BUSINESS
ECHO
★★★★
Fashion secret in the suburbs
Start Survive Thrive
Liverpool chain targets London
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THE BT showcase, featuring the latest hi-tech business-friendly technology to improve efficiency and cut costs on board a 14 metre HGV, will roll into Aintree Racecourse tomorrow, Friday, and next Monday. The roadshow is aimed at the private and public sectors. To register visit www.bt.com/areyouready
Christmas treat for Joshua ST NICHOLAS Catholic Primary pupil Joshua Egenti, seven, and his parents are off to see Santa in Lapland after winning an artistic competition run by Huyton opticians Batty and Dexter. Co-owner Karl Spinks said hundreds of pupils entered the Liverpool Through Your Eyes competition, adding: “His picture was a great representation of the architecture Liverpool is famous for.”
MERSEYSIDE ● insurance claims outsourcing company
First Response Law, which only began operating 15 months ago, has been shortlisted for Claims Management Company of the Year in the 2010 Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards being held on November 18 in London’s Millennium Mayfair Hotel.
WINNER: Joshua with Karl Spinks (left) and competition judge Matthew Clough, director and curator of the Victoria Gallery and Museum
DIOCESES LET OUT EMPTY CHURCHES EXCLUSIVE
By NEIL HODGSON Industry Reporter
LIVERPOOL’S Anglican diocese and Roman Catholic archdiocese have handed the keys of former churches and vicarages to a Dutch property company which installs “guardians” to generate rent – and deter vandals and squatters. Ad Hoc has opened its latest UK office in Liverpool’s Ormond Street and
‘Guardians’ are sought to move in to buildings
has struck deals with a range of partners, including the churches, to find responsible professionals, such as lawyers, finance workers and nurses, to live in the empty properties.
The firm’s clients include Liverpool’s Anglican diocese and Roman Catholic archdiocese and Wirral Partnership Homes. Properties being looked after include former churches, such as St Aidan’s in Speke, vicarages, schools, including Toxteth’s Antioch Primary School, tower blocks and old farm houses with people ranging in age from 20 to 60 paying rents from as little as £30 a week. Ad Hoc will ensure that each of the properties has toilets, showers, cooking facilities, mains water, gas and
electricity, but otherwise the guardians are responsible for kitting out the accommodation to suit their requirements. Few, if any, structural changes are made to properties, although normally guardians are permitted to decorate their living spaces to make them feel a little more homely. The company can make any property work for guardians. In one old vicarage they turned the office into a bedroom, while in a church they put a bed on the first floor balcony behind the organ.
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THE Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has signed up local author, historian and broadcaster Ken Pye to help its members and their partners make the most of their time in Liverpool at its national conference on March 1719 at the BT Convention Centre. FSB spokesman Neil Dutton said: “If anyone can communicate the pride and passion at the heart of Liverpool it is Ken Pye.”
LIVERPOOL ● council is staging a forum for small firms on
how to cope with an emergency evacuation of their premises. The Liverpool Business Continuity Management Forum is at Gardner Systems, Wavertree Technology Park, on November 23, from 8.30-11.30am. Email bcm@liverpool.gov.uk to book.
2 NEWS
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS
SMALL
BUSINESS of the Week
Alex Turner talks to Ian Gill, who runs independent fashion store JackG in Mossley Hill
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IVERPOOL is renowned for its independent approach to fashion. The city has a reputation for sometimes leading the way and sometimes just ploughing its own furrow. But while there have been huge changes to the city’s retail offer, led by Liverpool One in the last two years, those changes have tended to shift the city’s fashion offer more closely into the mainstream. The multitude of clothes shops that have arrived in and around South John Street are not independents, but off-the-peg stores from global brands like Holister, Desigual and Hed Kandi. With Bold Street still in limbo, somewhere between clothing and coffee while it awaits the Central Village development to deliver on the Ropewalks’ bohemian positioning, the hidden diamonds can be hard to find. Twenty minutes to the south of Liverpool One, in a short run of shops in Brodie Avenue in Mossley Hill, is one such gem. “I am the secret that no-one knows about,” said Ian Gill, owner of JackG, the fashion store named after his son. JackG is Ian’s outlet for his passion for fashion – as well as the place to buy clothing that isn’t available on the high street – and he’s as enthusiastic about the textiles and technicalities of t-shirt production as he is about the artwork and fashion’s place within youth culture. “It starts with quality,” said Ian. “The quality of the garment, not just visually or the name. “Then it’s what we see and what we like. That comes down to three things – visual, touch, colour. They choose something on the piece they like.And then there’s the price. “Once you have got something on all five, they will buy it.” JackG has grown out of a small-scale operation, when Ian and his wife Tracy dipped their toe into the market by importing shoes. “We were on holiday in Spain and visited one of the markets. We were buying shoes at six euros and selling them at £20,” he said. Another holiday, this time to America, saw the couple make use of Tracy’s contacts in the textile industry where she had previously worked, and they returned with three holdalls of t-shirts. The response encouraged them there was a gap in the market and Ian, with lots of encouragement from Tracy, decided to open the Mossley Hill shop. He added: “I can have the idea and concept to do it, but I need to be pushed sometimes. It has been a lot of Tracy and Jack’s influence.”
WIDE RANGE: Ian Gill in his Mossley Hill store Photos: ANDREW TEEBAY
Indie retailer who is taking on city’s off-the-peg shops But disaster struck early when the shop, which wasn’t insured, was burgled. “I wish we had got insurance,” he said. “They came in and totally emptied the place. It was so disheartening. “That was in the first two or three weeks – word had clearly travelled. It was really, really
soul-destroying.” However, 18 months on, Ian is buzzing about the opportunities that are out there to be found – and brought back to be sold to the city’s fashion-conscious shoppers. “The Americans always seemed to be ahead of the UK – and it’s the same in fashion,” he said. “I spend most of the time on the
‘Some lads don’t want their mates knowing where they get their clothes from’
internet. I am in four different time zones – Liverpool, Los Angeles, New York and Montreal. “Right now it’s all about skulls, and it will be for the next few years. “I love it when the artwork has a meaning. There are t-shirts with artwork designed by prisoners on death row in Mexico. That’s where I am at, fashion-wise.” While fashion is always evolving, so is the business. A website is in the pipeline while Ian also has plans to move into distribution, which would help him overcome one of the key problems he faces. He said: “There was a brand that I was buying direct from the States
– I was the only one in the country with it – and it was selling really well. They then appointed a UK distributor and said I had to buy through him, but the price had doubled. That’s not uncommon.” From a sales point of view, exclusivity has its downside as well. “One problem is that some lads don’t want their mates knowing where they get their clothes from,” he said. “Recently, I was stood near one guy who had one of my t-shirts on and when he was asked where he’d got it from, he said it was from Spain. They want to be the only one wearing it.”
★★★★
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
NEWS 3
‘BOOTCAMP’ EXPLAINS NEW LEPS
Do you want to be our Business of the Week? Contact Neil Hodgson 0151 472 2451 or email neil.hodgson @liverpool.com
TOP T-SHIRTS: Ian (left) has established a niche for his products despite the higher profile of retailers in Liverpool city centre
SEFTON council has organised a “Business Bootcamp” to explain the significance of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) for small firms. The free event takes place on November 18 at Formby Hall Golf Resort and includes seminars and workshops until 4pm, followed by an informal golf driving range challenge and networking session. It will also incorporate the Sefton Economic Forum, hosted by Invest Sefton, Sefton Council and Sefton Chamber of Commerce. There will be 24 LEPs, including one for the Liverpool city region, which will replace regional development agencies and deliver investment from the £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund. To book visit www. businessplussefton. com
4 NEWS
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS RECOVERY IN HANDS OF SMALL FIRMS
SMALL firms will lead the north west recovery, the latest Barclays Business Regional Impact Index claims. A survey of 1,000 owner-managers, processed by Kingston University’s Small Business Research Centre, shows that owner managers in the region have a broadly positive view of next year, with 53% of firms expecting to grow. Small businesses in the area obtain 63% of their supplies from within the region, providing strong support for other businesses. These firms are also contributing to the region’s economy by selling 32% of the goods and services produced outside of the region, bringing additional revenue to the area. However, more than two-thirds of sales by these businesses are to customers in the north west, higher than in any other region in Great Britain. Additionally, small businesses in the north west are actively engaged in innovation, with 69% bringing new products to the industry within the past three years. This has the potential to further increase exports outside the region in the future. The poll also showed nearly a fifth of the region’s small firms are set to make investments in training next year. Ian Aitchison, Barclays’ head of local business in the north west, said: “We hear a lot of rhetoric around the importance of small businesses, but this analysis illustrates just what that means the north west.”
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BIG Utility aims T to set up a little bit of Liverpool in London INTERVIEW
HE “Liverpool-isation” of the UK is under way. Utility, the gift store celebrating all things Scouse – led by the iconic Superlambanana – is set to open up in London, with other key cities in its sights. Co-owner Dick Mawdsley said Utility’s growing online operation is already making headway in spreading the word nationally, but now the four-strong store network is set to expand further with at least one, maybe two, openings planned for London in spring and a move into Manchester in the pipeline. Dick, 43, and partners Kate Cowie and Richard Skelton opened the first Utility shop in Bold Street 11 years ago. Since then another Bold Street store has been added, as well as a Preston outlet and another in Liverpool One. The team has looked at various locations in London including Richmond, Kingston, even central London despite its challenging rental levels, but Dick said property prices are not an issue: “We’re not put off by the rents because Liverpool is quite expensive. We have been here 11 years and the rent has probably tripled over that time. “And Liverpool One is not cheap – we have looked at one space in Covent Garden which is cheaper than Liverpool One – so that’s one of the reasons we thought about London and thought that we are big enough to go there. “We hope to get something lined up early next year in the spring and may do two stores in London. From the point of economies of scale we could have one manager floating between the two stores.” However, he insists Bold Street will always be the heart of Utility, despite a shift in the area’s trading fortunes, for a variety of reasons. Dick said: “Bold Street has been affected by a drop in spending but it’s probably more to do with Liverpool One than the recession. “You can’t put over 1m sq ft of retail in a city and not expect it to have a knock-on effect.” Utility has joined an impressive list of high street names trading in Liverpool One, but Dick acknowledges that the city needs areas like Bold Street just as much. He admitted: “Bold Street is really important for us, but we felt Liverpool One is the future of Liverpool retail. The heart of the city centre has moved, effectively, and in turnover terms Liverpool One is the best performer of our four stores. “But there’s a different clientele up
Neil Hodgson talks to Dick Mawdsley, co-founder of trendy gift store Utility here in Bold Street. It is a different market. “There’s some great shops here with niche stores that specialise in things you can’t get anywhere else. “Bold Street has a good future, but it is not going to be as good as 2007-08 which was its peak.” He said another blow to the area, on top of Liverpool One, was the relocation of famous Liverpool store Rapid Hardware to the John Lewis site.
“Rapid was a big generator of traffic and we’re missing that. “But Liverpool has a different vibe to most cities and has its own identity and Bold Street has always had that cutting edge vibe to it. From the 50s and 60s when the coffee bars and milk bars opened up.” And Utility adds to that vibe with its unique range of gifts and homeware from the humble, and biggest seller, Superlambanana to designer furniture.
Some have drawn parallels between Utility and Swedish furniture outlet IKEA, but Dick believes both have their own separate niche: “IKEA is for first time buyers, and people tend to move on. It has a contemporary look that is affordable, whereas a lot of the product we sell looks contemporary but was designed a long time ago. “Some of the stuff we have was designed 60 years ago, which puts it nearer an antique, and more and more people recognise that.” Utility’s key designer brands include Italy’s Alessi and the Eames lounge chair which dates back to 1956 and retails for £5,000. Dick said: “We have an older customer base for that product who, perhaps, have wanted a particular chair and decided to treat themselves once the kids leave home. “Superlambanana is our top selling item and all things derived from it. In
FPB hails government vow on public sector contracts SMALL firms’ champion the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has welcomed moves to make public contracts worth £236bn more accessible to small companies and link procurement to prompt payment. The government announced the procurement proposals at a small business summit held
in London on Monday as part of a strategy designed to achieve a private sector-led economic recovery. As well as plans to improve access to finance and allow social tenants to start businesses from home the strategy aims to ensure the public sector meets its target of awarding 25% of all
contracts to small firms. The government is also committing to pay the majority of primary public sector contractors in five days and will ensure firms further along the supply chain are paid within 30 days. FPB chief executive Phil Orford said: “Following the spending cuts it is important
the government addresses the key areas of public procurement and payment in order to achieve a real private sector-led recovery with small businesses at its heart – which means business growth and job creation. “Providing sound policies on procurement, finance and enterprise follow – and more
importantly are followed through – this will prove to be a welcome plan that, along with more work on tax and red tape, should help firms to flourish. He added: “Freeing up supply chain finance will be even more crucial as the economy continues to recover.”
★★★★
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
NEWS 5
BULK LIQUID TERMINAL IN BUSINESS
LIVERPOOL VISION: Homewares chain Utility, led by Dick Mawdsley, plans to expand into London and Manchester
2008 that was a phenomenon for anything Liverpool orientated.” He said Liverpool-based products are generally big sellers: “We’re lucky that Liverpool is so photogenic. “We have great architecture and as a result the souvenir market is quite strong.” He still sees testing times in the wake of the public spending cuts, January’s VAT increase and the property slump. “The property market has a big impact. If people aren’t moving they’re not buying or renewing. “This year has been tough without a doubt because of the economy and there are lots of unknowns. “I think there will be a short term blip in the first quarter of next year and it is going to be tricky. “But we are were we are. We are in Liverpool and it is not an affluent city. We are here and we do as well as we can where we are.” That is mitigated, to a certain extent, by the website, which accounts for 35% of turnover and is particularly popular with customers in London and the south east. But the physical expansion of Utility will continue, he said. “We won't be stopping with two or three shops. We will then look at other cities. Places like Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow. “We can Liverpool-ise those cities. Why not? We're very proud of it. We have grown from a tiny space at the top of Bold Street to where we are now.”
UPBEAT: Utility’s co-owner Dick Mawdsley says the prospects for Bold Street remain bright
LIVERPOOL Bulk Liquids (LBL) has handled the first ship at its new West Langton Dock terminal. The MT Bernora discharged a part cargo of 1,000 tonnes of Fish Oil Ethyl Ester from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. LBL relocated a large number of redundant storage tanks from the former Mobil site at Birkenhead to West Langton in a £500,000 cross-river operation. The tanks were refurbished and more will be added over the next year. LBL owner Paul Maxwell said: “We have taken a calculated risk with the speculative nature of this investment, having had no firm business in place beforehand. “However, the indications were that a new bulk liquids facility open to multi-users was needed in the port and it has not taken us long to see our first ship. “The goal now is to fill another 5,000 tonnes of space and move on to the next phase of our expansion.” He thanked Mersey Docks and Harbour Company for their help in developing the new facility.
GLOBAL TRADER IN CITY TALK
ADVENTURE capitalist Conor Woodman is key speaker at this month’s Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants dinner at the Crowne Plaza on November 26. Former city analyst Conor, 36, sold everything to travel the world and make money by trades on the way, from camels in Sudan to surfboards in Mexico. He published a book, Around the World in 80 Trades, and made a four part TV series on C4 about his exploits. Liverpool Society president Jan McDermott said: “Conor has a unique experience of deal making in the most extreme circumstances.”
6 NEWS
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS
VITALTOPLAN Neil Hodgson on the importance of a business plan for fledgling firms
FLYING HIGH: Debbie Bogg, who owns the Lola Loves boutique in Cavern Walks, worked with the Prince’s Trust to create her business plan
FOCUS T . . . on planning
HE right plan is essential to ensure success – and nowhere is that more true than the world of business. The casualty rate of small firms after their first five years is running at more than half. Government statistics showed that in 2008 90% of UK small firms survived their first year. But by year five that had plummeted to 46.6%. In Liverpool 45.1% survived, while in Merseyside 46.2% were still in business by year five. Personal insolvency figures also show that in 2005 Liverpool had 364 failures, yet in 2009 that had soared to 1,032, a higher rate than statistics for the north west as a whole which suffered 7,446 failures in 2005 compared with 16,569 last year. Therefore, planning for all eventualities is essential to ensure the successful launch of any new venture. Merseyside has an abundance of agencies geared to helping entrepreneurs new to the world of business through the potential minefield of setting out on the road to self-employment, including how to write the perfect business plan. One such agency, the Prince’s Trust, has helped more than 100 people, aged between 18 and 30, start their own firms in the past two years under its enterprise programme. It offers financial support to qualifying ventures as well as mentoring, which includes coaching in how to write a business plan that will clearly and concisely explain what kind of business is proposed and, more importantly, its chances of success. Heather Peers, Liverpool Prince’s Trust programme executive – enterprise, explains why a business plan is so vital, and how it can help to put new businesses on a sound footing. Heather explained: “For initial start-ups preparing a business plan is part of the planning process, so they know what they have to do in order to set up a business and also to get them to think in a logical manner about all the things they need in place before they start a business. “But the main reason to write a business plan is to see whether your business idea is actually viable.” She said in order to establish this, a business must carry out
market research and look at its competitors, identify who its core client group is and its market, considering whether it is a broad market or a niche market, as well as looking at cash flow, start-up costs and the type of equipment or premises needed. “It also helps you to describe your business, how you’re going to be doing it and where you’re going to be doing it.” Planning ahead, through a market strategy, is a key feature of a business plan. It could examine how a business is going to raise its profile and the logistics of its proposals. “These could include looking at the legal issues, health and safety issues, or local council issues. “For example, if it is a food outlet you would need licenses. “The business plan helps you pull all this information into one document. “And by doing this research it might throw up a new area and a new and better way of doing things.” Some plans will cover three or
five-year growth forecasts, including employment strategies, but for many small one-man band businesses the first year’s plan is the most vital. The Prince’s Trust helps candidates prepare a one-year plan which will be read by a panel of experts on the Trust’s business launch group made up of business mentors from a variety of backgrounds with a raft of experience. Heather explained: “We would invite people in for a chat to discuss the business and to establish that they are fully aware of their market sectors and understand the market they are going into and have done all their research.” She added: “This could highlight any issues that have not been addressed on the business plan.” Local authorities or enterprise agencies could also cast their eyes over a start-up’s business plan with regard to start-up costs, break even figures, the sales analysis and pricing policies. The good news for embryonic entrepreneurs is that a business
plan need not cost the earth in professional fees – many agencies throughout Merseyside offer guidance on their websites, or even free templates, for firms to follow in preparing their business plan. The Trust’s site provides an explanation of business words and terms, and examines issues such as, how will customers get the goods, how will you get paid, and how will you contact your customers? Support agency Business Link offers examples of sample business plans for a variety of sectors, from restaurants and cafes to airlines and aviation, professional services and bed & breakfast businesses. Heather said other Merseyside agencies providing free assistance with business plans include Elect, women’s enterprise agency Train 2000, Knowsley Fresh Start, Enterprise Halton, Stepclever, Wirral Biz and Blue Orchid. She said: “Go online and download the business plan templates, but make sure they’re not US agencies, because all the financial sections will be in dollars.”
Elect strikes perfect note MUSICIAN Colin Clarke set up his Lemonstone Rock School in Huyton this May, but admits he would probably have still been working on his business plan but for the help of Merseyside support organisation Elect. During the late 80s and early 90s Colin, pictured, was part of rock band Rain and toured with artists like Oasis and Roachford. He is also a published songwriter and has worked with producers like Nick Lowe and Mick Glossop, who in turn have worked with Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison and The Waterboys. Colin then worked as a taxi
NEWS 7
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
★★★★
AHEAD ADVICE: Help from business mentors can be invaluable in writing a business plan
MONEY MATTERS
ROCK PLAN: Colin Clarke, owner of Lemonstone Rock School, worked with support service Elect to create his business plan driver, but has returned to his true passion, teaching youngsters to play rock. And he said Elect’s help was vital in preparing his business plan: “I had no idea of preparing a business plan. I had been in bands, but as a
17-year-old kid we had managers and agents who dealt with everything. “But everything Elect did for me was 10 out of 10. “I was completely unaware of things like child protection and vulnerable adult policies,
but they got all those sorted and we were away then.” “We set up in May and my business plan took about three months. “Without the help of Elect I would probably still be doing it.”
THE rental market is seeing a return of the so-called accidental landlord as frustrated buyers are letting out their homes after being unable to sell them, research has indicated. The Association of Residential Letting Agents said a third of its members had seen an increase in the number of properties being rented out during the third quarter because their owners had been unable to sell them. Reluctant landlords became a phenomenon in the letting market during the 2007 to 2009 housing market downturn. At its peak at the beginning of 2009, 94% of letting agents reported seeing an increase in properties coming on to the rental market because people had been unable to sell them. The situation then was caused by people being reluctant to accept a lower price for their property than they thought it was worth, as well as a shortage of buyers due to the mortgage drought. The current problems in the market are being caused by potential buyers adopting a “wait and see approach”
until the outlook for both the housing market and the wider economy is clearer, while those who do want to proceed are still struggling to obtain mortgages. Figures released by the Bank of England last week showed that the number of mortgages approved for house purchase had fallen for the fifth consecutive month during September, to the lowest level since February.
with Nicky Burridge, personal finance correspondent
Ian Potter, operations manager at ARLA, said: “The rise of the reluctant landlord seems to reflect wider market uncertainty and instability. “People are holding back from selling, perhaps strategically, to secure the best price, or more likely because they simply can’t find a suitable buyer.” There was considerable regional variation in the level of agents who reported people were letting out their home after being unable to sell it, with 58% of agents in the north east reporting the phenomenon, compared with just 15% in central London. The current uncertainty in the housing market has also led to a surge in demand for rented accommodation. Earlier this month ARLA said the number of people looking to rent a property had soared to the highest level since the group began its survey nearly a decade ago. The rise in renters had pushed up the cost of letting a home, as landlords struggle to meet the new demand.
8 NEWS
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
BUSINESS
★★★★
ECHO Business to Business Commercial Premises
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AT JUST 30 years old, Liverpool-born Mark Pearson must be one of the city’s youngest self–made millionaires. Now the chairman and founder of Markco Media, the parent company of consumer website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, will star as this week’s Secret Millionaire on Channel 4. This Sunday’s edition of the show will see the young Merseyside entrepreneur, who is believed to be worth £30m, travel to Nottingham to visit problem areas of the city. Mark steps out of his comfort zone to move into a rented house in the city, branded as one of the most violent areas in Britain, with crime rates at twice the national average. During his time in the city, Mark gets involved with several charitable projects. These include an organisation that works to help victims of domestic violence. He also discovers an anti-gun and knife
Millionaire’s undercover TV debut campaign being run by Clayton Byfield in his spare time. Posing as an unemployed chef looking for voluntary work, Mark joins Clayton at his youth groups and workshops. Here he learns the harsh realities of knife and gun crime. At the end of his stay, Mark donates £150,000 of his own personal fortune three individuals running charities. Mark’s website delivers what people want most to do in a recession: namely to save money. His MyVoucherCode website offers access to discounts on everything from perfumes to pizzas. The site has attracted 30m visitors and signed up 175,000 people to the weekly newsletter since its launch two years ago.
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Loans CASH LOANS Secured against your car. Loans for any purpose. 0 1 5 1 2 2 0 4 4 8 8 www.mobilemoney.co.uk
Wholesale TOYS GIFTS m&s babywear, below trade price shops Ebay carboot etc 0151 298 1859
Building Trade FRAMELINE TRADE SUPPLY COMPOSITE DOORS UPVC
WINDOWS, DOORS, CONSERVATORIES. 5 Day Turnaround Tel 0151 546 5577 Fax 0151 546 5588 ACCREDITED WITH BS7412 & BS7950
KITCHEN & BEDROOM FITTINGS from a hinge to a full kitchen/bedroom. 3D plans now available. Showroom & Trade Counter at 3 Rockley Street, Kirkdale, L4 0151−207 0008. www.brosna.co.uk
MAGHULL - Off Licence
1378
SKELMERSDALE - Convenience Store 1618
• Busy Main Road Location • Established 13 Years • WT £6,500 • Rental Income Of £280 pcm • Scope To Increase T/O • Large Residential Area • Bus & Prop £179,950 SAV
Excellent Location • Extensive Property •Part Of Liverpool’s Musical Heritage • Opportunity To Exploit Tourist Trade • Fully Fitted To The Highest Standard • Viewing Highly Recommended • Bus & Prop £2,200,000
• Excellent trading position • WT £ 1200 • Town Centre Location • High Spec fixtures and fittings • Immaculately presented • Viewing essential • Business £34,995 SAV
LIVERPOOL - Bar/Restaurant 1763 • Excellent City Centre Location • Annual T/o £2 Million • Well Established World Heritage Site • Scope To Increase T/o • Viewing A Must • Business £1,800,000 SAV
CHESTER-Cards&Gifts/CoffeeShop 1820 • Well Established • W/T £1, 635 Under Management) • Cafe Business On First Floor • Prime City Centre Location • First Class Opportunity • Huge Scope • Business £49,000 SAV
PRESCOT - Sandwich Bar
1724
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS Appears every day in your
SEFTON PLATE & cab TX1 for sale. 0781 3051 972
NIGHT COLLAR W TX1, c/o Anfield 07865 974716
ESTABLISHED CAFE BOOTLE Hawthorne Rd. Call for details 07814 267775
1914
ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD - Heating Specialist 1902
WIRRAL CAB & PLATE TX1 W Reg 2000, 6 passenger seats, £7000 ono. 0151 632 3110 / 07891 720882
CARDS & GIFT SHOP Est 25 yrs £10,000 ono. Call 07598 332978
UNITS TO LET Bootle Area 5,000−15,000 sqft. Flexible terms 0151 486 0004 L9 UNIT/OFFICES To let ADT 3000+ sqft 07743 601828
1026
WARRINGTON - Pure Off Licence 1134 • Busy Commuter Route • WT £6,000 - Excellent Profits • Terrific Scope - Add Product Lines • Superb 3 Bed Detached Property • Bus & Prop £220,000 SAV
1791
OFFICE TO LET fr £40pw fully inc. 07785 562496
T O L E T N E T H E R L E Y Industrial/Workshop Units 506− 1,023 sq ft Rents from £62pw Wheathills Ind Estate. Whittle Jones 01257 238666
ST HELENS - Newsagents • Prominent Trading Position • WT £5,900, N/S £2,300 • Present owner 40+ years • Potential 6 Bed Accom • Business £59,995 SAV
SKELMERSDALE - Pet Shop
TO LET Baltic Triangle/Jamaica St. Up and coming cutting edge destination. 1650sq ft showroom, restaurant, bar premises. Also 1650 sq ft, refurb office/ workshop space. 0151 709 7034 or 07989 149551
Business Reporter
Open until 9pm www.blacksbrokers.com
Marl Rd, Knowsley Industrial Estate Approx 24,723 sq ft GIA Offers Invited
T O L E T In L1, jointly or seperate (may sell freehold), S/ contained office suite, approx 1,434 sqft. Also Showroom approx 1250 sqft, secure parking, easy in and out terms. For details 0151 708 6060
by PETER ELSON
0844 820 0000
On behalf of liquidators
T J THOMAS 0151 708 6544 ERSKINE ST close to City centre Business units, 850 − 950 sqft. With or without int Office Space. £106−£125pw + vat. Modern Ind unit, Knowsley Business Pk 2600sqft £13k p.a. www.tjthomas.co.uk
WEB WONDER: Liverpool’s Mark Pearson goes undercover to find worthy causes
Business For Sale
CAB/PLATE For sale. 0151 226 5142 or 07502 089448
CITY DAYS,NIGHTS OR L COLLAR TEL: 07789 884399
A-F TEL: 0151 472 2746 G-M TEL: 0151 472 2573 N-Z TEL:0151 472 2377