BUSINESS
ECHO
★★★★
Soaring away from recession PAGES2&3
Start Survive Thrive
Science fiction to science fact PAGES4&5
FUNDING SETS UP FIRM’S HQ DEAL by NEIL HODGSON Industry Reporter A KNOWSLEY chemical and pigment manufacturer has been able to sustain its growth after a £1m funding boost from Barclays Corporate. Speciality compounds maker Colloids will use the £1m commercial mortgage to buy its Kirkby Bank Road premises on Knowsley Industrial Park. Colloids finance director Jim Ashelby said: “Our business has delivered significant growth in revenue and profit over recent years on the back of strong organic growth and selective acquisitions.” He praised the bank’s support in the current economic conditions, adding: “We have been very impressed with the holistic approach from Barclays, their appetite to do business in the current financial climate, and by the professional manner in which the Barclays Corporate team delivered the deal.” The funding facility was arranged by Barclays Corporate relationship director Steve Berry, who said: “I am delighted to have been able to provide a solution to a new client that enables them to both have a long term asset on their balance sheet and reduce their cash outflows. “Moreover, by working closely with Barclays Capital, we have been able to protect the client against adverse interest rate movements for the next five years.” Colloids is part of the Tosaf group of companies and has grown both
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THE Liverpool Construction Best Practice Club is holding a meeting next Tuesday on how innovations in design and construction can meet clients’ needs. Speakers include Steven Gerard of Shepherd Construction, which is principal contractor for the £41m two-year redevelopment of Liverpool’s New Central Library and Archive Facility. The event takes place at 5.30pm on March 29 at Liverpool Central Library in William Brown Street. Contact Barbara Parry at barb_ and_ian@tiscali.co.uk to attend.
THE British ● Chambers of Commerce has launched
its annual awards offering prizes up to £50,000 in total value. There are nine categories and regional winners will be announced in September to go through to the November finals. To enter go to www. chamberawards.co.uk before June 24.
Pigment maker Colloids in £1m Barclays boost
organically and through acquisitions to become one of the plastic industry’s leading multinational suppliers of masterbatch concentrates. Masterbatches are concentrates of coloured plastics used to colour other batches of plastics. The company offers its products to a variety of automotive and engineering sectors and retailers and wholesalers. With a global reach, more than 75% of Colloids’ production is exported to a wide range of countries. In its last annual report for the year to December 2009, the company revealed that diversification away from its core automotive and construction markets, so badly affected by the credit crunch, helped it stay in the black. Turnover for the firm fell 11% to £16.2m, but pre tax profits rose 28% to £257,000. In its accounts statement directors said: “Our product mix is now more balanced and capable of adapting to the changing markets. “The company’s move into markets other than automotive and construction and a focus on export have reduced the impact of the downturn.”
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CREATIVE: Ilsa Parry with an early version of her Sworth lamp
INDUSTRY support group The Manufacturing Advisory Service North West is inviting registrations for its annual conference on Thursday, June 16, at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium. Email mas@ journey9.com for further details.
Eco-friendly Ilsa shows her true ● metal with new line in lighting
LIVERPOOL designer Ilsa Parry demonstrated her environmental credentials with her latest creation, a lamp made from worthless by-products from shipyards. Her REthinkthings company has launched the Sworth lamp, made from scrap aluminium, or swarf, from shipyard engineering lathes. Ilsa submitted the original prototype to Liverpool Chamber of Commerce in 2009 for their Environmental Art Award, in partnership with Liverpool council
and Liverpool Vision. It went on to win, and her Sworth lamp has now been launched commercially. Ilsa said: “The material held an instant attraction for me due to its chaotic appearance. “It invites you to handle it but can be dangerous, I really wanted to put this to use in a solution that would be attractive, interesting, sustainable and safe.” In collaboration with Tom Sutton Ilsa has produced three Sworth LIGHT WORK: The lighting products. finished Sworth lamp
FISH Networking is holding its latest gathering at Bold Street’s new restaurant, Mexigo, on Thursday, March 31, from 5.30pm to 8pm. To attend, e-mail joel@ ubiquitypr.co.uk
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A NEW website designed to target support to growing businesses has been unveiled by Treasury Minister Lord Sassoon. The site, developed by the British Bankers’ Association and the UK’s largest high street banks, will provide a range of tools and factsheets to help firms access the finance they need. The site can be found at www. betterbusinessfinance. co.uk
2 NEWS
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
BUSINESS PLEA GOES OUT FOR MERSEYSIDE MENTORS
A PILOT project aimed at creating more small firms has issued a plea for mentors. Merseyside is trialling the New Enterprise Allowance programme which aims to create up to 40,000 new UK firms over the next two years by offering up to £2,000 to unemployed people to help them start their own business. The trial lasts until the end of April when it will be extended across the UK. So far the region’s six chambers of commerce have enrolled 100 mentors to guide budding new business owners, but the demand is so strong St Helens Chamber is leading the call for more. Its Business Start manager Ann Holcroft said: “The mentoring support is invaluable and all provided by private sector business owners who have gone through it all themselves. Demand for the programme is exceptionally high, so we still need many more. “We are looking for local business people who feel passionate about business, their community and about supporting people. “The role is potentially very rewarding and will make a huge difference to the local economy. “We are looking for friendly, committed mentors who will give up a small amount of their time to support unemployed people who have a great business idea that needs unlocking and developing.” Contact Ann on 01744 742003 or at ann.holcroft@sthelens chamber.com
SMALL
BUSINESS of the Week
C
OME fly with us’ is the message from Helicentre Liverpool as it looks to persuade businesses and individuals that for speed and convenience, flying by helicopter cannot be beaten. Based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA), Helicentre Liverpool was established more than 15 years ago. The business, which is fully regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has two main activities – charter flights and pilot training. It currently has six aircraft available and is planning to grow its fleet. As well as the site at JLA it also operates from Manchester Barton Airport and Caernarfon Airport. In 2009, the company was taken over by a group of private individuals. It was perhaps a brave decision in the teeth of one of the worst recessions for decades and operations manager John King admits the firm has not escaped the effects of the slump. “There has been a downturn in business during the recession – there is little doubt about that,” said John. “However, we are starting to see things picking up again and we are starting to get a lot more enquiries, particularly about training. “The new owners came in 2009 and they have demonstrated their passion and commitment to expanding what we offer. “They have already invested in improving our infrastructure and have built new facilities for administration and for the pilots.” The charter flight side of the firm is aimed at businesses and individuals who need to get from A to B as quickly and simply as possible. John said: “We hold an Airport Operators Certificate for charter flights and it is a area of the business we are looking to grow. “The roads are becoming increasingly congested and if you are a business person who needs to get to somewhere quickly and on time then that can be problem. “Even if you catch a commercial flight, that can take longer than you think – by the time you’ve checked in and gone through security, etc. “A helicopter is the fastest way of travelling door-to-door. Most flights are weather-dependent but it can cut hours off your journey. “So when you take into account the time saved and the fact that you can avoid having to stay somewhere overnight then it becomes a very cost-effective option.” Helicentre Liverpool has a number
Helicopter firm that is ready for take-off
Tony McDonough talks to John King, from Helicentre Liverpool of regular business clients from around the North West and John says it is not unusual for charter customers to get the flying bug themselves. He added: “People might say beforehand ‘oh, I wouldn’t like the idea of flying myself ’ but then they fly a few times and decide ‘I think I quite like this after all’ and they decide to go ahead and get their own flying licence.” UK CAA and European regulations insist that someone must undertake a minimum of 45 hours of flight training before that can be granted a licence to fly and John that typically, it would normally take longer than that anyway. He added: “How long it takes very much depends upon a person’s ability but generally you’re looking and between 45 and 60 hours of flight training. “People do come back to us for
assistance. For example, someone who is flying every day will keep their flying skills sharp but someone flying maybe just once a month would need to keep those skills refreshed.” As it emerges from the recession, Helicentre Liverpool is looking to grow with the acquisition of more aircraft and the opening of more sites. “We are talking to organisations such as Liverpool Vision and South Liverpool Business Network to promote our business. “We very much want to be engaged with the wider community,” said John. To this end the company is holding a couple of open days on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2. John is a pilot himself but not of helicopters. “I have a licence to fly fixed-wing planes,” he said. “But I would love to learn to fly a helicopter.”
OPTIMISTIC: John King
Do you want to be our Business of the Week? Contact Neil Hodgson 0151 472 2451 or email neil.hodgson @liverpool.com
Fair gives students insight into world of work STUDENTS from Wallasey’s Oldershaw School, a business and enterprise centre, were offered first hand experience of the world of enterprise. Four pupils networked with entrepreneurs in the creative, digital and media sectors in return for
working as event hosts at the Brookson Enterprise Freelance Fair at Liverpool Innovation Centre last week. A highlight was an address by Oldershaw old boy Rajesh Sharma, an investment manager for AXM Venture Capital and fund manager for the
digital and creative element of the Northwest Fund. Student Justine Hesketh said: “Speaking to Rajesh about how he gained his A-levels and then went on to become a success in the investment banking world has really given me confidence that I
can go on and do whatever I want when I finish my A-levels.” Joe Poole added: “Just meeting with all these business people is amazing – they are so normal and helpful. “It has given me a better idea of what life will be like after school.”
Event organiser Neil Lewis praised the students, saying: “Their energy and new ideas have been really refreshing and it is great to be able to give this opportunity to them.” The next Brookson Fair is on March 31, in Daresbury.
HIG ope
NEWS 3
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
COURSES TO HELP BEAT CUTBACKS
GH FLYER: One of the helicopters erated by Helicentre Liverpool
A RANGE of seminars offering advice for Merseyside social enterprises and voluntary groups facing budget cuts from next month will take place in Liverpool. More than 150 free places are being made available for a series of one-day courses arranged by Social Enterprise North West. The courses have been funded by the Office for Civil Society and run from 9.30am to 4,30pm at Liverpool CVS, Dale Street. They are: PR and Marketing Master Class (March 28); Impact Assessment Master Class (March 29); Good Governance Master Class (March 30); and Contract and Procurement Master Class (March 31). To book log on to www.senw.org.uk
Cull Dry Lining and Plastering
Advertising Feature
Helping create our iconic buildings A
SK most people what ‘dry lining’ is and they won’t have a clue and yet, without it, some of our most iconic buildings wouldn’t still be standing. In a nutshell, dry lining is a tried and tested method which is used globally for the finish construction of interior walls and ceilings. It is a specialised process which requires skill and precision, and something which only an expert company should undertake. Enter Cull Dry Lining and Plastering. A family-run business, the company has been offering quality dry lining and plastering services to the construction industry for 40 years, and during this time has built up an enviable reputation for the professionalism and reliability of its service. The business has undergone considerable expansion over the years and prides itself on using mostly local skilled labour. Despite its reputation for being at the cutting-edge of technology, its old-fashioned principles remain the same as ever: to complete contracts on time to an
HAPPY CLIENTS
WHAT THEY DO ● Commercial metal stud partitioning ● Metal frame ceilings ● Dry lining ● Dot and dabbing ● Timber frame structures ● Fire protection ● Sound proofing ● Lay-in grid ceilings ● Plastering and joint taping ● Steel frame systems
exceptionally high standard and on budget. And it is testament to its outstanding reputation that the business has won some extremely high profile contracts, including the pioneering conversion of East Float Mill in Birkenhead, the construction of the iconic One Park West building and, most recently, the building of the groundbreaking new Museum of Liverpool at the Pier Head. Winning repeat business is the true test of any company’s stature, and Cull Dry Lining can boast the outstanding accolade of more than three quarters of
WINNERS: The team from Cull Dry Lining, from left, Eric W Cull, Will Griffiths, Mary Cull and Eric Cull Jnr with their award for work at the Museum of Liverpool AWE-INSPIRING: The amazing Museum of Liverpool has been finished with some expert help from Cull Dry Lining its projects in recent years having been undertaken for previous customers. Its commitment to excellence hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the business has received a number of awards over the years. These include the North/ North Wales regional award for excellence, given by the Federation of Plastering and Drywall Contractors (FPDC), in both 2005 and
2008, for works carried out with Galliford Try at the Everton Lift Health Centre and Breeze Close Centre in Liverpool. And more recently, Cull Dry Lining received another award from the FPDC for its work at the Museum of Liverpool, an award of which the company is particularly proud. To give clients complete peace of mind, the company
issues a personal guarantee that a director will visit any site within 24 hours of a problem being reported or if advice is needed to progress with a job. ● For more information about what solutions Cull Dry Lining and Plastering can offer you, visit www.culldrylining.co.uk, telephone 0151 226 2382 or email the company at mail@culldrylining.co.uk.
EVIDENCE of the impeccable standing in which Cull Dry Lining is held in, is its impressive roll call of blue chip clients, who include: ● Galliford Try/Pihl joint venture – Liverpool Museum ● Galliford Try – Childwall Medical Centre, Liverpool ● George Downing Construction – Capital Building, Liverpool ● Laing O’Rourke – Clatterbridge Centre of Oncology, Aintree Hospital ● Denizen Contracts – Indigo Hotel, Liverpool ● Frank Rogers – Talbot Court, Liverpool ● Iliad Construction – Lever Court, Duke St, Liverpool ● Pochins Construction – Travelodge, Manchester ● Bramall Construction – Park View, Manchester
4 NEWS
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
BUSINESS
BIG ‘We want to protect I ID and protect people’ INTERVIEW Alistair Houghton meets Neil Norman, founder of Human Recognition Systems
N AN unassuming office block in Wavertree, Neil Norman’s company Human Recognition Systems (HRS) is turning science fiction into fact. HRS develops biometric systems that recognise people by scanning their hands or their eyes, and has designed software that can scan and recognise individual faces as they move through buildings. Its systems are already being used in security-conscious environments from airports to the Olympic Park under construction in London. But Neil, a former business consultant who struck out on his own with HRS in 2002, says biometrics are about more than just security. He says that if people can be identified by their physical characteristics, rather than by bits of paper, then their lives will be easier and they will be safer. HRS works in four key markets – aviation, construction, government projects and the energy and mining sectors. Neil says: “What our systems do is give certainty to the transactions in those businesses. That could be from access control to ensuring a patient gets the right drug in the right quantity to ensuring that individuals have the right training to perform particular tasks. “A lot of people think it’s just about security. It’s not – completely not. It’s about giving certainty. “We live in a world that’s changing at a hell of a pace. People are moving about the planet. “The whole nature of transactions is changing – they can now be done online and on smartphones, as well as on the phone. The whole commercial engine relies on ID. “Our technology gives certainty for the business or the government and it gives convenience for the user. We want to embed this in the fabric of society a lot more for the business of better security and convenience. We want to protect ID, and that protects people.” Neil is particularly excited about the latest generation of HRS’s iris recognition software. Existing systems rely on people standing stock still and peering into a viewer. But the holy grail of iris recognition was being able to scan eyes from distance – and HRS’s new technology can do that, meaning people can be scanned more quickly. Meanwhile its MFlow system can track people as they move around a building – for example, around an airport. Cameras recognise their faces and plot their movements. Neil emphasises that the system
HI-TECH: Neil Norman says his company Human Recognition Systems is developing technology to make the world more secure
Picture: ANDREW TEEBAY
does not assign faces to names, and the information is deleted once the person has left the building. But if any individual is seen acting suspiciously, then a security guard is alerted and can go to investigate. Neil, from Aughton, went to Scarisbrick Hall school before going to the University of Sheffield. After graduating Neil joined business consultancy Andersen Consulting, now Accenture, where he spent eight years helping clients take technologies they had developed to market. After leaving Accenture in 2002, Neil decided it was time to branch out on his own. “I’d been turned on by a technology called biometrics,” he says, “and I’m trained to go on the journey of taking technology through to market. “I left Accenture, where I’d written these really fancy strategies, and went to very humble surroundings. Somebody gave me
‘When projects get scary, that’s when they come alive’
some space at a factory in Kirkby. “The first problem I had, that I’d never appreciated before, was that people have to get to you. We could never get deliveries because nobody knew where we were. So I got my mate round to put up a sign, purely so we could get deliveries. “When we bought our own computers, we stuck tape to the top of the PCs, saying ‘This PC is satellite tracked’. That technology didn’t exist, but the whole company was running on those two PCs and we couldn’t afford to lose them.” The company started by developing hand recognition systems – today it is the biggest developer of such technology in Europe. Neil did not pay himself for three years while the business got established. But though being an entrepreneur was tough, Neil relished the challenge. He says: “I’m not a financially– driven person. “At Accenture I got paid very well, had a comfortable lifestyle, flew in business class, ate and drank in the best restaurants. But there was no fear in my life. And I’m driven by fear.
“I like it when things are a little scary. When projects get scary, that’s when they come alive.” As the company grew it began winning bigger and bigger projects, all the while prototyping new technologies. In 2009 it was announced that HRS’s eye-recognition software was being used to screen workers at the Olympic construction site in London. Some 8,000 workers are engaged on the £9bn project. Neil is unable to give many details about the Olympic project, as it is cloaked in secrecy. It is a common problem for him. “What’s really amazing about our business is that we’re doing lots of incredible, amazing, pioneering things,” he says. “The problem is that generally we have customers who are a little bit nervous about telling people what we’re doing.” HRS keeps winning contracts, including one recently announced with Edinburgh Airport. Neil now plans to sell HRS’s technology overseas, and believes the business will be worth £100m in five years. The sort of scanning technology that HRS creates is controversial,
with critics conjuring up images of the surveillance society of George Orwell’s novel 1984. But Neil, while acknowledging that biometrics is an “emotive” technology, says biometric systems are simply hi-tech padlocks. The systems simply provide a hi-tech way of recognising people and matching them to their personal information – the way that data is used, whether by a bank or by an employers will not change. Neil says: “The thrust of the argument is ‘what are people going to do with my data?’ The biometrics in and of itself doesn’t do anything. Biometrics is just the padlock.” That lock is more secure, Neil says, than paper-based systems. He says: “The key concern that people have is that ‘somebody’s going to get my biometrics and pretend to be me’. “But we employ lots of measures to avoid any form of copying. “Do the benefits outweigh the risks? The answer is categorically yes. I’d much rather go to a place where everybody has been assessed using biometrics than one where they’ve been assessed with a paper exercise.”
NEWS 5
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
Network for student entrepreneurs A NETWORKING event aimed at enterprising students from four Merseyside universities will be launched next week. The Big Student Networking Night will take place at BaaBar on Myrtle Street from 5pm to 7pm on March 31, involving students, university staff and entrepreneurs and featuring three guest entrepreneur speakers on the opportunities in enterprise.
The event is the idea of Shaheen Budhrani, who is studying geography for management at the University of Liverpool and is also the president of the Liverpool Entrepreneurs Network Society, who said: “Networking is the key to building successful relationships, whether it’s in business or in everyday life.” Liverpool Hope University, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool
JMU and LIPA are involved and Sean Clift, Liverpool Hope’s student enterprise manager added: “It is important that we work together to support our students across the city as they will be the next generation of innovators, driving change within our community and this event helps promote that message.” For details or tickets email liverpoolens@gmail. com
NETWORKER: Sean Clift
ADVERTORIAL
NETWORKING FOR BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE By LEIGH TAyLOR Area director for Lloyds TSB Commercial in the North West
Finding time to network can often be a real challenge when you’re running a small business. However, for the smaller business which can’t afford to employ in-house experts or consultants to address key challenges such as environmental issues, making time for networking can offer insight and knowledge that could create new business opportunities for next to nothing. Taking advantage of networking events in your region can be doubly effective – giving you access to local experts as well as the opportunity to chat with other business owners about the issues you face and ways to tackle them. As part of our ongoing support for firms, we are holding 96 business seminars across the UK before August, with a number in the north West. These seminars aim to provide support and guidance on a range of subjects that we know are at the heart of business owners’ agendas and where we feel we can help drive their success. They’ll cover subjects such as employment and business finance, as well as providing local economic updates and helping you explore alternative finance solutions. A key focus will also be on demonstrating how businesses can unlock the commercial benefits of becoming more sustainable. Focusing on your sustainability policy can be a real competitive advantage as many tenders and contract renewal processes now expect companies to be able
ENcOURAGING BUSINESSES TO EmBRAcE SUSTAINABILITy: Lloyds TSB commercial’s Leigh Taylor to demonstrate their environmental credentials. So, as part of the bank’s wider commitment to help businesses get to grips with sustainability, we launched a business and environment manager programme – a training scheme developed with Cambridge University – which has given over 300 of our employees an indepth understanding of the relevance and importance of sustainability for SMEs. Several of these managers will be available at events in the north West. Our new website also includes a free tool designed to help you reflect on your business practices and create your own business sustainability policy.
But it isn’t just about how other people see your business – there are other tangible benefits to being more sustainable. On average, 30 per cent of energy that businesses buy is wasted. Cutting down on waste could save UK businesses an estimated £3billion*. Modern businesses cannot afford to ignore these opportunities, with studies showing firms which have adopted sustainable practices driving up business value by up to 80 per cent**. networking with local business professionals and experts can help you gain more of this kind of insight and keep up to date with topical issues that could affect your business.
To register to attend a seminar, find your nearest business and environment manager or to generate your own sustainability policy visit: www.supportingbusinesses.co.uk/lloyds/ seminars * Source: co.uk ** Source: McKinsey Change: a tion?” 2008
www.carbontrust. Carbon Trust & Report: “Climate business revolu-
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.
6 NEWS
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
BUSINESS
JOBSHARDTO
Alex Turner on the situation facing jobhunters across Merseyside
WORK FOUND: Cllr Ron Round with former apprentices Paul Walsh and Neil Webster
FOCUS F . . . on jobs
ORMER St Ambrose Barlow Catholic College student Leanne Grant thought she had tailored her job prospects perfectly. She graduated from the University of Salford with a first-class degree in design futures with fashion and then completed a four-month placement in Hollywood, Los Angeles. But her career plans started to become unstitched when she returned, spending months unable to find work. Ms Grant joined the graduate routeway programme run by business support agency Blue Orchid last May, which provides structured support for unemployed graduates to help make them “work ready”, which includes job interview training, job searching and CV writing workshops. Ms Grant spent time as an intern at the Plaza Collection Fashion House in Manchester, who could see she was cut from the right cloth and offered her a full-time job. But her difficulties in finding a job is far from unusual, with the number of vacancies across Liverpool city region approaching the lowest level at any point during the recession. Last month there were just 5,302 vacancies advertised in job centres across Merseyside and Halton, but 53,770 people claiming jobseeker’s allowance. That meant that there were 10.1 claimants per vacancy, an almost identical ratio to a year earlier when there were 10.0 claimants after the 5,760 available jobs. In 2009 there were 4,455 vacancies, and 11.8 claimants seeking each one, more than double the rate of a year earlier – before the jobs market had started to sour – when there were just 4.5 claimants for each of the 8,139 vacancies. The much-discussed public spending cuts have only recently begun to translate into significant job losses and it will only be in the coming months that it will become clear whether, or to what extent, the private sector can absorb the departing public sector workers. Economist Peter Stoney, director of the Liverpool Research Group in Macroeconomics, has reservations about the ability of the private sector across Liverpool city region to create jobs in sufficient numbers to digest the thousands of people
who will be entering the jobs market. “The private sector can largely absorb the public sector job cuts – but only over the longer-term,” he said. “That can be achieved through the four growth areas identified by The Mersey Partnership – the superport, the knowledge economy, low carbon economy and visitor economy.” Sophy Krajewska, director of corporate policy and strategy at economic regeneration agency Liverpool Vision, also pointed to those growth areas – but highlighted that at a simpler level the issue is one of business growth. “The challenge for the city is how to stimulate and support business growth now and over the next three to four years,” she said. “The key is in helping those small and medium sized firms with the ambition and potential to expand. “Secondly, the replacement private sector jobs will not be an exact match for those being lost in the public sector. “This raises the importance of supporting training or re-training
for those who now find themselves out of work and the vital role of an apprenticeship programme, particularly in those sectors which will expand.” Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jack Stopforth argued that the city should not spend time worrying about data, but instead look at what is happening now when developing its plans for the future. He said: “To understand how an economy ticks you can’t just study it. You need to be in it and part of it. “When your car is stuck in a traffic jam because of a 10,000-plus crowd at the Echo Arena; or delayed by the construction work that is going on around you; when you sample the new restaurants that are springing up on every corner and book oversubscribed events into the city’s brand new hotels, then you get a commonsense perspective of what’s happening and not just an academic one. “Liverpool is no longer the basket case beloved of academics and politicians but, rather, a city with renewed confidence and ample
evidence of growth. “Real world economic activity takes time to surface in the official statistics and the danger of relying on lagging indicators to inform your policy making is that you are condemned to always fight the last war. “You fail to capitalise on the energy that is actually inside the economy in the good times and it dissipates.” There is, built into his message, a roll-your-sleeves-up approach. Knowsley youngster Neil Webster seized his opportunity when he received a telephone call from Connexions one day that was to set him off on a career in IT. “I had been looking for vacancies in the IT industry but was unable to find anything when one day I had a call from Connexions telling me about the Knowsley Apprentice scheme,” he said. “I started on the helpdesk at QVC and after 18 months was offered a permanent position in their IT department, which was a big step for me. “Hopefully now I can keep
learning and progressing and start to work my way up the ladder.” Mr Webster has benefited from an apprenticeship and his experience – which he related at the launch of the Liverpool City Region Apprentice strategy on Monday – is one that policymakers hope will be repeated 10,000 times in the next year. Cllr Ron Round, leader of Knowsley Council, is looking for the apprenticeship initiative to have a transformative effect on thousands of people across Merseyside and Halton, following on from the 300 people helped by the Knowsley scheme. He said: “These are tough times to be starting out in the world of work, but an apprenticeship can be the ideal foundation for a long and successful career.” But for the wider jobs market across the city region, Mr Stopforth strikes a note of concern. He said: “2012 may see some disappointing economic results locally in respect of employment growth and youth unemployment in particular.”
FIND
NEWS 7
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
MONEY MATTERS THE majority of Britons resent having to pay to withdraw money from a cash machine but, despite this, nearly half continue to use fee-charging ATMs, a survey has suggested. Around 91% said they did not think they should be charged to access their own money, but 42% admitted that they regularly used cash machines that charged a fee, according to MyVoucherCodes.co.uk. Fewer than 1% of the people who responded to the survey said they had never used a fee-charging ATM, with everyone else saying they had used one at least once. And although 74% of people did not like the fact that they were charged because they knew they could make a free withdrawal from a different machine, 52% admitted they would rather pay the money
than find an ATM that did not levy a fee. Among those who regularly pay to make cash withdrawals, the average charge paid was £1.75 per transaction. Just over a third said they regularly used cashback services when making
with NICKY BURRIDGE, personal finance correspondent
purchases in shops, but only 17% often withdrew money from a bank branch. Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “I can see why so many people get disgruntled about having to pay to access their own money. “It’s one of those things that seems ridiculous, but which people are willing to do in a rush due to the convenience. “Many would obviously rather part with their money than walk or drive 10 minutes or so to find a free ATM.” Mr Pearson, one of Liverpool’s youngest self–made millionaires, started MyVoucher Codes.co.uk in 2008. The site has attracted 30m visitors and signed up 175,000 people to the weekly newsletter since its launch.
Don’t let a problem turn into a conflict
FIRST-CLASS: Leanne Grant from Netherton struggled to get a job despite a top degree
Providing a signpost “ULTIMATELY, this website will help to support more people back into work,” said Sue Jarvis about MySignpost.org. As the lead officer for Liverpool city region’s Employment and Skills Partnership, she has been involved in the development of the website, which launched earlier this month. “It will allow organisations and employment and skills practitioners throughout the Liverpool city region to access up to date information on a range of support services to help people into work at the
WORKING TOGETHER: The launch of MySignpost.org click of a mouse,” she said. As is the vogue, MySignpost.org has been described as a “one-stop shop” for advisers to find out what is in place to help people get into work. The directory was created by Albert Dock-based consultancy Greengrape Solutions and its director John McDonald
is confident that “there is no other directory of this kind in the country”. It contains the details of nearly 3,000 services across more than 70 different categories, including long-term unemployed programmes, redundancy support, routeway to employment schemes and business start-up help.
Many costly and time-consuming tribunal claims start out as relationship problems within work groups or between employees and their managers. At Acas we have an excellent track record in helping to resolve workplace relationship problems before they become disputes. Our experienced professionals can assist you by providing an independent third party mediator to help you resolve problems that can’t be addressed in-house. We can help your organisation get back to work.
Call 08457 38 37 36 to talk to an Acas mediation adviser. We can also train your managers, employee representatives and staff on how to manage conflict or to become workplace mediators. Go to www.acas.org.uk/ciwm for more details or call 08457 38 37 36.
www.acas.org.uk
8 NEWS
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
★★★★
Business to Business
BUSINESS
Financial
FSB LOOKS BACK ON CITY SUCCESS
3 X OFFICES TO LET South Road, Waterloo, L22, within Sales & Lettings Office. Ideal for Residential and Commercial Mortgage Broker. Call Stuart for details on 0151 920 9999 or 07900 424 441
Accountancy / Bookkeeping
BOOKS IN A MESS? GIVE US A RING
Professional Bookkeeping, VAT and Payroll services at competitive prices by qualified accountants
Call 07778 270 818
Industrial Property UNITS TO LET Bootle Area 5,000−15,000 sqft. Flexible terms 0151 486 0004
Commercial Premises INDUSTRIAL UNITS To Let. South L’pool 500 to 4000 sqft, monthly tenancy, competitive rents. From £50pw Tel: 0151 427 5051 OFFICE/INDUSTRIAL UNITS TO LET AINTREE 24 hr access. Security provided. Excellent Rates. Call Kenny 0151 524 0033 LARGE MODERN SHOP busy location Rice Lane Walton various uses elec shutters rare opportunity £425pcm. 07767 888808 or 0161 439 1512 MODERN FULLY FITTED Beauty Massage Sunbed Salon, Garston Liverpool. Prime location £425pcm. 07767 888808 or 0161 439 1512
OFFICE TO LET Knowsley Industrial Estate, 1st flr, s/c, brand new decor, 1500sqft, £600pcm 07587 130170
L21 SHOP − Planning for takeaway. Great location, £100pw 07710 498311 L 3 R O D N E Y S T S/c Office/Retail £400pcm 0151 708 0339 or 07587 130170 WELLINGTON RD L15 Variety of Industrial units available now 0151 227 2875 TO LET Industrial Units L’pool City Centre 0151 227 9191 L21, L4 Secure Units/offices fr £40pw 0792O 461551
KEY NOTE: Labour leader Ed Miliband addresses FSB members at their Liverpool conference staged at the BT Convention Centre
by NEIL HODGSON Industry Reporter SMALL business lobby group The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has hailed its conference held at Liverpool’s BT Convention Centre as “a huge success”. The three-day event attracted more than 600 small business owners from across the UK who took part in networking, debating issues affecting their prosperity, and heard from senior politicians David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Mark Prisk. The FSB members welcomed the announcements by Small Business Minister Mark Prisk regarding plans to examine and ease the regulatory burdens faced by small firms – a move that was
Liverpool event hits mark for lobby group echoed by Prime Minister David Cameron in his video address to delegates last Friday. John Allan, FSB regional chairman, said: “The Liverpool city region needs to start creating more jobs, and to help achieve this we have long been calling for a moratorium on the introduction of all new employment regulations for all businesses for at least a year, so it is welcome news that the government is putting this in place for micro
firms. For the next three years, it will give those micro firms the confidence and stability they need to employ more staff without the worry of constant changes in employment law. “It has been a long time coming for any government to truly commit to really free up the country’s entrepreneurs and stop merely tinkering around the edges. “The culture in Whitehall around regulation must change, and these proposals begin to tackle this. Only then can the five million small businesses really start to grow. The era of making changes here and there must now end.” Labour leader Ed Miliband was generously thanked for returning to Liverpool following the
emergency debate on Libya that required he be at Westminster on Friday morning, and his frank and engaging speech was well received. After a Q&A session he then toured the business exhibition to meet members and exhibitors. Among issues debated by delegates were measures on improving opportunities for small businesses owed money by firms that had gone into liquidation to have priority over the receivers; a call for government to extend the current national insurance holiday for new companies to all companies; and for government to better compensate small businesses who see their operation disrupted by development or maintenance work.
Blue Sky looks to growth after buyout A TRAINING provider is set for growth after undergoing a management buyout. Blue Sky People Solutions, based in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, specialises in training in the sports, security and care sectors. Now, after two strong years of growth, the
company’s management team has bought out the business. Head of operations Ian Mclean said: “This opportunity is the result of two years hard work and follows on from the inspirational leadership under our outgoing managing director Andrew Leathwood.
“We are now looking forward to the exciting new changes in the training arena to develop the business nationally. “We have been given a great opportunity in just two years, to develop a partnership amongst the management team thanks to Andrew. “We have enjoyed
strong growth in the last two consecutive years reporting turnover of £623,000 in 2010 with growth of 28% in the same period. “This has been based upon our ability to sustain the quality delivered by the team while growing our employer and learner base.
“Our main focus in continuing this consistency throughout 2011 will be to develop further provision in supporting unemployed people into employment providing the relevant skills base. We are all about creating sustainable employment for learners.”
Building Trade
Business For Sale FAMILY BUSINESS Est over 90 years St Johns Market Liverpool. For sale £10,000 ono or will rent. 07724 463633
COMMERCIAL LEASE For sale, Greenhill Rd Allerton L19. £680pcm. Call for details 0151 428 2841 or 07527 776824 HAIR & BEAUTY SALON Eqpd & 2 bed flat above. Freehold, Walton. 07551 608925
Business For Rent AIGBURTH Shop with planning permission for hot takeaway food. Busy main road 07938 877632
Business Opportunities BLEACH HAIR & SPA Wavertree Are proud to offer chairs to rent to experienced stylists and the opportunity to work in our cool state of the art salon. Call 07973 228148.
2X BARBERS SHOPS TO LET Prime locations in Crosby/ Waterloo. Equipped with barbers chairs/ Mirrors/Stations etc. Possible No Business Rates. Rent reduced £550pcm Call: 0151 920 9999 or 07900 424 441
LAND WITH PLANNING FOR SALE 100% Finance Available (1% interest pcm). Stillington Road, L8. Planning for 7 x Apartments. Price £185,000. Call 0151 920 9999 or 07900 424441 LATE NIGHT OFF LICENCE To let. Prime location, South Road, L22. Requires fit−out. Alcohol trading times 10am−12 midnight. Rent £1200pcm Call: 0151 9209999/ 07900424441
Taxis/Cab & Plate ACORN CARS LIVERPOOL New drivers wanted. Low settles, incentives, company cars. Tel 0151 546 2701
P R I V A T E H I R E Drivers required, busy system, weekly insurance. 0151 260 1010 BLUE LINE TAXISNew drivers wanted urgently. Earn £500 − £800pw. Tel 0151 709 0101 BLACKCABSALES.COM City Day/Night/Lng 07500 444600 Visit website for CAB & PLATE
CITY LONG COLLAR 01744 812255 or 07815 456504 CITY NIGHT COLLAR Low settle. 0151 526 0817 CITY LONG COLLAR TX1, Over 35 exp. 07533 398829 BOTANIC CARS Requires owner drivers 0151 220 2020 DAY COLLAR with c/o North end 07407 155637
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
STAIRCASES Made to order 0151 933 3191/8181 www.ehjoinery.com
CITY TXI days with c/o. Nights & L/C 077151 72487 KNOTTY ASH TAXIS Owner drivers req’d 0151 259 2000 CITY CAB LONG COLLAR 07809 464860 N I G H T C O L L A R TX2 C/O Lower Lane 07880 722846
Website Design WEBSITE DESIGN up to 5 pages £60. 07583 029646
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