BUSINESS
ECHO
★★★★
Home is where the heart is
Start Survive Thrive
Plumbing firm aiming high
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UNDER THE HAMMER: Wavertree Town hall dates back to 1872
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EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, reacted with disappointment to the Government’s decision to sign up to significantly more ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions. Its north west director, David Ost, said: “On its own this is a bad decision for manufacturing so the government must move quickly to address the competitiveness concerns faced across manufacturing, as well as energy-intensive industries.”
PROFESSIONAL ● LIVERPOOL has appointed the former
WAVERTREE TOWN HALL ON MARKET by TONY McDONOUGH
Deputy Business Editor
AN HISTORIC south Liverpool building is to go under the hammer at auction with a guide price of £100,000. Wavertree Town Hall was built in 1872 and was originally used as the headquarters for the Wavertree Board of Health, an organisation responsible for paving, lighting, providing sewers and cleaning the streets in the township. In 1895, Wavertree was absorbed by
Historic city site is given price tag of £100,00
Liverpool City Council, along with neighbouring townships West Derby and Walton. Following the takeover, the building served as centre for local rate collection
and as a registry office. A period of disuse almost resulted in the building’s demolition, but was prevented when local businessman Eric Rooke refurbished it for use as a public house. Some of the Victorian decorative features included in the original design, which was created by local architect John Elliot Reeves, still remain. The two-storey Grade II-listed building is situated within a designated conservation area and is close to Picton Clock. Wavertree Town Hall will be lot
number two in the next Sutton Kersh Liverpool property auction being held in the Hilton Liverpool on May 25. Cathy Holt of Kersh said: “This is a fantastic auction lot. “It has quirky appeal, a long standing history and carries a very reasonable guide price.” ■ ANOTHER Liverpool auction house, Venmore, will hold its latest event today, also at the Hilton Hotel in the city centre. The firm is putting 47 lots up for sale and the auction is being filmed by BBC TV’s Homes Under the Hammer show.
When exceptional people come together, great things happen. When Weightmans and Mace & Jones merged to become one firm on 1 May something special developed. Weightmans and Mace & Jones. Together we are stronger. Find out more at www.weightmans.com
managing partner of law firm Bermans as its chief executive. John Hall will take on the role for three days a week at the lobby group, which aims to promote Liverpool as a centre of excellence for professional services.
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SPEKE-BASED Choice Online has teamed up with Clearer Thoughts to run a second free social media marketing workshop. The event is at Clearer Thoughts, in Bridle Way, Netherton, tomorrow. For details see www. choiceonline.co.uk
DAVID MURRAY, of ● Liverpool’s Murray Consultancy, will be looking at the value of market research for businesses in a seminar on Friday. The event is the latest in Liverpool Chamber of Commerce’s 60 Really Useful Minutes series. It is free to members and £5 for non-members and runs from 9am-10am. To book, visit www. liverpoolchamber.org.uk
2 NEWS
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
★★★★
BUSINESS ROADSHOW HIGHLIGHTS SAFETY ON BUILD SITES
HEALTH and safety experts will arrive in Liverpool later this week as part of a two-week tour of colleges and construction sites in the north west. This year’s White Van Roadshow is focusing on preventing workplace falls after six workers were killed and there were more than 500 major injuries in the region in 2009/10. They included two deaths and 100 major injuries in Merseyside. Specialists from the construction industry and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will visit the Central Library construction site in William Brown Street in Liverpool on Thursday, May 19, during a tour of seven building sites and two colleges in the north west. They are spending a day at each location to meet as many construction workers, apprentices and students as possible. As well as warning of the dangers of working at height, other topics will include power tool vibration injuries, asbestos and other dust-related diseases. HSE staff have teamed up with representatives from leading companies in the construction industry to offer the latest health and safety advice. Those attending the events will also get the chance to take part in demonstrations.
RIVERSIDE WINS GREEN AWARD
LIVERPOOL housing association Riverside has scooped the Energy Efficiency gong at the Housing Excellence Awards. The judges were impressed with Riverside’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and its environmentally friendly practices. David Jepson, Riverside’s deputy chief executive, who collected the award, said: “We are delighted.”
SMALL
BUSINESS of the Week
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HERE has been a big push in Liverpool over recent years towards a more continental-style café culture and now the idea is spreading across the Mersey. Wirral café bar operator home has two outlets – Oxton Village and at the Woodside ferry terminal. They offer light meals and snacks made on the premises using fresh ingredients, and are more than coffee shops but not quite full-on restaurants. Fully licensed, they also cater for private parties in the evenings. Both have been open for about three years with the Oxton Home now having a well-established reputation for a chilled out ambience. Now the Woodside venue is also upping its game with a new £10,000 terrace offering “spectacular” views across the river. To celebrate the opening, Home founders, husband and wide team Ben and Polly Harrison, are launching a corporate loyalty card targeted at the thousands of office workers and professionals in the surrounding area. Home’s licensed café bar in Woodside opened in 2008 following Merseytravel’s £500,000 refurbishment of the listed building. It is now the only restaurant in Wirral that offers outdoor and indoor eating and drinking with views of Liverpool’s iconic waterfront. The Harrisons are actively promoting its the premises as a wedding and events venue. Ben said he hoped the terrace would become a major attraction for business lunches, tourists and family days out. “A huge amount of investment has taken place at Woodside Ferry Terminal and we believe we now have one of the most stylish café bars in Merseyside,” he said. “Certainly the views we offer diners here are spectacular. “Birkenhead is crying out for this kind of venue and we want to urge local workers and families to visit us and see our terrific facilities including our new terrace and sample our wonderful menu.” Ben added the café bar’s corporate loyalty card was aimed at Birkenhead’s public and private sector workers. He said: “When workers come here they are amazed. “And we want to spread the message far and wide about the new refurbishment and the standard of food and drink we offer. “The new loyalty card is available to individual workers and organisations. “It offers terrific cut-price deals on lunches, take out drinks and food and corporate functions.
There’s no place like Home for the café bar couple Tony McDonough talks to Ben Harrison, director of cafe bar operator Home “Our aim is to bring European-style café society to Birkenhead. “Thanks to Merseytravel’s support we have been able to transform the café here and we really want the community to benefit from what we are offering. “Home is proving to be a great value venue for weddings, birthdays and christenings as well as corporate networking events and receptions.” Ben said the support of Merseytravel was vital when the
venue first opened. “Mersey Ferries used to have a cafe here in the 1990s – we used to bring the kids here,” he added. “Then it became neglected for a time so we offered to take it over. Merseytravel let us have it rent-free for the first year and it has had a refurbishment. “They have been great landlords. “I think we now have a great offer here. I think the views are among the best you will find in the country.
“The U-Boat attraction is now here and we are finding that people are coming off the ferry and saying how they hadn’t been here for years and how great it all is now. “We think we could be a real catalyst around here – we could become a focal point. “There are thousands of people within a short walking distance. “There about 1,000 people employed by the council nearby and you have professionals working just a few minutes walk away in Hamilton Square.” Both Ben and Polly both spent a number of years working in the voluntary sector. Ben himself was a co-founder of Weston Spirit – the charity made famous by Falklands veteran Simon Weston. “Eventually, we realised we both wanted to do something different,”
LT Print group launches professional services division WIRRAL print firm LT Print Group is launching a professional services division. The Wallasey-based firm, which also has a digital print office in Birkenhead, says it can offer products to meet the needs of the region’s financial, legal, property, creative and professional services sector firms.
The professional services division will work with companies to identify how they can gain added value from marketing and internal literature, creating bespoke design and print packages to suit each individual requirement. LT Print has also created an online ordering service to
save time and costs. Business clients will be given their own login details and can save time by ordering all items such as stationary and headed paper via LT Print’s website. LT Print managing director, Bob McWilliams, said: “The professional services sector in Merseyside and the North
West is a massive part of the region’s economy. “And we have been struck by the increasing amount of businesses that are asking for the highest quality print and design work available. “Marketing literature is one of the first things a potential client will look at so we understand the need for
high-end, well-made products. “However, we have found that many businesses struggle to find a print and design company that matches up to their high standards.” Mr McWilliams said the firm has clients from a broad range of sectors such as education, hospitality and public health.
NEWS 3
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
★★★★
SMES SAY SALES IS MAIN ISSUE
PARTNERSHIP: Ben and Polly Harrison have firmly established the Home brand in Wirral and now want to take it to Liverpool
Do you want to be our Business of the Week? Contact Neil Hodgson 0151 472 2451 or email neil.hodgson @liverpool.com
Picture: JAMES MALONEY
said Ben. “We realised in Oxton that there wasn’t really anywhere to go to have breakfast and just chill out. “The Oxton outlet is more of a thoroughfare and so catches people passing through but Woodside has more of a regular clientele. “We would like to open more outlets in similar – maybe Lark Lane or Bold Street in Liverpool.” Like many in the restaurant and catering trade, Home has seen its costs rise as well as having to cope with the upping of VAT. Ben said: “We haven’t raised our prices and we offer good food portion sizes – it is all about offering good value for money. “The main challenge has been getting people across the doorstep in the first place. “We believe that if you offer good service and value for money then people will keep on coming back.”
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SPECTACULAR: Home in Woodside offers great views of Liverpool waterfront
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SALES and marketing are currently the top business issues facing small engineering companies in the UK, a survey has discovered. Research carried out by not-for-profit small business support group, the Forum of Private Business, found sales and marketing strategy is a priority for 26.1% of smaller firms in the engineering industry. The second most common priority among small engineering firms was operations management, highlighted as an issue by 14.6% of respondents. HR-related issues, such as recruitment, training and employment law, were third at 13.4%. Credit control was also a concern for many smaller engineers surveyed, with business owners citing chasing overdue payment as a major problem. The financial loss small engineers suffer when other companies go bust owing them money was also a worry. Forum chief executive Phil Orford said: “Getting sales and marketing right is crucial for small engineering companies. However, marketing often falls outside the skill-set the of many small business owners.”
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4 NEWS
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
★★★★
BUSINESS
BIG
Succe in th pipe as sa keep risin
INTERVIEW Tony McDonough talks to Royden Evans, managing director of Wirral e-commerce firm PlumbNation
I
T IS Royden Evans’s ambition to grow PlumbNation into the UK’s largest online supplier of plumbing and heating products. And if its growth so far has anything to go by it’s not an unrealistic target. Evans started the Wirral-based business in April 2007 and had a first-year turnover target of £1m. In the first 12 months PlumbNation actually turned over £2.2m. Last year it was £8m and this year that figure is projected to grow to £11m. “In the next three years I want to grow that to £20m,” said 38-year-old Royden, who is managing director. “We are continuing to invest significantly in our e-commerce platform with a new-look website due to launch in the next few weeks aimed at further improving the customer experience.” Based in Bromborough and employing 11 people, PlumbNation is an e-commerce company whose website offers around 15,000 products. Most of its customers are domestic – the “end use” as Royden puts it – with a small core of trade clients too. It also employs an experienced trio of salespeople who take orders over the phone and can advise on technical specifications. Orders are split 50/50 between the website and the telephone. Royden said: “We want to double the number of products we offer. “When we started in 2007, we very much specialised in heating products – boilers, radiators, etcetera – basically everything that could heat your house and all the parts too. “We then rolled it out into plumbing equipment – everything you could need for your bathroom.” PlumbNation stores a limited number of small parts which can be couriered out but mostly it uses a number of national distributors with whom it liaises to get the stock out to the customers. It also arranges for goods to be dispatched direct from manufacturers. “We work with call centres and once we have placed an order they would typically come back to us within an hour with a delivery date,” added Royden. “We are pushing to add more unique products to our portfolio. “For example, we currently supply every make of boiler there is. We want to do that with every category – pad them out to the max – and we are still some way from that. “When we started in 2007 we didn’t have many competitors but since then the market has just exploded. “However, I think what we offer is
AMBITIONS: Royden Evans wants PlumbNation to be the biggest in the UK
unique in that we supply the full basket – not just a boiler but everything that goes with it. “So there are a lot more products we want to get onto the site. We have to work hard just to maintain the current portfolio because things can become obsolete. “In the coming months we are redesigning the website to make the homepage more offer-driven. “Now we have pushed into bathrooms we are looking to address products in different ways – asking ‘is this a lifestyle product?’ for example.
“We are also going to incorporate better search filters so that customers can filter things down using different categories like price.” Royden was born in Chester and growing up he “moved around a lot”, living in different parts of Wirral and Cheshire. His passion for plumbing products came via his stepfather, who was himself a plumber. Royden said: “I loved working with dad and took any chance I could to do so – working weekends and school holidays. “When I was 16, I started work
‘We have led the way in terms of innovation in our sector’
with Plumb Center as a management trainee. “Thanks to working with dad I already had a great knowledge about the lot of the products they were supplying. “I knew how things were installed and I wanted to go into the selling of the products.” The traineeship was three years but Royden ended up staying with Plumb Center for nine years. He worked in a variety of roles – on the trade counters, a sales rep, sales manager and eventually branch manager. “I learned an awful lot while I was there,” he said. Royden eventually went to work for the Travis Perkins group as a key accounts manager and it was here the idea for PlumbNation first
started to germinate. He added: “I was looking after the 50 biggest accounts they had in the North West. “We would have quarterly sales meetings and I observed that a number of my colleagues had internet customers on their ledgers. “There were none in the North West so I decided to delve deeper into it. I looked at products and how much they were selling them for. “I spoke to a few friends and contracts I had in the trade too and I realised there was a market there. “Starting the business was quite scary at first – it was a 50/50 venture with a guy who already owned a plumbing business.” With the support of his wife, Emma, Royden remortgaged his house to help raise funds for the
★★★★
ess he eline ales p on ng initial start-up of the business. “We said we would be happy if we turned over £1m in the first year – and we turned over £2.2m,” he said. Royden bought out his partner last year and is now the sole owner of PlumbNation. During 2010, the website attracted more than 1.4m visitors – compared to 772,000 the previous year – and Royden is determined to maintain the rapid growth. He said: “We moved offices in December 2009, buying a 4,000 sq ft warehouse. “It had a very small office and now we have expanded that space. We currently employ 11 people and we are looking to grow that.” He and Emma have two children – Cerys, eight and Conor, five – and says “my family is everything to me”.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Advertising Feature
NEWS 5
Stepclever
Networking is key to success Karen Tate, business start-up advisor at Stepclever, has some advice for readers
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TEAM PLAYER: PlumbNation’s Karen Richards dealing with a customer at the firm’s headquarters in Bromborough
He is a Liverpool FC supporter and likes to get in a round of golf but admits he puts many hours of his time into the business. And that commitment certainly seems to be paying dividends. PlumbNation has been shortlisted in the Small Business of the Year category in the Wirral Investment Network awards. Royden believes creativity is a key part of success of the business and he has made sure that this philosophy is part of his everyday management approach. He said: “I am a creative person and that is the rule among everyone who works here. “Most of the people who were with us in the beginning are still here. “We have led the way in terms of innovation in our sector.”
WORKFORCE: PlumbNation currently employs 11, but this is projected to increase in the next 18 months
F you’ve got a new business idea, it’s hard to know where to start. One way of exploring the world of self employment is to meet with other likeminded people who have been in the same position as you: what we call networking. There are many business networks around, some formal, others informal, but what they do give you is access to lots of different business people, from different walks of life, to help you along your way. They can also become a rich source of support on your journey, as well as provide you with those vital business contacts to help promote yourself and your business to the right people. One network Stepclever has recently become sponsor to is the Ladies Lunchtime Group. In its fourth year, this group now has more than 500 members and over 100 regular attendees, and meets every few months at The Isla Gladstone Conservatory for an informal lunchtime meeting. Leading this network is Kathryn Burkhill, Liverpool Vision’s business support area manager. Kathryn explains: “The purpose of our group is to support and encourage women who are either running their own business or employed. “The event provides members with lunch, and great networking opportunities. Members share ideas, best practice and of course networking leading to new business. This is followed by presentations from guest speakers. “A lot of women running their own business feel quite isolated, especially if initially they are working from home. Quite often they don’t realise there are many other women who share the same challenges running a business.” Gillian Hunt from Escada LTD echoed those comments, saying: “These regular meetings always provide a really good environment for making new business contacts and for exchanging news with established business contacts. As a small business, it is essential to be able to reach a business to business marketplace, and I have found the ladies group to be an outstanding business resource.” The next Ladies Lunchtime Group will be held on Wednesday, June 8. Email Kathryn on kburkhill@liverpoolvision. co.uk for more details. ● Stepclever has a range of services to help you on your way from turning an idea into a real life business and can also help you access a range of networking opportunities for both men and women. To find out more visit Stepclever.co.uk or call 0151 934 4672.
6 NEWS
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
★★★★
BUSINESS
RECRUITMENT
Alex Turner finds recruitment firms planning to take on staff of their own
FOCUS R . . . on recruitment
ECRUITMENT firms are gearing up for growth by looking to take on staff of their own. It is a clear sign that companies across the region are preparing for increased business levels. GPW Recruitment is one of the largest single-site recruiters in the UK, with 40 staff at its St Helens base. Managing director Mark Parish is looking forward to getting back to building the business after the company was forced to put its ambitious plans on hold during the recession. He said: “If the recession hadn’t hit we would have been at about 70 staff. We just plateaued. We now think it’s time to push the growth again. “The outlook for the next 12 months is better. We are in good shape, we have got a strategic plan and we are looking for decent growth this year.” “We are looking to expand over the next 2-3 months. We are looking to recruit five apprentices from the St Helens Chamber scheme and four recruitment consultants, in our technical, construction and manufacturing divisions.” Recruitment agency Red Rocks, which opened in Birkenhead last July, opened its doors with two members of staff. Two became three in January, and four last month, with the company now looking to recruit its fifth employee. Red Rocks operations manager Helen Cornah said: “From a branch point of view we are seeing a more positive outlook with companies are looking to hire. “My consultants are working with about 30 companies at a time that are looking to recruit in the next three months. “In the FMCG, construction and pharmaceutical industries it’s starting to move now.” Standing on the cusp of growth is a good time for companies to reappraise how they manage, assess and recruit staff, says Kevin Chappell, managing director of Augment. The Wirral firm is a resource and talent management consultancy, which means they work with companies to ensure they have the right people in the right place at the right time, as well as planning for changes in the future. “Companies focus only on how
JOB SEEKER: Recruitment firms are seeing demand increasing from the private sector – and are looking for more staff to prepare for the anticipated upturn. Mark Parish, managing director of GPW Recruitment (inset) is planning to grow his business much they spend at the point of transaction rather than the impact cost of getting it wrong,” he said. “They have got a real opportunity to use a thought-out process but instead they tend to limit the process. The whole journey needs to be a well-thought-out process, the whole life cycle. “The good news is that the strong agencies that deliver value want to be a part of that process.” Simon Kerevan, managing director of Liverpool-based assessment and coaching firm Iceberg Consulting, believes employers need to pause and think before they replace departing employees. He said: “The knee jerk reaction is ‘we need to replace Dave. What was Dave good at? Let’s get another Dave’. “Once you understand what you are looking for, you have to plan how to go about finding them.” Simon added: “It’s a candidate-rich environment out there, so you need to understand what you are looking for and putting a process in place to
manage that. “How can you tell which is the most appropriate for your company. What are you looking for? Do you know what you are looking for? Can you take that into the selection process? “Agencies will send you who they have got. You make the decision. “Treat the interview as a performance management review – rather than do I like the guy’s tie? Do we support the same football team? Has he worked for someone I know?” Recruitment agencies have been working hard to make sure they continue to offer a service that adds real value to companies. Mark at GPW points to the speed at which they can get someone on to, for example, a building site, when a vacancy arises on an ongoing project. “They need a very quick turnaround when they have a job on the site. They can’t fill it themselves quickly,” he said. “We had our best year on the construction side last year, believe it or not.”
Red Rocks has also looked to add value by taking their involvement beyond sourcing suitable people for the role. Helen said: “In the past it was more about finding the person, now it is more of a consultative process. “We can manage the process for them as a seamless extension of their HR department we have to look at their business plan. “Five years ago recruitment was very candidate-led. There were a lot of jobs out there. The clients were a little more flexible. “Now the clients expect the job specification to be matched because the job market is so open. “Clients want best value for money and they want added services, like testing candidates or maybe doing inductions for them.” The message from Augment is clear, though, that companies need to give more attention to their recruitment processes. Kevin said: “Bright and capable organisations look at the process in a different way. Many others don’t – so they shouldn’t be surprised that they get the same result as last time.”
Localism is a specialism ALTHOUGH recruitment agency Reed benefits from its size – it has 300 branches in the UK – it also ensures it doesn’t ignore the importance of local knowledge. “People think we are huge but we operate on a local level,” said Ceri Hoult, business manager at Reed in Liverpool city centre. “We all know the area and the local market. “We have got five different specialisms in Liverpool and more than 30 across our branches. “A lot of our specialisms are completely untouched by other agencies because they don’t have the resources to do that. “It’s a massive advantage.”
DRIVE
NEWS 7
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
★★★★
MONEY MATTERS
WOMEN face significantly lower pensions than men, with those retiring this year receiving incomes that are a third lower than their male counterparts, new research has indicated. The typical woman who is retiring this year will receive just £12,900 through both the state and private pensions, £6,500 less than the £19,400 that men are on
track to receive, according to insurer Prudential. The study of more than 1,000 people also found that 28% of women planning to retire this year will not receive any money from a personal or company pension, compared with just 10% of men. The only good news for women is that the gender pensions gap
with NICKY BURRIDGE, personal finance correspondent
has shrunk slightly compared with last year, when women retired on £12,200 and men received £19,600 - a £7,400 difference. Women tend to have lower pensions than men because they are often paid less while they are working, and
they are more likely to take career breaks to look after children or elderly relatives. Vince Smith-Hughes, head of business development at Prudential, said: “There are a number of actions that women can take to help to boost their retirement income. For example, it is a good idea to maintain pension contributions during any career breaks.”
ADVERTORIAL
SEcuRIng nEw buSInESS In A cOmpETITIVE EnVIROnmEnT bY LEIgH TAYLOR Area director for Lloyds TSB Commercial in the North West
PEOPLE FOCUS: Augment’s managing director Kevin Chappell with his commercial director, Andrew Gibson
UPBEAT: Ceri Hoult from recruiters Reed in Liverpool She is encouraged by the continued demand from companies who keep using the agency. “Ultimately companies see the benefits of using us,” Ceri added. “They are being inundated with hundreds of CVs, sifting
them, checking their eligibility to work. It’s not only just about selecting the candidates and the interview process, eligibility to work is a huge issue for clients as well as verifying accreditation. “It’s quite a lot of work if you don’t use an agency.”
When public and private organisations cut their spending and contracts are lost, making new contacts and opening up new business opportunities is vital. With 82 per cent of businesses in the north West operating in the very competitive service sector, growing your business network is more important than ever – especially with the fresh opportunities presented by developments such as MediaCity UK. At Lloyds TSB Commercial, we understand that when you’re busy with the day-to-day running of your business, you need a time effective way to expand your local business connections. That’s why we’re running 200 free events to allow SMe owners to do just that. As well as networking opportunities, these local events provide an opportunity to explore the sustainability market, which by 2013 is estimated to be worth £5.5 billion in the UK. Our locally based relationship managers can also offer a range of support and guidance on finance options. Last year, we approved eight out of ten requests for business loans and overdrafts and we are happy to work closely with you to explore the types of funding that are right for your business needs. With estimated cuts of £465 million taking place across the public sector in the north West, we know that businesses are feeling particularly vulnerable. Securing funding is now more important than ever as increases in raw material
networking can be a great source of new business leads costs and decreases in public spending put pressure on your cashflow. The increased focus this demands on the day-to-day running of your company only adds further pressures on trying to maintain your current turnover or expand in this competitive environment. To ease this pressure, we offer invoice finance solutions to release the value of your invoices when they are issued to customers rather than when they are paid. We also offer this service on a six month trial basis, so if the service isn’t right for you we’ll provide a full refund of the service fees paid.
As many firms in the north West also operate in the leisure and tourism markets, having access to the right types of funding is especially important to accommodate key seasonal peaks and troughs. Our local relationship managers can introduce you to how various types of finance can help you release cash and take advantage of growth opportunities, or to keep your current business plans on track. To find out more about our upcoming events in the north West, or to speak to one of our regionally based team who can help you plan to maximise growth opportunities to secure new business contracts,
www.lloydstsb.com/ visit: business/finance To find out about invoice finance visit www.ltsbcf. co.uk. 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. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment. We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard. org.uk
8 NEWS
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
★★★★
Business to Business
BUSINESS
Commercial Premises
ELIXIR BOSS WILL SHARE INSIGHTS
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Business Reporter A KNOWSLEY father who battled his way back from addiction to start one of the region’s best-known social enterprises will be sharing his story at a national conference next week. Ben Donnelly has fought his way back from addictions to drink and drugs to launch Elixir Group, which offers recycling services to the public and private sectors. Now he is taking part in a conference in London to discuss how social enterprises can support the work of the public sector. Elixir’s main business is the recycling of PVC doors and
Ex-addict to give talk to conference windows, as well as paper and cardboard. Its Elixir housing arm offers property services such as maintenance, refurbishment and external improvements. Since it was founded in 2008 it has provided work to 500 people – many of whom are ex-offenders, people with addiction issues or people who have been out of work for some time. Ben is speaking at the
Music retailer saved by pre-pack deal MUSIC retailer Dolphin has been bought out of administration by industry rival S&T Audio. Dolphin has an online operation in Speke and a shop in Liverpool city centre. At its peak, it achieved an annual turnover of £10m but became a victim of the recession
and consequent downturn in consumer spending. S&T Audio operates nine PMT (Professional Music Technology) superstores nationwide and PMT Online. In the year to April 2010 PMT had annual sales of £16m. Dolphin was founded in
1999 by University of Liverpool students Rob Williams and Jason Tavaria. The company grew from a bedroom-based student enterprise into one of the leading players in its field. It was hit by tragedy two years ago when Mr Williams fell to his death while on a snowboarding
holiday in Switzerland. Charles Macmillan, partner at Manchester-based Beever and Struthers, was appointed by Dolphin to act as administrator and secured the sale of the business via a pre-pack administration. He said: “I’m obviously delighted to save a great
many valuable jobs by achieving this sale in what are very difficult times and wish S&T every success in its future endeavours with Dolphin. “This acquisition is a major boost to the PMT online offering of S&T and will increase its already impressive market share.”
KHANS For Sale Smithdown Rd. Licensed Est business good t/o £250pw 07919 992132 RESTAURANT Heswall. Busy est restaurant £30,000. Good will & fix/fit 07776 152200
Business For Rent THE GEORGE PUB TO LET Breck Road, Anfield, L4. Prime Location − Currently Trading Rent: £500 per week Call 0151 920 9999 or 07900 424441
SHOP With permission for hot takeaway food. Aigburth, very busy rd £200pw. May consider joint venture 07938 877632
L21 SHOP/OFFICE 500sqft, any use £79pw 07710 498311
the opportunity to find work. The conference gives us an advisory opportunity and we hope to have an impact by sharing some of the amazing results we have seen.” Ben says Elixir has recycled over 5,000 tonnes of PVCu since 2008, saving it from landfill and equating to a saving of 8900 tonnes of CO2. He said: “Elixir is proving the power of civil society – we create real opportunities for real people and provide measurable environmental impacts for commercial businesses and private sector organisations. “By the same token we are changing the lives of the people we work with, and that is really exciting from a civil society point of view.”
CAFE L7 area fully licensed and equipped hugh potential for sale or lease. 07921 299984.
SHOPS TO LET Smart condition, very secure, roller shutters 07785 562496
WELLINGTON RD L15 Variety of Industrial units available now 0151 227 2875
Commissioning Public Services conference on Thursday. He says he wants to tell people that social enterprises like his can make a real difference to society by getting people off benefits and back to work. He said: “We are delighted to have been invited to take part in the conference panel at such an interesting time for the commissioning of public sector contracts. “Our mission is to be truly commercially sustainable in order to be in a position to support people in need of a real opportunity. “Many of our team have been long term unemployed, or whose criminal record or addictions have so far meant that they lacked
LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE Small busy Cafe, good trade and t/o. Inc fix/fittings £40,000 fqs. 07785 228408
BARBERS − WEST DERBY Fully equipped, genuine reason for sale. £6,000 ONO. Rent £480pcm. 07920 152708
OFFICES TO LET fr £30pw fully inc. Easy in easy out 07785 562496
by ALISTAIR HOUGHTON
Business For Sale
L13 Workshop & Yard to let. Various uses, all utilities £85pw 0151 259 2729 or 0771 9352556
PRESCOT SHOPS/OFFICES 1 large £110pw, & 1 small £70pw Tel: 07802 982037
GOOD EXAMPLE: Ben Donnelly’s business Elixir has helped hundreds of people turn their lives around
E: manchester@christie.com
Industrial Property UNITS TO LET Bootle Area 5,000−15,000 sqft. Flexible terms 0151 486 0004
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
Business Opportunities LATE NIGHT OFF LICENSE T O L E T Prime Location on South Road, L22. Licensed until 12am Midnight. Rent £950pcm. Call 0151 920 9999 or 07900 424441 THE FARMERS ARMS Kirkby free of tie. 18 years on leaseimmaculate condition up & running business, plus 3 bed flat above. All reasonable offers considered. 07788 906359
Taxis/Cab & Plate PRIVATE HIRE Liverpool & Knowsley plates. Excellent Skoda’s available from £160 inc ins. & lady drivers. Quarry Cars 07713 368196
DANTOM SETTLE CARS Settle Cars/Settle Buy available. 0151 733 5500 E L I T E Settle Cars from £145pw, incl ins. Tel: 0151 207 4450 or 07894 448777 CITY DAY NIGHT OR LONG Collar 07789 884399 DAYS with c/over Nights or Long Collar. 07957 636549 BOTANIC CARS Requires owner drivers 0151 220 2020 C I T Y D A Y S & Nights L14 £125 & £200. 077151 72487 DAY COLLAR 51 TX1. Telephone 07865 974716
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS Appears every day in your
A-K TEL: 0151 472 2746 L-Z TEL: 0151 472 2573