Post Business - 4th April 2013 by Liverpool Post & Echo

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Act on the signs of stroke

Face – fallen on one side Arms – can’t raise and hold Speech – slurred Time to call 999 the instant you see any of these signs

Any sudden, unusual numbness or weakness – often on one side of your body…

Act FAST!

New treatments for stroke can reverse the effects if you seek medical attention quickly enough.

NHS Trusts on Merseyside working together

Numbness or weak leg

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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Get ready for RTI, urges small business lobby group FPB A SMALL business lobby group has urged firms to embrace the biggest shake-up to the PAYE tax system since its introduction in the 1940s. Real Time Information (RTI) comes into force this Saturday when all employers should have new payroll software installed. HM Revenue & Customs

(HMRC) has promised an easy ride for firms that make mistakes using the new system and has made a last-minute temporary change allowing some concessions for certain small businesses that pay staff weekly. But the Forum of Private Business (FPB) said firms who have taken no steps at all to be ready for RTI could

find themselves in hot water with the Revenue. A snap poll carried out by the lobby revealed that 18% of firms are still classifying themselves as “not prepared”. The study also revealed 60% were ready, with the remaining 21% saying RTI was not relevant to them, ie they employed no staff.

FPB head of policy Alex Jackman said: “It’s quite clear that there are businesses out there still not ready, even at this late stage. “The message we would like to get out there now, even at this point, is that it’s still not too late to get on board for RTI – the ship has not sailed. “We know it can seem a

daunting prospect to small firms, but it’s just not an option to do nothing. “Better to act now than have a phone call from an unhappy tax man after April 6, and that could happen.” Small firms needing advice on RTI should contact HMRC direct, or the Forum’s helpline team on 0845 130 1722.

Retailer takes baby steps from barrow to permanent home A CHILDRENSWEAR retailer who ran a mobile store in St John’s Shopping Centre for almost 20 years is finally moving into a permanent unit. Dave Leonard opened Baby Melanie in June 1993 in a barrow by the food court, where he has been ever since. To mark his coming anniversary, centre director Ian Ward helped him move into a retail unit that opened last month. Mr Leonard said: “The reception has been incredible. Sales so far have beaten all expectations, despite the terrible weather. I can hardly believe the difference it’s made. “Our customers have been so supportive of the move. The extra space means that they can browse much more comfortably.” Mr Leonard’s old barrow is now up for sale on eBay, with proceeds from any sale going to charity. Mr Ward said: “Dave is one of many local, independent retailers who have thrived in St John’s over the last few decades.”

St John’s Shopping Centre director Ian Ward, centre, with Dave and Susan Leonard of Baby Melanie

NW business leaders urge PM to honour re-balancing pledge by Neil Hodgson

POST BUSINESS STAFF

neil.hodgson@liverpool.com

A SERIES of reports to help the Government re-balance the UK’s economy are being prepared by the North West Business Leadership Team. Its chief executive, Geoffrey Piper, said it is nearly three years since the Prime Minister spoke about re-balancing the economy, sectorally and regionally. He said: “Business leaders in the

North West applauded this long overdue recognition that a national economy, unduly dependent upon its service industries and its capital city, could not be said to be maximising its overall competitiveness in the global race.” However, he questioned how much the Coalition Government has delivered on its commitment, given the disparity in funding for Local Enterprise Partnerships, City Deals and Regional Growth Fund grants compared with the Regional Development

Agency budgets they replaced. Mr Piper said this places more responsibility on business to pick up the challenge, but, he said “they need maximum strategic support in terms of Government policies and priorities.” Therefore, his team is compiling reports to Government identifying key recommendations which can give national and international businesses a competitive edge. The first, “Skills for Industry: Bridging the Divide” is due for pub-

Tim bidding for recipe for success CHESTER law firm Aaron & Partners is again sponsoring The Great Chester Cook Off. Its head of transport, Tim Culpin, is taking part in the April 21 event in a bid to raise money towards the £3,000 needed for Helen Watson,

partner and head of the employment law team, to participate in the London to Paris cycle ride in aid of Claire House Children’s Hospice. The event, at Chester French restaurant Chez Jules, involves seven budding chefs

choosing a dish with a French twist using local produce and working together to create a unique menu of two starters, three main courses and two desserts. Paying guests will vote for the overall winner.

lication this month and will receive cross-party debate with national and local politicians. Transport infrastructure priorities and science, innovation and research are also on the team’s agenda. Mr Piper, former chief executive of Business Opportunities on Merseyside, said: “Growth can only ever be delivered by our businesses, large and small, and then only if those businesses enjoy the best possible skills provision, infrastructure investment and research support.”

Best employee ANNE-MARIE GRAHAM, a negotiator in the Walton Vale branch of estate agents Whitegates, has been named Employee of the Year. Franchise director Steve Kirk said: “This award recognises that person who goes the extra mile every day to be the best and win business for their agency and colleagues. She is a calming oasis and an amazing asset.”

Warmer homes for Riverside tenants

SEFTON residents of Riverside Housing Group have benefited from a home energy improvement scheme. Their homes have been made warmer due to a partnership between Riverside and Knowsley-based Warmer Energy Services which secured £3m of funding from the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). Working with energy supplier EDF Energy it installed external wall insulation, draught proofing, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and central heating upgrades to more than 500 Riverside homes. In addition to warmer homes the residents will also enjoy savings on fuel bills following installation of the energy saving measures. And the scheme has kick-started the regeneration of the area with a further £5m of CESP funding secured to deliver similar measures to private homeowners. The project has also resulted in the creation of 24 jobs at Warmer Energy Services ranging from resident liaison officer to construction safety officer. Riverside spokesman Carl Henderson said: “In these difficult times of austerity, our tenants are feeling the hardship. “We are committed to supporting the vulnerable in any way possible through capital investment projects such as this.” Mr Henderson added: “We will continue to explore new opportunities that will assist our tenants by reducing fuel poverty.”

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

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Bill Gleeson We are a long way from the bad old days of the 1980s SUGGESTIONS that Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has become so embroiled in conflict with Conservative ministers that it is reminiscent of the bad old days of the 1980s are unconvincing. A couple of tersely written letters and website statements about “foreign jollies” don’t amount to the ideological warfare that existed between Militant Tendency and Margaret Thatcher’s government. Liverpool’s Mayor has done a good job persuading the wider world that he is conscious of the need to be business-friendly if the city is to compete with our rivals. Among the Mayor’s achievements to date has been securing city deal funding and the Prime Minister’s personal backing for the International Festival for Business. The city’s progress in recent years will also have helped Lord Heseltine’s proposal for greater spending powers for Local Enterprise Partnerships to gain traction in Cabinet. Crucially, there has been no refusal to comply with spending cuts, as was the case in the 1980s. Mayor Anderson has been, albeit reluctantly, overseeing the implementation of tens of millions of pounds of Coalition-imposed austerity measures locally. Not that it has all been plain sailing. David Cameron’s Big Society idea was meant to be trialled in Liverpool, but it didn’t work out. We are a long way from the dark days of the Militant administration, which was so far gone it was even in head-on conflict with the Labour Party’s leadership too. Who can forget Neil Kinnock’s “grotesque chaos” and scuttling taxis speech? It is essential that everything is done to keep relations on an even keel. It would be far too easy for the old image of Liverpool as a difficult case to be rekindled. We need national government to help with promoting the IFB, encouraging Chinese investment in Peel’s Liverpool

Waters scheme and securing support for high speed rail being extended to Lime Street. We need to rub along with central government. The petty squabbling needs to stop now. WHEN I was studying English Literature at university, my lecturers turned their noses up at the idea of the “pathetic fallacy”, namely that the weather could symbolise the mood of the novel or poem. You know, the sun shines when characters are happy and rain poured out of leaden skies when they are unhappy. However, I’m not so sure that the pathetic fallacy is so inapplicable to economics. It snowed in London during the boat race at the weekend. It is taking a longer for temperatures to warm up, a bit like the economy. Last week, I asserted that the fundamental structures underpinning demand and supply for houses in this country were such that it is a one-way bet that house prices will one day rise again. What I didn’t say was when that would happen. Four years passed between the end of the recession in 1992 and the start of house price rises in 1996. Employment market conditions were undoubtedly more influential on house prices and job creation only started to gain momentum in 1994. Before housebuyers will take on big mortgages, they need to know that their jobs are secure, hence the time lag. Today, the picture is more complex than in the 1990s. Output is weak, yet there are more jobs than ever before. Either the labour market will be so strong that once output begins to pick up, employment conditions will improve faster than ever before or robust conditions now mean there will be more slack in capacity than previously. If the latter is true, it would take longer for new jobs to be created, which in turn will delay housing market recovery.

The cost-benefit Consumer pressure is rapidly changing the behaviour of big businesses. Bill Gleeson reports

USINESSES are increasingly attempting to portray themselves as ethically good, but can they ever be purely altruistic, or is there inevitably a profit motive behind all decision or actions they take? There are many examples of businesses going to some lengths to be seen to be good. In February, Barclays announced it would cease speculative trading in food commodities because this activity is blamed for pushing up the price of food in poor countries. Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins said the practice was “not compatible with our purpose”. He wants to build a “socially useful” bank and “shred situations where we’re short-termist, too aggressive and too self-centred.” According to estimates from the World Development Movement, speculative trading in agricultural commodities earned Barclays £750m over the last three years. Barclays’ withdrawal follows announcements in 2012 by several German, Austrian and Scandinavian banks that they would do the same. Barclays is seeking to rebuild its reputation after a string of damaging incidents. It was fined £290m last year for attempting to rig the Libor interest rate, and has also been caught up in the industry-wide mis-selling scandals involving payment protection insurance and interest rate investment products. The bank also said it would curtail its investment banking activities, an area of banking blamed for the banking crisis of 2008. At the time of the announcement, one leading academic criticised the measures, warning they may be good for Barclays’ image but would cost the bank dearly. Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Cass Business School, Andre Spicer, said: “Barclays’ announcement is about image, not profit. “The strategy is about rebuilding the legitimacy of the bank. It is trying to win back the trust of investors, regulators and the broader public. “By cutting back the investment banking division, it appears Barclays is willing to kill the golden goose which has produced a significant chunk of its profits in the past. “This move is a gamble. It will inevitably lead to lower rates of profit in the future.” Away from financial services, global consumer goods giant Unilever is also trying to balance the competing pressures of being good and making profits. The company promotes the fact that its research and development has made its soaps and other hygiene products more affordable and effective in developing countries, thereby saving lives and improving the standard of life for billions of people. In its publicity material, the company, which has major detergent factories at Port Sunlight and Warrington, states: “Unilever’s ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental impact (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal).

“We are also committed to doing what we can to improve health, nutrition and hygiene, with a target to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, as well as sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020. “All of these goals are itemised in around 60 time-based commitments in our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.” Unilever also opened itself up to an audit by Oxfam of employment conditions at its Vietnam operations. While the openness was applauded, parts of the report were critical of the pay and conditions of its employees. Oxfam said the study found significant gaps between the company’s high level commitments and the reality on the ground for workers. However, Oxfam’s report also states: “Unilever took part in the study as a means of stimulating a wider debate and encouraging other companies to face up to the issues in this area. It has made a series of significant commitments to address Oxfam's recommendations, including a ‘sustainable living review’ in the 180 countries in which it

‘We want to build a socially useful bank’

operates by the end of 2015.” Just last week, Nestle and Mars, which together control 27% of the world chocolate market, also bowed to pressure from Oxfam. The companies agreed to take action to improve the livelihoods of women cocoa farmers and work with other organisations to address gender inequality across the industry. Pressure from protest groups such as Greenpeace has brought about a change to the way canned fish firms catch tuna. The previous method used fish aggregation devices which caught a lot of other species as well as the tuna. Following the protests, new methods to catch the fish used by the likes of Liverpool-based Princes Foods were introduced. Sustainable palm oil production remains a big area of concern for both environmentalists and food producers. Palm oil plantations have resulted in millions of hectares of deforestation in Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere. As a result, longstanding habitats have been destroyed, creating threats to a wide range of species that include the orang-utan. The deforestation also adds to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. On the other hand, palm oil is widely

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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analysis of good business A protester concerned about tuna fishing methods at Princes Foods head office in 2011

New Britain Palm Oil’s Liverpool refinery which employs around 100 people

Judgements about right and wrong and good and bad can often prove to be too simplistic

used in food and other products that most of us eat or use every day. Liverpool-based New Britain Palm Oil is sensitive to concerns about how its palm oil is produced. The company’s website states that it is one of the world’s leading producers of sustainable and traceable palm oil and emphasises its participation in an industry-run certification scheme that involves many other palm oil producers and users known as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Other companies that subscribe to the scheme include AB Foods, Heinz, Kraft, Premier Foods and Kellogg. The firms believe participation in the scheme establishes that their palm oil is sustainably produced. Greenpeace, however, argues that the RSPO scheme lacks independence and amounts to the industry regulating itself. Nevertheless, Greenpeace has ranked the environmental performance of palm oil firms and acknowledged New Britain is in fact one of the better producers. A spokesman for the campaign group said: “The scorecard is from last year. It puts New Britain Palm Oil at second out

of 11 palm oil producers.” New Britain Palm Oil produces 1.1% of the RSPO certified palm oil in the world. The spokesman added: “They were relatively good on peatland protection – draining and burning peatland is a major source of greenhouse gases – and certification. “Clearly, certification isn’t a guarantee, but if you can’t get your oil certified by the RSPO then there must be something going badly wrong.” He added, however, that New Britain Palm Oil didn’t do so well on forest protection. The spokesman said: “They are included in the report as an example of current best practice in the industry, but not as a model of sustainability. “They have come out of it comparatively well. It does not mean that they are great. It’s just they are not as bad as those companies that are worse. “The RSPO could be a useful starting point. “If they had regulations that were enforceable it would be quite useful, but as it is it doesn’t come anywhere near that.”

‘Example of best practice in the industry’

MANY businesses struggle to balance the competing interests of making higher profits while behaving ethically. Competitive pressures have to be balanced against consumer demands and the decisions they make are not always black and white. Mike Zundel is a senior lecturer in strategy and international business at the University of Liverpool Management School. He is also a philosopher. He says it’s hard to be judgemental about business behaviour as they are often caught between a rock and a hard place. Dr Zundel said: “We configure the world in terms of good and bad. That often gives rise to a calculative mechanism such as x amount of good versus y amount of bad. “It’s a type of utilitarianism. “The question is whether we can count things in that way. I don’t think these polarities are particularly helpful. “These categories of good and bad or right and wrong

are simplistic and are often not suited to the complex problems we face. “Take legislation, for example. If it is legalised, should we do it? Does this really mean that everything that is legal is right to do? Or should we have a more nuanced view of what is right and wrong? “Society works in much more refined ways. “How can we make a judgement about things that are right or wrong? “Nor is it helpful to have calculative logic where you add up your good and bad and end up with a sum saying we do so much good and so much bad and overall it’s okay. “The question is how do we judge in the moment. That’s a much more difficult one to answer and it requires the individual to reflect. “It’s a question of conscience and thus a question that requires one to reflect upon what is appropriate and such reflection can only limitedly be done through calculations or in the form of legal

ideals. Such questions may only be answered when we reflect in the light of our responsibilities as members of society, parents etc. That goes beyond strict business terms.“ Commenting on Barclays’ decision to withdraw from food speculation and curtail its investment banking activities, Dr Zundel said: “It may prevent them from being fined later on. “There may be huge ramifications. They may attract more customers. “We can’t speculate what drove them. They may have had the best of intentions but it is very difficult to find very precise measures. “Just thinking in cause and effect logic doesn't do justice to this complex problem. “We should be very careful in arriving at judgements. “Responsibility lies with those who make these decisions and their reflections also include their responsibility as individuals in a wider context – as part of our society, city, family, and so on.”

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

notes

ISAs remain the best option for decent investment return

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THE Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) now requires candidates for its customer-facing entry level examinations for wholesale/capital markets financial services activities to take and pass its IntegrityMatters online test before sitting the exam. The CISI is introducing this initiative to ensure that new entrants to the capital markets sector, who will be working directly with firms and clients, realise the importance of integrity and ethics from the moment they enter the industry. This will also mean that integrity will be tested across the entire industry, not just in wealth management and retail financial advice. CISI chief executive Simon Culhane said: “Over the last few years, there has been much talk about a number of initiatives which are aimed at restoring trust in financial services. This is one that has come to fruition and today we are introducing a real change.”

market analysis

by Derek Gawne

BRANCH MANAGER AT LIVERPOOL OFFICE OF CHARLES STANLEY THE attraction of ISAs seems to have been enhanced and so far endorsed by the Government as a savings mechanism. The maximum subscription is being increased each tax year and Junior ISAs offer families an additional planning tool. The difficulty that the Government is having in reducing the deficit does not augur well for future tax reductions. Perhaps the greatest advantage of ISAs is their flexibility with the ability to withdraw each year some or all of the income and capital if needed. However, it is important to remember the importance of reinvesting income. The Barclays Equity Gilt Study 2013 shows that £100 invested at the end of 1899 without reinvesting income would be worth a real £168, while reinvesting gross income would bring the real value to £24,184. The case for re-investing is compelling. All investors who pay tax at the higher 40% or 45% (from April 6, 2013) rates should consider taking out an ISA, especially if they regularly use their Capital Gains Tax (CGT) annual exemption. Although it is not possible to reclaim the UK 10% tax credit in ISAs, no extra income tax is payable on UK equity dividends and income from fixed interest investments is received free of tax in an ISA. In addition, any sales of securities within an ISA are free of any CGT liability. In a review of ISA investor behaviour by the Share Centre as of February 2013, the top 10 directly purchased UK Equities invested in ISAs over the last year were: GlaxoSmithKline, BP, Tesco, Vodafone, British American Tobacco, Sainsbury, Aviva, AstraZeneca, Barclays, and Royal Dutch Shell. Investors seem to have taken onboard the benefits of the need for yield from an income requirement as

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Queues at a cash machine outside a bank in Cyprus illustrated the huge problems. Inset, Derek Gawne well as the virtues of compounding as seen by the high yielding stock in the previous list. Given the low rates of interest available from bank deposits and many fixed interest investments, investors remain attracted by the present dividend yield of around 3.4% available from UK equities. This return is made more enticing by the fact the UK dividends (excluding specials) rose by 8.9% (according to Capita Registrars) in 2012 and could advance by some 6.7% in 2013 and the weakness of sterling could well mean a higher rate of dividend increase, as many UK-based companies have substantial overseas earnings. Overall, equities are still the Charles Stanley Liverpool Office’s asset class of choice, especially holdings in financially sound companies with the ability to maintain profits and increase dividends. In a similar survey it has been

shown that ISA holders have been investing in a varied array of asset classes and regional sectors during the last tax year. Clearly, there has been a wide diversification of funds and sectors – perhaps they are following grandma’s old adage of not putting all your eggs in one basket? Here are the sectors with their percentage of sales: UK Fixed Interest 25%; Managed 18%; UK Equity 16%; Global Specialist 11%; North American 6%; Far East 5%; International Fixed Interest 5%; Property 4%; European 4%; Emerging Markets 4%; Japan 2%; Cash/Money 0%. ■ Source: Skandia. It is important to be aware that problems remain. In the UK, GDP growth will probably be only modest in 2013. Overall, the Eurozone is still

New watchdog targets packaged accounts A CLAMPDOWN to prevent banks and building societies mis-selling paid-for current accounts came into force last weekend. It follow fears some customers have been throwing money “down the drain” in monthly fees for accounts with add-ons such as travel or mobile phone insurance or car breakdown cover which later turn out to be useless to them. Financial institutions will now be forced to check whether a customer is eligible to claim under each policy as part of the new “packaged” account rules introduced by the Fin-

ancial Services Authority (FSA). They will need to share this information with their customers and alert them to policies where they are not covered. Annual statements will also be sent out so that people can check whether the account still suits their needs if their circumstances have changed. Packaged accounts are held by a fifth of adults in the UK and some charge about £300 a year. The rules will be overseen by new regulator the Financial Conduct Authority, which replaced the FSA

from Monday and has promised to use its new powers to force firms to put customer needs at the heart of their businesses. FSA director of policy Sheila Nicoll said of packaged accounts: “These products are often referred to as upgraded accounts, but if you end up paying for an element you can’t claim on, it’s money down the drain. “The new rules will make sure customers know what they’re buying and that they can rely on the product or have the limitations explained before buying.”

in recession and the attempt to bail out Cyprus and the uncertain result of the recent Italian election hint at possible dangers. In the US, the government is still struggling to reach agreement with the Republicans over budget measures which would halt the current automatic cuts in public spending programmes. In Japan, the new government is making bold efforts to end deflation, although there is much scepticism about whether this attempt will be successful. While China is still growing at around 8%, there are inevitable concerns as to whether the new government can maintain this rate of expansion. Many emerging countries are, nevertheless, still recording impressive rates of growth. Caveat Emptor still applies – happy ISA investing in the coming year.

THE City regulator must ensure that thousands of Bank of Ireland customers who are facing steep hikes to their mortgage payments are being treated fairly, the head of a powerful House of Commons committee has said. Treasury Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie said that not enough information has yet been provided to be confident that the Financial Services Authority has thought carefully about the issue. Bank of Ireland has been contacting the 13,500 customers who will be affected by the rate increases on its base rate tracker mortgages.

Savers putting more away DETERMINED savers are putting more than £100 a month away on average – marking the highest amount since records began nine years ago. The findings from Treasury-backed savings body NS&I come despite the continued squeeze on people’s budgets from high living costs and stagnant wages, as well as the poor savings returns on offer generally following four years of the bank rate being held at a record 0.5% low. NS&I found that savers are put-

ting 8%, or £104, of their income aside each month, which is the first time the sum has broken the £100 barrier as well as being the biggest amount since its quarterly survey began in 2004. Much of the increase in savings levels has been driven by the younger generation, many of whom said they were piling up cash in a bid to buy a home. Savers aged between 25- and 34years-of-age are putting away just over 9% of their incomes each month, or £125.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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Don’t miss the chance to book your place at Post awards night by Bill Gleeson

POST BUSINESS STAFF bill.gleeson@liverpool.com

NOW that the deadline for submitting entries for this year’s Liverpool Post’s Regional Business Awards has passed, it’s time to reserve your tickets at the big event before all of the places are snapped up. Tickets have traditionally been in strong demand at this stage in the runup to the popular event. It is important to act now to avoid disappointment. The awards ceremony will take place in the grand setting of St George’s Hall. Some 500 guests, including some of the region’s top movers and shakers, will be present at the black-tie dinner that takes place on the evening of June 13. Hosted by former BBC broadcaster Peter Sissons, the night will see awards handed out to the winners of 11 categories. The categories are open to businesses of all sizes and cover a range of business activities, including employment practices, environmental policies, export initiatives and investment record. Judges will also consider the financial performance and growth prospects of firms. Now in their third decade, the newspaper’s awards are an established part of the region’s business calendar. Former award winners include Redrow founder Steve Morgan, haulage entrepreneur Steve O’Connor, Bibby Line Group and shipyard Cammell Laird. Born in Sefton General Hospital on Smithdown Road, Mr Sissons was brought up in Ingleton Road, off Penny Lane, and later in Hunts Cross Avenue, Woolton. He got to know the streets of Liverpool during spells as a bus conductor during his summer holidays while studying at Oxford University. He was also a contemporary of Paul McCartney’s at Liverpool Institute school. During his journalism career with the BBC and ITV he was one of the nation’s most respected broadcasters, and has been a regular host for the Liverpool Post regional business awards. Mr Sissons was also a member of the independent Hillsborough Panel, whose findings have so dramatically advanced the fight for justice for the families of the disaster’s 96 victims. Liverpool Post editor Mark Thomas said: “We are looking to recognise those firms and entrepreneurs whose endeavours are making a difference to the local economy.

Document Direct wins top accolade TYPING and digital transcription service provider, Document Direct, has scooped a major national award. The Liverpool city centre-based firm won the accolade for customer service at the KnowList annual awards at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. KnowList is one of the UK’s leading resources of advice and information to the legal and professional communities. Document Direct founder and managing director, Martyn Best, collected the award

Martyn Best

THE POST L I V E R P O O L

Up to 500 guests are expected to attend the Regional Business Awards black-tie dinner to be held on June13 “It is all the more important that we do that in these difficult times. “It is precisely the sort of people that will be gathered in St George’s Hall this June who will help this region build for its post-austerity future and create the jobs that will give hope to thousands. “The Regional Business Awards are a fantastic night and always a sell-out event – so don’t be slow to sign up for seats now for the big night itself. “As always we are grateful to our sponsors for their continued support,

without which this event would not happen.” To buy tickets for the awards dinner visit our special awards website at www.regionalbusinessawards.co.uk or email events@liverpool.com or call 0151-472 2570. You can also follow the progress of the awards on social media site Twitter at @LP_RBA Watch out for the shortlist for all of our categories which will be published in The Liverpool Post on May 9 after the initial judging has been completed.

REGIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS2013

Work starts on £3m brain injury care facility in Broadgreen SEDDON Construction has begun work on a £3m residential centre in Broadgreen for adults with brain injury conditions. Oak Vale Gardens at The Green, pictured right, is being built for specialist health and care company Health and Social Care Partnerships. The development by Seddon – which has Liverpool offices in Aintree – will have 18 bed-

rooms, each with an en-suite shower/wet room. The building will comprise two wings, each accommodating nine residents and each wing will have a fully accessible kitchen and laundry, dining room, lounge areas, office/clinic space and assisted bathrooms. A central area will provide office/reception space and therapy/activity rooms as

well as education/training facilities, meeting rooms, a main kitchen and laundry room. Health and social director Andrew Murray said: “The seamless design and build process ensures that the complex needs of service users can be easily met.” The development is set to be completed in October this year.

with operations director, Jayne Smith He said: “The KnowList awards are a clear endorsement from our peer group of Document Direct’s achievements in the last year. “We have made huge strides in establishing the business as the leading UK outsourcing agent for typing and transcription and our reputation is growing in the UK and across the globe. “Thanks to the KnowList, to our wide team and to our customers for this recognition.” Document Direct, based at the Plaza in Old Hall Street has combined the technologies of digital dictation, on-line encrypted security and a web-based typing and transcription service to support the legal and other sectors.

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

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Trainees start at First Ark YOUNG people have been given the chance to take the first steps into a career through apprenticeships with social housing provider, First Ark Group. The nine new apprentices, all aged from 16 to 24-years-old, will be working in various departments and in many roles across the group, including Vivark business support officer, housing officer at Knowsley Housing Trust and on the IT helpdesk in First Ark. The new intake has been recruited through Knowsley Works and takes the group’s total number of apprentices to 26 – 5.5% of its workforce. During their 12 months at First Ark the apprentices will learn new skills and complete a NVQ Level 2. Sheila Tolley, executive director of customers and communities at First Ark, said: “Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to earn while you learn.”

Southport Flower show’s top man looks to raise the bar in 2013

Visitors flocking to last year’s Southport Flower Show. Inset, Ray Roukin

THE newly-appointed general manager of Southport Flower show has spoken of how his role in organising this year’s event is both “daunting” and “exciting”. Southport businessman Ray Roukin has been involved with the show for 20 years and is now taking the helm for the first time. The show, now in its 84th year, runs from August 15 to 18 at Victoria Park and attracts thousands of people from across the country. Mr Roukin, who leads a team of five full-time staff and 200 volunteers, says the number of visitor events now taking place across the Liverpool city region means the flower show has to be better than ever. He told Post Business: “It is a big responsibility – daunting in some ways and also very exciting. “There are lots of components that go with putting the show on. “It is unbelievable how much it has changed since I first became involved. “There are now a number of events across Merseyside and, add to that, people go to different flower shows. “So their expectations are now much higher. “We are expecting more than 70,000 people and that creates a buzz for everyone involved.”

Hunt joins green energy company by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF

tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

In Finance

In Banking

Integrity Matters We’ve taken a stand to raise professional standards

You now need to pass an ethics test prior to taking CISI capital markets exams #integritymatters

cisi.org/integritymatters

WIRRAL green energy specialist Renewable Solutions UK has recruited one of the former directors of collapsed Liverpool rival Eco Environments. David Hunt was one of three directors of Eco, which was liquidated in early March. It employed 23 people and had been hit by a downturn in trade and by demands from the taxman. However, within days, two of its directors – Mike Clarke and Mark Buchanan – purchased the name and goodwill and equipment of Eco Environments and re-launched it under the same name. Mr Hunt did not join the new venture and has now been appointed head of Renewable Solutions UK’s commercial energy division. A highly experienced microgeneration professional, he is vice-chair of Onsite Renewables for the Renewable Energy Association and is a member of the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group. In his new role, he will be responsible for developing the company’s commercial energy operations across Britain and the wider European market. Managing director Mike Lowes said: “David is a well known and highly respected figure within the renewables industry. “He has an excellent track record of winning and managing high value microgeneration projects . “We launched our commercial energy divi-

David Hunt has a new role sion in response to ever-increasing demand from business clients. “Having seen it take off, we recognised that we needed an experienced renewable specialist to keep it growing sustainably and in line with our expectations. “ Mr Hunt added: “The need for businesses and commercial organisations to address their energy costs and carbon emissions has never been greater.”

Thursday, April 4, 2013

small business post business

notes

small

business of the week

■

by Neil Hodgson

POST BUSINESS STAFF

neil.hodgson@liverpool.com

NOWING that one mistake could bring an entire factory to a standstill is a big responsibility to carry. But engineer Simon Turner is sanguine, having installed countless conveyor belt systems at factories, big and small, all over the country: “It’s a lot of responsibility because one false move and a factory could shut down. I’ve never had it, but that is the responsibility you have,” he said. His Burscough business, Cobalt Conveyors, is just over five years old, but has established a niche, initially as a first class design and installation provider, but more recently as a bespoke manufacturer of intelligent handling systems. He used to install conveyor systems mainly for food or pharmaceutical factories, saying: “From 15 I was an apprentice, then went on-site installing, then project managing, then designing them – I did the full works.” But in 2007 Mr Turner and his wife Angela decided to set up as an independent operation: “Angela and I decided to do our own thing. She is company secretary and director and looks after marketing. “She makes us look pretty and handles all the inquiries. I do all the sales and get the kit out the door.” They started as a systems integrator: “Customers would want to move a product through A, B, or C and we would source the right type of conveyor for them and do all the controls and link it in with their factory and put it together as a package. It could be worth from £5,000 to £1m.” From a back bedroom operation they grew steadily and picked up some big blue chip clients, including Specsavers, United Biscuits, Warburtons and Morrisons. Ms Turner said: “We were selling Steve’s expertise as an engineer. But last year we wanted to stop relying on other manufacturers and do it for ourselves.” The firm can provide belt conveyor systems, as used in supermarkets, roller systems for warehousing, or slack conveyors for production lines. It had established a reputation for belt conveyors and Mr Turner said: “We had a number of enquiries where we thought we could do these ourselves, so we took the plunge.” By then they were working from premises in Mawdesley, but designing and making their own equipment needed much bigger space, so they relocated to their current site in Burscough last November, leading to the recruitment of five staff, two people on retained consultancies, and the likelihood of another engineering and accounting job to be filled, and possibly an apprentice. Ms Turner said: “We did a soft launch at a trade show and the fact that we are a UK manufacturer went down well.” Mr Turner added: “We are pushing the ‘made in Great Britain line’. The system we have designed we could have got from China, or Turkey, or Leyland. So we went for Leyland.” Commissions range from moving products like spectacles, shampoo bottles, Kellogg’s cereal boxes, or crumpets, and Mr Turner said: “We do have weird and wonderful requests,

Simon Turner, co-founder of Cobalt Conveyors, in the firm’s workshop

Picture: GARETH JONES

Cobalt excelling in the art of movement like an artist who had a mural on a vertical conveyor belt on a wall.” He added: “We can give a customer what they want. We don’t say ‘that’s what we have got, that’s what you can have’, we are customised, bespoke.” Turnover for the current year looks like reaching £500,000, but next year the couple hope to break £1m. Ms Turner said: “Last year was really tough but, touching wood, we have found since the beginning of the year it has been more buoyant for us.” Mr Turner said: “The enquiry rate is up and turnover is up.” And all this has been achieved with hardly any exposure to banks, apart from one small loan for materials. Next on their busy schedule is patenting their designs, and a belated trade open day launch on April 18.

Cobalt staff assembling an order at the Burscough factory

YORKSHIRE Bank said it will support the region’s small firms by ring-fencing £100m for cash flow finance from its recently launched £1bn Business Expansion Fund. The bank made the commitment in a bid to support small businesses facing invoice delays after research it carried out revealed that North West small firms face an average seven-week wait for invoices to be paid. Not only does this put pressure on cash flow it can also threaten the survival of thousands of small companies, it said. The £100m of additional invoice finance funding is now available to both new and existing customers in the North West through the bank’s Confidential Invoice Discounting service. Often referred to as ‘cash flow finance’, invoice finance allows businesses to access up to 85% of an invoice’s value as soon as it is issued, rather than wait for it to be settled. In the past year, the bank has seen businesses increasingly looking to strengthen their own invoicing and credit control procedures using invoice finance and credit protection products. Martin Rothera, head of invoice finance at Yorkshire Bank, said: “From our research we know that cash flow and invoices being paid on time are still primary concerns for SMEs. “Cash flow is the lifeblood of a business and invoice finance is an extremely useful tool for SME owners. It’s something that more businesses could benefit from accessing.”

■

ARMISTEAD Building Services in Widnes has achieved ISO 9001, ISO14001 and ISO18001 accreditations. Labour MP Derek Twigg visited the firm to present the certificates and formally recognise its commitment to quality management, health and safety, customer service and environmental management. Managing director David Walker said: “The quality of what we do has always been the most significant priority of our business, our ISO 9001 accreditation demonstrates our commitment to the ongoing improvement of our business and keeping the client experience at the heart of everything we do.” Now in its 20th year the firm is committed to reducing its environmental impact, while not losing sight of quality and standards of service.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business creative & digital

comment

by IAN ROWLAND

Green shoots watered by games tax breaks THE UK’s games developers have long campaigned for tax breaks to help them compete with overseas competitors. This week they got what they asked for, as new tax breaks aimed at the creative sectors came into effect this week. Businesses are now able to claim a payable tax credit from HMRC against productions costs. HMRC sceptics and industry watchers will have noticed that it is a 20% relief, rather than the headline grabbing 25%, as production costs are limited to a maximum of 80% per cent of the qualifying spend. That said, it is still a great result for the video games industry. The breaks are the culmination of over a decade of campaigning so that the UK industry receives the sort of help its counterparts in Canada, Ireland, and other places have benefited from over the years, and is part of a government drive to make UK

plc a more competitive place to do business. For Liverpool’s games industry, the relief comes off the back of an era of mixed fortunes. While the loss of big names such as Bizarre Creations and Sony’s SCE Studio Liverpool was a blow to the local sector, green shoots have appeared. Four former Studio Liverpool employees have set up Sawfly Studios, whilst out of Bizarre’s ashes have come Lucid Games and Hogrocket, to join other exciting independent operators in the region creating new games. Tax breaks can make a huge difference for businesses at all stages, from new start ups to established independents, and are part of a government drive to make UK plc a more competitive place to do business. ■ IAN ROWLAND is senior manager, tax, at Grant Thornton

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

LEP funding could help city become ‘tech hub’ by Alistair Houghton POST BUSINESS STAFF

alistair.houghton@liverpool.com

THE local leader of growing technology firm ServiceSource says the Government’s pledge to pump money into Liverpool’s Local Enterprise Partnership could help grow the city into “Britain’s next tech hub”. The Government confirmed last month that it was to launch a funding pot for LEPs, though the exact amount available has not yet been revealed. US-owned ServiceSource, which provides outsourced support services to some of the world’s biggest technology firms, now employs some 200 people at its Old Hall Street

base. The company has now launched a recruitment drive to take on another 100 people. Martin Moran, who leads ServiceSource’s European operations, welcomed both the Government’s backing for LEPs and the plans to pump money into the Northern Hub rail scheme. He said: “We hope to see these measures build business hubs and grow talent outside of the M25. Liverpool has one of the highest unemployment rates in the UK, but with increased investment has the chance to become Britain's next tech hub. “We have seen London’s Tech City emerging as the UK’s innovation hub. With the bones of Liverpool's industrial past, the new rail link is rein-

ServiceSource’s global CEO, Mike Smerklo, right, with Martin Moran at the firm’s Liverpool office vigorating this heritage that will help attract young talent to the region. “It is now the chance to build regions across the UK as specialist tech hubs, to boost employment opportunities and foster young talent. “Success will depend on investment and innovation from the government. These are encouraging steps, but we

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wait to see how these promises are delivered and whether they do indeed encourage businesses to set up offices beyond the capital”. ServiceSource manages maintenance or software licensing contracts for companies including Adobe and Websense. Its Liverpool office handles inquiries from 50 countries and in 26 languages.

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

creative & digital post business

Publisher hoping to fly high with game from Pixar team by Alistair Houghton

Zak, the star of forthcoming Ripstone game Flyhunter

POST BUSINESS STAFF

alistair.houghton@liverpool.com

A GAME developer formed by animators at Toy Story creator Pixar has chosen Liverpool’s Ripstone to publish its first game. The founders of Steel Wool Games work at California-based Pixar by day and are developing games by night. Now they have announced details of their first game, Flyhunter, which will be released later this year with the backing of Ripstone. Ripstone founders Phil Gaskell and Leo Cubbin say the game will be aimed at a younger audience but are hoping it will have as wide a reach as any of Pixar’s films. Mr Gaskell said: “It’s whimsical, as so many Pixar things have been. People who work at Pixar take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.” Steel Wool’s core team of Sequoia Blankenship, Andrew Dayton, Jonathan Hoffman, Joshua Qualtieri and Jason Topolski have recruited several other staff to help them develop Flyhunter so their work at Steel Wool does not interfere with their full-time roles at Pixar. Mr Cubbin said: “Because they work full-time and they’re so conscientious, there’s no email or phone during work time. We could only speak to them in the morning when they were doing their school run, at midnight or at weekends.” Mr Cubbin and Mr Gaskell had been speaking to Steel Wool’s founders for several months before signing a deal with them last year to back Flyhunter. Mr Gaskell recalled: “They said they were going to work on small games and asked if we wanted to visit them. “They talked through six game concepts, several of which we liked, and we hit it off. “We liked what we thought was the more commercial of their ideas. We

Brewing a social media ale

Phil Gaskell, left, and Leo Cubbin, of publisher Ripstone

said ‘Let’s do this – it’s affordable and it will fit the demographic of the market you need to be looking at given your (Pixar) heritage’.” That Pixar background showed itself in the level of detailed design work the Steel Wool team had already put into the design of lead character Zak.

Mr Gaskell said: “They asked if we’d like to see a model of Zak. We said yes, and thought they’d show us something on a laptop screen. “Instead he brought out a model that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the shelves of Forbidden Planet.” Flyhunter is still in development and Ripstone is revealing few details.

“We have not announced what platform it will be out on yet,” said Phil. Mr Dayton has told the gaming press that the game’s style will be “grimsical”. He added: “It’s our fundamental principle as a company. We create worlds that are funny and whimsical but dipped in gritty tones.” Mr Cubbin and Mr Gaskell both worked at Sony in Liverpool before striking out on their own in 2011. Ripstone has so far published seven games across 20 platforms. Another six are scheduled for this year. Mr Gaskell said he hoped that this year’s launch of Sony’s new PlayStation4 would give a boost to the games industry, which saw a slow end to the year. “There’s still lots of potential,” he said. “It’s been a tough year, but we’re starting to see signs of change. If we can ride out the tail end of this economic slump, next year will be wonderful.”

Teenager honoured for helping people online

Architects’ charity push calls for people to ‘improve and not move’

A ST HELENS teenager has won a national award for helping people get online. Sutton Academy student Jonah Conley, 13, won the BT Internet Ranger of the Year Award for England, for his efforts teaching people in St Helens, Wigan and Upholland how to stay safe online. Jonah helped to run an evening class at his school to encourage children, parents and grandparents to use the internet. He also worked with people attending community centres in Wigan and Upholland. He said: “I really enjoy working with older people, helping them to use computers, get onto the internet for the first time, and educating them in new technologies. It feels good to teach someone something new

ARCHITECT and television presenter George Clarke is urging Liverpool homeowners to join a scheme to improve their homes while raising money for charity. The Architect in the House project, run by Shelter and the Royal Institute of British Architects, encourages homeowners to sign up to one-hour design consultations with RIBA members in return for a suggested donation to Shelter of £45. Consultations will then take place before the end of November. The scheme, now in its 17th year, has raised more than £1.7m to help Shelter’s work with homeless and badly-housed families. Mr Clarke, who is best known for his work on

Jonah Conley and teaching them is so simple yet it makes a difference to their lives.” John Perkins, Connected Society programme manager at BT, said: “Jonah’s efforts in teaching people computer skills and how to use the internet are so inspirational as the web opens up a wide world of opportunities.”

Ben Hatton

George Clarke Channel 4 programmes The Home Show and Restoration Man, said: “With the current state of the housing market, we’re staying in our homes for longer, but life doesn’t stand still and simple

changes to your home can make a big difference. “Signing up to Architect in the House is simple to do and is a great way to make the most of a local architect’s expert advice, while raising money for Shelter at the same time. As a Shelter ambassador I’ve seen first-hand how the money raised by this scheme helps people in desperate housing need.” Angela Brady, President of the RIBA, said: “An architect used though Architect in the House can unleash the potential of homes while helping those with more significant housing problems”. Anyone interested in taking part can register from today until August 21 at www.architectinthehouse.org.uk

ENGAGING with customers on social media is a key part of product development. It is now a chief tool in any brand’s marketing arsenal, and to ignore the power of it would be suicide for most consumerfocused companies. The challenge for brands now is to use social media as more than just another advertising channel to ensure their message is strong enough to keep customers loyal. It seems time for an evolution, or even a revolution, in the way brands use social media to better tailor products and services to those who use them. Social media, via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest et al, offer brands an ideal medium with which to converse directly with their customers – not just giveaways and announcements – but to allow their product users a means to have a say in what the company does. This seems to be the next logical step in using social media: to ask – “tell us what you want” with the aim of delivering it. Brands such as craft beer company BrewDog are starting to embrace this notion. BrewDog is running a poll for social media users to vote for key decisions in the creation of a brand new ale. They are asking the public to choose particular elements of the beer including the hops, malt bill, bitterness and name using a twitter hashtag. The winning combination will then be made into a new beer – democratically created by Twitter users. Whilst this may be a single promotion, it forms part of a long-term strategy. The data collected can be used to shape the next campaign and the decision making for future products. Smart brands already do this. The rest are playing catch-up. ■ INTERNET entrepreneur Ben Hatton is founder and managing director of digital agency Rippleffect. Follow Rippleffect on Twitter @rippleffected

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business the big interview

Tony McDonough meets PETER McEVOY, founder and MD of Asset Training

ETER MCEVOY has worked hard to set up and establish his training business as one of the most successful in Merseyside and, like many entrepreneurs, he can point to the support of certain key people. In McEvoy’s case, they would be his wife Marilyn – and his bank manager. In the mid 1990s, the founder of Merseyside training provider, Asset Training, had just been made redundant. He had worked in the training sector for a number of years and was mulling the idea of starting his own venture. He also had job offers from a couple of colleges that could have given him a “job for life”. However, it was Marilyn, herself a qualified trainer and assessor, who urged him to pursue the business venture, telling him she was 100% behind him. “That was what you call real support,” said McEvoy, now 67. So in 1996, he walked into the bank, business plan in hand, looking for a loan to start his company. He said: “The bank manager – a man called Colin Hickey – told me I could have a loan but that I would have to put my house up as security. “I told him I would have to go and think about it but I had already previously decided that was something I would not do. “As I got up to walk out he stopped me and asked me to sit down again. Then he said ‘I have never seen someone so enthusiastic about starting a business – I shouldn’t really do this but I’m going to give you a £15,000 overdraft’.” And so Asset Training was born. Now, 17 years later, the firm is a fixture of the Merseyside training landscape. It employs 16 people directly and has more than 1,000 apprentices, or learners, on its books. Although it offers a number of services to its private sector clients, its speciality is apprenticeships. It helps firms to find apprentices and then provides the training leading to recognised qualifications. Many peoples’ perspectives on apprenticeships are rooted in a bygone age. At one time they strongly associated with sectors such as engineering, trades and construction, and hairdressing. However, these days there are apprenticeships covering most business and work sectors. Asset has trainees in sectors including administration, IT, customer service, management and teaching assistants. And it has developed particular niches in facilities management and waste management. The last Labour Government put great emphasis on getting more young people into university. That may not be a bad thing in itself but it meant that many came to view vocational training as something lesser. McEvoy said: “I think university is a fantastic thing as long as you are going there for the right reasons. “As demand for higher education grew people were studying for degrees that maybe weren’t much use when they came to finding a job. “Of course they might be very bright and in some cases companies were prepared to take a chance on

Banker’s faith is rewarded with 17 years of success

Peter McEvoy pictured at his Bootle headquarters and, inset, the old Standard Triumph car factory where he worked in the late 1970s them but many more were not prepared to take them on. “There has not been enough focus on vocational training and to some extent it is still seen as something for lower achievers.

“However, people aren’t looking properly at the depth of training and skills that are now on offer. “They might see someone working in retail and say ‘oh yes, that is just shop work’. But if they look closer

q&a Age: 67 Highest educational qualification: I have letters after my name but I never use them – my main qualification is my degree from the university of life Biggest achievement in business: Turning Asset into one of the leading training providers in the North West

Biggest regret: Not starting the business sooner Best advice received: My wife who when I was deciding whether to start the firm, said ‘we started with a flat in Newsham Park and if the business fails, we can still get one in Sefton Park – so go for it’ Still to achieve: Planning my successful exit from the business

they will see there are a whole range of skills there that can lead to a great career. “We are working hard here to change that perspective.” Asset’s size and reputation means that it is now very much a main contractor and outsources to a network of smaller training providers to fulfil its contracts. However, McEvoy acknowledges that training companies such as Asset rely on contracts from the Government’s Skills Funding Agency and tight quality control and procedures are necessary to ensure the work keeps coming. “We have our own internal systems and every month everything is checked to ensure that every single single learner is on the right track and that their training is being done correctly,” he said. “We use about 12

sub-contractors and they are checked too. We have a three-year business plan that we review on a regular basis and we make sure we are aware of when contracts are coming up so we can bid for them. “And we have to make sure we hit our targets for spending the budget within in the contracts otherwise the Government can claw money back. “It is important for training companies to keep up to date with industry changes and new technology. I’ve seen instances where companies have not kept up and they have fallen by the wayside.”

ORN and brought up in Liverpool, McEvoy attended what was then called West Derby Technical High School and is now West Derby Comprehensive.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

the big interview post business Peter McEvoy is thinking about ‘exit strategies’ but adds he loves what he does Picture: GAVIN TRAFFORD

Alex

Turner Forecasts that are of little use THE long Easter weekend provided time to catch up on some of those need-to-do and nice-to-do activities, which led me to learn a few things. Such as watching competitive coffee-making can be more entertaining than Premier League football, at least when it’s the UK Barista Championships in the relaxed surroundings of Chester Racecourse and the football is Wigan-Norwich, which required significant amounts of coffee to maintain focus. Then the aftermath of a DIY session reinforced my view that it is all-but-impossible – and definitely not desirable – to teach history by strict chronological order. It may be a problem restricted to bibliophiles and obsessives, and I know the rest of my house would now choose a little from both, but arranging history books on shelves is not a task that can be achieved quickly nor I think satisfactorily. One brief example of many – the run of books that lead from Versailles to the vanquishing of the Wehrmacht have a logical order, but don’t allow for the mixing of British politics in the early 20th-century or economic histories about the Great Crash and the Depression which followed. If it isn’t possible to set out on a bookcase or two, it can’t be simply reduced to a Whiggish narrative in a curriculum. But if looking backwards is difficult, then forecasting the future is many times trickier. That’s why the announcement by the British Chambers of Commerce that the UK economy will avoid a triple-dip recession elicited the merest shrug. It may have provided greater reassurance was it not so easy to find the headline “BCC Economic Forecast: No double-dip recession” on their own website from March last year, which neatly summarises the weight we should attach to their latest forecast. However, these labels are mostly academic – the difference between plus 0.1% or minus 0.1% GDP doesn’t make any effect on individual businesses nor do such small margins have any noticeable effects on confidence. It remains tough out there for everyone, from coffee shops to football clubs to booksellers. There is no sign yet that businesses have the luxury of being able to move their focus onto the nice-to-do items any time soon.

‘It is many times trickier to predict the future’

His ambition as a teenager was to seek a career in engineering. This brought him into conflict with his father who wanted him to become an accountant. However, McEvoy was determined and took up an apprenticeship with an engineering firm in Speke. Five years later he was a qualified toolmaker and spent the next few years working in the Standard Triumph car factory, later British Leyland. It was a time of huge industrial strife in the UK car industry, something McEvoy acknowledges. But he added: “It was a friendly environment and a great place to work and it was a shame when it went.” The factory closed in 1982 and McEvoy took a new direction and started working as a salesman in fin-

ancial services. That career lasted just seven months. He explained: “I was salesman of the month one month but when I saw my paypacket it was less than the guy next to me. “He said to me ‘your problem is that you sell for the benefit of the customer and I sell for the benefit of the company’.” Uncomfortable with this philosophy, he left and for the next few years established himself in the Merseyside training sector at companies such as the Fairfield Experience Workshop, Metel and The Link.

HE enthusiasm that so impressed McEvoy’s bank manager still remains, even though at 67 he realises that he needs to start planning his eventual exit strategy.

He has tremendous regard for the trainees that come through the door and believes young people have a reputation they often don’t deserve. He cites the examples of two recent trainees – Poppy Walforth and Simone Rooney – who have grabbed their opportunities with both hands. Poppy now gives talks to schools and Simone has become an invaluable member of Asset’s virtual learning department. He takes a keen interest in the skills agenda for the Liverpool city region and is chair of the Sefton Learning Provider Network and chair of North West Association of Learning Providers. He said: “Many young people do want to work but so often they simply don’t have the qualifications. “Sometimes of course we do have problems. If it doesn’t work out for

an apprentice at a particular firm then we will try to find them a job at another. “If they are having issues – for example if they are often late – we will work with them on a one-to-one basis to make sure they become more employable. “There are four major growth sectors in Merseyside – superport, low carbon, visitor economy and knowledge economy – and we are going to need more skilled people in these sectors over the next few years.” McEvoy and Marilyn have two grown-up daughters – Emma, 42, and Helen, 40. Outside work he is a keen squash and golf player and is chairman of Liverpool Cricket Club. As for the exit strategy he says: “People say to me ‘when are you going to retire?’ and I reply ‘I love what I do’. “

■ Alex Turner is the general manager of financial training firm Ambitious Minds

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business legal

www.ldplegal.co.uk

Liverpool law firm renews its sponsorship of Clipper Race HILL DICKINSON will continue to be the official legal partner of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, following its involvement with the event. The Liverpool city centre firm, which has an international network of offices and is renowned for its specialist marine knowledge, will provide legal advice and support to the Clipper Race. Run by Clipper Ventures, the event is the world’s longest global ocean race, stretching to 40,000 miles. Tony Allen, head of Hill Dickinson’s yacht team, said: “The Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race promises to be challenging and exhilarating for all those involved. “As the official legal partner we will ensure that our expertise from our UK and overseas offices is applied at every stage of the race in order to fully support the organisers and allow the participants to concentrate on winning their race.” The firm successfully used its sponsorship of the Clipper 11-12 Race to engage with staff and clients in key markets around the world.

The Clipper Race is the world’s longest global ocean race, stretching to 40,000 miles

Family law QC wins appeal to highest court in the land by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF

tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

A LIVERPOOL barrister’s appeal to the highest court in the UK has resulted in a “ground-breaking” judgement that will have future bearing in all civil and family cases heard in this country. Atlantic Chambers’ Gwynneth Knowles’s intervention in the matter of L and B (Children) 2013 means that judges can now change their minds before judgement is sealed if they feel it is in the interests of justice to do so. It is a point of law that has never been previously considered by the Supreme Court and has now created binding case law in both family and civil courts. Miss Knowles, a QC who is an acknowledged expert in family law, led an appeal to the Supreme Court in the matter of two children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, following care proceedings initiated because one of the children was seriously injured. The original judgement of Judge Penna, after a lengthy fact-finding hearing to determine whether the child’s injuries were non-accidental, found that the father was responsible for injuring his child. But before the order was sealed, Judge Penna changed her judgement and said that she was unable to say who had caused the injuries to the child and asked for an assessment of

the father as carer, given the mother’s history of mental health problems. The mother, however, was granted leave to appeal against the judgement which the Court of Appeal allowed by majority, quashing the previous judgement and ordering that Judge Penna’s original conclusions about the father stood. As a result, the father took his own appeal to the Supreme Court with the support of the local authority, the children’s guardian and the maternal grandparents. The issue was whether, and in what circumstances, a judge who has announced a decision in civil or family proceedings is entitled to reverse it. The five Supreme Court judges who heard the arguments unanimously allowed the appeal, stating that Judge Penna did have the right to change her mind before the original order was sealed. The reasons for their judgement included the premise that a judge must be able to keep an open mind until a final decision has been made and it would be detrimental to the interests of all concerned, especially children, if the only way to correct an error were by an appeal. Ms Knowles said: “I thought there were strong grounds to take this to the Supreme Court because it was a serious issue in the public interest. I felt that the Court of Appeal had thought incorrectly that it had been more important to arrive at a certain and speedy decision rather than allowing

Hodari in deal for Ashton Fox work PERSONAL injury law firm Antony Hodari, trading as AVH Legal, has acquired the caseload of Preston law firm Ashton Fox in a pre-pack deal. The move by the firm, which has offices in Liverpool and Manchester, comes as it prepares for the major changes affecting the personal injury market this month with the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes all work in progress totalling around 8,000 cases, mainly on mortgage mis-selling and right to buy. Ashton Fox’s 24 staff have been retained to ensure a smooth transition. Last September Antony Hodari acquired a direct marketing capability via its purchase of Paul Rooney Partnership, now trading as Paul Rooney Legal, considered one of the best-known personal injury brands in the country. Antony Hodari chief executive Mark Grover said: “We saw the writing on the wall for claimant personal injury law firms five years ago and instigated a major modernisation programme so we could be assured of a strong future. “As a result, we operate a lean and efficient business and are well placed to act swiftly and decisively when new opportunities arise. “We will be looking to make further acquisitions in the coming months.”

POST MOBILE

Atlantic Chambers QC, Gwynneth Knowles the judge to take time not to get it wrong. “The essence of the Supreme Court’s decision is that the right outcome must be a just one. “I am pleased that the Court has upheld the judge’s second decision

because it was the right thing to do. “It is a just outcome for the parents, particularly for the father. The strong message is that judges shouldn’t be afraid of changing their minds when it is clearly the right course of action in the interests of justice.”

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

women in business

Seamstress Mo 100th success for women’s job programme by Neil Hodgson

POST BUSINESS STAFF

neil.hodgson@liverpool.com

SEAMSTRESS and clothes designer Maureen Marlow is celebrating the launch of her new business and the fact she has become the 100th woman to be benefit from a scheme to help the unemployed into work. Ms Marlow had been unemployed for a year when she became one of the first women in the city to get involved with the Women’s Enterprise Programme. She has now successfully launched her business “Made by Mo”, which makes clothes to order, creates outfits for special occasions, and carrying out alterations. The initiative is being spearheaded by Liverpool-based female enterprise agency The Women’s Organisation, which has teamed up with Liverpool Council to help women either set up their own business or find a job. It is backed by European funding and will eventually work with more than 300 women within the Liverpool city region. Ms Marlow, a mother of two from Toxteth, worked for a fashion business that had a concession in fashion store New Look before she was made redundant a year ago. She has been sewing since her teens and was regularly asked to make or alter clothes for family members and friends. She said: “As the months went on, being unemployed I just felt desperate to do something. “It can be degrading being unemployed and you feel like people are looking down on you. “The day I signed off I was thrilled to bits.” Included in the help she received from The Women’s Organisation was a two-day business course, help with book keeping and tax courses: “It was really helpful. The course gives you a better insight as to how to do your business properly. “I was going in with my eyes closed and hadn’t realised what was involved. This support made me realise I needed more insight into this and everything I needed to think about.” Ms Marlow, who has caring responsibilities with elderly parents, said that working for herself has also taken the stress out of taking time off to accompany her mum to regular hospital appointments. Help also available through the programme includes courses on applying

Dual role for Vicky at Voodou outlets LIVERPOOL hair chain salon Voodou has announced that Vicky Hay will now manage both its Bold Street outlets. Vicky, who has been with Voodou for 16 years, is already manager of one of the outlets and will now also be managing Voodou for Him. This coincides with a makeover for the salon that has just been completed in time for spring.

Vicky Hay

Maureen Marlow, seated, and, from left, Cllr Nick Small, Karen Hemmings (LCC) and Jackie Williams for jobs, how to stand out at interview, advice from a qualified business adviser about starting up a business, information about grants that are available, and networking opportunities. Jackie Williams, enterprise director of The Women’s Organisation, said: “We are delighted to have helped 100 women into work or setting up their own business and it is really rewarding to see someone like Maureen realise her ambitions.

“We have the expertise to work with women on a one-to-one basis and provide support that is very much tailored to individual needs. We are really pleased to be working with Liverpool council to provide this much-needed service and look forward to working with lots more women.” Women eligible to apply for the programme include those who are unemployed, economically inactive, working less than 16 hours a day, or are under threat of redundancy.

Situated in the Baltic Triangle area of the city, The Women’s Organisation is based in St James Street in a £5.3m state-of-the-art centre that provides a range of services focused on women’s start-up businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises. As well as an international research and knowledge centre, the building also provides incubation units for new and high growth women enterprises, as well as conference and meeting facilities.

Starting up increases fulfilment for female entrepreneurs WOMEN who run their own business are happier, more satisfied and enjoy a better work-life balance than those who work for someone else, according to research by banking group RBS. The survey of 300 UK-based female entrepreneurs also found that 44% of women in the North West want to run their own business. The report compared the experiences of female business owners across a range of sectors, investigating how running their own business

post business

had impacted on confidence, work-life balance and job satisfaction. It claims women who own their own business said their job satisfaction levels had increased from 55% to 75% after they started their company. Similarly, women reported that their confidence went from an average of 64% to 73% while their “work-life balance” improved from 60% to 70%. The research also found that women who hope to start

up their own businesses are the most “dissatisfied” in their current jobs, while those who own their own businesses are the most “satisfied”. Also, the survey says women are more likely to set up there own business faster than men, with 66% setting up within a year of having the idea, compared with 60% of men in the same time frame. However, the survey also found that women experience a slightly higher level of stress when running their own business compared with when

they work for someone else. Anne McPherson, managing director for diversity in business, NatWest/RBS Business & Commercial Banking, said: “This research reveals that starting a business can be a really life enhancing decision for many women.” She added: “Smallmedium-sized enterprises are the heartbeat of the British economy and that’s why we at the RBS Group are doing all we can to help everyone achieve their business dreams.”

Vicky said: “We wanted to add character to the salon as both our stylists and clients have such personality we felt it needed reflecting in the look of the salon.” “The new style has been the talking point of the salon and all of our clients have been commenting on the look. “Working across the two salons has been hard work but it’s been brilliant, and Amanda Irving who is deputy manager at Voodou for Him is an amazing help. The salons are more interacted with each other than ever and we have an amazing team of stylists and barbers.” The revamp includes library-style bookcase wallpaper, new green chesterfield chairs and bowler hat lighting.”

POST

MOBILE

For News, Sport and Business on your phone Anne McPherson

Text LDP to 67800

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business location

Property firms falling victim to the latest UK bank mis-selling scandal

view point by Daniel Fallows, director at Seneca Banking Consultants THE collapse of the student housing provider Opal will have sent a shudder of recognition through many property firms which have been blighted by interest rate swaps. Opal’s founder Stuart Wall blamed

Graduate starters at GVA GVA has appointed two graduate surveyors in its Liverpool office. James Ratcliffe and Stuart Paskins join the firm having both completed their studies in real estate management at Oxford Brookes University. The graduate appointments are part of GVA Liverpool and the wider company’s growth strategy for 2013, which will see amore people recruited. Patrick Whitby, senior director at the firm, said: “The investment in emerging talent is a great opportunity to ensure we continue to provide a fresh approach.”

one of these hedging products for the demise of his business into administration last week. He’s not the only developer to bemoan ever signing up. Interest rate swaps, caps and collars were sold in their thousands to property firms between 2001 and 2008 – and are the focus of another banking scandal. Last summer the Financial Services Authority said it had concerns about the “serious failings” in the way some 40,000 of these products were sold. Business Secretary Vince Cable recently revised that figure upwards to over 100,000 problem loans. The banks sold (and insisted on)

swaps or other complex hedging strategies such as enhanced collars as a means of allowing borrowers to fix their rates and control their costs. But as interest rates fell these products became ever more expensive, not least because they come with astronomical exit fees. The destructive effects have included pushing businesses into insolvency and a whole spectrum of problems such as redundancy and restricted cashflows. In some cases, the existence of one of these toxic swaps has proved a

deal-breaker where a principal wants to sell up. In most cases the products were sold over the phone. The terms and conditions would only turn up weeks later, by which time the contract had, in effect, already been executed. You would think it would be reasonable of the bank to clearly point out the issue of the potential huge break costs that would the business would have to pay should it wish to exit the product – the lower the rates dropped, the more you had to pay to the bank – but no.

‘Existence of toxic swaps has affected deals’

Eleven high street banks have agreed to participate in a compensation scheme which is rolling out at a painfully slow pace. Banks will fight claims all the way and I don’t think anyone will find it easy to get a fair settlement. Even now, we see communications from banks to customers which are misleading. To suggest, for instance, that people don’t need specialist professional advice is disingenuous and, frankly, ludicrous. What’s required is an experienced and specialist eye to unravel what has been sold and the breaches of acceptable practice.

BPF calls for change in law to avoid the ‘quarter day rush’ by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF

tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

Administrators for HMV have been looking to strike deals with landlords

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BOTH the commercial property sector and an isolvency trade body are calling for an urgent change in the law to prevent “rushed” deals between administrators and landlords. Currently, rent owed to a landlord prior to the appointment of administrators is not treated as a cost of the administration. This has led to many tenants being put into administration just after quarter day (when quarterly rent is due) enabling them to use the premises for the remainder of the quarter without having to pay rent whilst the landlord recovers nothing as an unsecured creditor. In recent days this issue has been highlighted with administrators of collapsed music retailer HMV having to seek a last-minute deal with its landlords ahead of quarter day. Now the British Property Federation (BPF), backed by the insolvency trade body, R3, is calling for the Government to intervene and amend an administration regime they say is forcing “perverse outcomes”. The BPF is asking the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to amend the law so landlords get paid for the time the

insolvency practitioner uses a property on a pay-as-you-use basis. Director of policy, Ian Fletcher said: “Ultimately what all parties want from administration is the best possible deal for all concerned – an agreement that stands the test of time and sees the new business recover. “Rushing to complete a deal due to the expenses in administration rule risks delivering perverse outcomes that risks jobs and the future health of the business. It is a further example of why reform is needed. “No one’s looking for favours on this, just fairness. The old system of pay-for-what-you-use worked perfectly well before the courts set other precedents. “There is a quick win here for the Insolvency Minister, were she to make it a priority.” In a statement, R3 also called for clarification of the law. It said: “The quirks of recent case law (Goldacre and Luminar Leisure) have left a horribly inequitable position for both landlords and administrators depending on the precise timing of an administration, with a potential liability of three month’s rent in advance, whatever the outcome of the administration. “The previous ‘pay for what you use’ system was much fairer, as the BPF identifies.”

Legat markets Wirral site AGENTS at Legat Owen have been appointed by Givaudan UK to handle the disposal of its production facility in Bromborough, Wirral which is due to close late in 2013. The site comprises a facility of 200,000 sq ft on a self-contained site of 20 acres which is close to the Wirral International Business Park. The savoury fla-

vouring production facility, which has been in operation for more than 40 years, was originally part of Unilever before it was sold to ICI in 1997 when it was known as Quest International, which was bought by Givaudan in 2007. Patrick Hughes, associate director at Legat Owen, said: “The site has been very well maintained

and benefits from a number of key features including significant electricity capacity, an extensive land holding, very close proximity to dock access as well as access to well water via a bore hole. “Our aim is to identify a purchaser who will invest in the site going forward and believe it will prove of interest in the current market.”

Thursday, April 4, 2013

location post business

Meridian secures its 10th letting DEVELOPER Prospect GB has secured the 10th letting in less than a year at its Meridian Business Village in Hunts Cross, south Liverpool. The latest tenant at the business park off Woodend Avenue is Coeus Insurance Management, a corporate and commercial insurance broker, which has signed a five-year lease agreement on a two-floor unit. The company’s arrival at the location means a total of 18,967 sq ft of office space has been let in the past 12 months. Only six units now remain available in sizes ranging from 1,374 sq ft to 2,695 sq ft. Head of Prospect GB’s commercial division, Chris Walker, said: “The exceptional lettings activity at Meridian Business Village has defied a sluggish commercial market throughout the region. “With its fast road and rail links to the city centre and wider arterial routes, businesses have recognised the strategic benefits of the location, but they also appreciate that the immediate surroundings provide lifestyle benefits for their staff and an appealing place for customers and clients to visit. “Extensive mixed-use development in the area has created new hotels, leisure facilities, dining options and great retail destinations like the New Mersey Shopping Park. “It all combines to provide an attractive, contemporary setting.”

Tax relief extension to breathe new life into vacant premises by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF

tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

THE Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has welcomed the extension of a tax relief scheme that it says will help bring vacant premises back into use. Business Premises Renovation Allowance (BPRA) is a 100% tax relief on costs incurred in converting, renovating or repairing disused business premises. It was introduced April 2007 and has now been extended by the Government

for another five years until March 2017. RICS say this extension is much needed to give more sole traders, or companies thinking of opening or expanding a business, the opportunity to convert ageing property back into business use. However, Brent Forbes, director at Pettys Chartered Surveyors – which has offices in Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester and Preston – claims many property owners in the region are unaware of this allowance or unsure of how it works exactly. Mr Forbes said: “The vacant premises, or part of a building, must

be in an ‘assisted’ area that qualifies for relief when the expenditure is incurred. “The current list of qualifying areas is due to expire on December 31 this year, when a new list will be agreed. “So the first thing commercial property owners should do is check whether any properties they currently own or are looking to buy are located in an assisted area so they can take advice on claiming BPRA.” A full list of the assisted areas in the North West (including Liverpool, Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Cumbria and Lancashire) is available on the Government legislation website

www.legislation.gov.uk under The Assisted Areas Order 2007. Mr Forbes added: “The premises must have last been used as a business, and specifically not used as a dwelling, in order to qualify for the tax relief. “It also must have been empty for at least a year before works begin and the costs incurred must be on conversion or renovation work, together with any incidental repairs. “Owners must be aware that the tax exemption will not be given if the building does not remain a business premises after the renovation works have been completed.”

Liverpool’s No 2 Moorfields is put up for sale for £2.5m ONE of Liverpool’s most prominent office buildings is on the market with a price tag of £2.5m. No 2 Moorfields, on the corner of Moorfields and Dale Street, is currently home to five tenants, including Yorkshire Bank and the office of the Secretary of State for Health, Agents at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) have been instructed to find a buyer for the 63,692 sq ft property on behalf of the joint LPA Receivers. Buillt in 1984, No 2 Moorfields currently produces an annual rental income of around £256,000. It comprises retail to the ground floor and four upper floors of office with a newly-refurbished reception, passenger lifts and common areas as well as 36 car parking spaces to the rear. Helen Moss, associate director at JLL, said: “No 2 Moorfields is a modern building and offers significant opportunities for an investor to increase value by maximising income on the ground floor retail and the available office accommodation. “There is also a potential to consider alternative uses, such as residential, hotel or student accommodation.”

No 2 Moorfields is home to five tenants

POST MOBILE

Developer on site at Wirral scheme FOR News, Sport and Business on your phone

Text LDP to 67800

WIRRAL Partnership Homes (WPH) has started work on a new residential development in Wirral. The Victoria View development site in New Brighton, will comprise 41 apartments. WPH claims it will offer “some of the most envious views in Wirral”. Work has started following a ceremonial contract signing which took place on site atten-

ded by senior executives and development staff from both WPH and ESH Build, the main contractor on the project. Patrick McCarthy, WPH deputy chief executive said: “This development is just one example of the huge investment being made by WPH across Wirral in providing affordable housing with good design and really will be a flagship site.”

Colin Peel, Construction director at ESH, added: “We are really pleased to be working on this scheme with WPH and to be involved in the regeneration of a site that was formerly derelict for a long period of time.” The apartments, which are being built on the site of the former Victoria Hotel, are due for completion by August next year.

Bar in auction PREMISES in Liverpool city centre are to go under the hammer at an auction later this month. The property – 7-11 Sir Thomas Street – comprises a bar/restaurant/nightclub accommodation arranged over basement, ground and first floors extending to 13,928 sq ft of space. It also includes 17 apartments which have been sold long leasehold and produce a ground rent of £3,400 per annum. Agents at Edward Symmons have entered the site into the Pugh & Co auction on April 25 with a price tag of £475,000 to £525,000.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business economic development

Logistics expert backing growth sectors

superport

by Neil Hodgson

POST BUSINESS STAFF

neil.hodgson@liverpool.com

IVERPOOL’S credentials as a potential superport have been given a ringing endorsement by an international specialist who believes the region can poach business from the south coast of the UK. The city’s St George’s Hall will host a major conference next Wednesday on the region’s bid to create an internationally-renowned superport utilising its road, sea, rail and air links. “Superport – the beating heart of UK logistics”, will feature Riverside MP and chair of the Transport Select Committee Louise Ellman, and representatives from logistics group Stobart, and luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover, which exports thousands of vehicles from its Halewood plant. Keynote speaker will be Kieran Ring, chief executive of the Global Institute of Logistics. He visited Liverpool a month ago to assess the Liverpool city region’s ambitions as a Superport. The thinking behind superport is that as fuel costs rise the need to move goods, domestically and internationally, far more efficiently becomes much more important than ever, both from an economic and an environmental viewpoint. The region is investing almost £2bn on its transport and logistics network, including Peel Ports’ £300m Liverpool2 container terminal which will be able to accept much bigger vessels that will use the widened Panama Canal from 2015, and which can then link with the Manchester Ship Canal to move goods further into the North West. Stobart’s Mersey Multimodal Gateway (3MG) at Widnes and Runcorn offers road, rail and sea links and valuable warehousing capacity for client, such as Tesco. Nearby will be the £600m Mersey Gateway bridge, a new six-lane crossing improving road access to the region. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is among the fastest-growing regional airports in Europe, while throughout the region developers, landowners and local authorities are providing warehousing capacity to entice logistics and manufacturing businesses. The existing sector currently supports 34,000 jobs and generates £1.1bn for the local economy (GVA). Liverpool’s Superport strategy envisages creating 21,000 more jobs and £6.1bn in GVA by 2020, and nearly 30,000 jobs and £18.3bn by 2030. Dublin-based Global Institute of Logistics chief executive Kieran Ring visited the region earlier last month ahead of his keynote conference speech to asses how Liverpool could fit into developing global logistics trends. He told Post Business: “I really enjoyed going to Liverpool and I was

Peel Ports’ £300m Liverpool2 development will be able to handle bigger container vessels from 2015 and, inset, Kieran Ring stunned by it. It all came alive to me and it struck me what would it be like to be in a city that was the world’s number one port?” He said: “I found myself in a city going back to its roots and I found myself connected to that.” Mr Ring said logistics depends on clusters of related activity: “Logistics is a team sport, and clustering produces logistics. “When birds of a feather flock together, if they sing in harmony they can produce a far better tune than anyone on their own, and that is all about clusters.” He said the case for clusters has grown from the lack of cheap oil and

the widening of the Panama Canal, which will enable much bigger container ships to ply the seas. “In the crash of 1929 the US ran to protectionism. Everything had gone to the middle of the country and was produced there and supplied the country from the middle to the coast. “But globalisation changes all that. “You’re better off being at the coast. Britain was predicated on seas and ports, the Empire was all about water and ports. Tate and Lyle sugar came by sea, was refined and then put back on a ship and sent around the

‘You have to have clutter-free arteries to the port’

Empire, and that is what’s happening now. “The nearer you are to the port the better chance you have of keeping costs low.” He said the most efficient ports these days combine port operations with adjacent warehousing capacity. “Zebrugge said, ‘if you want to have land and a port we are here to do it’. “In America it was Savannah. “All Chinese ports are built inside warehousing complexes.” Liverpool cannot offer this, but it can offer pockets of land around the city for warehousing that can feed into the port, although Mr Ring acknowledges: “You’ve got to have clutter-free arteries that feed to the port.”

Another drawback for Liverpool he identified was its poor rail connections with the port. “Rail at Liverpool is very underdeveloped. At Rotterdam 35% of all traffic coming in to the dock must be by rail. But in Liverpool that is not part of the plan. “Private investors say ‘we don’t see the need for rail’, and that is where you get the chicken and the egg. You start to see the challenges.” However, he said the Manchester Ship Canal link from Liverpool into the Port of Salford was a “trump card”, adding: “That’s a huge asset.” He added: “There is no doubt there is cargo to be won from the South coast of the UK and more ships will cross the Atlantic after 2015. “The plan has potential.”

Thursday, April 4, 2013

economic development post business

superport plan

diary of an entrepreneur I’VE always had a passion for beauty – treating people and giving them an hour or two of indulgence is what I love to do. A memory that will always stick in my mind from when I was a little girl is going to Great Homer Street Market every Saturday and buying a new lipstick. I’d save up all week and buy something special to indulge in, so I guess you could say that’s where it all began. I’ve always been fascinated by beauty therapy and making people feel good about themselves, so I’ve definitely turned my passion into a career. I left school 21 years ago and studied beauty therapy at St Helens College and got my first break in the industry by joining an elite establishment in Woolton. When I qualified as a beauty therapist back in the mid-1990s beauty and spa treatments were considered to be exclusive to affluent Londoners – but that’s definitely not the case anymore. I spent my first five years as a professional building up my specialism in facial treatments and massages before deciding that I wanted to bring my own brand of luxury to Liverpool by myself. I started out with a mobile service, but after a few years I invested in my first salon, Rouge, in Wavertree’s Picton Road. After this I expanded to where I

am now, my lovely salon in Greenbank Road – Nicola Harris Beauty. In the salon I do everything from managing my staff to providing treatments and sourcing new products. It’s a hands-on job, but I absolutely love it. And it doesn’t stop there – when I’m not in work I spend my time teaching or learning. Everything I do leads back to the salon and I pour all of my passion back into my place of work, because it means everything to me. I’m currently studying at university to get my Diploma for a Certificate of Higher Education, while also teaching at Michael John Academy on Renshaw Street one day a week. Liverpool is an amazing place to own a beauty salon. My clients appreciate the luxury and the professional care that both me, and my staff, provide. So to make sure that we give our clients what they want we’re constantly training ourselves on new brands and products and taking risks – from bee venom to dragon’s blood, we’ve definitely seen it all. It’s going to be a fantastic few months as we run up to our first birthday – and I can’t wait to see what trends will be coming next. Nicola Harris is the founder of Nicola Harris Beauty

‘It is a real hands-on job but I really love it’

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is one of the fastest growing regional airports throughout Europe

The £600m Mersey Gateway crossing will improve road links for the region

Aim is to improve global logistics one port at a time THE Global Institute of Logistics was founded in New York in 2003 by members of the Global Logistics Forum under the chairmanship of the late Robert V Delaney, the US logistics commentator and author. As a membership organisation for international port communities the Institute, which also has offices in Beijing and Dublin, is focused on

identifying best practice and building international standards of excellence through engagement with port authorities, logistics providers, shipping companies and other maritime supply chain organisations. This, it says, creates a platform through which knowledge is shared, best practice is adopted and trade developed. The Institute's mission

is to 'improve global logistics one port at a time'. Institute members combine to form a global network through which the aim is for knowledge to be shared, best practice adopted and trade developed. The Institute works with individual port communities to develop think tanks comprised of ‘thought leaders’ and

individuals identified by their peer group as the key influencers in the shaping of the local logistics structure. This enables the Institute to organise shared knowledge events that allow these think tanks to connect with the Institute's international network of members, from which global standards and benchmarks can be developed.

Nicola Harris of Nicola Harris Beauty

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business professional

MSIF reaches £4m funding target for business help by Neil Hodgson

POST BUSINESS STAFF

neil.hodgson@liverpool.com

MERSEYSIDE Special Investment Fund (MSIF) has achieved the full investment of its £3.9m Small Loans for Business Fund which it manages on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The fund invested in 132 businesses, including 53 start-up companies, and also reached its target of investing £1.8m in businesses using technology, innovation or adopting new ways of working. MSIF will now continue to manage the legacy returns from this fund and has also raised a new fund which it will launch this month. This fund will continue to provide much-needed finance to start-ups and will also be able to invest in the retail sector. MSIF investment director Chris Walters, who oversaw the Small Loans for Business Fund and who will manage the new fund, said: “The full investment of this fund highlights the demand for an alternative source of finance for businesses. “Start-ups particularly need support because it is very difficult to get funding elsewhere. “I would like to thank all of our partners who have worked with us on the investment of this fund for their support and look forward to continuing to work with them on the investment of our new funds.” MSIF chief operating officer Lisa Greenhalgh added: “This fund has had a direct impact on the local economy. It was set up specifically to invest in businesses that could not get investment elsewhere, so the 132 businesses that have been supported would not have been able to start or grow and create jobs along the way. “Chris and the team have done a

fantastic job. It is very important that businesses feel supported – start-ups particularly need to be educated about the investment process and also about what other help is available to them.” MSIF currently manages three funds: The Merseyside Loan & Equity Fund provides loan and equity finance from £50,000 to £2m; the Small Loans Fund provides loans from £3,000 to £50,000; and the Start-up Loans Programme is aimed at helping 18-30-year-olds into business. One of the latest businesses to benefit from MSIF’s range of funds is Calderstones-based care home business Brightholme Care Services, trading as Beechside Residential Care, which has undergone a major expansion with backing from MSIF. The investment has enabled the business to increase capacity from 28 to 36 residents and build a specialist dementia day care facility. MSIF provided part of the initial investment to buy the business in 2008 and this latest funding takes the total to £145,000. Brightholme is owned by father and son John and Keith Waterson. Mr Waterson jnr’s wife Anita manages the home. Mr Waterson jnr said: “Since buying the business with the initial support from MSIF, demand for places in the home grew and quickly exceeded our original trading capacity of 28 service users. “Despite the home always being full and having a waiting list, the bank was unwilling to support us.” MSIF investment director Paul Humphray said: “Because of the quality of care there is always a waiting list, so it makes sense, as a business, to increase the number of residents they can accept.” Brightholme employs 32 staff and expects to take on another six

Osprey Capital to open city office

‘Start-ups are in particular need for support’

Paul Humphray (MSIF), left, and Keith Waterson of Brightholme

VENTURE capital firm Osprey Capital is opening a Liverpool office, ahead of its fifth anniversary. The firm is based on Stonecross Business Park, Warrington. and was founded by chairman Ronan Kearney. He moved to Merseyside from his native Ireland as a teenager in 1984 and, since founding his company, has developed an affinity with the Liverpool business community. He was shortlisted as Young Entrepreneur of the Year by lobby group Downtown Liverpool in Business, and has since focused on the investment world based in the City of London. He said the new office in Exchange Flags’ Horton House is integral to developing stronger relationships with key professionals in the city: “As we approach Osprey Capital’s fifth anniversary we look back with pride, and forward with confidence as we watch the company continue to grow. “We are excited to be opening new offices in the city of Liverpool and look ahead to its future with the same confidence.” He added: “I have lived here for some time and have witnessed the strength and dynamism of the business community and am happy that Osprey will now be an integral part of it.” He said the business community can only grow stronger with the advent of Peel Holdings’ International Trade Centre in Wirral. Osprey Capital invests at seed and founder stages and only invests in companies focused on UK retail financials.

on the move ■

LIVERPOOL’S St Johns Shopping Centre has appointed Robert Bradley to the position of deputy centre manager. With almost 20 years’ of management experience at shopping centres across the country, including his previous position as deputy centre manager at Princes Quay, Hull, Mr Bradley brings invaluable expertise to the centre.

He began his career in shopping centres at Buttermarket, Ipswich and even married his wife in the Buttermarket shopping centre, with tenants contributing to the decorations and attending the wedding.

■

JEFF Gillbanks, a partner at law firm Brabners Chaffe Street, has taken over the head role of secretary general of the Association of European Lawyers, a net-

work of 37 independent law firms, including Brabners Chaffe Street, who work together on cross-border transactions and other multi-jurisdictional casework. Mr Gillbanks heads the commercial property team at Brabners Chaffe Street in Liverpool. His AEL role is a three year appointment.

■

INDUSTRIAL recruitment agency Gap Personnel has pro-

moted UK operations director Mark Roberts to managing director. Gary Dewhurst, who founded gap in 1997, becomes chief executive officer and will continue to play a strategic role within the business. Mr Roberts, 37, joined gap, which has offices in Liverpool, Warrington and Preston, in 1998 shortly after leaving university and has risen through the ranks.

Robert Bradley – role at St Johns Centre

Jeff Gillbanks – AEL secretary general

Mark Roberts – risen through the ranks

Thursday, April 4, 2013

style

Cufflinks: Keeping your cuffs together in style for centuries Alistair Houghton finds cufflinks for all occasions

Links for cufflinks

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MADE-HERE, in Metquarter, offers a range of cufflinks, made from “re-purposed” Meccano gears, from £20 a pair (see main image, left). The store also sells Geekcycled” cufflinks made with vintage comics, above, which can be made to include specific characters on request. They cost from £14.50 a pair. For details, see www.made-here.co.uk

OPPING in a pair of cufflinks can make anyone feel just a little more smartly dressed. The single-cuff shirt may be the default option for most today, but for smart occasions only a double-cuff will do. That means cufflink, which first became widely used in the 18th century, are still going strong. Cufflinks can excite strong opinions. Alan Johnson was once reported as saying that you should never trust a man “with single cuffs and cufflinks”. Cufflinks can be used to express corporate pride. A year ago, interviewing Castlerock Recruitment Group owner Ian Munro at his base in St Helens, I noted that he was “so proud of the company that he wears branded cufflinks”. Cufflinks can also betray allegiances. In January 2012, for example, I met Trigon Snacks boss Brian Cardy – and wrote: “His Arsenal cufflinks betray a love of the London team that dates back to his childhood in the shadow of the club’s old Highbury stadium.” If you want to show off your more local allegiances, then all local sports clubs can supply you with cufflinks. The Tranmere Rovers FC store ( www.trfcshop.co.uk) offers silver and gold versions, suggesting that they are a “great gift idea for weddings, birthdays and for generally anyone who wears shirts with cuffs”. Everton FC, meanwhile (www.evertondirect.evertonfc.com) is selling its 1995 Cup Final cufflinks for just £1.99.

post business

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BLUECOAT-BASED store Landbaby is currently selling ceramic cufflinks by Alice Shields at £16 a pair, above (www.landbaby.co.uk)

Kate Stewart of the Made-here store in Metquarter with the Meccano cufflinks Last week, ahead of the Boat Race, the University of Oxford Shop suggested that boat club cufflinks were an “essential piece of kit” for fans of the annual watery Oxbridge face-off. The University of Liverpool may not be one of what Alan Partridge once called “the undisputed grand masters of racing boats on the Thames” – but

you can still buy cufflinks from that institution’s online store (www.shop.liv.ac.uk) There are lots of links online for cufflinks that are on sale for millions of dollars. But it perhaps comes as no surprise to hear that, when it comes to cufflinks, pop legend Michael Jackson

Picture: ANDREW TEEBAY

made the biggest splash. Guinness World Records says the most expensive cufflinks sold at a private sale were the V2 links “made from diamonds and sapphires set in platinum and 18-carat gold”. They were sold to Jackson and MJ Productions for $39,750 (£23,850) in Bucharest in November 1996.

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AND if you have a bit more cash to spend, Liverpool jeweller Boodles offers a wide selection of cufflinks at its store and online – including these McLaren gold and diamond cufflinks at £4,500 a pair, above (www.boodles.com).

past business – nostalgia

‘Aparthotel’ opening marks the latest chapter in iconic building’s story

The Lewis’s store being rebuilt after it was bombed in Word War II

DAVID LEWIS would surely never have tolerated the use of the word “aparthotel.” But he would surely be proud to know that a building bearing his name remains one of the city’s true icons. Last week, European chain Aparthotels Adagio opened its first UK venture in part of the former Lewis’s department store facing Ranelagh Street. It houses 126 apartments targeted at people staying for longer than in an average hotel – hence that ugly portmanteau word, aparthotel. But Adagio director, Vangelis Porikis, chose his words carefully when he called the building “genuinely iconic”, adding; “I have heard Liverpudlians say ‘Lewis’s was Liverpool’ – that is how much this building means to the city.” David Lewis founded a boy’s clothing shop in Ranelagh Street in 1856 and grew it into Liverpool’s most famous retailer. His successors opened Lewis’s stores as far afield as Glasgow and Stoke-on-Trent. The frontage we see today was built following the original store’s

destruction in World War II. Lewis’s regained its place as Liverpool’s shopping hotspot, with wares ranging from the latest fashions to office technology, as seen to the right. Shop assistants even included a young Paul McCartney. But by the late 1980s, as Liverpool wallowed in the economic mire, the store had also fallen on hard times. It collapsed into administration in 1991 before being rescued by the Owen Owen group. By 2001 all Lewis’s stores bar Liverpool had closed, and in 2007 had to be saved from administration again. The store closed its doors for the last time in 2010. The building has now been gutted and will become a gateway to the Central Village leisure and retail development taking shape behind. Thankfully, the Lewis’s name will survive on the facade – as will the famous “Liverpool Resurgent” statue by Sir Jacob Epstein. The giant naked man is, of course, better known as Dickie Lewis – a Liverpool icon in himself. ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

Cutting-edge technology on show in this undated picture of Lewis’s stationery department

Thursday, April 4, 2013

post business endpiece

trading gossip ■

BEHIND the shelter in the middle of a roundabout – well, on a bus stop next to a crossroads – a group of friendly neighbours came to the rescue of potentially befuddled travellers this weekend. One of Trading Gossip’s mobile spies was striding through blue suburban skies this Easter weekend when, at the bus stop in Greenbank Road just off Penny Lane, they spotted a home-printed sign pasted to the yellow wall. The sign, below, made clear that the student-focused 699 bus, which takes a pleasingly circuitous route between the University of Liverpool and various halls of residence, was not running over Easter. And below, in tiny text, it reads: “From the nice

Vikki does her bit to promote Woolton community library myday off

Vikki Wynne, left, with former Woolton librarian June Travis

Vikki Wynne, 32, is a chartered accountant with Haines Watts in Liverpool. As well as having a good eye for numbers, she has a passion for reading and her local community

people in P block who feel sorry for you.” The stop is overlooked by the University of Liverpool’s Derby & Rathbone Halls. So who says students can’t be good neighbours?

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CRUISE ships may be the salvation of Liverpool’s tourist industry, but the passengers will need to be handled with kid gloves if a survey by cruise travel agency bonvoyage.co.uk is to be believed. One couple accused a captain of being “rude” for sailing off when they had left a note saying they needed more sightseeing time in port, while a man complained about not getting “an impressive tan” and being unable to swim in the pool each day – while on a trip around Alaska. Another woman, having seen that Take That star Gary Barlow had been on her ship on an earlier trip, demanded to know why the singer was not on her voyage. A Yorkshire couple wanted compensation after forking out “a lot more money than planned” on staff tips due to the excellent service. And another woman even moaned about the sea being “too loud”. If her ship ever docks in Liverpool, goodness knows what she’d make of a quiet night in Mathew Street.

STARTED at chartered accountants Haines Watts in 2005 on a training contract. Within two years I had qualified and a just year later I became part of the management team. I now manage a diverse portfolio of clients across various industries ranging from small owner-managed businesses to large corporations. I live in Woolton, which has a very good community spirit, and we were all very disappointed to hear of the closure of our local library in Woolton Village. As an avid reader I was a regular visitor to this library both as a child and as an adult. My daughter was also a regular and went with her nursery at least a few times a week. The building has operated as a library since 1926. It’s a beautiful building with lots of history and was once a bustling place used regularly by the elderly, families, and the local schools. Sadly, it closed its doors on March 31, 2012, due to council cuts. Last summer, I attended a meeting at the Village Hall, which was organised by community members who felt just as passionate as I did about its loss. By working together, we were determined to try to bring this resource back into our local community. Various fund-raising events were held to raise money to enable us to hold pop-up libraries in nurseries and retirement homes in and around Woolton. Thousands of books have been donated. There was a breakthrough earlier this year when we secured premises in which to hold a brand new library. The Hub is the focal point for St Peter’s Church during the week and a place of connection with our local community. It’s run by a friendly group of volunteers that have a call to serve their community in The Simon Peter Centre. They kindly let us rent a large room in the building to house it. The doors were opened on February 12 this year and we’ve not looked back.

Campaigners protesting the closure of Woolton Library back in 2011 The library is run by a number of volunteers, including June Travis who was the librarian in Woolton Library before its closure. I provide financial advice, deal with the bank and accounts and am on the committee. We have lots of ideas and projects in the pipeline. For now, our short-term aim is to raise money for some IT equipment for use within the library and the community and to continue to raise awareness of our existence in the local community. The list of benefits of reading, particularly with your child, is endless. Reading with my daughter, I believe, makes our bond stronger, hopefully providing her with a sense of intimacy and wellbeing.

‘We have lots of projects in the pipeline’

Vikki Wynne in her day job

Thursday, April 4, 2013

endpiece post business

networking

Kemp’s Bistro. Inset, the Isla Gladstone Conservatory

Speedy recruiting

ST HELENS CHAMBER held an “informal speed networking” Meet the Apprentice event to help employers to meet young people applying for apprenticeships. Above, Christine

Scott, operations manager at St Helens-based Company Cards, right, finds out what budding apprentice Callum Simms has to offer. Left, applicants get some last minute tips

ised networking sessions to help attendees to meet potential new customers. From left, Melissa Bush of Liverpool Chamber and Sam Avery from the Comedy Trust, which organises Liverpool Comedy Festival.

Q Why is this your favourite venue? A The bistro sits in the beautiful setting of Stanley Park so after having enjoyed a delicious lunch, always served by very warm and friendly staff, you can take the opportunity to stroll around the park, which is lovely whatever the season.

Training on the cards PHILIP KING, chief executive of the Institute of Credit Management, visited MBNA’s Chester headquarters to launch a training partnership with the credit card giant. The ICM will offer a range

business diary WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

INVEST Hong Kong and a range of local and national partners are visiting Liverpool to highlight the business opportunities available in Hong Kong and China in the Year of the Snake. Hong Kong is a dynamic city with strong growth prospects, is a gateway to opportunities in mainland China and also Asia, and is often the first stepping stone for mainland Chinese companies when going global. The event,

at Peel Ports’ Maritime Centre in Seaforth, lasts from 4pm to 7pm and will offer insights into the region, a panel discussion and open forum, and networking over drinks. For further information, email Theresa Li via theresa_li @hketolondon.gov.hk

THURSDAY, APRIL 11

LIVERPOOL Hope University has arranged a breakfast briefing on how changes to the National Health Service could affect Merseyside companies and

Sarah Kelsey, North Liverpool Partnership Manager, Liverpool Vision Q What is your favourite lunch venue? A Kemp’s Bistro in the Isla Gladstone Conservatory, Stanley Park, North Liverpool.

Comedy network LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, supported by the Comedy Trust, held a Meet & Eat networking lunch at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Liverpool. The event featured “networking booths” and organ-

my favourite lunch

their staff. Matt Ashton, acting Director of Public Health for Knowsley, will be talking on the NHS Reforms 2013 – challenges and opportunities. Contact Becky Rawlinson on rawlinb@hope.ac.uk

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

IT’S LIVERPOOL In China is staging its latest event, a breakfast briefing from 8am to 10am, at the city’s Malmaison Hotel, aimed at exploring trading opportunities with the “Tiger economy”. The meeting will feature a number of companies who have experience in work-

of courses for staff through the MBNA Credit Business School and Learning Partnership. Mr King, right, is pictured with Ian Craig, MBNA’s customer service and technology executive.

ing in China who will explain what a difference engaging with this market has made to their businesses via a panel discussion. The panel includes Andrew Teage (BDP), James Gower (Clarion Events), Frank Fox (Lombard Shipping), Steven Foo (Mitchell Charlesworth), and Martin Kitney (Thumbstar). For further information or to reserve your place, email rsvp@liverpool vision.co.uk

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

THE British Council of Shopping Centres is in Liverpool with a research seminar,

Q What is your favourite dish and why? A I am rather partial to the steak ciabatta, invariably accompanied by the homemade chunky chips – delicious. Q What is the best bit of business you have done over lunch? A It is difficult to identify one particular occasion – however, I am a great believer in combining business and lunch as I feel we generally relax more and become “ourselves”, which always helps to inspire trust and more meaningful conversations.

Multi-Channel Retailing and Implications. The event will explore retailer responses to issues such as its implications for retail space and retailer hierarchy, strategic asset management, challenges for retail leasing and lease structures, financial implications and more. It takes place at 5 Wall Street, Liverpool One and is free to BCSC members or £35+VAT for non-members. Book online at www. bcsc.org.uk/event_form_ open.asp?event_id=569

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

SEFTON Chamber of Com-

Sarah Kelsey Q Who would you most like to have lunch with? A James Martin – television chef extraordinaire ….do I really need to explain why, ladies? Q Where else do you like to go for lunch? A Sunday afternoon sitting with friends around the fire enjoying lunch in the very traditional setting of the Fox and Hounds pub in Barnston, Wirral, always hits the mark. It obviously helps that I live near enough to “stroll” home so can enjoy a glass of wine or two.

merce, with UKTI and Invest Sefton, is assisting companies throughout the borough to explore overseas opportunities for the first time and helping existing exporters to look at new markets. The second of two free events is being held at the Sefton Economic Forum. As in the first event earlier this month the forum will be held at Aintree Racecourse and will be themed around international trade, with workshops taking place during the day, and with experts from UKTI offering specific support on key markets. Sefton Chamber chief exec-

utive Steve Dickson said: “The local authority’s Invest Sefton team, who we deliver the economic forum alongside, are also working on achieving this target and this major business support event will include an international trade theme with seminars.” To book a place or find out more details about this event please visit www.events.sefton chamber.org.uk or call 01704 531710. ■ Send your diary events to neil.hodgson @liverpool.com

Thursday, April 4, 2013

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