Move Commercial 64

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LIVERPOOL CITY REGION CHESHIRE MANCHESTER OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2018

FREE

MOVE COMMERCIAL The north-west’s guide to prop

Issue 64

I NTERV IEW

musicMagpie CEO Steve Oliver on the firm’s £1 billion ambitions

cyber security

Science centres

Is your business protected?

Boosting North West STEM skills

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DRISC DRISCOLL OLL KINGSTON KINGSTON

SOLICITORS

T THOMPSONS SOLICITORS

STANDING ST TANDING A UP FOR YOU YOU

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FANTASTIC FLEXI-OFFICES AT No.1 OLD HALL STREET Inclusive deals for one person upwards Free meeting rooms High speed connections Secure, designated parking

Call 0151 707 2666 | offices@downing.com

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News Latest

Commercial firms and projects shortlisted for NWPAs Commercial property firms and projects around the North West are in the running for prestigious accolades at 2018’s NWPAs. The shortlist has been unveiled for the annual awards, sponsored by Stewart Milne Homes, which will be presented for the 16th year running during a glittering ceremony on 11 October.

Ahead of the event at Lutyens Crypt in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, which will celebrate a year of success across the region’s residential and commercial property sectors, nominees have been revealed across a host of categories.

Moor Hall Restaurant in Aughton, Halton Housing’s Waterfront Point headquarters in Halton and Kays Medical in Liverpool will compete for this year’s Best Commercial Scheme title.

A scheme’s overall commercial viability and suitability to its end use, as well as its end specification and design, is considered for the award.

Meanwhile the Regeneration Award will be presented for the project which most clearly demonstrates a positive impact, or likely positive

impact, on an area and its community.

Shortlisted companies include Legacie Developments for its Reliance House and Dale Street projects in Liverpool, Placefirst for The Welsh Streets in Liverpool, and Urban Sleep for Liverpool’s Brunswick Park.

An award will also recognise the Best Student Landlord delivering outstanding service and accommodation for student tenants, with Kexgill, Fresh Student Living and Oliver Andrew in the running.

And new for 2018, the Community Award will celebrate an organisation making a real difference to the community it works within by building a better future.

Liverpool’s Mossley Hill Church has been shortlisted for Denovo Design, and is up against Stewart Milne Homes for the prize.

BMD Law, Furnish That Room, Noname by Capricorn Kitchens, 360Vu, Bogans Carpet Superstores, Redrow Homes, Redwing Living, Anwyl Homes and Watts Commercial Finance are associate sponsors of this year’s event.

The awards will celebrate a year of industry success

Downing welcomes new tenant at No.1 Old Hall Street Downing has welcomed a new tenant to its No.1 Old Hall Street office scheme in Liverpool.

Liberty INTL Sales & Marketing (UK) Ltd has taken a Flexi-Office at the commercial district development.

The firm will join a growing number of resident businesses including fellow marketeers Construction Marketing Experts and clothing retailer Vita Lusso Ltd, which has recently expanded into a larger suite following sustained growth.

Kate Carr, property management surveyor at Downing, says: “It’s fantastic to welcome Liberty INTL to No. 1 Old Hall Street and we’re

also delighted to see Vita Lusso growing with us as its business thrives.

“The building is a hub of fast-growing ambitious businesses and our Flexi-Offices create the perfect solution for companies looking to expand, as we can tailor space to their needs and provide the flexibility to ensure their offices grow seamlessly with them to meet their needs.

“Old Hall Street is a fantastic location, our tenants are in the heart of the action, with the bustling commercial district and a host of green spaces, cafés and great restaurants on their doorstep, while Moorfields train station is literally a step across the road.”

Downing’s Kate Carr

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Latest News

An outline planning application is currently being worked towards

New 300,000 sq ft development plans for Knowsley Image Business Park Plans for new industrial and warehousing space at Knowsley Image Business Park will be launched at MIPIM UK in October.

Industrial specialist LM6 is working with Knowsley Image Business Park Ltd, an associate of Seybourne Estates which acquired the site earlier this year, to bring the project forward.

Following the £3.5 million deal, the new owner envisages 300,000 sq ft of space across a range of new buildings on both a design and build and a speculative basis.

Ahead of showcasing the proposed scheme at the 17-18 October property exhibition at London’s Olympia, Phil Morley of LM6 says: “The purchase of Image Business Park was the biggest land deal in the Liverpool City Region this year and is further evidence that the Knowsley area is proving a significant opportunity for investors.

“The new owners are moving swiftly to bring forward the park’s full potential and we are working towards making an outline planning application.”

An initial phase of demolition across seven acres of

Refurbishment lined up for The Beacons

How the refurbished unit will look

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the site is proposed to create a 15-acre development platform, prepared and ready for development.

Formerly one of Kodak’s largest UK sites, Image Business Park extends over 38 acres providing 400,000 sq ft of office, warehouse and industrial space.

The park is already home to tenants including Surface Transforms, Future Industrial Services and Ames Goldsmith, and forms part of the wider Knowsley Business Park.

CEG has announced the refurbishment of Unit C at The Beacons office development in Warrington.

The investment and development firm has appointed Ultimate Office Solutions to undertake the work at Birchwood Park to deliver a 9,380 sq ft open plan office.

A new reception, said to be befitting of a headquarters environment, alongside car parking provisions and secure cycle facilities, aims to add to the building’s appeal.

The Beacons is made up of three self-contained units with the 12,000 sq ft Unit B let to ABS Consulting.

CEG has already completed the refurbishment of Unit A which offers 6,500 sq ft of space over two floors.

Antonia Martin-Wright, head of investment in the North at CEG, says: “The Beacons provided an excellent opportunity to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment; delivering contemporary office space in this well-connected location.

“This, along with the quality of the nearby amenities, will appeal to a wide range of occupiers.”

Work on the unit is expected to be completed in October.

Following the successful refurbishment and letting of Birchwood’s Atlantic House to the Highways Agency, Avison Young has been appointed as joint agent for The Beacons alongside JLL.

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Latest News

YinYan expands classes to new office venue

Yoga and pilates sessions aim to keep workers fit and healthy

YinYan is expanding its range of yoga and pilates classes in Liverpool’s commercial district with a new office venue.

Developer Downing has signed up to provide a base for two weekly sessions at its No.1 Old Hall Street complex, which will aim to help city workers stay physically and mentally fit.

The regular yoga class and pilates class will be free for the building’s occupiers to attend, and will also be open to people in the surrounding area.

Robin Ellis of YinYan says: “Lower back pain is the most common cause of disability in the UK, much of which can be attributed to poor posture

and lack of movement.

“Instead of rest/time off work, drugs and even surgery, our classes help keep people physically fit and can help to alleviate mental health problems which affect one in four adults.”

Ellis is also optimistic about the impact YinYan sessions can have for office landlords like Downing, who put forward their spaces.

He adds: “Everyone benefits - office workers get a new amenity that they love, tenants get more productive staff and less sick leave, and landlords get happy tenants and a new marketing angle.”

Recent tribunal triggers debate over capital allowances North West commercial property firms are being urged to ensure their capital allowance provisions are in order after a tribunal sparked a debate over claims.

A recent case between Scotland’s Dundas Heritable Limited and HMRC saw HMRC argue the taxpayer was not entitled to claim capital allowances in its corporation tax return for being too late, albeit they would be able to claim in subsequent years.

Sunil Sharma, head of capital allowances at Moore Stephens, explains: “Despite some practitioners suggesting capital allowances could be lost if not submitted for the first accounting period in which the expenditure was incurred, there is in fact no time bar to claiming capital allowances in any subsequent tax year, so long as the asset is still in use and the claimant is still undertaking a qualifying activity.

“However it was commonly accepted that only the previous two tax years could be amended to reclaim tax paid.

“There seems to be a contradiction in the legislation where a late claim can be validated due to the self assessment provisions which will deem a claim to be valid unless HMRC decided to open an enquiry, which in turn validates the claim.”

Stating “the law is clear”, the judge in the Dundas Heritable Limited V HMRC case found in favour of the taxpayer, however Moore Stephens believes the result is not something HMRC will easily accept.

Sharma adds: “In answer to the question of ‘when is late not late enough?,’ it’s only too late to claim if and when a property has been bought or sold without the relevant capital allowances provisions in the agreement.”

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Appointments

L-R: Mitchell Charlesworth - Tim Adcock, Phillippa Britchford, Phil Hartley, Alison Birch

Duo of senior tax appointments Phil Hartley and Phillippa Britchford have joined Mitchell Charlseworth as tax managers.

Hartley specialises in ownermanaged business tax planning, corporation tax planning and research and development tax relief claims. He joins the company from Haleys Business Advisers.

Britchford returns to Mitchell Charlsworth, which has five offices across the North West, having spent 10 years working for other Cheshire accountancy firms. She’ll focus on personal tax clients, especially those with residency issues, in the senior role.

Managing partner Paul Wainwright says: “Our clients’ needs have become less about tax compliance and more about dealing with their tax planning.

“In response to this, we have further enhanced our senior tax team with both appointments, strengthening our well established specialist tax offering and enabling us to add even greater value and service to our clients.”

Agent’s healthcare advisory strengthened Cushman & Wakefield has boosted its UK healthcare advisory with a Manchester-based senior surveyor.

Katie Richardson joins from the commercial valuation team at JLL to take on the role, having previously specialised in the healthcare sector.

She’ll work alongside Gary Yeardley on the valuation of healthcare assets for new and existing clients, such as UK high street and challenger banks, overseas lenders, developers, private and corporate operators and longincome investors.

Martin Robb, head of healthcare advisory at Cushman & Wakefield, says: “Katie is the latest addition to our growing healthcare team and I am delighted she is bringing her skills and breadth of experience to bear upon our business.”

Katie Richardson

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L-R: Sean Mitchell, Paul Scully, David Hawley

Directors appointed at Grant Thornton Two directors have been appointed to Grant Thornton’s tax team, amid rising demand for advice due to Brexit, legislation changes and increased regulation.

Sean Mitchell has returned to the firm, which has offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Sci-Tech Daresbury, after three years at BDO. Meanwhile science and tech sector specialist David Hawley has been promoted from within.

Partner and North West head of tax, Paul Scully says: “A glorious returner, Sean brings a valuable skill set in terms of private client expertise, deep technical specialism and being very engaging and good with clients.

“David Hawley is one of the rising stars of our firm and plays an important part in our tech and innovation group, advising and supporting knowledgeintensive businesses.”

Project manager joins Liverpool firm Kevin Watts will join the growing Kevin Watts team at Liverpool-based mechanical and electrical engineering consultancy Steven Hunt & Associates.

Watts will become part of the project management team, having previously held roles at Davies Partnership in Chester and Keppel Seggers in Runcorn.

The appointment follows accelerated growth at Steven Hunt & Associates, which has taken on projects including Liverpool John Moores University’s library and the University of Liverpool’s Cypress Building.

Managing director Steven Hunt says: “Kevin will bring his 40 years’ experience and a fresh pair of eyes and undoubted knowledge to the company.

“I am confident that he will be a great mentor for our younger engineers and play a huge role in what looks set to be an exciting year for the company.”

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Advertorial

Liverpool’s reputation as a great place to live is fuelling a residential boom really taking shape. Work on three new high-rise apartment blocks has started in Princes Dock by three separate developers - Your Housing Group, Peel/Regenda and Moda Living.

Further in to Liverpool Waters, at Central Dock, developer Romal Capital is well advanced with its eight-storey residential scheme offering 108 high-specification one and two-bedroom apartments.

The developments above are just a snapshot of the volume of new schemes now being brought forward across the city centre. So what is driving this development surge?

Certainly, demand form investors, both local, national and overseas, is a big part of the picture. But there is also a recognition that Liverpool is simply a fantastic place to live both in terms of quality of life and affordability.

Cost-effective A study earlier this year by one of the UK’s biggest independent job sites, CV-Library, revealed Liverpool to be one of the most cost-effective cities to in which to live and work in the UK. It showed that while people living in Liverpool pay on average just under 30% of their monthly take-home pay on rent and living costs, in London that percentage soars to almost 75%.

Even Manchester’s figure is significantly higher at more than 37%.

Using data from Rightmove, CV-Library compared the average rent for a two-bedroom home in 14 UK cities with average salaries of jobs in its own database to calculate the percentages.

Only Aberdeen, at 29.21% and Hull, at 23.27%, offered lower cost of living than Liverpool. London, unsurprisingly, was top.

Brad Armstrong

There are now more than 40,000 people living in Liverpool city centre - a figure that has almost doubled since Capital of Culture in 2008. And demand for city living is showing no signs of slowing down.

North and south of the world famous Pier Head, work on new luxury residential schemes are well under way. In the thriving Baltic area of the city, X1 The Tower, a £25m scheme by X1 Developments comprising 196 apartments, is well on the way to completion.

Also in the Baltic, Legacie Developments has now secured planning permission on a spectacular scheme that will see the creation of 100 luxury apartments.

Multiple developers To the north, Peel’s ambitious £5bn Liverpool Waters scheme is

Expert advice MSB Solicitors is playing a key role in this wave of developments, offering expert advice to developers, investors and those looking to buy a luxury home in the city.

Partner and head of plot sales, Brad Armstrong, said: “Liverpool city region’s visitor economy is now worth £4.5bn a year with more than 64m people visiting every year. And the evidence now shows they just don’t want to visit - they also want to stay.

“Go back 15 years and Liverpool city centre’s population stood at around 10,000. Now that has quadrupled to more than 40,000. This is a fantastic place to work, live and play and we can only see the demand for city living continuing to rise.”

MSB has a designated team of experienced solicitors and legal executives who act on behalf of local, regional and national developers in connection with plot sales.

Talk to our team today by calling 0151 281 9040.

If you would like to know more about anything mentioned in this article, contact Brad directly by email on bradarmstrong@msbsolicitors.co.uk or call our commercial property team on 0151 281 9040.

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Lawrence Saunders lawrence@movepublishing.co.uk

Britain’s only dedicated museum of popular music, a wedding venue and plans for a world class visitor attraction - how Liverpudlians interact with their ‘Three Graces’ is changing.

Move Commercial explores the possible benefits of making this trio of celebrated buildings more accessible to the public and what it could mean for their long-term futures.

Opening Up Look but don't touch. For the last century or so Liverpool’s famous ‘Three Graces’ have been off limits to the majority of inquisitive locals.

Whilst tourism chiefs implore visitors to gaze upon the majestic Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building, access to anything more than a visual has been restricted.

Can you imagine visiting New York for the first time and not being able to take the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building?

A more communal element may have arrived on the Pier Head a good while earlier if the late Will Alsop’s ill-fated ‘Fourth Grace’ had ever been built.

Unlike the original trio, Alsop’s daring ‘Cloud’ building was designed with public interaction very much at the forefront.

A hotel, restaurant, bar, rooftop space and an attraction focused on the city’s musical heritage were mooted.

If that last idea sounds familiar then it’s probably because Britain’s only standalone museum of popular music has since been located in the passenger lounge of the Cunard Building.

Although a healthy portion of the artefacts are Liverpool-related, the British Music Experience (BME), which opened in March 2017, is much more than The 12 MOVE COMMERCIAL

Beatles Story-lite with over 600 rare items on display including the costume worn by the great David Bowie on the night he ‘killed off’ Ziggy Stardust.

It also provides the city with another venue option for business networking, book launches, film shows, and has played its part in high profile city events such as Light Night and the Mersey River Festival.

Occupying the other half of the ground floor at the now Liverpool City Council-owned landmark is Signature Living.

The familiar Liverpool-based property developer and leisure operator has converted the space into what it calls the city’s “most iconic wedding venue”.

The combined presence of the BME and Signature Living means locals and visitors alike are now able to better appreciate this Grade II*-listed gem.

“It can only be a positive thing that we have helped open up this amazing space to the public,” says Kevin McManus, curator of the BME. “We and our visitors are respectful of the fascinating history and splendour of the building and while we celebrate its legacy, we also ensure that it remains current and accessible to local, national and international visitors.”

For the city’s mayor, securing the long-term security of the Cunard Building was an important

“

It can only be a positive thing that we have helped open up this amazing space to the public

“

factor behind the council acquiring the landmark for around £10 million in 2014.

“One of the reasons we bought the Cunard Building, aside from the fact it was a great investment, was to secure its future for the people of the city and use it as a public building, as well as generating income from renting out space inside,” says Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson.

Perhaps inspired by the goings on at its next-door neighbour, the Royal Liver Building revealed its own ambitious leisure plans this summer.

Acting on behalf of the building’s asset manager Corestate Capital, CBRE’s national building consultancy team submitted multiple planning applications for renovations that will take “Liverpool’s iconic Royal Liver Building into the 21st century”.

Proposals include the delivery of a “world-class visitor attraction” operated by Heritage Great Britain and a new restaurant fronting onto the Pier Head.

“After 110 years it’s now time to open [the building] to the public,” a spokesperson for Luxembourg-headquartered Corestate tells Move Commercial.

“We have a lot of tourists who visit the building and are very much disappointed when they cannot enter the property.”

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Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’ Focus

It’s understood plans include an element in one of the well-known clock towers, which we’re told will aim to make the building “one of the top 10 tourist attractions in the UK”.

Whilst maintaining the Grade I-listed building will remain very much a commercial asset with a focus on office space, Corestate is insistent that the landmark needs to be more accessible to all.

“It’s something that needs to be shown to the public,” adds the spokesperson.

“The view you can have from the viewing deck on the roof is just stunning.”

The plans for Liverpool’s most famous building and activity at fellow ‘Grace’ the Cunard Building have gone down well with the organisation responsible for promoting the city as a global destination for visitors.

“I’m very excited about the work that Heritage GB is doing in the Royal Liver Building,” says Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool.

“The ‘Three Graces’ have always held a special place in peoples’ hearts – as the centrepiece of our famous waterfront they are arguably the most famous images of the city, and intertwined with so much of its history.

“The three buildings offer fantastic office space but if we can combine that with top drawer

attractions as well, that can only be a good thing for the city’s visitor economy.”

You may have noticed we’ve only mentioned two of Liverpool’s big three so far.

That’s because the eldest of the trio has been slightly more hesitant to allow the public access inside to peruse its splendid granite staircases and magnificent marble corridors.

Built in 1907 as the headquarters for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, the Grade II*-listed Port of Liverpool Building was acquired by Amtrak Real Estate from Downing in 2015.

Managed by Helix Property Advisors, the building remains an office development with current tenants including Rathbone Brothers, Hapag Lloyd and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha.

More than a decade ago the council approved plans for new viewing areas inside the landmark’s spectacular dome, as well the creation of a publicly accessible sunken piazza filled with shops and restaurants.

Whilst these impressive leisure features ultimately failed to materialise, Downing did complete a comprehensive refurbishment of the building which included returning the internal atrium back to its former glory.

Tourists eager for a peek inside do still have limited access via Mrs Danvers Café, a 1930s style tearoom located on the ground floor.

Move Commercial contacted Helix for comment regarding any future plans for the Port of Liverpool Building but received no response.

“

We have a lot of tourists who visit the building and are disappointed when they cannot enter the property

“

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Bitesize thinking If only I’d known…

Strangely enough ‘if only I’d known…’ is a phrase we hear from solicitors or clients who’ve recently acquired a commercial property.

Although it’s been over four years now since the introduction of ‘mandatory pooling’, which requires sellers of commercial property to deal with capital allowances before completion of sale, it can still be inadvertently overlooked. The end result is the loss of capital allowances for the purchaser or any future purchasers.

A common misconception is that trying to deal with capital allowances when purchasing a property will

Sunil Sharma delay matters when in actual fact, in most instances, relevant wording can be inserted into the agreement with no disruption to the sale which, in turn, can save purchasers thousands in tax relief.

You’ll find that before completion a motivated seller will agree to help purchasers secure any unclaimed allowances, especially when it’s cost neutral to them.

The key is to ask the right questions at the right time and ensure the correct documentation is in place for a capital allowances claim to be substantiated at a later date.

head of capital allowances, Moore Stephens

In my crystal ball...

I believe capital allowances will be used to provide fiscal incentive to promote government initiatives.

The Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) recently issued its findings on a capital allowances review. To save you reading the 88 pages, it confirmed that whilst replacing capital allowances with accounts depreciation could help simplify how tax relief is given on capital expenditure, the benefits offered would not be worth the disruption caused. It also recognised that the government would lose its ability to enact policy via tax relief.

The report also indicated further review into

improving the annual investment allowances so more businesses can benefit.

I believe the OTS has provided the Treasury with a mandate to further utilise the capital allowances regime to encourage expenditure and, therefore, I’d expect the introduction of additional tax incentives for those incurring capital expenditure to improve their business. That said, the current regime is extremely generous and will allow those businesses who correctly asses their capital allowances to maximise this tax incentive.

Curriculum VITAE Anthony O’Keefe director, LM6 Commercial Property Ltd

Main duties: I specialise in the industrial sector, principally in the sale, leasing and acquisition of North West commercial property, and provide leading funds, property companies and occupiers with effective solutions across a full spectrum of real estate issues.

Education: I went to school in Wirral at St Anselm’s College and Calday Grange Grammar before obtaining a degree at Sheffield Polytechnic and qualifying as a chartered surveyor.

First job: My first full-time role was with London Workspace, regenerating areas in and around Shoreditch and Dalston, East London which is now unrecognisable to when I started in 1998.

Shortest job: Whilst working in France for 18 months I worked on the ‘vendage’ or grape harvest in Bordeaux. Ten days of humping barrels of grapes on your back, up hills in 80-degree heat was long enough!

What’s the secret to your success?

It’s important to enjoy what you do, keep moving forward with new challenges and be ready to adapt to change.

What piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?

Understanding the fundamentals of any profession is important but the art is knowing how to apply these to an ever evolving market. Understand your profession, find a mentor, build a strong contact network and find out what you bring to the table that others can’t.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Never drink in a pub with a flat roof.

What makes LM6 different?

We’re an independent property agency focused on the industrial sector. Our office on Knowsley Business Park puts us at the heart of our client base and gives us a unique perspective on an ever evolving property market.

Tell us about LM6’s plans for the next six months: We’ll continue to build our business across the city region, putting customers at the heart of all we do.

We’re also looking forward to partnering with Knowsley at MIPIM UK where we’ll be banging the drum to accelerate economic growth of businesses and attracting new investment to the borough.

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CAPITAL ALLOWANCES FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SAVING TAX? Then we are here to help Contact our chartered surveyors for a free initial assessment of your capital allowances on:-

t 0151 703 1080 e ca@msnorthwest.co.uk 16 MOVE COMMERCIAL

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Emma Carey, managing partner, MSB Solicitors My Month It’s been a busy few weeks at Liverpool-based law firm MSB Solicitors as it continues to develop its team and plans its 30th anniversary celebrations.

Managing partner Emma Carey reflects on a month of progress and achievements.

My goal at the start of the month was...

August is a notoriously quiet month in the business community, with lots of people being away on holiday or taking time out with their family.

My goal at the start of September was

to re-engage and re-motivate our staff.

We have a very busy autumn planned as we’ll be introducing new members of the team, new services and we celebrate our 30th year in business in November.

My biggest achievement was...

In the past month we have announced five awards nominations – both for the firm and individual members of the team – of that, I am massively proud.

Three of those nominations are for national awards. Family solicitor Wendy Eves has been shortlisted for Associate Solicitor of the Year at the Family Law Awards, MSB has been shortlisted for Best Medium Firm at the Legal Excellence Awards and I am delighted to have been nominated for Woman Lawyer of the Year.

It really does demonstrate how MSB is growing its profile, not just on a local or regional scale but nationally and in new and niche areas of the law. It is due reward for the hard work of our entire team.

My biggest challenge was...

It is not just specific to this past month, but my biggest challenge is always staying ahead of the curve as the law changes and evolves.

We’re committed to serving the communities in which we operate, which means we have to keep a close eye on changing business and societal dynamics.

New areas of the law, such as social media law, environmental law and IP and data law, for example, demand a commitment to training and advancement.

At MSB we are, and have always been, ambassadors for lifelong learning. Not only so that all our staff are supported to reach their potential, but so that we can be absolutely sure we have the right mix of skills and expertise to deal with all our clients’ needs.

THE NEWS STORY THAT CAUGHT MY EYE A national newspaper previously ran a piece summarising failed or troubled development projects in Liverpool and Manchester and it has really stuck with me.

Liverpool is a city on the up, a city that does not rest on its laurels, a city proud of its heritage but ambitious for its future. It’s a city that continues to enjoy a new renaissance and MSB is proud to have played a part in its ongoing transformation.

There are some fantastic examples of successful developments and an impressive pipeline of new and planned developments. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Liverpool lauded for those fantastic collective efforts?

The key meeting I had...

I meet regularly with my friend and peer in the Liverpool business community; Frances Molloy, chief executive of Health@Work.

MSB takes the health and wellbeing of all staff very seriously.

Our people are our most important ambassadors and our most valuable asset, and their wellbeing is top priority.

Through Frances and the fantastic team at Health@Work, MSB was recently awarded the Workplace Wellbeing Charter and now has the right processes and procedures in place to effectively monitor and manage health and wellbeing across the board.

We plan to participate in mental health first aid training later in the year to ensure we’re managing both the physical and mental wellbeing of our staff and taking measures to support everybody’s individual needs.

My plan for next month...

October will largely be taken up with planning for our anniversary month in November. It’s something that really does mean a lot to all of us here.

We have plenty planned to mark our 30th year in business, to not only commemorate our amazing journey so far but also to present our vision for the future of MSB. MOVE COMMERCIAL 17

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Lawrence Saunders lawrence@movepublishing.co.uk

With more than two decades of experience in construction behind her, Deloitte’s Claire Handby is well placed to comment on an industry very much under the microscope at the moment.

Two years to the day since she joined her second ‘big four’ firm, Move Commercial sat down with Handby to discuss her career and what she thinks needs to change in the building trade.

Stick To Your Guns The Lowry, 19 July 2018: Oldham-born property, infrastructure and construction executive Claire Handby receives her honorary degree in business administration from the University of Salford.

Now a director at Deloitte’s Manchester-based real estate practice, Handby has spent the last 20 years being heavily involved with a string of high profile construction projects during stints with EY, Mace Group, Laing O'Rourke Group, Laing Management and McCarthy & Stone.

“There have been testing times where I have questioned whether I should remain in the industry,” she reflects.

“But to get this recognition after 20 years, it’s saying ‘no, the industry is for me’. It’s such a compliment.”

One of those challenging moments could have knocked her career off the tracks before it had even begun.

Arriving home after finishing two weeks of work experience with a scaffolding firm, a 15-year-old Handby had her heart set on a career in construction but her mother wasn't quite so sure.

“I said to my mum and dad ‘I think I’ve found what I want to do – a construction course at Stockport College’,” Handby recalls.

“My dad said ‘that’s great’, but my mum was like ‘oh my god, what am I going to tell the girls at work?’”

Thankfully the reaction didn't put her off, and a BTEC Ordinary National Diploma in construction led to 18 MOVE COMMERCIAL

Newcastle’s Northumbria University and a construction management course.

Upon the completion of her studies in 1998, Handby won a place on Laing Management’s coveted graduate programme.

Her timing couldn't have been better as she parachuted into the decade’s headline construction

“

It’s very hierarchical.

You’ve got to earn your stripes

“

project, the Millennium Dome.

Arriving on-site two months after the topping out ceremony, the dome’s famous masts and PTFEcoated glass-fibre fabric roof were now in place.

“I worked in every discipline of the construction industry for two years on that project,” remembers Handby.

“It was a McAlpine/Laing joint venture so I got the experience of two construction companies coming together - it was amazing.

“Bernard Ainsworth OBE was project director and he was a brilliant role model.”

Despite her whirlwind start in the industry, Handby views that moment with her mother as a warning for the parents of children who express an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.

“When a young girl comes home and says they want to study STEM subjects, family and friends need to not ‘diss’ it, if you like,” she adds.

“They need to support them and not channel them with their own unconscious bias down a more ‘traditional’ female route.”

Following her spell at Laing, Handby took a senior project manager role at Mace Group, working on projects totalling £100 million at Manchester Airport and winning the firm’s rising star award.

Her career move at this juncture was perhaps somewhat surprising then given this growing reputation within the industry.

p01-20_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:55 Page 19

Claire Handby, director, Deloitte Interview

“

There have been testing times where I have questioned whether I should remain in the industry

“

But for Handby, a mother of three, entering the sphere of professional services at EY was a natural switch.

“Not everybody goes off, has three children and stays working full-time within the industry through choice,” she says.

“One of the drivers for moving from the [construction] industry was around seeing it as more doable to stay engaged in my career.”

As significant as the benefits were, they were secondary to the draw of an accelerated career path which Handby envisaged away from the construction industry.

“I would have had to be 50-odd before I would get anywhere near a boardroom [in construction], or have a right to be there.

“It’s very hierarchical. You’ve got to earn your stripes.

“Experience carries more weight than understanding the process. You can tell that when you look around the room at awards dinners and see who gets to sit on the tables.”

In September 2016, after eight years at EY during which she was nominated for a Northern Power Women award, Handby sought pastures new and added yet another prestigious name to her CV with a switch to fellow ‘big four’ firm Deloitte.

“It’s been a very inspiring experience so far,” says Handby.

“Deloitte focuses on creating an impact that counts with projects big or small, and that really resonates with me.

“I still have affection for EY. It was eight years with them and it was a fabulous experience, but I’m really feeling like I can realise my full potential here.”

Handby believes the construction industry stands to learn a thing or two from the field of professional services, especially when it comes to flexible working arrangements and allowing employees to care for their ageing parents.

“There is a lot to do around agile working and allowing people to work anywhere and be output focused, instead of presentism focused,” she says. “[Flexible working] is not just for women, it’s for men too.

“Not all dads want to work full-time, some want to work four days and have a three-day weekend.

“Deloitte has an older persons caring agenda where you can take time off to look after ageing parents.

“That’s nothing to do with having children, that’s just about helping your workforce have a life outside of work.”

Handby says she would like to help bring about change in the building trade, rather than unnecessarily bashing an industry which has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in recent times.

“I want to be an advocate,” she adds.

“This is a great industry where you can be yourself and there are brilliant opportunities, but you’ve got to be a self-starter to get on.”

MOVE COMMERCIAL 19

p01-20_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:55 Page 20

Natasha Young natasha@movepublishing.co.uk

The government recently issued a £13 million funding boost to help UK science centres connect with new audiences, and the North West attracted the lion’s share of the cash.

Move Commercial explores the true potential of these facilities to boost STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, and the role they play in strengthening future talent for the region’s industries

Path of discovery A £3 million portion of the Inspiring Science Fund was hailed a “major step forward” for Wirral’s Eureka! Mersey attraction when it was announced in August.

The forthcoming £11m centre, set to transform Merseytravel’s Spaceport in Wirral, was one of two fund recipients in the Liverpool City Region, alongside Widnes-based Catalyst.

Whilst the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) cash will be instrumental in developing the Eureka! brand’s second UK visitor centre, charitable trust Catalyst plans to spend its £754,600 share on a project to “inspire a future generation of scientists across the North West and beyond”.

For Catalyst, which was established in 1987 and focuses on science and technology behind the chemicals industry, its vision to engage with the local community and refurbish exhibition spaces including its hands-on scientific gallery will only enhance its existing work to bridge the gap between education and industry and enhance STEM talent.

“There’s a concept called ‘science capital’, and the definition is how much science awareness we have,” explains Catalyst director Jayne Edwards. “That depends on your family, friends, neighbours and people your parents work with.

20 MOVE COMMERCIAL

“Catalyst is one of the ways we reach out to disadvantaged and deprived areas, and it’s in the 27th most deprived borough in the whole country so we aim to increase the science capital of those children who need it most.

“I was one of those – I grew up in a deprived area of East London and didn’t have any science family, my parents didn’t go to university. For people like that it’s instrumental, it can be transformational.”

Catalyst develops children’s science capital and, in turn, helps inspire them towards careers in North West STEM industries through initiatives such as Chemistry at Work Week, which sees employers talk to schoolchildren at the centre, and by working to “dispel the myths” around the jobs that are available.

“There’s a lot of misconception out there that to work in science or industry you have to wear a boiler suit with an oily rag and it’s so far from the truth,” adds Edwards.

“Some of the employers we work with sponsor visits to Catalyst from local schools. A lot of them like to sponsor schools in their locality and that way they can discharge their corporate social responsibility, and sometimes it’s very difficult [for industry companies] to have school

“

We’re excited to have the opportunity to have Eureka!

Mersey so close to home to inspire the next generation of leaders

“

visits because they’re quite dangerous places so Catalyst does that job on their behalf.

“They also get involved in sponsoring exhibits and exhibitions at Catalyst and they have come with their own team building days and to have some of their meetings.”

In Wirral, Eureka! Mersey may not be due to open until spring 2021 but work is well underway to forge similarly strong links with schools and a broad range of the area’s STEM businesses.

“As part of recent feasibility work we met with key industry partners there like Ørsted, Unilever, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Cammel Laird and Jaguar Land Rover,” says Leigh-Anne Stradeski, chief executive of Eureka! which already operates a children’s museum in Halifax.

“We’ve made connections with all of them and we’re running a co-creation process in terms of developing the content for the visitor attraction, so we’re consulting with children from secondary schools, primary schools, youth groups like Hive in Wirral and the Alder Hey Children’s Group.

“We’re connecting children with the industry partners and getting them together to help develop the content so there’ll be really strong connections across the board.”

One Wirral education provider which has been putting ideas forward for the

p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:48 Page 21

Science centres Focus

attraction is The Mosslands School, which has previously taken students to the existing Eureka! centre and is optimistic about the impact the Mersey venue could have.

“Mosslands believes engaging students in STEM subjects in a less rigid structure than that found in the classroom provides excellent opportunities to truly inspire young people,” says the school’s STEM coordinator, Mike Lam. “Eureka! Mersey will bring exciting, novel and fun ways to explore STEM careers.

“The fantastic experiences we have had from attending Eureka! has improved performance in our students, allowing them to feel positive about their own involvement in STEM subjects.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to have Eureka! Mersey so close to home to further inspire the next generation of leaders.”

As Eureka!’s vision for its interactive Liverpool City Region centre, also featuring workshop spaces, a shop, a café and an outdoor science park, makes progress Stradeski is adamant the attraction will be tailored to the location’s needs rather than a North West version of its original museum.

“We are looking at key themes that are driving growth in the Liverpool City Region, like life sciences and health, advanced manufacturing, low-carbon

technology, digital creativity and innovation,” she says.

“We’re matching up the needs the industry has reflected to us with what will actually engage children in the STEM subjects, and that’s the process we’re in the early stages of now.

“We want to actually have the scientists, engineers and people who are working in STEM careers come in for a direct experience with the children so it’s honest and face to face, which will really engage children and enlighten them as to what some of those opportunities are.”

Wirral Council’s leader, Councillor Phil Davies agrees this tailored approach is “vital” for the Liverpool City Region to get the best out of having the facility on the doorstep, and believes it can make a difference at various stages of children’s education.

“While Eureka! Mersey will be a place for young children too, we’ll make sure it appeals to an extended age range to engage and inspire young people who are making GCSE options decisions that will influence their future career choices," he says.

According to Ørsted, which operates the Burbo Bank Offshore Windfarm, the ‘fun’ element of such science-focused visitor attractions can be key to inspiring future talent.

“It’s important that we highlight to children from a young age how fun,

exciting and inspiring STEM subjects can be and that’s why the Eureka!

Mersey attraction is such a great initiative,” says Natasha Nanuck, the firm’s senior stakeholder advisor. “STEM skills are also vital for a growing number of jobs in the North West.

“We’re absolutely committed to raising awareness of STEM and helping young people access the many exciting roles available in renewable energy.”

Unilever also uses various initiatives and works with schools across the North West to invest in the next generation of scientists and engineers as it puts innovation at the heart of its growth ambitions.

“We want to inspire and motivate young people to pursue STEM careers and highlight the exciting range of opportunities available to them as well as the impact they can make through science, technology and innovation,” says Cameron Jones, site director at Unilever’s Port Sunlight base.

“We’re delighted with Eureka!’s focus on STEM skills which will give young people the opportunity to explore and engage with science in a real world context.

“This aligns well with Unilever’s ambitions and will enhance the work we’re already doing in this area, and we look forward to exploring opportunities for how we might work together in the future to help further boost STEM skills

in the region.”

Elsewhere in the North West the Science Museum Group, which operates Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum (MSI), has a growing number of Greater Manchester volunteers signed up to its STEM Ambassador Hub, which aims to engage young people in STEM subjects. “[The volunteers] represent a wide range of different employers, from small digital start-ups to multinational engineering companies,” says Rosie Mawdsley, MSI’s STEM Ambassador Hub manager. “Our ambassadors help to showcase the variety of STEM jobs available locally and also, very importantly, the different pathways into them (such as apprenticeships) and the skills needed to do them.”

Key growth sectors identified in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) ‘Work & Skills Strategy and Priorities’, such as digital and construction, provide a focus for the museum’s STEM Ambassador Hub when it comes to supporting employers’ STEM engagement initiatives.

“There is growing awareness that it’s really important as a future investment to help younger pupils explore what STEM employers are working on in their own local areas, along with challenging perceptions about what these jobs are and who can do them,” adds Mawdsley.

MOVE COMMERCIAL 21

p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:48 Page 22

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p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 17:09 Page 23

Online. Offline.

Anytime.

Get the north-west’s latest business and property news wherever you are. www.movecommercial.com

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p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:49 Page 24

Lawrence Saunders lawrence@movepublishing.co.uk

With UK businesses more dependent on web-based platforms than ever before, the escalating threat from online fraudsters is one that cannot be ignored.

Move Commercial questions how focused North West firms are on their cyber security and dispenses some expert advice on keeping digital property secure.

On Your Guard Friday 12 May 2017: a ransomware worm, reportedly originating from North Korea, is released worldwide.

WannaCry affected more than 200,000 computers across 150 countries - encrypting files, making them impossible for users to access, and then demanding payment in order to decrypt them.

Estimated total damages sustained range from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars.

Here in the UK it cost the NHS approximately £180,000, saw thousands of appointments and operations cancelled, and forced some patients to travel further for emergency care.

The attack underlined how dependent the health service is on information technology and writ large the need for security enhancements to be pushed through.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report said trusts were left exposed because cyber security recommendations were not followed, with the comptroller and auditor-general of the NAO pronouncing that the attack could have been prevented if the NHS had followed “basic IT security best practice”.

24 MOVE COMMERCIAL

Although the NHS maintains no ransom money was ever handed over, UK public services and businesses alike should have been left under no illusions regarding the serious danger posed by cyber criminals.

Fast forward to April 2018 and ahead of the county’s biggest cyber security conference in Manchester it was reported that more online attacks were being launched on UK businesses than ever before.

‘The Cyber Threat to UK Business’, jointly authored by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA), highlights risks to companies which include ransomware attacks, theft from cloud storage and business email compromise fraud.

The report summary claims that most attacks can be defeated by organisations which “prioritise cyber security”.

Despite the warnings and get-togethers, are UK businesses - and specifically those here in the North West - doing all they can to protect themselves?

“Key reports have shown that companies across the UK are unprepared for cyber attacks,”

“

Key reports have shown that companies across the UK are unprepared for cyber attacks

“

says Dr Mohammad Hammoudeh, senior lecturer in computer networks and security at Manchester Metropolitan University.

“The North West is no exception. As an international digital hotspot and home to a top 20 European digital city, Manchester, it’s an attractive target for cyber criminals.

“While some larger organisations have developed a good understanding of the importance for cyber defences, smaller businesses are struggling to keep up with cybercrime due to cyber-unawareness and/or lack of resources.

“At the same time, the volume of data combined with the complexity of the used computer systems presents a technical and financial challenge for companies to secure.”

Whatever the challenges for smaller businesses, the threat is a very real one.

According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's 'Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2017', SMEs have around a one in two chance of falling victim to a cyber security breach, with the cost of such an attack estimated at approximately £1,400.

In an attempt to help smaller businesses

p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:49 Page 25

Cyber security Focus

Staying Secure “Cyber attacks have grown significantly in the last two years with a high percentage specifically targeting SMEs,” says Carl Murphy, director of ICT Solutions, an IT support company based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle.

“In recent years, more than two-thirds of small and large business organisations have become the victim of cyber attacks.

“It’s essential for small businesses to remain vigilant and take additional steps to protect their business against such attacks.”

Murphy offers three indispensable measures that every business should take to start strengthening its cyber security: Encrypt the data “All business information is critical information.

This is the reason you need to make a point to take measures to ensure it further.

“Each working framework has a choice that enables clients to encrypt the information.

“Thus, you will make the majority of the data on the hard drives protected and pointless to anybody outside the workplace.”

Use a Strong Password “The use of a weak password by employees is a major risk to the business.

protect themselves from the most common types of cyber crime, the NCSC produced its ‘Cyber Security: Small Business Guide’ last November.

The guide features advice which is designed to be easily understood and implemented by firms for minimal costs.

Despite this, Dr Hammoudeh believes a lot more needs to be done to increase awareness and cyber security levels across the small business community.

“Clearly, as more business activities and private information migrate into the digital globally interconnected technology platforms, such as cloud, cyber attacks become more prevalent,” he says.

“I believe that companies must be obliged by law to invest in preventive security measures through an agreed percentage of their profits.

“The government should also support companies in this mission by offering the technical skills and tax incentives to train staff and strengthen protection online.”

“

Smaller businesses are struggling to keep up with cybercrime

“

“The data becomes easier for cyber criminals to hack. To avoid this, organisations need to train their employees about the precautions of making the data secure.

“If you include lower case letters, upper case letters and special characters then it becomes impossible for cyber criminals to evade your password security.

“Also, you can set up two-factor authentication by adding a phone number. Whenever you try to sign in to your account it will ask you to enter the security code which you receive through an SMS.” Back up Your Data “Protection of your business increases if you regularly back up your information.

“Back up all your files, data, and other resources because they are the backbone of your business.

This is helpful in case your data gets lost due to an unknown invasion.

“Saving back-ups to an outside hard drive, or in the cloud, is an effortless method to guarantee that every piece of your information is stored securely.”

MOVE COMMERCIAL 25

p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:50 Page 26

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p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:50 Page 27

Business Lifestyle Best for property professionals

Best for networking

Best for investors

11 October

19 October

9 November

NWPAs

Merseyside Business Expo 2018

Manchester Investor Show 2018

Lutyens Crypt, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

Exhibition Centre Liverpool

Mercure Manchester Piccadilly

The NWPAs, organised by Move Publishing, is a popular fixture in the North West events calendar.

Celebrating excellence across the region’s property sector, the event will take place for the 16th year in 2018.

Awards will be presented across categories including Regeneration Award, Best Commercial Scheme and Best Commercial Let. The glittering ceremony includes a reception, a three-course meal and entertainment, as well as the award presentation itself.

Taking place at Exhibition Centre Liverpool for the first time, Merseyside Business Expo will provide a platform for organisations to network, promote their work and make new connections.

Expect exhibitors from both the private and public sectors, as well as corporate organisations and SMEs. Keynote speakers will also be on hand to offer insight and business expertise during the event, which is free to attend.

If you’re an investor, trader or market participant then this event could be for you.

The inaugural show will provide an opportunity to learn more about strategy to enhance investing and trading profits.

Regardless of whether you have a low or high appetite for risk and you invest for the short term or have broader horizons, this event will aim to leave you feeling more knowledgeable, confident and prepared to shape your portfolio and investment plans to secure future financial stability.

Professional Pointers

In the know

Supporting local communities

Local Supply Chain Free online platform, localsupplychain.co.uk

with Dr Alan Southern Dr Alan Southern, co-director of the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy and Practice and a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool Management School, highlights the importance of businesses contributing to their local communities and how to truly make a difference.

Most businesses are local. In a place like the Liverpool City Region the economy relies on small enterprises at the centre of local services and production systems to support local markets. We look at things like this because we believe these local enterprises are important to the growth of the economy, for creating wealth and new jobs.

They are - businesses impact on the local economy more by selling outside of the city region and buying from within, although what’s often missing is a focus on the effects from a business that is embedded within its local community. Here they can play an important role too.

The link between local business and community creates a different form of capital. Rather than look only at the economic benefits from a local business it may also be beneficial to consider the cultural, social and human capital the business can affect.

Social businesses and community enterprises are particularly good at this, building local networks that can support local communities with a variety of services that are not simply centred around a transaction, such as supporting new migrants into the

region or linking into public services to address matters like mental health and social exclusion. Local businesses that are prosocial also do this and we should encourage more to think in this way.

We should also think carefully about the types of business located in many low-income communities.

Often we find low value-added businesses, enterprises that are easy to start up but lack the resources to be sustainable and are ultimately transient. If we were to think more strategically about community and business we could begin to recognise what types of business could be most beneficial for communities most in need.

We could think about how such businesses could help address some of the most pressing problems, such as low skills, training and in-work poverty. We know charities such as Power to Change take things like this seriously.

As we plan our local economy through the devolved powers of the Metro Mayor and combined authority, perhaps more thought can be given to the relationships existing between communities and the small businesses they host.

Cloud-based platform Local Supply Chain makes it easy for businesses to back the economy and employment in their area. It has been designed to help get construction projects completed faster by connecting public and private clients with contractors and subcontractors.

Using Local Supply Chain, clients can share details of upcoming developments whilst main contractors can source the people with the right skills and prove to clients they have the local workforce ready and available to meet the requirements.

Meanwhile subcontractors can advertise their services, view the pipeline of work and express an interest.

Even if they’re not selected for projects, subcontractors can receive valuable feedback to help with future pitches.

These features are available with a free standard membership, whilst a premium account (£149 for 12 months) offers extra benefits such as enquiry text alerts, notifications on expiring insurances, featured supplier status and the freedom to express an interest in opportunities outside of their local area.

p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:50 Page 28

Natasha Young natasha@movepublishing.co.uk

Steve Oliver of used product trader musicMagpie tells Move Commercial how trust and innovative technology are moving the North West firm towards its £1 billion ambitions.

Clutter to Cash When used product trader musicMagpie set up a new Stockport headquarters in 2017, it marked somewhat of a shift in the growing company’s outlook.

The move saw the firm, which was first established in a garage, relocate from Hazel Grove to a 10,000 sq ft Grade A office at the heart of town centre regeneration scheme Stockport Exchange.

“In some ways it was a conflict, a difficult decision because we’ve grown by operating the business on a shoestring, and yet we’ve moved to this ‘posh’ new head office,” CEO and co-founder Steve Oliver tells Move Commercial. “I had to look forward to the next 10 years – not look back at where we’ve come from but say ‘where do we want to take the business?’

“The answer is that this can be a £1 billion business in the future.”

Oliver formed the company in 2007 with Walter Gleeson, who he worked with at the helm of the now defunct retailer Music Zone.

28 MOVE COMMERCIAL

The duo began buying and reselling pre-loved CDs, DVDs and games at a time when the economic recession was biting and consumers were looking for ways to boost their finances, and their experience of working within the entertainment chain helped set them on the path to success.

“Towards the end of working at Music Zone we started understanding how interesting used product was,” recalls Oliver. “GAME and Gamestation were starting to sell used games instore and, in fact, were giving large parts of the shop because they understood they could make some more margin out of used product than they could new product.

“There are two sets of consumers – one who has finished with the product they’ve been using and is willing to declutter it, sell it and raise some cash against it in an as easy, convenient and hassle-free manner as possible; and another is looking to buy a used product in a good as new condition for

“ “

This can be a £1 billion business in the future.

less than half price.

“We saw that market opportunity to say ‘nobody is selling CDs, DVDs and games together online so we can act as an aggregator of the stock, offer an online trading service, refurbish the product and offer it for resale’.” musicMagpie scaled quickly as it became a prominent vendor on internet retail giant Amazon and then on eBay, enabling consumers to sell goods via the online channel in a way that offers a smaller return than if they did it directly but requires a lower level of effort. It created what Oliver sometimes refers to as a “lazy man’s eBay”.

“That was what we did with all the product we were buying, so we started to buy thousands of units a day and then tens of thousands of units a day, and then ultimately at the peak of buying physical media we ended up buying about 30 million units,” he adds, explaining that on average, people pack around 70 units in a box and send it to

“

We’re far from done in the UK in terms of growth, but we think the most dramatic growth could come in the next two years in the US.

“

p21-32_Move Commercial 24/09/2018 15:50 Page 29

Steve Oliver, CEO and co-founder, musicMagpie Interview

musicMagpie to trade in.

During its 11 years in business the company has grown exponentially, reaching its current turnover of £125 million, and has evolved its offering along the way.

An expansion into America with its ‘declutter’ brand, for one, has seen the company set up a 60,000 sq ft distribution centre and office in Atlanta, Georgia as it aims to emulate its UK success across the pond.

“This year the runway is currently $50m for the business over there so it’s catching the UK business up,” says Oliver. “It’s a market that’s four times bigger so we’re far from done in the UK in terms of growth, but we think the most dramatic growth could come in the next two years in the US.” Then there’s musicMagpie’s range of used products, which continues to develop and assist in future-proofing the firm.

Whilst Oliver believes “the death of the CD and DVD is exaggerated,” he

admits the physical media products which have provided musicMagpie with such a strong foundation are of a “market in decline”.

They’re expected to remain part of the brand’s business for some time yet, as many consumers remain reluctant to entirely let go of physical media. Plus the firm is dealing in “much lower, better value used products” as it sells CDs, DVDs and games at an average of £3 online, or in Poundland stores thanks to an exclusive supply contract with the high street chain.

“However, can we continue to grow the business at the same rate with physical media products? No,” says Oliver. “That was why three or four years ago we started to look at what other products we can sell.”

Oliver is tight-lipped about future ventures but suggests consumers’ awareness of the musicMagpie brand and the trust they have in it, which has built over time, has supported the company’s foray into trading tech

devices - predominantly mobile phones - as well as books and slightly more diverse products like Lego.

“What we aim to lever is that trust and the history people have with the brand,” he says. “We aspire to be the John Lewis of used product.”

A need to stay at the forefront of technology also continues to bring change to musicMagpie, as simplicity is key to enticing consumers to sell used items through its platforms.

“It’s a digital world we live in and people are demanding more and want to deal with us in an easy and convenient fashion,” says Oliver.

“A number of years ago it was a very big day in our history when we launched our app where you could sell to us by scanning the barcode - it was a big turning point because then it actually became fun. Now we’ve got our musicMagpie shop on the app.

“When you’re in any business you’ve got to look forward and, circling back to the head office we’ve got, that’s what

we’re doing. We’ve set ourselves up in a base that will last us many years and allow us to attract and retain the talent that will enable us to deliver these digital innovations going forward.”

Accommodating around 75 members of the company’s workforce, which totals nearly 1,000 employees, and offering room for more, the headquarters is also a stone’s throw from Stockport train station.

Such factors, Oliver suggests, are strengthening the firm’s ability to compete amongst the North West’s thriving digital sector.

“There is a hell of a lot of brilliant tech businesses in Manchester and the North West – we’ve got The Hut, Missguided, boohoo.com, Autotrader,” he says. “I think you have to work hard to attract and retain talent.

“The challenge we were facing in Hazel Grove is that people were looking at the brand and going ‘I like that, it’s interesting’. They’d read the job role and salary, and then they’d visit Google Maps to look where we were and say ‘I’m going to struggle to get there every day and that’s not a glamourous place to work’.” musicMagpie is now exploring artificial intelligence (AI) among said digital innovations as it strives to enhance its user experience moving forward.

“We’re looking at developing some technology with a partner of ours, and it’s basically an AI-driven chatbot,” reveals Oliver.

“If from a chatbot we can [give consumers] a series of AI-driven questions that put what the answer is and then ask a new question, even to the point where they can say ‘will you make a video of it?’ or ‘can you just turn it round so I can see it from another angle?’, then we might be able to go back to the consumer and say ‘I now understand exactly what it is, I can see it’s in good condition so I can give you an offer price of X - accept the offer or decline with yes or no’. If they hit yes we take them through the logistics journey of how we’re going to get that product.

“They then know what price they’re going to get, how the logistics are going to work, and as soon as it arrives that as long as we can confirm it’s exactly what we thought it was they’re going to get paid that same day. The trust is huge but we do see that as a definite way we’ll be communicating with our customers in the future.”

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Expert views Ask the panel Amid reports highlighting apprenticeships as a valuable alternative to degrees across a range of sectors, we ask a panel of experts:

Q: Are businesses of all sizes being given enough support to provide quality apprenticeship opportunities?

As we face such a skills shortage in the construction industry, we take our responsibility very seriously in attracting and, importantly, retaining young people into the sector.

We have recently recruited a business administration apprentice and a quantity surveying degree apprenticeship through Hugh Baird College and Liverpool John Moores University. Not only do they fill important roles for us, but we’re eligible for extensive funding through the Apprenticeship Levy so it’s a winwin situation.

There is support for a business of our size, and there’s good funding out there, but I don’t think there’s enough engagement between business and education providers to fully understand the benefits apprenticeships can bring and, importantly, the different roles on offer.

We see it as our duty, however, to ensure we continue to use the route to bring young people into the industry and we’ll do our utmost to support both the education providers, other businesses and the young people to demonstrate the effectiveness of the apprenticeship route.

David Cain, director, Crossfield Construction

Apprenticeships are vital to the future success of our economy – particularly as there are worrying skills shortages across many sectors.

Recent government data revealing a 30% fall in the number of young people joining apprenticeship schemes

Glow has completed several apprenticeship programmes and on the whole it's very positive – win-win. There's a particular issue for tech apprenticeships though, and the bar for programming can be set high.

With so many programming vacancies, it would be fantastic to see more apprentice candidates with practical programming skills. Narrowing that gap and communicating it both ways is key.

Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity to get into a great career very early on.

Digital careers often depend more on capability than qualification so apprenticeships can offer both.

Some of the best results we see are the self-starters who didn't wait for permission but started programming or designing under their own steam

between August 2017 and May this year is a big concern. Many see the complexity of the Apprenticeship Levy, which is paid by larger companies, as being a key reason for the fall so this clearly needs to be addressed.

While the levy affects just 2% of companies, I believe more help is needed to encourage small firms too. The requirement for them to pay 10% of the cost - on top of the greater practical impact on them of managing the programme - is clearly proving to be a disincentive, and hopefully the Chancellor will look at this in the Autumn Statement.

Emma Stoddart, partner, Grant Thornton

For some companies the landscape remains daunting, however the good news is that support is out there, and lots of it.

Recruiting an apprentice makes good business sense. Apprentices play a pivotal role within business and for many companies, no matter how large or small, recruiting new talent and developing employees is a strategic priority.

Apprentices bring new skills, new ways of doing things, and give the employer the opportunity to train someone from scratch.

A natural ‘go to’ organisation is the Chamber of Commerce, however your local college or the National Apprenticeship Service are both great sources of expertise and advice.

Apprenticeships remain very popular here in Knowsley because a large number of our successful owner/managers, who started off as apprentices, are fully committed to offering young people a chance to learn a valuable skill or trade. The highly proactive Knowsley Works team also has an excellent track record of matching apprenticeship opportunities with suitable candidates.

Lesley Martin-Wright, chief executive of Knowsley Chamber and head of Knowsley Growth Hub

and used the apprenticeship schemes to take that further.

Getting experience to land a job can be a chicken and egg problem. A bit of proactivity mixed with apprenticeships is a great way forward.

Phil Blything, managing director, Glow New Media

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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Brown fox.

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