ACES Magazine - issue 4

ACES The official magazine for the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

ussex

Issue 4. 2017

LLOYDS LIST

New MPs Stephen Lloyd & Lloyd Russell-Moyle on supporting local business

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Contents

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from our Chief Executive Christina Ewbank

So in this issue we look at the new MPs who have broken the Conservative’s control of East Sussex, Stephen Lloyd, Lib Dem for Eastbourne and Lloyd Russell Moyle, Labour for Kemptown. They both tell us their plans to support business in their respective constituencies and Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce has taken the opportunity to send their MP PUBLISHERS Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com Ian Trevett ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com THE PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP Tel: 07966 244046 Tel: 07989 970804 Mail: info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com Web: www.platinumbusinessmagazine.com ADVERTISING and SPONSORSHIP Lesley Alcock Business Development Director Tel: 07767 613707 Mail: lesley@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

Cover image © www.brightonpictures.com

an open letter about the town’s priorities.

While writing I should mention the previous MPs who lost their seats, Caroline Ansell and Simon Kirby, who both worked hard to promote the economy in their towns and will no doubt stand again at the next election, whenever it is called….

You will also find interesting articles about losing control of your name, the importance of recruitment in the current climate and plenty of news about local businesses in the county.

Christina Ewbank On behalf of the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

Head Designer: Amanda Harrington Travel Editor: Rose Dykins Sub Editor: Kate Morton Food Editor: Amanda Menahem Photographer: Sarah Walker-Bennett Accounts: Julia Trevett All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial.

The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. ACESussex Magazine is published by The Platinum Publishing Group.

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GROUP

It is more true than ever as we grind towards Brexit that a week really is a long time in politics!

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ISSUE 4

WELCOME TO ISSUE NUMBER 4 OF ACES MAGAZINE

Since the previous issue of ACES a great deal has happened both politically and economically in the UK. The government has lost its majority, the SNP have shelved the idea of another referendum, terrorists have continued to attack our way of life and a horrific fire has taken many innocent lives and exposed the shortcomings of both our building regulations and some of our local authorities.

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ACES News

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Legal - Rix & Kay

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Recruitment - RSE

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Seahaven Awards

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Meet our new MPs

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Clearwater - Health & Safety

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Astec Computing - Moving to the Cloud

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University of Brighton

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Sussex Skills Solutions

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Do you own your name?

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Chestnut Tree House

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Business Travel - Dublin

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Gatwick Diamond - Meet the Buyers

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Sussex Economic Forum

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Smart Monkey

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W Bruford - Watches by Tudor

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Hydro Hotel

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Cooden Beach Hotel

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Fizz on Foot - English Still Wines

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Motoring - Land Rover

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Motoring - Audi R8 V10 Spyder

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Business East Sussex

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Emma Pearce

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Association of Carers

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ACES Chambers

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Anger Management

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Local News

ACES NEWS A Trip to the Zoo

Glyndebourne and Towner Celebrate

A group of 20, made up of children cared for by Chestnut Tree children’s hospice, siblings, parents and carers, enjoyed a funfilled day out at the Isle of Wight Zoo in June, thanks to longterm supporters, Your Service Centre Gatwick.

The trip was organised by the Gatwick-based company’s team of award-winning apprentices, including Phoebe Kay, who has a history of supporting Chestnut Tree. Phoebe said, “Living locally to Chestnut Tree House, and having supported them through my school days, I was excited to learn Your Service Centre Gatwick also supports the charity. Alongside two fellow apprentices we thoroughly enjoyed planning a trip for the children and families, and it was very rewarding to see them having fun.”

Chestnut Tree provides care and support to around 300 children with life-shortening conditions and their families across East Sussex, West Sussex and South East Hampshire.

Locate, Locate, Locate Locate East Sussex has secured a new three-year contract to operate the county’s business support and inward investment service.

The five-strong team, led by Philip Johnson, was awarded the contract following a tender process, having successfully operated the service for the last three years. Philip said, “We are delighted to have won this contract, which enables us to build on our excellent work to date. With two new positions to join the team shortly we will be able to support even more businesses grow and help create more jobs in East Sussex, ensuring a thriving local economy that attracts new companies into the county. East Sussex is a superb place to do business.”

Since Locate East Sussex was launched in 2014, over 820 new permanent jobs have been created in the county. Some £5.8million in grants and loans has been provided for growing businesses in the county through a business support programme delivered by Locate East Sussex.

This financial support has been matched by over £24.8million from local companies, representing a total boost of £30.7million to the county’s economy.

The service offers free, objective advice on commercial property decisions and access to funding for growth acceleration.

Eastbourne’s Towner Gallery will receive nearly £1.5 million of Arts Council funding and Glyndebourne Productions Ltd will receive £6 million, part of almost £32 million being invested in East Sussex’s arts and culture. Other winners include Jerwood Gallery in Hastings (£400,000) and the De La Warr in Bexhill (£508,000/year). In total, 21 arts and cultural organisations in East Sussex will together receive £31,796,428 over four years.

Hedley Swain, area director, South East, Arts Council England said, “This is an exceptionally strong portfolio of organisations delivering great arts and cultural experiences to audiences throughout the East and South East of England. Our investment will support inventive, pioneering arts organisations, a range of museums and arts activity in libraries. It will reach into more places than ever before, providing more people of all ages and backgrounds with the opportunity to participate in the arts – inspiring them as artists, as audiences, or as a mix of both.”

“Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen”

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Legal

POST ELECTION WHAT NOW FOR THE HOUSING MARKET IN THE SOUTH EAST? The last few months have undoubtedly seen a period of uncertainty during the run up to the election, and with the result leaving no overall majority, the prospect of a stable housing market looks even less likely. Rix & Kay’s Residential Property Team reflect on the state of the market in some key locations across Sussex.

How might the market react in the South East?

With Rix & Kay’s dedicated Residential Property team helping individuals and their families to buy and sell properties across Sussex and Kent for more than 75 years, there probably aren’t many other people who have a better understanding of the regional market variations across the South East.

The region is considered prosperous but the current stock shortage, coupled with political uncertainty is going to play its part.

The latest house price index figures note a very small decline over the last three months and we’ve just begun two years of complex Brexit negotiations.

Brighton and the south coast

Rix & Kay’s Residential Property Team Leaders. L-R: Leon Mumford (Seaford), Angela Arnold (Brighton & Hove), Charlotte Clarke (Uckfield)

What happened in the run up to the election?

Before the surprise result of the election in June, each party had set out its various housing policies. Theresa May’s manifesto set out plans for “a new generation of social housing”, which will return to the market after 10 to 15 years to be sold privately with an automatic right to buy. Labour on the other

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hand promised to build “at least 100,000 council and housing association homes a year for genuinely affordable rent or sale”.

The trouble was that neither of the main parties set out where the money would come from for new housing. The general sentiment was that the private sector alone would not be able to meet the UK’s housing demand.

Brighton has always benefited from its easy access to the capital and even with the disastrous Southern rail strikes during the last 12 months, Londoners continue to migrate to the sea with the expectation of getting more for their money when it comes to buying property. It’s no surprise then that property prices continue to remain resilient following a period of rapid growth between 2014 and 2016.

“…Londoners continue to migrate to the sea with the expectation of getting more for their money when it comes to buying property.”

Legal Angela Arnold, who leads Rix & Kay’s team in Brighton and Hove believes the market will remain strong despite the outcome of the election.

“My team here in Brighton and Hove are seeing an increase in instructions, and if that is anything to go by, then the market appears buoyant and healthy. We’ve got great relationships with many of the most prominent agents in the city and, of course, that helps us.

I do agree however that the Brighton market waited for the election to pass and I think it’s pretty clear that there is a shortage of stock right now. If anything, this only serves to create a bullish market and drive prices up. The figures support that, and central Brighton and Hove has out-performed many other regions in the South East with almost 8% growth during the last 12 months. Historically, the city has always been in a property bubble where prices are maintained even against the hardest climate.

The same can’t be said for some of the outlying areas of Brighton, perhaps places like Preston Park and Hassocks, that rely so heavily on the train services running as they should they have suffered a little more when it comes to property prices holding their own.

It will be very interesting to see what the Conservatives prioritise outside of their main housing policies - transport, commerce and jobs all have a huge bearing on what the regional market might look like 12 months from now.”

Leon Mumford, who leads Rix & Kay’s team in Seaford agrees: “According to HouseSimple, Seaford is one of the best performing areas along the main Southern rail routes for house prices.

Brighton Beach

Seaford Cliffs

It benefits from being close to Brighton and has always had a great reputation as a place where you can get real value for money.

Its demographic is slightly older than that of Brighton, and I think people here have a greater awareness of the potential impact that the result might have on the market. So in one sense, Seaford has seen an even greater period of cooling off since the snap election was announced. Overall though house prices in the town remain strong. We’ve not seen the huge increases of around 15% in 2015 but 2016 still grew by about 3%.”

Uckfield and Mid-Sussex The Weald is probably best known for its rural beauty which is epitomised by the Ashdown Forest. As an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the largest area with public open access in the South East of England, the Forest has, inadvertently, created a huge challenge for any local housing strategy.

Charlotte Clarke, who lives locally and leads Rix & Kay’s team in Uckfield discusses the regional challenges:

“Wealden District Council is under immense pressure to find a solution to the local housing shortage. It’s been trying to find a workable answer for several years but the surrounding countryside and planning restrictions, not to mention the lack of infrastructure, makes that very hard indeed. Now we have had a general election, I can’t see anything changing in the near future unless something radical comes out of the narrow Conservative win.

“The South East is a prosperous region but the current stock shortage, coupled with political uncertainty, is going to play its part - and we’ve not even mentioned Brexit yet.”

Despite that, the Weald is a highly desirable place for people who want a real experience of the countryside, and this reflects the growing demand and house price increases over the last few years. In 2015, the average price of a detached house in Uckfield increased by a staggering 25%. That has slowed down somewhat but last year still enjoyed another 5% increase.

It might be that the political uncertainty curbs any further growth in the immediate future and there is also the impact of Brexit, particularly on rural business and agriculture, that has yet to be fully realised.”

Post election With a new government now elected, Rix & Kay’s Residential Property Team will reflect the market’s mood and sentiment in the weeks following the result in the next edition of ACES Magazine.

For any residential property enquiries, including buying and selling property, contact enquiries@rixandkay.co.uk

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The 2017 Children’s Respite Trust Masquerade Ball will see around 400 guests join us at Eastbourne’s Winter Garden for a night of masked mystique and fundraising fun with a Phantom of the Opera theme.

Guests will arrive to enjoy a welcome drink and entertainment before proceeding to the stunningly decorated banqueting hall where further entertainment awaits along with an exquisite three course meal.

Fantastic prizes can be won at the grand balloon draw and guests can bid on some fabulous auction lots. throughout Other entertainment and surprises will delight guests th the evening, which will conclude with dancing and live music.

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Recruitment

THE REFERENDUM AND RECRUITMENT L

Struggling to employ good staff at the moment?

Here’s why, says RSE Group’s Managing Director, Mandy Brook.

et’s look at the timeline as I see it. BREXIT - yes it did happen and yes, we voted out! No, we did, it wasn’t a nightmare I’d had. Can you tell I was a remainer?! Then came the debacle of the change and fall of the government hierarchy…

We then waited with bated breath to see what was going to happen. We held our breath for so long that we had to let it go in mid-September. We raised our heads above the precipice and thought, it’s going to be ok, nothing’s changed, it might not, we can look forward, make a plan. A great November was had in business, YES, it’s going to be okay.

HARD BREXIT was announced in December and those brave souls that had raised their heads retreated once more. January - TRUMP happened!

It was a weird and quiet first quarter, historically our busiest hiring quarter of the year. We took our second breath in nine months in April… then the snap election was announced! (Shoot me now!)

Let’s get this politics history lesson into context.

Hiring is cyclical, the first three months of the year are VERY busy and in July and August, all the decision makers are away. September everyone comes back to work, raring to go, changing jobs before December and their

Christmas parties and bonuses. On January 1st, their New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and to change jobs. The hiring world goes mad.

Well guess what? This didn’t happen this year. Nothing, zilch, nada - the 1st of January came and went and nothing happened. The big clients hired BUT this nation of SME’s didn’t hire their first employee, or their fifth, or their tenth. They sat on their hands watching and waiting; what next? Dare we? Can we risk it?

So what did the job seekers do? They retreated. Would you move jobs even if the package was massively better than where you were - if you knew that on a last in first out basis, if something goes wrong, you will be out of “safe” employment.

So where does this leave you and I one might ask? Trying to find quality, talented staff for our roles.

What can you do? Well, you can look at who you are and what you can offer your employees. Not in terms of money but in other things to make you an ‘Employer of Choice’.

Your aim is make your company attractive, to get people to come to you and be clamouring at your door. Think Google, Apple, Disney; dare to be different.

Some of the things to look at are: • Flexible working: where, how and when?

• Work life balance • Autonomy in the workplace • The ability to form relationships - have friends and a solid team environment • Happiness at work and emotional engagement of your staff • Are your leader’s great, driven, can they motivate and inspire?

• Can your staff make a difference to the wider community?

• Do you stand out from the rest?

Courageous I know but so worthwhile…try it!

I’ll be talking about becoming an employer of choice more fully in a future issue.

The Studio, The Johns Cross, Battle Road, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5JH. Tel: 01424 830000. www.rsegroup.agency

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Make Chestnut Tree House your charity of the year Chestnut Tree House is the children’s hospice for Sussex, caring for children with life-shortening illnesses. Your business can really make a difference by getting involved with Chestnut Tree House.

Make Chestnut Tree House your Charity of the Year Adopt Payroll Giving for your employees Take our ÂŁ50 Challenge Take part in our Corporate Volunteering days Contact Terrina Barnes: 01903 871846 terrina.barnes@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk Registered charity no 256789 ACES 10 ussex

Business Awards

SEAHAVEN SUCCESS The top table at the Seahaven Awards

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ow in its 14th year, over 500 nominations were received for 75 companies across the Seahaven area for the seven categories. Guests enjoyed a drinks reception on arrival followed by a three course dinner supplied by David Osman Catering. The event was attended for the first time by special guest, HM The Queen’s Representative in East Sussex, The Lord Lieutenant Mr. Peter Field.

The judging panel included MPs Maria Caulfield and Simon Kirby, the Mayor of Newhaven, Councillor Steve Saunders and the Presidents of the Newhaven, Peacehaven and Seaford Chambers of Commerce. The winners of the seven categories were as follows: • President’s Award (Best Business in the Community) Winner: CTLA Sponsored by Mike Shorer Fine Jewellery • Best New Business Of The Year Winner: Easytone Sponsored by Excell Design • Best Environmental Business Winner: Wave Leisure Sponsored by Meeching Estate Agents

• Best Eatery Winner: The Bengal Palace Sponsored by Fund Raising Auctions • Business Person Of The Year Winner: Matt Chambers Sponsored by Swindells Chartered Accountants • Best Customer Service Winner: Seaford and Newhaven Funeral Service, Sponsored by The Hope Inn • Business Of The Year Winner: Mike Shorer Fine Jewellery Sponsored by The Sussex Sign Company Just prior to awarding the Seahaven Business Awards trophies, Phil Merry, Vice Chairman of Peacehaven Chamber presented their annual Chairman’s Award trophy to Grahame Bannister, for his support throughout the year. Alasdair Fortune, outgoing President of Seaford Chamber awarded their Chairman’s trophy to Anne Ori. Other VIP guests included His Excellency Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao, Vietnamese Ambassador for the UK and Ireland and his wife; Mayor of Newhaven, Councillor Steve

Saunders and Mayoress Sharon Bewley; Maria Caulfield MP; the Chairman of Lewes District Council and newly elected County Councillor for Peacehaven, Cllr. Nigel Enever and his wife Lynn Enever; and Deputy Leader of Lewes District Council, Cllr. Elayne Merry and Cllr.

Paul Franklin.

The awards were followed by a grand raffle and a silent charity auction organised by Fund Raising Auctions, the proceeds of which were donated to the Blood Runners of Sussex, SERV, who transport blood products for the NHS on motorbikes at night.

Newhaven Chamber would like to say a big thank you to all the sponsors, in particular the two key sponsors Veolia and Wave Leisure. In addition, Cooperative Funeralcare, Newhaven Enterprise Centre, The Hope Inn, HM Bookkeeping and Seahaven FM and the seven sponsors of the awards, without whom this event would not be possible. We are now looking forward to the Seahaven Business Awards 2018!

For more information about Newhaven Chamber of Commerce and the Seahaven Business Awards go to www.newhavenchamber.co.uk or call 01273 517544.

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Business & Politics

NEW MPS - SAME CHALLENGES The General Election was keenly fought in East Sussex with several seats at risk of changing hands.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd held off a strong challenge in Hastings and, in Lewes, Maria Caulfield retained her seat against a determined Liberal Democrat campaign. In the end only two seats switched MPs. In Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd regained the seat he lost in 2015 and we welcome one new MP from the county - Labour’s Lloyd Russell-Moyle in Kemptown and Peacehaven.

The two MPs spoke to ACES Magazine about their plans and hopes for their constituencies. But first we publish an open letter from Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, laying out the challenges facing Stephen Lloyd MP.

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Business & Politics

OPEN LETTER TO STEPHEN LLOYD MP

Dear Stephen

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irstly, on behalf of the Eastbourne unLtd Chamber of Commerce please accept our sincere congratulations on your election success. We do hope you will be displaying your honorary membership certificate in pride of place in your Westminster office!

As the largest town based Chamber in the South East, we have a number of key priorities that we would like to share with you.

The Town Centre Plan As our sister organisation Edeal is responsible for town centre management, we have serious concerns with the layout of our town.

There are no public spaces in the town centre so the community has nowhere to come together and running events to promote our retail areas is very difficult. There is also a pollution problem in Eastbourne caused by diesel particulates from local traffic. To address this we need to unpick the ring road / one way system; remove the A259 from Little Chelsea, and introduce public spaces and pedestrianisation to our shopping areas from the seafront up Terminus Road and throughout Little Chelsea.

We also need to break Terminus Road into smaller areas with new names and individually defined identities like Victoria Boulevard, Cornfield and Sussex Gardens. All much more attractive than the name Terminus Road.

We have been talking to ESCC and Highways for three years about these changes without success and so we would appreciate you lending the power of your office to bring all the stakeholders together so that these changes can be effected without another three years delay.

We are also launching a pavement campaign in July to raise the issue of the condition of our existing pedestrian precinct and the pavements between Bankers Corner and the seafront end of Terminus Road. With the new development of the Arndale and west end of Terminus Road we do not want to see a two-tier town centre developing and so we are very keen to get cross party support to put pressure on Highways and East Sussex County Council. Boots and Debenhams both report multiple accidents as people trip over the paviers which were laid outside their stores in the 70’s and have not been refurbished since.

Transport Links This is one of our biggest weaknesses as a town and an issue that we have campaigned together on in the past. Simply put, the existing A27 limits the growth of our town. The overcrowding on this road has also been exacerbated over the last 18 months by Southern Rail and the failure of the last government to resolve the dispute with the RMT. We are also concerned that the previous government chose to allow the expansion of Heathrow Airport over Gatwick. This is a lost

opportunity and will hold East Sussex back for the next 50 years.

We look to you to spearhead the improvements we need to the A27, Southern Rail and Gatwick Airport and work with us to lobby the relevant policy makers.

Town Centre Community Nationally, there has been a dramatic increase in homelessness and street drinking which is seriously affecting the appearance and ambience of towns throughout the country.

Business people in our own town and on the seafront have raised concerns with regards to anti-social behaviour, needles and the cleanliness and security of the town. We understand that homelessness has doubled and street drinkers are increasing in number too as London Boroughs send their difficult families to relocate to the seaside.

There is currently a reduction in town centre footfall nationally which, coupled with Eastbourne’s town centre developments, is affecting our footfall and could lead to an increase in shop vacancies if nothing is done.

We would also like to work with you and the various interested agencies to find activities for the street drinkers to get involved in - for example football and fishing - rather than shunting them around the town from one location to another.

We would like to work with you and the Council to generate interest in our town centre during the Arndale extension to maintain visitor numbers and increase footfall. We have a terrific town centre with interesting and varied independent retailers; let’s make sure shoppers know we are open for business with great fashion and unusual gift items at very attractive prices.

BID You will be aware that the Chamber and Edeal have been leading on the Business Improvement District, “Your Eastbourne BID”, which will unlock £1.5m of funds for our town centre over the next five years. We are very grateful for the support you have already given the BID and look forward to working with you on this important and transformational project.

Like you, we love Eastbourne and believe it has a great future. We remember the drive and determination you had to bring parties together for the benefit of our town, and hope that you will consider relaunching the MPs commission which brought back the successful Carnival and established the now very popular and successful Eastbourne Borough Market every Sunday and Wednesday throughout the year.

Your commitment to business is unquestionable and so we look forward to working closely and productively with you in the future for the benefit of our town.

Kind regards

Tim Cobb PRESIDENT

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New Members of Parliament

WELCOME TO LLOYD Lloyd Russell-Moyle is the only MP from the county making his debut at the Houses of Parliament. Lloyd won the Kemptown and Peacehaven seat for Labour. pay rent on time, personal relationships were often the success or failure or a venture.

How would you describe the business landscape in your constituency?

Brighton is varied, American Express, the Albion and public transport are large single employers but as a whole we have a large number of self-employed people and small businesses, especially in the creative arts. Equally in the East Sussex part of the constituency, there are large numbers of self-employed tradespeople as well as people servicing the public sector, meaning that a decent health service and support for housing is vital, to give people the confidence to succeed.

What are the main issues facing businesses in your constituency?

Businesses need support to take risks and a reduction in the burden of paper work. Large amounts of small businesses in Brighton are in hospitality and creative sectors meaning that Brexit is a huge risk for the future of our economy. Of course we can make it work but that must be by building bridges not walls with Europe.

What is your business background?

I have been involved in co-operative businesses and one charity. I was the director of a small cafe and social centre in Bradford, which we operated for about 15 years (I was involved in only about five years).

My main role was the finances, negotiating with suppliers and legal documents at Companies House.

The second was a Housing Co-operative which I founded with a group of people and which operated rented accommodation for people in Bradford. Again it ran for a number of years before being subsumed into a bigger housing cooperative, I was the company secretary and then the finance officer.

I was the national chair of the Woodcraft Folk which is a charity but also runs a number of hostels, campsites and a shop. In that role I looked over the governance of the organisation, I led of our business development plan for growth (of which we had a turn over of a few million) and I led us to becoming a limited company to manage some of our more commercial assists better.

In all of these I remember the importance of people skills. One can get caught up in the figures or the plans, but at the end of the day if it was negotiating rent levels with the landlord of the cafe or getting tenants to

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It is important to provide a safety net in terms of health, housing and education. The continuing developments in vocational training at Greater Brighton Met College and Sussex Downs college are welcome but without continued funding from government that will dry up and business will be left with burden of paying the training themselves without support.

How can our local politicians help our businesses thrive?

I was proud Labour agreed to reduce paperwork for SMEs by returning to annual tax reporting. Equally we can ensure education is giving young people the skills that are useful in business. Finally on a local level I'm happy to champion local business, with visits and, if needs be, questions to ministers about our local economy.

Aside from business what are the other key local issues?

Education, health and housing. Housing is so expensive and this puts a strain on recruitment in the area. It’s something that we need urgent action on today! I would like to push for better housing building, protection for our schools and ensure that the education is actually balanced. I would like to promote co-operative businesses and allow them to thrive better in the UK.

New Members of Parliament

“LLOYD IS BACK�

After losing out in 2015, Liberal Democrat Stephen Lloyd reclaimed the Eastbourne seat in June.

From professional services to retail, tourism, building firms, care homes and all points in-between. Larger enterprises include being the centre of pump manufacturing in the UK along with the largest book supplier in the country, Gardner Books, plus some major hotels.

What are the main issues facing businesses in your constituency and the county?

The re-rated business rates are a challenge for many companies and hotels/guest houses in Eastbourne and beyond. I believe this needs re-visiting and will press the government on the issue. Brexit and the attendant uncertainty is also a concern. Business for very obvious reasons dislikes uncertainty because it makes it difficult to plan for the long-term but as it is a reality, we have to deal with it as best we can.

Though a Remainer I accept the result of the Referendum but hope the recent election will mean a more open and sensible deal can be forged with our European partners rather than a hard exit. Tariffs between us and the EU will not be be good for either side, so I hope common sense in the negotiations will prevail. I will lobby the government hard over this!

How can our local politicians help our businesses thrive?

It is absolutely vital in my view that local politicians work closely with their Chambers and the FSB to both support business in their own constituency as well as act as advocates with government. I am also particularly keen on supporting new business to get off the ground and to thrive. Being actively involved in all this is and always was a priority for me when I was last the MP.

Aside from business what are the other key local issues?

Do you have a background in business?

I used to be Business Development Director of The Grass Roots Group plc, which is part of the WPP stable. After losing my seat, I joined West End Studios in Eastbourne as their Business Development Director. West End is a successful events and exhibitions company which specialises in the pharmaceutical sector. I have worked for over twenty five years in business both in the UK and in Europe. I believe it gives me a solid grounding in appreciating the value business, large and small, brings to UKplc, something I am always keen to promote as a politician.

How would you describe the business landscape in your constituency?

Eastbourne has a thriving SME sector across a wide range of areas.

East Sussex suffers from a lamentable transport infrastructure which must be a priority for all of us. The Southern Rail dispute has been very damaging to the economy, and resolving it will be a priority for me.

Equally the road network is poor and in my own case, the A27, is a road which would have been inadequate in the 70's let alone in 2017. We must all work together to persuade government to invest more in our road and rail if we are to succeed as a region in the long term.

More generally, what do you hope to achieve as an MP? My priority has and always will be Eastbourne and securing a decent future for the town and it's people. This is what gets me out of bed every day and it's what I am determined to achieve in my time as the MP.

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Health & Safety

BUSINESS RISK MANAGEMENT You may not realise it but your business may be at risk. Rob Slater from Clearwater Safety Group on preparing for (and avoiding) the worst…

T

here are levels and types of risk management; some of it is regulatory – you are required by law to manage health and safety. This everyday health and safety management that may include risks to your employees from the machinery they use, from working around moving vehicles, working in dusty conditions etc, or there may be risks to your customers or guests.

Then there is Disaster Recovery or Business Resilience where there may be big financial risks if things do not go to plan on time, if a key member of staff is taken ill, or if suppliers let you down.

The weather may play a part – extreme weather may stop staff or materials getting in or out, or a big outdoor event may be rained off.

And these days there may be the threat of fanatics causing disruption which in turn may affect you directly or affect how you staff get to work. None of these are mandatory, but nevertheless any one could cause your business – and possibly your reputation problems.

So in a nutshell, Business Risk Management deals with thinking what could adversely affect your business (or event), how the business would be affected if something were to happen, dealing with it and planning for the recovery.

The mandatory part of this – health and safety is easy to manage, provided you either have suitably qualified personnel ‘in house’ or engage a consultant such as Clearwater Safety. As your advisors, we can take over the day-to-day oversight of health and safety within your company. We can’t take away the responsibility – that stays with the

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management team. But we can write all of the policies you need, set up and monitor the procedures your staff need to follow, deal with staff safety training, and we can help you with CHAS or ConstructionLine etc accreditation if you need them.

However when it comes to the other part, surveys have shown that very few businesses have addressed the problem of assessing how resilient they would be in the event of something serious happening. Indeed, many look at the time and potential cost involved in carrying out an assessment of their preparedness, and decide it’s not worth it.

But the costs of not being prepared can be catastrophic to your business.

You need to think of the cost – both in terms of time and money in the same way you think about insurance. You may not want it, but just having it in place can give you real peace of mind.

Going through the process can be difficult enough for large businesses who can dedicate time and resources, but what about smaller organisations who often have far less freedom to allocate staff to do the work? This is perhaps the fundamental reason why small business do not plan for disaster recovery.

So how can Clearwater Safety help you. We will sit down with your management team and go through our questionnaire to assess how you could cope with a variety of circumstances.

Once we know your weak areas, we can set about correcting them. Now some of the remedies will probably be an easy fix, others may require financial investment and may take many months to embed into your company systems. You may feel that some are not worth spending money on at the present time, but you will at least know what the risks are.

Health & Safety

IT’S CARNIVAL SEASON! Time to be out in the (hopefully) summer sunshine enjoying all the local events, whether they are beer festivals, concerts in the park or on the beach, classic car shows or any of the multitude of other things that go on here in Sussex. And of course, there is plenty of sport to watch too.

But even in the idyllic setting of the weekend party atmosphere, ‘elf and safety rears its head… Not again I hear you cry! But wait – this is us making sure you are safe where you go to party or watch your local team play football, cricket, rugby etc.

You may recall some of the media ‘hysteria’ when it was announced that the Lions’ May Fair in Devizes had to be cancelled after the local authority refused to grant a licence – with the media blaming ‘elf and safety. There was even some erroneous chatter that the group needed to have a terrorist action plan…

Well, to be fair to the local authority, they do have a legal duty of care to make sure that the people who attend these events are kept safe from harm. And in this case it seems they weren’t satisfied that the organisers had done enough. awry. Then we can go with you to the SAG meetings to deal with any questions they may have.

“To be fair to the local authority, they do have a legal duty of care to make sure that the people who attend events are kept safe from harm”

Some of things you will need to consider when setting up your event are: • Stewards /Marshals – how many do you need, do you need qualified SIA staff?

• Will you need extra Police?

And this is where Clearwater Safety comes into the mix. The Local Authority who grants licences for public events normally takes information from the Emergency Services and others in what is called a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) when deciding whether to grant a licence. In addition to these the SAG can invite interested parties to sit in the panel to provide their input. These may include:

• Have you thought about parking?

• The event organisers or promoters

• Will you have food on sale?

• Venue owner/operator

• Are you selling alcohol? Have you organised the licence?

• Traffic/transport providers

• Will you have a ‘Bring your Own’ Alcohol Policy. Who will police it?

• First aid providers

Our event safety advisors have been trained at the Government’s Emergency Planning College, so you can be confident that the knowledge we bring to the table is correct and suitable for your needs.

• Community representatives if the event is around houses etc • Highways Agency Clearwater Safety can work for you - the event organisers. Before you submit your safety plan to the Local Authority or SAG, we can work with you to make sure that we have considered all the possible issues that could arise and have put control measures in place, either to prevent any adverse occurrence or to manage things if they do go

• First Aid – how much do you need?

• Welfare – how many toilets do you need to provide?

• Fire Safety – have you considered exits, evacuation plans etc?

• How will you manage the crowds, both static or moving?

We use the industry standard Guidance Notes to ensure that we give the correct advice to our clients.

If you are organising an event this season, call us; we want to help you have a good time.

Clearwater Safety Group looks at all of the risk areas that your business may be exposed to and work with you to minimise or remove them. info@clearwater-safety.co.uk 01825 710002 www.clearwater-safety.co.uk

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Information Technology

MOVING YOUR BUSINESS INTO THE CLOUD WITH OFFICE 365 Part 3 – Automate for efficiency and productivity

by Phil Astell of Astec Computing (UK) Ltd

W

e’ve now published a couple of articles; in the first, we spent some time busting the common myths surrounding cloud technology, and then in the last we used our invented company DreamBeans, to illustrate ways to start working smarter with Office 365.

If you didn’t get a chance to read these articles, you can view them online at platinumbusinessmagazine.com.

time-consuming tasks. This means that you can save on work hours, improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, and improve your internal and external service. Flow not only creates workflow automation across Microsoft applications but it also connects with a huge array of other apps including your favourites like Twitter, Dropbox, Salesforce, DocuSign, Google Docs, MailChimp and WordPress to name just a few.

In this edition, we are going to take a look at a fantastic tool recently introduced into the Microsoft Office 365 suite called Microsoft Flow. This is an incredibly powerful tool used to build automated workflows in your business, stripping out manual processes and effort, to carry out routine, regular and

To help demonstrate how the technology can bring real value to almost any business, we’re going to look again at DreamBeans - a coffee distribution and sales company and how they used Office 365 to help them work smarter.

First, a quick recap on DreamBeans:

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DreamBeans profile Description: Coffee sales and distribution Locations: Midlands distribution centre, South East sales and admin office Staff: 50 employees – 15 field based sales Business challenge focus: Business automation Sarah, the Sales and Marketing Administrator has been tasked by Steve, the Sales Director, with managing the company’s social media accounts. However, due to workload, she struggles to actively keep on top of and maximise the sales potential arising from Twitter activity.

Using Flow, Sarah is going to use the

Information Technology managing the team holiday requests. Knowing that this can be a time-consuming task made up of receiving requests, getting manager approvals, notifying staff members and recording all the details, Sarah decides to use Office 365 to help her.

simple flow chart driven interface to build an automated workflow to respond to, and maximise, the sales potential of tweets. Many templates already exist to help Sarah get going which can be used ‘as is’ or modified as needed. Alternatively, she can start a new flow from scratch. As Sarah is on the move today, she’s going to setup and run the Flow straight from her phone using the Flow app, meaning that there’s no need to use her laptop. Once setup, Sarah can continue to monitor and manage the Flow directly from her phone, making effective use of her time.

The Flow is going to be very simple, yet very powerful. When someone tweets mentioning @dreambeans, Flow will check to see if the account has more than 100 followers. If it does, it will automatically send a reply and follow them in return. It will then add their contact as a lead into their CRM platform, Dynamics 365 as well as emailing the sales team to let them know, which means that they can follow up on the lead promptly. This of course all happens without anyone needing to take any action or spend any time.

Sarah has also been appointed the role of

Sarah sets up a holiday request page in SharePoint (SharePoint is an intranet site and part of the Office 365 suite). In the holiday request page, staff can post the details of their request quickly and simply into a ‘SharePoint list’.

She then creates a Flow which looks for new items being added to the holiday request page and automatically mails the team member’s manager. The email contains all the details of the request, with options within the email to accept or decline the request with a single click. Once the manager has responded, the team member will then receive an email informing them accordingly. Finally, the SharePoint request status is updated in the SharePoint page so that the record is kept fully up to date.

“Flow offers huge benefits to businesses of all types but is done with great simplicity and is a standard feature of most Office 365 packages.”

This has saved time for everyone involved; Sarah has spent no time at all in managing the process, the manager has responded to one simple email with a single click, and the team member has had a quick and easy process

to request holiday and get fast feedback.

Additionally, a detailed record of the key information is held and available to view at any time.

Steve is so impressed with what Sarah has been able to achieve in automating processes, he is now sending regular requests for more Flows to Sarah. Sarah receives a vast amount of emails every day, but it’s really important she’s able to respond quickly to Steve. With her time under pressure, Sarah has created a Flow to check her inbox for emails from Steve, and when one arrives, a text message is sent to her phone. This is an incredibly simple Flow but will make a big impact on Sarah’s working day. The Flow was available straight from a template and so couldn’t have been quicker to setup. Sarah is now able to respond quickly to any requests from Steve without having to constantly check her inbox, particularly useful while out of the office.

Flow offers huge benefits to businesses of all types, but is done with great simplicity and is a standard feature of most Office 365 packages.

It can be achieved without any specialist skills, very minimal training, and with video training guides available to view on the Microsoft Flow website to get you started. The processes can be managed from any location and on any device, meaning that you can take advantage of these tools whether you’re a one-person operator out on the road, or a large enterprise with hundreds or thousands of staff. These examples, whilst very effective, are just the beginning of what can be achieved with much more complex and sophisticated Flows.

ABOUT ASTEC Astec is an IT managed services and support provider and a Microsoft SMB Managed Cloud Partner, one of only 250 in the UK. We work extensively implementing, integrating and supporting Office 365, Dynamics 365, Azure and on-premise infrastructure.

We have been operating for 25 years, delivering a consultative lead approach to IT systems, communications and support. If you would like to explore the cloud opportunity or discuss any aspect of your technology, call one of our experts today on 01424 460721 or visit www.astec.website.

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GRANTS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS...

For SMEs offering green or low carbon products and services Do you help your customers improve their energy or resource efficiency, reduce their carbon footprint or protect the environment?

You could be eligible for a grant and 12 hours FREE business/ innovation support through the Low Carbon Across the South East programme, for businesses in East Sussex, Kent and Essex. 





Grants to fund a business growth project or develop a new product or service: 40% of a project cost, up to £10,000.

FREE 12 hours tailored business support from specialist business coaches and consultants.

FREE 12 hours product or service development support from university specialists.

Grants can cover a range of business development projects including marketing, plant & machinery, IT, consultancy, intellectual property and R&D/innovation.

CONTACT US TO FIND OUT MORE Email

greengrowthplatform@brighton.ac.uk

Website www.greengrowthplatform.co.uk Phone

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01273 641949

GRANTS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS...

For SMEs offering green or low carbon products and services

Save on energy costs, gain a strategic competitive advantage, enhance your brand and upgrade your business culture - improved energy performance provides much more than just environmental benefits.

FREE business energy audits Audits only take a couple of hours and your FREE report from Carbon Smart will identify energy saving opportunities for your business. Take up this opportunity and receive a grant to help fund them.

Energy Efficiency Grants For energy efficiency and renewables - up to 40% grant / up to ÂŁ10,000. Energy advisors on hand to help with the application process.

CONTACT US TO FIND OUT MORE Email

greengrowthplatform@brighton.ac.uk

Website www.greengrowthplatform.co.uk Phone

01273 641949

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Congratulations BHAFC on a magnificent campaign and gaining promotion to the Premier League!

From Sussex Skills Solutions The premier apprenticeship provider in Sussex by the Sea! Proud to be part of the 1901 Club, supporting Brighton & Hove Albion.

Pictured: Stephen Burkes (far left) and Dan Shelley (far right) of Sussex Skills Solutions.

PROVIDING APPRENTICESHIPS & SKILLS TRAINING

w w w . s u s s e x s k i l l s s o l u t i o n s . c o . u k

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Sussex Skills Solutions

EYE ON THE BALL Sussex Skills Solutions will be heading to the Premier League next season as a proud 1901 lounge sponsor at the Amex Stadium, home of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.

T

he apprenticeship and skills training specialist, which is a joint venture between Sussex Coast College Hastings and Sussex Downs College, has enjoyed a successful debut season.

Stephen Burkes, Director of Sussex Skills Solutions

Stephen Burkes, Director of Sussex Skills Solutions, has helped to usher in a new era of apprenticeships for the two colleges, and is hoping for even better things for both Sussex Skills Solutions and the Seagulls next season.

“2017 has already been a very exciting year,” said Stephen. “In May we celebrated with Brighton and Hove Albion as they gained promotion to the Premier League, and we welcomed in a range of changes to apprenticeships and skills training. The government introduced the Apprenticeship Levy, age limitations for studying were removed, more funding has been made accessible, and there has been an increase in the range of qualifications available to choose from.”

Since launching last summer, Sussex Skills Solutions has been working hard to help a number of employers in the South East utilise funding streams to enable them to up-skill staff and create their own internal training programmes. They have also been championing the fact that people can now gain up to Degree and Masters level qualifications, while earning a wage.

“We’re able to draw on our decades of experience at both colleges to offer bespoke training programmes to businesses,” Stephen continued. “We also provide employers with high calibre candidates from our talent pool of apprentices.

“We understand the dynamics of our local employers and the commercial pressures they

face. With Sussex Skills Solutions, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We have the in-house expertise to develop qualifications aligned to our employers’ needs and the significant resources and facilities of two colleges, yet we operate with the approach and flexibility of a private training provider.”

Sussex Skills Solutions set out to be the go-to organisation to help train staff and provide apprenticeship and recruitment solutions to employers across Sussex. They have made great strides in achieving this, through the work of the employer engagement teams based at both colleges. Their apprenticeship volumes have increased by 28% year on year.

Goals for the remainder of 2017 are to launch a number of scale contracts and broaden the range of qualifications offered, while also increasing the number of higher-level apprenticeships.

Stephen concluded. “We will look to strengthen and develop our existing relationships with companies of all sizes, and are inviting employers to get in touch to discuss the new apprenticeship levy and see how it affects their company. We can also offer a free Business Needs Analysis to identify cost effective training opportunities.

“We are proud sponsors of the 1901 lounge at the Amex and will continue to support the club during their debut season in the topflight.”

Sussex Skills Solutions Telephone: 030 300 39777 www.sussexskillssolutions.co.uk

“Similarly to how Brighton and Hove Albion will be preparing for their first season in the Premier League, we will be expanding.”

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Intellectual Property

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Corporate identity, trademarks, and intellectual property can be a thorny issue at the best of times. Add to that, the complexity of handing over a business, where the business and trademarks have been established in a family name, and you have the potential for a major headache.

Christina Ewbank considers the complex implications that lie within this difficult subject, with an established Sussex business as a case in point.

T

his is a particular set of circumstances that isn’t overly unusual. Businesses change hands all the time and there are many businesses that are set up under a family or individual’s name.

Some high-profile examples would include familiar names, such as David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch, Duncan Bannatyne, Chris Boardman, Alan Jessop, Calvin Klein, Carl Zeiss, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, to name but a few. An example of one such ‘family name’ company that changed hands, is the global fragrance brand, Jo Malone, who sold her burgeoning business to Estee Lauder back in 1999.

Having started out from humble beginnings, Jo sold her business, and ultimately her identity with it, to the cosmetics giant for ‘undisclosed millions’, initially staying on as Creative Director until ill health and the desire to spend more time with her family took hold.

As Jo explained shortly after the sale,

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“On our last day in the Jo Malone shop in Sloane Street, now owned by Estee Lauder, I stocked the shelves for the last time, ensuring everything was in place for the next morning.

Then I turned out the lights and walked away from everything I’d created. Add to this, the fact that there was a ‘lock out’ clause in the sale contract, and it all stacked up to be the worst decision I’d ever made”. And that’s the issue exactly. At the very heart of this kind of transaction, is the sale of an individual’s identity.

It’s something that people handle in a multitude of ways. Some, like Alan Jessop, the son of Frank Jessop who founded the Jessops photo business in 1935, saw the ultimate benefit of cashing in the family business when, in 1996, Alan sold up via a management buyout and wandered into the sunset to sail his yacht around the world. Probably showing great foresight as mobile phone cameras replaced much traditional photography.

There are cases, however, where the

individual is less willing to hand over their name and identity, even after legal and financial agreements are made.

One such situation is that of the Brightonbased boutique jewellery business, Jeremy Hoye. After establishing the business at the height of ‘Cool Britannia’ in the mid-90s, Jeremy became well known in the Brighton area and the striking designs that came through the store in The Lanes were sought after pieces from the Hoye design team and selected ‘guest’ designers alike.

At its height, the business employed a team of nine designers, establishing the iconic ranges that have endured in popularity, with Jeremy maintaining the presence and profile as the face of the business. However, in 2011 Jeremy began to seek the sale of the company, product/brand trademarks, and intellectual property; essentially extracting himself from the ability to trade in any business relating to jewellery (in any form) under his birth name.

Intellectual Property jewellery. However, Jeremy has continued to use the name ‘Jeremy Hoye’ and almost all names of the original product ranges in his marketing and business activities in addition to the, more recent brand, ‘House of Hoye’.

Jo Malone

Simon Skinner explained, “My client applied to invalidate the Trade Mark registration on the basis that they had purchased the goodwill in the name of ‘Jeremy Hoye’ for the sale and manufacture of jewellery from Jeremy in November 2012. Jeremy defended this action claiming that his name was owned by him and did not form part of the assets of his former companies. The focus of the proceedings was on ownership of the goodwill in the trading name of ‘Jeremy Hoye’ for the manufacture and sale of jewellery.

“On 25 April 2016, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) confirmed that the new owner of Jeremy Hoye Limited owned the goodwill in the trading name of ‘Jeremy Hoye’ and Jeremy’s Trade Mark was cancelled.

Jeremy did not appeal this determination.”

Unlike Jo Malone, though, Jeremy continued selling the original designs, both in store and online.

The new owner of Jeremy Hoye Limited approached branding and PR specialist MediaBite’s Simon Skinner for help. Simon got in touch with Steven Holt, from Sussex-based legal firm, So Legal, and together they have been working on the case for the last four and a half years, to clarify the finer points of this complex case.

Steven Holt explained, ”From the outset, Jeremy ignored the terms of agreement reached in the acquisition of his brand. Court proceedings were issued to recover ‘Master’ moulds and templates and other physical assets purchased from Jeremy. However, the main issue related to the ownership of the brand name ‘Jeremy Hoye’.”

“I stocked the shelves for the last time… turned out the lights and walked away from everything I’d created… the worst decision I’d ever made” Jo Malone

Following the sale of his business in November 2012, Jeremy remained as a consultant, employed to focus on the creative aspect of the business and continue to conceive new ranges. However, relationships soured and Jeremy parted company with the new owner less than a year later. Unknown to the new owners of Jeremy Hoye Limited, and prior to his departure, Jeremy applied to register a Trade Mark of the name ‘Jeremy Hoye’.

In its determination, the IPO confirmed that the goodwill in the name of ‘Jeremy Hoye’ for the manufacture and sale of jewellery was capable of being assigned and was not personal to Jeremy; that Jeremy’s former companies owned the goodwill associated with the name ‘Jeremy Hoye’ and that this asset had been sold to the new owners in November 2012.

An official spokesperson for Jeremy Hoye Jewellery Ltd said: “It’s been a tough few years for us. Since buying the business in good faith back in 2011, Jeremy has flouted the agreement entirely, selling the original ranges that we bought the rights to as if nothing had happened. That said, we do feel that things are coming to a conclusion, now, and we are making significant plans to expand the business throughout the UK with new ranges, an extensive rebrand, partnerships and a busy marketing and events schedule coming to the fore in the coming months.”

This example highlights the issues that can come into play when an original owner refuses to step aside after the transfer of legal ownership, and the difficult implications that arise from the inevitable familiarity that exists with a business that carries an individual’s birth name.

The difficulties are often exacerbated when a business owner takes investment or a partnership in the new business as they can become less inclined to put the effort into the business that they once ran.

The difficulty is only amplified when circumstances and relationships deteriorate: especially when the business in question is a family business, with a family name above the door.

It can be hard to realise that, in terms of business, your name is no longer your own. Selling your company when it it also your own name is a decision that should never be taken lightly.

Duncan Bannatyne

The name had not previously been registered as a Trademark and Jeremy’s application was granted and a Trademark registered to him on 18 October 2013 for this name. Whilst the name ‘Jeremy Hoye’ had not previously been registered as a Trade Mark, Jeremy had traded under this brand and built a reputation and goodwill in the name for the manufacture and sale of jewellery. This goodwill, therefore, became an asset to the businesses under which Jeremy traded, including Jeremy Hoye Limited, which sold the goodwill in the trading name in 2012.

Jeremy set up a new company, House of Hoye Limited (now in liquidation) in January 2014, and proceeded to trade from his former business premises in Brighton and online, selling and manufacturing

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EVENTS DIARY

EVENTS DIARY EASTBOURNE unLtd CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Wednesday 26th July and 30th August “Bourne to be Wild” Harley Davidson Motorbike Meet From 6pm in Terminus Road at the seafront end. If the weather is good, expect to see over 300 Harleys displayed along with American hot-rods and classic cars. Bring your vehicle along at 6pm and enjoy live music in the street, restaurants and bars open for alfresco dining and some mouth-watering metal. Bring your friends along to this free event.

Saturday and Sunday 29th July 30th July Hot Air Balloon Festival Eastbourne’s Hampden Park With a classic car display, market stalls, street food, dog show, live music, fireworks and much more, come to Hampden Park to see the balloons fly off at dawn and dusk. They will also be on display during the evening with a musical Night Glow. (Please note, if it’s too windy the balloons cannot fly! But there’s much more going on.)

Fletcher of the Lawn Tennis Association and Kathy Gore MBE of Friends of Sussex Hospices.

or for more details, see the website www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk

Check www.eastbourneunltd.co.uk/ events-networking/ for full details of all events

SEAFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

HASTINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 28th September Hastings Expo at the Hastings Centre A great Business to Business Expo that brings together hundreds of local business owners and directors for a day. As well as over 90 exhibitors, we have 2 Google workshops, mini seminars and a free wine tasting. www.letsdobusiness.org/hastings/ or contact Wes Game on 01424 205500

LEWES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Breakfast meeting first Thursday of each calendar month Seaford Head Golf Club, 121 Southdown Rd, Seaford BN25 4JS. Cost £12 visitors. Contact secretary@seafordchamber.co.uk to book or for more details see the website www. seafordchamber.co.uk

Friday 21st July, 3pm-5pm Afternoon Tea on the Terrace Pelham House, St Andrew’s Lane, Lewes

NEWHAVEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Thursday 3rd August, 12.30pm-2.15pm Lunchtime Networking Aqua Restaurant, Friars Walk, Lewes

Saturday 30th September 007 Casino Night Denton Island Bowls Club. £15 entry, £2,000 chamber currency to spend on blackjack, roulette, baccarat and roulette.

Thursday 31st August, 7.15am-8.45pm Breakfast Networking Pelham House, St Andrew’s Lane, Lewes Thursday 28th September, 12.30pm2.15pm Lunchtime Networking The Dorset, Malling Street, Lewes

Business Breakfasts From 7am on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month At The Hydro Hotel overlooking the sea in Eastbourne. £10 on the door for a full English or continental breakfast.

Expect excellent speakers like Adrian Bull, Chief Executive of the East Sussex NHS Trust who will tell us his plans for the Trust and the DGH on Tuesday 18th July.

Past speakers have included Mick Cash General Secretary of the RMT Union, Gavin

Friday 22 September Charity Golf Day Seaford Golf Club, 111 Firle Road, Seaford, BN25 2JD, raising funds for The Bevern Trust.

Cost £40 per person to include refreshments and 3 course dinner. Commences 12.30pm.

More details from Clare Davis on 07793 764936 e-mail clare.davis@travelcounsellors.com .

Light supper included. Prize for best fancy dress, prize for biggest winner. A fun social evening with plenty of networking opportunities!

Check www.leweschamber.org.uk for details

UCKFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PEACEHAVEN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tuesday July 18th 6.45pm Uckfield Members Meeting Bluebell Vineyard, TN22 3RU

Saturday 23 September - 10th Anniversary Celebration Event Gateway Café (Centenary Park) Piddinghoe Avenue, Peacehaven BN10 8RJ. Evening event with BBQ (weather permitting) and live music. Contact secretary@ peacehavenchamber.co.uk for more details and to book.

Breakfast meetings on first and third Tuesday of each calendar month Peacehaven Golf Club, Brighton Rd, Newhaven BN9 9UH at 7am to 8.30am.

Cost £10 pay on the door. Contact secretary@peacehavenchamber.co.uk to book

Saturday August 5th 10.00am – 8.00pm Weald on the Field Luxford Fields, Uckfield TN22 1AL – the Chamber is supporting Celebrate Uckfield at this event.

Tuesday September 19th 6.45pm; Uckfield Members Meeting Uckfield Picture House TN22 1AS Saturday October 7th from 10.30am Uckfield Revival Car Parade Uckfield High Street TN22 2EG – the Chamber is supporting Celebrate Uckfield at this event.

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Charity News

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Mikayla Bernstein, Chestnut Tree’s new Corporate Fundraiser, reflects on the charity’s recent Night to Remember midnight walk and talks about other events that you and your team can get involved with.

A

t Midnight on Saturday 20th May over 550 women gathered on Eastbourne’s seafront, ready to walk through the night in aid of Chestnut Tree children’s hospice. For me, it was the first time I had attended Chestnut Tree’s Night to Remember, and what an experience it was. The atmosphere was phenomenal; the enthusiasm, passion and high-spirits of the walkers was infectious, and they certainly were a sight to behold, covered with bright flashing lights, crazy wigs and tutus. Among the sea of lights, there were smurfs, chickens and even a clown, all taking part and raising money for Chestnut Tree.

The tone of the night was set by DJ Millsy from More Radio, who entertained the gathering crowd and ensured everyone was in high spirits before setting off. Kathryn from MckFitness Eastbourne led a rousing warm up after the High Sherriff of East Sussex, Maureen Chowen, told the walkers how their continued support in raising funds at Night to Remember is vital.

Ladies took on their 5,10 and 15 mile challenges for a whole host of reasons. Several were walking because they have a personal connection with the hospice, whilst others were walking for fitness, for a challenge or simply to share a great night with friends. Many were walking with colleagues, having entered a team from their workplace.

Events like this provide a great opportunity for businesses big and small. Those who took part told me how it had brought their team

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together, given them an opportunity to build relationships out of the work place, and motivated people to take on challenges they wouldn’t have tried alone. Whether it’s a team of 2 or a team of 20, everyone who took part talked about how fantastic it was to walk together for a common cause and feel a wonderful sense of achievement on completing the walk.

Together the 550 walkers raised a total on £62,288, enough to cover the costs of 26 days of all of Chestnut Tree’s care in the community, caring for families in their own homes across East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire. It’s a phenomenal achievement and we would like to say a huge thank you to all the ladies who took part, and the army of 200 volunteers – men and women - without whom we would not be able to run this event.

Thanks also go to the amazing local businesses who have supported this event. There are too many to mention, but they have helped us with everything from bottles of water and chocolate bars to marshals and generators.

I’m really looking forward to next year’s walk, which promises to be extra special as it’s our 15th birthday year. We have plenty going on in the meantime, however, and if you are looking for a team challenge please do get in touch.

Charity News

MEET MIKAYLA Mikayla joins Chestnut Tree having worked in financial services for the past 28 years. She has lived in East Sussex all her life, working and bringing up her family here. “I feel really privileged to have joined the team at Chestnut Tree where I feel I can make a real difference to local children, their families and the whole community. I’m looking forward to supporting local businesses to make the most out of the opportunities that fundraising and volunteering for Chestnut Tree can bring them.”

Whether you need support in getting started with your fundraising, help to maximise the benefits to your business or some fresh ideas on how to get involved, get in touch and Mikayla will be only too pleased to help.

01323 725095 07500 570610 mikayla.bernstein@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

FIND THE RIGHT CHALLENGE FOR YOUR TEAM CHALLENGE: SOUTH COAST CHALLENGE TEAMS OF: 1-100 WHEN: 26TH-27TH AUGUST 2017 Tell me more: Back for 2017, this Ultra Challenge takes in some of England’s finest scenery. An Eastbourne start, up the infamous Beachy Head, on through the Seven Sisters Country Park and along the South Downs Way. Brighton, Devils Dyke, stunning views, ups and downs, sunset and sunrise all lie ahead before the Cathedral spire of historic Arundel comes into view and the welcome finish line beyond.

Most of the 2,000 challengers will be walking at their own pace, many will jog parts, and some will run the whole course. However you take it on, you’ll be supported through day & night and rewarded with an overwhelming sense of achievement.

CHALLENGE: RAGNAR RELAY TEAMS OF: 10 WHEN: 23RD-24TH SEPTEMBER 2017 Tell me more: Conquer 170-ish miles of road running with 10 friends and 2 vans in the Ragnar White Cliffs Relay. Your team of 10 will pile into two vans or MPV’s and run relay style, day and night, along the most scenic 170-ish mile routes the UK has to offer. Only one runner hits the road at a time. Each participant runs three times, with each “leg” ranging between 3-8 miles and varying in difficulty.

Runners average about 17 total miles, with some of the shorter runner positions totaling 11 miles and some of the longer runner positions totaling 20 miles.

CHALLENGE: SKYDIVE TEAMS OF: 1-5 WHEN: 28TH OCTOBER 2017 (OR A DATE OF YOUR CHOOSING) Tell me more: You’ll be jumping with a qualified instructor who will do all the work for you, so you can enjoy an adrenaline rush like no other, flying 10,000 feet through the clouds at 120 miles per hour!

If none of these appeal, we have a lot more on offer.

Get in touch or find out more at www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/challenge-events/

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Travel - Dublin

Shake hands in...

DUBLIN

The Irish capital is attracting attention from financial firms weighing up their post-Brexit options, and there are plenty of reasons why. Rose Dykins reports.

I

t’s my first visit to Dublin in ten years, and the circumstances are very different from last time.

As a student, I flew over on a Ryanair fight for the price of 1p (plus taxes) and spent a weekend barhopping around the cobbled streets in the Temple Bar area. This time, I dart between cosy cafés to escape the sheets of icy rain and warm up with steaming pots of tea. I take in the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the James Joyce Centre and the (surprisingly) enlightening National Leprechaun Museum for a holistic understanding of Ireland’s storytelling and literary culture, reflected in Dublin’s UNESCO City of Literature status.

I pour over the intricate letters of the 4th century Books of Kells, adorned with serpents, birds and golden Celtic knots, before basking in the spiritual serenity of Trinity College Library. All in all, a much more sedate visit,

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that leaves me with an appreciation of Dublin beyond ‘the craic’ and the creamy homebrewed Guinness (it just doesn’t taste the same on this side of the Irish Sea…).

Ireland’s contribution to international culture is undeniable. The legacy of its literary, musical and historical heroes is woven into the fabric of its capital city, which generates a sparky, inspiring atmosphere for hosting MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events).

Central Dublin’s charming Georgian architecture and small size are both appealing attributes for hosting large-scale conferences.

In terms of hotel stock, the city may not have an abundance of new properties, but instead, its 20,000 rooms are continually being refreshed. “Every one of our hotels has gone through some sort of refurbishment programme over the past few years,” says Sam Johnston, Manager of the Dublin Convention

Bureau. “And the convention centre is just under seven years old, but it looks as if it opened yesterday”.

Nestled in the heart of Dublin Docklands, Convention Centre Dublin’s semi-cylindrical glass facade offers views of the green hills beyond the city limits. Its cutting-edge design and facilities, including a 2,000-seat auditorium, 4,500 sqm of exhibition space and 22 meeting rooms, earned it the accolade of the ‘World’s Best Overseas Conference Venue’ at the 2015 C&IT Awards. And, last year, Dublin hosted some 150 conferences (including heavyweights such as the International Air Transport Association’s AGM in June) totalling approximately €67 million for Ireland’s economy.

When it comes to business, Dublin has spent time building on its strengths and cultivating growth in certain sectors, including fintech,

Travel - Dublin Convention Centre Dublin

aviation leasing and support services (law and accountancy firms). Facebook’s European HQ is here – the 12.5 percent corporate tax rate no doubt an attraction. Situated along Dublin Docklands, the company is based in a Daniel Libeskind designed building, fitted out with Frank Gehry interiors, said to reflect a “work-inprogress atmosphere”.

“Ireland’s contribution to international culture is undeniable. The legacy of its literary, musical and historical heroes is woven into the fabric of its capital city… ”

would be disruptive. When the Northern Irish border becomes the only land border between the European Union and the UK (depending on Scotland’s decision to hold another referendum for independence) there has been talk of Britain potentially introducing its own immigration controls to Irish airports – already met with outrage by Irish citizens, as the current open barrier not only benefits those who work and live on opposite sides of the border, but plays a part in protecting the peace after decades of conflict.

Regarding trade, the UK is Ireland’s third biggest export destination, accounting for 12% of total exports after the US (22%) and Belgium (13%). Meanwhile, Britain is Ireland’s largest importer, responsible for

28% of total imports. At the time of going to press, the ‘snap’ general election was still one month away. Whoever the prime minister is after June 8th, the better trade deal they are able to secure with the EU, the better for Ireland’s economy.

On the other hand, certain financial companies are reportedly sizing up Dublin for their new post-Brexit European headquarters, including Barclays and Standard Chartered PLC, and in August, a survey from Price Waterhouse Cooper placed Dublin second after London among Europe’s most appealing financial centres. According to a joint report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, property agents have seen a 30% increase in

Dublin International airport is only a short hop away for continental passengers, and its connectivity to more than 179 destinations is a huge pull factor for business travel. “We connect to all the major European hubs, then you land at Dublin airport and you’re in the city in 15-20 minutes,” says Johnston. “So we’re easy to reach for Europe-based travellers, and they won’t need to take too many days out of their schedule”.

A year on since Britain voted for Brexit, it’s still difficult to move beyond speculation as to what leaving the European Union will mean for the Emerald Isle, although a hard Brexit

Dublin Landings

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Travel - Dublin the number of enquiries from UK firms looking to relocate and protect their access to the single market.

At the same time, in March, Ireland issued a formal complaint to the European Commission, stating that other EU cities weren’t playing fair in the scramble to attract financial firms spooked by Brexit – Eoghan Murphy, Ireland’s Financial Services Minister was reported as saying that certain cities were being “very aggressive in trying to win business”. He added that rather than “brass-plating”, Dublin expects “the mind and management of the entity” to be in Ireland. It seems that Dublin is not content with merely playing host to financial firms leaving London, and instead, any arriving companies will need to fully integrate into its business ecosystem.

Temple Bar area

“When it comes to business, Dublin has spent time building on its strengths and cultivating growth in certain sectors, including fintech, aviation leasing and support services.”

Wander down to Docklands – the sleek modernity of its architecture redolent of Canary Wharf – and you’ll see a number of cranes poised to add to Dublin’s already impressive infrastructure. Recently, plans were approved for a €700 million development, Dublin Landings. Covering more than two hectares, it will encompass five office buildings, 273 apartments and retail space when it opens in 2020. From here, about halfway towards the Temple Bar Area, another mega project is underway. Tara House will become the tallest building in Dublin at 88 metres-high, housing a 110-room hotel, a five storey viewing podium and a top floor restaurant and bar. The intention is for it to act as a “landmark gateway” between Dublin’s historic centre and the modernism of Docklands.

Dublin’s heritage may be rich, but its future is also looking prosperous. If in the financial firms do choose to relocate to the Irish capital, a smorgasbord of immaculate new facilities and a business-friendly climate will be ready and waiting to receive them.

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Trinity College

Travel - Dublin

TOP PLACES FOR A MEETING/EVENT POWERSCOURT HOTEL

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Situated in Wicklow - 45 minutes from Dublin - this striking crescent-shaped hotel sits within a verdant estate owned by the Slazenger family. Part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, the elegant 194 room property shares it surrounds with two championship golf courses and Ireland’s highest waterfall. powerscourthotel.com

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE The home of the ebony nectar would make a memorable event venue. The entire building can be hired for 2,000 guests, and for banquets, it’s possible to arrange for a menu made entirely with Guinness ingredients. guinness-storehouse.com

➠ CROKE PARK For a unique team building activity, organise a game of Gaelic football at Croke Park – the national stadium for Gaelic games - which also has its own conference centre. crokepark.ie

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TEELING WHISKEY DISTILLERY This operational factory offers industrial chic event space, with the option to arrange tours and tasting sessions.

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teelingwhiskey.com

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More destinations than any other UK airport

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Source: OAG schedules 2016

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WHERE TO STAY CONRAD DUBLIN Reopened in March last year after an extensive refurbishment, this smart five star property is located opposite Dublin’s National Concert Hall. Its light-hued rooms feature Irish artwork, free wifi and Nespresso machines. There’s also a 350 capacity ballroom, a brasserie serving locally inspired dishes. conradhotels.hilton.com

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THE MARKER A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Marker offers unconventional design features throughout its 187 rooms and suites, as well as views across the city from its Docklands location.

Its trendy rooftop bar and terrace is available for hire, and its sleek spa has a masculine feel. themarkerhoteldublin.com

➠ TRINITY CITY HOTEL

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Located bang in the centre of Dublin, this quirky four star hotel has colourful rooms and suites, some of which feature Georgian era decor. There are two attractive spaces for boardroom style meetings - land a grassy courtyard, where it’s possible to host outdoor events. trinitycityhotel.com

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Interview

MEET THE CHAIR

Rosemary French OBE, Executive Director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, is the Chair of the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyer steering committee. Rosemary explains to ACES why Meet the Buyers is such a big date on the business calendar…

Can you explain how the event works?

We know how difficult it is for small businesses to get in front of larger companies, both in the private and public sector. Just getting past the receptionist and the secretary is often an achievement when you are a new supplier to that company. The idea of the event is to bring into one place on one day up to 40 large companies who currently have products or services they wish to purchase. We then invite up to 200 small businesses with products and services that match those contracts. These small businesses have an opportunity to meet the buyers privately on a one-to-one basis and make a sales pitch to them to be followed up with an appointment after the event. We do not put together suppliers and buyers where there are no contracts to match, so nobody’s time is wasted.

How long has this event run in the Gatwick area?

This is our 17th year! In that time, over £22.5m of business is estimated to have been created because of the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyer. In 2017, there will be more than 2,000 sales meetings on the day alone and many hundreds of small businesses will have received free training at the workshops.

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How did you get involved?

I chair the steering group for the Meet the Buyer programme that meets fortnightly and works with our event organiser and delivery partner gdb: Gatwick Diamond Business Association. My relationship with the Meet the Buyer event goes back as far as 2001 when I also sponsored the event every year as CEO of Surrey Business Link. The event used to be called Gatwick Meet the Buyer because most of the larger UK airports held similar events.

But we recognised that the event is larger than just Gatwick suppliers.

“Just getting past the receptionist and the secretary is often an achievement when you are a new supplier to that company”

I believe that the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyer is now the largest Meet the Buyer event in the UK, now that Heathrow dropped their event. Potential suppliers from across the UK are attracted to the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyer although they pay a premium

Rosemary French OBE to attend the event. Businesses in Surrey, Kent, West and East Sussex and Brighton all receive a considerable discount at only £125 to meet up to 10 large buyers.

What role does the Gatwick Diamond Initiative play?

The Gatwick Diamond Initiative is one of the sponsors and has been since 2008. All

Interview seven District and Borough Councils (Reigate & Banstead, Mole Valley, Epsom & Ewell, Tandridge, Crawley, Mid Sussex and Horsham) and two County Councils (Surrey and West Sussex) that fund us effectively sponsor the event through the Gatwick Diamond Initiative.

It is so important to Crawley Borough Council that they add additional sponsorship.

Critically, Gatwick Airport is a key sponsor recognising the importance of local supply chain development.

In your opinion, what makes this event special?

What makes this programme special are the nine free training seminars and workshops.

Eight of them before the event help small businesses prepare when making their pitch.

Have they got the right policies in place?

What is their competitive edge? How sharp is their elevator pitch? Overcoming negative behaviours. How to supply the public sector.

Understanding the psychology of the customer and so on.

Even if a small business does not have the right match for the big Meet the Buyers event on the 18th October, they can benefit from these workshops which could have cost them £3,000 in training costs if they attend them all.

The final ninth event after the Meet the Buyer event is about how to follow up leads. It is so surprising how many small businesses have a good meeting arranged by us with the buyer only to find that they do not immediately follow up and expect the buyer to phone them!

year and beat two other very strong bidders.

They won the contract because they could demonstrate that they knew the business sector make-up of the area very well, and because they had excellent relationships with partners such as the many national and local business organisations whose role is key in reaching as wide a business community as possible. They also have a long history of successful business events locally, the most well-known being the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards.

“I believe that the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyer is now the largest Meet the Buyer event in the UK”

lorries are not travelling long distances; it can contribute to their CSR policies; they can find out what products and services are available locally; it is time effective because they are able to meet several buyers on one day; and most large companies want to contribute to their local business community. And of course, it is free for a Supplier to attend!

The Gatwick Diamond and its hinterland is an amazingly collaborative economic area.

Already worth £24bn, the economic region is third only behind Thames Valley and London.

The strength of the area is its diversity across several sectors which means just about anything can be bought and supplied here.

So much so, that this year we are dividing the buying zones into our strongest sectors: • Business Services - to include Professional, Financial, Digital, Educational • Manufacturing and Innovation • Public Sector and Utilities

Why should suppliers be there?

Suppliers recognise the importance of buying locally. They have more control over the buying and delivery process because it is closer to home; they often find it more environmentally friendly because goods

• International Business • Construction and Infrastructure To finish, all I can say is why wouldn’t a supplier or a potential buyer want to take up this great opportunity!

gatwickdiamondmeetthebuyers.com

This year, Gatwick Diamond Business are helping deliver the event - what benefits does this relationship bring?

GDB, Gatwick Diamond Business Association bid for the delivery contract this

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Economic Forum

BUSINESS TALK Sussex economic growth, jobs and Brexit

T

he Chancellor Philip Hammond recently said: “The UK should focus on protecting jobs and the economy on the eve of Brexit talks with the European Union. But it is a negotiation, and as we go into that negotiation my clear view, and I believe the view of the majority of people in Britain, is that we should prioritise protecting jobs, protecting economic growth and protecting prosperity as we enter those negotiations and take them forward.”

The Sussex Economic Forum 2017 Conference will be a strategic platform to debate and discuss Sussex’s local economic growth, the effects of Brexit and where it will take the county. The four major debates will cover subjects at the heart of local economic growth including, Economic Growth and the effect of Brexit, Rail, Road, Sea and Air infrastructure, Digital Infrastructure, and Education and Employment - all subjects that are fundamental to a sound and bright future ahead. The contender will see many highprofile keynote speakers, economists, members of the cabinet, politicians, local government bodies, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, local and international businesses, universities, and a variety of other institutions in attendance.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond

Sussex is as vibrant and dynamic as it is diverse, and it is Sussex’s economic growth and development which will be the main subject matter of the conference. With a rapidly growing population, the county offers huge business opportunities in many fields such as construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail, and tourism to name a few. The county

is also home to one of the busiest airports in the UK that at present, takes passengers to 220 destinations and smashes global record of 44 million passengers each year with its long haul services that drive its year on year growth, resulting in it being one of the largest employers in the county.

This two-day conference will open with a gala business dinner on Thursday 16th November 2017 at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel. The keynote speaker will be one of the UK’s top business magnates, investor and philanthropist. Also attending the dinner will be several cabinet politicians, local MP’s, heads of the local county councils, chambers of commerce and many top local businesses. The 17th November will see the conference open officially, with up to 1250 delegates attending the Hilton Brighton Metropole.

Watch this space as in next month’s issue, we will be announcing the names of a number of the amazing keynote speakers and more.

www.sussexeconomicforum.co.uk

For more information about the conference, to book tickets or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact Faiza Shafeek on 01323 461298 / 07540 406685 or email fs@carrotevents.co.uk.

Please visit www.sussexeconomicforum.co.uk

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Run and organised by

Promotional Feature

7

Do you run an amazing Business?

Or do you know someone who does?

If so, enter or nominate NOW! The Sussex Business Women Excellence Awards 2017 is preparing for a bigger and even more exciting event this year. We are already receiving many wonderful email entries and the hype on social media, and at business networking events is electric.

Remember ladies, that receiving an accolade for your outstanding work achievements brings your successes to light, and builds a positive path for other women to follow. Women have made so much progress in business over the years, and these awards have been designed to highlight and recognise their exceptional skills and talents. The awards headline sponsor, ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, is one of the ‘Top 50 Ground-breaking and Innovative Law Firms in the UK and Europe’ (Financial Times).

Penina Shepherd, founder of the

company and multi award-winning entrepreneur, business lawyer and author of the inspirational bestseller book ‘The Freedom Revolution’, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many talented Sussex business women gaining the recognition they deserve. Celebrating the achievements of successful business women across the region is truly inspirational” The Sussex Business Women Excellence Awards will take place on the 24th November at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel.

“I am often asked why should we enter awards and what are the benefits to me or my business. My reply is that winning a business or personal award will raise your profile, the profile of your company, enhance your reputation, instil trust to your customers and attract new business, which will ultimately make you more profitable.

In short, it will prove you are better than your competitors.”

Faiza Shafeek of Carrot Events, organisers of the awards

Supporting Sponsors

Category Sponsors

Media Partners

Headline Sponsor

Sponsors on board so far this year are:

Sponsorship opportunities are still avaiable, please contact Faiza Shafeek on 01323 461298 / 07540 406685 or email fs@carrotevents.co.uk

businesswomenexcellenceawards.co.uk

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Digital Marketing

MONKEY BUSINESS Digital marketing plays an important role in business. Kate Morton talks to digital marketing guru, Beth Nash, to find out more about how this fast-paced industry inspired her to start up her own digital agency, Smart Monkey.

T

here’s no getting away from it. It’s part of our daily lives, and we are consuming it at an alarming rate via our smart phones, computers, laptops and tablets… welcome to the digital world.

With access to information anytime and anywhere, apparently people spend more time on social media than they do eating and drinking, and at least 80% of consumers use the internet to search for products and information. So it’s no wonder that Google processes over 10 billion searches every month (that’s around 40,000 searches every second!). And for businesses, being techsavvy when it comes to their own marketing is essential. Beth Nash explains why.

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KM: What is Smart Monkey?

BN: We are a digital marketing agency growing small and medium sized businesses in Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

KM: Why did you start Smart Monkey?

BN: In 2005 I became a Chartered Marketer having completed a three year Post Graduate Diploma, which I studied for at evening school, followed by two years professional development. Having worked in a few marketing roles, firstly in the automotive industry, moving to an agency and then for a telecoms company, I knew that I could go it alone and develop a business on my own terms. So in 2006, I went for it.

KM: Where did the name Smart Monkey come from?

BN: I always wanted an animal in my company name as animals are memorable words. My brother runs a software company called Red Monkey, so I thought I’d keep it in the family.

And ‘Smart’ relates to setting smart marketing objectives.

KM: Can you briefly describe your services?

BN: We have a track record of delivering results for businesses through SEO, PPC, content marketing and social advertising.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) involves optimising a website so that it appears for the keywords your prospects are searching

Digital Marketing for online. SEO is a longer-term strategy as it takes time to move up the search rankings, however, once your website is there, the clicks through to your site are free. SEO links very closely with content marketing as Google likes to rank useful, information rich websites. We thoroughly research our clients’ markets to ensure we create sought-after web content.

PPC (Pay Per Click) is great for generating new business quickly as people are actively searching for your service or product, whilst advertising on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram is more about brand building.

Beth Nash

“Google processes over 10 billion searches every month, that’s around 40,000 searches every second!”

KM: Why do you think digital marketing is so important?

BN: Because of the number of people who use their phone and computer to find something.

If you’re not online, people won’t find you!

One of the most critical things for success online is the initial research. When we start working with a client, we carry out in-depth research to understand their business, market, competitors, target audiences, etc. Our aim is to get under the skin of their business and find out what makes it tick. Armed with this information, we develop a robust strategy with the confidence it will deliver.

Start with a paid search campaign (PPC) to quickly assess the opportunity online before you invest in organic SEO. Last of all, if a business is very ambitious and has solid growth plans, working with an agency like us would be a great start!

Increase your Domain Authority (a score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines) by building relevant, good quality incoming links from other websites.

• You don’t have to cover every single social media platform - choose what’s right for your target audience.

KM: What’s your business ethos?

“Our aim is to get under the skin of their business and find out what makes it tick. Armed with this information, we develop a robust strategy with the confidence it will deliver.”

KM: What are your top five tips to get started in the digital world?

BN: Make sure you have set up a Google My Business account, especially if you are a local business, so that people can find you on the map listings. Set up a website with well written content that’s of value to your target audience - think quality over quantity.

• Do share interesting sought-after content through your social channels.

KM: What are your dos and don’ts?

BN: • Do make sure you only use ‘White Hat’ SEO techniques, meaning that your SEO follows Google’s guidelines.

• Do your research to understand your target audiences.

BN: We provide a proactive and transparent service for our clients so that they know exactly what we are doing, when, and ultimately, how it will meet their objectives.

We also have strong ethics and an unwavering commitment to keep our promises.

KM: Where do you see the future of digital marketing?

BN: The ‘way’ people search is changing… voice activated searches are increasing.

Looking further into the future, I will be keeping an eye on personalisation of websites for individual visitors as well as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things.

www.smartmonkey.co.uk beth@smartmonkey.co.uk @Bethanie_Nash

• Do make sure you have a social media policy for your staff, if your staff are posting.

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Fashion

From contemporary to vintage, Swiss watchmaker Tudor is supporting world class sport in their new campaign, #BorntoDare

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he Swiss made watch brand, Tudor, which offers mechanical watches with sophisticated style, superior quality and unique value for money, are proud to announce that David Beckham OBE, the All Blacks, and All Blacks’ ‘world player of the year 2016’ Beauden Barrett are their new brand and #borntodare campaign ambassadors. As an extension of its commitment with the All Blacks, Tudor is also the official sponsor of the DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017, an international rugby series like no other. Every four years, the best rugby players in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales combine to become the British and Irish Lions team and tour one of the Southern Hemisphere rugby nations. In 2017, they will be challenging the most successful national team in the history of professional rugby, the All Blacks.

In 2017, Tudor launched a new campaign with the “Born To Dare” signature which reflects both the history of the brand and what it stands for today. It refers to the vision of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Tudor, who manufactured Tudor watches to withstand the most extreme conditions. It also tells of the singular approach Tudor is known for today, having pioneered major trends within the watchmaking industry.

The Tudor “Born To Dare” spirit is supported globally by ambassadors whose achievements directly result from a fearless approach to life. The All Blacks, Beauden Barrett and the Lions Series embody the daring values that made Tudor what it is today.

In the #borntodare campaign, Beuden Barrett and his All Blacks teammates wear the Black Bay Black and the Black Bay Dark. The Black Bay Dark is a vintageinspired all-black steel diver’s watch which perfectly matches their team colours. As robust as the wearers and tested to the extreme in accordance with Tudor’s watchmaking philosophy, the Black Bay Dark pays homage to the more than 60 years Tudor has spent perfecting the ideal professional’s watch.

David Beckham

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Fashion David Beckham wears the Black Bay S&G, a vintage-inspired steel and gold diver’s watch as well as the Black Bay Chrono. A long-time wristwatch lover, he came to know Tudor through its sibling brand, Rolex, of which he owns several timepieces.

Beuden Barrett

“As an Englishman I think you really appreciate a nice suit and a nice watch. They go very well together” Beckham said.

“I was attracted to Tudor by the attention to detail I could see in their watches. I then learned about the history of the brand. One of adventure, pioneer diving and daring expeditions. I was instantly hooked.”

The origins of the Tudor brand date back to 1926, when ‘The Tudor’ was first registered on behalf of the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf. He created the Montres TUDOR SA Company in 1946 to offer watches with the quality and dependability of a Rolex, at a more accessible price point.

Over the course of history, Tudor watches became the choice of daring individuals worldwide on land, ice, in the air and underwater. Today, the Tudor collection includes flagship models such as Black Bay, Pelagos, Glamour and Style.

NEW Tudor Heritage Black Bay S&G with 41mm steel case.

Tudor’s reinvention of the classics has kept their watches distinctive for more than half a century. Never afraid to redefine the rules, Tudor’s new watches are strongly connected to the past whilst incorporating 21st century technology. They also never shy away from pushing the boundaries of what’s new, experimenting with unusual materials, combinations and inspirations.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Dark with 41mm PVD Steel case.

Discover more from Tudor in-store with Simon our watch manager. Call 01323 725452 to arrange an appointment or at www.tudorwatch.com/

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Hotel Review

Review

HYDRO HOTEL

by Amanda Harrington

A

rriving at the Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne, on a warm, late spring day was perfect.

Perched high on a hill overlooking the sea, this magnificent Victorian building looked splendid in the bright sunshine – it really is a glorious spot. Situated further west than the main seaside attractions of Eastbourne, it enjoys a more peaceful location and l must say it is all the better for it. Eastbourne might not be a noisy town but there is nothing worse than being woken by slamming car doors, buses trundling around or pubs turning out in the evening.

The hotel’s name originates from the 19th Century, when it was a hydropathic establishment treating patients in lavish surroundings, including baths, recreation rooms and the like.

Nowadays, the visitors can still enjoy

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treatments in the Five Elements Spa and there is a hair salon on the ground floor adding to the relaxation of a beautiful hotel in a stunning setting. The entrance lobby and ground floor areas retain an old-fashioned charm with gothic columns merging with wood paneling while the newer conservatory area, where you can take afternoon tea, is bright and airy and overlooks the beautiful lawn at the rear of the hotel.

On arrival we were greeted by a very helpful and pleasant receptionist who dealt with our check in and offered a porter facility to help us with our luggage.

We were guided to a sea-view suite on the second floor that had large picture windows, allowing us to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the sea to the rear of the hotel and the cliffs to the west. You get the feeling that on a clear

day you could see France.

The suite’s lounge area was spacious and well-furnished with two sofas. There was a large bowl of fruit on the coffee table and a small table well-stocked with plenty of tea and coffee-making supplies. Oh, and a copy of ACES magazine which was a lovely surprise.

The bedroom was large but felt even larger with the windows flooding sunshine into the room. I could get used to this. The bed was supremely comfortable and the bathroom was bright and airy.

After settling into our room, we wandered down to the Conservatory to enjoy a glass or two of bubbles and the General Manager, Jonathan Owen, came to welcome us and regaled us with the future plans for the hotel.

At the time of our visit, there was work in progress to build a gazebo to the right of the

Hotel Review

lawns which will accommodate private parties and will be licensed to hold weddings. I cannot imagine a more beautiful setting for anyone planning their special day.

For businesses, the Hydro has a good range of meeting rooms that can cater to between 10 to 120 guests and there is a private dining room for delegates. There is free, uncapped Wi-Fi and unrestricted parking. They have very competitive delegate packages, the details of which can be found on their website at www.hydrohotel.com/packages/ Dinner was served in the Crystal Restaurant – a very large elegant room with high ceilings and impressive chandeliers. The restaurant can cater for many guests (the hotel has 82

Photos this page by Ade Harrington Š

bedrooms, having recently completed a new third floor suite). The menu was extensive and varied and all the restaurant staff were very polite and helpful, particularly Rosie, the Restaurant Manager. Knowledge of the menu is a bug bear for me but the staff were very well briefed and could answer all my questions.

After considering the options, we both opted for the steak which was cooked to perfection.

Having eaten rather well over the previous few days, one course was enough for us and we decided to enjoy some of the sea air.

We finished the evening by having a leisurely drink on the terrace as the sun went down and reflected on a very pleasant day at the Hydro.

We both slept like contented logs that night in the comfortable bed and enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the Crystal Restaurant the next morning. My full English was well cooked and very tasty and my husband’s poached eggs were cooked exactly as he asked.

We had to leave fairly early as we had to be somewhere by mid-morning, but our stay at the Hydro was marvelous and bravo to Jonathan and all his wonderful staff. We will be back.

We look forward to visiting again one day to witness the improvements which are in the pipeline.

www.hydrohotel.com

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Interview

THE HOTEL ON THE BEACH

Lesley and James Kimber have invested heavily in The Cooden Beach Hotel to take full advantage of its unique and spectacular location on the beach, including the stylish new Brasserie on the Beach. Ian Trevett made the most of a sunny day to visit the hotel and meet with Lesley to find out more.

James and Lesley hile many of our hotels have sea views, it is unusual to find one where the hotel leads straight out on to the beach. Built in 1928, The Cooden Beach Hotel is a hidden Sussex gem, and is one of the county’s best-kept secrets, tucked away just off the A259 between Eastbourne and Hastings.

and in London, which we sold to buy the hotel.

James had tried to buy the hotel thirty years ago when he was based locally, and I think he always had it in his mind to return. He was delighted to have been able to acquire it this time. We came down with our 9-year-old daughter, a dog and two guinea pigs and we all just threw ourselves into the business.”

Lesley and James Kimber bought the hotel in 2005, and for James it was a fulfilment of a long-standing dream as Lesley explains, “We were in Windsor and had businesses there

Lesley has a background in management and in training and had set up a business in NVQ training. “The company was very customer service driven,” she recalls, “which

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is a vital component of hotel management. We really wanted to create a hotel that we would want to stay in and want to be in, and that really is our daily mantra. We’re constantly working on enhancing the guest experience.”

The hotel was previously within the Jarvis chain of hotel, but the couple wanted to add their own individuality. “We slowly set about changing everything – it’s been a long work in progress including a major re-brand, new visual identity and huge refurbishment programme. It is now an established wedding

Interview

destination hotel, and we are very proud of our new contemporary Brasserie on the Beach.

“When we first arrived, I think it’s fair to say that the dynamic of the hotel was a bit older and we recognised that there was a big gap in the market for a people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

“The difference is that younger guests have a different expectation. People are generally much more adventurous with their food tastes which we enjoy catering to, although we have retained the good, traditional food as well.

One of our popular items are the hot lava stones that you can cook your own steaks on.

“We’ve now got a gin bar, the Gin Palace, with 18 gins, which is on-trend at the moment.

It’s a nice environment where female guests that are travelling alone can feel happy to come and enjoy a drink, they don’t feel that they’re in a difficult atmosphere.”

Lesley has seen the nature of the hotel change dramatically over the years: “We used to have a Sunday carvery here and we would all dress up for the occasion. You wouldn’t see a man without a suit and a tie on, whereas now it’s very relaxed and casual. I don’t think people particularly want the more formal aspects a lot of the time.”

But it’s not all change at Cooden Beach Hotel. One constant has been the staff, many of whom have been with the hotel for decades.

“Our General Manager, Jenny Undasan, has been at the hotel for 24 years – she’s a lovely lady. She started as a housekeeper and now she’s the GM. There’s nothing she doesn’t know. Our Marketing Manager, Avril Withers, has been here since we started and there are so many staff members who can say the same.

Head Chef, Michael Smith has been here for 8 years and took over the role in May 2016 following the retirement of our previous Head Chef who had been here for 42 years.”

With a loyal clientele and a successful business, it was a brave move to tear down the dining room and start again, especially without the back-up of a hotel group.

Lesley agrees: “It was an enormous move and it was a leap of faith. We had a tired old dining room in a hotel, but when we started looking at refurbishing it, we thought that it’s never actually going to become more than just a nicer-looking dining room in a hotel. So we looked at the unique location that we had and said, “Let’s just do it. Let’s build a modern brasserie with floor to ceiling glass bi-fold doors that can open up on warm days. There isn’t another place around here that gets on the pebbles or that’s doing an all-day menu.”

“It became the most amazing project. We had a very soft opening, so didn’t think anyone was going to come but it was absolutely mobbed. It was such an amazing feeling – and

touch wood, we’ve maintained it.”

The hotel has a diverse collection of bars, a large beach terrace and communal areas, as well as a Leisure Club with an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub. It has become a sought after beach venue for brides with a very impressive 50-60 weddings taking place each year.

“We have a dedicated team that looks after the weddings and an all-inclusive package, but we also offer a bespoke service,” says Lesley. “It is a picturesque location, come rain or shine. In fact, some of the most beautiful pictures I’ve seen have been when it’s been stormy, rainy and the sea looks lovely.”

The hotel is also well-equipped for the corporate market. “Our function room can host ladies’ nights, dinners and events comfortably seating 140, and we also have several meeting rooms that suit small and large groups. James was the President of the Bexhill Chamber for a long time and hosted meetings here, and the BNI meet here each week. A major local business use the hotel regularly for training sessions.

So what’s next for the hotel? “My husband always wants to build more rooms, more extensions. Perhaps it would just be nice at some point to take a breath and enjoy what we’ve got!” www.thecoodenbeachhotel.co.uk

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Wine Column

ENGLAND ISN’T ALL ABOUT FIZZ!

by Lucy-Ann Prideaux, co-founder of Fizz on Foot

Chapel Down Vineyard

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hilst the English sparkling wine industry has been in full swing in the last few years, quietly, in the background, winemakers have been perfecting and honing their skills in producing some excellent still wines too.

The range of still wines, and their quality, has surprised not only wine experts in England, but lay audiences too, who, generally speaking, would never think of trying an English wine, let alone buy one! Maybe you are of the same ilk?

“The range of still wines, and their quality, has surprised not only wine experts in England, but lay audiences too, who, generally speaking, would never think of trying an English wine, let alone buy one!”

If so, allow me to enlighten you, and introduce you to some fantastic English still wines that may even rival some of your favourite Sauvignon Blancs or Pinot Grigios.

First off, I’m going to give some insight into just how successful English winemaking has become, and put this into perspective with regards to the size of our industry compared to our friends across the water.

England now has over 700 registered vineyards, with the most concentrated

Lucy-Ann Prideaux is co-founder of Fizz on Foot, the South East’s premier Walk and Wine Tour Company. She previously enjoyed working as a wine tour guide at two renowned wine estates here in the UK, Bolney Wine Estate in Bolney, and Denbies, in Dorking, Surrey. She’s completed the WSET Intermediate and Advanced Certificates in Wine and Wine Production, at Plumpton Agricultural College, and continues to build on her knowledge of “world wines”, viniculture and viticulture by attending tastings and wine fairs, and of course visiting many wine estates and hearing of the winemakers “little secrets”!

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Wine Column numbers along the southern stretch of the UK - that being the counties of Sussex, Surrey, Kent and to the West, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. England produces some five million bottles of wine per year, which is a tiny amount compared to France, where around 50-60 million bottles are produced! Yet, we are consistently winning numerous, and some very coveted awards. Back in 2015, at the Decanter World Wine Awards, English wines collected a total of 130 medals and trophies. We regularly pick up awards at other renowned wine competitions (both in the UK and abroad), with English sparkling wine now highly praised for its quality, and often beating Champagne in blind tastings. Although our still wines have taken longer to come to the fore, it was exciting to see that this year, England won a major award for a still wine, with congratulations going to a little-known vineyard, Winbirri in Norfolk (yes, you read that right!), who won a Platinum Decanter award for their Bacchus.

This is the first time that an English wine has bagged this award!

Bacchus is fast-becoming the signature grape of the UK (even touted as the UK’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc), and there are other excellent examples of Bacchus, one of which is produced

by Chapel Down vineyard in Kent.

I mention this, as it comes highly recommended from the Fizz on Foot camp as this is one of our favourite English wines.

Aside from Bacchus, England now successfully grows a wide variety of grapes, with the most popular being Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and of course, Bacchus. However, the UK also grows and produces some fine wines from other white varieties such as Ortega, Seyval Blanc, Schonberger, Huxelrebe, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc, as well as other red varieties such as Dornfelder and Rondo. My featured wine this month, is actually an English red…

but more about that in a moment.

If you want to venture into the world of English stills, here are my top three suggestions. First would be the Chapel Down’s Bacchus, as previously mentioned. Second why not opt for England’s best-selling English white wine, Denbies Surrey Gold, produced by renowned wine producers, Denbies, in Surrey.

Denbies have been producing Surrey Gold since 1990. It is a blend of Müller Thurgau, Ortega, and Bacchus, and is a cool 11.5% ABV. It has a pronounced floral, honeysuckle and peach infused nose, with citrus and stone fruit flavours on the palate. This is a fruity, well balanced wine, and pairs really well with spicy Asian food. It’s also an excellent aperitif wine. Surrey Gold is available in Waitrose and on-line.

My third suggestion is my featured wine, Chapel Down Union Red 2015 – yes, an English red! England is now producing some very good red wines with some of the best coming from Chapel Down, and Bolney Wine Estate in Bolney, just outside Brighton.

“England is now producing some very good red wines with some of the best coming from Chapel Down, and Bolney Wine Estate in Bolney, just outside Brighton. ”

Chapel Down’s Union Red is a “light red”, and a perfect example that showcases the freshness and delicacy of fruit from English vines. It is an ideal alternative, and somewhat likened to a Pinot Noir from Alsace or Germany. Made from a blend of Rondo, Pinot Noir and Early Pinot Noir (otherwise known as Pinot Noir Precoce - an early ripening variant of Pinot Noir), the grapes for this wine come from Kent and West Sussex vineyards and are grown on chalk and clay soils.

Grapes are hand-picked after a long ripening season, de-stemmed before a warm fermentation in stainless steel, with oak chips to help extract better colour and tannin. The wine is then matured in stainless steel for nine months before bottling. Union Red has beautiful aromas of damson, blackberry jam and subtle vanilla oak, with flavours of cherry leading to a fresh vibrant finish. It’s an ideal accompaniment to duck and lamb, as well as richer game and mushroom dishes, and at only 12%, it’s perfect for summer evenings.

Featured Wine Chapel Down Union Red 2015, available from Chapel Down’s website by the case www.chapeldown.com If you would like to host your own English Wine Tasting, either a personal or corporate event, Fizz on Foot introduces audiences to an excellent range of still, and sparkling wines.

Contact Ian on 01323 737271.

Tel: 01323 737271 www.fizzonfoot.com

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Motoring

Land Rover Defender

THE LONG GOODBYE

by Maarten Hoffmann

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he Land Rover Defender has been as much a part of this nation’s heritage as bangers and mash and jellied eels, but we are about to wave a tearful farewell to this stalwart of the Empire.

Originally called the LR Ninety and LR One Ten, which represented the wheel base in inches, it launched in 1948, with the Defender name arriving in 1990. Best known as the workhorse of the British Army, it has assisted the armed forces in wars, tactical raids, troop movement and has been dropped from more than a few helicopters in its time. During the Iraq war, it was favoured even by the Yanks over their Humvee as it was better suited to the terrain and far more capable in urban areas. It was known as the Snatch Land Rover in Northern Ireland during the troubles, for obvious reasons.

It is a firm favourite of the Queen, has been mounted with rocket launchers, used as police cars, controlled riots, driven up mountains and down dales and conquered half the planet, but no more.

The last Defender rolled off the production line last year, killed by EU regulations. Said regulations are designed to halt the production of any vehicle with character, style and any hint of individuality and ensure that by the end of the decade, we are all driving bland, dull Euro boxes.

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As I am not about to invade a country or plant a flag atop Ben Nevis, I was in two minds as to what this car would be like in everyday situations, and as I had been cajoled into taking the family for an Easter trip to Cornwall, the Defender was my carriage. I was not too keen on this when I realised that the 800-mile round trip journey was mainly motorways, and the one place the Defender is not at home is a motorway. Yikes!

“It is a turgid old beast at low speed, with the turning circle of a small planet, a first gear good for 5mph and a 0-60 time of about a week and a half” It is a turgid old beast at low speed, with the turning circle of a small planet, a first gear good for 5mph and a 0-60 time of about a week and a half, but it did actually start to grow on me. It took the first 100 miles before I had stopped tutting, but once it gets going it is really quite rapid. Getting it to motorway speeds is not a joyous event, but once there it will cruise at 80mph quite happily, and as long as you go through the gears at a rate of knots, it has remarkable pulling power in the range between 60mph and 80mph.

You need the left thigh of an All Black, the left arm of a tennis pro and absolutely no further use for your ears, as this thing is noisy at speed. So noisy that I couldn’t hear a thing my wife was saying, and in the hope that she doesn’t read this, that is a major selling point!

The interior configuration is great, with a full seven seats, of which the distant rear two fold in a very clever way, and with the rear three seats down, it has room for bales of hay, the odd poorly cow, or, as in my case, the kids and all their junk. It is basic and utilitarian with very few mod cons or frills. The wipers go back and forth like a Morris Minors, the heater fan bellows like a rabid bull seal, there are exposed bolts all over the place and absolutely zero sound proofing. But it does have one thing, and that is character. You really can learn to love it after a while, and it is no wonder that the vast majority of Defenders built over the last 67 years are still going. It’s tough, it’s durable and it does what it says on the tin.

After roaring across the South West of England, we headed for Bideford in Devon, where we were to stay with some friends who run the absolutely fabulous Café Collective, with the best artisan pizzas l have ever tasted, before roaring down to St Austell for a review visit to the Cornwall Hotel and Spa. As a great fan of mud plugging (off-road driving), I was keenly anticipating doing what this

Motoring

TECHNICAL STUFF:

Model Tested: Defender 110 Engine: 2.2 litre diesel Performance: 0-62mph - who’s counting?

Top Speed: 90mph Economy: 25.5mpg combined Price from: £23,100 As Tested: £33,405 thing is designed to do – drive off-road better than just about any car that has ever been manufactured.

With the luggage and family safely deposited with our friends, I was off to a place called Instow, where, I had been tipped off, I could get off-road and actually onto the beach. Having finally located the path, I was in heaven: deep muddy tracks, huge pools of standing water and a gradient that made me feel dizzy as the windscreen filled with sky, and I lived in hope that the front end would eventually return to earth. Then I spotted the very steep path onto the beach and the smile was now plastered to my face. Driving on a remote beach offers a great sense of freedom, knowing that you can chuck the thing around with gay abandon and at any speed you choose.

And here you start to realise why the Defender has the reputation is has. It is supreme on the rough stuff and affords you the confidence to go anyway, over anything. It absorbs the ground, gives you enough gears to always have the right one available, is incredibly well balanced so even the steepest hill is tackled with panache, and it will not

stop. That is unless you go down a narrow muddy track, realise it is a dead-end and try to reverse through a metre of sticky, glutinous mud.

I mused on the thought that I had found its limit and then worked out what it would now cost me on a bank holiday to bribe a farmer to pull me out with a tractor. I studied the various gear sticks available to me, 6 normal gears, high, low and neutral gears and the all-important one – the diff lock. The locking differential allows you to command both wheels on the same axle to rotate in tandem and therefore work as a team. Engaged, and on full power, I spun for a moment or two and then the glorious bite came and the beast crawled itself out of the mire. Phew!

It does make you realise that the Defender has one role it plays exceptionally well, and is reasonably competent at the rest. If you need to go off the black stuff anywhere in the world, there is only one vehicle you want to do it in.

And whilst risking life and limb, it is a nice place to be. The seats are well structured with plenty of support, the dash layout is pared down to only what you need and there are no annoying bleeps and pings going off all the

time; when you unfasten your seat belt, open a door or nearly roll it onto its roof all is quiet but for your silent scream.

It is quite nostalgic in that way in that it is a bit of a throwback to the cars of the 70/80s, before the digital age barged in and added all the stuff that we don’t really need and is becoming increasingly audibly annoying.

It is surprisingly narrow, with little room for your right arm. I know of people who simply cannot close the door once aboard. One such was Richard Skerritt who wanted one but simply could not fit. It is very narrow.

There is news of a reborn, unrecognisable Defender in the future, and the company has just produced the Defender Celebration Series with three limited edition models: the Heritage, Adventure and the Autobiography. I would suggest that in the long-term these cars will greatly increase in value and would make a very sound investment.

It has a real presence on the road, a surefooted ability off the road and possesses that rare thing that l continue to bang on about - character. I quite missed it when it was gone and we will all miss it when it is gone forever.

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Motoring

AUDI R8 V10 Spyder

by Maarten Hoffmann

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ho doesn’t love a supercar? Total arts-of-work-on-wheels that are good enough to lick and fast

enough to rip your face off. What’s not to love?

The elephant in the room in this discussion

The new V10 is sharper and tighter than

The engine is sublime and makes jokers out

its V8 predecessor, and, with much of the tub

of those who say turbocharged engines sound

being new, with aluminium space frame and

better. They don’t compared to this naturally

panels, it is lighter. There is also a good dollop

aspirated power plant. Of course, you have to

of carbon fibre in there, too, making it lighter

push through the mid-rev area, where turbo’s shine, but get it up to 6,000 revs and all hell

is the fact that 99% of supercars are not

and stronger. The 1,555kg kerb weight makes

everyday drivers. They are elegant, delicate

it a skinny latte; add in all-wheel drive and a

and ruinously expensive to repair when Doris

screaming 5.2 litre engine producing 540bhp,

hits you in the car park of Asda. So, pop it in

limits be damned, you just have to let it rip. The

and you just know what’s coming next. I am

seven-speed twin-clutch is too fast to even notice

going to drive it like l stole it.

the changes, but - and here is the kicker - pop

the garage and only let it out for those Sunday blasts and, in most cases, watch the value

round town like a blasted tame moggy. Pop it

boring, isn’t it?

into Dynamic, open the exhaust pipes and slip

The Audi R8 V10 is that elusive beast - an everyday driver still able to warp your facial features if you get heavy with the go-pedal. I have each of my review cars direct from the manufacturer for seven days at a time, and I use them as my work and play car for the week. This means l attend countless meetings, conferences and exhibitions, take the kids to school, go shopping at Waitrose and may even deliver a sick bunny to the vet (long story).

Send me a Ferrari 458 or Lamborghini Huracan and most of these tasks would be impractical and somewhat scary if l had any respect for my no-claims bonus.

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such an exquisite pedal response that, speed

it into Comfort or Auto mode and it will burble

soar if you keep the miles low. Well that’s very

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breaks loose. It just wants to go, and presents

“It is lightning fast, and, with the standard Quattro there is (almost) no corner that you cannot throw it into, at any speed, that is not achieved with supreme confidence, flash panache and slightly soiled underpants.”

into Sport and the monster tiger hiding behind the seats jumps up, eats the moggy and shoves you down the road faster than you can register what is happening. It is lightning fast, and with the standard Quattro there is (almost) no corner that you cannot throw it into, at any speed, that is not achieved with supreme confidence, flash panache and slightly soiled underpants.

Soon we will see the V10 Spyder Plus with 602bhp and that outpaces the 911 Turbo S to 100mph by almost a second and gets within a gnats whisker of the McLaren 650S. Engage launch control and all your dreams will come true.

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Motoring

TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: Audi R8 V10 Spyder Engine: 5.2-litre FSI S Tronic Power: 540 bhp Performance: 0-62mph: 3.2 seconds Top speed: 198 mph Economy: 24.1 mpg combined Base price: £132,000 As tested: £153,650 The interior is well laid out, and l think the ‘virtual cockpit’ is a treat.

Buttons allow you to customise it for your intentions, selecting which dial you would like front and centre (l only really needed the rev counter). The SatNav becomes the entire dash display when needed and is a little like watching HDTV with razor-sharp graphics and options to see which building is on the next corner. The simple fact that the road remains in the same eye line is undoubtably an aid to safety.

Processing speed is mighty, with wi-fi connectivity and a 13-speaker

Bang & Olufsen sound system. You won’t use it, though, as you will be listening to the sweet soul music coming out of the tail pipes. It is rather hypnotic, but can be tweaked down from major earthquake to a slight tectonic tremor.

“It is rather hypnotic, but can be tweaked down from major earthquake to a slight tectonic tremor.”

Yes, it’s German, and therefore the counterweight to the bullet proof reliability and superb build quality is the slight lack of Italian flair, but this creeps closer to the ultimate sub-supercar, the McLaren 570S, and they have certainly achieved the feeling that you are in something special. It has the stance of the Ferrari 458, if not the finesse, the visceral power of the Huracan, if not the price, and, most importantly, the ability to be driven every day, anywhere, anytime. I did, and l have to tell you that a little bit of my heart went within it when it was time to give it back.

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Business East Sussex

A ROYALE INVESTMENT Why it’s a magic carpet road for one East Sussex business

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hen entrepreneur and carpet fitter Mark Hanks was looking for business advice and funding, he did what most people would do these days: he searched on the internet.

Thankfully, for him, Business East Sussex was at the top of his search page and he was able to take his Hastings-based Carpets Royale business to the next level.

He was able to fund a new van, build a new website and add to his stock – thanks to the funding and advice he received from BES. “It really enabled me to get to a place today where I would not have been without it,” he enthuses. “The mentoring support package has provided me with lots of useful information, lots of help, and it is a great point of contact if I do need any advice on taking on staff or, like I am currently looking for, taking on larger premises.

“I would not hesitate to recommend the BES to other people who are thinking of starting their own business. Their help and support has been invaluable and I would not be at the stage I am today without them.”

He started as a carpet fitter aged 14 as a Saturday boy – but for Hanks, Business East Sussex has been able to fulfil his life-long dream of running his own business. “I always aspired to own my own business. Business East Sussex has enabled me to do that. The thing that was stopping me mainly was a lack of finance.”

Martin Menezes, Business Manager at BES, adds: “It was a real pleasure to work with Carpets Royale and Mark. Thankfully he found us via the internet and we were able to help him fulfil a life-long dream. I look forward to watching his business grow even further.”

Is a lack of finance holding you back? The team at Business East Sussex are happy to help. They have aided hundreds of businesses get the start they need – whether that’s down to funding or just helpful advice and support. What’s more, it doesn’t matter what sector you are in – as they have a broad range of experience across numerous types of businesses.

Get in touch with BES to find out how they can help your business to survive and thrive at www.businesseastsussex.org.uk and call 0844 415 2260 or email info@businesseastsussex.org.uk.

Follow @BizESussex.

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Business East Sussex

CUT AND DRY ON THE PIER Cut & Grill owner sinks teeth into new business venture with support from Business East Sussex

F

ollowing a re-evaluation of the marketplace in 2016, Paul Noble & Debbie Grant, owners of Battle based restaurant Nobles Restaurant, decided to ditch their roots in fine dining and establish the popular steak, burger and grill Cut & Grill. Following an extremely successful start to 2017, they saw a significant growth in turnover of 35% in just a matter of months following the grill’s launch in August 2016.

Naturally, their thoughts turned to expansion, and following extensive market research and customer feedback, they decided there was a gap in the market for a quality take-away burger hut on the popular Hastings Pier. It was then that Cut in the Hut was born, serving locals and holidaymakers alike with tasty ‘on the go’ food at competitive prices.

When Debbie needed to finance the business venture, she turned to the business experts at Business East Sussex, having

met the team previously several times at networking events in the Sussex area. As well as assisting with access to finance, Debbie believes it was the invaluable support of BES’s Fred Thomas and Chris Smith that allowed her to apply for the grant and bring her idea of the burger hut to life.

She said: “Without the support of the team at BES I would have struggled to get the paperwork together in time to apply for the grant we received. They were undoubtedly instrumental in us being able to access the funds to make the expansion happen.”

Cut in the Hut is now open for business following a soft launch while Debbie finalises her all-important branding and marketing.

Once the business has access to the grant, Debbie believes it will help significantly with cash flow and building on the reputation of Cut in the Hut.

footfall and engagement in any new business, so the support I’ve had from BES with getting our latest venture off the ground is invaluable.”

Ian Smallwood, Head of Business Services at Business East Sussex said: “Cut & Grill has been a great success for Paul, Debbie and their team. We were thrilled to be approached to assist Debbie with bringing Cut in the Hut to the people of Hastings, and we will continue to be on hand to offer business advice and support to both Debbie & Paul and others in the East Sussex region wanting to grow their enterprise.”

Get in touch with BES to find out how they can help your business to survive and thrive at businesseastsussex.org.uk and call 0844 415 2260 or email info@ businesseastsussex.org.uk.

Follow @BizESussex

She continued: “It’s difficult to predict

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Marketing

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING Could it work for your business?

By Emma Pearce, Marketing Consultant – marketing planning, outsourced marketing and social media training www.pearcemarketing.co.uk

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t’s so easy to waste marketing spend on advertising that isn’t targeted well enough (luckily you know that ACES Magazine will be going directly to members of the county’s Chambers of Commerce). Adverts on social media, that appear in users’ newsfeeds, can be the most targeted and cost effective advertising you can do.

No single marketing method is the holy grail for success, but it really is something you should consider for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors.

Adverts don’t just have to be about your products/services, events and offers. They could be for job vacancies, renting space to other business owners and ebook downloads that drive traffic to your website and enable you to collect email addresses.

The diagram to the right shows the most popular targeting options (you can advertise on Instagram and Snapchat too).

It’s possible to drill down to a huge number of very specific interests. Your targeting is dependent on what a person has put on their profile and/or their habits on that platform.

The precision of targeting by location varies.

• Facebook - postcode, town, county, radius of particular street (point on map) • Twitter - postcode and region • LinkedIn - some towns/cities (eg Brighton but not Eastbourne!)

For B2B clients, we have targeted prospects that follow specific Twitter accounts such as relevant trade associations and

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competitors. On LinkedIn it has been useful to target prospects with certain job titles and skills that work for companies of a certain size (by number of employees) in particular sectors. Another useful Facebook opportunity is to target “Small Business Owners” within the behaviours category. Your ad will be seen by owners of small business Facebook pages. The targeting is very extensive on Facebook so have a good look through - perhaps everyone with a relationship anniversary coming up in the next 60 to 90 days, Expats, or those likely to have a mortgage would be ideal for your campaign?

Facebook data comes mostly from how

people have completed their profiles and those who have expressed an interest in, or like pages related to certain topics. Some data comes from Facebook’s Marketing Partners such as Axciom for the UK - this enables targeting based on offline demographic and behavioural information like homeownership or purchase history.

On Twitter and Facebook your targeting can also define who to exclude from the advert such as competitors.

On LinkedIn your adverts are set up via your business page and shown in personal newsfeeds. On Facebook most small

Marketing

businesses will have their credit card details attached to the personal profile of the person that is the owner or administrator of their Facebook business page. (You need to have a personal profile in order to set up a business page on Facebook and LinkedIn.)

“No single marketing method is the holy grail for success, but it really is something you should consider....”

Our very first Facebook ad was several years ago for Sharnfold Farm & Shop near Hailsham.

They wanted to attract visitors to a new unique festival event. We crafted a short piece of post text at the top (within character limits) and an

eye catching image (that ideally has less than 10-20% of the image area with text on it). We selected a button saying ‘Learn More’ (there are other call to action options) and linked it to a specific page on their website. Finally we wrote a short headline and text under the image. We applied various targeting elements.

We spent £50 and there were 484 clickthroughs to their website. The advert was seen by 15,311 people. The festival was well attended!

In November 2016, a natural health centre in Crowborough spent £50 on a very niche advert targeting specific types of therapist to rent a room. There were 57 clicks to the website, plenty of phone calls and the room was rented.

In 2017 a client spent £150 on Facebook advertising to find new home care workers for

their team in a particular geographic area.

6,718 relevant people people saw the ad, 262 clicked through to read the job description and they hired 20 people. The most cost-effective recruitment they had ever done.

Another client spent £250 on national Facebook advertising promoting quality raised ponds to homeowners, with Koi interests (amongst other criteria). They had 10,794 people click through to their website - that is just 23p per click.

The good news is that there is detailed reporting on your advert performance and conversion measurement tools (via pixels) that allow you to understand who took action on your site once they reached it.

Why not review your options for social media advertising?

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on ati m or e: inf bsit com r e t. e rth ur w foo u f o r t on Fo visi .fizz w ww

Walking and Wine Tasting Tours

Keep fit, make new friends, taste and learn

After a country walk, stopping for a nice drink in a country pub always feels like a well deserved treat.

Fizz on Foot has now taken the idea a step further by taking people on a guided walk, followed by a tour of a local vineyard with wine tasting and a lovely lunch of local Sussex produce.

They offer a range of tours but the majority of people just want one-day tours. The same applies to the growing corporate market. The business has evolved naturally.

Putting together bespoke tours, Fizz on Foot currently works with several vineyards. “All the vineyards are extremely accommodating. It is great as we tour the vineyards, they talk us through a wine tasting and we have delicious Sussex food to serve”.

Taking place in the South Downs National Park, walks are adapted to the group’s needs.

“Some want a six to nine mile hike, others just want a three mile gentle walk” explains Managing Director, Ian Shearer.

“It is for everyone both young and seniors” smiles Ian. “It is such a good time for English Sparkling Wine, as it is really booming.”

Fizz on Foot is the perfect excuse to get out with a group and enjoy the best the South Downs has to offer.

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Beautiful East Sussex walks Tel: 01323 737271 Mobile: 07971 851777 fizz on foot @fizzonfoot @fizzonfoot www.fizzonfoot.com info@fizzonfoot.com

Volunteering

LOOKING AFTER THE CARERS Care for the elderly was a big story in the recent election, but whatever policy any government brings on, there will always be unpaid carers giving so much to help others. Helena Maltby from the Association of Carers reports on the work of one volunteer.

E

ighty-nine-year old Sheila has been very happily married to Gordon, who is also nearly ninety, for almost sixty seven years.

They have four children, nine grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Sheila noticed that Gordon started forgetting the names of things. Or they would be out and Gordon would ask, perhaps three times in ten minutes, ”Where did you say we were going again?”

Sheila and Gordon’s first meeting with volunteer Neil, with Louise Vladi, a service coordinator from the Association of Carers

Increasingly concerned, Sheila sought medical help from experts who confirmed in 2013 that Gordon had dementia.

Sheila settled down to a future of caring for Gordon, but as the disease progressed, he became more confused. Eventually, she realised she might need more help, increasingly having problems doing normal day to day things while keeping Gordon safe.

She could not even go out into the garden anymore, a pastime she dearly loved. Once she came in and found he had climbed onto a wobbly folding table. That knocked gardening on the head.

More alarmingly, one evening Gordon slipped out and got lost. The police found him within half an hour and returned him safely, but this incident resigned Sheila to seek support - a little break once a week so that she could come back refreshed in herself and with renewed energy for Gordon.

Cue The Association of Carers, the charity that supports unpaid carers in East Sussex…

Let’s meet Neil, a 33-year-old art graduate.

He is a volunteer who has been matched by the Association to come and support Gordon and Sheila weekly. The future is looking brighter.

Neil explained that he realised how important supporting carers was through personal experience; his mother was an unpaid carer for both his grandparents. So he saw

first hand the impact this role was having on his mother, especially without a break or other people helping.

Thus, Neil started volunteering with the Association of Carers nearly three years ago, firstly sitting with a gentleman who was an artist and recently with another elderly gentleman in Ore. Now, Neil will be coming to Sheila and Gordon’s house weekly for three hours to sit with Gordon while Sheila has her break. The two men have already found a lot in common, including both having had a history with the Scouts.

Neil says; “It’s really making space for the carer to do something with their life. I see the effect it has …they’re happy; it’s so worthwhile.

I’m feeling good about sitting with Gordon.”

As for Sheila, what is she most looking forward to now?

“Getting my hands dirty in the garden, and looking around the shops without having to drag poor Gordon around. I haven't done that for three years!”

Do you look after someone? Could you do with some support? Apart from Respite Care we also offer Telephone Support, Carer’s Companion, Computer Help at Home and much more. Please get in touch!! It’s all free… or maybe, like Neil you would like to volunteer a few hours for a family in your area?

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Aces Members

ACES

The East Sussex Network ACES is THE East Sussex business network including all the Chambers of Commerce and the FSB in East Sussex, representing over 4,000 local businesses with over 15,000 members of staff.

The East Sussex Chambers Battle Chamber of Commerce

• Regeneration • Skills Building with Schools & Colleges

Battle and District Chamber of Commerce’s objectives are to promote and protect the trade, commerce, manufacturing, professional and general interests of the town. We have over 70 business and personal members, and meet on the third Monday of every month.

We encompass several committees which organise events in town, including: • Battle marbles on Good Friday • Battle Medieval Fayre on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend • Christmas lights installation and maintenance, followed by Lights On and Gala Night events

We welcome the membership of Bexhill businesses or businesses based elsewhere but who want to do business in Bexhill. We hold regular networking breakfasts, evening events and are constantly in touch via email with our members with up-to-date information about business or about Bexhill. We also have an email service where we send out members offers and promotions to fellow members. We have no political affiliation and are totally independent. We work with other organisations locally, county wide and nationally and are delighted to be associated with ACES. We are here to help and promote business in Bexhill and Bexhill as a place to visit for the day, stay for a while or as a place to live and run your business.

Tel: 01424 842892

• ELF – Every Last Friday of the month, a mini musical festival We also work with local organisations including Beautiful Battle, Battle Marketing Group, Battle Abbey Advisory Group, and the Scarecrow Festival.

Crowborough & District Chamber of Commerce

• Maintaining and rejuvenating local businesses • Networking with other local businesses Chamber membership offers the chance to become involved in a friendly and effective organisation that can help you improve your own businesses as well as representing your interests to key decision makers.

Email: secretary@crowboroughchamber.co.uk

Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of Commerce Eastbourne UnLtd is the largest town based Chamber of Commerce in the South East and is a founder member of ACES. We are described as UnLtd because we are always looking for new ways to help our members grow their businesses. Our activity is unlimited and includes: • Networking, morning, noon and night • Joint events with other ACES Chambers • Golf days, quiz nights, export seminars, training, coaching and mentoring

Email: secretary@battlechamber.org www.battlechamber.org.uk

• Free services including HR advice, business clinics, start-up workshops and business one-to-ones

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce

We run the Eastbourne Borough Market every Wednesday and Sunday to promote retailing in the town and the Christmas Market on the iconic Bandstand.

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is run by its members for its members.

Our current strategic focus is: • Improving business and tourism in Bexhill

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Crowborough & District Chamber of Commerce promotes business, trade and services in Crowborough and the surrounding area. We offer a forum for local business issues such as: • Voicing concerns for the business community

We run events like Eastbourne’s Day of the Undead, Neon Noel Spectacular Light Show, Xmas Factor and EastBourne to be Wild Harley Davidson rallies.

Tel: 01323 641144

Aces Members

Federation of Small Businesses

environment for businesses to operate in – irrespective of their size, sector or age.

www.hastingschamber.co.uk Tel: 01424 205500 @HACC1066

Hailsham Chamber of Commerce The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is the largest independent business organisation in the UK with some 200,000 members.

Businesses with up to 250 employees can join and in East Sussex we have 4,400 members.

The FSB is a pressure group for small business interests and we lobby government at every level including MEPs, MPs and Local Councillors. The FSB also provides benefits to help start up and growing businesses alike.

Our benefits package, including 24/7 legal advice and free business banking, aims to keep costs down, to protect your business and enable sales. We run a busy programme of local networking events including breakfasts, curry nights, ladies business lunches and ‘share the knowledge’ evening seminars to improve your ‘know-how’ on key business topics. We are delighted to work with ACES on the issues that matter in East Sussex to enable economic growth.

www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex Tel: 01424 754686 Tel: 01323 482018

Hastings Chamber of Commerce

Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business for Hastings, St Leonards and the surrounding area, representing its members to all levels of government and to community leaders across the statutory, community, voluntary and charitable sectors.

Our overriding aim is to make the voice of business even stronger. Through our provision of breakfast and networking events, newsletters and lobbying, we give members the opportunity to influence, inform, debate, network and profile.

We work on behalf of our members, to grow the economy of the town and the wider region in order to create a more supportive

Hailsham & District Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1984 and exists to support and encourage growth and prosperity within the business community of Hailsham and its environs.

Membership of the Chamber gives you opportunities to network with local organisations and other Chamber members.

Out of this networking grows contacts and friendships, from which we can all draw benefit. The Chamber also organises networking evenings and ‘Share the Knowledge’ events to benefit their members.

Through our regular monthly networking meetings we are able to discuss key issues and concerns which members may have and decide on supportive action. We have guest speakers in attendance once a month and also maintain strong links with both Wealden District Council and Hailsham Town Council through key groups such as Hailsham Forward.

As a Chamber we believe it is our responsibility to do everything we can to support our members and to encourage and help local businesses to the best of our ability.

Tel: 01323 310531

around the high street.

The Chamber has developed links and works with other local groups including Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council and the Heathfield Partnership, as well as other local chambers including Crowborough and Uckfield.

Tel: 01435 865858

Lewes Chamber of Commerce

Established in 1935, Lewes Chamber of Commerce represents the voice of the business community in this thriving county town. From accountants and solicitors to shops, hotels and restaurants, the Chamber unites businesses, comments and advises on behalf of the business community and stimulates debate across a variety of local issues. Thanks to our range of members we also have direct access into the local authority, particularly the Town Council level, meaning we can represent Lewes business issues raised at relevant meetings.

Through our extensive programme of activities, and through our links with relevant local organisations, we provide a wide range of benefits and services for local business.

Newhaven Chamber of Commerce

Heathfield Chamber of Commerce The Heathfield Chamber is a thriving membership group which covers Heathfield and the surrounding rural economy and provides a forum for local business people to meet, network and develop their businesses.

We support local businesses in Heathfield and the surrounding villages.

The Chamber runs a programme of regular networking opportunities including regular business breakfasts and Wealden Expo – Heathfield’s own business exhibition. We are responsible for the Christmas lampstand lights

Newhaven Chamber of Commerce has over 70 members. We are dedicated to supporting businesses both small and large in the Newhaven area, by organising various events throughout the year including the Seahaven Business Awards, presentations, evening events with guest speakers, social functions such as an annual Karting Challenge between Newhaven, Peacehaven and Seaford Chambers, a Day at the Races, BBQs and trips to the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. In addition we have a vibrant Business Breakfast Club that meets every Wednesday.

We negotiate discounted advertising rates for

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Aces Members our members in the local media. We also run the twice weekly Newhaven Street Market and the once monthly car boot sale in Newhaven Town Centre.

Our mission statement is to enhance and encourage development of trade, employment opportunities and the environment of Newhaven and to re-establish and maintain premier status for Newhaven within Europe.

Tel: 0800 107 0709 Tel: 01273 517544

Peacehaven & District Chamber of Commerce is a thriving modern membership organisation and is the responsible voice of business in the local area.

A dynamic member-led organisation, we work to support the local business community and specifically our network of member businesses.

Our job is to strengthen the position of our members and ensure that the interests of local businesses are heard. We support any size company at any stage of development to grow and prosper within Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs and East Saltdean area.

Run by business owners for business owners, Peacehaven Chamber and ACES are committed to promoting the interests of the business community in East Sussex. By joining the Chamber, members’ business voices are heard.

We have a thriving Breakfast Club on the first and third Tuesday of each month, an evening Dining Club on the last Tuesday of each month and regularly hold networking events with other Chambers of Commerce.

Tel: 01273 586222

Seaford Chamber of Commerce Seaford Chamber welcomes all types and sizes of trades and businesses, from start-ups to established companies, from any sector or from other business organisations.

ACES

We put forward members views on key strategic points affecting the local business community - we are involved in meetings covering local business issues, traffic, parking, etc. within the Seaford area.

Members can support the Chamber in town planning and other local business issues.

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The Chamber regularly holds networking events where members can meet other likeminded businesses. Its Breakfast Meetings take place on the first Thursday of the month at Seaford Golf Club.

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We have close involvement with local councils and provide the opportunity to share in the future of Seaford. The Chamber is a key partner in the ‘Christmas Magic’ late night shopping events and organises regular visits from French and Italian Markets to Seaford.

Tel: 0800 881 5331

ACES GOALS One Voice • For business in East Sussex to influence policy makers.

• For structured, strategic approaches to all local authorities to achieve stated goals.

Infrastructure • To improve the road and rail infrastructure in East Sussex.

Connectivity • To provide superfast broadband to rural and urban East Sussex, as a matter of urgency.

Uckfield Chamber of Commerce Uckfield Chamber of Commerce is a successful networking organisation which also offers advice to businesses and industries of Uckfield and district. It encourages and supports measures to improve the social and economic conditions of the community, and liaises with representatives of outside bodies about business interests affecting the town and district. Uckfield Chamber is a founder member of ACES and is pleased to support and attend all ACES meetings and events with our sister Chambers across East Sussex.

Tel: 01825 722607

• To close East Sussex mobile ‘not spots'.

Marketing • To promote East Sussex as the place to do business outside London.

• To develop the coastal, rural and urban tourism offer across the county.

Skills and Workforce Development • To develop links between business, schools and colleges to ensure students develop the skills needed for work.

• To influence local authorities to provide skills training as required in rural areas as well as urban.

The official magazine for the Alliance

of Chambers in East Sussex

ussex

Issue 2. 2017

SOUTHERN RAIL ISN’T WORKING

A message to the leaders of the RMT, the Department for Transport and Southern Rail:

Enough of the We, your passengers, have had enough. ubiquitous delays, enough of daily cancellations, enough of the ering of your inaction. All of us are suff the unofficial strikes and enough lost our basis, and some of us have even uncertainty and stress on a daily Only you can stop this, so we are jobs because of your imploding ‘service’. out a now, immediately, today, and work asking you to get around the table about have one. We can see sense, it’s deal. Don’t leave the room until you time you did too.

From the Reigate, Redhill & District all Southern Rail Passengers

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

Rail Users’ Association on behalf

of

ACES

ACES

ACES

The official magazine for the Alliance

of Chambers in East Sussex

ussex Issue 3. 2017

DAVID DIMBLEBY

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ACES Magazine is THE voice for all Chambers of Commerce in the county.

Profile of BBC’s Mr Dependable

KEEPING SAFE AT WORK

THE SKILLS ISSUE BRIGHTON & HOVE MOTOR SHOW HONG KONG The City of Life

FOCUS ON

South African Wines PLATINUM PUBLISHING

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ACES

Each issue is delivered to the desks of CEOs, MDs and Owner-Managers across the region, including EVERY member of the Chambers It is also distributed to key public pick-up points across East Sussex.

Your business can reach this influential audience of decision-makers - and all members of the Chambers benefit from significant discounts.

To find out more contact Lesley Alcock by phone (07767 613707) or by email lesley@platinumbusinessmagazine.com Next Issue is published early September and has a two-month shelf life.

The copy deadline is 5th August.

Award-winning pest control services

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Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

THE MAFIA

by Maarten Hoffmann

I

s anyone else sick to the back teeth with being used as a cash cow for councils who are incapable of balancing their books?

It would appear that they need but the slightest opportunity to tax us to death through the back door. Stealth taxes are a cancer on our society and one that we should rally against at every opportunity.

Let me give you one example. Brighton & Hove council have recently installed an average speed camera on the A259 seafront road, east of the Pier. In case you have been in a cave for the past few years, let me explain how they work. Each average speed camera

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is in a pair. One camera films your number plate as you enter a controlled zone and starts a timer. When you leave the zone, the exit camera films both your car and its number plate.

If there’s a match with the entry camera, your speed is calculated, and if over the speed limit the evidence is passed on to the police.

They have been courteous enough to place a small sign at each end, but so small that one needs eyes like a laser beam to see it and tourists are being stung every minute. The highest parking charges outside of London and now this – why would anyone bother to come

to Brighton anymore?

I have the dubious pleasure of driving this route several times a day and l know that stretch of road like the back of my hand. With one or two exceptions, l have never seen a car excessively speeding or seen an accident.

The road is littered with pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, therefore speeding is next to impossible.

With a little digging, l find that the council survey of this road showed that only 5.1% of drivers exceed the speed limit above 36mph.

That means that 94.9% of the driving public are suffering due to the errant 5.1%. As to the

Anger Management

cost, it is an average of £100,000 per mile. The longest stretch covered is 99 miles in the most remote part of the UK, on the A9 through the Highlands between Dunblane and Inverness.

That cost £9,900.000 of tax payers money so that the council can fine drivers and take what is left of their money.

and maintained road networks and one of the highest rates of new car purchases.

as European countries will not give up that information to the UK.

And now we see new laws on speeding fines.

A new law in force since April will allow you to be fined 175% of your weekly wage. According to the Office of National statistics the average salary in the UK, as of April 2015, was £27,600.

Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers pressure group, says the new cameras still cause sudden braking by panicked drivers, but also now cause long stretches of crawling traffic. “People see a camera and immediately put their foot on the brakes,” he says. “It doesn’t lead to good driving. You get people driving along with their eyes glued to the speedometer rather than to the road. In towns people who should be looking for children between the parked cars will be looking at their speedometers. We have no objection to these cameras on motorways while maintenance men are working but we don’t see why they cannot be switched off when work stops. These cameras are spreading like cancer across the country. To have a system covering 99 miles must have something to do with collecting cash rather than road safety.

These cameras do not make roads safer. If they did our accident rate would be reducing enormously and it is not. There’s far more to safe driving than speed.”

Then the insurers get in on the act and can increase car policies by 75% if you have six points. And now the DVLA is selling your information to all European countries so that you can get nailed there too. But shock horror, it does not work the other way round

Road deaths and injuries are a tragedy to the families’ involved but the only way to stop that it is to ban cars. And the only way to make me understand the huge sums of cash generated, is if Brighton had the finest roads in the country maintained by the millions generated by schemes such as this.

These camera systems are there to rake in cash – plain and simple.

Ker-Ching.

We drive large metal boxes around winding and confusing streets littered with signs and instructions. People will be run over by cars – that is a fact of life. We have some of the safest roads in the world, one of the highest levels of new driver tuition, one of the best marked

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Institute of Directors

STRATEGICALLY THINKING

By Dean Orgill, Chair of Sussex IoD and Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com

T

here are lots of things when thinking about businesses that provoke wildly different opinions. For each approach you can find experts proclaiming that this, or that, is the key to success. But one thing we can all agree on is that every business needs a strategy. It goes without saying does it not?

Perhaps it does, but should it?

Many businesses may feel justified in saying that what they are trying to achieve is so obvious it really does not need an ‘Away Day’ to think about it; for discussion groups to go through ideas for someone then to collate on a flip chart, and for someone else to then pull it all together in a document to be stored for the purposes of an ISO or Investors in People audit. Those businesses may feel that they exist to make profit, preferably as much as possible but at the very least “enough”, and that they will do so by selling as many products or services to as many customers as they can. Simple is it not? So why make it any more complicated than it needs to be?

Whilst many of us can probably admit

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to some sympathy towards the process of achieving a strategy as caricatured above, in reality the need to have some form of strategy in place is unarguable.

The original strategists were military, and it could be argued that their requirements were simple too. Your army needs to survive and ideally it will defeat the opposing forces so that you either protect your lands or conquer others.

Those basic aims do translate to business. A business will need to make income to survive, and to thrive and make profit it will need to establish a market share. This will mean establishing and conquering a new market or, more likely now, diverting someone else’s market to you and thus acquiring some of their “lands”.

But of course those aims are not strategy.

They are what you want to achieve, not how you are going to achieve them. Often this is where the thinking begins to become somewhat confused. Is it a strategy to become

the number one in the country in our industry, or is that an aim? If you need to think how you are going to achieve what you have just set out then you are adding the strategy to the aim which you are looking to achieve.

Whilst it is very easy to over-complicate strategic issues, and the processes by which a strategy is produced, I think we should always strive to keep the results as simple as possible.

What are we looking to achieve?

How are we going to do it?

If you can clearly answer those two questions you are on the right path, certainly not at the end but going in the right direction.

If you cannot easily answer both perhaps a re-think is required?

JUST A THOUGHT Is your aim to survive, or to conquer?

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Choose an MBA that recognises your ambitions and goals, and a university that supports, inspires and challenges you.

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FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUSSEX MBA www.sussexmba.com mba@ sussex.ac.uk +44 (0)1273 873522

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