BUSINESS
ECHO
★★★★
‘Star Trek was my inspiration’ PAGES2&3
Start Survive Thrive
The job for life is no more PAGES4&5
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Dream on course for Jenna
PICTURE PERFECT: Jenna (left) and Claire Chang
FAZAKERLEY hair salon Chic Boutique has expanded with an holistic beauty offer after help from business support agency Dream High. Beauty therapist Jenna Johnstone can now offer pedicures, facials, glitter tattoos, eyelash tints and a Botox service. She said Dream High business facilitator Claire Chang was “an amazing help”.
WOMEN’S ● enterprise body Train 2000 is staging a
£10M AVAILABLE FOR SMALL FIRMS by NEIL HODGSON
Industry Reporter A £10M investment fund is now available to small firms in the region. Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF) has launched the Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund, managed by its in house team Alliance Fund Managers (AFM). It will be funded from the sale of stakes it has held in a number of small firms since 1996 when it invested cash from the European Objective 1 scheme and private sector partners to support
MERSEYSIDE law firm Kirwans will host a free employment and HR masterclass next month which it says will help bosses increase profits. How to Maximise Profitability and Reduce Risk, will take place on November 4 in the main boardroom at the Martins Building in Water Street and speakers include Kirwans’ head of employment law David Jones and Peter Carter of Corporate Information Systems. To book a place email ascragg@kirwans solicitors.co.uk
MSIF open for business with funding boost
fledgling Merseyside companies. Last week MSIF repaid the last of its private sector partners and monies raised from now on will generate up to £25m over the next five years for a new raft of financial aid for small firms.
Investments will range from £50,000 to £2m in the form of loan, mezzanine and equity finance and MSIF chief operating officer Lisa Greenhalgh said: “There has been uncertainty over the past couple of years about what funding MSIF would be able to provide. “A lot of hard work has been undertaken to ensure MSIF would reach its ultimate goal of creating a fund that was independent from European Regional Development Fund and private sector support and we are delighted to have achieved this. We are very much open for business.” MSIF chairman Andy Rigby added: “This is a great achievement for MSIF
and AFM and good news for local businesses. Funding has been very difficult to secure in recent times which, coupled with the economic downturn, has hit businesses hard. “Now MSIF can continue what it was set up to do – provide a much needed alternative source of finance to the region’s businesses which will in turn strengthen the local economy.” AFM is also managing an extra £3.9m for regeneration body the Northwest Development Agency, offering loans of £3,000 to £50,000 for businesses in the retail sector and high-tech firms in the creative, digital, life science, energy and manufacturing sectors.
series of free workshops offering advice on a range of subjects linked to self-employment. They will take place at Kirkby’s Pride Children’s Centre this Friday and on November 26, and at Train 2000’s Liverpool office on November 16. A two-day personal development course is also on offer this Thursday and Friday and on November 24 and 25. Contact 0151-236 6601 or email info@train2000. org.uk for details.
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HELEN WHITE has been appointed as Knowsley Housing Trust’s new chairman. Helen, 33, has worked for nine years in housing and regeneration across the region and was named The Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru Young Housing Professional of the Year in 2003 for her innovative and inclusive approach to working with tenants. She said: “Tenant participation is a hugely powerful way to drive forward regeneration.”
2 NEWS
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS DISABILITY CHAMP TOM IN THE MIX FOR AWARD
TOM DOWLING, an entrepreneur from Liverpool who was wheelchair bound after being shot in an armed robbery, is a semi-finalist in the 2010 Barclays Trading Places Awards which recognise people who have beaten the odds to succeed in business. Former Liverpool ECHO journalist Tom, 56, was attacked while trekking with friends in Iran 36 years ago. A bullet in the back left him paralysed from the chest down. He now runs the All Together Now! charity that produces a specialist disability publication and online magazine covering health and disability issues and is hoping to win a share of the £50,000 prize package at the London final in The Savoy hotel on November 30. Steve Cooper, chair of the judging panel and managing director of Barclays Business, said: “Trading Places is a celebration of inspiring people who, in spite of great personal challenges, have taken steps to establish a sustainable business and in doing so changed the direction of their lives for the better. “We hope that with this recognition, All Together Now! will continue on the road to success.” Mr Cooper added: “We also hope Tom’s story will inspire other budding entrepreneurs in Liverpool to turn their own business dreams into reality.”
DOUBLE WIN FOR SPEEDY
SPEEDY HIRE, the Newton-le-Willowsbased plant hire group, has won two accolades at this year’s Building and Engineer awards. It triumphed in the Supplier of the Year and the Energy Efficient Project of the Year categories. It was also commended for its partnership-led approach to working with its major customers linked to its growing operations in the Middle East and North Africa.
SMALL
BUSINESS of the Week
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ELF-confessed geek Matt McAlister believes cult TV series Star Trek inspired far more than legions of Trekkies over the past 40 years – it led to the development of technologies considered to be just the stuff of sci-fi. He said: “Star Trek wasn’t just predicting the future with things like flip communicators, which we now see as mobile phones, they were instilling in kids watching it the thought, ‘I want one of them’ and inspiring kids to go out and develop it in the future.” His own love of all things techie inspired Matt to create his Ellesmere Port-based MSoft business that is now a market leader in the design of tracking technology that can help slash costs by eliminating waste. When he set up in 1999, aged 25, his business was a truly family affair. Father Peter had just sold his industrial cleaning company and came on board, as Matt explained “to make sure people got paid – I had no idea how to run a business, I just had the ideas.” Then sister Kate, who had a sales background joined, followed by mum Barbara, who was a whizz on credit control. It was the height of the dotcom boom and Matt said: “I started with the intention of taking the web further, which sounds a bit cheesy.” He wrote software aimed at general e-commerce: “Today you have to have an e-commerce site to be in business, back then people looked at me like I was an alien, saying: ‘I’m not sure that will take off ’.” But soon the enterprise side of the business took off because companies realised its potential as a business-tobusiness tool. One of his first clients was ISS, a US cleaning company keen to develop a system for customers to order through a portal instead of despatching an Amazonian rainforest of brochures that had wrong information and prices which they had to honour. ISS was later bought and the new owner extended the concept to Holland. Then, out of the blue came a call from Glasgow City Council in 2003 inquiring about developing its own bespoke system: “We hadn’t thought of the public sector at all because we thought they would not be interested in a small company.” Glasgow and the NHS ran three separate stores providing community equipment like walking sticks and wheelchairs. Matt said: “Often, people would receive three of the same item, so they were interested in our system allowing people to order equipment on
Star Trek’s enterprise drove Matt to reach for the stars Neil Hodgson talks to IT expert and ‘hi-tech chisel maker’ Matt McAlister the web, through one portal. Glasgow was incredibly far-sighted. “It was a massive operation for us because the council was dealing with 1m people. They had 30 vehicles delivering equipment every day.” Not only did MSoft’s system manage enquiries better, it also enabled recycling of equipment and in the first year of operation Glasgow saved £1m. Matt then turned his attention to winning business from other UK councils and health authorities.
Once again, out of the blue, they were contacted by Trafford, in Greater Manchester, with a proposal: “They were having problems tracking blood in hospitals and said, ‘you can track a wheelchair, but can you track a bag of blood?’ So we wrote a brand new product called Bloodhound.” All Liverpool’s hospitals use it and MSoft has designed a system for the Countess of Chester Hospital using biometric technology so only authorised personnel can access blood
supplies using a thumb or finger print. It also ensure the right patient gets the right bag of blood – mistakes can prove fatal – by printing wristbands for scanning by nurses to make the right match. This saves costs by freeing up one of the two highly skilled nurses the old system required and by carefully monitoring blood supplies, including tags which can pinpoint the precise location of a single bag of blood. “A bag of blood costs £140 due to all the administration involved from a donor’s arm to the hospital bed. We cut inefficiency so the right amount of blood goes to the right person.” Hospitals in the Netherlands, Germany, America and New Zealand have contacted MSoft and Matt said: “Blood tracking has to happen throughout the world.” The system also allows the language to be changed: “We can do it in Azer-
Liquidators hunt sale for stricken engineering firm THE liquidators of civil and structural engineering firm Bingham Davis were last night closing in on a deal to sell the stricken business. The Liverpool firm, which traces its roots back to 1928 and which worked on projects including the Hard Days Night Hotel, went into liquidation last week. Begbies
Traynor was appointed to oversee a sale of the business. It was unavailable for comment last night but an announcement on the future of the firm is understood to be imminent. In 1928 Percy Bingham founded what was one of the first professional structural engineering practices in the
North West. He worked with Sir Edwin Lutyens on the design of his Metropolitan Cathedral, though that project was abandoned during the construction of the crypt in the 1940s. His grandson Tim Bingham founded TD Bingham in 1989. By 2006 that company had merged with Roy Billington,
Associates and then Nixon Davis to form Bingham Davis. In 2005 the company returned to the Metropolitan Cathedral, working on the ceremonial entrance steps in Mount Pleasant. Speaking in 2006, Mr Bingham said: “We have diverse expertise which ranges from the structural
design of major commercial buildings and the restoration of Grade 1 listed buildings, through to large civil engineering roads, bridges and dockland projects.” It worked on projects including the Marriott Hotel in Speke and the City Square and City Exchange developments in Liverpool.
★★★★
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
NEWS 3
CPUK WINS SAINSBURY CONTRACT
FAMILY FIRM: Matt McAlister (right) managing director of MSoft, with his father Peter McAlister at their office in Ellesmere Port
baijani if we want and we have done that because we want to go into Europe. I know there’s a massive market there.” European expansion is at the heart of plans to grow sales from £1.3m to £5m in five years and Matt is working on new products to accelerate that growth, including an application providing bedside access to patient records through Apple’s iPad. He said Apple founder Steve Jobs has created a product that does not need a user manual and with sufficient security already built in: “The iPad is fantastic. It is lightweight and easy to use. We have made stuff that works on an iPad and are talking to two hospitals who are going to use iPads on their wards. From a technology person like myself it is a no-brainer.” He said affinity with clients is vital: “We love working with our customers. They are the experts, the sculptors, we are the chisel makers. We give them the tools to do their jobs to the best of their ability. I am an IT geek and I love using new technology and applying it to the way people work. Our tag line is ‘quietly innovating’.” He also admits MSoft is featuring on rivals’ radar, and will have to deal with their attentions: “We’re at the stage where I am sure we will start to get interest from the bigger players. “We’re in a marketplace full of very, very big billion dollar companies, but by heck, we give them a fight.”
STAR TREKKIN’: Matt McAlister (right) was inspired by the crew of the USS Enterprise on TV show Star Trek
Do you want to be our Business of the Week? Contact Neil Hodgson 0151 472 2451 or email neil.hodgson @liverpool.com
CONSTRUCTION Partnership UK (CPUK), the Skelmersdale-based building firm, has won a £500,000 contract for a new Sainsbury’s store in Blackpool. The latest deal adds to its growing portfolio of retail developments across the region, including one of the first drivethrough Starbucks coffee shops in the UK at the Trafford Centre in Manchester. Its Sainsbury’s contract follows the successful completion of a new £500,000 Tesco store in the Apex Centre, in Radcliffe, Bury, earlier this year. CPUK managing director Steve Burke said: “Our increasing number of retail contracts, as well as more work in the growing care home market, is down to our excellent service and the quality of our delivery.” Also included in the firm’s retail portfolio is work for supermarket group Lidl and the Frankie and Benny’s restaurant chain in the north west. Its health care work includes the first phase of a flagship centre for excellence for dementia care in the UK in a £3.5m project for Altrincham-based Melton Health Care.
HMRC ISSUES TAX REMINDER
TAX authorities have issued a reminder for anyone sending in their 2009/10 self assessment return on paper they have just days left to file for the October 31 deadline. Returns filed after this date could cost a £100 penalty. However, an alternative is to file online – which threequarters of self assessment filers already do – taking advantage of a threemonth extension to the deadline for online returns. To register for online filing visit the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/ online and click Register (new users). Help is also available from the self assessment helpline on 0845 9000 444.
4 NEWS
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS
BIG Versatility the key to J survival in today’s changing workplace INTERVIEW Neil Hodgson talks to thoroughly mobile business consultant Colin Ling
OB mobility is a phrase the coalition government could well adopt as a mantra in these testing times of austerity. And Liverpool business consultant Colin Ling would be an ideal example of how to roll with the punches during his 37 years of working life which began when business buzz words and phrases were just a mere twinkle in embryonic spin doctors’ eyes. He began his career in probably the most secure industry – outside the undertaking sector – known to man and still recalls his parents’ pride after he started work as a 19-year-old clerk for the Midland Bank in Hunts Cross. He said: “They were very pleased, because at that time it was a job for life.” Hunts Cross began a steady ascent in his banking career ladder. After two years he relocated to the Castle Street branch that boasted a workforce well in excess of 100, almost unheard of in today’s banking landscape. A bank’s function then was also completely different, said Colin: “The social life there was fantastic, in the days when cashiers had time to have a chat with customers.” By then he had progressed to securities and foreign exchange and his next career move took him to Prenton as securities clerk, then New Ferry as third in command. A move to Norton Street back in Liverpool saw him installed as senior securities manager’s clerk at a branch that boasted some big household names among its accounts, including Vernons Pools and the fabrics chain Waldmans. His first manager’s position came in 1985 at Kensington, then at Dale Street, followed by Huyton, before he became district manager responsible for St Helens, Prescot and Rainhill. Most of his former branches are now closed, many converted into bars: “That’s not a reflection on me, I hope, just the way the banking industry has gone.” But within 12 months he had left the bank, and a seemingly safe career. A keen Reds fan he can readily recall his resignation: “It was the day before Kenny Dalglish quit as Liverpool manager. I had been in my new job for a year, but I didn’t like the way the bank was going. “The public policy was to help businesses, but in reality it was very difficult to get lending propositions through.” So began the next phase in Colin’s career path. For three years he freelanced, doing some business consultancy and also experiencing life at the
LIFE LESSONS: Colin Ling says the days of a job for life have gone forever coal face of small business by running the Penny Lane Wine Bar and a nightclub in town. Then, in 1994, he was back in a suit as an advisor to small firms with Business Link on the back of Europe’s Objective 1 funding, aimed at improving Merseyside’s economic output. Within three years he was personal business advisor manager with a staff of 38 advisors. “We were delivering to start-ups and small businesses on a one-to-one basis and were given the time and opportunity to really help businesses.”
Despite what he calls Business Link’s “chequered history” at executive level, Colin said they really did make a difference: “Between 1997 and 2002 we had a bit of an impact. We were able to add real value.” But the heavy hand of government soon put paid to that, eventually leading to his departure in 2008: “From 2002 Government Office became very much more focused on figures and so, to an extent, we were chasing outputs. “Small firms need hand-holding and what we are now calling mentoring. But more and more we
‘ There are many opportunities for firms to trade with China’
were being led away from that through political pressure.” In 2004 Colin was appointed head of enterprise development with responsibility for start ups, which included what Business Link termed the “hard to reach communities”, such as women, ethnic minorities, youth, the over-50s, creatives and social enterprises. “While these were political agenda items the level of resource allocated was always inadequate to meet demand and I can see why there were other organisations and agencies set up to support those communities outside of local or central government control.” The demise of Objective 1 funding in 2008 brought with it the end of Business Link’s enterprise team on Merseyside: “They decided they didn’t need an enterprise team on
Merseyside to focus on Merseyside’s needs, so they based the support in Preston. “From 1994 to 2008 Objective 1 funding was supposed to support Merseyside. It started out well, but over that period of time, with political changes, the focus became more and more regional and less Liverpool or Merseyside-focused.” Colin left in 2008 to become a self-employed business consultant and one of his main points of focus has been his work, on a voluntary basis, with Liverpool’s Chinese business community, particularly ahead of the city’s involvement in the six-month Shanghai Expo which concludes on Sunday. “With the Expo looming interest in the Chinese community and China had never been stronger,” he said. “The Chinese community in Liverpool will be interested to see
★★★★
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
NEWS 5
BARCLAYS OFFERS INSPIRATION
TRADE MISSION: Colin Ling (second from left) on a visit to Linyi, China
BANKING group Barclays is staging a series of seminars next month aimed at small business owners. The Barclays Ready for Growth seminars will take place on November 8 in London and Leeds, with satellite links to 14 business hotspots around the UK including Liverpool’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. A panel of experts will include David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, and Henk Potts, equity strategist from Barclays Wealth. There will be a live video link between the Leeds event and the Liverpool seminar, which will hear from local entrepreneur Tony Caldeira, founder of the Caldeira cushions group and its retail arm Fabric Warehousing. Ian Aitchison, Barclays north west head of local business, said: “This is an opportunity for businesses to be inspired to grow with confidence, and hear from successful entrepreneurs who have taken the bull by the horns and significantly grown their company.” For more information, visit www.barclays readyforgrowth.com or call 0208 334 1655.
TOTAL GLASS IN AWARDS JOY
how links are maintained and what business comes here.” Liverpool Chinese Business Association even mounted its own independent trade mission to the second-tier Chinese city of Linyi, between Beijing and Shanghai, which has established valuable links with a city of 10.3m citizens. Colin said: “I believe there are many opportunities for Liverpool and Merseyside businesses to trade with China and, indeed, with the local Chinese community.” That vision came a step closer after Cllr Gary Millar, with the then ruling Lib Dem Party, asked what could be done to assist Chinese businesses, leading to the creation of the Liverpool Chinese Business Network as a bridge between Chinese and non-Chinese businesses in the region. “To my knowledge it is the first of
its type in the UK. We have had a lot of interest and have attracted some key sponsors.” And it is the latest achievement in a career that looked pretty precarious after shunning what was supposed to be a job for life. Colin said: “I have now had four separate career paths. I have two kids who I expect will change job many times during their working lives and I think that’s the way of work now. “We don’t have jobs for life and young people now leaving school or at university will be looking at more mobility, both physically and in the workplace. “Even those of us in employment, but much older, have to be able to adapt and the way the economy is, and I can see over the next two or three years that we will all have to do that.”
LEGEND: Colin Ling resigned from Midland Bank the day before Kenny Dalglish (above) quit Anfield
KNOWSLEY-based Total Glass has won the Product/ Innovation of the Year category in the seventh annual Builder & Engineer Awards, held in Manchester, for its aluminium security communal entrance door. The PVC-U and aluminium window and door fabricator was also a finalist in the supplier of the year category. Meanwhile, the firm has strengthened its commercial team with the appointments of Andy Sheil as commercial projects manager and Chris Valentine as commercial estimating manager. They join a 10strong department at Total Glass, headed by Mark Formby.
6 NEWS
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS
TIPSFORYOUR
John Shinnick, partner at Grant Thornton North West, offers advice to entrepreneurs
FOCUS R . . . on startups
esearch your ideas When you have an idea, when you have a dream, sometimes you lose sight of the practicality and marketability of your idea. Put time into research and challenge yourself on the strength of your concept. Even better, get someone you trust, who has a business background, to challenge you– someone who is not so close to you that all they will say is “yes”. ● Find a good mentor To my mind, a mentor does not tell you what to do. A mentor stimulates your ideas and supports you through the thought process of developing and growing your business. He or she probably knows more about people than about business although a business background keeps it simple. Don’t assume they need to be older and wiser than you. My mentor is younger than me and keeps me looking to the future. ● Put yourself in your customer/client’s shoes From the outset, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. How would you feel if you were marketed to in the way that you are thinking? What would be your reaction to the attitude of your sales and service people? How much would you pay for that product or service? ● Stay flexible To paraphrase Ashby’s Law, the person who retains flexibility retains control. No matter how much you plan (and you should plan), things will always, always turn out differently than you expect. It’s the Law of the Universe. If you can accept it, then you are less likely to be thrown off course by the hurdles and issues that starting a business will throw at you. ● Be prepared to collaborate Very few businesses operate in isolation. Look for who works above you and below you in your business supply chain. Look for who works in exactly the same space. Collaboration doesn’t mean giving your business away. It means sharing in a greater opportunity. ● Understand the profit equation for your business idea It’s an old adage: turnover is vanity,
WINNER: Start your own business and you could become the next Richard Branson profit is sanity, cash is reality. Identify what the “profit equation” is for your business. What can you really make out of it? Is it just you or can you leverage up by employing people? What is the profit margin in what you are intending to do and how will that margin change from the start to a point when you are really flying? ● Find your KPIs You can’t wait for month end accounts. You need KPIs – Key Performance Indicators – that will give you a snapshot of how your business is doing. I have a client who runs restaurants. His KPIs include customer satisfaction questionnaires completed at the table and staff turnover. I have a haulage client. His KPIs are hours driven and overtime booked. ● 8. Understand your funding need Many superb business ideas do not get off the ground because the initial funding need is not sufficiently understood. You have an idea that will, in two years’ time, give you a running profit of £100k a year. The profit and cash
will probably not flow from Day One. Many businesses start out by putting out more cash than they bring in as they build the business. Build a model of your business that is realistic in its early-stage growth assumptions and find the cash. ● 9. Choose to believe Abraham Lincoln failed twice in business and was defeated seven times in Senate and Congress elections before being elected President. I suppose he could have given up on his goal at any time, but he chose to believe that he could do it. If you have, and can sustain, the passion for your idea and have put the effort into getting your idea right, why should you not succeed? ● 10. Have some fun This thing, this business is going to take over your life, your family’s life and every waking moment. You are choosing to do it. Do yourself the biggest favour you can and enjoy it. But be prepared to find enjoyment in facing up to and overcoming the challenges. Good luck.
Enola’s a walking billboard for her design enterprise WHEN it comes to advertising her fashion business, Enola Wade uses her head. Enola, from Huyton, set up her boutique Enolarose with the support of East Liverpool Economic and Community Trust (Elect). She designs and sells clothes and accessories – including hats, fascinators and tiaras – from a stall in Quiggins in Renshaw Street. One of her creations, a “Lips hat”, was recently worn by Hollyoaks star Bronagh Waugh at Chester Races. But when Enola doesn’t have any stars to advertise her hats, she simply wears one herself. She said: “I generally wear the hats I make and have had
endless attention from other women wanting to know where they can buy my hats from. “Everything is going really well at the moment – it’s all falling into place. Enola, who worked in retail and managed a beauty salon in Crosby for two years, decided she wanted to set up her own business three years ago after the birth of her daughter. She said: “I’d always wanted to set up in business on my own – it’s always been at the back of my mind. “When I was working in clothes shops, I always thought that I’d rather do this for myself than work with somebody else. But having a baby certainly
FIRM
MONEYMATTERS SAVERS are missing out on up to £12bn in interest by holding their money in accounts paying low returns, a consumer group said yesterday. Which? said half of the 1,200-plus savings accounts available in the UK paid interest of 0.5% or less, while a quarter pay just 0.1% or lower. It said if all savers moved their money to an account paying one of the highest
NEWS 7
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
★★★★
rates available, consumers would collectively receive an extra £12bn a year, or £322 each. The group said few banks made it clear how much interest customers were being paid on their statements, while they also failed to alert people to the availability of better
with Nicky Burridge, business correspondent
rates. Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, said: “While we pressure the banks to be more upfront about their rates, people can take action and potentially add hundreds of pounds a year to their savings by moving their money to a better account.” But the British Bankers’ Association said
it was easy for savers to find out what returns they were receiving on their cash. It said: “Information is readily available in branches, online and from a variety of other sources, including newspaper best-buy tables and comparison websites and customers will also be automatically notified if there are changes resulting in materially lower rates.”
ADVERTORIAL
ExpLORIng ThE OppORTunITIEs TO wIn nEw busInEss bY LEIgh TAYLOR Area director for Lloyds TSB Commercial in the North West
KEEP TRYING: Early political defeats could not stop Abraham Lincoln becoming President
FUTURE’S ROSY: Enola Wade has opened a boutique called Enolarose in Liverpool city centre motivated me to do it.” Enola, who started by selling her work online, realised she needed help to start a business.
So she consulted Elect, who helped her draft a business plan and offered advice on marketing, accountancy and legal issues.
Many businesses in the north West are reporting that there are fewer new business opportunities available, that existing clients are being more cautious – often spending less or delaying payments – and that some clients are being lost because of tough trading conditions. These factors have led many small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) to focus predominantly on funding and cash flow to ensure their survival. Both are essential considerations for any business, but need to be viewed as part of a wider plan. Winning new business could be key to continuing to trade successfully and even future growth. Lloyds TSB relationship managers are locally based and are able to provide guidance and support as businesses look for opportunities in the market place. as part of our SME Charter, we are hosting 200 nationwide events a year between 2010 and 2012, enabling business owners to meet with external specialists as well as other local firms giving them the opportunity to network and think about avenues previously not considered. For example, it’s a common misconception that contracts for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are confined to larger Londonbased companies and that it is too late to tender. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will be awarding around £700m worth of contracts for the products and services
hELpIng LOcAL busInEssEs: Lloyds Tsb commercial’s Leigh Taylor needed to stage the Games – many of which will go to SMEs. Plus there will be other opportunities further down the supply chain. The Games have generated thousands of sub-contracting opportunities covering a range of goods and services from a variety of industries – specialising in everything from engineering, to creative and merchandising, meaning there are opportunities for businesses across the whole of the UK. This is evidenced by the fact that 72 per cent of the 126,850 businesses already registered to tender, are based outside of London. Our relationship managers can share their knowledge of
what credentials businesses need when tendering for Games contracts, including having a robust sustainability policy in place – a key consideration in the selection process. More often, larger organisations are also filtering suppliers on the basis of their sustainability credentials. Lloyds TSB Commercial has local business and environment managers to help companies understand the impact diminishing resources, such as energy and raw materials, can have on their business, and to help them identify the challenges of changing legislation and regulations
that could affect them as the UK moves towards a low carbon economy. Both our relationship managers and business and environment managers offer free guidance and support. For more information on Olympic Games contracts and our sustainability services, or if you would like to register for one of our seminars, please visit w w w. L l o y d s T S B . c o m / businessguidance Lloyds TSB Commercial is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc and serves customers with an annual turnover of up to £15M.
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BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
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ON BEHALF OF LIQUIDATORS
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TOYS GIFTS m&s babywear, below trade price shops Ebay carboot etc 0151 298 1859
On behalf of liquidators
PENNY LANE Small office to let. £60pw. 07836 369919
Marl Rd, Knowsley Industrial Estate Approx 24,723 sq ft GIA Offers Invited
GARAGE UNIT 6 cars. Ramps. £130pw 0792O 461551 B U S I N E S S U N I T S Ditton/ Widnes 0151 227 9191
Taxis/Cab & Plate SECURE INDOOR CAR EMPORIUM
Ideal for car maintenance & repairs. Units to rent Aintree area. Long & short term lets. Parking space. Close to M57 & M58. £100pw.
Call 0151 546 5222 or 07949 134122 S H O P T O L E T Elec roller shutters, c/h, nicely refurbed. Call for details 07785 562496 L 2 1 Unit/Offices fr £30pw Secure yard 0792O 461551
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
A-F TEL: 0151 472 2746 G-M TEL: 0151 472 2573 N-Z TEL: 0151 472 2377
OFFICE/RETAIL/STORAGE 1st flr to rent. Excellent city centre location L2. Please enquire 07917 653668
Industrial Warehouse Premises
FRAMELINE TRADE SUPPLY COMPOSITE DOORS
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
RAINFORD St Helens WA11 8HP. Modern Industrial Units to let ideal for storage or small business, 24hr cctv, rural location £75pw 07841 915503
FOR SALE
Building Trade
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS Appears every day in your
AVON SETTLE CARS LTD quality cars available in excellent condition £160pw inc insurance and sat nav. 05 − 07 plates. 07943 754640 DAVY LIVER TAXIS Require more full/part time private hire owner drivers. Some company cars still available. Call Alan 07795 417333
PRIVATE HIRE Drivers req’d, busy system, cheap weekly insurance 0151 260 1010 BLUE LINE TAXISNew drivers wanted urgently. Earn £500 − £800pw. Tel 0151 709 0101 54 AUTO TX2 Knowsley cab/ plate, immac, 6 months plate & tax £19,000. 07789 716500
A-F TEL: 0151 472 2746 G-M TEL: 0151 472 2573 N-Z TEL:0151 472 2377
Business For Sale CAFE Long est, refurbd, well equipped takings £3700pw, long lease. Offers around £55,000. 07940 177292
LADIES/GENTS Hairdressing Salon. City centre. £10,000 ono. 0151 9281549
CARDS & GIFT SHOP Est 25 yrs £10,000 ono. Call 07598 332978
0844 820 0000
Open until 9pm www.blacksbrokers.com The Business Sales Specialists WIRRAL - Cafe/Deli
• • • • • •
1913
ST HELENS - Sandwich Bar/Convenience Store 1868
Established For 20 Years
W/T 2,500 Newly Furnished To The Highest Standard Excellent Customer Base Huge Potential To Increase Turnover Viewing Highly Recommended Business £64,995 SAV
LIVERPOOL - Newsagents/Convenience 1910 • Well Established (30 Years +) • W/T £7000 N/S £375 • Excellently Fitted • Loyal Client Base • Huge Scope • Quality 2 Bedroom Accommodation • Bus & Prop £650,000 SAV
WARRINGTON - Sandwich Bar 1887 • Well Established • W/T £1,450 + • Low Rent, Well Equipped • Corner Plot Location • Viewing Essential • Business £50,000 SAV •
WARRINGTON - Sandwich Bar
BIRKENHEAD -Counter News 1877
• Prime Location Within A Busy Shopping Centre • W/T £6,000, N/S £563.75 At Retail, Lotto • £700, Payzone £6,000 Paypoint £14,000 • Recently Refurbished To The Highest Standard • Attractive Opening Hours • Potential Scope For Expansion • Business £65,000 SAV
• Well Established • Wt £1500 + (Payzone £700) • Huge Potential • Excellent Freehold Proposition • Well Equipped, Well Respected • Business £25,000 SAV • Property £85,000
MERSEYSIDE - Hair Salon
WIDNES Off Licence Franchise 1042
1808
1740
LIVERPOOL - Newsagents & ESP 1797 • Well Established • WT £11,500 N/S £2,500, Lott £7,000 • Pay Point £22,000 • Huge Potential • Prime Trading Position • Development Project, Planning Permission Granted • Will Split Premises, Double Unit • Bus & Prop £264,995 SAV
WIRRAL - Counter Newsagents 1745
Prime Position, Town Centre • Adjacent Multiples • Audited Turnover, Gp 22% • Counter News • Vast Scope • Opposite Railway Station • Bus £150,000 Prop £385,000 • Or Rent
• Well Established • W/T £1,450 + • Low Rent • Well Equipped • Corner Plot Location • Viewing Essential • Business £50,000 SAV
BLACKPOOL - Hotel
1865
• Established 9 Years • W/T£6,500 • Rent Income From Nail Bars • Large Detached Freehold Property • Scope To Increase The Turnover • Viewing A Must • Bus & Prop £369,000 SAV
WIRRAL - Guest House
NESTON - Pet Shop • Established 60 Years • W/T £2,500 • Located In Affluent Area • Scope To Increase T/O • Loyal Large Cliental Base • Viewing A Must • Bus & Prop £115,000 SAV
• Prominent Main Road Position • WT £11,000 (u man) Increasing • Superbly Fitted Throughout • Spacious 4 Bed Accom • Bus & Prop £239,000 SAV 1887
WARRINGTON- Convenience Store/Counter News 1860 • Established 40 Years • W/T £8,500 • Main Road Location Corner Plot • Limited Opening Hours • Scope To Increase Turnover • Large Residential Area • Business £85,000 SAV
1881
• Excellent location • Weekend trade only • 8 letting bedrooms • Large owner’s accommodation • Walking distance from main attractions • Huge potential • Property £135,000
Affluent Area
• Close Proximity To Beach • Excellent Family Home • Scope To Increase Turnover • 90% Occupancy Rate • Viewing A Must • Bus & Prop £870,000 SAV
LIVERPOOL-Newsagents
LIVERPOOL - Newsagents
1195
Established For 20 Years
• Prime Main Road Trading Position • WT £10,500, N/S £ 1,600-1,700 Per • Week, Payzone £6,000 • Counter Sales Newsagents • Well Established • 2 Bed Accommodation • Business £99,995
WREXHAM - Florists • Well Established • W/T £1,000+ • Corner Plot Location • 4 Bedroom Accommodation • Delivery Van Included • Excellent Reputation • Business £24,995 SAV
1838
LIVERPOOL - Sandwich Company 1904
• Well Established • W/T £1,750 • Flexible Hours & Location • Enviable Reputation • Vehicle Included • Viewing A Must • Business £16,500 SAV ST HELENS - Off Licence/Convenience Store 1892
• Busy Main Road Parade • W/T £11,000 (Increasing) • Superb Mod shop Unit • Valuable Mostly New Equipment • Very Easily Run • Highly Recommended • Business £64,950 SAV
1795
• Established Over 40 Years • W/T £4500 N/S £1500 Lottery £3500 • 1 Bedroom Studio Apartment • Huge Potential • Excellent Location - Close To Schools/Free Parking • Densely Populated Area • Bus & Prop £189,995 SAV
LIVERPOOL - Bar/Restaurant
• 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
1763