where pensions schemes have been hit hard by the collapse of a business and its workers, including BHS workers and retirees here in Eastbourne that have been hit hard,” said Caroline.

“Everyone who has paid into a pension scheme must know their money is safe and these new measures will help that to happen and hold those who flout their responsibilities to account.

Brighton Named Most Entrepreneurial City According to a report by Instant Offices, Brighton is the most entrepreneurial UK city, followed by Manchester and Nottingham in second and third place respectively. This was determined by analysing Companies House data and comparing population estimates in UK cities with the number of businesses launched there in the last two years.

Surprisingly, London did not make the top 10.

A survey by YouthSite of 1 006 students across UK universities found that 15% of students plan to launch their own start-up business after graduating from university. As for their reasons, 45% said they desired to be their own boss, while 27% believe they

would make more money working for themselves than for someone else. The survey also found that male undergraduates are more likely to start their own business, with 20% of male participants interested in starting their own business ventures, compared to only 11% of female graduates.

breatheHR Moves Office Due to Significant Growth After four years headquartered in Southwater, just outside of Horsham, the HR software provider, breatheHR has moved to a new, larger office in central Horsham.

This move is to accommodate its rising headcount and company growth. The new space will enable the company to continue to scale and meet the needs of growing businesses who need to escape the admin of managing their people.

Having launched in 2012, breatheHR is a fully web-based HR

solution that is recognised for its simplicity and reliability. It currently has over 3,500 SME customers, who are managing more than 120,000 employees in the UK. breatheHR currently employs 25 people. The new office, being double the square foot of the old office, has capacity for 50 employees to allow for future growth and expansion. The move will also provide additional meeting and breakout space supporting employees with the work they do to equip businesses with the tools they need to alleviate the stresses of managing employee admin.

The Sky is the Limit at Worthing’s Iconic New Seafront

Progress at Worthing’s exciting new development Bayside Apartments is now well underway with demolition of the old

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Aquarena building complete and work to lay the foundations of the new building commenced.

The iconic development from local developers Roffey Homes will comprise of 141 high quality homes situated in a prime location on Worthing’s seafront offering direct access to the extensive promenade and fabulous beaches and just a short walk from the vibrant town centre.

Bayside will consist of two elements, Bayside Vista rising fifteen storeys high and offering residents stunning balcony

views across the English Channel and Bayside Horizon which will offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, all with balconies or outside space for those that appreciate an alfresco lifestyle.

Each apartment will benefit from high specification interiors, offering contemporary and stylish living with full access to a seafront café and private health club which will boast a pool, spa, steam room, sauna and gym. A resident’s lounge and communal area will also be available on the ground floor offering spectacular sea views.

SBTLocal News Global Leader & Local Business, Brandwatch, Back Brighton Campaign

CooperBurnett Advises ITM Monitoring Shareholders on their sale to SOCOTEC UK The Corporate team at CooperBurnett was delighted to provide legal advice recently to Jon Scott in the sale of Calyx Investments Ltd – the holding company of ITM Monitoring – to SOCOTEC UK, a subsidiary of the SOCOTEC Group.

Based in Uckfield, East Sussex, ITM Monitoring is an internationally recognised geotechnical and structural monitoring firm. Its technicians and engineers have worked on the majority of key construction projects that have taken place in the UK over two decades, as well as numerous high profile international projects. These include providing instrumentation and monitoring for Crossrail C701, Europe’s

largest civil engineering project; the Perth Metro; the Son La Dam in Vietnam; and numerous Network Rail routes across the UK. With its headquarters in France and operations in 25 countries, SOCOTEC is a leading company in testing, inspection and certification with ambitious growth plans. Having acquired ESG last year, the company has been actively seeking quality acquisition targets and ITM Monitoring stood out, due to the strength of the work it has delivered and the way in which it works.

For any further information, please visit www.cooperburnett.com

Recognition for Brighon Business’ Outstanding Performance David Pollard, owner of the Brighton office of leading driver employment agency Driver Hire, have won a prestigious Silver Achievement Award for the outstanding sales performance achieved by his office during 2017. His office achieved a record annual turnover, passing £500,000 for the first time.

The UK’s largest specialist supplier, Driver Hire provides temporary and permanent drivers and other logistics staff to local and national organisations in both the public and private sector. If they’re short of staff – perhaps because of illness, holidays or seasonal demand – Driver Hire will supply them with a suitable replacement.

Commenting on the award, Chris

Chidley, Driver Hire’s Chief Executive, said: “This is a performance to be proud of. David and his team at Brighton are to be congratulated on their success. It’s a result of their hard work, endeavour and the first rate, round the clock service they and their drivers deliver.”

Martlets Hospice has announced that Brighton business Brandwatch, the world’s leading social intelligence group, has signed up as Headline Sponsor for Snailspace, this autumn’s must-see public art event.

Speaking about their decision to back the Snailspace event, Katja Garrood, Creative Director at Brandwatch said: “We are very excited to be involved in this project as, despite being a global company, our home town is Brighton. It is fantastic to be able to participate in and help facilitate an inclusive event that is good for the whole city, whilst at the same time helping Martlets, which provides such an important service for our community.”

She continued: “There is a synergistic relationship between Brighton and Brandwatch’s success.

Our people are consistently rated as one of the best things about our business. Being able to make a difference helps towards building a positive work culture, which in turn helps us build great products.

Snailspace is an event we know our staff will love being part of, as well as offering them plenty of creative opportunities. It’s a real win-win.

We’ve always been pioneers in our space and we love that this campaign offers us a chance to really celebrate that spirit of innovation.”

Imelda Glackin, CEO Martlets Hospice said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Brandwatch as Headline Sponsor for Snailspace. By backing this campaign Brandwatch will help ensure that this event goes on to raise significant funds for patient care.

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SBTNational News London ranked as Europe’s Most Attractive City for Businesses & Employees

London has been ranked as Europe’s most attractive city for businesses and employees for the second year running according to Colliers International’s latest European Cities of Influence report, which reviews and ranks cities based on their occupier attractiveness, availability of talent, and quality of life factors alongside economic output and productivity; Paris, Madrid, Moscow and Birmingham making up the rest of the top five.

David Hanrahan, Co-head, London Agency and Development at Colliers International says: “London has proved its resilience and magnetism as a global hub in the wake of the EU referendum with a diverse spectrum of investors and occupiers identifying the city as the best place in which to conduct their business. Concerns about a mass post-Brexit exodus from London to the continent have been tapered as the market has rallied, with European businesses close to quadrupling their activity in London last year. This is indicative of the wider factors at play that influence employees and employers alike.”

Self-Employed Workers SufferTo Less Stress Shopping On Mobile Top £53bn

By 2024

According to research by AXA Business Insurance, although 78 per cent of self-employed people described themselves as stressed to some extent, nine in ten of those working for an employer said the same.

In addition, fewer self-employed workers said their stress came from their work life – 42 per cent compared to 61 per cent of company employees. Furthermore, those working for themselves were three times less likely to say they dealt with difficult people as part of their day-today work.

While 11 per cent of workers say they are constantly stressed, this falls to just two per cent of selfemployed workers. When asked

about their overall mental health, 30 per cent of full-time employees raised concerns, compared to just 11 per cent of self-employed. Self-employed workers are also less likely to feel their income is insecure in the long term – just under half said they worry about the stability of their business, whereas two thirds of employees worry that their jobs are insecure.

Over 50% of UK Consumers will Share Personal Data for Reward Points As consumers share more about their location, what they are doing at specific moments in time and what interests them – they are enabling brands to capture more information about their customers. Yet as they do so, statistics by the ‘Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)’ show that only in 1 in 5 UK consumers have trust or confidence in how companies store and use their personal data. These findings are further echoed by ‘Callcredit UK’, who found that 60% of consumers want brands to be more transparent as to how their data is being used.

Interested in data, OnBuy.com analysed findings from Mindshare, who surveyed more than 6,000 people from across the

UK to better understand their attitudes towards sharing personal data.

OnBuy.com found that 60% of UK consumers would be most uncomfortable sharing their private conversations from the messaging platforms they are active on. Thereafter, a consumer’s search history from their web browser was the next most citied source of data that consumers would refrain from wanting to sharing at 51%.

In contrast to what customers would feel most uncomfortable with sharing, OnBuy found that consumers would be least uncomfortable with sharing their personal data on fitness trackers at 36%.

Just ranked slightly above by 1%, 37% of UK consumers would feel apprehensive sharing data on their mood.

Gender Savings Gap Leaves Half of female Workers Feeling Financially Unprepared for Retirement More than half of female employees admit to feeling financially unprepared for their retirement, as evidence emerges of a gender savings gap in research* from Close Brothers and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA). The research finds that 51% of female workers feel financially unprepared, compared to around a third (35%) of male workers.

The Lifetime Savings Challenge Report 2017, which seeks to understand how employees are saving, where they need help, and the level of support available,

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reveals that there is a clear and distinct gender savings crisis in the UK which needs to be addressed. Only 23% of female employees feel well prepared for retirement, compared to more than a third of men (36%).

When it comes to pension saving, the average amount in a woman’s workplace pension scheme is less than half that of their male colleagues (£53,000 vs £120,000).

Worryingly, women are twice as likely to have less than £5,000 in workplace savings compared to their male counterparts.

SBTNational News Social Media at Work: The Difference Between Employer and Employee Perceptions

UK Tax Expert Welcomes Government Plans to Increase Tax-Free Allowance UK tax expert David Redfern welcomed news that the personal tax-free allowance is to be raised in the next tax year, as announced in the Spring Statement by the UK government.

Commenting on the announcement that the personal tax-free allowance is to be raised to £11,850 from next April, tax preparation specialist and founder of DSR Tax Claims Redfern stated that he welcomed the increase, which will allow taxpayers to keep more of their earnings before they are required to pay income tax.

Although major changes to taxation

and government spending now only take place in November’s Autumn Budget, the Spring Statement sets out the government’s economic plans going forwards and as well as providing an update on the UK economy to date.

Tuesday’s statement also set out the government’s intention to increase the personal tax-free allowance to £11,850 in tax year 2018/19 - up from £11,500 for tax year 2017/18.

Redfern said: “I welcome any step in the right direction and applaud efforts to make the tax system fairer for all but there is still a long way to go.”

Leaders Need to be Better ‘Followers’ Bosses need to be better at following others if they are to succeed in a management role, say leadership experts.

Politicians and CEOs are too focused on how they are perceived as leaders rather than actually leading colleagues around them.

Global leadership advisory firm 6 Group evaluated more than 75 corporate transformational changes and interviewed more than 300 senior executives across Europe in two years. It found that in many cases the best leaders actually took a lead from other colleagues on many issues.

James Beazley, Managing Director of 6 Group, said: “Everyone talks about leadership but followership is the skill most likely to create success especially in large scale transformation projects. There is limited information or research about the concept of ‘followership’ and what little exists usually centres around the concept of attaining followers.

“In contrast, there is a huge amount of

research around the servant leader, the fallible leader, the collaborative leader and authentic leader. The list goes on.

However, all of this still emphasises leader over follower.

“We found that the most successful organisations going through change take the approach of ensuring they have the right team aligned to taking the lead in each key competency. Followership is the recognition that leaders can’t do it all and there is strong evidence that the best leaders are in fact following others.”

Virtually since its creation, the use of social media in the workplace has been a bone of contention between employers and employees.

With social media now being so ubiquitous, leading digital marketing experts, Digimax, have discovered that 72% of SME owners/managers now have an active social media policy for their employees to abide by. Unfortunately, only a quarter (28%) of employees are happy with their employer’s stated policy.

With the average person now having 7.6 active social media accounts and spending nearly two hours (approximately 116 minutes) a day perusing them, it’s perhaps not surprising that employers are concerned about the impact social media might have on productivity.

Although more than a third (36%) of employers say that they don’t allow personal use of social media during work hours, three quarters (74%) of workers say that they regularly check their accounts while at work.

18% of those say that their business hours social media use is workrelated with some citing promoting a product or sharing news as their SM use whilst the overwhelming majority (82%) admit that it’s purely for personal entertainment.

Interestingly, eight out of ten (81%) employers believe that their staff’s online content can have a direct effect on their business brand, whether through inappropriate comments or behaviour not fitting for the line of work. Because of this, 33% of small business managers admit to regularly checking their employee’s social media content.

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Fix Up, Look Sharp This month’s Spending It feature turns its focus to the necessities of every working environment - office essentials. Here are SBT’s top picks STARTECH MONITOR AND LAPTOP STAND This creates a cost-effective, ergonomic and space-saving dual-display working station. The built-in laptop stand raises the laptop off of the desk or work surface, so that its display is aligned with a secondary monitor which is mounted on the flexible monitor arm.

This frees up valuable work space and creates a more comfortable and productive workstation, offering clutterfree solutions. £146.99.

MOPHIE WIRELESS CHARGING BASE The mophie wireless charging base is optimised to charge your iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X quickly and easily. Simply set your iPhone on the wireless base and charging begins immediately. The non-slip housing ensures perfect placement. £54.95.

www.insight.com

www.apple.com

FOOTBOT Foobot is the first air quality monitor which gives you a clear and visual understanding of how good the air quality is in your surroundings and the knowledge to take small steps to improve it; benefitting the whole family’s long term health. It also works alongside other smart home devices.

Foobot also works alongside other smart home devices taking direct action if pollution levels exceed a set amount. Perfect for those of you facing the daily smog filled commute to work. £170. https://foobot.io

BRAINWAVZ TRUSS UNDER THE DESK DUAL HEADPHONE HANGER

APPLE WATCH SERIES 3 Apple Watch is an incredibly accurate timepiece, designed to sync with your iPhone and give you the time accurate to within 5 milliseconds. It’s also connected to your calendar, your contacts and schedule, helping it deliver timely updates that are relevant to you. £379. www.johnlewis.com 10 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

The Brainwavz Truss is a headphones hanger specifically designed to hang not one, but two headphones with ease, comfort and convenience.

The Truss allows users to store and protect multiple headphones in a neat and comfortable manner. Solid and dependable, it affixes under any desk or surface with a 3M VHB™ adhesive tape. £13.85. www.brainwavzaudio.com

ADONIT INK PRO WINDOWS SPECIFIC STYLUS

AESOP MOROCCAN NEROLI SHAVING SERUM

Certified by Microsoft, Adonit’s Ink PRO provides a turnkey stylus solution to any Window’s device and the perfect business accessory. Write and draw in exquisite detail with Ink PRO’s 1mm fine point tip and the pressure sensitive stylus will emulate real handwriting. £79.99.

Add timeless style to your home with this Mantel pendulum clock from Alessi. £170. www.amara.com

www.amazon .co.uk

RUARK AUDIO R1 MK3 DAB/FM RADIO The Ruark R1 MK3 is the third generation of R1 digital table radio that features upgraded internal components but sticking to the roots of the original sleek design.

This compact radio packs a powerful 3.5” high-fidelity driver - custom made to deliver excellent sound quality. £219. www.hifix.co.uk

HERITAGE DOCUMENT FOLDER

BAINBRIDGE COPPER DESKTOP ORGANISER The magnetic cups are ideal for storing stationery items of all sizes, whilst the letter rack is perfect for sorting mail into incoming and outgoing, or organising memos and notes. Perfect for turning your desk clutter into a sophisticated and stylish copper feature, the Bainbridge would make a fabulous addition to any home office or workspace. £47. www.redcandy.co.uk

OFFICE CHAIR, PERSIAN GREY Ensure you have everything you need during an important meeting with this Heritage document holder from Dulwich Designs. Luxuriously handcrafted from premium bonded leather, it is lined with plush grey suedette and includes three slots for business cards and a pen holder.

Available in black and brown, this document holder makes a wonderful luxury gift idea. £60.

Sophisticated style. It’s an office chair that refuses to be square, or corporate. It has all the refined elegance of the Flynn dining room chairs. So your workspace needn’t compromise on style.

Button detailing on the back adds texture to the design. It also has a swivel base with castors, and it’s height adjustable. So it’s equal parts beauty and practicality. £169.

www.amara.com

www.made.com

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Finance

Tax Advantageous Schemes &

Attracting Business Investment

For this month’s Finance pages, Clive Hyman FCA - founder of Hyman Capital Services - explains the ways in which the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) can assist businesses in securing investment

If you are looking for investment for a new or growing business the Seed Enterprise Finance Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) offer potentially attractive vehicles for securing such investment.

SEIS and EIS are well worth getting to grips with in an age when the bank manager is probably no longer a business owners’ best friend and when more conventional fundraising routes can be difficult to come by.

Do not be deterred by the headache-

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inducing acronyms and numerous websites and so-called experts that get high on their own jargon.

What companies need to know is that both schemes are backed by the government and provide a method for securing equity funding that gives the them the opportunity to achieve their goals and investors the opportunity to make shrewd investments while enjoying the tax advantages that go with them.

As with anything in business, both companies seeking investment and investors looking for companies to back should do their homework. Few things in life are risk free.

Background EIS was introduced in 1994 as the successor to the Business Expansion Scheme. The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) debuted in 2012, to attract investors to start-ups that may have otherwise have been viewed as too risky, rightly or wrongly.

They are targeted as investments for individuals who have high net worth. They are intended to benefit both the investor and the beneficiary.

EIS and SEIS are two of four venture capital schemes. The other two are Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR).

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs

Finance (HMRC) stresses it is important to check which one is appropriate both from a company and an investment point of view.

For the purpose of this article, I am focusing on SEIS and EIS. The difference SEIS is designed to help a company raise money when it is starting to trade, or one that has been trading for less than two years, whereas EIS helps an early-stage company raise funds to help grow the business.

Businesses raising money under SEIS can receive a maximum of £150,000 through the scheme, offering private investors 50% up front tax relief – hugely attractive although the amount of investment is relatively small.

The businesses must have assets of no more than £200,000 and have fewer than 25 employees.

The company must be based in the UK. HMRC says proof of a company’s permanent establishment in the UK includes having an office or factory or one of the following: • • • •

A place of management A branch A workshop A quarry, mine, oil or gas well, a building site, such as a construction or installation project.

This is not a complete list, but the type of business a company engages will be the deciding factor in what premises and facilities are required to meet the conditions for investment.

EIS is for those seeking funding of up to £5m and gives investors 30% upfront tax relief and must have less than £15m of assets and up to 250 employees.

As a result it is available to many more companies than SEIS. The same qualifying factors on UK residency above apply. Companies cannot raise more than £5m each year and more than £12m in their lifetime, from the four venture capital schemes that currently exist. Individuals cannot invest more than £1m each year.

Any gains from SEIS and EIS investment are 100% exempt from inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax.

HMRC stresses that tax reliefs will be withheld or withdrawn from investors if companies do not follow the rules for at least three years after the investment is made.

There are two types of fund which invest in companies seeking SEIS and EIS money. They are either HMRC “approved” or HMRC “unapproved”. Both spread the risk over numerous companies which is important.

“Unapproved” means that HMRC has not given its structure prior approval.

“Approved” does not mean “protected” or that HMRC has approved the quality of the investments. However, there are tax planning differences between the two types.

With approved funds the ability exists to “carry back” for income tax relief purposes and treat the investment as if it had been undertaken in the previous tax year.

Money raised by a new share issue must be spent within two years of the investment or, if later, the date the company started trading.

It must be used to grow or develop the business and must not be used to buy all or part of another business.

Who qualifies?

Most trades qualify but there are exceptions if most of a trade includes coal or steel production, for example, farming or market gardening, leasing activities, legal or financial services, property development, running a hotel or nursing home, and electricity, heat, gas or fuel generation.

Apart from being established in the UK, they must not be trading on a recognised stock exchange at the time of the share issue and they must not have any arrangements in place to become quoted.

For start-ups, SEIS is an attractive way to target much needed funding.

Just because a company has availed of SEIS funding does not mean

it cannot go on to raise further funding from an EIS, although the amount it can raise from this will be reduced to up to £4.85m.

Companies raising money under EIS must do so within the first seven years of its first commercial sales. If you did not receive investment within the first seven years, or now want to raise money for a different activity from a previous investment, you will have to show that the money is required to enter a completely new product market or a new geographic market and that the money you are seeking is at least 50% of the company’s average annual turnover for the last five years.

Practicalities If you are an investor, you have to source the entity or entities you are going to invest in which you might do through a trusted fund manager, or you might find a corporate finance house that has an opportunity.

You would need to get out into the market and network, and identify what it is you would like to invest in. Investors need to look at the investments

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

and make sure they are sound. It is all too easy to get distracted by the tax relief. The tax relief is great to have; it is obviously hugely advantageous. But what is the point of tax relief if the investment is rubbish?

The business still has to have the necessary fundamentals. You still have to assess it. Is the management team any good? Are the businesses you are investing in worth it? Remember it is your cash you are going to have to invest. The tax relief should not bind you to good common-sense investment practice.

If you are a company seeking investment, you have got to get a specialist tax advisor to help you acquire the necessary approval to do so, the tax relief accreditation letter and advance assurance.

You have either got to market it through a fund manager or a corporate finance house to high-net-worth individuals who are qualified to look at it.

There are various platforms people use to market investment in their companies – not crowdfunding ones, however.

For most of the EIS opportunities you need an introducer or specialist finance companies that will manage everything and probably have a roster of companies for which they want to raise money.

14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

You must complete a separate application for each share issue and if your application is successful, HMRC will confirm the decision and send you compliance certificates to give to your investors.

Your investors cannot claim the tax relief until they receive their compliance certificate.

Success stories Both schemes are success stories. The latest available HMRC statistics show that since EIS was introduced, 26,355 companies have received investment and almost £16.2bn of funds have been raised.

In 2015-16, 3,470 companies raised a total of £1.89bn of funds under EIS and in 2014-15, 3,370 firms raised £1.92bn of funds.

Most of the investment was accounted for in London and the South East. In 2015-16 companies registered in this region received 67% of investment.

In 2015-16, 2,360 companies received investment through SEIS and £180m of funds were raised – similar to 2014-15, when 2,365 companies raised a total of £180m.

Out of this number 1,800 raised funds under SEIS for the first time in 2015-16.

This represented investment of £154 million.

The HMRC statistics show that in 2015-16, companies from the hi-tech and business services sector made up 68% of the amount of SIES investment received.

Other venture capital schemes Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) allows individuals to claim relief on £1m of annual investment and provides 30% of income tax relief.

VCTs allow an annual investment of £200,000 on which they can claim 30% tax relief. With VCTs no tax is payable on dividends where it is on SITR, SEIS and EIS. Investors can get capital gains tax relief on any profits they make under all four of the schemes.

With SITR there is also the option to invest through a debt instrument.

If you are new to these types of investment arrangements the rules of VCTs might be a little complex to navigate. This can be true for both company and investors and it is easy to come unstuck. Seeking expert advice may well be the best option.

For any further information, please visit www.hymancapital.com

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Education

Ageless Apprenticeships There’s a new type of apprentice on the block – in fact they’ve been round it a few times already. Here, with the help of Whitbread - one of the UK’s largest hospitality companies Sussex Business Times explores ageless apprenticeships They say you’re never too old to learn Educasomething new and that’s certainly true tion for a selection of older learners who are using ageless apprenticeships – dubbed pension-ships – and commencing a new career in their fifties and beyond.

Whitbread, the UK’s largest hospitality company and owner of both Premier Inn and Costa, has seen this trend first hand as it offers ageless apprenticeships as

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

part of its’ wide-ranging WISE (Whitbread Investing in Skills and Employment) scheme.

In fact, just 10 per cent of Whitbread’s apprentices currently in learning are under the age of twenty – challenging the notion apprenticeships are most commonly done by people at school.

The latest government figures on apprenticeships support this trend of supposed retirees speeding up rather than slowing down: 13 per cent of new apprentices in England are over 45.

Additionally, 4,000 over 60’s started an

apprenticeship in the same period.

This is reflected in the growth of the number of over 25’s undertaking apprenticeships. In 2009/10; the majority of apprentices were schoolleavers and their older counterparts represented just 18 per cent of apprentices. In 2016/17, over-25’s represented 46 per cent – a staggering increase.

For older apprentices, the reasons for taking part are varied. Many are choosing to opt for an apprenticeship so they can start an alternative career

Education

instead of considering their retirement options or they’re taking advantage of an empty nest and setting themselves a new challenge. For some it’s a chance to drive their careers forward or learn a new skill, for others it’s the chance to prove they can get the qualifications which they may have missed out on at school.

The right support is key. Margie Lloyd, 53, who worked at the Malvern Premier Inn believed her classroom days were behind her. It took a supportive manager to put her forward and encourage her to become an apprentice. Now she has completed a Level 3 apprenticeship where she learnt to run a hotel herself – and gained qualifications equivalent to A Level. Margie comments: “It can be scary to go back into a classroom

after such a long time away from it, but my manager at Premier Inn encouraged me to try doing an apprenticeship. Then once I started, the continued support of my tutor took any fears away and helped me get the qualifications I need to manage a site. This has given me a massive confidence boost and I’m so glad I was given this opportunity.”

For companies, however the reasons to take on apprentices are clear.

Apprenticeships are proven to boost employee retention – which is a major issue for hospitality companies such as Whitbread. However, team members who complete apprenticeships are nearly three times as likely to stay at the company for more than 12 months. In England and Wales in 2016, 65 per cent of employers reported that all their recent apprentices remained working for them.

Sandra Kelly, Head of Education at Whitbread, had this to say about the scheme: “Like most companies, team members are our biggest asset – their hard work and dedication is what makes Whitbread a success, so it’s key we invest in them. We also passionately believe there should be no barriers to entry or ambition – and that includes age – which is why all our apprenticeships are ageless. We like to call them ‘pension-ships’, of course, they are nothing to do with being of pensionable age but it’s a memorable and fun way to illustrate that age is no barrier to learning.

“We’ve seen first-hand the positive impact that older apprentices can make as they’re able to bring their broader life experience to the table.”

There are other benefits too: government research shows employers who have an established apprenticeship programme reported that productivity in their workplace had improved by 76 per cent whilst 75 per cent reported apprenticeships improved the quality of their product or service.

MP Robert Halfon & chair of the education select committee said: “It’s fantastic to see a great British business like Whitbread invest so heavily in its apprenticeship scheme, and its focus on lifelong learning and skills is particularly pleasing. I encourage other businesses to follow Whitbread’s lead.

“I’ve met Whitbread Apprentices in Premier Inns all over the country and they are second to none. It is fantastic to see a company doing so much to give young – and older – people alike a chance to climb the educational ladder

of opportunity to get jobs, security and prosperity for their futures.”

Indeed, ‘pension-ships’ are part of larger trend of employers using innovative ways to attract and retain staff. In recent years, ‘returnships’ have helped career women return to work following time out from having children.

At Whitbread, employee placements aimed at getting unemployed individuals – often with challenging backgrounds – into work has proved successful. Indeed, a third of people who undertake such a placement secure a permanent job.

“I’ve taken part in training at other jobs, but doing an apprenticeship with Premier Inn was a very different experience.

Not only did I learn so much more about the job and company, but my confidence was boosted so much. I’d encourage anyone, regardless of age, to do an apprenticeship.”

Sharon Bromley, 50 “Starting an apprenticeship with a few more years’ experience under my belt was really useful. A lot of life experiences were transferable and the brilliant support from my tutuor, Leslie, helped me to achieve in my England and Maths exams - which are equivalent to A Levels.”

Teresa Charlton, 55

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

Call for Savvy IT Spending in South of England Schools Budget cuts can often be a huge barrier for many schools, colleges and universities across the country. Technologies are evolving, and education for millenials should be too. Here, we take a look at IT equipment needs for these school bodies and how they can go about catering to them

It seems that year upon year the education sector is Insight hit with further budget cuts. While funding cuts aren’t exclusive to our schools, academies, colleges and universities they do have a direct impact upon our children and the future of our workforce.

Right from the outset those educating and supporting our children are faced with the difficult decisions of cutting courses, making redundancies and cutting back on much needed equipment to keep the school performing. It is an endless yet necessary battle.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that spending per pupil will fall by 6.5% by 2019-20, leading headteachers and

18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

governors to make very difficult decision on how to run their schools. We often hear about cuts in teaching assistants and I even heard about a PTA having to decide between funding for Easter gifts versus the need to purchase more pencils and books for pupils. The pencils obviously won over the chocolate (despite complaints from some of the parents), which goes to show that every single penny counts.

If we look at a handful of schools across the South of England (courtesy of School Cuts) we see the same story again, and again. 78% of school budgets are being cut. That’s without even considering the increase in class sizes thanks to a rise in population and building of new properties attracting more families to the region. Yet still

the education sector has to keep up and continue to deliver the best for its students.

One area where head teachers, bursars and PTAs can be savvy is with ICT. Whether looking at IT equipment for students or indeed for the school’s IT infrastructure. People often assume that you need to buy new to obtain the latest technology - but that simply isn’t true. Refurbished desktops, servers and laptops can provide an excellent cost effective alternative while enabling your students to develop the ICT skills they’ll need for the future.

Many fear also that buying ‘second hand’ works out as a false economy preferring to buy a new machine straight off the shelf. However, the cost reduction of buying a refurbished machine can

be so significant that it is often possible to buy higher-grade equipment - larger memory or processing speed, along with enhanced warranties, and still pay less than buying new.

We recently worked with The Inspiration Trust in East Anglia which comprises 14 academies across the region. The Trust is responsible for all procurement for each school, including the purchase of equipment and resources the academies require to provide the best level of teaching to its students. This includes ICT provisions such as computer systems, servers, laptops and tablets which are vital to how students learn and progress at school. 01323 819018 12 months ago, Michael Vaughan, Head of ICT at Inspiration Trust, was tasked with reducing the Trust’s IT infrastructure spend by 40% across all 14 academies, no mean feat by any standard. “First, I carried out an audit of all computer equipment across each school, so that I could develop a replacement strategy that was in line with the 40% reduction target,” explained Michael. “Based on the age and condition of all PCs across all schools,

the estimated cost was £5 million. I managed to reduce spend by 20% from choosing different technology providers and platforms but the real game changer, which enabled me to reduce spend by another 20%, to reach my 40% target, was working with Hardware Associates. They explained the benefits of investing in refurbished computer systems and how our Trust could save a lot of money on our IT infrastructure, without affecting the quality of the systems we provide to our staff and pupils.”

The Trust purchased 200 desktops and laptops from Hardware Associates, paying 50% less on each unit. In total, this has saved the Trust a massive sum of £50,000. Refurbished computer systems are a great choice for schools, who are working to extremely tight budgets, while trying to provide first rate technology to enable young people to reach their academic potential.

“Many schools and colleges don’t realise that reconditioned machines can be provided in exactly the same spec and model as they’d get direct from a vendor such as HP or Dell”,

said Bill Champness, Managing Director at Hardware Associates, an IT business that specialises in refurbished IT hardware and supporting equipment. “but at a much less cost. The machines we supply also come with a year long warranty, and post purchase customer service, just like you’d get if you buy brand new.”

The desktops and laptops have received great feedback from the 14 academies, who have praised the quality, design and performance of the refurbished computers systems.

“They look and feel brand new, and our staff and pupils have all been raving about them,” added Michael. “Our investment has already paid off, saving us a huge amount of money as our budgets are increasingly squeezed. We cannot fault the systems, and still can’t believe the like for like comparison between Hardware Associates’ refurbished systems and the brand-new computers.”

Our work with The Inspiration Trust and many other schools and colleges across the UK should be a reminder that, while times are tough, being discerning with budgets really isn’t as difficult as it seems. You just need to know where to look and who to talk to!

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19

Ransomware, Malware, Spyware: Unaware?

Cyber security is an ongoing concern for many businesses. Here in these pages, Partner at Coffin Mew Solicitors, Mark O’Halloran explains his five top tips to protect your business’ IT systems and personal data belonging to clients Cyber-attacks happen all the time, but we only hear about those Cyber considered high Security profile, such as the global ‘WannaCry’ ransomware incident in May 2017. This severely affected the NHS and its ability to provide care to patients largely, it turns out, because the service failed to follow cyber-security recommendations.

In fact, criminals also target small companies that may lack the defences needed to prevent cyber-attacks. High volumes of successful attacks on small companies can be more profitable than targeting large corporations.

Despite the constant evolution of cyber-attacks, there are ways to avoid falling victim. Here are five top tips to protect your business’ IT systems and

20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

data (including personal data belonging to customers that you may be liable for under data protection law): Keep software up to date Updating software fixes bugs and protects against new threats. The Instagram attack of September 2017 only affected the 2016 version of the app.

Celebrities such as Selena Gomez and Emma Watson could have prevented their personal information being accessed by simply updating the app on their devices.

Firewalls Protect IT systems by installing a firewall to prevent hackers from gaining access and ensure only authorised staff can turn it off.

Training Train staff comprehensively throughout

the business to identify cyber threats such as: • •

• • •

•

Adware: Software that automatically displays or downloads advertising material.

Hacking: Accessing IT systems unlawfully. Hackers may simply highlight flaws to fix, but others install viruses or carry out corporate espionage.

Malware: Malevolent software installed on a computer.

Nagware: Software that is free for a trial period and then frequently reminds users to pay for it.

Phishing: Communication disguised as coming from a trustworthy source to obtain information or deceive staff into clicking malicious hyperlinks.

Ransomware: Encrypts folders and files on a system then demands

Cyber Security

•

•

•

•

•

a ransom be paid to unlock the encryption.

Spyware: Software that gathers information on a computer without users’ knowledge and transmits it elsewhere.

Trojans: Programs that mislead users of their true intent. May contain any type of malware but most commonly used to grant attackers access to IT systems.

Viruses: Programs that replicate themselves by modifying other programs and inserting their own code. Some email contacts in an address book, others cause display messages and others render computers completely useless.

Worms: Programs that replicate themselves to spread and infect other computers in a network.

While they may not change systems they pass through, they can use up bandwidth and slow down computers.

Denial of service attack: Typically involve large numbers of computers infected with malware, which allow perpetrators to take control and coordinate attacks. Repeatedly access websites to overload and crash servers.

Encrypt data Encrypting data may prevent or delay hackers accessing data they have stolen.

This provides businesses with vital time to act, notify the relevant authorities and request that employees or customers change passwords etc. to limit damage.

Backup Backing up data can be invaluable if a business is attacked. It means you can recover data that might otherwise have been lost and eliminate the need to pay up in a ransomware attack. When installing a backup system think about how often data is backed up and how long backups are kept. You don’t want your backups to have the malware as well.

What should businesses do if they sustain a cyber attack?

If there is a breach under the Data Protection Act 1998, businesses (or ‘data controllers’) may be required to report it so seek legal advice. However, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) states that even where there is no legal obligation, serious breaches should be reported.

From 25 May 2018, UK organisations will be required to notify the ICO of certain

types of data breaches under the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This also requires organisations to integrate policies and procedures to protect personal data.

The Computer Misuse Act 1990 is the primary legislation in the UK for computer-related crimes. If a defendant is convicted of a criminal offence, a compensation order may be awarded.

Businesses falling victim to cyber-crime should notify the police.

Depending on the attack and its circumstances, various civil actions may be appropriate. Past cases include claims for breach of contract and misuse of private information.

A common difficulty is identifying those responsible for a cyber-attack.

This can be costly and time-consuming if techniques are adopted to hide the source, such as using virtual private networks and arranging an attack through a series of connections. The police may be able to identify the culprit at zero cost to a business.

If your business falls victim to cybercrime seek legal advice to discuss the options available.

For any further information, please visit www.coffinmew.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

Tax and Employee Termination Payments: All Change

Charlotte Sloan, Senior Associate at Irwin Mitchell’s employment team explains what employers and employees need to know about the changes to tax and employee termination payments

The tax treatment of some termination payments is changing.

Legal From 6 April 2018, new rules apply to payments made to employees in lieu of them working out their notice period.

Typically such payments are made in the context of an employer and an employee agreeing terms for an employee’s amicable departure under a settlement agreement.

Background Over the last couple of years, HMRC has been consulting on changes to the tax and National Insurance Contribution (NIC) treatment of termination payments made to employees at the end of their employment. Usually such payments are made as an incentive for the employee to agree to waive any employment claims they may have against their employer and to secure both parties agreement to an amicable employee departure under the terms of a settlement agreement.

22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

HMRC’s aim has been to simplify what it sees as unnecessarily complex rules and exemptions that incentivise employers to manipulate the rules by structuring arrangements to minimise the tax and NICs due.

Current system The taxation of notice pay (where the employee does not work their notice) depends largely on whether there is a payment in lieu of notice clause (a PILON clause) in the employee’s contract of employment. A PILON clause is a clause which contractually gives the employer the right to terminate an employee’s employment without the employee needing to work out their notice period, by making a payment equivalent to their notice pay. Where there is a PILON clause the notice payment is a contractual payment and therefore needs to be subject to tax and NICs. There are also some other circumstances where notice pay needs to be subject tax, including where a PILON clause is deemed to be implied

into the employee’s contract through custom and practice.

However, certain payments can be made without tax deductions. In particular, it is usually possible upon termination of an employee’s employment to make a payment by way of compensation for loss of employment without deduction of tax up to a maximum of £30,000. Further where an employee’s employment contract does not contain a PILON clause and an employer makes a payment in lieu of notice then this can be paid without tax deductions subject to the £30,000 overall cap. This is because as there is no contractual entitlement to pay in lieu of notice the employer, by making such a payment, is technically breaching the employee’s contract and the payment is therefore treated as compensation for loss of employment rather than a contractual payment.

HMRC has criticised this system where some payments in lieu of notice are subject to tax and others are not, largely dependent upon whether there is a PILON clause in the contract, as unduly complex

Legal and sought to address this through law reform.

What is changing?

For employees whose employment is terminated after 5 April 2018, payments in respect of notice pay where there is a PILON clause will continue to be taxable in full.

However, in addition, payments made in respect of notice pay where there is no PILON clause will be subject to tax deductions and NICs. Under the new regime all payments made in respect of notice pay have been re-categorised as “post-employment notice pay”. As a result an employee will no longer be able to be paid a tax-free sum equivalent to basic notice pay within the £30,000 tax-free exemption, even in circumstances where there is no PILON clause in the employee’s contract.

How does this affect employers and employees?

Employers will need to tax all “postemployment notice pay”. This essentially means that employees may receive a reduced sum for notice pay than they would have under the current regime as any notice pay sum they receive will be a net amount. An employer negotiating a settlement arrangement deal with an employee will no longer be able to offer the additional incentive of tax-free notice pay where there is no contractual PILON. HMRC have introduced a complex statutory formula to calculate the amount of tax due in respect of “postemployment notice pay” which employers need to apply where notice is not being worked.

Settlement agreements going forward will need to include appropriately worded clauses to reflect the fact that the appropriate tax and statutory formula have been applied in relation to notice payments.

The good news is that employers and employees will still continue to benefit from the tax exemption permitting statutory redundancy payments and genuine payments for loss of employment to be paid tax-free up to £30,000, provided there is no disguised notice pay included in such payment.

However, the changes in respect of the taxation of notice pay will increase the tax liability on many termination payments and despite HMRCs intention to simplify the regime, in our view, add further complexity.

Charlotte Sloan, Senior Associate, Irwin Mitchell LLP

When do these changes come into effect?

The new rules apply where both the payment and the termination date of employment take place on or after 6 April 2018. Accordingly, if employers and employees alike want to avoid being caught by the new rules and take advantage of the current more generous

tax exemption rules in respect of notice pay where there is no PILON clause they must act quickly.

For further help on this issue and any other employment issue, please contact Charlotte Sloan by emailing charlotte.sloan@irwinmitchell.com or call 01293 742959.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

The Future of the Paralegal Sector

Amanda Hamilton from the National Association of Lisenced Paralegals returns to Sussex Business Times’ pages again this month to discuss paralegal business. Following on from last month’s focus on paralegal startups, this month she turns her focus to the future of such an industry

The legal sector has changed rapidly over the last few years.

Legal Traditional attitudes to the provision of legal services have been upended.

There are several reasons for the changes but the main one is the requirement to comply with the regulatory objectives of the Legal Services Act 2007 Three of the eight LSA objectives are: Improving access to justice, promoting competition and increasing public understanding of their legal rights.

The second reason is the virtual eradication of Legal Aid since April 2013. Since then, a gap has opened up.

Consumers can no longer be funded to litigate, nor defend themselves against litigation. Now, more than ever before, consumers need cost effective and accessible legal advice and assistance,

24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

to counteract the fees charged by the traditional legal professionals.

More importantly, the Courts need to know that a consumer, representing him/herself (AKA litigant in person, or LIP), has the fundamental right to be primed and supported by a legal professional, even though that legal professional may not be, what has in the past been, traditionally acceptable.

If we wish to avoid the total collapse of the Court system in England and Wales, we need to give credence to the growing profession that is climbing through the ranks of legal service providers: that of the Paralegal. NALP (The National Association of Licenced Paralegals) has been the self-regulatory body for Paralegals for over thirty years.

The Government has clearly inferred that it does not wish to statutorily regulate further within the legal profession.

Therefore, voluntary or self-regulation

is the preferred modus operandi for the Paralegal sector.

NALP offers bespoke Ofqual regulated Paralegal qualifications. Ofqual is the government body that regulates nationally recognised qualifications in England.

NALP insists that any paralegal offering legal services is trained and educated to a specific level, has a NALP Licence to Practise and professional indemnity insurance.

The myth surrounding Paralegals, which appears to be promoted by certain traditional professionals, is that they are nothing more than wouldbe solicitors or barristers, trying to find training contracts or pupillages in vain. Such myths are exacerbated by the fact that many graduates are so desperate to gain experience that they are offering their services voluntarily or for a minimum return in the hope that they may be considered for a training

Legal

Amanda Hamilton

contract. As one former CEO of a regulated legal organisation some time ago was recorded as stating: ‘Paralegals are nothing more than cannon fodder for solicitors’.

Those days are, thankfully, long gone.

While it is true that there are plenty of graduates who are would-be solicitors, it is also true to say that many are turning their careers towards becoming Paralegal Practitioners. And why not, since there is so much slack left by the Legal Aid vacuum and the inhibitive fees charged by solicitors and barristers?

As long as Paralegals are qualified and educated to perform legal tasks, with the exception, of course, of reserved legal activities, their job role will be as varied and interesting as that of a solicitor, and they can provide access to legal services at a reasonable cost to the consumer.

Even those ‘reserved activities’ i.e. activities that remain the monopoly of

solicitors are being eroded in practice.

For example, rights of audience – the right to represent a client in court. As already mentioned, the courts are being inundated with LIPs, and it has come to the attention of this author that at the discretion of individual Judges, the courts are willing to allow paralegals who can show evidence of competency, to represent such LIPs in court. Thank goodness for the sensible attitude of these Judges without which the courts would be grinding to a halt in their effort to ensure that LIPs are getting information on what they need to do to proceed with their case.

As we move forward, it is vital that the courts consistently recognise this group of qualified and very experienced individuals as competent to assist LIPs. If we wish to preserve the essence and foundation of the English Legal System, which is based on access to

justice for all, then Paralegals should be considered the saviours who provide such to consumers when it otherwise becomes too costly.

The Paralegal Profession needs recognition in its own right - and not just as an extension of the traditional regulated ones. Once the sector, as a whole, addresses and accepts this fact, we can all move forward.

Paralegals are able to apply for Licensed Access to the Bar and this means that once granted, they can instruct barristers directly. This is not a hopeful comment about the future. It is already happening.

All members of the legal services sector should be able to complement each other, whether statutorily regulated or self-regulated and work together towards one purpose: the provision of accessible and reasonably costed legal services for all consumers.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25

Property

It’s Not All About the Headline Rent

Graves Jenkins returns to our pages again this month as the sponsors of our Property section I think it is fair to state that most people have negotiated (or Property haggled) a deal at some stage in their lives and some are more comfortable than others in doing so. It is probable that most business leaders feel as though they are better placed than most to undertake such a task as they make clean cut decisions daily. However, when it comes to a leasehold commercial property deal, discussions must be approached with caution.

Virtually all companies take on business premises from which to trade and due to affordability, the majority are leasehold premises. It is accepted that you require legal advice, but a growing number of businesses are now realising appointing a Commercial Property Advisor is a wise move and a decision that can save you thousands.

You begin your private search by trawling through the websites and local property press for availability – so

ARE LOOKI NG TO ‘GRI LL YOU ’ FOR ANOTH E R SITE

good so far. You may even manage to recognise some premises that suit your needs and make an appointment to inspect – no hassle. If you do like the property that you inspect, you may think that simply negotiating the rent level is the key aspect of the deal – think again!

So many commercial occupiers come unstuck when taking on business premises. Your solicitor will look at the deal that you have struck with the letting agent (who incidentally is acting for the landlord and is a skilled negotiator in his line of business and will of course be biased toward his client), but is not the best person to fully review and further renegotiate your deal to suit you. The agreement has been made and the landlord and his agent will not take kindly to any early change.

If you had appointed a Commercial Property Advisor in the first place, your position could be totally different. First of all, the agent will have access to a greater volume of available properties, some of which are not being openly offered on the market. They will also have market

Humphrey & Co. Chartered Accountants, Business and Tax advisors, are in need of new office space!

The Criteria: • Up to 1,700sq ft • Central Hove within close proximity to Hove station • Outskirts of Brighton would be considered • Parking a must • Single or multiple floors considered

knowledge of existing leases that may shortly be expiring and therefore be aware of tenants moving out imminently.

Once your search takes place, your agent can vet what is sent and shortlist suitable premises for you to inspect. All of this can at this stage be pretty time consuming at the same time as you are juggling with your various business interests.

Once a suitable property has been found, it is then that the advisor really comes into his own. Not only negotiating what is considered the market rent, using all of his extensive market knowledge, but deciding what is best for the tenant in terms of length of lease, any tenant only break clauses, the frequency of any rent reviews, the ability to sublet or underlet, service charges, repairing clauses, tenant covenants, do you have to personally guarantee the lease, can you assign and much more. If these points can be brought to the table from day one, then both the landlord and his agent can take you seriously and when solicitors are instructed, the transaction can proceed

GAK are looking to relocate!

GAK are one of the U.K’s leading independent suppliers of musical instruments and are now seeking to relocate to a modern warehouse and distribution centre in the Sussex area as detailed below.

The criteria: • In the radius of Worthing to Eastbourne and up to Crawley

Please send over any such options, together with details of service charge obligations, by close of business Wednesday 29th June.

• B1/B8 accommodation for offices and distribution warehouse

We look forward to hearing from you.

• Ideally 25 to 30,000 sq ft (2300 to 2800m2) • Leasehold or freehold opportunities • Good accessibility and instant access to road networks required

After 6 successful years, the Coal Shed are seeking new premises.

• Brighton only, city centre.

• Character building preferred.

More information about GAK can be found on www.gak.co.uk

Please forward suitable opportunities to:

Phil Graves 01273 781076 graves@gravesjenkins.com

Please contact retained agent with property details, plans and full financial information.

Contact Phil Graves graves@gravesjenkins.com

• Minimum 2,500 to 5,000 sq ft trading.

• Any outside space an advantage.

• Either leasehold or freehold.

www.gravesjenkins.com

26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Contact George Dobson 07740787650 dobson@gravesjenkins.com

or James Haywood haywood@gravesjenkins.com 01273 701070 | www.gravesjenkins.com

Property

far more quickly as each aspect of the lease document has been adequately covered through professional negotiation.

Remember, Commercial Property Advisors are professional property negotiators and undertake such work daily with years of experience in their respective markets. We currently have a number of transactions under offer on behalf of retained clients and a range of types of commercial premises, including restaurants, retail, offices premises and industrial units. You don’t have to be a PLC to justify the expense and many small sized businesses come to us for advice.

Graves Jenkins have successfully negotiated numerous commercial property transactions for a variety of commercial property occupiers over many years on all sectors in the commercial property field. We boast an admirable client list which include national and local restaurant concerns, major office occupiers, industrialist occupiers, retailers, Universities and local Government. We always have a number of retained clients seeking commercial business space, with a few selected clients below.

Talk to us now if you are considering acquiring or relocating. You will find our professional fees affordable and well and truly justified when you consider the financial exposure of your tenancy position.

For any further information, contact Phil Graves on 01273 701070 or via email at graves@gravesjenkins.com.

Alternatively, visit their website: www.gravesjenkins.com

Presents of mind.

15Gifts are at the forefront of creating intelligent software for a host of major household names, with their focus on understanding the psychology of how people make decisions and assisting with them.

The company is based in the centre of Brighton, with the expansion into new and exciting markets very much on the horizon.

15Gifts are looking for new offices of 4,000 –6,000 sq ft on one single floor plate or over multiple floors. Central Brighton only at this stage.

Occupation is required by the end of March 2018.

If you can help, contact retained agents Graves Jenkins: George F Dobson BSc (Hons) MRICS e: dobson@gravesjenkins.com t: 01273 701070

www.gravesjenkins.com

For the complete property service.

Commercial Agency

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Property Management

Landlord & Tenant

Valuation

Building surveying

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17 Brighton Road Crawley RH10 6AE

T: 01273 70 10 70 E: property@gravesjenkins.com W: gravesjenkins.com

T: 01273 60 10 60 E: residential@gravesjenkins.com W: gravesjenkins.com

T: 01293 40 10 40 E: properties@gravesjenkins.com W: gravesjenkins.com

@GravesJenkins

Smarter Shows New career opportunities are in need of new office space! at Graves Jenkins.

The Plant Room www.theplantroomcoffee.com Registered Valuer The Plant RoomRICS are making waves in Brighton & Hove with their unique brand of speciality coffee,

A full-time position with excellent career tailored teas, delicious pastries and boasting a selection of vegetarian snacks. The surveyor prospects.

Must plus be vegan a chartered company formed in 2016 and are looking to expand capable of producing valuation into new markets, as well as Brighton & Hove. reports and landlord & tenant work.

The Plant Room are looking for a minimum of 400 sq ft premises

Property Accounts Due to unprecedented growth, Assistant Smarter Shows are looking for: • Grade A offices of ideally 3,500 sq ft (3,000 to 4,000 sq ft considered) A part-time position in Brighton for a • On one single floor plate is preferred • Areas anywhere in BN1, BN2 & BN3person to calculate competent accounts • Occupation is required the earlier the better and by December 2017 and prepare service charge accounts at the very latest and budgets.

If you can help, please contact retained agents Graves Jenkins.

If you can help, contact retained agents Graves Jenkins: George F Dobson BSc (Hons) MRICS

For more information ore:to apply, dobson@gravesjenkins.com • Outside seating is a positive. t: 01273 701070 please contact Lynne Loader • A1 & A3 Uses. loader@gravesjenkins.com | 01273 701070 • High Street locations not essential. gravesjenkins.com • East, West & Mid-Sussex sites considered.

Smarter Shows (www.smartershows.com) is a vibrant, dynamic businessto-business exhibition and conference company based in the centre of Brighton. The company has a wealth of experience in the development and execution of leading events across a wide range of market sectors globally.

Contact George Dobson 07740 787650 dobson@gravesjenkins.com

www.gravesjenkins.com

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Historical Sussex: Weald & Downland

“

Cobb Digital’s Managing Director, James Dempster returns this month for the third of his historical Sussex columns Welcome to the third instalment of my historical Sussex articles. This month, I’m excited to bring you the Weald & Downland Living Museum. With the recent wintry conditions, you would be forgiven in looking at the prospect of an open air museum with the same excitement as doing four hundred burpees in the snow-laden Hove lawns, but warmer weather is coming and there are over 50 buildings to explore, so no excuse!

The observant of you may have noticed that I’m going in date order with my tour of Sussex – we’ve had Neolithic and Roman and we’re now moving to our Anglo-Saxon era. One of the many fantastic things about this museum is the time frame that it spans. The rescued buildings tell the stories of our county over a period of 1,000 years – pretty staggering for one interactive museum.

It would be easy to write dozens of articles about this museum, but for the purpose of this one I’m focusing on one building – the Anglo Saxon hall house.

Many of the buildings are from throughout the South of England, but the hall house

is a reconstructed building originally built in Steyning. There is a fascinating time lapse video on the Weald & Downland Living Museum website that shows how historic methods were used in the construction of this building, including shire house help. The house is thatched, with a wood frame and would have been an important part of village life during Anglo-Saxon times. This was a simple, one-room building with a hearth in the middle. As a storyteller I like to imagine people gathered round this hearth listening to tales of dragons and monsters and perhaps even recitations of Beowulf itself. Many of the community would have eaten, entertained and slept in this building, making it an important place for the people of Steyning.

Any trip to the Weald & Downland Living Museum should combine a variety of activities from four key areas – historic buildings, an incredibly well stocked museum (over 15,000 artefacts), demonstrations (any excuse to eat homemade cheese works for me) and the landscape in which the whole experience is set.

Set in the Lavant Valley, in the centre of the South Downs, it’s easy to picture yourself in a time before mobile phones, instant messaging or constant noise.

Shire horses and Sussex cattle still practice 200-year-old methodologies for crop growing, with an authenticity that is at the heart of all that the museum stands for. The gardens are also beautifully maintained, with local herbs and vegetables being produced annually.

If you’re interested in learning a historic trade (cider making with a side serving of Celtic herbs sounds fun!), they offer a variety of courses for the budding historian. One of the many things that make this museum such a well-loved part of Sussex is the wide and varied event calendar – a quick look at their Twitter feed (@wealddownmuseum) highlights opportunities from Easter bonnet making to extracting timber from local woods courtesy of heavy horse lifting.

So, if you need something to do with or without the kids this Easter, go and see how our ancestors helped to create the Sussex we know and love today.

”

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The S7 Ted’s Trophy 2017 Event at the AMEX Stadium

Search Seven: Celebrating Seven Years with #share7

2018 marks the seventh year in business for Hove-based digital marketing agency, Search Seven. In celebration of this landmark, they are launching #share7, an initiative to raise £17k for 7 charities. We caught up with Managing Director, Gavin Willis, to find out more.

How did you get started in the business?

Cover “I was born in Feature Portslade and, with the exception of three years at University in Southampton, I’ve always been based in Brighton. Being part of the local community means a lot to me and I had always had a dream to start an agency that had an ethos of giving back at its core.

It’s interesting looking back on the business and how much things have changed since we first started out seven years ago. In those days, I was working at Propellernet, an award winning digital marketing agency based in Castle Square in Brighton, and they had a great approach to working with charities. In fact, my experience there was really fundamental to shaping my thinking and to inspiring me to run a business with purpose.

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At the time, Propellernet was going through growth and, as they started working on bigger brands, they were beginning to outgrow some of the projects that came their way. With their permission, I started working on some of their smaller clients as a side project.

I was managing the client relationships as well as delivering. This was ideal as it allowed me to hold on to the relationships that I had developed there and give a solution to clients that the company was starting to outgrow.

As my portfolio of projects broadened, it presented the perfect opportunity to become self-employed. In April 2011, I left and started trading as Search Seven, which at that point was really just a consultancy. I started working from home and hot desking for a year, co-working at the Dock, and being based at several coffee shops. I started with three clients, but soon work started to flow in. I decided to take the plunge in November of that year and officially became a

limited company. I invited Dave Lees, a former fellow colleague at Propellernet to come and join me as Head of Strategy a year later. We took a room without any windows at Hova House, shared with local property management company Harper Stone. A few years down the line we got the opportunity to move up in the world, quite literally, upstairs in the same building. At last we had windows!

We got one more person in and then other creative friends, collaborators and freelancers would pop in, creating more of a buzz about the office.”

What are your thoughts and reflections on the last six years in business?

“From those humble beginnings, we have built a digital marketing agency of five people (four full time and one part time), specialising in search marketing and conversion optimisation. We work with local, national and international brands to improve their online exposure on search

Cover Feature

The Search Seven team

Search Seven Cheque presentation at the TMBU in 2017 engines, working with brands such as use the agency as a vehicle to make Total Gas & Power, Manchester City a difference and made our pledge to Football Club, Greene King, Lingfield give up to 7% of our profits to the local Park and Sussex Cricket to name community and towards charities every a few. Our client relationships are year. It is not only fundamental to our keUSP is that we business model, ground our work but to our brand “It’s not been about in an extensive values and was research phase to the inspiration creating a profitassess the search behind our name making business. landscape and too.

I was determined recommend the Donations best way forward don’t just take the that Search Seven to achieve the form of financial would be changeclients’ goals. investments.

We then offer a makers in the digital We’ve also run combination of charitable events industry, showing tailored tactics like football that agencies can put matches and and services, such as search engine golf days. One of passion over profit, optimisation (SEO), highlights for and that it is possible the paid media (PPC me was the free to be successful whilst digital marketing & Display) and conversion rate workshop we put playing an active role optimisation (CRO). on for charities, in the community.”

However, it’s alongside Google not been about and other industry creating a profitleading partners, making business. I was determined that to provide digital marketing tips and Search Seven would be change-makers insight to over 50 local and national in the digital industry, showing that charities on Brighton beach in summer agencies can put passion over profit, 2016 as part of Brighton Fringe.” and that it is possible to be successful whilst playing an active role in the What are you most proud of? community. From the off, I wanted to “Reflecting back on the past six

years, I’m probably most proud of the charity events that have engaged the community. One particular highlight was celebrating our five year anniversary and surpassing one million in turnover by hosting a charity football match between Search Seven XI and a Trevor Mann Baby Unit XI at the AMEX stadium in May 2017. It’s easy to put money into a bucket or donate online, but actually getting together a lot of disparate people: friends, clients, partners and the wider community to pull off something spectacular was brilliant. And it just goes to show that creating engagement is what we do – whether it is online or offline!

We take great pride in our achievements as a local, professional service in the digital marketing sector.

We’re only a small agency but we do things the right way, and making a real difference in the community is not only part of our goals but a motivation for the business succeeding.”

Have you had any difficult moments?

“Like any small business, we’ve faced challenges and one that stands out is when we worked with a large agency that went into liquidation a few years ago. As a result of working with a bookkeeper who did not have credit control experience; we ended up writing off £12k in bad debt.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31

Cover Feature We took the decision to work with a new accountancy team who could provide better analysis into business performance by using Xero, online accounting software, as well as having a more thorough and experienced credit control department. Our cash flow is now in a far better place, and this provides stability in which to grow the company and make decisions that can help the company be successful.

Being a small agency, recruitment has always been a challenge, however 2018 has started strong, with us recruiting two new senior people from Google and Deloitte respectively. We have the right vision and for the right person, which is appealing to anyone starting with us.

In general, I’m really pleased to say that we’ve overcome our challenges to be in the great place that we are today; cash positive, with a growing team, working with nice people and good businesses.”

The Search Seven team at the 2017 Charity Golf Day

Team Pellet at the Search Seven Golf Day 2015

32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Can you tell us a bit more about your previous charity work and why it means so much to you?

“It’s no coincidence that Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU), part of Rockinghorse, is our flagship charity for Search Seven.

When I was a few months old, I had pneumonia and they nursed me back to health. Fast forward one year into the business, I was looking for a charity to support. Around that time, my godson Ted was born scoring zero on the Apgar Scale (an assessment of how a baby is doing at birth, which determines whether they are ready to meet the world without medical assistance.) Ted had some swelling on the brain so he spent some time in intensive care and five days on a cooling mat to keep his body temperature down to reduce swelling and further damage. We were told things didn’t look good.

There’s a happy ending to this story though, because through the support of the exceptional staff, and the groundbreaking equipment at TMBU, he pulled through. The work all the staff put in to nurse sick babies back to health there is awe-inspiring and so that’s why we, along with the support of Claire and Dean, Ted’s parents, decided to choose TMBU as our key charity to support.

I think perhaps the proudest moment for me over the past six years was when me and Ted walked out together onto the pitch at our charity match at AMEX. That was definitely a highlight, and even more poignant when you think that if it wasn’t

Search Seven’s MD, Gavin Willis visiting Nkuringo School, Uganda in 2017 Cover Feature

for TMBU, both of us might not have been here.

Everyone who works at Search Seven takes on our philosophy, and the team are all motivated to do well as the better they perform as a business, the more we can give back to the local community and other charity projects. This is a fantastic catalyst to why we have seen success in the form of profit growth year on year.”

Can you tell us a bit more about what #share7 is all about?

“2018 marks our seventh year in business and we are celebrating by launching #share7, an initiative to raise £17,000 to be shared across seven charities. It’s going to be a big year for us as we aim to match six years’ worth of fundraising in just one year! We’ll be hosting three charity events: a football match at the AMEX stadium on May 7th between Search Seven XI and Trevor Mann Baby Unit XI; a golf event at Mid Sussex Golf Club on August 30th and a charity quiz night on November 22nd to achieve this.

We’re really hoping that our #share7 campaign can help make a huge difference to our seven chosen charities: 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.

All of the team members are passionate about the campaign and, indeed, have all personally selected a charity close to their hearts for this campaign.

We will be making a lot of noise about #share7 so look out for it on your social networks and do spread the word amongst the local community and beyond.”

Launching the #share7 initiative What are your plans for the future?

“This is a big year for us in so many ways and we want to push on and to make a statement. We’ve recently made two new key hires and we’ll shortly be moving into new office space in Palmeira Mansions in Hove.

It’s a great space that will enable us to grow, bring on more staff and feel proud to bring clients into.

So far all of our work is through word of mouth and referrals, but this year we want to put ourselves out there more and build relationships, as well as try to improve our own presence – might as well try practise what we preach!

In 2018, as well as aiming to smash the #share7 target, we’re also planning to launch the S7 Academy, which will consist of training workshops for local businesses, and also free workshops for students, looking to develop the digital marketing skills of both audiences. The future is looking bright.”

Get in touch with Search Seven: www.searchseven.co.uk or call - 01273 329122

“We really hope that our #share7 campaign can help make a huge difference to our seven chosen charities: 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.”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33

7 SEARCH SEVEN’S #SHARE7 INITIATIVE In celebration of our 7th year, we’ve set a 17k fundraising target in support of 7 charities.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT justgiving.com/fundraising/share7

Charity Football Match The AMEX May 7th 2018

Charity Golf

Charity Quiz

Mid Sussex GC August 30th 2018

Grand Central November 22nd 2018

17k Target – 7 charities – 7th Birthday IN SUPPORT OF:

@searchse7en @SearchSeven 34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Search Seven

www.searchseven.co.uk

O&G Announced as Creative Marketing Partners Sussex Cricket and Oliver & Graimes Design Associates Ltd have recently signed a partnership agreement. Sussex Business Times brings you the latest...

Sussex Cricket is delighted to have Business signed a partnership agreement with News Hove-based creative agency, Oliver & Graimes (O&G).

O&G will work with Sussex Cricket as their creative marketing partners for the next five years.

During that period, O&G will work closely with Sussex Cricket’s commercial team on all aspects of the club’s brand.

The partnership is already bearing fruit as evidenced by the new Sussex Cricket website, which has significantly improved the club’s online presence.

Sussex Cricket and O&G are now working together to implement new

brand guidelines across all areas of the club to ensure our overall look is befitting of a modern professional sports organisation.

Alongside their work with the commercial department, O&G will also provide creative support to Sussex Cricket Foundation, the charitable arm of Sussex Cricket.

Sussex Cricket’s Commercial Director, Mark Judges said: “It is fantastic to partner with one of the leading boutique creative marketing agencies in the UK, coupled with the fact they are local Sussex business based in Hove.

“Our five year partnership allows both parties to future plan and deliver market leading solutions.

“It is an exciting time to be part of Sussex Cricket both on and off the field,

we are very pleased to welcome O&G to the Sussex Family.”

O&G’s Managing Director, Gavin Graimes, added: “We’re really excited to be partnering with the team at Sussex Cricket. We share the same vision for the club and have some great ideas to take it forward over the next few years.

“As the oldest professional sports club in the world, we’re really proud to win this account and grow our sport sector knowledge even more.”

For any further information, please visit www.oandg.co.uk or call 01273 748884.

Oliver & Graimes Design Associates Ltd 63 Portland Rd, Hove, BN3 5DQ

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35

Health & Wellbeing

Health & Wellbeing: Don’t Be Hasty with Workplace Hygeine Our Health and Wellbeing section this month turns its focus to one off-putting element of office life - the state of employee bathrooms and toilets

A large majority of illnesses that result in Health & employees needing Wellbeing time off work are contracted from dirty office environments.

Poor hygiene and cleanliness in office bathrooms can intensify the problem further, and place workers’ health at risk. Thus, despite the ‘taboo’ surrounding the subject, Showerstoyou.co.uk sought to find out what workers dislike the most about their colleague’s dirty bathroom habits and what the ‘correct’ bathroom etiquette is.

Showerstoyou.co.uk polled more than 1,400 UK men and women, employed in a wide number of industries, asking questions about their workplace bathroom, and what they truly think and feel about their co-worker’s bathroom habits.

Over half of workers (51%) have been ‘appalled’ by the state of their office bathroom at least once, over the space of 6 months, and just under half (48%) of people worry about going to the bathroom at work, in fear of being greeted by an unclean, smelly

36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

environment. One in 10 would give the bathroom a miss altogether if they could.

Despite this, a staggering 7 in 10 (74%) claim to leave the bathroom ‘in the same way they would like to find it’ and make a conscious effort to ensure the cubicle is acceptable and tidy once finished with.

Showerstoyou.co.uk found from their survey that the bathroom now has several uses; perhaps the reason for the level of dirt and grime found at work.

The alternative uses of office bathrooms include: putting on make-up, discussing work, going on social media, catching up on emails/texts – even calls – and gossiping.

When workers were questioned on how long they typically spend in the office bathroom, the results vary on the situation. Some would rather be in and out (43%), however others will use the opportunity to take a break from their work (31%). 29% of office workers admit to taking their phone into a cubicle, with a large number admitting to just sitting in the cubicle playing games, or browsing the internet, and not using the toilet for its primary purpose.

In the survey, for the most part, 73% are more likely to wash their hands when in the presence of another colleague, either for a longer amount of time, or when they normally wouldn’t.

However, according to the analysis, Showerstoyou.co.uk found the following reasons why people do not wash their hands after using the bathroom: • • • • • •

A queue at the sink or hand dryer (28%) The sink is dirty (24%) A bad smell (17%) No soap or sanitiser (10%) Fear of colleagues being judgemental for taking too long (8%) Simply couldn’t be bothered (13%)

Over two thirds (68%) of people feel ‘disgusted’ when they notice a colleague not washing their hands. Surprisingly, a third (34%) of workers would consider confronting a colleague over poor hygiene and cleanliness in the bathroom. From this it’s clear to see that workplace hygeine is a concern for many employees and should become a priority for employers to consider.

www.showerstoyou.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37

Fizz, Fillies & Flutters: Racing is Back at Brighton!

As racing makes its way back to Brighton, Brighton Racecourse returns to our pages this month to discuss all that is on offer for the spring season

Spring is finally here Brighton and horses are at the ready! The Season RaceOpening Race course Evening at Brighton Racecourse, on Tuesday eve 24th April, is a great date to book on your social calendar.

Brighton’s racecourse is a local icon that must be experienced. Established in 1783, it has been standing on whitehawk hill overlooking Brighton for 235 years.

On a bright blue sky day the views over the racecourse and out to sea are breath-taking and the excitement of the thunder of hooves creates such a high.

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With 21 fixtures taking place from the 24th April until the 18th October – you will surely find a date that would suit you.

“It is important to us that each person visiting the Racecourse receives premium service, enjoys great food and leaves with great memories,” said Paul Ellison, Executive Director. “We are committed to making every visitor feel welcome and looked after. We’ll even help you place a bet if you’ve never done it before – it’s really easy and adds an extra shot of excitement to the day.”

There are many ways to experience the races in Brighton- from General Admissions in the stands, to the lounge of the Premier Enclosure or dining in Silks restaurant – the options for you to

choose are varied. One such incredible experience not to be missed is the Behind The Scenes Tour. If you are a newcomer to racing, or just a keen racing fan, who would like to see what goes on behind the scenes of the sport of kings, then this is a great way to experience a day at the races. Or what about trying our new Great British Afternoon Tea package and sip on prosecco while eating dainty sandwiches and desserts. This is a perfect way to savor the atmosphere of this historical sport of kings.

We have a number of hospitality packages available - perfect for entertaining clients. A popular and memorable day out, why not treat your valuable clients to our Celebration

For any further information or for details of all 2018 fixtures, events and prices, please visit www.brightonracecourse.co.uk

Package, which allows you to host in your very own private suite or trackside box. This private suite has first class views and a grazing menu with matching beverages, waited bar service, complimentary racecards and access to private betting facilities.

With so may fixtures to choose from in 2018, excellent food and drink, easy access via public transport including a free shuttle bus from Brighton station, free parking and affordable tickets, a day at the races makes for unbeatable fun and a great excuse to get your friends together or treat your staff to a day out.

Gates open at 3.00pm on Tuesday 24th April for the Season Opening Race Evening with races starting at approximately 4.30pm and finishing at approximately 7.50pm.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39

Brighton Racecourse

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LoveLocalJobs.com

LoveLondonJobs.com

Celebrates Launch at Stamford Bridge LoveLocalJobs.com, the award winning jobs board based in Sussex, has launched a brand new London-based talent engagement platform, LoveLondonJobs.com, at a major industry event this month.

The Attract, Retain and Inspire event, at Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge stadium in south west London, was attended by more than 50 influential organisations, including Fuller, Smith and Turner, OPDC and Berkeley Group.

The event saw speakers from Chelsea FC Foundation, LoveLocalJobs.com, West London College, WhiteHat and many more discussing the future workforce and what businesses can and should be doing to create more opportunities for the next generation.

LoveLondonJobs.com was created to capitalise on rising employment rates in London to give local businesses a new platform to help them seek out the best available talent, and for individuals to find the job of their dreams.

Paul Scrivens, Head of Commercial at LoveLocalJobs.com, said: “LoveLondonJobs.com is so much more than a jobs board. With the importance of big brands making jobs sexy and more reachable than ever, the LoveLondonJobs platform promises to provide a one-stop shop for everything recruitment related.”

At the Attract, Retain and Inspire event Euan Blair, founder of WhiteHat, the talent accelerator for 16-23 year-olds, said: “It was great to be able to talk with an engaged group of local employers and some brilliant apprentices at Stamford Bridge about apprenticeships and share what WhiteHat is doing. Local engagement and targeted campaigns are a crucial part of how we reach a diverse group of young people and build awareness around apprenticeships.”

Caroline Adair from Leadership Through Sport & Business said: “LTSB was delighted to participate in the LoveLondonJobs launch. Stars of the show were our five apprentices, one just completing her apprenticeship at Close Brothers, another who has just started his apprenticeship at Chelsea FC Foundation, and three currently interviewing for roles with our 70-plus employers including EY, RSM and Santander.”

“This was a useful event to hear from like-minded businesses and other organisations who are also committed to giving young people the opportunities the deserve,” said Jamie Masraff, Project

Director from OnSide Youth Zones. “I came away with a clear sense of the need for us all to work together, businesses, charities and schools, to create new pathways for talented young people to the careers they so richly deserve.”

Gary Peters, Chief Executive of LoveLocalJobs.com said: “This was our first event in London and the turnout was fantastic. We wanted to launch LoveLondonJobs.com to a group of influential businesses and doing it at Stamford Bridge was just the icing on the cake. I’m really looking forward to speaking to more businesses over the coming months and letting people know what we’re about.

Gary also spoke about LoveLocalJobs. com’s ground-breaking programme, Be the Change, which is designed to inspire the future generation from secondary school age, opening students’ eyes to the world of work and the wealth of the possibilities and career opportunities in their hometown and beyond.’

Keep an eye on our social media channels for the launch date of LoveLondonJobs.com.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41

Working Lunch: The Salt Room Sussex Business Times’ Food and Drinks Editor, Kelly Thwaites enjoyed a meal at one of Brighton’s most pristine restaurants. Here, she feeds back on her thoughts

We were very lucky to have been able to Lunch slot in a last minute restaurant review at Review this amazing venue.

The restaurant is relatively new to Brighton but has caused quite a stir in the business community. In my view, Brighton was screaming out for a destination fine dining seafront experience and the Salt Rooms did not disappoint.

With an unobstructed view of the new i360 and indeed the sea, the glass front is the place to sit. The summer will bring another chance to experience al fresco dining on the beautiful mezzanine.

We were welcomed upon entry by the lovely Merve, who could not have been more accommodating. Our experience started straight away by being placed at a sea-facing table. On such a cold day, sitting at that position allowed the sun to beam in on us and it almost (I say that very loosely) felt like Spring.

We started with the wine list. Our waiter was Alfonso who was an absolute pleasure to meet. He was friendly from

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the outset and without competition, one of the most knowledgeable waiters we have been lucky enough to meet. My guest and I were blown away by his willingness to help with what must have seemed like never-ending questions about how to make the dishes that were served. I digress. The wine list was extensive but it was lunchtime and we had a busy day so just the (ahem) two glasses it was. We requested a reliable old Sancerre but Alfonso encouraged us to widen our palate a little and enquired whether we would like to try a Greek white or the Italian Vermentino. After a quick, impromptu wine tasting we opted for the beautiful peach smelling Greek wine, which went amazingly with our fish dishes. To start, my guest chose the octopus, which was served with beans, bacon and cider within the rich sauce, which he reliably informed me was delicious. I chose a simple salmon starter, which was the perfect size and taste to leave me with a keen appetite for the main course.

The Vermentino wine sounded too good to miss and so myself and my

guest chose this to go with our main fish dish. My guest had the whole bream.

Alfonso offered to filet the dish but I think the foodie atmosphere and perhaps the wine gave my guest the confidence to filet the bream himself. It was a huge dish served with spicy Nduja (southern Italian spice) potatoes and went down very well indeed. We asked Alfonso how the crust was cooked and, without taking a breath, he was able to give us the measurements, the ingredients, which fish it would suit, and some hints and tips on what to add or change according to what we preferred. It was such an impressive display of knowledge and a real testament to the standards of the restaurant itself. I am not sure I have ever come across such a knowledgeable, eager-to-assist waiter and I hope this review reaches him.

As I prefer a more meaty fish, I chose the monkfish which came with a tandoori sauce, served with cauliflower, coconut, ginger and yoghurt. It was more than delicious. It was mouth-watering and something I would make the trip for just to have again.

We finished with the fast becoming famous “Taste of the Pier.” This is a beautifully served tray of tiny samples of Pier-type food, including candy floss, butterscotch donuts and my favourite chocolate pebbles. This is a wonderful experience for any visitor of Brighton. I would highly recommend this dish when looking to impress business visitors as it is cultural and fun and would be a welcome distraction from heavy business chat when the mood needs to be lightened.

Alfonso gossiped to us that some visitors come to the restaurant only to order this dish! In my eyes, this is missing out on the full culinary delights of the menu but nevertheless, is a perfect plan to end a long summer’s day on the beach.

We have previously reviewed The Salt Room’s sister restaurant, The Coal Shed

which is more of a steak focused restaurant.

The Salt Room is a mainly fish orientated restaurant, although there are some tasty steak alternatives. It is no surprise to me or my guest that this chain is doing so well. It seems to achieve the hard-toreach standard of a meal becoming an experience. Perhaps it was our waiters, but it very much felt like a welcome interactive negotiation of our choices with some tongue-in-cheek persuasion of recommendations, and the right balance of feeling comfortable to stick with our own tastes. I personally prefer these types of discussions before meals and you are left with the feeling that the dishes are being tailored to your individual needs.

I will most certainly return and would encourage any foodie friends or indeed

business associates to do the same.

In the summer I imagine this being the most wonderful alfresco experience, which could rival the best seafront Mediterranean restaurants. There are large tables available for events and if you want to impress associates from “out of town,” I would encourage this venue as the most Brightonian restaurant in town.

ABOUT THE SALT ROOM Boasting uninterrupted views of the Brighton seafront and British Airways i360, The Salt Room is a modern British seafood restaurant that celebrates the flavours of cooking over coal. Recent winner of the Seafish UK Restaurant of the Year 2017 the extensive menu champions sustainability and showcases the very best local produce.

106 Kings Rd, Brighton, BN1 2FU 01273 929488 www.saltroom-restaurant.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43

Hotel Review:

Hotel Du Vin, Brighton

Sussex Business Times is back this month with our regular hotel review. Our Food and Drinks Editor, Kelly Thwaites took to the wonderful Hotel Du Vin in Brighton this month, and here she feeds back on her experience The hotel review this month is on the Hotel sumptuous Hotel Du Vin and I was lucky Review enough to experience the delights of dinner, bed and breakfast.

Entry to the hotel is via a side entrance through a courtyard, which despite being in central Brighton, gives a more country feel to the venue. I was met immediately by the smiley and helpful receptionist, Celia, who set the scene for my stay. A nice touch was that I was actually walked to my room and shown around so that I could settle in.

I was lucky enough to stay in a Sea View Suite and it was as elegant as it was impressive. There were two beautiful deep roll top baths which were so inviting

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I almost skipped dinner. The free use of the Nespresso coffee machine however, gave me a much needed boost and I was able to investigate the other luxuries provided by the room. I stayed in the height of the recent snow and the under floor heating was also a very welcome addition, which gave the hotel a real feeling of grandeur.

After a long day I was hungry and looking forward to a decent meal, so I got ready and went to the Bistro. The staff there were of the most attentive I have seen. Upon entry they were respectful that I was a guest eating alone and sat me in a discreet position with no rush to place my order straightaway. I was able to observe most of the room and was interested to see virtually all types of diners there; a couple sharing a romantic

meal, a large table of apparent business associates, and some lone guests like me. Business or otherwise this is definitely a place I will return to.

I was surprised to see two ladies enter with a dog, which caused a slight nervousness with the staff. The staff were patient and respectful and upon offering the ladies a drink at the bar, and checking that it was in fact a guide dog for the blind, the staff then offered those guests a prime place and I witnessed them taking some time to read and explain the menu to them. I was placed right in the midst of the way they dealt with these women and I was very pleased to see that the whole issue was handled with dignity and understanding, whilst still ensuring the overall comfort of the wider guests.

Hotel Review

I settled down to two courses from the a la carte menu, which was more than enough for my appetite. My main was a Steak Hache, which I confess I had not eaten before. It was cooked to perfection and I enjoyed it with a pepper sauce and pommes frites. It was fresh, succulent and most certainly filling. I chose a Sicilian red wine, Tornatore which suited the dish perfectly.

I chose profiteroles for dessert. It was odd to find them filled with ice-cream rather than cream but a very welcome antidote to the heaviness of my chosen main. They were delicious.

To finish I ordered a fashionable Gin and Tonic from the Pub Du Vin which is attached to the Bistro. I saw the care taken over its preparation and it was a genuine treat to sit in the large, easy chair and enjoy watching the chilled out clientele relaxing and enjoying the venue. For any business this is clearly a well thought of venue. I would certainly endorse this as a venue for sober business meetings over a coffee by day and then for sensible but certainly respectable drinks for after hours.

My last stop of the day was the roll top bath which was just the most perfect end to the evening. Egyptian cotton sheets sent me off to one of the best night’s sleeps I think I have ever had.

After a quick drench power shower I went to the breakfast in the Bistro, which was more of the same except that everything was brighter. The lighting in the evening makes for a dreamy atmosphere and the brightness of the morning was just the right tone for a breakfast room.

I chose Poached Egg and Avocado on

toast, which was served with a hint of chill and was divine. Free newspapers and the luxury teas and coffees made me want to stay and make a morning of it. I am secretly tempted to move all of my business meetings to this venue.

I left revitalised and refreshed, which is unusual after only one night.

I’m not sure I can pass on any further compliments without sounding like a member of staff! In every aspect this is a highly respectable venue, and I would be happy to bring my most valued business associates here. I can trust that the staff all seem to be immaculately dressed and offer the very best service skills. In some venues the staff stand out over the facilities, or perhaps the food stands out over the drinks, but Hotel Du Vin is a great all-rounder, which I cannot

recommend more highly. For work, a romantic break or, dare I say it, an evening alone just to be treated like royalty, I would strongly urge anyone to treat themselves and their guests to the Hotel Du Vin. ABOUT HOTEL DU VIN Featuring 49 distinctive rooms suites with super-soft Egyptian cotton linen, roll top baths and drenching monsoon showers, Hotel Du Vin is perfect for an overnight treat, weekend getaway, meeting or just lunch or coffee.

2 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD 01273 855221 www.hotelduvin.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45

NEWS

Sussex Chamber Launch the Investment in Young People Award Y

outh skills development is an important part of the UK’s industrial strategy. Are you playing your part as a business? Can your business help move the youth skills development agenda forward?

Introducing Investment in Young People (IiYP). The business mark for corporate social responsibility. IiYP is a National Award that recognises the important work that businesses carry out in assisting young people aged 5 to 25 gain employability skills and who assist them with the transition from education into the world of work.

By gaining this award, and proudly displaying the IiYP business mark, it will make your business stand out as an employer of choice, demonstrating that you are making a real difference to young people’s lives in your local community.

The IiYP mark is exclusive to companies that have been successful in meeting the required standard.

One of the cornerstones of the 2017 government white paper: Industrial Strategy – Building a Britain fit for the future is the recognition that people, and the skills they have, is a key driver to productivity.

That white paper laid out three key areas for people development: •

•

Establish a technical education system that rivals the best in the world, to stand alongside our worldclass higher education system.

Invest an additional £406m in maths, digital and technical education,

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“Time to shout about your company’s commitment to all our futures”

•

helping to address the shortage of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills.

Create a new National Retraining Scheme that supports people to re-skill, beginning with a £64m investment for digital and construction training.

Sussex Chamber is now your sole delivery agent for IiYP in Sussex and we have also gained the IiYP Award.

The IiYP accreditation is a national initiative of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Young Chamber and makes you stand out from the crowd as a Sussex-based employer of choice. This will help to attract and promote Chamberbased jobs which are competing with London, and elsewhere giving you, Sussex employers, the tools to reduce your recruitment costs and help you satisfy your replacement staff demand.

The prestigious national award recognises the important work that employers do in supporting a young person’s understanding of the world of work and helping them to gain the all-important employability

skills required to gain meaningful employment in the future.

The scheme is aimed at recognising an employer’s contribution to assist young people aged from 5 to 25 to achieve this.

The Award is held by the business for a 3-year period, and to qualify you will have worked with a local

Chamber News

school, college or education provider by engaging in activity that helps students with a better understanding of enterprise and businesses whilst gaining a range of employability skills. Any sized business, Chamber member or not, who is working with young people can apply, as long as you can evidence your activity against specific criteria.

There is no specific requirement for what this support can or needs to be, but the following is a list of possible activity: • • • • • • •

Careers events Apprenticeships (linked to FE College/external training provider provision) Work Experience placements (structured longer-term activity) Work Taster events (short term placements at/visits to employer premises) Support for academic studies – i.e. help with BTEC courses etc.

School-led enterprise activity Young Chamber activity

• • • •

Young Enterprise Supporting Studio Schools Supporting Academies Student Mentoring

What do I need to do to obtain IiYP? You may already be doing more than enough to qualify for the award. Firstly, you need to register your interest online and complete the Application Form found at www.iiyp.co.uk or through our website www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk to find out more.

After submitting your completed application Sussex Chamber will arrange a short on-site visit to verify your application. At the same time, we will make contact with the educational establishment listed in the application to arrange a telephone interview or to meet to confirm the educational establishment’s endorsement of the business application.

The onsite verification visit to the applicant should take no more than 1-2 hours and is designed to allow us

as the IiYP Sussex agent to see any documents listed in the application and to briefly talk to staff involved in the school engagement. A pre-visit ‘check list’ will be provided to the applicant prior to the visit taking place.

There is a small registration and administration fee for the IiYP Award. The fee is charged for the administration of the scheme and covers each employer for a 3-year period of recognition.

The maximum fee charged for a small business (turnover up to £5m) will be £375 + vat, for a medium sized business (turnover £5m+) will be £750 + vat and for a large business (turnover £50m+) this will be £2,500 + vat.

Being recognised as an Investment in Young People company shows your commitment in supporting the development of a Young Person’s employability skills and their understanding of work and support for their future careers and employment.

Investment in Young People Award can help you to attract the best young talent.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

47

Motoring with

Rivervale

Rivervale returns as the sponsors of our motoring section again this month. This time around, they turn their focus to the issue of motoring on the environment, exploring air pollution and the success of electric cars

Q

HOW CAN YOUR BUSINESS PREPARE FOR THE ELECTRIC REVOLUTION? The government is taking tough new measures to reduce air pollution. From increasing road tax charges on Co2 emitting vehicles and creating clean air zones which charge the most polluting vehicles to enter, to the eventual ban on sales of all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040. With all these changes taking place there has never been a better time for your business to join the electric revolution, and there are financial supports available to help you achieve a zero emissions future.

“While a petrol or diesel engine are still the most popular choice of engine for the majority of drivers, at Rivervale we have seen a considerable rise in the number of enquiries into electric and hybrid vehicles for both personal and business use. We expect this trend to

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continue as drivers and companies become more aware of their carbon footprint and the financial benefits that emission free and low emission vehicles can offer. In response to increased interest, and to make zero and low emissions vehicles easy to find, we have recently set up a green leasing page on our website so customers can view all their options in one place,” said Simon Fuller, New Vehicle Director at Rivervale.

FINANCIAL HELP FOR BUSINESSES GOING EMISSIONS FREE Currently in the UK, there are two main ways a business could save some money in their efforts to go emission free. #1 Plug-In Electric Grant The government offer money off brand

new vehicles regardless of whether they are a personal buyer or a commercial buyer. Vehicles included in the grant are separated into different categories which each have varying levels of financial support.

Category 1: Cars with C02 emissions under 50g/km and which can travel at least 70 miles with zero emissions.

Category 2: Cars with C02 emissions under 50g/km which can travel at least 10 miles with zero emissions.

Category 3: Cars with C02 emissions between 50g/km and 75g/km which can travel at least 20 miles with zero emissions.

Vans: Those with C02 emissions less than 75g/km and which can travel at least 10 miles with zero emissions.

Cars in category 1 would be eligible for a 35% contribution of the purchase price up to a maximum of £4,500.

Those in categories 2 or 3 can also receive a 35% contribution but up to a maximum of £2,500. For vans, a contribution reflecting 20% of the price is available up to a maximum of £8,000.

These contributions will automatically be applied to all vehicles eligible, the customer does not need to do anything. Exempt from these contributions are any cars in category 2 or 3 which have a recommended retail price over £60,000. #2 Workplace Charging Scheme This scheme is funded by the governments Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and is for any business, charity, or local authority.

The scheme offers a £300 contribution to any electric charge point installed, up to a maximum of 20 points, greatly reducing the overall cost.

To be eligible a business must show the following: Off street parking: A business must show they have an area off road

done easily online at www.gov.uk/ which is dedicated to parking for staff government/collections/governmentmembers or fleet vehicles which is grants-for-low-emission-vehicles. If suitable for charging point installation. your application is Applications for successful you will charge points “The government receive a voucher for customer use is taking tough new code via email only will not be measures to reduce which can be successful. used to gain your A need for air pollution. From discount from any electric vehicles: increasing road tax approved A business does charges on Co2 emitting OLEV installer. not need to vehicles and creating currently own or WHAT ARE THE lease any electric clean air zones which BENEFITS TO vehicles for the charge the most MY BUSINESS grant, they only polluting behicles to OF GOING need to show enter, to the eventual ELECTRIC? the business has Fuel costs: a need to use ban on sales of all Considering an electric vehicles in new petrol and deisel average cost of £2the future. vehicles by 2040.” £4 to provide 100 miles of charge for In return for the an electric vehicle grant, the charge compared to a £12-£15 cost for 100 points must be maintained for 3 years miles of petrol or diesel, the fuel cost and usage data supplied to the OLEV. savings a business could make by Applying for this grant can be

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

T going electric are clear.

Pollution charges: The Congestion Charge and upcoming T-Charge will be avoided, saving your business over ÂŁ20 each day you need to drive through the capital.

Future proofing: From 2020 it is likely more charges will be applied to petrol and diesel vehicles seen as the most polluting, going green now saves you these costs in the future.

Reduced maintenance costs: Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than a combustion engine so cost less to maintain, saving your business money every time a service is due.

Road tax: The road tax charge for zero emissions vehicles is ÂŁ0 saving even more money per vehicle.

Employee savings: The Benefit-inkind rate for electric cars is 0, meaning encouraging your employees to switch to an electric vehicle as their company car will save them money as well.

Company image: Companies who are seen to be acting to reduce emissions are often looked upon more favourably than those who are not.

Building a customer relationship: If you have customers visiting your place of business, why not offer the opportunity to plug in their electric

vehicle while they are there. This kind of customer service may help build repeat business. By going emissions free, your business will also be helping the environment as well as reducing air pollution, which has been shown to cause many significant health problems.

HOW LEASING CAN HELP MY BUSINESS GO EMISSIONS FREE Vehicle manufacturers will now be increasingly committing themselves to making advances in electric technology.

Due to this new focus, the capabilities of electric cars and vans may increase over a relatively small passage of time.

To further future proof your business

by ensuring your vehicles have the best possible technology available, you may want to consider car and van leasing. By entering into a contract hire contract, you can hand your vehicle back after a period of 2-5 years and receive a brand new one complete with the latest electric improvements.

Additionally, the initial outlay when leasing a new vehicle is considerably less than when purchasing a vehicle, and after this initial cost, fixed monthly rentals allow for easy budgeting. So, it may be more affordable for your business to invest in new electric or hybrid vehicles than you imagined.

The Rivervale team are always happy to offer businesses advice on the best vehicle choice for their needs.

F

w 50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

R

THE ONE STOP SHOP IN SUSSEX FOR ALL YOUR VEHICLE NEEDS

For any of your vehicle requirements, get in touch

www.rivervale.co.uk • Tel: 01273 433480 Rivervale House 50 Victoria Road, Portslade, Brighton BN41 1XB www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

SBTMotoring News Rolls Royce Welcomes Minister of State During National Apprenticeship Week Rolls-Royce Motor Cars welcomed The Rt Hon Nick Gibb, Minister for School Standards and MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, to the company’s Headquarters and Manufacturing Plant during National Apprenticeship Week.

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships and this year was themed ‘Apprenticeships Work’.

Fittingly, Mr Gibb met with current Rolls-Royce apprentices from

Further Woes for Diesel Drivers

Recent falls in oil prices will be a welcome relief for UK motorists as data shows drivers could be burning through as much as 75 per cent more fuel than stated by manufacturers.

Carly Connected Car released data collected from over one million vehicles, including 150,000 from the UK. The data shows year-onyear growth of discrepancies in fuel consumption in every new model generation since 2004, up until 2017 where the difference appears to reduce slightly.

The most significant difference was found in diesel cars from 2016, achieving an average of 75% higher consumption rates than stated in information given by the vehicle manufacturer. According to the RAC Foundation, the average given MPG for a diesel car in 2016 was 62.5mpg. For a motorist driving 12,000 miles, this would be a cost of £1,087.55 per annum (based on current diesel costs of 124p per litre).

52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

leather, wood, paint, engineering and assembly roles to hear at first-hand the knowledge and skills they have gained since joining the scheme. The apprentices were joined by colleagues who have successfully completed the apprenticeship programme and are now progressing towards management roles in the company.

Mr Gibb learnt how Rolls-Royce apprentices combine nationallyrecognised college courses with on-thejob training.

The New Nissan Leaf: The World’s BestSelling Zero-Emissions Electric Vehicle Next month, the new Nissan LEAF officially went on sale, Nissan has confirmed that it has received over 20,000 orders across Europe for the latest model. That is one sold every 12 minutes, making it the fastest-selling electric vehicle in Europe.

The new Nissan LEAF is the next generation of the world’s best-selling zero-emissions electric vehicle. More than 300,000 customers have chosen the LEAF since it went on sale in 2010 – and now this all-new model offers even greater range, improved dynamic design, class leading advanced driver assistance technologies and enhanced connectivity.

The Nissan LEAF is the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility. It is a whole new driving experience, designed to move people with greater exhilaration, confidence and connection to the world around them.

New Spec Packs Boost Value for VW Commercial Vehicles Customers A range of new high value specification packs, tailored to suit the needs of businesses large and small, are now available to order from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, ahead of their UK debut at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham from 24-26 April, and deliveries to customers from May. Business packs, which can be applied to Caddy panel van and

kombi, Transporter panel van and Crafter panel van and chassis cab models, add items of specification which business customers most frequently specify, at a competitive combined price. Not only has Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles worked with customers to establish what they need on their vans, it’s also collaborated with influencers, resulting in a residual value uplift of up to £450 on models with business packs.

DESIGN • LITHO • DIGITAL • LARGE FORMAT FINISHING • FULFILMENT • PRINTWEAR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS • PACKAGING • POS MANAGED PRINT SERVICES • MAILING MANAGED DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS Providing Sussex business top quality, eco-certified printing for +40 years

www.gemini-print.co.uk www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

SBT

ASK THE

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT

How to invest in property for high returns and get it right Firstly, know EXACTLY what you want from your investment. Some people think that investing in property is as safe as houses (sorry!), but to safeguard your capital, you must establish right from the start precisely what your objectives are. This will include your attitude to risk, your expectations of returns, and

EXPERT

How can I protect my business on divorce?

Resolving financial matters on divorce can be a complex issue, particularly where there is a business to consider.

Once a divorce is underway, you must exchange financial information about all your assets, including any businesses. In most cases the value of the businesses

54 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Chris Mansfield, Managing Director, Davenport Property Investment how long you are expecting to invest for. I always err on the side of caution when considering any investment, so my key attitude to risk is never to invest what you can’t afford to lose, which encourages a diversified portfolio, with ‘safe’ investments like Bonds and ISAs, alongside mitigating higher return investments, which is where high return property investments can prove very useful. My client’s expectations in terms of returns are to be making around 10% per annum, and most of my clients are expecting an exit strategy after around 5 years.

Secondly, beware all the pitfalls and scams! One of the first things you learn as a property investor is that everything is not necessarily what it seems at first glance. What do I mean by that? Well, for example, if you see an investment that claims to be “HMRC approved”, just remember that HMRC do not

approve investments. They approve some investment structures, but not any specific investments, so if ever you see that claim, you might wonder what else might be incorrect about the investment.

And finally, always, ALWAYS, talk to the most experienced person that you know. As in many areas of life, nothing beats experience, and property investing is no different. Before you make any decision about any investment, I would seriously urge you to take sound advice or guidance from the most experienced source that you can find. Which may not necessarily be me, but my email and phone are always available should you want a second opinion.

For more information, contact Chris on c.mansfield@davenport-wealth. com, or call him on 01273 763 900.

Stuart Duncan, Solicitor, Coffin Mew will be considered along with the value of the family home, savings, pensions etc.

The business itself can come under intense scrutiny and other people may have different ideas about how it should be valued and / or distributed. This can be a problem if the liquidity was going to be used for future business development.

A divorce is something most people don’t anticipate or plan for, but it can be extremely bad for business if not handled correctly.

Before getting married, consider getting a pre-nuptial agreement to limit any claims against the business. Also consider making a will to mirror the terms of any agreement, so it is clear how your interest should be dealt with in the event of your death. Consider revising the terms of any shareholder or partnership agreements. Also consider getting an

appraisal of the business before marrying, so any appreciation during the marriage is clearly identifiable.

If you are already married, consider a post-nuptial agreement. Nuptial agreements can be very persuasive in divorce proceedings, provided that each spouse has had independent legal advice. Be sure to maintain good financial records and document any monies in or out of the business, including loans.

Consider sharing ownership of the business with third parties.

If a divorce is already on the horizon, get quick and clear advice from a specialist family lawyer. Do not move assets or alter shareholdings unless there is a commercial reason for doing so. If the court feels you have done this to avoid a potential claim it could damage your credibility.

SBT

ASK THE

EXPERTS

WE ASK THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS YOU NEED

EXPERT

EXPERT

I’ve just found out that the endowment policy backing my mortgage is under-performing and may not be enough to pay off my mortgage. What should I do?

Convert your entire mortgage to a repayment mortgage. This will be guaranteed to repay your debt by the end of the term, although this will increase your monthly repayments.

Convert a portion of your mortgage to

Anthony Ward, Managing Director, Psydro What is User Generated Content, and how do I get it?

User Generated Content is any type of content created by unpaid contributors who have tried out a product or service themselves - such as reviews, photos, testimonials and blogs.

Consumers can generate real reviews on the Psydro platform in categories covering every sector including health and beauty, fashion, food and drink, property, entertainment, travel, gambling, automotive and more.

In order to thrive, companies must keep pace with changing trends in the marketplace, using UGC to their advantage. If brands aren’t catering to consumer needs, then the customers will simply find a different brand.

read reviews before making a decision to purchase, with 80% trusting them as much as personal recommendations.

Shoppers trust consumer reviews almost 12 times more than branded content.

Reviews can also achieve advertising benefits through improving SEO.

Will real independent reviews help to grow my business?

Surveys reveal 92% of online shoppers

Pysdro… By the people, for the people! For any further information, please visit www.psydro.com

What are Google Star Ratings, and how can I get them?

Google Star ratings in organic search results reassure potential customers about your business’s credibility. A study

by Harvard Business School revealed that every ratings star attached to a review translates to a 5% to 9% revenue boost.

Sign up to a review site, such as Psydro, and encourage customers to review your services in order to gain star ratings.

Steve Opie, Independent Financial Adviser, Spectrum IFA a repayment deal, so that any remaining mortgage capital should be covered at the end of the term. This will increase your monthly repayments but may be more affordable than converting your whole mortgage.

Pay off some of your mortgage capital each month or make lump sum payments to reduce the debt and narrow the shortfall. This gives you flexibility to pay as and when you can afford it. However, check with your lender if there are any charges. Also ask when they will give you the benefit from your extra payments – some do so only once a year so you need to time these accordingly.

Cash in your endowment early to fund some capital repayment – however speak to a financial adviser first. Whether this will make sense financially will depend on your particular situation. For example,

replacement life cover and penalties for cashing in early will need to be taken into account as will the value you could achieve by selling your policy on a traded endowment market.

Save into an additional investment product to cover the endowment shortfall – such as a stocks and shares, an ISA or other investment plan appropriate to your attitude to investment risk. An adviser will help you choose the most suitable plan and work out what you need to save in order to meet the target amount you need. However you may have to make very large additional payments, which could be unaffordable.

Extend the term of your mortgage – hopefully to allow you to find supplementary ways to cover the debt.

This is really a last resort option, so it’s best to speak to a financial adviser.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 55

How to Make Money from Trade Exhibitions Director of Monk Marketing and organiser of the West Sussex and Brighton Business Expos, Mike Monk is back again this month with tips on how to profit from trade exhibitions

If you want to grow your business, faceBusiness to-face marketing is Exhibitions the way to go. It has many advantages over other forms of promotion and provides great brand exposure. As well as offering a personalised approach, it is more engaging than often impersonal email and social media advertising. That is why more and more businesses are choosing to promote their brands at trade exhibitions.

Mike says, the benefits of connecting with customers in person include onthe-spot sales, quality lead generation and valuable networking. Taking a stand at a local trade exhibition also raises awareness about a brand and gives it instant credibility.

Another way of gaining exposure for your business at a trade exhibition is to sponsor it.

Before the event Tell people you are exhibiting. Share information about your stand and the show on social media, in newsletters and on your company blog. Use the run-up time to connect with other exhibitors.

Grow your audience by following other exhibitors.

Time a special offer or discount to coincide with the show. You can make it

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exclusive to those who visit your stand, or those who respond to online promotions.

Be careful to ensure your offer is relevant, will grab people’s attention and offer real value. An expiry date and a compelling call to action will prompt people to act quickly.

Decide to hold a competition or giveaway on your stand and promote it. Offer something that complements your business. More people will visit your stand and remember your brand.

Think about your stand and how you want it to reflect your brand. Make it relevant and interesting, so that people will want to stop and talk to you. Make sure it looks professional and gives people the right impression of your business.

During the event Don’t waste a single minute. Have a pen and paper handy to collect visitor contact information. This is a great opportunity to sign up people to your company newsletter or for email promotions. Put out a bowl to collect business cards - this will ensure you collect data even when you are busy.

It really is good to talk. Make people feel welcome when they visit your stand.

Avoid giving the wrong impression switch off your mobile phone (after you have taken a picture of your stand and posted it on social media using relevant

hashtags). Talking is networking. The more people you talk to the better. Don’t forget to hand out your own business cards throughout the day. If you don’t quite know where to start, talk to those exhibiting next to you.

Take a break. Eating and drinking at a trade standis considered very unprofessional. Find a cafe area where you can relax, make calls, reply to emails and enjoy a quick drink and bite to eat.

You will go back to your stand feeling refreshed and ready to sell your brand.

After the event Share your success on social media.

Include images of your business at the show, and don’t forget to mention competition winners.

Follow up leads with an email shot, perhaps offering a post-show special offer. If you are not sure how to go about this, many trade exhibition organisers provide free email templates. Follow new connections on social media and stay in touch.

Don’t wait. Hot leads can go icy cold in a matter of weeks. Therefore, you should follow up leads within two weeks’ of the show. If a follow-up does not produce an immediate sale, keep the details in your database and follow up the lead again. www.monkmarketing.com mike@monkmarketing.com

B2B Expos

West Sussex Business Expo 2018

B2B Expos returns to our pages again this month ahead of the West Sussex Business Expo 2018...

Sussex Business Times has again partnered with the West Sussex and Brighton Business Expos and ahead of the Fontwell event, we’re back again this month to provide you with all the latest event details.

Following on from the success of last year’s Sussex-based exhibitions, B2B Expos have again introduced the West Sussex Business Expo, set to take at Fontwell Park Racecourse on 24th May. With just a matter of weeks until the big day, it’s important for you to know exactly what advantages it poses for you and your business.

This event promises to provide companies from across the region with seminars, networking opportunities and many other features that will offer advice and inspiration to many businessmen and women. Whether you’re an established business looking to grow, a business in the very early stages or you just want to explore the option of starting up your own business, then the West Sussex Business Expo should be your go-to event.

Speaking after last year’s event, Corporate Fundraising Manager for Chestnut Tree House, Terrina Barnes said: “We are so grateful to Mike Monk from the West Sussex Business Expo for choosing Chestnut Tree House as one of their charity partners for the second year. It costs over £3.5 million each year to provide all our specialist care services – both at the hospice and out in the community across Sussex – for children with life-shortening illnesses and their families. With less than 7% of this coming from central government, we are almost entirely dependent on the generosity and support of local

businesses and individuals. Being the charity partner at West Sussex Business Expo helps us to increase awareness of Chestnut Tree House, reach out to more families who could use our services, and raise the vital funds we need. We are looking forward to meeting the exhibitors and visitors at the event.”

B2B have proven to be very successful over the years – tried and tested as a means of helping businesses reach a wider customer base. With a history of large amounts of exhibitors and an ever-growing region of business talent, this year’s West Sussex Business Expo promises to be more successful than before.

For any further information on exhibiting or to book a stand for the upcoming West Sussex Business Expo, please vist the B2B Expos website: www.B2BExpos.co.uk/WestSussex

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Network My Club

Bringing Businesses Together with Network Albion Business Club Network My Club take to our pages again this month to provide you with the latest from their most recent Network Albion Business Club event at the Amex Stadium and information on how you and your business can become involved

Despite the adverse weather conditions in March, over News 100 delegates attended the latest Network Albion Business Club meet in Heineken Lounge at the Amex Stadium.

Guests took time out of their busy schedules to enjoy a morning of networking, a delicious full English breakfast, and heard from guest speaker, founder of the Starr Trust, Rob Starr.

The Starr Trust are an independent, family run charity formed to support young people aged 10-18 to fulfil their

potential through sports, arts and education, by giving a helping hand to achieve their goals at a time when they really need it. Rob spoke about the work the Starr Trust has done, and as they approach their 10 year anniversary, explained there are many ways you can support the charity.

Furthermore, the Starr Trust recently partnered with local developer, Crest Nicholson, on the newly agreed £15 million project to finance the King Alfred housing scheme on Hove seafront.

Rob also revealed that as part of the renovation, the Starr Trust will have a 12,000 square foot creative hub, however, Rob is planning to open the space for all local charities to use and

work in collaboration.

Do you want to be part of Brighton & Hove Albion FC’s official business club? Benefits include, 1x free place to 12 networking events at the Amex, a company listing in the match day programme at Albion home matches, marketing support via the Network Albion and Network My Club social media channels, and much more!

The next Network Albion event takes place on Thursday 5th April, 8.30am10.30am, and with every event gaining more popularity monthly, it’s advised to book on soon.

Visit www.networkalbion.co.uk for more information.

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

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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

Society

Brighton Landmark Hosts Chestnut Tree House Networking Breakfast

Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice hosted its first networking breakfast of the year at the British Airways i360 in Brighton on Thursday 22 February, encouraging local businesses to get together to network and learn more about the work of the charity.

Over 130 people attended the event, with representatives from a wide range of businesses, including Amex StadiumSodexo Prestige, Barclays, Gatwick Diamond Business, Gemini Print, Hotel du Vin, One Digital, and guest speaker, Brighton Gin founder, Kathy Caton. Chestnut Tree House Patron, Ambrose Harcourt also attended, as well as some of the charity’s 15th birthday Patrons – CEO of Creative Pod, Matt Turner; and East Sussex Ambassadors, Barry and Jacquie Hinves.

Derwyn Jones, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Chestnut Tree House introduced Steve Bax, Executive Director of the i360, and David Pegler, Chestnut Tree House Trustee. Steve welcomed guests to the i360 and David spoke about his role as a Trustee and some of the charity’s events.

Derwyn also gave a moving account of the care provided

by Chestnut Tree House, both at the hospice and in families’ own homes, and explained how the charity relies heavily on community support so that they can continue to care for local children with life-shortening conditions.

Derwyn Jones said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response to our first networking event of 2018. Spreading the word about the specialist care services Chestnut Tree House offers to local children and families is so important to us, both in terms of increasing awareness and fundraising, and it was fantastic to see representatives from so many different businesses. We would like to thank Kathy Caton from Brighton Gin for coming along to speak to our guests, and also the i360 for welcoming us and serving such a wonderful breakfast.”

Kathy Caton gave an inspiring speech about how she came up with the idea for Brighton Gin, and the pride she takes in it being a local business, with everything still done by hand. She spoke about the importance of being connected with the local community, and how Brighton, and Sussex as a whole, boasts a collaborative business world, which helps individuals turn ideas into reality.

Steve Bax announced the winner of the business card draw, Vivienne Smith of The Athena Network, who won an i360 flight for two with a glass of Nyetimber sparkling wine. After the networking breakfast, some of the guests took to the skies on an i360 flight to take in the 360-degree views across Brighton.

If your company would like to get involved with supporting Chestnut Tree House or would like more information, please visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/corporate

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Vivid Marketing Gemma King with Jacqui Partridge of Jacqui Partridge Events

What a view!

Chestnut Tree Mikayla Bernstein with Katie Parrish of East Sussex National Resort

A presentation from Kathy Caton of Brighton Gin

Kathy Caton of Brighton Gin with CEO of British Airways i360, Steve Bax and CEO of Chestnut Tree House, Hugh Lowson

A presentation from Chestnut Tree House trustee Derwyn Jones

Coffee for Trustee David Pegler

7.45 am photo call and a bit chilly for CEO of Chestnut Tree House Hugh Lowson with his fundraising team

Photography by Graham Franks www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61

Made in Sussex

Made in Sussex: Samantha Trace Cosmetics Ltd

For this months Made in Sussex, we turn our focus to “Brow Couture” with Browologist and founder of Samantha Trace Costmetics Ltd With brows being one of the biggest beauty Brand trends in the UK it’s no wonder now more Focus then ever women are looking for a helping hand to get their eyebrows back!

Building her own Brow Empire, Hayward’s Heath-based Samantha Trace is the “go to brow artist of 2018”.

She holds an impressive portfolio of perfectly crafted brows, performed at her luxury private suite Clinic Privée for the ultimate indulgence in Brow Couture and Permanent Cosmetics.

Regularly featuring in glossies such as Hello! Magazine, Cosmopolitan and The Daily Mail she represents the highest calibre of Brow Artists.

Located on Sydney Road and accessible from the train station, her private Clinic is a premium destination with stylish gold décor and chic furnishings that boasts an undeniably welcoming and sophisticated atmosphere that Samantha’s clients praise her for.

How it all began Samantha’s 17 years experience in the beauty industry has seen her travel all over the world, from setting up and managing famous Day Spa’s to becoming a skin specialist with the most in-depth knowledge of skin, science and dermatology. She has worked with thousands of clients all over the UK and was the co-presenter on QVC for Doctor led skincare.

Samantha said: “My career has always had a creative element, so becoming a brow expert in all areas of permanent make-up and eyebrow design I have taken my many years of experience, particularly in skin, to deliver the best treatments. Not only filling sparse brow hairs to design fuller brows, but also being a medical tattooist creating new brows for hair loss suffers such as Alopecia and Cancer.

Using techniques like Microblading

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offers a revolutionary way to create brows with the most advanced techniques to apply pigment into the skin using tiny micro needles that can create the look of a real hair strand. The needle can flow in the same direction as the hair growth, forming a wonderful natural looking eyebrow. This technique of ‘hairstroke” is the finest form of eyebrow tattooing.

Success in Sussex “I knew from a young age I would have my own business doing what my heart and hands loved. Finally at 31, I was able to start Samantha Trace Cosmetics Ltd! My passion as a professional Browologist is to achieve outstanding results for my clients, always endeavouring to be innovative, as a specialist it’s important to

offer the best service possible with cutting edge techniques.

This past year has seen the business develop and through dedication, the brand is growing rapidly, as is the demand for these services.

Looking ahead to the future The next year will see the expansion of my Brow Couture offering with an additional eye-styling concept and to grow the business with more Artists providing a luxury-dedicated service to ‘brows and eyes’.

For any further information, please contact Samantha via info@samanthatracecosmetics.com or call 07842917798.

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www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk sam@fi rmballs.com 63

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