BATHWORKS The local businesses making the headlines

It’s the city’s business

BATHWORKS

THIS ISSUE >>CELEBRATE WORLD-CLASS EXCELLENCE (71) >>THE ART COHORT ON PATREON (72) >>BUZZ PROJECT (73)

Will Godfrey, chief executive, B&NES; cllr Dine Romero, leader, B&NES; Richard Godfrey, chief executive of Rocketmakers; Claire Smith, partner at Buro Happold and Prof Ian White, vice-chancellor of the University of Bath unveiled the new website, which will market businesses across a range of sectors

Sky’s the limit

Bath & North East Somerset council has launched a brand-new website celebrating the world-class excellence of businesses in Bath. Bath Unlimited, created in collaboration with Royds Withy King, Mytton Williams, and the University of Bath aims to attract new inward investment into the city by promoting awareness of the talent and expertise available on our doorsteps.

“Bath and North East Somerset is a fantastic location for any business, with international communication links, leading research centres at our two universities and huge potential for growth with exciting developments such as Bath Quays and the Somer Valley Enterprise Zone,” says councillor Dine Romero.

Initially, Bath Unlimited will focus on marketing the potential of a selection of companies covering the built environment, tech and innovation, consumer dynamic, defence and engineering and financial services sectors. In the coming months local networking, career development, and recruitment opportunities with their featured companies are also planned. For more: www.bathunlimited.org

CHAMPION BATH’S ARTISTS

The Art Cohort is a self-funded, artist-run art space on Chelsea Road. Like many such spaces, the onset of the pandemic has plunged them into signifi cant fi nancial struggle. Under the current regulations they can no longer run their studio workshop programme of classes, which has put them under serious economic strain and meant owner Kat Dawe Schmeisser is unable to bring staff back from furlough. But, ever creative, Kat has come up with an innovative solution – and the local community is key to its success. She has launched a Patreon page for The Art Cohort, where people can sign up for small monthly contributions to help keep the space running into 2021. Kat explains: “The patronage model allows individuals to directly contribute to sustaining the arts and cultural life in Bath during these unusual and diffi cult times.

“We decided upon Patreon as a fundraising platform (instead of Kickstarter or others) for The Art Cohort as it’s specifi cally designed for creators. Patreon

The Art Cohort runs events like crafty halloween paper crafts workshop

Kat Dawe Schmeisser launched the Patreon to raise much needed funds

enables supporters to become active participants in the creation of the work they love by becoming a member, or patron, of it. The simple concept is that we give our Patreon members access to exclusive content, our artistic community, and insight into the creative process. In exchange, we get the freedom to do our best work, and stability to keep The Art Cohort open and running, pursuing our mission to champion emerging artists and makers.”

Patrons can sign up via the website to contribute £5, £15 or £25 per month and see the exhibitions programme fl ourish as a direct result. For more: www.patreon.com/theartcohort

ADAM CARTER ©

Keith Doel, Ian Butler, John Griffi ths and Natalie Carpenter of Ashfords Homes enjoy last year's awards

HOT PROPERTY

Nominations for the highly anticipated third Bath Property Awards are now open. Companies working in the sector are encouraged to share their best, most unique and exciting projects and achievements from 2019-2020 to be in with a chance to win.

There are 17 categories to enter, including Architect, Interior Designer, Supplier, Commercial and Residential Agent and Transformation – but potential nominees can fi nd the full list of categories and details on the website, where they can also submit their case for nomination for free.

“Any business working within the property industry is encouraged to get involved, whether by sponsoring or by entering the Awards,” says event organiser Annie Miekus. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet new clients, connect socially in the city and, of course, to have your business recognised in front of peers.”

Winners will be selected by a panel of independent judges from across Bath’s business scene.

Sponsorships are also now available for companies to benefi t from, joining those already on board like headline sponsor Mogers Drewett and category and feature sponsors including APS Homes, Bath Life, Hawker Joinery, L&C Mortgages, Spaces, South West Business Finance and Triangle Networks. For more information, and to fi nd out more about sponsorship, please contact annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk; www.bathpropertyawards.co.uk

That’s one way to social bubble

CASPER FARRELL ©

LITTLE BIT OF LOVE

B&NES Council and Bath BID have joined forces to give Milsom Street and New Bond Street a little extra love this season. The temporary vehicle access restrictions supporting social distancing have been successful already, with shoppers enjoying a much more pleasant time navigating the street. More is planned over the coming weeks. In addition to the ‘I love Milsom Street’ banner and new planters, the team behind Bath Carnival have been brought on board to create bespoke installations.

“It’s been great bringing a splash of colour to Milsom Street after lockdown, and partnering with NightJar Events has allowed us to be really adventurous with the designs, incorporating large scale balloon garlands and bespoke macramé into our installs,” says Stu Matson, director of Bath Carnival. “Wherever possible we’ve used recycled or repurposed materials, including a second-hand mannequin courtesy of Primark, an old set of scrubs from a local nurse and a host of upcycled materials from Scrapstore Bristol.” For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk

Meet the new faces on the Bath business scene

In collaboration with a fantastic network of creative professionals, Buzz Project offers businesses great content and photography, strategic support and help with their communications. Small businesses can think of Buzz Project as the internal marketing team they don’t have.

I started out in marketing back in 2004, international audiences. With 15 years’ experience under my belt, I knew I wanted to apply my skills and my passion for marketing in different areas, and so Buzz

Liz Alvey is a marketing consultant and owner of Buzz

Liz Alvey set up Buzz Project last year to help provide local businesses with the essential marketing services they need, without the jargon.

Tell us about Buzz Project

Project was formed. promoting leading business degrees to

What have some of the challenges been launching the business? I am lucky to have had clients since the business first launched in May last year, so the biggest challenge has been managing time efficiently and ensuring each client gets the very best service. I have a strong work ethic, and as it is my own business, I naturally want it to do well, so I work very hard for my clients. The pandemic has presented its own challenges, but I’m confident that Buzz Project will weather the storm.

How are you doing things differently? I have always loved the detective work involved with marketing; using the information around you to inform your next move. This approach to decisionmaking applies whatever your business type and is more applicable than ever in the digital age. At Buzz Project we apply data and logic, helping our smaller clients save money. There is a wealth of marketing you can do for your business without spending a fortune.

In a nutshell, Buzz Project is a straighttalking marketing service, providing practical ideas and solutions to help you market your business better. For more: www.buzzproject.co.uk

Mayden Academy has been named the sixth best coding bootcamp in the world, according to the 2021 Best Coding Bootcamp Rankings from independent trainer ratings website SwitchUp.

“We are overwhelmed to be recognised as a global leader in training people to become great software developers,” says Mike Oram, director of the Academy. “As a small team we have worked incredibly hard to provide the

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

FIT FOR A KING Legal 500 has once again recognised Bath-based Stone King as a top tier firm. This time, the independent guide also recognised 35 of the firm’s lawyers for their expertise.

“It really is an excellent result to see so many of our lawyers rated by the Legal 500 and is testament to the hard work they do for their clients and the firm,” says Stone King’s managing partner Steven Greenwood. “We always pride ourselves on doing the very best we can and this is confirmed by these high-profile rankings.” www.stoneking.co.uk

THE ELITE Six lawyers at Mogers Drewett have been named in the Legal 500 guide for 2021 as well. Tom Webb, Rebecca Silcock, David Hill, Maeve England and Emily Eccles have all been ‘recommended’ in the new guide, with Jonathan Cheal of the Agriculture and Estates Team being named in the elite ‘Leading Lawyer’ list for the second year in a row.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of our people at Mogers Drewett and are delighted to be recognised by the Legal 500, which recommends firms and individuals purely on merit. We are very proud of everyone recognised this year,” says Sean Mcdonough, employment partner at Mogers Drewett. www.mogersdrewett.com

Emily Eccles of Mogers Drewett was recommended

Mike Oram, Mayden Academy director and now trainer in one of the best programmes in the world

CRACK THE CODE

in the Legal 500 best possible coding training since we started in 2015, so it is great to know that our alumni are as proud of us as we are of them.”

The Bath-based coding bootcamp earned the accolade for its Full Stack Track programme, an intensive, 16-week training course that teaches students all they need to know to become a software developer. For more: www.mayden.academy

BUSINESS CLUB

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend

Search Bath Life on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration

If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk

Stuart Newport owns the South West’s only Ford Fiesta specialist

BIZ Q&A Stuart Newport

The owner of Vivian Price Cars started the Ford Fiesta specialist determined to do things differently. He tells us how…

Tell us about Vivian Price Cars. What do you do? We are the South West’s only dedicated Ford Fiesta specialist, catering for those who are lookingfor reliable and economical motoring, coupled with excellent customer service.

How did you get to where you are? I’ve been in the trade 17 years now. Prior to this I’d started at a car supermarket when I was 18 and went on to work for Alfa Romeo, BMW and then a specialist independent. I set up Vivian Price Cars four years ago after becoming disillusioned with the motor trade and working to others’ standards (or lack thereof!). I wanted to strip away the stereotypical image associated with this industry and run things how I thought they should be.

What does an average day in the life look like for you? Coffee, distribute children (my fiancée and I have four girls between us), get to the office, search for and put offers in on new stock, chase up MOTs, valets etc, arrange customer handovers and sell some more cars – basically that on a loop throughout the whole day.

What makes the service at Vivian Price cars different? My main aim has always been to do car sales for people who don’t like car sales. When you ask most people about buying cars, their experiences are overwhelmingly negative – whether that’s a result of pushy sales staff or poor product/aftersales. I’ve actively tried to create an environment where people feel relaxed and not belittled, something I carry on beyond the sale so they have the security of knowing that Vivian Price Cars has got their back.

What’s so great about the Ford Fiesta? They’re just so popular, and with very good reason! They’re supremely reliable, easy to drive and cheap to run. And if anything does go wrong with them, they are easy to fix and parts are cheap and plentiful. I’ve sold nearly every type of car imaginable but nothing comes close to the Fiesta for value and ease of ownership.

What are the advantages of seeing a specialist supplier like Vivian Price? Knowledge and choice. Because we deal with this type of car every day, there isn’t a lot that we haven’t seen, so when it comes to assisting customers with their requirements we are uniquely placed with an encyclopaedic knowledge of specifications, trim levels and options offering a level of service you wouldn’t expect to find at this end of the market. Also, I can’t think of anywhere that has this number of Fiestas in one place! You probably wouldn’t even get that at a main dealer and certainly not in the £2,000-£6,000 price bracket.

“I WANTED TO STRIP AWAY THE STEREOTYPICAL IMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INDUSTRY”

What are the top pitfalls those looking to buy a used car should avoid? Buying a used car is a minefield, so doing your research is key. It seems obvious but you can save yourself an awful lot of time, money and grief by spending 30 minutes online looking into the reliability of certain models – and the reliability of who you’re buying the car from. The preparation and aftersales element of a used car is so important, so make sure that you ask about their pre-sales process and warranty situation.

What are some top things to consider before selling a car? A lot of it comes down to whether the car suits your needs – this includes practical and economic concerns. If you simply need a bigger or smaller car then it’s a pretty easy decision, but if you’re changing because your car is getting on a bit, then you need an entirely different approach. It gets to a point in a car’s life where you’ve got to make a decision to either stick with it or change because the associated costs of keeping it on the road going forward may start to rival that of getting a newer one. Get your car valued professionally and you’ve got a good starting point to work from.

What do you think makes a great car sales person? It’s a massive cliché, but people really do buy from people. If you can relate to a customer, listen and take an interest in what they need and have to say, the rest will follow naturally. Oh, and avoid wearing pointy shoes and shiny suits.

For more: Vivian Cars, 32 Cattlemarket Business Park, Chew Road, Winford, BS40 8HB; tel: 0117 2901234; www.vivianpricecars.com

BATH LIFE AWARDS 2020 Jon Ducker, head of visitor experience on what winning a Bath Life Award means to THE AMERICAN MUSEUM & GARDENS

Shirley Barker and Kate Herbert of the American Museum & Gardens collected the award on the night

How did you celebrate? It was totally unexpected. We knew we were up against some stiff competition, with so many great destinations and things to do and see in Bath. I think we’re all still stunned to be honest, and then with the lockdown we’ve not had a chance to all get together, so for now the team celebration is on hold. The Award is on proud display in our ticket offi ce, where it always attracts lots of comments from visitors.

What prompted you to enter the Awards? Have you done similar before? We entered back in 2017/18 – just as a benchmarking exercise really. We’d not done it before and we wanted to see how we stacked up against the other great destinations in Bath. We learned a lot from the process and it really helped us to develop our business.

Tell us a little about the Museum Relaunched in 2018 as The American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor offi cially opened as a museum in 1961 with the aim of displaying the achievements of Americans in the decorative arts and promoting Anglo-American understanding. It is the only museum outside the United States to showcase the decorative arts of America.

LEISURE & TOURISM WINNER

What do visitors get to see? The permanent collection includes more than 200 historic American quilts, exceptional pieces of Shaker furniture, Native American objects, and 200 historical maps of the New World from the 12th century to the Renaissance. The Museum also has the most signifi cant collection of American folk art in Europe.

What about the garden? Opened in September 2018 by Alan Titchmarsh, the new American Garden was Washington DC-based landscape architects Oehme, Van Sweden fi rst European commission. The planting follows the freeform style made famous by the fi rm’s founders, Wolfgang Oehme and James Van Sweden. Native American shrubs, perennials, and bulbs feature heavily, but the garden is designed to work with the steep terrain and enhance the view over the Limpley Stoke Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Select one particular highlight of the Museum? The Museum’s gardens feature a reproduction of George Washington’s upper garden as it would have

“WHEN WE ARE DISCOVERED PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH US AND KEEP COMING BACK”

A brand new Children’s Garden opened at The American Museum & Gardens this year

PETER HALL ©

appeared on his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia in 1799. Our Mount Vernon garden features ornamental planting, fruit and vegetables, and boxwood hedges in the shape of four fl eur-de-lis, which symbolise the friendship between America’s fi rst president and the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who fought in the American Revolutionary War. hopefully collect more awards in recognition of what we’re doing.

How might you describe your key clientele? Curious! A museum about America in Bath – why? That’s often the fi rst question people ask. That said when we are discovered people fall in love with us and keep coming back.

What do you think it is about the Museum that helped it secure the Bath Life Award? Our ongoing investment in the Museum, namely the gardens, and by extension, Bath. We stay still at our peril. Bath is such a vibrant city that it would be easy for us to be left behind. It’s hard to compete with the Roman Baths as the destination is iconic of Bath, but we really do now feel we can sit at the top table, so to speak, and have risen up the ranks in the reasons to visit Bath.

What does winning the Bath Life Award mean to you, the team, and the business? It’s a great big pat on the back and somewhat of a justifi cation for our ongoing investment in the Museum and the people who work with us. It’s inspired us to achieve more, and What have you found to be the best tools for growth in your business? Investing in people just as much as new features and displays. We really are a people business – from our staff to our volunteers and service partners, everyone is really invested in making the museum a success.

Any moment you’ve been particularly proud of? The launch of the New American Garden. It was six years in the making, and from the moment we opened, it’s been loved by visitors young and old. That and our Children’s Garden (launched this year) have been real game changers for the museum.

For more: American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor, Claverton Down, BA2 7BD; www.americanmuseum.org