Asian Wealth Magazine by Media 36

THE LUXURY BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR ASIAN ENTREPRENEURS

Vol. 2

Issue 1

Spring 2013

AMIR KHAN LOOKING BEYOND THE FIGHT GAME

PAUL SAGOO IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ANJALI PATHAK SPICE GIRL

Also in this issue

Q&A

with Nish Kotecha

Ignoring the recession ■ Smarter spending strategies ■ FX risk management ■ Self-publishing ■

THE ASIAN AWARDS Event Issue £4.99

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The Power of Balance. The new Cayman models are the distillation of a Porsche bloodline 60 years in development. Illustrious forebears such as the 550 CoupĂŠ and 917 Le Mans winner harnessed the benefits of the mid-engined layout to deliver success both on and off the race track. Of course, these icons of the past also help us to engineer our future. Thanks to powerful Boxer engines and lightweight engineering, a low polar moment of inertia and a low centre of gravity, the new Cayman models deliver a masterclass in poise and precision. A masterclass that is true to Porscheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guiding principle of intelligent performance. Discover more at www.porsche.co.uk/balance

Official fuel economy figures for the Porsche Cayman Range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 23.2-24.8 (12.2-11.4), 40.9-44.8 (6.9-6.3), Combined 32.1-34.4 (8.8-8.2), CO2 emissions: 206-192g/km.

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AWA20

Model shown is a Porsche Cayman S at ÂŁ51,724 including 20-inch SportTechno wheels, Bi-Xenon lighting system with Dynamic Light System (PDLS), 12 months road fund licence and first registration fee.

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Editor’sLetter

THE BILLIONAIRES CLUB THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FORBES HAS JUST ANNOUNCED ITS 2013 BILLIONAIrE LISTING. Always an interesting read, as most rich lists are, this year the billionaires club caught the eye of AWM for the amount of new female wealth registered, with 138 women now included on the list compared to 104, in 2012. Of the 34 new women that made the exclusive club, some made their money from inherited wealth, some from self-made business projects - such as Spanx founder Sara Blakely, worth an estimated $1bn - and some from divorce such as Elaine Wynn, who married and divorced American casino magnate Steve Wynn twice, and is still on the board of directors of Wynn resorts. The more established female members of the billionaires club include Frenchwoman Liliane Bettencourt, one of the principal shareholders in L’Oreal, who ranks at number nine in the Forbes list with $30bn to her name. Following close behind in 11th and 16th place are the eponymous Walmart family. Christine and Alice Walton (worth $28.2bn and $26.3bn respectively), as well as Jim and S. robson Walton, all appear within the top 20.

A ccording to F orbes, among the wealthiest people in the world, 9 6 1 of these are self- made billionaires, 184 inherited, and 281 inherited part of their wealth and are now finding ways to increase it. These figures show that the old adage of ‘the first million is the hardest to make’ is still true, but to sustain and grow your wealth is really the key to generational prosperity.

A mir K han, our cov er star this month, is a wonderful ex ample of family thinking in all his business endeav ours. Successful in the boxing ring for a number of years, Amir has invested wisely in property for his family and is now turning his keen business eye to other streams of potential revenue after his retirement from the sport. See how he is planning to do this on page 16, in our exclusive interview with King Khan.

A nother of our interv iewees, A nj ali P athak, is making the most of her family connection, but this time to B ritain’ s kitchens. For years, the family’s lines of cooking sauces and accompaniments have been a staple part of the nation’s obsession with curry. Anjali is now taking this to the next level and making her own name in the culinary arts. She explains how on page 40. Next issue we will be celebrating the British Asian women making their names in business, among the line-up is Saira Khan, Farida Gibbs and Vanita Parti. Make sure you don’t miss their views on making it, spending it and investing it. One day it could be them making waves as the newest Forbes billionaires.

Editor of Asian Wealth Magazine

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CONTENTS

8 8 Stepping into the spotlight Sebastian Coe thinks his awards ceremony is ‘fantastic’ but what does Paul Sagoo, founder of The Asian Awards, think about Asian achievement in the UK? 14 Play the recession at its own game…and win Triple dip. Credit crunch. Economic downturn. Whatever you call it, the recession can be frightening for businesses. But don’t let it get the better of you. Take control of your fortunes with these recession-proofing strategies. 16 Looking beyond the fight game Amir Khan’s in training. And not just for his next bout. The Bolton boxer is ramping up his business interests, ensuring he has a longlasting legacy outside, as well as inside, the ring. 23 Google Places – it’s free! Discover how to rank high in Google –

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without a Google Guru. Shaz Memon, of digital marketing agency Digimax shows you how.

should strategise their spending to save cost and move forward. Nima Suchak delves a little deeper.

24 It’s a small world, after all The world is getting smaller, sophisticated infrastructure, logistics and communications mean that doing business internationally is easier than ever. AWM picks out the most important tips when networking around the globe.

33 Publishers Diary

26 Connecting leaders with legislators Nish Kotecha has an impressive resume, and an equally impressive passion for linking Asian business leaders with each other, and with the UK government. He explains why his own background has shaped his passion for working with, and for, those in poverty. 30 Smarter spending strategies for business growth New research looks at how businesses

34 Business NEWS 39 The Bookkeeper Do you trust your wife? Pinnacle Advisory Services provide their quarterly column with ‘The Bookkeeper’ 40 Spice Girl Chef. Food writer. Consultant for Patak’s. At just 31, Anjali Pathak has already packed plenty into her life, but where will this multi-talented bubbly Bolton lass go next? 43 Wonder Women! Farida Gibbs, CEO of the IT consultancy Gibbs S3, is AWM’s latest columnist. Every issue, she will be bringing the female view to the latest business topics.

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VOL2 ISSUE 1

40 44 Money and marriage: a match made in heaven? In their first column for AWM, solicitor firm The Sethi Partnership gives a legal perspective on the prenuptial agreement. 46 Caledonian café culture The internet café model of the 1990s has been rebranded for the 21st century and looks set to expand with energy, creativity and quality at the heart of everything it stands for. AWM talks to Umer Ashraf Malik of iCafe. 50 How to manage the FX risks of overseas trading Having an international operation is the hallmark of success in the business world, but managing the FX risks of overseas trading is the key to survival. The experts from Currencies Direct explain how to arm your business with the right tools to avoid risk. 53 Be your own publisher Getting a book published no longer

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46 means knocking on the doors of agents and publishing houses. In fact, now you can get your words to market yourself. Here, Melissa Stewart explores the world of self-publishing. 55 Fortune Footsteps In his latest instalment, Aneesh Popat tells AWM about the advancements his chocolate-making business has made in the last three months. 56 It’s a family affair Tax and funding top the list of issues for family businesses, says Nina Amin, tax partner and head of Asian Markets at KPMG. 58 People Behind the Process Right here, right now Here&Now365 specialises in multicultural advertising and marketing. It has worked with brands such as Barclays, Asda and Virgin, but also with small business and public sector organisations to reach an ethnically diverse audience.

58 60 Working to live or living to work? With the boundaries between work and home life becoming ever more blurred, Melissa Stewart explores how you can strike a work/life balance. 64 Luxury Travel NYC: so good they named it twice New York is a world within a city Little Italy, China Town, Chelsea, Greenwich Village. Varun Sharma shows you how to add a touch of luxury to your next trip by staying on the Upper East Side. 68 ARTEMIS: the world’s first super-SUV Eterniti’s first car, the Artemis, meets an unmet need; the need for new levels of luxury, space and performance in an SUV. 73 Event Previews and Reviews. 91 Upcoming Events.

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1. Dream 2. Build 3. Dream After your dream becomes a success, what do you do? You may want to venture into something new or expand your existing horizons. Whatever your goals, we make sure the focus is firmly on you, putting you in a strong position to turn your next dream into reality. Investments can fall in value as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. If you aim for more, call 0800 851 851* or visit barclays.com/wealth

Wealth and Investment Management

Barclays offers wealth and investment management products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered No. 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. *Call costs may vary â&#x20AC;&#x201C; please check with your telecoms provider. Calls may be recorded for security reasons and so that we may monitor the quality of our service.

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d and ecoms

Contacts THE LUXURY BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR ASIAN ENTREPRENEURS

Vol. 2

Issue 1

PUBLISHER Kalpesh Patel Kp@media-36.com T: +44 (0)20 8406 8992

Spring 2013

EDITOR Jo Payne jo@media-36.com

AMIR KHAN LOOKING BEYOND THE FIGHT GAME

Design & Art Direction Christine Sullivan

PAUL SAGOO IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ANJALI PATHAK SPICE GIRL

Also in this issue

Q&A

with Nish Kotecha

■ ■ ■ ■

Ignoring the recession Smarter spending strategies FX risk management Self-publishing

THE ASIAN AWARDS Event Issue £4.99

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Cover Amir Khan Photography Richard Grassie / Chilli Media

Asian Wealth Magazine is the s first a o l lu ur usi ess a a i e for sia e tre re eurs usi ess lea ers a rofessio als u lishe uarterl a istri ute atio all AWM aters for a e eratio fille ith hi h i otivate a i s iratio al rofessio als ho ri e the selves i ei reative a a le to e o life a it s leasures i a out of the o e a h issue o rises of rofile i tervie s s ith ritish sia e tre re eurs fro u a o ers to hi h et orth su essful usi ess i ivi uals a h issue is also a e ith thou ht rovo i usi ess relate arti les urre t a airs a e i ate se tio s for lu ur travel auto otive eve t revie s a revie s Enjoy

Digital Marketing Manager Nemash Patel Editorial Contributors Keeley Bolger Joe Minihane Melissa Stewart Shaz Memon Aneesh Popat Nima Suchak Pinnacle Advisory Services The Sethi Partnership Farida Gibbs Currencies Direct KPMG Varun Sharma Advertising Abby Ghafoor ag@media-36.com T: +44 (0)7748 983 331 Ash Krishnan ak@media-36.com T: +44 (0)7852 415 625 www.AsianWealthMag.co.uk

AWM – Official Publication for: Is Published By

AWM is a media partner for: © MEDIA36 Ltd Asian Wealth Magazine is published by Media36 Ltd, PO Box 3296, South Croydon, CR2 1GT, United Kingdom ISSN 2051-9230

AWM is a member of:

All Rights Reserved No copy without the written consent of the publishers first given, can be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condtion or in any unauthorised cover, by way of trade, or affixed to or as any part of a publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. Media36 publications are fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed wholly or in part without permission. Every possible effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of going to press and neither the publishers nor any of the authors, editors, contributors or advertisers can accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editors, authors, the publisher or any of the contributors or sponsors.

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Sebastian Coe thinks his awards ceremony is ‘fantastic’ but what does Paul Sagoo, founder of The Asian Awards, think about Asian achievement in the UK? Paul tells Keeley Bolger about recognising the new ways in which Asian people are excelling themselves in the UK.

STEPPING INTO THE

FOr SOMEONE WHO CLAIMS HE’S NOT A NATUrAL-BOrN BUSINESS person, Paul Sagoo is doing pretty well at it. CEO of Lemon Group International, a UK-based investment company, founder of The Asian Awards and with a hefty seal of approval from Sebastian Coe, Paul is every bit the success you’d expect from the man who started his career under the tutelage of Lord Alan Sugar. But Londoner Paul, who formed Lemon Group International after several years as a consultant, is modest about his lust-worthy career. “There are people out there who are naturally-born business

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potlight people but I’m not one of them,” he says. “What I am is a good win/win person. I like to see the best in situations. Some naturally-born business people want to win at any cost but I don’t want that.” “I’m not interested in becoming a billionaire. That’s not me.” Instead, the ‘me’ in Paul’s case is a highly resourceful, unassuming man. Having kicked off his working life at Alan Sugar’s computer business Viglen, he went on to work in top IT firms Intel, Microsoft and Siemens before a spell of consultancy and the creation of his investment company. He could have stopped there but instead,

Paul plunged his business nous into The Asian Awards, which was borne out of the frustration he felt at seeing the same winners at every awards bash. “Unanimously the quality of these events wasn’t great,” says Paul. “There would always be something; a spelling mistake in the brochure; the microphone wouldn’t work; the screen would disappear; they’d run out of time or the food wouldn’t be great. “The second thing was the winners. I’d get there and see these people win awards and I’d think, ‘Truly, why does that person deserve the award?’

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From top: with George Alagiah; Nick Clegg and Sebastian Coe; with Christian Louboutin

e re loo i

who are outstanding, fullsto for eo le

And I’d think to myself, are these people getting awards because someone’s paid for it? Or maybe they sponsored last year or next year?” With a noticeable gap in the market for Asian awards with a celebrity flavour, Paul decided to set up his own glamorous event which is now in its third outing. The focus of the awards was finalised, and Paul got to the all-important decision of who should win the gongs. But for Paul that has always been very clear in his mind. “We’re always looking to celebrate people who are genuinely outstanding in their field,” he explains. “Often when Asian people are celebrated for being outstanding, they are being awarded for being outstanding in the Asian-only community. We don’t mean that. We’re looking for people who are outstanding, full stop. We’re looking for people who are already starting to make or have made the crossover into

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the West. People like Sachin Tendulkar, who is genuinely amazing irrespective of whether he is black, white or Asian.” Now in its third year, the Asian Awards – and its illustrious alumni of winners including AWM cover star Amir Khan, ravi Shankar, Ar rahman and George Alagiah – are testament to that vision. And then, there is also that small matter of finding an apt presenter for all those high fliers. Not a problem for Paul, who has secured Sebastian Coe, the face of London 2012, as his host. For Paul, endorsements, such as that from Lord Coe, come at an exciting time for Asian people, who he feels are spreading their wings out of traditional areas of success. “In the UK we’re quite lucky that Asians have done phenomenally well, not least financially,” he says. “You’ve got extremely successful characters like the Hindujas and the Mittals who are always in the press for

whatever reason but whose wealth is constantly referenced and that aspect has really helped grow the perception of Asian people,” he says. RINGING IN THE CHANGES IN 2013 This year’s ceremony, which takes place in April, has also come a long way. It will be the first awards ceremony in the UK which will commemorate the achievement of the global Pan-Asian community as well as those with direct family origins in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what a room with Japanese people, Chinese people, Indian people and Korean people will look like,” Paul enthuses. “What is it going to feel like? What kind of drinks will they like? What food will be served? Is the applause going to be as strong for an Indian person

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In my opinion

as it will be for a Chinese person and vice-versa? We’ve got a Japanese winner attending – how are people going to react to that person? In a meritocratic basis or will cultural snobbery come into play?” “There has never been an event in the UK that has put international Asians of that calibre in one room. We are breaking ground and we’ve always broken ground. It has happened in the US so it can work, but it has never happened in the UK. We may see something amazing that night.” But Paul – who lives in Belgravia with his wife – doesn’t need to look far for examples of amazing Asian achievement. His father, Surinder moved from India to London in the 1960s to support his brother throughout university, is a prime example of such accomplishment. Working his way up at a bakery firm, Surinder eventually became head of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers union – and the first Asian trade union leader. He fought

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and won the right for a Sikh baker to wear his turban on the shop floor. “My father eventually became the first Asian trade union leader. He also set up the first immigration office in Southall, London, in the 1970s back when people were struggling to get on in the UK. For Paul, being resourceful and working hard is second nature. When his parents bought their bakery in Wokingham, he helped out where possible. “We’ve never been shy of hard work in my family. Even when we’ve had times of unemployment, we’ve always thought about what else we can do. We’re resourceful.” That resourcefulness looks set to take 38-year-old Paul into philanthropic work in the future, something he’s been thinking about for a while. “Ultimately, I think you get to a point where you want to be more philanthropic. I think there is a philanthropic side to me.”

‘‘

PHOTOGRAPHY PHIL BOURNE

‘‘

I think that Asian people really have started to excel themselves in the arts and I think that it is largely because of these notable icons that parents are starting to relax. Now we’re getting the second generation’s parents being the main middle-aged Asian people, people who were born here. Thirty or 40 years ago the middle-aged Asian people living in the UK consisted of 99.9% immigrants who came here from abroad and would have had a different upbringing from the kids who are over here now. They would have been taught ‘be a doctor, be a lawyer, be an engineer. Why do you want to go into TV? Waste of time. Why do you want to go into music? Waste of time. Cinema? Waste of time’. If you weren’t doing something that had security, it was pointless. But now the people in their 30s and 40s were born and brought up here, with kids of 16 or 17 years old. When the kids turn around and say ‘I really want to get into music’, they are told that they can because there’s loads of examples of people who made it and people who are making money out of it, which is a big Asian thing. The value has been acknowledged and the barriers are being broken and they can be equivalent to Westerners. I definitely feel that Asian people are better than we were 40 years ago in the arts. There are definite areas where we can improve but Asian people have come a long way. I think the success of Asian artists has made us rethink our priorities and realise there’s more to life than working hard and hoarding money.

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recession game... PLAY THE

AT ITS OWN

AND WIN

Triple dip. Credit crunch. Economic downturn. Whatever you call it, the recession can be frightening for businesses. But don’t let it get the better of you. Take control of your fortunes with these recession-proofing strategies.

HAPPY SHOPPERS If you’re running a start-up business, your relatively small size means you can be more adaptable to the changes the recession may bring. While bigger operations are busying themselves with lengthy redundancy procedures and the like, you can devote your time to winning new customers, who will help take you forward. For small- to medium-sized

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companies, the emphasis is on retaining your customer base by dishing out unbeatable service. Get in touch with clients

and ask them for their honest feedback on your company, their suggestions could give you the edge in the marketplace. YOUR NEXT MOVE ■ Make sure your clients feel like they’re

getting good value for money. ■ Let your clients know that you hold

their custom in high regard. ■ Keep in regular touch with clients

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IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Finance and go the extra mile to help them and give that all-important personal touch. The social networking sites Facebook and Twitter are your friends here. ■ Find out what your clients’ needs are and how and if they have been changed by the recession. If there’s a gap in the market that you can fill, fill it. ■ Secure your rivals’ customers by going above and beyond to make sure you’re offering the best experience out there.

PEOPLE POWER You may not be able to invest in new staff if you’re a small company, but you can improve on the skills that your existing work base have. The recession creates a perfect opportunity to broaden and nurture the talents within your team and keep the creative juices flowing. Get on board with secondments, shadowing, training and real opportunities and help your staff to realise their potential and keep your business buzzing with new ideas.

PRICING UP The recession doesn’t mean you have to slash prices on your goods and services. It may be tempting to offer hefty discounts to encourage business but down the line, cutting the costs of your services and products might mean you’re left straddling a bigger bill than before. Instead, take cue from Marks and Spencers’ ‘Dine in for a tenner’ promotion and re-package a couple of your key services and products as irresistible penny-pinching offers.

YOUR NEXT MOVE ■ Capitalise on your employees’ skills and open up new areas of business, such as consultancy, where they can expand your clientele and give the company a much-needed cash boost.

YOUR NEXT MOVE ■ rather than offering chunks of cash

off your goods and services, re-market a few of your products and sell them as budget-friendly options. ■ Don’t undersell your line.

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YOU’RE HIRED On the flipside, if you’re a medium-sized company and can stretch the purse strings a little further, invest your money in top quality employees. You may save cash by passing over a hot shot with bags of experience, but taking on someone much junior to save money may end costing you more in the long run.

make that crucial difference in your business’s success. COMPANY CULTURE While it’s easy to think that people will be grateful for any job in a recession, they are your biggest resource and during such a straightened time when you can’t perhaps dish out bonuses, it’s vital to make sure they’re motivated. YOUR NEXT MOVE ■ Celebrate your staff’s achievements to encourage your team to stay with you, thus avoiding any costly and time-consuming job hunts for you. ■ If you can’t dole out bonuses, make sure your company provides alternative perks such as early finishes on a Friday. DIVERSIFY Got a product or service that you adore but seems to be going nowhere? Harsh as it sounds, it might be time to cut your losses and focus on something else. With fewer levels of bureaucracy, smaller businesses can excel at this and seize the chance to do something different. YOUR NEXT MOVE ■ Know your limits with business

YOUR NEXT MOVE ■ Don’t be afraid to spend on great staff.

In an SME, every person counts and can

diversification. How much money do you need behind you to deliver? And how many people will you need to work on it?

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LOOKING BEYOND THE

ďŹ ght game Amir Khanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in training. And not just for his next bout. The Bolton boxer is ramping up his business interests, ensuring he has a long-lasting legacy outside, as well as inside, the ring. Joe Minihane went to meet him.

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I want to be one step ahead of that – I never want to be in that position where I might need to come back and take one more fight because I’m short of cash. One more fight and it ruins a career. Look at Mike Tyson and other fighters who have been legends and come back and messed their whole legacy up.” This means that despite no plans to hang up his gloves for at least another four years, Amir has already started investing in property. “I’ve got a lot of houses in this area, Bolton, Manchester and Liverpool, but not really gone anywhere further off. I’ve stayed around this area because I can maintain and manage them myself. In the future I’m going to start looking further, like London.” With understandable concerns about ensuring he has a regular income once his time in the ring is up; Amir sees property as a logical business step. “My properties are like a pension to me, which is going to support me after my career. It’s going to keep me going,” he says. “I live a normal life, but it’s there for my family and my kids one day, to have a good life, an easy life. That’s the reason I got into the property business. At the moment I’m at the peak of my career and I think this is the time to invest in the right businesses and speak to the right people. That’s why I got into it. You can’t really go wrong with property either. It’s always going to be there and people are always going to need houses. It’s a wise move.” Amir has been investing in property for around six years, which is impressive considering he’s only been professional for eight. And it’s something he’s clearly passionate about, enthusing especially about plans to build a wedding and conference venue in Bolton, aimed specifically at the Asian community. “It’s in an area where we have a lot of Asian people and the community living in that area … there’s so many weddings happening. The Asian community likes to make it a five day thing, they want somewhere nice and normally we have to travel all the way to Manchester for that. I want there to be a nice restaurant, an established restaurant, there as well, one that people know about. The thing about Bolton is it doesn’t have that. That’s what I really want to build.” He’s also keen to build better football provision in Bolton, talking excitedly about plans to create new indoor courts and astroturf pitches around town that he hopes will encourage kids to not only do more sport, but also stay out of trouble.

PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD GRASSIE / CHILLI MEDIA

HE WALLS ADOrNED WITH SIGNED PHOTOS, shirts and messages from famous well-wishers, Amir Khan’s Bolton gym feels as much a home for sports memorabilia as it does a place for Britain’s most famous boxer to foster hot new fighting talent and pursue his business interests. But this unprepossessing building, tucked away behind an Aldi supermarket and a five minute drive from the centre of town, is where this world champion is plotting his legacy. Not only to develop business interests that stretch from property to boxing promotion, but to also create a better community in the town he still loves to call home. “I’ve always said that I won’t move from Bolton,” says Amir, sitting underneath a portrait of Mohammed Ali in his office, a simple room at the top of a warren-like corridor. “A lot of people expected me to after winning world titles, that I’d move to London and live down there. But I always said to myself that I’m a Boltonian and I’m going to stay and follow my roots. I want to build businesses up here, because one day when my kids grow up, they can see the businesses that I have. I’ve been loyal to my town, I love it here.” In an area where there is such a strong Asian community, with deep family ties, it’s perhaps no surprise he doesn’t want to leave. Amir Khan became a house-hold name overnight as a British Asian boxing sensation in 2004, bursting onto the scene as an amateur at the Athens Olympics, winning a silver medal in the lightweight category. Turning professional in 2005, he won his first world title in 2009 and has since arguably become the biggest British boxing draw in the world. But, at the age of just 26, his attention is already turning to his life after the fight game. Planning is important, he says, especially for a boxer. “I know that once the income from my fighting stops I need another income,” he says. “I can’t rely on boxing to make me the money I need to survive and keep me happy [after I’ve retired]. I’ve seen fighters make mistakes and once their boxing stops, the money stops coming in. Before you know it, it’s all gone. I never want to be in that position. I always said

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from ﬁghting stops, another income”

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The biggest upside of the property business, says Amir, is the fact that he can leave the running of it with his family while he prepares for fights and focuses on his last few years in boxing. “All the business side, I have my team here in this office,” he says. “I like things to be organised that way. Having your family involved in it makes a massive difference, because they’re not going to rip you off, they’re not going try to steal from you, they’re going to do everything from the heart. I know that I’ve got a team around me so that when I’m in that training camp, I don’t have to worry about it. I just focus on that training session, because they’re doing everything.” But while his property portfolio is something that Amir is happy to keep ticking over in the background, boxing promotion is where he’s looking to make waves in the public eye. He believes that his years of experience, from training as an 11-year-old through to amateur bouts and run ins with promoters as a pro, mean he’s well placed to make this his main, public-facing business in the coming years. “I always said I wanted to give something back to boxing. Giving something back to boxing is me having my own promotion team and bringing up young fighters from the grass roots,” he explains. “I don’t want them to make the same mistakes I did. I want them to become world champions and

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maximise their boxing ability while getting treated fairly, getting paid well and getting paid on time, because a lot of promoters don’t look after their fighters. I don’t want to be one of them. That’s why I’ve always wanted to get into promotion. Hopefully we’ll be like Oscar De La Hoya.” De La Hoya is boxing’s business maverick. The head of Golden Boy Promotions, he promotes the biggest fights in the US, including Amir’s most recent bouts across the pond. He has turned to his friend Amir to become the face of Golden Boy UK, which looks set to change the face of professional boxing in this country for the better. “Oscar’s been a huge influence and huge help in the promotion business. We talk a lot. He’s my promoter at the moment, alongside Khan Promotions, which is my own promotion team. I always spoke to him about me having my own promotion team in the UK. Now it’s time. We’re nearly there, getting everything signed off and soon we’re going to have Golden Boy UK. Amir thinks the business will have a “massive” impact in the UK boxing scene. But while Golden Boy UK will be all about getting top billing for the very best British talent that Amir and Oscar De La Hoya can find, the 26-year-old world champion’s own promotional interests stretch beyond business and into community

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f ha

done boxing

a e

oul have ta e

that wrong path”

work. The gym where we meet isn’t just the base for his office and property business. It’s a fully equipped facility that helps to not only train some of Britain’s hottest new young fighters, but also give something to kids from the area that Amir fears could end up taking the wrong path in life.

oxing did a lot for me. If I hadn’t done boxing, maybe I would have taken that wrong path in life. Maybe I would have been on the streets, maybe had a job in a supermarket, could have been a naughty kid. You never know, I could have been in prison. Boxing kept me out of trouble, kept me safe, kept me on the right path, really,” Amir surmises. His father, Shah, took his hyperactive eight-year-old son to the gym to burn off some of the pent up energy he had, and to stop him fighting in the house. “I started burning my energy into something positive, boxing, and I haven’t looked back since. “That’s why I wanted to build my own gym, because I know what boxing has done for me. When I built this gym, I said I wanted to give something back to the community. This is a very deprived community. There’s a lot of trouble, a lot of bad

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kids, naughty kids and I wanted to take them off the streets, give them something to do instead of hanging around street corners and the park, where they set fires and mess around. All that’s kind of stopped. We get a lot of the naughty kids now, coming into this gym from different areas, who never used to get on with each other, but now they’re in the gym together, working together, training together. “Boxing teaches discipline. I’ve had school teachers come to me, parents, mosque teachers, saying, ‘Wow our kids are so different because they’re coming to your boxing gym’. People think that boxing teaches you to fight and it’s a violent sport but it’s not, it’s the opposite. It teaches you not to fight on the streets, to only fight in the boxing ring, and to fight in a certain manner where you have to think about every move you make. I was amazed when head teachers would come up to me and say ‘That kid used to be naughty in school but he’s totally changed’. Even if these kids don’t make it in boxing, at least it’s set them up for the future where they know not to mess around. It gives them good discipline,” he says. It isn’t just local kids who use Amir’s gym, however. It has become the focus for a string of community services, with the local police force and fire brigade both using it to train, and even universities in the area taking advantage of the facilities. Young

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offenders are also brought to the gym, where Amir sometimes helps train and spar with them. The London Olympics too, have been a huge boost to Amir’s gym business, especially by attracting women to boxing for the first time. The gym now accommodates approximately 40 women per week. Aside from the legacy impact on his Bolton gym, London 2012 was also a big deal for Amir in terms of his media work. Having won a medal at Athens 2004, Amir was understandably the ‘go to guy’ for the BBC when it needed a respected expert to offer opinions on the success of Team GB’s boxers, as well as get his thoughts on the wider success of Britain’s Olympians. It’s a role in which Amir revelled. “I came across well, I thought. I had a lot of Twitter messages coming through saying I was good on TV,” he says.

Re-think what a school is

mir believes a media career is something he’d be able to handle alongside his property and promotion businesses. “Being a boxing pundit or boxing presenter?” he asks when quizzed about his future TV plans. “Definitely. I love doing stuff like that. [I’d like to] keep my foot in because it’s one of those businesses where you’ll always be out there. You’ll still have fans after the end of your career, so they’ll still want to see you. I look at someone like Gary Lineker, who after his career has gone into presenting and he’s brilliant at it. So I’d love to go that route as well, that’s something I’m looking at alongside the property and promotion as well. The promotion side will be big and the property side will be something the family can look after. But I’ll be pushing myself to get out there, presenting, doing TV work and doing the promo side.” While business and community work at his impressive gym are clearly key concerns for Amir, boxing is evidently the thing he still remains 100% focused on. “I’m only 26 and I’m already a two time world champion. I want to achieve numerous more world titles and move up and down different weight categories and fight some big names. I want to fight a bit more in England because my last few fights have been in America. I only fight twice a year, so I think that way I can push myself to the age of 30, instead of 28. That was my initial plan and the reason was because I used to fight three times a year. Now I fight twice a year because Ramadan falls in the middle, so I take that off. That gives me another two more years. And you never know, by 30 I might be in the best condition ever.” It seems that while he’s keen to keep his property portfolio ticking over and his promotion business starts to ramp up, it’ll be a good few years yet before Amir Khan introduces himself as a businessman rather than a boxer. For now, the gloves are staying well and truly on. Amir Khan will be fighting Julio Diaz at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield on Saturday April 27th. Tickets, priced at £300, £200, £125, £75 and £50 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now and may be purchased at the Motorpoint Arena box office, by calling (+44) 0114 256 5656, online at www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk or through Sports Corporation by calling 0845 163 0845 or at www.sportscorporation.com.

Educate for life runs a small school in Rajasthan with a big vision for India. We believe that a good school can have a huge impact on a poor community, providing both children and adults with the skills and support to fulfill their dreams. Our vision is to turn this small community space into a vibrant centre of learning; a place that will inspire change in schools across India. To do this we are looking to partner with likeminded individuals. If you or your company are interested in positive social change in India and you want to develop a personal relationship with a small organisation that is devoted to achieving it, please get in touch. www.educateforlife.org.uk ed@educateforlife.org.uk 07940 257 935

Registered charity 1114271

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Digital

THE WEB GAME OOGLE PLACES IS THE “UP-TOP” SPOT you’ve been noticing on the first page of Google when you search for a service. These prominent listings are for local services related to your search term and each listing is identified with little grey pointers to addresses fed from Google Places. Google determined that many local businesses lack the expertise to optimise their websites to respond to local searches, so it launched Google Places, a system that maps businesses based on geographical location. Each localised search presents results based on your search parameters. The beauty of Google Places results is that it offers quick, easy information on local businesses and avoids the need to wade through pages of search results or go through out-of-date online directories. This convenient access is especially attractive to smartphone users, who consider local information invaluable for shopping, leisure activities, and dining out. Google Places and the local business listings it generates are great news for users – while even better news for local businesses. If you wish to take advantage of Google Places, go to: www.google. com/placesforbusiness and get started by claiming your listing. When setting up your listing, keep in mind that the important thing to ensure the best performance

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possible on Google is to have a listing with the most complete description possible. This becomes particularly important when you take into account that 97% of consumers now search for local businesses and information about their services online. To optimise your Google Places listing for maximum performance: ■ Upload 10 excellent photos to your listing of your premises or office, as well as your services being performed and your products being offered. Take advantage of a good photographer, with a wide angle lens and an eye for lighting. ■ Add as many applicable categories as you can that best describe your business. The more relevant information you are able

Discover how to rank high in Google – without a Google Guru. Shaz Memon, of digital marketing agency Digimax shows you how.

most relevant keywords and your main geographical areas of service. Once your listing has gone live, you should appear favourably over time for searches that are geographically relevant to your listing. If you want to know how well your site is performing, simply access your Google Analytics account. If you don’t have an account, you can get one for free at: google.com/ analytics – then ask your web designer to install a bit of code on your site. Once you are logged in to your Google Analytics account, you can access information on how many hits your site is receiving and from which source. If you want to really harness the power of Google, you can also work on improving your organic rankings, which are the lists of search results you see beneath the local results. You can also consider paying to have your ‘ad’ appear in the sponsored links. The best starting point for improving your Google rankings is to partner with a marketing agency that understands search results and has a proven track record of achieving high Google rankings. Of all Google searches, 20% are for local information – meaning that 600 million searches per day are to find information on local businesses. This is an incredible opportunity for any business.

“97% OF CONSUMERS SEARCH FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES ONLINE” to add, the better your listing will perform. ■ View your listing, then go to the address bar and copy the listing address, and then send this listing link to customers, asking that they leave a review for your business. Reviews demonstrate to Google that you have an active listing – hence more relevancy to search results. ■ Make your listing description rich with keywords. It should make sense, but be certain you mention your

www.digimax.co.uk

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small world, IT’S A

AFTER ALL

DENMARK The Danes value straight talking when it comes to discussing business, but this should not be confused with confrontation. They also value humour and use it to feel at ease in each other’s company. Dress code tends to be informal and ties are optional.

USA It is expected to talk business, and get straight to the point, over a business breakfast, lunch or dinner in the US. Don’t be surprised if these start early, Americans don’t baulk at a 7am breakfast meeting, or a 5.30 dinner.

UAE Don’t be suprised to be led by the hand somewhere. Holding hands is common among men and does not hold the same connotations as it does in the West. Also, think about what hand you are using - only the right hand is used when eating, shaking hands or handing over items of paperwork.

BRAZIL

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IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

If you are entertaining a Brazilian client, do it in style. Lunches tend to last for two hours and dinners for three, although it might be best to leave the actual business talk until after the coffee. Brazilians use their knife to cut up food and then place it against the plate while eating using only the fork. Don’t use your fingers as this is considered bad form.

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The world is getting smaller, sophisticated infrastructure, logistics and communications mean that doing business internationally is easier than ever. However, that does not mean traditions and nuances should be ignored. AWM picks out the most important tips when networking around the globe.

RUSSIA Business lunches in Russia have always been known for their consumption of hard liquor. Although many insist this is a thing of the past, you must expect some kind of alcohol to be a part of these lengthy lunches. Vodka and Russian champagne are still the norm, but beer and wine is also now readily available.

JAPAN The Japanese hate to say no, or disagree. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bet on a business decision being made just because you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard a negative response. Do as many favours for a Japanese clients as possible, favours are always repaid in Japan.

CHINA It is uncommon for decisions to actually be taken during a meeting in China. If you are visiting there expect a series of short meetings with different individuals, rather than one long meeting in which everything is discussed.

HONG KONG The people of Hong Kong are snappy dressers, designer labels impress so it worth packing a few if you have them. Men are encouraged to wear dark, smart suits, while women predominantly only wear trousers on informal occasions.

INDIA When doing business in India, dont expect a firm handshake when meeting potential colleagues or clients. A limp handshake is a sign of respect for the other party. Alternatively, Namaste may be offered instead of a westernstyle handshake.

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My business Nish Kotecha has an impressive resume, and an equally impressive passion for linking Asian business leaders with each other, and with the UK government. What was your first experience of business growing up, were your parents entrepreneurial?

My parents are immigrants from Nairobi and moved to the UK in 1968. I was born here and I’m one of one. My family on my mother’s side is entrepreneurial and they helped to bring me up so that gave me a taste of business. I was really hungry for success from a young age. I grew up in Tottenham and I lived about five minutes away from the notorious Broadwater Farm Estate (the Tottenham riots started here in 1985). My first ever job was a newspaper round in Broadwater Farm, which was pretty scary even then, I have vivid memories of running from one end to the other as quickly as I could! I was desperate to try and get my family out of the ghetto and try and then stabilise everything else. It was probably drive and hunger that made me think about if I could create enough wealth to look after my parents. When you break through the way that I did, you have no capital, you start from zero. All you have is your raw talent and your work ethic and your talent might be worth nothing. At that point all you have is your energy and work ethic, if necessary you wake up every day and think that you’re going to work 24/7 if that’s what you need to do. I guess I was one of those, that was my approach to life, I just wanted to work damn hard to get where I needed to go, otherwise we would have been stuck there for the rest of our lives, and it was a pretty horrible place to live. We were there from the 1970s to 2000. Tell me about your experience in starting up your own finance company after your Lehman Bros and JP Morgan experience?

After I graduated from London School of Economics, which was an ambition, I was hired by BZW (Barclays’ investment bank at the time) for its graduate training programme in 1990. After that I focussed on investment banking for about 22 years (at BZW, JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers). Finally I left Lehman Brothers in 2002, which was a terrific firm, and decided to set up my own personal finance boutique, Sphere Partners. During that process I realised that my real passion was to create a new style of business, which helped to alleviate poverty, something I am very passionate about, probably because of my upbring-

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ish Kotecha is founder of the social enterprise geosansar, the boutique finance company Sphere Partners and TiE’s (The Indus Entrepreneurs) UK chapter. He also has time to chair the committee of the Asian Business Association, which is widely regarded as the most important forum for Asian businesses in London and is the voice of Asian businesses in London. He is passionate about the good that business can do in social change among the poorest people in the world. He explains to Jo Payne why his own background has shaped his passion for working with and for those in poverty and why Asian business leaders need to shout to legislators just that little bit louder.

ing. I read an inspirational book called Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, by the late Professor CK Prahalad, and his idea was to look at the bottom of the pyramid – that’s about four billion people around the world who are poor – there isn’t enough charitable money in the world to help them. If you look at them like a consumer and you price your product to enable them to buy the product, not be given it, in a way that makes them feel empowered and demand the right quality and type of product, you have suddenly created a four billion consumer market. The only challenge with that is that you have to make your product sellable – instead of at $10, at 10 cents! All the products we have around us ultimately have to go in that direction. But how do we do it, and what kind of businessperson can do that, that’s the unanswered question. This was a ‘light bulb’ moment for me, what a great way of looking at the world. I thought, rather naively, ‘why don’t I create a model that delivers banking products and financial services to those at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP)?’, because the first step to get someone out of poverty is to give them a bank account. Whether they have $10 or 10 cents in their hand, they need somewhere safe to put it, it’s a basic human requirement in this world, it’s a social requirement – without your credit card you feel naked. The poor have never had a feeling of feeling ‘fully clothed’ because they’ve never had it, they’ve never felt part of our world so why can’t we deliver that feeling for them? The challenge is how do you create a business model that delivers and looks after that customer, who can only be charged 10 cents? Nobody has ever figured that out. So with this in mind, I founded geosansar, an institution delivering banking and financial products and services to the BOP audience in India. Seven years since I started exploring this opportunity, geosansar launched its operations in 2010 and now has more than 600 branches and served over 3 million customers. In the month of January 2013 we opened more than 115, 000 new bank accounts. This thing is huge. We now employ over 800 people on the ground (providing employment and training) having only started with 15, three years ago. We are an active player in the whole area of financial inclusion. The only way we have made this happen has been with the full support of the government, the rBI and the banks and insur-

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Q&A

ou have to

a e

your product

In a rarely candid interview, chef Atul Kochhar, owner of Benares restaurant in Mayfair, and proud recipient of two Michelin stars, reveals how he went from sous chef to entrepreneur.

sella le

i stea of at â&#x20AC;?

$10, at 10 cents!

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ASIAN BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION HIGHLIGHTED BY VINCE CABLE

Top: Nish in India; Below: The ABA Committee

You chair the committee of the London Chamber of Commerce Asian Business Association, what are the aims of the organisation and what does your role involve?

It is my job to put together the right ingredients to enable those that want to contribute and have their voice heard. The whole point of the ABA is not just another dinner club, if it were frankly none of us would have time for another one! It allows you to discuss what’s really going on with your business, what is going on within the UK platform, and how we can help. We take away the comments from our members and make sure they are communicated to those who are in policy making. We are apolitical; we just want to talk to people in government who are influencers in policy making. The London Chamber of Commerce ABA wants to focus on entrepreneurs, so if you’re the principal in your own business you’re welcome. If you’re an employee, I don’t mean that you’re not welcome but we want to hear from you if you’re a leader. If you’re not represented elsewhere, which is a huge number of leading businesses that have never got engaged because they don’t feel there is a unit out there that can help their voice, particularly in the Asian community, we want to be their voice. It’s everyone from a multimillion pound family-owned business that is really low-key; to the newsagent who owns 20 properties and is just getting on with his day job and getting up at 5am everyday and doesn’t think anyone is interested in them. Well, they’re wrong – we’re interested in them and want to give them a place to say “I’m a businessman”, rather than “I’m a newsagent”. And if we can make that mind shift then we are at least gaining some benefit. That’s where the ABA wants to be different.

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At the beginning of March, Secretary of State for Business, Skills and Innovation and President of the Board of Trade, Dr Vince Cable MP hailed the contribution made by British Asian businesses in the UK at the launch of the National Asian Business Association (NABA) in London. He identified a third of British Asian firms that currently trade in the retail business, with the rest coming from diverse sectors such as telecoms, manufacturing and engineering. Dr Cable then highlighted a “new generation of young Asian entrepreneurs, often run by women, which will change the face of the traditional family run shops into more innovative businesses of the future”. Joined by over 200 of the nation’s top Asian business leaders and politicians, Dr Cable added that “the growth of these new businesses is essential to job creation and national economic recovery. He went onto say that British Asians are probably “the most entrepreneurial section of the British public”. In the NABA launch brochure, Dr Cable added that he wanted to see more Asian business leaders “exerting influence” at the top levels of business and government. The NABA brings together the 11 local Asian business associations across the country and serves as the premier unified THE ABA voice of British Asian businesses in the UK COMMITTEE to advance their prospects in the public ■ Rahul Mehta and private sectors and contribute to (ABA deputy economic growth. chairman) – There are around 50,000 British Asian director, ViCoS businesses in the UK, turning over £60 billion ■ Kalyani in London alone. Gandhi-Rhodes NABA has benefitted from generous sup– UK South Asia port from partners Santander and Microsoft. engagement manager, Oxfam GB ■ Ash Somak What strategies does it have in place to – owner, Somak connect Asian businesses? Holidays The communication really centres on the networks ■ Pitu Suri – that we have. Each committee member connects director, Oceanic with their own communities and sends out the Jewellers message that the ABA wants to represent them. All ■ Tarun Ghulati of the people on that committee, some of them are – group president very significant but very understated businesspeople & CEO at Bramer who just truly, genuinely want to give back. That Corporation humbleness is something we want to capture and ■ Rajesh bring into play. Agrawal – There are also some very large and very imporowner, RationalFX tant Asian businesses that deserve their place with us ■ Vijay Goel – and will always have it but we want to use them to partner, bring that next generation up and give them a voice Singhania & Co and give them the respect they deserve, because ■ Professor they are going to be one of the key generators of Poonam Kumar growth in our country for the next number of years. – chairperson, In the UK we don’t celebrate private companies Mega Ace enough. If the ABA can bring their voice forward Consultancy in a non-intrusive way then I think we’ve achieved ■ Vimal Shah – our aim. director, PSJ Alexander www.geosansar.com; www.spherepartners.com

www.londonchamber.co.uk/aba; www.nabauk.org

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HE COUNTrY IS IN THE GrIP OF rECESSION, and CEOs and financial directors FDs) are facing the tough challenge of cutting and managing costs to survive today, while investing to grow tomorrow. nfortunately, many boards only consider the short-term picture and immediately default to a defensive cost-cutting mentality. This often means that more effective and sustainable strategies, such as effective procurement and smarter spending, are either ignored or are incorrectly implemented by inexperienced employees. With this in mind, Expense Reduction Analysts ERA) a -wide network of specialist procurement advisors commissioned a research piece calling on businesses to implement ‘smarter spending strategies’ to aid their chances of survival in 201 . The research, which was conceived over five years ago as a result of the economic crisis, is based on a survey of 100 FDs in the and Ireland, across nine key industry sectors at enterprises with revenues between 10 million and 500 million. “People give procurement attention when they first start up”, says Rob Allison, managing director of ERA. “They get things in place and think

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they’ve got it all organised, then they get growing and get busy taking their business forward and very quickly it’s the old adage we always do what we’ve always done. “They bring on new staff as they grow, but their old habits stay. They don’t change or develop with the business, and relatively little time and effort is spent researching and developing. Very few companies look inwards at the procurement function and think about how it can be improved on a regular basis.” Rob suggests organisations should think long-term instead of short-term. “Cutting costs may keep businesses afloat temporarily, but it won’t enable them to compete long-term. A smarter spending strategy, combining effective cost control aligned with development for innovation and investment is the only way businesses will be able to successfully ride this storm,” he adds. The research uncovered various psychological barriers to business growth strategies ■ A lack of understanding at board-level of the strategic value of procurement

The board often looks to the FD to manage and control the spending behaviour of the organisation, but almost half of the FDs surveyed stated that their

company discussed procurement at board level only once a year, or never. Naturally, this has a huge impact on the spending psychology of both the FD and the company’s employees. To illustrate this point, the survey found that four out of five organisations don’t have a specialist procurement team or individual, while more than one in three leaves responsibilities to individual departments. If procurement is to deliver true strategic value, then the FD must be given a seat at the board room table in much the same way as sales and marketing directors have been over the last couple of decades. Rob says “The first thing someone involved in procurement can do to get procurement taken more seriously is demonstrate the difference they’re making. Try to find ways of quantifying and measuring the results of the difference procurement is making when they apply it because we all know boardrooms respond to performance measures. Being able to see a measured difference as a result of a good procurement will get that board to sit up and pay more attention.” ■ A lack of internal procurement skills

“When we talk about everyday areas

Smarter business

SPENDING STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH

New research looks at how businesses should strategise their spending to save cost and move forward. Nima Suchak delves a little deeper.

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Finance of spending, particularly the indirect costs of the business, often the buying of those essential services and transactions is left to operational staff in the business. People who have buying of goods and services bolted onto their job description. Rarely do those individuals have any real support or training in the field of buying,” says Rob. If board room psychology dictates that procurement is only ever used to cut costs, then enterprise-wide investment in procurement initiatives, expertise and skills will be minimal. For example, 52 of FDs feel employees suffer from a lack of time, experience and energy when it comes to securing the best deals from suppliers. And only one in 10 felt their employees had excellent attitudes to procurement with the right level of experience and time to find the best deals.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

■ Resistance to internal procurement by internal departments

The psychological approach of the board room impacts on the culture and behaviour of the employees spending the cash. Of the FDs interviewed, 58 stated that some departments resisted efforts to establish professional procurement practices, while 5 felt some departments believed procurement was

hindering the effectiveness of their department for the sake of cost cutting. ■ Inefficient supply chain partnerships

A successful supply chain is dependent on mutual trust and understanding. “It’s about cost management and supplier management, putting in place strategies and plans to get the absolute best out of your supply chain,” says Rob. “ ou may get different products or services than you’ve been getting previously but they help you to be more efficient overall, making you savings in other areas.” Only 21 of FDs surveyed viewed their suppliers as partners but if you consider the impact that the recession has had on all elements of the supply chain with costs rising and sales falling on all sides it is easy to explain the lack of warmth towards suppliers. Rob refers to a boardroom conversation where a director piped up, saying a particular project is only going to ‘cost us peanuts’, but the founder of the business slammed his fist on the table, saying ‘they may be peanuts, but they’re my peanuts’. “It’s important to keep that culture in the business, as you grow. People need to understand that the pennies matters,” he says. “Most entrepreneurs, most businesses know that for themselves, but an important

lesson in procurement is making sure that as you grow everyone you bring on cares as much for your money, as you do”. w w w .sm arter- spe ndi ng.co.uk

NEXT GENERATION SMARTER SPENDING Here are some tips to getting smarter with your procurement and using cost-cutting as a strategic tool: ■ Make it the DNA of the organisation – led from the board room to the shop floor, to the supply chain. ■ Get smarter spending onto the board’s agenda. ■ Ensure all staff adopt a smarter spending psychology – good at purchasing must align with ‘indirect spend’. ■ Leverage internal and external reporting to allow the FD to provide strategic guidance for future smarter spending strategies. ■ Conduct regular evaluations of your supply chain and build closer relationships between your staff and suppliers.

£ £ £ £ £ ££ A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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CMY

A S I A N W E A LT H @ N E TJ E TS E U R O P E .C O M

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Publisher’s Diary ELL, IT SEEMS LI E AN AWF L LONG TIME SINCE O R LAST EDITION OF AWM. Last year we published two editions, our aim was to see how the publication was received and enjoyed by the readers. ou’ll be glad to hear we have had support from all over the country. So with the wind on our backs, the team has decided to press forward and publish AWM each quarter, with this issue being the first of the year. Since the start of 201 , there has been immense movement with AWM and I am proud to say we are now connected, supporting and affiliated with numerous brands, companies, events and associations, all sharing the vision of celebrating and inspiring entrepreneurism. AWM + ABA It gives me great pleasure to announce that AWM has become the official publication for the London Chamber of Commerce Asian Business Association. Our connection with the association will enable London based Asian businesses to have a voice through AWM. We’ll be supporting the association, its members and events throughout the year, so if you see anyone from the AWM team at the ABA events, come over for a chat. I’d like to personally thank Nish otecha chairman of the London Chambers ABA) for all his support so far. Expanding on our connection with the ABA, I’m also proud to announce our affiliation with the National Asian Business Association NABA), which was officially launched in early March and will be spearheaded by day Dholakia OBE chairman of NABA). The association encompasses all the Asian business associations around the and enables them to move forward as a singular unit and have a stronger voice on issues which need to be addressed. NEW TEAM At the start of the year we had some new faces join the AWM team. Abby and Ash have joined the commercial team and Christine now leads the design team, all of whom are doing an absolutely amazing job and I’m so glad to be sharing the AWM vision with them. If you happen to bump into Ash and or Abby at any events, be sure to say hi and introduce yourself, I’m sure they’d love to get your thoughts on the publication. PARTNERSHIP AWM is now available in business lounges across London at Grange Hotels. Grange Hotels is a chain of luxury hotels located

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in London. They have fantastic rooms and event spaces, and we are proud to be partnered with such a brand. CONGRATULATIONS & GOOD LUCK A very big congratulations to zma Hasan and Farida Gibbs, both of whom were included in the Autumn 2012 edition of AWM, and both won awards at the British Muslim Awards late last year, organised by Oceanic Consulting. zma was awarded for ‘Services to Creativity and Technology’, while Farida walked away with the gong for ‘Business Woman of the ear’. Best of luck to Amir han, who sat down with us at the start of the year to talk about branding, business and his thoughts on life after boxing see page 16 for full article). Amir will be fighting ulio Diaz on 2 th April in Sheffield, and we wish him all the best with his upcoming fight. Good Luck Team han. QUOTE UNQUOTE I came across this one recently, which definitely made me smile

“You can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets!” Arnold Schw arz enegger

Publisher of Asian Wealth Magazine

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BUSINESS news Today's news for tomorrow's business CAMERON PROMISES TO MAKE INDIAN/UK TRADE EASIER Prime Minister David Cameron said he hoped for a “special relationship” between the UK and India when on a trade delegation in the country in February. “Britain wants to be your partner of choice,” he told assembled executives on a visit to Hindustan Unilever. “We’ve only just started on the sort of partnership that we could build. As far as I’m concerned, the sky is the limit.” The British PM pledged to slash limits on the number of Indian immigrants into the UK. He also announced a same-day visa system for Indian business people to come to Britain, to encourage closer trade ties. Cameron really did mean business on his

“We’ve only just started on the sort of partnership that we could build. As far as I’m concerned, the sky is the limit.”

visit to the country, taking more than 100 members of the trade delegation with him, including representatives from SMEs and multinationals. During his visit, David Cameron also visited a women’s university, met with Sonia Gandhi and laid a wreath at the memorial to the 1919 Amritsar massacre.

The government has announced a £30 million boost to its start-up loans scheme, which aims to give budding entrepreneurs the financial start they often need. The additional money will boost the total pot to over £110 million for the next three years, potentially helping to start tens of thousands of new businesses. The scheme started in May 2012 for budding entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 24, although the upper age limit is now 30. Over 3000 people have applied or registered an interest in a Start-Up loan; they receive support and mentoring to develop their ideas, and when the business plan is robust and approved they will be able to access financial support in the form of a low interest loan typically in the order of £2,500 with a repayment period of up to five years. In the three months that the scheme has been live over £1.5 million worth of loans have been approved, helping more than 460 new businesses get off the ground. The Start-Up Loan Company decides how to allocate the funds, and is run by former BBC Dragon James Caan. He said: “There has been a major shift in the way business is viewed by the public, and entrepreneurs are now seen as creative and exciting role models; and I am delighted to see that more and more young people are now looking to set up their own business.”

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The Swedish budget homeware chain IKEA is to team up with Marriott to open a chain of budget hotels across Europe over the next ﬁve years. Together, the two household names will develop 50 hotels, with the ﬁrst to open in Milan next year. Marriott has more than 3,700 properties in 74 countries.

IMAGE JULIUSKIELAITIS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

GOVERNMENT GIVES YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS A BREAK

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QUOTES anecdotes ■ You are never too old

to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

C. S. Lewis CABLE’S CELEBRATES ASIAN BUSINESS AT NABA LAUNCH At the recent launch of the National Asian Business Association (NABA), the Business Secretary Vince Cable called on the Asian business community to deploy its “considerable entrepreneurial abilities and ethos of hard work to drive growth” into the British economy. While acknowledging the important contribution of Asian business in the UK, Cable said he wanted Asian businesses continuing to play an “active and leading role in establishing new enterprises as well as developing existing ones both at home and abroad”. He also urged the assembled business leaders, as well as the whole Asian community to “use their considerable cultural, family, commercial and trading links with other nations to boost trade and inward investment in Britain”. NABA looks to unite regional Asian business associations from across the country with one voice to represent them on issues of national importance such as legislation and government relations. Chaired by Uday Dholakia OBE, NABA is made up of a board of regional association members from across the country. It aims to provide a national voice for the Asian business community and to provide its members with information and advice on anything of interest – from starting a business through to selling goods or services. The association is seeking to partner with other organisations both in the UK and abroad for the benefit of its members. It also intends to bring together big business with local organisations.

INDIAN HEALTHCARE FIGUREHEAD DIES Dr K Anjit Reddy, the eponymous founder of the one of the largest Indian pharmaceutical companies has passed away after a long illness. A philanthropist, he set up the Naandi Foundation, India’s largest rural water provider which provides safe drinking water, and gives midday meals to 1.3 million children and farmers. His son Satish Reddy, said: “A nation is grateful to a man who paved a way for the delivery of affordable medicines to the masses and made us believe and take pride in innovation as a means to prosperity.”

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■ LEARN FROM THE PAST, SET VIVID, DETAILED GOALS FOR THE FUTURE, AND LIVE IN THE ONLY MOMENT OF TIME OVER WHICH YOU HAVE ANY CONTROL: NOW. Denis Waitley

■ You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein

■ SOMETIMES WHEN YOU INNOVATE, YOU MAKE MISTAKES. IT IS BEST TO ADMIT THEM QUICKLY, AND GET ON WITH IMPROVING YOUR OTHER INNOVATIONS. Steve Jobs

■ And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the ﬁttest in every department. Andrew Carnegie

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SECURITY BONDS DISCUSSED FOR HIGH RISK MIGRANTS Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called for a security bond system to be put in place in the UK, meaning that “high risk” migrants would have to pay at least £1000 to enter the country, and receive the money back when they leave. The bond would therefore be forfeited if immigrants such as students failed the leave the UK when promised. Clegg has not named the countries that may be thought of as “high risk”, but reports suggest countries within the Indian subcontinent would be included, although those within other parts of the commonwealth, such as Australia, would not. Meanwhile, the would-be scheme has been attacked by highprofile parliamentarians such as Chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee Keith Vaz, who denounced the plan as “unworkable, impractical and discriminatory”.

Blockbuster has been sold to restructuring specialists Gordon Brothers Europe for an undisclosed sum. Of its 528 stores, 49 have been bought by the supermarket Morrisons. Around 200 stores were closed, and this sale raises the likelihood that 2,000 jobs and 264 stores will be saved. BRITISH ECONOMY REMAINS IN THE DOLDRUMS The Office for Budget Responsibility has cut the UK economic growth forecast from 1.2% to 0.6%. The forecast for 2014 has also been cut, from 2.0% to 1.8%. Chancellor George Osborne announced the adjustment in his latest budget, in which he blamed the cut on lower-than-expected exports. The OBR predicted that the government will borrow £121bn in the financial year ending in April, which is the same amount of borrowing as in the previous comparable period. Osborne admitted the recovery was taking “longer than anyone hoped”.

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NEW IN BRIEF Christmas was good to The Perfume Shop chain, which reported a 14.2% hike in revenues for the five-week period to January 5th 2013. The company, owned by Sanjay Vadera, expects double-digit growth this year, following on from a successful roll out of physical stores, and web initiatives.

▲ Heir to the catering company Madhu’s throne, 23-year-old director Arjun Anand received the Rising Star Award from the Asian Voice Political & Public Voice Awards. Receiving his award from Home Secretary Theresa May, Arjun commented that he was honoured to have received the award, and hoped it wouldn’t be his last. BG Group has signed a $20bn deal to supply LNG to Gujarat, one of the world’s quickest growing energy markets. BG Group will start to supply the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) at the beginning in 2015 for up to 20 years. BG Group called India a “large and important” market. Forecourt retailer Euro Garages, owned by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, has agreed to buy 45 service stations from Esso. Fuel will continue to be supplied by Esso, while the shops at the locations will be branded as Spar convenience stores, all will be based in the north west, north east, Yorkshire and north Wales. Mulberry, maker of luxury handbags and accessories, has issued a profit warning which sent its shares down by 16%. The brand blamed a weak postChristmas sales period and advised that pre-tax profit will be around £26 million. A Mulberry handbag can sell for £4,500 each.

IMAGE CHRIS GREEN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

BUSINESS news

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IMAGE CHRIS GREEN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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We offer professional, independent, affordable services that focus on supporting businesses in London. Over 100 FREE networking events each year FREE legal and HR advice FREE business advice surgery FREE meeting space Discounts on a range of business products and services Plus our Special Interest Groups including our Asian Business Association (ABA) For more information please T: +44 (0)20 7203 1881, E: membersales@londonchamber.co.uk or visit londonchamber.co.uk/aba

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27/03/2013 13:42

N THE CLASSIC FILM Shawshank Redemption, Tim Robbins’ character Andy Dufresne risks his life on the edge of a rooftop by posing the question do you trust your wife? His intentions, as with any good adviser or accountant, were to save tax for his client. With the tax year drawing to an end we are often asked what companies or individuals can do to mitigate their tax bill, making use of a spouse’s allowances can be a quick but beneficial route to achieve this. Below are a summary of these and other important tips worth considering COMPANIES The acceleration of capital investment by a business, especially in light of recent changes to Capital Allowance rules, can make a significant impact on business activities while being cashflow and tax advantageous. The opportunity to employ family members will allow under-utilised or unused personal allowance to be used, while at the same time allowing for a legitimate tax deductible cost for the business. Care should be taken to ensure a commercially justifiable role is carried out by the person concerned, and that relevant steps are taken to avoid issues with HMRC. Although a company year end may not necessarily be aligned to the tax year, the tax paid based on the award of dividends will have a direct relationship to tax years and an individual’s income. With a bit of planning it is possible to reduce the amount of tax paid on dividends if lower awards are made, alternatively if they are delayed, the tax due can be delayed by many months. INDIVIDUALS A relatively easy option is to ensure income generating assets between spouses are distributed so that the lower-band tax payer makes use of personal allowance limits and lower tax bands, this can be as simple as shift-

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Do YOU TRUST your Wife...? ing saving income from one spouse to another, a transfer between a husband and wife will not attract tax in such circumstances. CHILDREN Often forgotten in non inheritance tax circumstances but children have their own allowances savings in children’s accounts can therefore grow tax efficiently. However, you cannot simply shift all your savings into their name to benefit from this, a valid route to utilise this tip would be where certain family members not parents) gift money to children, this can have dual benefit. For example, grandparents may wish to make use of their annual inheritance tax free limits while gifting to their grandchildren. OVER 65s Additional personal allowances are given once an individual reaches this age, but these are clawed back if income rises above certain limits 2012 1 , 25,400). Income

shifting between spouses and the move to utilise the annual Capital Gains Tax Allowance by moving to capital growth investments should be considered. A number of useful investment options can shelter or reduce tax, each have their own risk elements and individuals should consider their adversity to risk before deciding ■ I nd iv id ual Sav ings Accounts These allow assets to grow, tax free, very efficiently for higher and additional tax rate payers. ■ V enture C ap ital T rusts Investing in shares of unquoted trading companies, while tax on dividends will be avoided. ■ Enterp rise I nv estm ent Schem es Offers income tax relief on new equity investment. ■ P ension contributions These offer individuals substantial tax breaks, a higher-rate tax payer can pay 100 into a pension pot at a cost of only 60, while an additional rate tax payer only has to pay 50 for every 100 required, although subject to limits. Employees can take advantage of pension contributions and via salary sacrifice this can be even more beneficial as entitlement to child benefit can be ensured by increasing pension contributions to ensure earnings are below the earnings cap. It’s never too late to consider these and other options.....unfortunately tax matters will come up again but by then you can be suitably prepared.

Chartered Certified accountants

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Spice

GIRL

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Chef. Food writer. Consultant for Patak’s. At just 31, Anjali Pathak has already packed plenty into her life, but where will this multi-talented bubbly Bolton lass go next? Keeley Bolger finds out.

PHOTOGRAPH: JORDAN MARY

AC ETS OF PASTA DRENCHED in gloopy ready-made sauce may not sound like the type of fare to kick-start a foodie’s imagination, but when chef Anjali Pathak first encountered the humble student staple, it heralded a career epiphany. A decade on and it’s quickly apparent that this 1-year-old from Bolton is still fascinated by good food and set on improving more humble grub. From inquiring about the mechanics of London restaurant The Gilbert Scott’s exquisite hot chocolate replete with melting chocolate sticks to correctly identifying the ingredients in its house cocktail, this sparkling woman certainly knows her stuff. “Before I went to university, I didn’t realise I could cook,” says Anjali. “I came from a house where everyone could cook and was good at it.” That house was home to the Pathak family, creators of the eponymous Indian cooking brand. “My housemates would live off these awful pasta bakes or jacket potatoes but then you got to my section of the fridge and you’d have all these exotic ingredients,” Anjali recalls. “It wasn’t because I was a rich student I watched my pennies like everybody else it was just that I would cook from scratch and make things a little healthier. “I’d make my own pasta sauce and cook a lot of Indian food because that’s what I grew up with. I really got a feel for spices and used the intuition I had gained from watching my mum and grandmother cook.” Luckily enough for Anjali’s 10 flatmates at Salford niversity, their friend would occasionally whip up an Indian feast for them. “Every now and again I’d cook for the entire house and it’d be a real treat, much better than going out because we could only ever afford to go to the cheap places back then. That’s when I thought I really love this and I should incorporate it into my career.” Anjali, whose grandfather Laxmishan-

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ker formed the Patak’s brand of cooking sauces and pickles with his wife Shanta when they moved to London in the 1950s, hoped that when she graduated she’d work with her parents who had taken over the business. After a year abroad Anjali knew she wanted to get into the kitchen. “I always thought I wanted to go into strategic management for Patak’s, blue sky thinking and driving the business forward, but I soon realised that I enjoyed the side of the business my mother was involved in, and I wanted to figure out a way of getting cooking into my life,” says Anjali.

FASTFIRE FOODIE QUESTIONS ■ FAVOURITE FOOD: “I love bangers, mash and gravy. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m northern but I adore it. Sometimes I have it when my partner’s away and it’s a real treat. I make a spicy Indian gravy with a touch of ketchup in it to lift it, add a few spices to the mash but do nothing to the sausages; they’re perfect as they are.” ■ FAVOURITE FOODIE PLACE: “Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly have the best cheese bar called 1707. It’s a gorgeous place, everything looks lovely and they have a huge selection of wine by the glass. They also have the best cheese trolley which is a sign of a good place!” ■ FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD TREAT: “My grandmother used to make the best jalebis. It was her favourite recipe and she’d only make it for us as a treat. It gave my grandmother so much happiness to teach me the recipe and even though the ones I made weren’t up to her standard, when she passed away, I put the recipe on my website to honour her memory.”

And that she has. She has trained at top chef school Leiths, took wine courses and started writing about food for glossy magazines. A cookery book with her mother, Meena, followed, as did cookery master classes, cooking videos on her website and consultancy work for Patak’s. Like her family, Anjali is also generous with her time and resources and supports the charities Find our Feet, The British Asian Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support, where she delivers a series of cookery courses for people with cancer. “Instead of blindly sending money to developing countries, Find our Feet works with small organisations that work within communities to make changes,” says Anjali. “It isn’t given to a system where it can often get absorbed but given to people who educate farmers how to use their land better. They empower women so they can educate their children and build schools, and they help these rural families grown enough food so they can find their feet.” For Anjali, the situation of the people she’s helping through Find our Feet is something she can really empathise with. “My ancestral heritage is farming, so I resonate with its principles,” she says. “Sometimes I think about what would have happened if something like this had been set up in my grandfather’s day? Would he have moved out of India and started Patak’s? Probably not. I think that it really helps people who so desperately need it and gives them real skills for a better life.” At Macmillan, Anjali is using the power of a good curry to help people with cancer. There, Anjali has used her nutrition qualification to develop recipes that are low fat, low in salt, easy and cheap to make and crucially pack a flavoursome punch. “Macmillan has this lovely initiative where people with cancer come along to a cooking course for two hours a week for four weeks. It’s just a few hours for them to forget about what’s going on in their lives.

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Family First A brighter future for your business Through Family First, we seek to provide a long term commitment to current and future owners of multi-generational family businesses, overlaying strategy, governance, wealth management, and generational issue management onto our audit, tax and advisory services. Contact: Nina Amin Asian Family Business Lead, KPMG LLP Tel: 020 7694 5336 email: nina.amin@kpmg.co.uk kpmg.co.uk/familyfirst

© 2012 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International. RR Donnelley I RRD-269347 (A4) I April 2012. Printed on recycled material.

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“You can’t make a quick buck, you

have to work hard

and start from the bottom rung.” It’s clear that cooking is always on Anjali’s mind. Even after a day working over a hot stove, she relishes going back home to her London kitchen. Her iPhone has become a lifeline for Googling obscure ingredients on menus and jotting down sparks of inspiration for recipes. And Anjali is keen to use those recipes and start penning a new cookery book. “I am looking to write my next book,” says Anjali. “I loved cooking with my Mum and I’m so pleased that we did the book together when we did because I don’t know when we’d have the opportunity to do that again. My Mum really let me take the reins, so I got a real insight into writing and I really truly loved it.” While book number two is bubbling under, Anjali is busy working as a champion for Women Empowered, an organisation which is committed to helping women realise their potential. Equal rights are something Anjali cares deeply about, as is succeeding on merit. “I know there are challenges for female chefs and there are only a few top female chefs around,” says Anjali. “I think the best, and most clich d, answer on the subject is that most women do want children at some stage in their lives and the long hours you work as a restaurant chef are so odd and unsociable that it is only possible if your partner takes on the responsibility.” While the question of children isn’t something Anjali is considering at the moment, her age has proved an obstacle in the workplace but she is determined to let her talent speak for itself in the kitchen. “Although I have been lucky if there is one thing I’ve faced it’s age discrimination,” says Anjali. “I’m older than I look but people do judge chefs by how much experience they’ve had. My experience in the kitchen doesn’t really show on my face. Most people face some discrimination throughout their life, you just have to forget about it, prove yourself

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Top: Macmillan Cancer Support cookery classes; early days in the kitchen

and be the best you can be. “All I’ve ever wanted is to be accepted on merit. If you put me in a situation I’ll go above and beyond to prove myself and demonstrate I deserve to be there. I don’t ever want anything handed to me because of positive discrimination, such as being awarded an accolade just because I’m a woman. I want to be rewarded on merit.” For a while now, Anjali has been celebrating reaching her achievements by drinking bottles of champagne that she has reserved from a wine-tasting trip in France. The next one Anjali wants to open is a bottle she’s held back if she gets an appearance on BBC’s Saturday itchen Live, a programme that she’s effusive about. “I love Saturday itchen Live ” exclaims Anjali. “I’ve said to myself for a long time that if I get on that show, I can have a bottle of champagne that I’ve saved for a super special occasion. I like to mark my milestones with a bottles of vintage champagne I’ve collected over the years and I can’t wait to drink that bottle of Saturday itchen Live Champers ” By the sound of things, it won’t be long before that cork is popped.

wonder WOMEN

Farida Gibbs, CEO of the IT consultancy Gibbs S3, is AWM’s latest columnist. Every issue, she will be bringing the female view to the latest business topics. When I look back at my journey, from the start of my career in the technology staffing business to where I am today, I’m amazed at the achievements and recognition I’ve gained to date. However, during that journey there were many hurdles to jump in what has been a very challenging economy over the last several years. I once heard this phrase, and say it over and over again: “Our fundamental difference is not our colour, race or religion, but only our intentions and actions that set us apart”. I have lived my life on that philosophy and have a deep anxiety and passion to be successful for the right reasons. One of my key objectives is to bring deserving Asian women entrepreneurs to the spotlight to help raise their profile. I often wonder how many other women are out there with the same passions, building a business and doing what they love, but are hidden away and unrecognised. Women in business are warriors. In my view, there are many inspirational women out there who deserve support and recognition for their incredible work. In my following columns I will aim to represent these women. If you have any business related questions you would like Farida to advise on, email info@media-36.com

w w w .anj alipat hak.com

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Legal

Money and marriage

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

Shreeti Rajdev, partner in the law firm The Sethi Partnership, gives a legal perspective on prenuptial agreements. No longer just the territory of celebrities, the prenup is gathering weight in the UK.

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a divorce settlement from a previous marriage. A prenuptial agreement is a document created before marriage or a civil partnership in which a couple sets out how they wish their assets to be divided in the event of a divorce. The agreement can be as simple or elaborate as the parties require. The most basic agreement would list an inventory of premarital assets that in the event of a divorce will remain the property of their original owner. More detailed agreements can extend to, for instance, future income from a business or additional assets accrued through inheritance. Prenups are not a new concept in the , but English law does not formally recognise them in the same way other countries do. They are not legally binding, and while the court has been required to have regard to “all circumstances of

the case”, in the past the courts rarely enforced them and udges usually chose to ignore them. The law governing prenuptial agreements has evolved considerably in recent years. The well reported case of Radmacher -v- Granatino has had a huge impact. atrin Radmacher and her French ex-husband, Nicolas Granatino, a former investment banker turned academic had signed a prenuptial agreement before their wedding. When the marriage broke down, Granatino claimed that the contract was unfair because he had not realised the true extent of his wife’s vast fortune. Following a four year court battle, which ended in the Supreme Court in 2010, atrin Radmacher won the right to protect her fortune. The courts are now required to infer that parties entering into a prenuptial agreement intend that effect should be given to it. It is now likely that only manifestly unfair contracts would be overturned by the courts. The case has altered the landscape of divorce settlements prenuptial agreements are no longer just for celebrities.

'Having It All NOW!’ by Ritu Sethi has just been launched. Also look out for the book review in the Summer edition of AWM.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

TO SOME, MARRIAGE IS ALL ABO T LOVE and romance a future life of wedded bliss viewed through rose-tinted glasses. The mere mention of a prenuptial agreement would shatter that illusion in an instant. While planning the wedding, booking the venue, photographer, caterers and a little something extra to make their wedding special, the last thing a couple think about is the breakdown of a marriage that is yet to take place. They are thinking of nothing more than a storybook ending in which they and their spouse live happily ever after. Most people take marriage seriously they enter their marriage vows with complete commitment and truly want it to be until “death do us part”. Why, then, are more and more engaged couples signing a prenuptial agreement? It is not because they see divorce looming on the horizon, but because they have a realistic notion that there is a chance that it may. Also, marital trends are changing. Many couples are tying the knot at an older age, so as well as those entering a second or third marriage, couples are bringing more assets into the relationship than, say, a young man or woman who has only just paid off their student loan and who is at the beginning of their career path. As trends change, so do attitudes. Prenuptial agreements are becoming increasingly common if either or both parties have substantial assets, children from a prior marriage, potential inheritance, high incomes, or have received

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XJ_Asi

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Official Fuel economy figures for XJ range in mpg (L/100M): Urban 16.7–39.8 (16.9–7.1). Extra Urban 32.8–51.4 (8.6–5.5). Combined 24.4–46.3 (11.6–6.1). CO2 Emissions 270–159G/KM. ©2013 Jaguar Cars Ltd.

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Caledonian

wouldn’t advise anybody to start a business the way I did ” laughs mer Ashraf Malik, the founder of iCafe, a small chain of coffee houses and internet cafes in Scotland. The brand is young, quirky, energetic, and inspired by the internet caf scene of the 1990s, brought into the high-end market. Although mer can laugh about it now, back when he was just a 20-year-old student with a dream of opening a caf based on a university project, his methods for securing funding were risky to say the least. With no banks willing to fund the young and enthusiastic student, he maxed out eight credit cards to the tune of 5,000 to buyout the owner of a small video rental store that had an internet caf located in it. Still in his third year at Glasgow Caledonian niversity, mer spent the next year finishing his university degree and simultaneously running the video store to pay the bills on his vast array of credit cards, which amounted to a “mini mortgage in themselves”. After graduating, he borrowed a further 8,000 to open his very first iCafe. The young mer had a mind for caf culture, he could vividly see exactly what his brand iCafe should look and smell like, how the staff should talk to the customers and what kind of food and drink it should serve. Eighteen months after opening his first iCafe in 2005, mer opened another, and now has four cafes in Glasgow, including a coffee-to-go store, and has won awards for the quality of food and customer service. There is a new iCafe opening in April 201 in the city centre which will be the chain’s new flagship store. The unique selling point for iCafe in such a crowded and competitive marketplace is the quality of the food and drink, he says. Everything is made in the central kitchen and transported to the caf s on a daily basis, all meat is Halal and vegans and vegetarians are well-catered for. The way customers are using the caf s has evolved, along with the product offering, which is under constant scrutiny. The rise of mobile WiFi, the iPhone and iPad hasn’t changed the consistency with which customers use the caf s, mer explains, but has changed the way they use them. People see them as an alternative space to work and socialise,

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with top nosh thrown in. As an ambitious young entrepreneur, mer was not happy to sit back and be a “large fish in a small pond”. Wanting to move into a bigger pond, he applied to appear on the BBC investment TV programme Dragon’s Den. After a gruelling two-and-ahalf hours on the show, fellow Glaswegian Duncan Bannatyne invested 80,000 for 49 of the iCafe business. mer doesn’t regret giving away almost half of his business in the 20 seconds it took him to make up his mind when given the offer. “No doubt we would get there without help, but why have 100 of a small cake when you can 51 of a much bigger cake? And believe me I love cake ” His strategy in the Den was to only ask for a small amount of money, less than iCafe’s yearly profits, to show how serious he was, not only about securing investment but also the expansion of the business. It was the simple but effective business model that made iCafe a must-invest for Duncan Bannatyne. “What he tells me is that when he closed his eyes he could just see it work. He said ‘I have to invest in you I cannot not make you an offer’. He saw the returns he would get from the business, but he could also see the potential in our brand.” recalls mer. As a business partner and mentor, the Scottish dragon is very ‘hands on’, but blunt and to-the-point. He is also evangelical about the importance of family, which mer says he finds refreshing in the business world. With Duncan’s investment on board, the strategy for the future is three-fold. Firstly, to continue to open fully-owned stores, secondly to open partnership stores with 50 stakeholders on a territorial basis, and thirdly to branch out into a full-franchised model in or 4 of this year. mer would also like to break the Scotland England border and bring the model down south, but admits this ambition meets a grey area in terms of political decisions to be made in the next few years. If Scotland does vote for independence, he says, it will be a case of international expansion, not just national. For now at least, building a strong local brand is front of mind for the brain behind iCafe. w w w .icaf e.uk.com

PHOTOGRAPH: IAN BARCLAY

The internet café model of the 1990s has been rebranded for the 21st century and looks set to expand with energy, creativity and quality at the heart of everything it stands for. Jo Payne met its founder.

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Why have100% of

“

a small cake when you can have

51% of a much bigger cake?” A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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Having an international operation is the hallmark of success in the business world, but managing the FX risks of overseas trading is the key to survival. The experts from Currencies Direct explain how to arm your business with the right tools to avoid risk. FIRMS THAT OPERATE INTERNATIONALL TEND TO BE VER S CCESSF L, as an overseas influence is the hallmark of a prospering enterprise, but even businesses with very strong growth need to be wary of the fact there is some risk involved when it comes to the foreign exchange markets, but these can be lessened or avoided if the correct measures are taken. WHAT ARE THE MAIN FX RISKS? The foreign currency exchange market is the largest of its kind in the world, with trillions of dollars being traded on a daily basis both for speculative and commercial purposes. nfortunately, it is known for its volatility and can seem complicated to those without an expert understanding of its movements. Although investors cannot influence the market themselves, they can influence the effect currency market shifts have on their business and, in turn, their bottom line. Fluctuations in currency values be it with a home or foreign currency can either enhance or reduce the returns associated with a foreign investment. There is no doubting the benefits of owning foreign securities. After all, modern portfolio theory has established that by mixing asset classes investors can reduce risk. However, there are still underlying risks to even the most carefully planned strategy. When companies decide it is time to manage foreign currency exchange risks, it is fundamental that they identify what risks are relevant to them, and how they could affect their operations by understanding how and why these risks arise, to better formulate a plan for lessening them.

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H0W TO MANAGE THE RISKS OF OVERSEAS TRADING

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Finance

The most common cause of a foreign exchange risk comes when making overseas payments for imports that are priced in another currency, as well as receiving foreign currency as payment for exports. Exposure to foreign exchange risk can also result from foreign currency borrowing or deposits, assets located in foreign markets and overseas subsidiaries. Fluctuations in the value of currencies can have a direct impact on foreign investments and these fluctuations affect the risks of investing in overseas assets. Sometimes these risks can work in an investor’s favour, but other times they do not. For example, the investment education website Investopedia.com stated that if a foreign investment portfolio generated a 12 rate of return in 2012, but a home currency lost 10 of its value, the net return will be enhanced when converting profits to the home currency. But the reverse is also true, because if a foreign

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stock declines but the value of the home currency is stronger, it further weakens the returns of the foreign position. Looking at recent movements on the currency markets, one cannot ignore that the large number of factors economical but also political) affecting currencies values make it extremely difficult to accurately forecast future values. While macro and microeconomic factors allows the assessment of theoretical trends, political factors also have a strong influence which could result in exchange rate levels which are in contradiction with economic theory. The best recent example is the currencies war going on between the S, the , apan and the eurozone. This war is leading to the euro reaching levels quite frankly incompatible with the needs of the countries within this zone. et political pressures and economic strategies are pushing some countries to act in favour of weakening their currency, at the expense of other countries. Currencies volatility in general is also another major issue harming profits as well as international trade opportunities. India notoriously suffered from this last year with the rupee dropping 15 against the dollar between February and une, only to climb back up by September. Such instability creates unpredictable movements throughout time, and therefore increased difficulty evaluating the future value of assets, goods or financial flows. This, in turn, could possibly wipe out any future profits priced in transactions committed to at the present time. Foreign exchange protection can therefore prove essential for owners of overseas assets, joint ventures and partnerships, importers and exporters of goods and services, and group companies and subsidiaries in more than one country. WHAT IS FX PROTECTION? There are a number of strategies available for businesses and individual investors, but the key is that individuals find out what works best for them. Many companies dealing in the international arena with a cross-border approach to trading tend to opt for a portfolio system, which includes measures such as spot and forward F contracts, cash management optimisation via currency swaps and examining the possibility of selling and sourcing goods in the same

currency although this may not be always commercially possible. All of these limit profit exposure to currency movements and may incorporate currency borrowing as an alternative to currency trading. An investor may lessen the risk of loss from fluctuations in exchange rates by hedging with currency forwards. Forward contracts allow securing an exchange rate in advance whilst actually exchanging the currencies at a later date up to two years later for some currency pairs). This means that investors expecting to receive cash flows denominated in a foreign currency on a future date can lock in the current exchange rate by entering into an offsetting currency future position. This hedging strategy has two possible outcomes if the speculator is correct and the overseas currency rises against the home currency, the value of the contract also climbs and the speculator will make a profit. However, if the foreign currency weakens, the value of the contract also depreciates. Investors can take a long or short position in their currency of choice depending on how they believe it will perform something a professional adviser at an organisation will be able to help with. It is critical to understand that by protecting yourself from exchange rate fluctuations, you also make the decision of not benefiting in most cases and depending on the products and strategies used) from future favourable currency movements. The key questions that anyone, individuals or businesses, need to consider are ■ What is my exposure? ■ Do I want to hedge this exposure? ■ Do I have access to the right tools and knowledge? ■ Should I engage with a specialist organisation that will help me identify my risks and suggest strategies and products to mitigate these risks?

Once a risk has been identified and understood, it is important to come up with a plan for managing those risks to ensure you are armed with the right tools for F survival. w w w .currenciesdi rect.com

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BE YOUR OWN

publisher

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Getting a book published no longer means knocking on the doors of agents and publishing houses. In fact, now you can get your words to market yourself. Here, Melissa Stewart explores the world of self-publishing…

MOST PEOPLE NOW THAT THE P BLISHING PHENOMENON OF 2012 was Fif ty Shad es of G rey , which became the best-selling book of all time in the , knocking the Harry Potter series off the top spot. What you may not know is that this erotic novel, which was derided by critics for its “appalling writing”, started life as online fan fiction before becoming an e-book, self-published by author EL ames using a tiny e-publishing outfit in Australia. The novel gained momentum thanks to word-of-mouth marketing and was soon topping bestseller lists around the world. Fif ty Shad es of G rey put self-publishing on the map and proved that you no longer need traditional publishing houses to become an established author. Indeed, companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Barnes Noble.com help you to cut out the middle men, like agents and editors, and allow you to publish directly with them. This is something 29-year-old accountant, Shuhin Ali, is all too familiar with, having just self-published his debut novel, L ost Reunions, via Amazon’s self-publishing arm CreateSpace and through indie publisher Smashwords. The novel is a tale of friendship, selfdiscovery and redemption, set between the and Bangladesh. It follows a group of 20-somethings trying to be true to who they are, based on the challenges of modern life. “Initially I just wanted to pen a story but then, towards the end of writing, I thought perhaps it was good enough

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Shuhin Ali

to publish,” explains Shuhin. “I approached publishers and agents but the feedback I got was that due to the economic climate, unless I was an established author or famous celebrity, I wouldn’t get published. “Then, I went to a conference on self-publishing where one of the speakers was a director at Amazon. He spoke about their self-publishing arm, Createspace, and how you can publish free of charge and get straight to an international market, so I decided to give it a go.” It’s a win win situation for the aspiring author and the “authorservice” company because there’s no initial investment. E-books cost nothing to produce once the pages are in place and print copies are published on demand POD). Most self-publishing houses will also offer a free ISBN International Standard Book Number) number and barcode, which means

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To find out more about creating your own bespoke Artemis SUV, contact us: Â +44 A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k 00(0)20 8965 3500 . sales@eternitimotors.com . www.eternitimotors.com AW_30-57_SectionB.indd 54

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novel was all about. your book is officially registered for “Thankfully there’s so many online international sale. It’s then up to the ways to plug your book you don’t author to edit and proof his or her own necessarily need the marketing budget work, and supply a book cover. of a publishing house,” explains Shuhin. As Shuhin explains, “CreateSpace do “Social media sites like Twitter and have a book editing service that you can Facebook allow you to spread the use, but I decided early on that I wanted word yourself.” to maintain creative control of my There’s also the added bonus that work. So I found an editor via the Royal the book is printed on demand, rather Society of Editors and also did some than en masse, and the fact that e-books research online for a cover designer. I never go out of print. had an idea in mind “I know writers who of what I wanted for self-published and a the cover but needed THREE OF THE BEST year later their book someone to bring my SELF-PUBLISHING SITES really took off,” vision to life.” If you think you have what it explains Shuhin. It was an investtakes to sell your words to the “The key is to keep ment that Shuhin masses, check out these top plugging it. It’s a believes was worth self-publishing sites… slow process though it, as it gives his 1 CreateSpace – so don’t expect a novel the polish and www.createspace.com quick win.” professionalism that Set up by the daddy of online Of course, no a lot of self-published booksellers, Amazon. amount of marketing titles lack. “I think I 2 Lulu – www.lulu.com hype can sell a bad spent about 1, 00 US-based Lulu offers a straightidea. At the end of of my own money forward, DIY self-publishing the day, what’s key on editing and cover service. in the first place is design but, in my 3 Smashwords – writing something view, if you’re going www.smashwords.com that people actually to self-publish and An indie publisher and e-bookwant to read. Shuhin spend any money, seller, popular with short story advises “Don’t go then spend it on eninto self-publishing suring the content is to make money. For me, writing good,” he says. “ ou want people to get L ost Reunions was a passion project lost in your story and not be distracted it was all about writing a good story. by spelling and grammar mistakes. The Focus on making interesting and quality cover is also important because people content ultimately that’s what will do still judge books by their covers.” sell your book.” In terms of making money, the author sets the price and approximately 5 of L ost Reunions is av ailable now at the list price of each print book goes to Am az on. 5 0 p of all sales w ill go to the the author. If it’s an e-book the author can Rural D ev elop m ent Found ation make as much as 0 of the list price, Banglad esh ( w w w .rd f banglad esh.org) . because there are no production costs. To ﬁnd out more about Shuhin Ali visit Of course, the downside to all this w w w .shuhinali.com is that now that self-publishing has hit the headlines, everyone is doing it. This means it can be exceptionally hard to bring your book to an audience in an increasingly overcrowded marketplace. Indeed, statistics show that less than 1 WIN A of all self-published books are successful. COPY In Fifty Shades’ case, the key was To win a savvy marketing. With little or no budgcopy of Lost et to publicise the book, Fif ty Shad es Reunions, of G rey was sent to influential book send your bloggers, who in turn spread the word best fiction about it via blogs and social media sites, idea to AWM’s editor at creating a snowball effect as everyone jo@media-36.com. wanted to know what this “erotic”

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fortune FOOTSTEPS

In his latest instalment, Aneesh Popat tells AWM about the advancements his chocolatemaking business has made in the last three months. The last three months saw our busiest period, Christmas which accounts for almost 40% of our annual trade. We launched drinking chocolates, perfect for the Christmas season, with the signature being Gold Dust – a blend of shavings of chocolate, flakes of 23ct gold, saffron, pistachio and cardamom. Le Meridien hotel in Piccadilly also hosted us with a series of Christmas-themed pop-up shops and then again on Valentine’s Day. Vivek Singh of The Cinnamon Club commissioned us to create five signature waterganache chocolates for his Valentine’s Day menu, whilst Penhaligon’s in Regent Street launched its new Edwardian interior with our floral waterganaches. We were also commissioned to create a chocolate sculpture of the elephant headed God Ganesha (pictured). The quarter ahead looks exciting with possible plans for a more permanent presence in London, and not to forget Easter!

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family IT’S A

AFFAIR

Tax and funding top the list of issues for family businesses, says Nina Amin, tax partner and head of Asian Markets at KPMG.

ON FEBR AR 6TH, MORE THAN 40 REPRESENTATIVES from family businesses in the South East got together with PMG and the Institute for Family Business for an evening of debate on the issues that were having an impact on them and their family enterprises. There were two stand-out issues that were top of the agenda and vigorously debated the tax landscape for high-networth individuals in the and what the future might look like and how to fund a business in a climate where banks are reluctant to lend and cash is in short supply. One of the driving forces behind family businesses is to make money f or the family. They tend to take the longer term view interested in growing the family wealth and having a different set of strategic goals compared to nonfamily owned private companies. Issues and uncertainty around the personal tax rate system, is of key interest to family business owners. At the end of last year, at the Conservative Party Conference, the Chancellor George Osborne, ruled out introducing a wealth tax in the , however, the idea that the wealthy must pay their “fair share” has not gone away and the contribution that high earners and highnet-worth individuals make to the , continues to come under scrutiny.

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WHAT IS “FAIR SHARE”? With the economy still very much in the doldrums, this is obviously an important debate to be had. With the exception of changes to the taxation of residential property worth over 2 million, it seems that an annual tax on capital has been ruled out for now. But does this change the focus to tax on income? There has already been a great deal of reaction to the proposed decrease in the top rate of income tax to 45 from April this year. Some companies, that suggested deferring paying bonuses to their management until after April to make use of the lower rate of tax, were publically forced to change those plans, when politicians and the media got wind of the news. In March last year, HMRC published a paper The Exchequer Effect of the 50 additional rate of income tax) which examined behavioural responses to changes in tax rates and the concept that people have the ability to control when they draw taxable income, for example, from a business. It concluded that the original estimated yield increase of 2.5 billion, arising from a 50 rate, wasn’t going to happen, and the increase may even have a negative impact. Some of our European neighbours have already imposed higher taxes on the wealthy. France, for example has recently increased wealth tax and

introduced a super tax on high levels of income. Whatever route the Government decides to follow, the key issue must be that any changes to the tax laws aimed at ensuring the wealthy pay what is perceived to be their fair share, does in practice, work as intended. FUNDING FOR GROWTH – WHY WON’T MY BANK LEND? Following on from the discussion of all being in it together, and making sure that everyone does their fair share to get the economy moving again, the debate quickly turned to the issue of funding, and in particular, why weren’t the banks perceived to be lending to small businesses. The general view was that the mainstream business banks are still extending

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Finance

wealthy must pay “fair share” has not gone away”

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

“the idea that the their credit to resilient, growing firms, but are restrained by a mandate to hold cash and are naturally impacted by eurozone volatility. At PMG, we are increasingly seeing clients diversifying their sources of funding with new, alternative forms of lending. This move away from bank debt can be the result of increased pricing or banks simply being unable to offer the terms companies are looking for. Another view is that businesses are adjusting to the new reality choosing alternative credit to avoid over-reliance on just one source and, importantly, because some of these types of finance are actually better suited to their models. In the mid-market and SME segments, invoice finance and asset based lending are enjoying a renaissance. They’re

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flexible, particularly suited to those with large asset bases and, crucially for SMEs, the capital they release grows in-line with sales. Retail bonds are the flavour of the month in the mid-market and for good reason. We’ve advised on a number of successful offerings nationally as retail bonds offer significant liquidity for suitable companies, with investors increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional savings products and equities. However, the relevance of retail bonds to individual borrowers varies depending on objectives and circumstances, and will evolve as the market matures. They’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. New entrants to the financing market, including pension funds and insurance companies, are also planning to give the

mainstream banks a run for their money in the corporate market. However, take-up is slow particularly at regional level and their offerings need to be refined if they are to effectively finance a range of requirements, including refinancings and leveraged buyouts. Despite the success so far of the government’s Funding for Lending scheme, and the various other initiatives to improve access to finance for SMEs, banks medium-term appetite for risk is unlikely to change materially. We expect the funding landscape for SME and family-owned businesses to continue to evolve, with growing focus on alternative sources of finance and their relevance to companies’ varying models and growth strategies. w w w .kpm

g.com

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Here&Now 365 was started by Manish Tiwari in 2005. After a brief stint working at the Royal Court Theatre in London, Manish decided to pursue a career in the media. He wanted to create an agency that was more democratic, downto-earth, and able to carry out work to reach the new emerging migrant class. “There was new world order stirring up, and you couldn’t fail to notice the new migrant wave from India, China, Poland and other Eastern European countries. So we started targeting some of the businesses who were from India that were setting up offices in the UK, telecom companies, and Asian entrepreneurs,” he explains. At that time, the face of ethnic media was changing and its champion for a long time was the government. However, there was a sudden boom in Asian media, especially on satellite channels such as Sky, and digital platforms. And this was a time when Here&Now365 started advising its clients on the new paradigm shifts. The decision to put ethnicity at the heart of the new business was certainly no accident. “Multiculturalism is not a fad; it’s here to stay and is infiltrating every aspect of our lives. From the food we eat, to the media we consume, to the way we interact with people in our everyday lives,” Manish explains. The Here&Now365 team – which numbers 25 and speaks at least 12 different languages – is passionate about helping its clients to best understand the details and touches that echo with different ethnic communi-

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PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROCESS

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT N OW

Here&Now365 specialises in multicultural advertising and marketing. It has worked with brands such as Barclays, Asda and Virgin, but also with small business and public sector organisations to reach an ethnically diverse audience. ties, and use these to help them develop campaigns that are successful and memorable. The company started on the fringes of the industry. Quite often the attitude towards issues raised by multiculturalism, and audiences that are culturally diverse, can be baffling and difficult for bigger agencies says Manish. “Even the clients, who have primarily migrant communities as their audience, would often work with bigger agencies, choosing to buy into the global network. So we simply had to try harder

and prove that ethnic marketing simply doesn’t work with bigger set-ups,” he explains. Today, the company offers strategies around branding, media, communication, events, digital, social media, research, PR, outdoor and below the line (BTL) such as direct marketing. A lot of Here&Now365’s work is in different languages which, Manish says, the bigger agencies simply don’t find profitable. “A media company runs a culture communication only to retain clients, but that is

not their primary product offering and it is done, at best, with an arrogant and patronising approach to harassed clients who don’t have enough time and resources to plunge into a more meaningful exercise. However, when we compete with them, they simply don’t have the depth, and any intelligent client can see that.” A change in media usage is also driving clients to reach out to Here&Now365. The way end-users interact with the media is totally different from five, 10, or 20 years

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PHOTOGRAPHY PHIL BOURNE

PBTP

ago. Today, traditional media such as television or newspapers, which would have found millions of viewers just five years ago, just do not work in the same way. Media companies need to work for their clients in different ways to retain the same kind of traction with audiences, and with ethnic marketing the challenge is even more complicated. “Ethnic marketing doesn’t work in simplistic frames as the media doesn’t necessarily reach huge numbers, so you need an integrated approach and a combina-

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tion of ground activation facilitated with appropriate media,” Manish explains. This can be seen in the way in which the client base has changed since 2005. When the business started, it was working with predominantly Indian businesses which were setting up offices in the UK. Now it is working with bigger brands and public sector organisations such as ASDA, TK Maxx, Virgin, the Department of Health, and Barclays. It also works with movie companies and music festivals that aim to reach out to wider black,

minority and ethnic (BME) communities. Manish is very clear on the future of the business, and on the subject of multiculturalism – both are here to stay, and it is his job to connect his clients with the most influential consumers of the future. “The advertising and media industry is at cross roads, it is an historic time,” he says. “Hereafter, the industry will not be structured as we have seen over the last few decades from the 1970s to the present. We are in a digital age, but also in a culturally nomadic age

where the many different cultural presences can be in any geography; from localised to globalised.” Here&Now365 is in the business of understanding this influence. The business defines itself as an expert in multicultural communications for the varied audiences and influences there are in British cities. “In the world today every third person happens to be Chinese or Indian, and increasingly so also in every major city in the world the population stats would tell you that every third or fourth person is culturally not the same as the native population. London is a fine example of this. “We as a business take up the role of communicating to audiences in their own culture. This is a difficult job and most agencies and clients just want to bury this with cleverly worded excuses as to why they shouldn’t be doing it. But it is simple, the brands and companies will lose business if they ignore the challenge,” Manish explains. The company is still as ambitious as when it was founded eight years ago. It wants to open offices in New York and Dubai, and cross the £10 million mark in the next five years. It has created vertical businesses such as healthcare (which is a sensitive space), ethnic food, and is launching a food festival this year. Manish also has plans to capitalise on open source marketing. “The digital work is going to make the industry open ended at every level, as access to ideas and reality of the market place increasingly becomes more transparent,” he explains.

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WORKING TO LIVE OR

living to work With the boundaries between work and home life becoming ever more blurred, Melissa Stewart explores how you can strike a work/life balance.

“GENIUS IS 1% INSPIrATION, 99% PErSPIrATION” is a phrase famously coined by Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb and 1,093 other US patents. Edison was a renowned workaholic, clocking 72-hour working weeks in his laboratory, much to the frustration of his wife and family. While Edison’s work ethic may seem extreme, for many of us doing overtime at work is simply the norm. In fact, us Brits clock some of the longest working hours in Europe, averaging 42.7 hours a week. And, in our ever-mobile world – where we can access emails at the touch of a button – it’s becoming increasingly difficult to draw a line between work and play. As Tim Heyland, CEO and co-founder of surf company Tiki International puts it, “It’s difficult to leave the job in the office. I have my work email redirected to my phone and it’s difficult not to check at evenings and weekends – especially as many of our suppliers and customers are overseas on different time zones.” IMPACT ON HEALTH Unfortunately, for some, too much work can lead to poor health. In fact, a recent study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found that doing overtime increases the risk of heart disease by up to 80%. The study gathered data from 12 different studies going back to 1958, and involved 22,000 participants from Britain, the USA, Japan, the Netherlands,

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Finland and Denmark. “There are several potential mechanisms that may underlie the association between long working hours and heart disease,” study authors wrote. “One is prolonged exposure to psychological stress.” Other factors cited in the study were poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, sitting for prolonged periods of time, and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. SETTING BOUNDARIES So how do you stop work from taking over your life? For Trina Wallace, who has been running her own charity communications business for the past two years, it’s been a learning process. “I work from home full time and striking a work life balance can be difficult,” she explains. “I’ve had to set myself boundaries to stop myself working all the time. This has meant physically separating my workspace from my home space, by setting up an office area away from my living room and bedroom, places where I want to switch off and relax. “In terms of time management, I use Google calendars to manage my diary and figure out my priorities for the week. I plan ahead, two to three weeks in advance, and if I have too much work on, I outsource it. I also find that putting an ‘out of office’ email on when I’m unavailable helps. It bides me some time to get back to people.”

EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITY If you’re an employer and oversee a team of people, it’s also important that you promote positive messages about work/ life balance in your workplace. “research shows a reduction in absenteeism and improved employee commitment in organisations that support and encourage balance,” explains Alex Davda, psychometrics consultant and researcher at Ashridge Business School. “You can do this by promoting a culture of openness around workload. Employees should feel comfortable speaking up to their line manager if they feel overwhelmed.” Alex also stresses that employers should lead by example. “The most practical thing an employer can do is be mindful of the messages that they send to their team – overworking themselves may create an unwritten rule that this is expected of their team. “If you’re an employer who regularly works late or at weekends, be mindful of how you manage the impact of this choice on your team – for example, don’t send emails at midnight, but save them as a draft and send the next morning.” HAPPY HOME LIFE If work is particularly busy or stressful then you should also try to avoid letting it “overspill” into your home life. As Trina explains, “I know it’s really important for my wellbeing and productivity at work to make sure I have down time away from

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“It’s becoming

increasingly di cult to draw a line between work and play ” A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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Are you a busy working Professional? As a busy working professional, finding the time to manage your personal finances can be challenging. Have you had time to consider any of the following questions? • • • • •

Am I saving enough for the future? How do I seek out my mortgage options? Am I contributing enough into my pension? Have I made the right plans towards my retirement? How will my money achieve a return greater than inflation? • Are my investments diversified well enough? • Are my personal affairs set up in the most tax efficient way?

• Am I protected against the events of ill health? • Are my children and/or my commitments protected against my death? • Have I planned for my children’s school and university fees? • Are my work benefits’ adequate for my needs? • If any of these questions are relevant, then ask yourself “When was the last time I reviewed my personal financial planning arrangements?”

Whatever financial challenges you face, I can help you achieve clarity on your business and personal financial ambitions to achieve the lifestyle you require now and during retirement. Introducing Waleed Khan I have worked for a number of years in the financial services industry providing specialist tailored financial advice to young working professionals. I deal with a number of professions including Solicitors, Accountants and Finance related professionals based in and around the City of London. I believe in building relationships from an early stage and then servicing my clients through out their working career as their income and financial circumstances change. I understand the pressures you face and the time restrictions imposed during your working life, however help is always on hand. As an Associate Partner of the award winning St. James’s Place Wealth Management, I have access to a wide range of products and services to provide you with a tailored solution to achieve your individual needs. I regularly attend seminars and workshops to keep my knowledge up-to-date and closely follow the financial markets allowing me to help find you the best investment opportunities. I also ensure that I am fully abreast of changes in legislation and tax planning to ensure that all of your affairs are correctly in order. I would be delighted to extend this service to you and your colleagues. To arrange a confidential, no obligation financial health check, please contact:

WALEED KHAN Associate Partner

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PA rt n e rs In M A n Ag In g yo u r We Alt H

The Partner represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management sianW ealthMag.co.uk 00and services, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. the title ‘Partner’ is the marketing term used toAdescribe products st. James’s Place representatives.

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IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

charity communications. I go to a gig, the theatre, catch up with friends – do something completely unrelated to work.” Switching off from work by doing something positive that you enjoy is key, explains Alex. “I always feel it’s important to use features of your home life as a positive factor when work is not going well, and vice-versa. This is often described as ‘ positive role balance’ and means you gain enjoyment and satisfaction from different areas of your life, rather than focusing on one.” In your downtime it also helps to do something cognitively very different from your workload. So, if you work in an office all day, get outdoors and do something active. Tim, for example, chooses to de-stress by surfing. “It’s a great way to switch off and ease some of life’s pressures. I think it’s important to find something you enjoy away from work, that doesn’t involve just going to the pub and trying to drink your stress away,” he says. Ultimately, when it comes to creating a balance in your life through work and play it comes down to knowing what works for you. As Alex concludes, “Self-awareness is key for you to identify what type of working week you would find most productive and enjoyable, and what practical steps you need to take to achieve this.”

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STRIKE A BALANCE A few simple things you can do to take back control of your life:

SWITCH OFF AT HOME In today’s mobile world it can be tempting to keep on top of work from home via your laptop, tablet or mobile. Try to create a boundary between your work life and your home life by turning off your work phone and restricting your access to work emails out of office hours.

JUST SAY NO We all want to make a good impression at work and show willing when we’re given extra tasks to complete. However, remember that it is still OK to say no – don’t feel obliged to take on more than you have time for in your working day.

MANAGE YOUR TIME Get organised and plan your days in order to be as efficient as you can be. Write lists, diarise your priorities, and postpone or delegate matters that don’t require your urgent attention. A simple bit

of planning will stop you feeling overwhelmed by every day tasks and make life more manageable.

BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM If you’re juggling your career with a busy family life, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Get coworkers to help out if you need to deal with family matters during working time, and do the same for them when they need help. If you need to do overtime or travel with work, enlist friends and loved ones to help out at home.

MAKE TIME FOR YOU It’s important if you’re juggling a demanding career with a hectic home life to make time for yourself, too. Time off shouldn’t just mean caring for others or doing housework. Go for a run, enrol in an evening class, book a massage, plan a night out with friends – do something for you.

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The Carlyle Hotel is renowned for its luxurious decor and living spaces

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Travel

PHOTOGRAPHS: THE CARLYLE HOTEL; SHUTTERSTOCK

N THE LATE 1990S, Concorde was the epitome of luxurious travel. Of course, British Airways and Air France offered a few routes but the prized journey was that to New York – the Big Apple – a city so good they named it twice. I will never forget landing at JFK (often before I had technically left London), being picked up in a limousine and gliding over the bridge into Manhattan to The Carlyle Hotel. New ork is made up of five boroughs and the Upper East Side is part of the borough of Manhattan. The Upper East stretches from 59th to 96th and the East river to Fifth/Central Park. It is the most affluent part of the nited States, if not the world. Every street in New York looks like it could have been used as a movie set. The Upper East featured in Breakfast in Tiffany’s, the Thomas Crown Affair (to name but two) and heavily in the likes of Sex in the City and Gossip Girl. The Upper East oozes wealth; you almost feel that the streets are paved with gold. Dominated by amazing multi-million dollar brownstone buildings, celebrity restaurants and luxury boutiques, even dogs are treated like royalty. Many of the designer shops have smart silver water (bottled and imported from Norway, naturally) bowls outside them where well groomed Cocker Spaniels nonchalantly stop for a gulp or two. The area offers a plethora of museums and art galleries from the Guggenheim and Whitney to the Metropolitan to my personal favourite, The Frick. With Central Park as one of its borders, Harlem to the north and the trendy Chelsea and Midtown to the south, the Upper East is a most fabulous area to be located in New York. There are many luxury hotels in the Upper East, the Lowell and the Mark are two of my favourites but since 1930, one property has been favoured by the world’s rich and famous: The Carlyle. This 35-storey building, located at 35 East 76th Street, was named, bizarrely, after the Scottish philosopher and writer Thomas Carlyle. Its guest

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book is a veritable who’s who, every US President has stayed there since Harry S Truman in the 1940s. Mick Jagger is a frequent guest and both Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe have slept there too, so just what is the attraction of The Carlyle? THE HIGHS The hotel boasts 124 guestrooms and an additional 64 suites. While a “basic” room is around 35 square metres in area, the Empire Suite offers 260 square metres of sheer opulence. All rooms offer plush carpets, expensive furniture and levels of luxury that you would expect from one of the greatest city hotels in the world. The general rule with The Carlyle is the better category of room you book, the higher up the tower you are and the better views you receive. The vista of the Manhattan skyline from the top of the tower at night is particularly impressive. Of course, there’s a 24-concierge desk, full-service spa, fitness centre, hair salon, children’s club (rare in a city hotel) and the hotel is wonderfully dog-friendly. There are several bars and restaurants of course with Café Carlyle being the main diamond in the tiara. Since 1955, the Caf has played host to jazz greats from the legendary Bobby Short to the gravel-voiced Eartha Kitt. The ardent clarinet player and New York native Woody Allen (yes, him) often plays a set on a Monday evening with his band that specialises in New Orleans jazz.

The hotel is a home away from home for many of the world’s celebrities and high rollers

THE LOW If you are not a fan of walking or being stuck in cabs, The Carlyle is not for you. Being in the heart of the Upper East, it’s a “journey” downtown and is not walkable with bags of shopping from 5th Avenue. THE LOWS AND HIGHS With Upper East properties selling for an astonishing $15,000 per square metre, staying at The Carlyle is reassuringly expensive. Sure, you can get cheaper five star hotel rooms in New ork, but why purchase a Mercedes when you can afford a rolls-royce? V arun Sharm a is the host of I nsid e L ux ury T rav el – a telev ision show on the T rav el C hannel that f ocuses on high- end d estinations.

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GRANGE HOTELS

London's award-winning Independent Hotels

17 London locations 2000 luxury guest rooms and suites 2000 plus capacity in state-of-the-art conference and events spaces Awarded

Best Small Hotel Company - Business Travel Awards 2013

020 7233 7888 | reservations@grangehotels.com | grangehotels.com | A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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Artemis

THE WORLD’S FIRST SUPER-SUV ETErNITI’S FIrST CAr, THE ArTEMIS, MEETS AN UNMET NEED; the need for new levels of luxury, space and performance in an SUV. With high-end luxury and huge performance in equal measure, plus exceptional exclusivity and choice of specification, the Artemis serves as three vehicles in one. It is the world’s first Super-S V, and will come to market ahead of luxury S V offerings from Bentley, Lamborghini, Maserati and, possibly, Aston Martin’s Lagonda brand. The interior of the Artemis is a large part of the story, especially the rear cabin. It is not only re-trimmed but re-engineered and repackaged to provide additional rear legroom of up to 100 mm. As well as moving the line of the rear seats backwards, the configuration is entirely new, with two individual seats separated by a central console. The seats are multi-functional and fully electric, with fore, aft and recline controls, lumbar supports, heating and cooling, and a footrest. Individual iPad holders, which reveal electronically, are concealed in the front seat-backs. An iPhone dock will connect to a choice of high-end audio and entertainment systems. All rear cabin features are operated by controls in the new console, which also houses a drinks cooler. The seats are trimmed in high-quality bespoke Italian leather, complemented by a bespoke roof lining, lambswool rugs, and quilted faux-leather undercarpets and boot trim. Cars will be equipped with either a glass sunroof and starlight lining or a full-length glass panoramic roof. All cars will also come with a communication management and navigation system and heated multi-function steering wheel.

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OnTheRoad

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T W407 Ă&#x2DC; 48 MM

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BODY, TECHNICAL AND PERFORMANCE The body is made from advanced carbon-composite material, typically used in race car manufacture for light weight and strength. Performance and handling have been developed by a race-bred British engineering team led by Alastair Macqueen. He previously developed to production the Jaguar XJ220, then the world’s fastest road car, and has engineered three outright Le Mans 24-hour race wins for Jaguar and Bentley. The twin-turbo 4.8-litre V8 petrol has a top speed in excess of 180 mph. The transmission features an eightspeed semi-automatic gearbox with active all-wheel drive, electronically variable multi-plate clutch, automatic brake differential and anti-slip regulation. Suspension is double wishbone at the front and multilink at the rear. Braking is by internally ventilated disks all-round, with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.

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BUYING AND OWNING The price for the high-specification launch model is the local currency equivalent of £ 210,000 plus local taxes in all markets except China. Eterniti’s London atelier and design studio is located in Park royal, where customers can have consultations to develop their own vehicle specifications. The sister build facility is located close by, making Eterniti London’s only car manufacturer.

Customers will be able to specify their cars with unique combinations of trim and options chosen from around 15 exterior paints finishes and a choice of polished chrome, dark chrome or painted finishes. There are 10 leather trim colours, with multiple patterning and stitching styles, including options for embossing, brogueing and embroidery. Choices of six veneers including burr walnut, piano black and carbon fibre help to create a unique interior for every car, and Eterniti staff will help build the right specification for every customer. For those who want the ultimate in bespoke specifications, Eterniti’s atelier will source any materials and parts to design and build a car to meet an individual customer’s most exacting demands. Buyers will receive a full, twoyear/100,000-mile warranty including two years’ servicing. w w w .eternitim otors.com

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OVER 30 MILLION CHILDREN IN SOUTH ASIA DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL. MOST OF THEM ARE GIRLS.

Education is a priority for The British Asian Trust. We help poor children, especially girls, go to school. We do that by investing in local charities — like Educate Girls in Rajasthan, India — that are making the greatest impact on poverty in South Asia.

Our unique approach aims to encourage philanthropy amongst the British Asian community by:

Since 2008, Educate Girls has touched the lives of more than 37,000 girls. Through our portfolio of high-impact charities like Educate Girls, the Trust has reached out to more than 350,000 people in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

• Showcasing grassroots charities that do not have adequate visibility in the UK

Founded by British Asian business leaders at the suggestion of HRH The Prince of Wales, the Trust promotes effective giving that creates lasting change in South Asia.

• Combating scepticism in the important sector of charitable giving in South Asia

• Sharing the progress of donations through regular reports

Help us bring lasting change to South Asia.

“The British Asian Trust supports innovative and inspirational organizations and projects in South Asia and in the United Kingdom to address issues of long term sustainability.”

Visit www.britishasiantrust.org to learn more and donate online or call: +44 (0)20 7024 5646

PRESIDENT: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES

THE BRITISH ASIAN TRUST IS A UK REGISTERED CHARITY (1127366)

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Events

THE ASIAN AWARDS WHAT: The third annual Asian Awards will take place on April 16th at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, and hosted by Lord Sebastian Coe for the third time running. Taking a pan-Asian nominee list for the first time, it will honour those in the fields of sport, televisions, music, technology, business, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship, and lifetime achievement. It also two special awards, the People’s Choice Award and the Founder’s Award, which recognises an individual from history or present day who has had a major impact on the world. Judges will consider the global significance of this individual’s contribution and legacy, and how widely this is understood and appreciated outside their sphere of activity. The roll call of previous reads like a who’s who of celebrity and influence.

IMAGES THE ASIAN AWARDS

2011’S WINNERS WERE: ■ Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Russell Peters ■ Outstanding achievement in Television Meera Syal ■ Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Akshay Kumar ■ Outstanding Achievement in Music Jay Sean ■ Business Leader of the Year Anand Mahindra ■ Outstanding Achievement in Sport Muttiah Muralitharan ■ Public Servant of the Year Irene Khan

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■ Philanthropist of the Year Shiv Nadar ■ Social Entrepreneur of the Year Bunker Roy ■ Entrepreneur of the Year Dr KP Singh ■ Lifetime Achievement Award Asha Bhosle ■ Fellowship Award Ravi Shankar ■ People’s Choice Award Amir Khan ■ Outstanding Achievement in Science and Technology Amit Singhal ■ Founder’s Award Freddie Mercury

2 1 The Great Room at Grosvenor House Hotel 2 Asha Bhosle and Jay Sean; 3 The Asian Awards shown in Times Square, New York

3 THE JUDGES The judges include Asian and non-Asian judges from the world of entertainment, politics, sport and business. The first stage of judging sees the creation of a long list through independent research. A broad panel of judges debate, score and rank the nominees against the criteria to determine the winner. These winners are then sent to a high profile endorsement panel for final approval. The judging panel involves: Baroness Verma of Leicester, Surinder Arora, Mihir Bose, Kamel Hothi, Anand Mahindra, Rishi Rich, and Amit Singhal. www.theasianawards.com

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Event Design | Decor | Production

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Mistique Events is one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading creative event companies. Specialising in event design, decor and production. Our services range from Lighting, draping, staging, AV displays to complete event management. Our range of services are designed to tailor make special events from start to finish, meeting particular requirements and budgets without compromise. From an intimate celebration to a themed banquet for thousands, we are passionate and dedicated to creating a truly unique experience that will take your breath away... in fact, the only limit is your imagination...

To arrange a meeting please contact our sales team on 0208 664 1133. Alternatively visit our interactive website at mevents.co.uk A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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3 1 The Hosts - Kulveer Singh Ranger & Anu Singh; 2 Terry Brown, Sharon Kaur, Gurpreet Singh, Tommy Nagra Sikhs in Entertainment; 3 Navdeep Singh founder of The Sikh Directory & The Sikh Awards; 4 Lakshmi Niwas Mittal; 5 Rajinder Singh Business Man

THE SIKH AWARDS WHAT: With over 750 guests in attendance, The Sikh Awards 2012 recognised Sikh contributions and excellence in a variety of fields with nominations received from around the world. The gala ceremony was presented by former Mayoral advisor Mr Kulveer Ranger and model/actress Ms Anu Singh. SOME OF THE WINNERS INCLUDED: ■ Sikh Lifetime Achievement Award

Bibi Inder Kaur ■ Sikhs in Entertainment

Gurpreet Singh ■ Sikhs in Charity

Harpal Singh Kumar ■ Business Man

Rajinder Singh ■ Sikhs in Profession

Gurmant Singh Grewal ■ The Sikh People’s Choice Award

Paul Uppal MP

WHEN: 21st October 2012 WHERE: The Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge

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Events 6 Lakshmi MIttal & Navdeep Singh; 7 Tony Litt, Paul Uppal MP, Nitin Palan The Sikh Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice Award;

IMAGES COURTESY OF SIKH AWARDS / EAST WEST PHOTOGRAPHY

7 8 Mininder Singh, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Harpal Singh Kumar, Parminder Singh - Sikhs in Charity; 9 The Ballroom; 10 Daljit Jagait, Bibi Inder Kaur, Guest of Inderjit Kaur - Sikh Lifetime Achievement Award; 11 Harpal Bhachu, Gurmant Singh Grewal, Mitty Toma Sikhs in Profession

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1 (L-R) Nick Clegg, Dr Rami Ranger MBE, Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja; 2 Mark Cooper and Priten Patel from Santoshi Design with AWM’s Abby Ghafoor; 3 (L-R) Rajesh Agrawal, Nick Clegg, Deepak Kuntawala, Dr Sanjeev Ahuja and Peter André; 4 Kamel Hothi of Lloyds; 5 Dr Sanjeev Ahuja, TiE UK President; 6 Saketh Patnam (left) with guest; 7 (L-R) Rajesh Agrawal, Jacqueline Gold, Natasha Mudhar and Dr Sanjeev Ahuja; 8 Tasmin Lucia-Khan and Peter André

IMAGES COURTESY OF WWW.UKASIAONLINE.COM

TiE UK AWARDS 2013 WHAT: The UK chapter of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), together with international communications agency Sterling Media, hosted the glittering TiE UK Awards in 2013. The chief guest and keynote speaker at the event was Deputy Prime Minister the Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, who spoke about the stellar contribution made by the UK’s many talented entrepreneurs to fuel the resurgence in the UK’s economy after the global recession. WHEN: 18 March 2013 WHERE: Grosvenor House Hotel - London

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4 1 Ritu Sethi and family; 2 Guests at the event; 3 Signed copies available on the evening; 4 (L-R) Chanda Pandya and Jagdeep Rai; 5 (L-R) Nikhita Sethi and Dipinder Sehgal; 6 (L-R) Event hosted by Mona Remtulla and Reena Ranger of Women Empowered.

IMAGES SUPPLIED BY UKASIAONLINE.COM

A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO HAVING IT ALL NOW! BOOK LAUNCH WHAT: Ritu Sethi’s new book ‘A Women’s Guide to Having It All NOW’ was officially launched on 6th March in London. The event, hosted by Women Empowered coincided with International Women’s Day. Drawing from her own experiences and detailing her easy-to-follow system of selfimprovement, which she has practised, Having It All NOW is an accessible and coherent formula that demonstrates how women of all ages and cultures can get the most out of life and better their situations. WHEN: 6th March 2013 WHERE: Bright Courtyard Club, London

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2 1 Nish Kotecha presenting Vince Cable with a traditional Indian shawl; 2 Event supported by Santander; 3 Uday K Dholakia OBE (chairman of NABA); 4 Guests at the event; 5 (L-R) Sandra Kerr OBE and Baroness Sandip Verma; 6 (L-R) Vince Cable MP, Perween Warsi CBE, Baroness Prashar of Runneymede CBE, Prof Nat Puri DL

LAUNCH OF NABA WHAT: At the beginning of March, Secretary of State for Business, Skills and Innovation and President of the Board of Trade, Dr Vince Cable MP hailed the contribution made by British Asian businesses in the UK at the launch of the National Asian Business Association (NABA) in London. WHEN: 4th March 2013 WHERE: Microsoft Customer

IMAGES COURTESY OF ANDREW PARSON & NABA

Briefing Centre, London

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Events

ASIAN WHO’S WHO AWARDS 2012 WHAT: The Silver Jubilee 25th edition of the annual Asian Who’s Who was launched on December 10th 2012 at London’s Dorchester Hotel. Over 400 people attended the event, for the book launch and along with the annual awards ceremonies. Lord Dholakia officially opened the ceremony, paying special tribute the progress made by the Asian community since the first edition in 1987 (in which he appeared!). Lord Loomba officially launched the Asian Who’s Who publication, with Lord Billimoria (Asian of the Year, 2002) delivering an inspiring speech for the attending guests.

1 Jasbir Sachar with current and previous award winners; 2 Lord Loomba; 3 (centre) Fauja Singh - Marathon runner – 102 years old; 4 Guests attending the awards; 5 (L-R) Lord Karan bilimoria and Joginder Pal Sanger

WHEN: 10th December 2012 WHERE: The Dorchester Hotel, London

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The Sethi Partnership Solicitors

‘Together we are in partnership with our clients’ Proprietor and Partner Ritu Sethi Author of “Having it all NOW” book on work life balance.

Services - Commercial & Residential

- All Immigration Matters

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- Personal Injury & Medical Negligence The Barn House, 38 Meadow Way, Eastcote, Ruislip, HA4 8TB | T: 0208 866 6464 | E: info@sethi.co.uk

www.sethi.co.uk

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Events

ASIAN WHO’S WHO WINNING THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD WAS DEEPAK KUNTAWALA; HE SPOKE TO AWM ABOUT THE AWARD. How did it feel to win the Young Entrepreneur of the Year nod?

This was a great achievement for the company and also a very significant milestone for me personally. My inspiration came from my grandfather and then my father who instilled passion and commitment into everything I have ever done. In the most humble way, I do feel very proud to have been recognised. I must add that the recognition after winning the award has given me more energy, passion and excitement than ever before. I now know, we were on the right track and we truly are ready to take DVK to the next level. What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs to inspire them in their business endeavours?

Believe in yourself. We often don’t realise how fortunate we are, to be able to identify opportunities around us. Opportunities are always around us and it really is up to us to grab them and do something spectacular with them. If you don’t, in years to come, you will turn back and say ‘ I wish I had tried that’ – it will be too late, so believe in yourself and grab that opportunity.

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What is your main business challenge in 2013?

Every business will face challenges; and 2013 will be no different. We are expanding into new territories, new industries and at the same time developing new robust ways of working. We have always embraced change and tried to better ourselves as an organisation. The challenge is to do all of these things together. Sometimes it is like changing the engine of a Boeing, mid-flight while flying to a new destination, with people waiting for our timely arrival. We know we have the best of people, new processes and a recent injection of 1 million in systems to support us, so I am confident we’ll have an excellent 2013. What is your ambition for DVK in the long-term?

There are a number of financial targets in place for the next five years which we are very much on track to achieve. These will most certainly allow DVK to be a globally recognised, model organisation, which continues to better itself, even when it is considered to be the best. We are working hard to get DVK into the $ billion club, however more than this, it is a passion of mine and I would want its success to continue to be an inspiration to others. DVK also has a serious ambition around helping others. I would like to see us being even more involved in caring and giving – sharing our success for the long term! w w w .asianw hosw ho.com

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Events

IMAGES COURTESY OF BANHAM GROUP

LAUNCH OF BANHAM CONCIERGE WHAT: Banham, the family run security company, established since 1926, has now launched Banham Concierge to accommodate the demand for a premier service, providing distinct lifestyle management, business development and bespoke luxury concierge services to its private and elite clients. This new service compliments Banhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core business of personal and corporate security and offers existing and new clients the opportunity to experience premium lifestyle management, obtaining the unobtainable with discreet perfection. WHEN: 12 March 2013 WHERE: Annabelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Mayfair (London) A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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AA full page ad_Layout 1 27/08/2012 20:50 Page 1

Join global and political leaders, sporting stars, music legends, business tycoons, television and film celebrities for the ultimate celebration of Asian excellence TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CALL +44(0) 207 234 8738 OR VISIT WWW.THEASIANAWARDS.COM For commercial opportunities call the Asian Awards team on +44(0) 207 234 8738 AW_58-92_SectionC.indd 90

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UpcomingEvents ■ THE ASIAN AWARDS

■ BRITISH INDIAN AWARDS

Date: 16 April 2013 Venue: The Grosvenor House Hotel (London) Having previously celebrated the achievements of individuals of South Asian origin only, the event will now include nominees from across the Asian continent, considering those with origins in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and other East Asian countries for the trophies. For more information : www.theasianawards.com

Date: 17 May 2013 Venue: St Johns Hotel, Birmingham The Awards will be an evening of recognition, rewarding the continuing strength of the British Indian community, recognising those who thrive, evolve and capture the multicultural spirit of Great Britain. For more information: http://thediversityawards.info/ britishindian/

■ CITY HINDU NETWORK NETWORKING DINNER Date: Wednesday 1 May Venue: Bombay Palace, 50 Connaught Street, London W2 2AA (closest tube station: Marble Arch). Price: £27.00 for a 3 course vegetarian dinner and soft drinks. The next City Hindu Network dinner merges high-end fashion and female empowerment, with exciting young social entrepreneur Ayesha Mustafa, founder and director of Fashion ComPassion. FC is a socially responsible fashion company that merges high-end design with ethical production practices. For more information: www.cityhindusnetwork.org.uk

■ THE ASIAN WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Date: 15 May 2013 Venue: Hilton Park Lane, London The Asian Women of Achievement Awards, co-founded by Pinky Lilani OBE in 1999, were conceived to celebrate the often unsung Asian heroines of British life. Such women make a huge contribution in fields as diverse as business, entrepreneurship and social and humanitarian work. These awards, are their moment in the spotlight. For more information awa.realbusiness.co.uk Email: events@caspianmedia.com T: 0207 045 7600

A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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■ ASIAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION DINNER Guest Speaker Boris Johnson, Mayor of London Date: 10 September 2013 Venue: Grange St Paul’s Hotel, London The Asian Business Association (ABA) Dinner brings together guests from a range of industries and is the premier gathering in the Asian business calendar. Open to Asian and non-Asian businesses, this year’s annual dinner will take place on Tuesday 10 September at the stunning five star Grange St Paul’s Hotel and we are delighted to welcome Boris Johnson, Mayor of London as our guest speaker. Up to 450 guests will attend this event from a variety of industry sectors including professional services, IT, marketing, media, property, leisure and tourism, recruitment and training, transport and logistics and importers and exporters. Rub shoulders with key figures from business, central and local government, arts and media, high commissioners, life peers and many top Asian entrepreneurs. For more information contact: Jenny Crouch, Event Manger, E: jcrouch@londonchamber.co.uk T: +44 (0)20 7203 1874

■ THE SIKH AWARDS Date: (October 2013) Exact date TBC Venue: TBC, London Brainchild of Navdeep Singh Bansal, founder of The Sikh Directory media organisation. The awards recognized the special contribution Sikhs have made worldwide in the fields of

business, sport, entertainment, charity, media, service and education. For more information: www.sikhawards.com info@sikhawards.com

■ KPMG – ANNUAL ASIAN FESTIVAL DINNER 2013 BY INVITATION ONLY Date: TBC 2013 Venue: TBC KPMG will celebrate its 10th Asian Festival Dinner later this year. Guests will include over 200 of the most prominent members of the Asian Community in the UK coming together to celebrate Eid and Diwali. The dinner, which is a key event in the KPMG calendar, will take place in London.

■ THE SCOTTISH ASIAN BUSINESS AWARDS Date: (December 2013) Exact date TBC Venue: TBC The Scottish Asian Business Awards hosted by Oceanic Consulting, recognise the success and achievements of Scotland’s Asian business men and women. The event is now in its 8th year and has become a highlight of the Scottish Business calendar. It is attended by the biggest names in Scottish business and politics, this year will be no exception. For more information: www.theasianbusinessawards.info/ scotland/

■ THE ASIAN WHO’S WHO AWARDS Date: (December 2013) Exact date TBC Venue: TBC, London Since 1987, the Asian Who’s Who has chosen the ‘Asian of the Year’ award to recognise and honour the outstanding contribution by an individual to the Asian community. This much coveted award has become well established and respected amongst the community and the press. The award ceremony itself takes place at the annual book launch. For more information www.asianwhoswho.com T: (0)20 8550 3745

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AdvertisersIndex ABA Annual Dinner

Asian Business Association (London Chambers)

AWA Awards

IBC

Barclays

British Asian Trust

Currencies Direct

Digimax

Educate for Life

Eterniti Motors

Grange Hotels

Haathee Group

12/13

Indus Catering

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With guest speaker

Johnny Walker Blue Label 2 KPMG

Links Legal

Meridian Audio

OBC

Mistique Events

74/75

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THE PREMIER GATHERING FOR ASIAN BUSINESS

Pinnacle Advisory Service 88

The Asian Business Association (ABA) Dinner brings together guests At from a range of industries and is the premier gathering in the Asian business calendar. Open to Asian and non-Asian businesses, this year’s dinner will take place on Tuesday 10 September at the stunning five star Grange St Paul’s Hotel and we are delighted to welcome Boris Johnson, Mayor of London as our guest speaker.

Porsche

IFC/1

Quintessentially

Santoshi Designs

St James Pace

The Asian Awards

The Sethi Partnership

The Willows

TW Steel

Vertis Aviation

48/49

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On Tuesday 10 September 2013, 7.00pm -11.30pm

With guest speaker At Grange St Paul’s Hotel, On 10 Godliman Street, London EC4V 5AJ

At On

Media Partner

For more information contact Jenny Crouch, E: jcrouch@londonchamber.co.uk T: +44 (0)20 7203 1874

A s i a n We a l t h M a g . c o . u k

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Mor e tha n 6 0 0 atte nde es

Celebrating the achievements of Asian women in business, entrepreneurship and social and humanitarian work See the 2013 shortlists at awa.realbusiness.co.uk Winners to announced at the 14th annual Awards night on May 15th at the London Hilton on Park Lane. To book your table contact: katie.allner@caspianmedia.com, call 020 7045 7600 or visit awa.realbusiness.co.uk

In association with

Model shown is a Porsche Cayman S at £51,724 including 20-inch SportTechno wheels, Bi-Xenon lighting system with Dynamic Light System (PDLS), 12 months road fund licence and first registration fee.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

“An unforgettable event that celebrates diversity and an invaluable platform for rising female leaders.” Jia-Yan Gu, senior researcher, BT 2012 Young Achiever winner

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