Aces Chambers Magazine issue 7 by Platinum Media Group

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

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Issue 7. 2018

Launch of the

LEWES DISTRICT BUSINESS AWARDS Raise a Glass to

EAST SUSSEX BEER

SMITH & OUZMAN Document storage with added security

EASTBOURNE CHAMBER Helping out in Kenya

RANGE ROVER VELAR Reviewed

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Contents

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ISSUE 7

WELCOME TO THE 7TH EDITION OF ACES MAGAZINE from Christina Ewbank

“A

bsolute power corrupts absolutely” is a quotation by the impressively named historian John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton in 1887. 125 years later we have still not learnt the lesson, as multimillion pound charities send staff off to some of the poorest places on earth that have been wracked by war or natural disasters. Human nature being what it is, these powerful figures must feel like gods when they arrive with millions of pounds of aid they can distribute at will. Choosing who to help, these powerful “country directors” are met with desperate humans who will do anything to survive and feed their children. Without the eyes of the world on them this is a recipe for depraved behaviour, demonstrating that putting absolute power in the hands of a few will undoubtedly lead to corruption. But how do we stop this happening again? Can we rely on journalists to be our eyes and ears when print journalism is reducing and social media finds it difficult to differentiate between real and fake news? Either way, one thing is for certain, the poorest still need our help and we mustn’t thrust our hands in our pockets and ignore them.

ACES News

Legal – Rix & Kay

Recruitment – RSE Group

Police & Crime Commissioner

Health and Safety – Clearwater Safety Group Limited

Interview – Smith & Ouzman

It’s probable that a huge percentage of Oxfam’s aid really helps those who need it most. (Let’s hope that only a tiny proportion has been diverted to corrupt activities.) But maybe an alternative is to get involved yourself? Join a small charity and actually help out.

Business Goals – Martin Riley

Brighton Fringe

One of the team at ACES decided to do just that. On Page 47, Stephen Holt tells how he cleared his diary and booked a flight to Kenya to see what he could do to help out. Read about his experience and see if you can find a way to make a difference.

Town Profile – Lewes

Lewes Chamber of Commerce

Lewes District Business Awards

Business Profile – W.E. Clark & Son

Business Profile –

Christina Ewbank, ACES Facilitator On behalf of the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk Ian Trevett ian@platinumpublishing.co.uk THE PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP Tel: 07966 244046 Tel: 07989 970804 Mail: info@platinumpublishing.co.uk Web: www.platinumpublishing.co.uk ADVERTISING and SPONSORSHIP Lesley Alcock Business Development Director Tel: 07767 613707 Mail: lesley@platinumpublishing.co.uk

Q&A – Nexus Create

Head Designer: Amanda Harrington Travel Editor: Rose Dykins Sub Editor: Kate Morton Food Editor: Amanda Menahem Photographer: Sarah Walker-Bennett Head of Events: Fiona Graves

Charity News – Chestnut Tree House

Business Funding – Edeal

Carrot Events – Awards events

Travel – Buenos Aires

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.

Charity Work Abroad – Kenya

Cricket – Testimonial year for Ed Joyce

Motoring – Range Rover Velar

Hastings Chamber of Commerce –

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GROUP

PUBLISHERS

Richard Soan Roofing Services

Brewing Haven

Interview – Mailing Expert

Seahaven Business Awards

Uckfield Chamber of Commerce

Anger Management

Institute of Directors

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Local News

ACES NEWS

Goplasticpallets.com secures partnership agreement

oplasticpallets. com has signed an exciting new partnership agreement with Italian manufacturer JCOPLASTIC which secures the company sole UK distribution rights for JCOPLASTIC’s impressive range

How can you support your local children’s hospice in 2018?

irst opened in 2003, Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice will celebrate its 15th birthday this November. The charity’s action-packed events calendar includes something for everyone, from an offroad cycling challenge and muddy obstacle course, to a Midsummer Ball. So make Chestnut Tree House’s 15th birthday the year for taking a leap; for crossing the finish line and for doing something you never thought you could do. Take on a challenge for yourself, for your company, for local families. Register for the Littlehampton 10k in September, and take part in

of industrial and agricultural rigid pallet boxes. This partnership Jim Hardisty agreement means that Goplasticpallets. com is now the sole UK distributor for five of Europe’s largest manufacturers – including CABKA-IPS, Gamma-Wopla, Q-Pall and Smart-Flow – putting the company in the very enviable position of being able to offer the largest range of plastic pallets, pallets boxes and small containers available in the UK, most of which are available from stock.

Chestnut Tree House’s original event, which has been running as long as the hospice! The 15th Littlehampton 10k will take place on Sunday 9th September and is suitable for both experienced and first-time runners.

Felicia D’ELIA, Export Sales Manager for JCOPLASTIC, commented: “We’re delighted to have Jim and the team at Goplasticpallets.com on board promoting our industrial and agricultural pallet boxes in the UK. We’re really pleased with their sales achievements so far and are very hopeful for a long and fruitful partnership.” Jim Hardisty, Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com, said: “JCOPLASTIC specialises in manufacturing plastic pallet boxes for industrial and agricultural applications, so we’re thrilled to be in a position to stock many of their products in our UK warehouses in Eastbourne, East Sussex.” JCOPLASTIC’s range of industrial and agricultural pallet boxes includes solid wall and perforated wall designs which stack. All rigid pallet boxes come in grey as standard but Goplasticpallets.com also holds stock in a number of special colours, including blue, green, red and yellow.

“A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well ”

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Those who prefer a challenge on two wheels can sign up for Chestnut Tree House’s second annual Hit the Downs MTB cycling event in May. Cyclists can choose between a 30km and 60km route, which takes in the stunning scenery and views of the South Downs National Park. Or get muddy for Chestnut Tree House by signing up for Operation: MUD – a 5km military-style mud run taking place in July at the award-winning Nuts Challenge course at Henfold Lakes near Dorking.

For details of all upcoming events, visit www.chestnut-treehouse.org.uk/events

Local News

You’re Hired!

ational Apprenticeship Week this year will see the roll out of two valuable Parent & Employer Roadshows in March, and we recommend you come along to find the latest bright young thing for your workforce. These dynamic events will bring together employers, training providers, young people and their parents while providing up-to-date information on traineeships and apprenticeships, from pre-employment to higher and degree apprenticeships. The events will take place at: Eastbourne Town Hall on Thursday March 15th 2018, 5-7pm and at Stade Hall in Hastings on Wednesday March 21st 2018, 5-7pm. Both events will host a marketplace and panel discussion for employers and providers, supported by Apprentice Ambassadors and independent advice organisations. Participation in the event is free. If you would like to take part or find out more, please contact trish.varndall@apprenticeships-in-sussex.com, indicating which event you would like to attend. If you would like to have a stand at either event, just let Trish know.

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Legal

DO ONLINE ESTATE AGENTS MAKE SELLING A HOME MORE STRESSFUL? A new report published this month by Rix & Kay highlights the challenges faced by traditional estate agents, as they battle to convince the public that cheaper online alternatives are not always the answer.

n October last year, the government announced its consultation for improving the home buying and selling process, and called for evidence on how to make the process cheaper, faster and less stressful. There are of course a multitude of reasons why this process is so complicated and anyone who has moved home recently will probably be hoping that they don’t have to move again anytime soon. Whilst we await the outcome of the government’s consultation, and there is still no news on when its findings might be published, Rix & Kay’s report has already raised a number of important themes. The report, which publishes the findings of

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six months of detailed face-to-face interviews with traditional estate agents across the South East, says that sales progression, the support an estate agent provides once an offer has been accepted on a property, is the most skilled and critical phase of the home buying and selling process and that without it, any transaction is more likely to collapse.

“Anyone who has moved home recently will probably be hoping that they don’t have to move again anytime soon.”

In fact, 98% of traditional estate agents who were surveyed during the research, agreed that the home buying process is more likely to collapse in the absence of experienced professionals.The report goes on to suggest that online agents are not providing the necessary sales progression support because of the new business model they have adopted. This insight is supported by another recent research note published by stockbrokers, Jefferies who suggested that Purplebricks’ sales success rate was just over 51%. By comparison, the HomeOwners’ Alliance consumer group suggest traditional agents with a local office sell more than 84% of homes.

Legal How does the new business model work? In simplest terms the new model requires clients to pay an upfront fee which, by comparison, is considerably cheaper than the fees charged by traditional estate agents. The upfront fee provides a guaranteed revenue stream for online agents irrespective of whether they actually sell the property or not. This of course means there is little in the way of motivation or incentive, and certainly no obligation, for the provider to support sales progression and complete a successful sale.

“84% of traditional estate agents think the public don’t truly understand the role of a traditional estate agent and that most people believe that simply listing a property on Rightmove is enough to sell it.” Results from 60 respondents

What does this mean for the consumer? Those people who decide to use an online estate agent are choosing a very different way of selling their property. The problem appears to be that, for most, they are simply not aware of the differences and often people assume they are buying the same or similar services that are provided by traditional estate agents. The worrying theme emerging from Rix & Kay’s report suggests that 84% of traditional estate agents think the public don’t truly understand the role of a traditional estate agent and that most people believe that simply listing a property on Rightmove is enough to sell it. The result is that many people are being left without the support they need to sell their home. This is leading to a longer and more protracted sales process which is more stressful and, on some occasions, more expensive as people return to traditional agents to support them having already paid an upfront fee to an online agent. But it’s not just those who are being supported by online agents who are affected. Rix & Kay’s report highlights a growing concern from traditional estate agents who suggest their clients are at risk as chains are more prone to collapsing when online agents are involved.

What does this mean for traditional estate agents? All of the estate agents interviewed in Rix & Kay’s report gave examples of having to provide additional support to those represented by online agents just to ensure that chains didn’t collapse, meaning it was costing them more to provide their services and ultimately putting additional pressure on their bottom line.

paid at the end of the process but because I honestly believe that most successful agents have a strong desire to really help people move in a way that is as stress free and cost effective as possible.”

For more information and a full copy of the report email scottgarner@ rixandkay.co.uk

“98% of traditional estate agents who were surveyed during the research, agreed that the home buying process is more likely to collapse in the absence of experienced professionals.” Results from 60 respondents

Tracey Wells, who is a Director at Home & Castle Estate Agents based in Polegate, and participated in the report explains: “Online estate agents are not a direct threat to most traditional estate agents and it’s not market share that is our concern. What’s more worrying is the strain and additional pressure online agents are bringing to the home buying and selling process because they are not concerned about completing a successful sale and are not providing the support that clients need. Unfortunately, traditional agents feel obliged to step in to try and support the whole process or run the risk of the chain collapsing.

Tracey Wells

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Recruitment

THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE By RSE Group’s Managing Director, Mandy Brook. So, I ask you this, when was the last time you were vulnerable with another business owner? Yes, it takes authenticity, yes being the one that goes ‘first’ sometimes is very scary, it takes courage (see TED Talk below) but you may just be able to help someone move forward; you may have the one answer that helps that person make the change they need to overcome their challenge that month, and make their life easier. And do you know what, it might work the other way around too? The help you have been seeking is a conversation away if you’re brave enough! I want to share this TED Talk where Brené Brown studies human connection and vulnerability: www.ted.com/talks/brene_ brown_on_vulnerability In this video Brown says to have courage, the word being derived from the French word “Coeur” meaning “of the heart”; it simply means to tell a story with your whole heart, or to be vulnerable in its telling. There is real power here, power for each and every one of us, not just the business owner - do you let your leaders and your team be vulnerable? Can they learn from their mistakes without fear of reprisal? Can they be innovative

f you were to describe yourself as a business owner to another business owner, how would you do it?

Would you say you’re a great leader of people, who never has a problem, who thrives under pressure and is always a success? Would you say how much good you have done for your company and your team, how much money you have made, who you have met, who you have influenced and how great it is being you? I guarantee that out of every 20 business owners you talk to, 95% of them would give you a story about their business and their job, similar to the terms in the paragraph above

- it’s great, all is well, everything is fabulous! It’s a ‘Fake it till you make it’ syndrome for most, but for some of them it’s true, and huge respect to them! The reason I ask is that as a business owner/ MD, my business isn’t always fantastic. I have great months - fabulous months in terms of revenue, people and success - but I also have OK months, catastrophic months and quarters, cash flow issues, client issues, people issues, and confidence issues with my own performance. My emotions are up and down in turn with these months; it effects my home life, my health, how much I eat and drink and I have sleepless nights.

and creative? Are you an employer that encourages autonomy, individual thought? Maybe you need to look at your teams’ wellbeing, your leaders’ wellbeing, your own wellbeing, and remember that it takes courage as a leader to care, to give a damn. We have a wellbeing, emotional engagement arm of the RSE Group where we can measure your teams’ or an individual’s wellbeing; this helps improve your organisation’s performance by reducing sickness absence, staff attrition and accidents in the workplace. We all need more productivity and less of these don’t we? If you’d like to know more, please email me at mandy@rsegroup.agency or call me on 01424 830000.

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Police & Crime Commissioner

WORKING TOGETHER TO STOP THE TRAFFIC by Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner

he Home Office estimates that there are 13,000 modern slaves living in the UK but the true number is more likely to be in the tens of thousands. UK police recorded 2,255 modern slavery crimes in 2016-17, a rise of 159% on the same period the previous year and figures in Sussex show a similar picture. There were 51 reported crimes of modern slavery in Sussex between 1st October 2016 to 30th September 2017 – a 155% increase on the previous year. It’s clear that this problem goes beyond county boundaries, which is why I invited the Police and Crime Commissioners in Hampshire, Surrey and Thames Valley to join me and host a ground-breaking regional conference on tackling modern slavery and human trafficking last summer. Slavery is happening right here, today, and it’s only by working together that we can build a clearer picture of the scale of the problem and find better ways to tackle it - and protect vulnerable people who have fallen victim. In January I brought together key players in the business and commerce sector across Sussex to explore how these ‘hidden crimes’ are affecting our communities and how, as a collective, we can tackle them. Over 20 delegates attended this engagement event, representing the Federation of Small Businesses, local Chambers of Commerce, and Brighton & Hove Business Crime Reduction Partnership, among others, with a combined network of over 100,000 members. Sara Clancy, Ethical Adviser to The Body Shop spoke about how businesses can identify if they are at risk of modern slavery and the measures they can take to mitigate this: “Currently modern slavery is on the increase

PCC Katy Bourne with Hastings MP and Home Secretary Amber Rudd at the recent launch of the Discovery Partnership in Hastings, which is one of the largest collective approaches in the UK dedicated to exposing human trafficking and modern slavery. and we have learnt that it is only through working in partnership with others that we can eradicate modern slavery in the UK and across the world. I really appreciated the insight gained at the meeting and the commitment by all parties to work together to eradicate slavery in Sussex and provide safe spaces for victims of modern slavery.” STOP THE TRAFFIK has spent 14 years seeking to raise levels of understanding of modern slavery and human trafficking and how to spot it in our communities. Director, Neil Giles, has applauded our efforts to tackle slavery in Sussex. In Hastings and Rother, we have supported their appointment of a Community Co-ordinator and I have also funded a new post - Sussex Police’s first AntiModern Slavery Delivery Manager. This role will be dedicated to working with partners to better understand the complexities and scale

across Sussex, and provide the right level of interventions and support to the victims of this emerging crime. However, policing alone cannot stop slavery. It needs every aspect of civil society, communicating effectively and sharing what each knows with one another, and with the community at large, that helps make us all more resilient. There is a long way to go but I am confident that together, we can stop the traffic.

For information on national reporting and support helplines, please visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/ how-to-report-modern-slavery/how-toreport-modern-slavery www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modernslavery

of modern slavery and human trafficking

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Health & Safety

SAFE AND SOUND It’s a lawful requirement to ensure proper health and safety procedures in the workplace, says Rob Slater, Director of Clearwater Safety Group Ltd

clearwater safety group limited

learwater Safety Group are a locally based health and safety consultancy. We work with owners and managers of small to medium sized companies who know that they should manage health and safety in their organisation, but who lack either the time or specialist knowledge to do it. We have three departments: General Health & Safety – which includes Construction Safety and CDM; Fire Safety; and Environmental Management. Our knowledge base across the three sections means we can advise and assist you with a very wide range of issues. Every business is required by law to have access to competent safety advice. You probably already talk to specialists; accountants about the company finances, your legal team about contracts etc, the techies about IT or websites, so the same should go for health and safety. The law doesn’t say you don’t need anyone ‘in house’ to be your accountant or lawyer; health and safety is the same. So how can we benefit you and your company? We can’t take away the responsibility for health and safety, that stays with you, but we can help manage it by creating policies and procedures to make sure that the work you do is done as safely as possible. Accidents can happen everywhere, and the personal and financial costs can be horrendous. But with Clearwater Safety Group’s help, using our Science of Compliance, you can rest easier and it’s our aim to give you peace of mind. Health and Safety is needed to a greater or lesser extent in all industry sectors from home offices to building sites. Our consultants

have years of experience gained in many work sectors and can create bespoke solutions for your company’s needs. • We can write or update your health and safety policy and other documents. • We can be your named ‘Competent Person’. • We can carry out risk assessments on the different parts of your business and give sensible recommendations for any remedial works that are needed. • We can carry out Fire Risk Assessment and generate an action plan with recommendations for remedial actions and timescales. • We can help you with your environmental management, by ensuring you are compliant with the necessary legislation, and helping your company be ‘greener’.

Clearwater Safety Group can be your one stop shop for health and safety and environmental advice. www.clearwater-safety.co.uk

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Interview

PRINTING WITH SECURITY Smith & Ouzman has been trusted with the printing of secure documents such as cheques and ballot papers for over 70 years, and the Ouzman family’s involvement in the printing business can be traced back to 1845. Ian Trevett met with Dinah Ouzman, Local Business Development Manager and Adam Jeacock, Head of Marketing & Business Development, to find out more about this global organisation. Dina Ouzman

mmediately upon visiting the print-works, it is clear Smith & Ouzman is quite different to other companies. The reception area is a small lobby with a single phone on the wall, there is no receptionist in sight and there’s a vault grade security door with biometric entry. There is, of course, a reason for this, the overriding priority of the company is security and no-one is invited past the lobby until properly checked over and authorised. Smith & Ouzman has contracts all over the world and has all the expected accreditations and ISO rubber stamps you’d expect of a company that can only exist if it is implicitly trusted. The thing about security is it’s hard to tell the world what you do. Case studies are impossible if you guarantee your clients complete anonymity. But Smith & Ouzman doesn’t just produce gift vouchers, examination certificates, election material and cheques, it also offers a vital service for local companies looking to comply with the unavoidable requirements of GDPR. But first who are Smith and Ouzman? The Chairman and Managing Director is Phil Ouzman, his wife Dinah joined the company a year ago to develop local business opportunities. The surname suggests that there is a long-standing connection with the business: “Phil’s great-grandfather Jack Ouzman established the company in 1946 with Charles Smith,” explains Dinah. “Phil is the third generation to be involved and being part of such a long-standing family firm he has seen many changes over the years: “We credit our longevity with two main driving forces – an unquenchable determination to innovate and lead the field in printing technology and a commitment to the ‘old fashioned’ values of personal service and minute attention to detail. In our opinion one approach doesn’t succeed without the other”. “Since the advent of computers there has been talk of the paperless office but in today’s digital world hard copy

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Interview

documentation is still as important as ever, people love the physical aspect of a bit of paper or a photograph to look at. They like something to hold and to feel, and so we are bridging that gap, we can provide both. For examining bodies, for instance, we can print a physical certificate with built-in security or we can produce an online certificate with the same level of security.” Print certainly survives, but what does ‘security’ printing actually mean in practice? Dinah replies: “We use specialised inks and paper only available to a company such as ours, watermarks, holograms, UV and thermochromic components – there are many different types of security features that we can add depending on the customer’s requirements. A lot goes into a properly designed security feature - some overt and some covert. “Taking gift vouchers as an example, they need to have a security element such as a hologram, which is difficult for fraudsters to recreate but is also instantly recognisable to someone on the till”, that is an overt feature. A covert feature would be one such as a UV watermark which only shows up when a ultraviolet lamp is shone upon it.

Creating products of such value or political significance means there are always people out there trying to cheat the system. I ask Dinah how the company keeps ahead of the fraudsters? “Phil spends much of his time keeping abreast of new developments, he is always reading specialist articles or attending conferences such as ones delivered by Intergraf (The European Federation for Print & Digital Communication). We collaborate with the manufacturers of the specialist inks and others in the industry and we are constantly working on different security features to outwit the fraudsters. So what are the biggest threats in the 21st Century? Adam Jeacock replies, “The biggest risk of fraud right now is probably overseas examination certificates. In the US and in China you can legally order a ‘novelty’ certificate from a ‘diploma mill’. Essentially you can go on the internet and order a certificate, these can be good enough to fool people. “There is a risk to the reputation of educational institutions, but the bigger risk is that of identity fraud which could be used for organised crime or terrorist activity. This is why it’s a requirement for all UK education

certificates to carry security features and conform to Ofqual requirements. “As an example, A Level and GCSE certificates are managed by awarding bodies; they aren’t actually managed by the school or the college. There are various awarding bodies that manage GCSEs and A Levels, so they are the ones that procure the certificates. The same applies in the CPD (Continuous Professional Development) sector where bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants or the Chartered Institute of Marketing issue the certificates. “There’s a government-run awarding body that regulates all awards. You can’t just set yourself up as an awarding body, you have to be accredited. They oversee such things as data protection and they investigate falsified certificates. All certificates have to meet their criteria” As well as innovating on print and digital printing, Smith & Ouzman has invested heavily in IT systems and data protection. Dinah says, “We have a large IT department because that’s hugely important nowadays. GDPR insists that companies look after their customers’ data, but being robust and secure has always been important for us.”

Adam Jeacock (right) with a colleague (Mike Avery)

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Interview

DOCUMENT STORAGE Smith and Ouzman is an international business, but it also offers an important secure storage solution for businesses in East Sussex, which goes above and beyond the service typically offered by a selfstorage site.

Adam takes up the theme: “Where we are picking up more business is in the quality of our digital platforms. It’s not unusual for an employer to contact a university to validate an award, and the university administrator may literally have to go into a cupboard and search through a load of paper work. It can take 2-3 weeks for them to authenticate an enquiry as it’s such an inefficient process. “Our business model has moved on over the last four years and we have migrated to more of a service type model where we are integrating software and management solutions into the physical products. All of our digital platforms fit that kind of model, so whilst we’re still creating secure and sensitive documents, we are also developing software solutions that help make the process of procuring, producing and distributing those documents more secure and more efficient. Our electronic certificate system makes it instantly possible to verify that the certificate, name and grades are genuine. Dinah adds, “We’ve been very innovative with our products, especially in the IT department. We quite often go to companies and work with them to provide a solution to fit their needs. They may have a problem, they don’t know how to fix it and we’ve acted in a collaborative role, more as a trusted advisor. To be successful now, you need to offer more than just a printing service.”

www.smith-ouzman.com In the box to the right Adam and Dinah explain how they can help Sussex businesses.

“With GDPR approaching we have seen growth in secure document management”, says Adam Jeacock. It is a legal requirement for a limited company to keep records for six years, some businesses have to keep them in perpetuity but where do you keep these sensitive documents? Dinah Ouzman has the answer, “The physical document storage service we offer is particularly useful for local businesses as there is no one else supplying this service in this area. Using office space for storing large quantities of paperwork is a waste of resources and can be an expensive drain, it also leaves you open to data being lost, stolen or destroyed by fire. Our eKeeper product offers secure storage, online retrieval and destruction with auditable processes”. “Each customer is given their own online portal to keep track of their documents. The documents will be logged from leaving their office, to “in transit” and then in “secure storage”. Once in our secure warehouse facility the customer can easily use the portal to request that documents be returned or more collected. The digital part of the business makes it more user-friendly because we are all used to using the computer nowadays, we don’t want to pick up the phone we’d rather just login and make a couple of clicks. “We offer two plans based on how often you will need to access your documents, prices start at just 40p per month per archive box, our second plan includes free collection and free delivery in Eastbourne we’re just making it a little bit different and more customer focused.” “Businesses can start with as little as one box, we don’t mind how many they want to keep with us. We can come and collect or the customer can come to the warehouse for a click ‘n’ collect option. If certain documents have to be kept for six years we can notify them when that box has hit its sixth year, they can then use the portal to authorise that the box be shredded and a certificate of destruction is issued. “Our facility has been used to store our security paper over the years, so the humidity is perfect for paper whereas a lot of storage companies may have an impressive website but the reality is a barn at the back of a farm which is damp, with no fire precaution and no security apart from a padlock. Our warehouse is an unmarked building with alarms that are monitored 24/7, CCTV and key codes.” “We are trusted by universities, local authorities, corporate businesses, banks and government departments to protect them and their customers from fraud and forgery, and we would be delighted to do the same for local businesses as well.”

www.ekeepersecure.com

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Business Goals

STRATEGIC GOALS Action from Confidence Martin Riley introduces further tools to achieve your strategic plans

rom my previous article you may remember Peter, an MD who struggled to prioritise his strategic goals. With this in mind, I’d like to introduce some further concepts for creating strategic goals that you’re more likely to achieve. As this is about strategic goals, here’s a quick recap of the difference between strategic and day-to-day goals: • Day-to-day goals are what you normally do to make your business work • Strategic goals fundamentally improve your business in the long-term

See Your Business as a System To make your planning more successful, you need to be confident that the goals you are choosing will have a significant impact. If you just pluck a goal out of thin air, or from a list of things you think you ‘should’ do, you may not be convinced that you’re tackling the right challenges first. Uncertainty leads to lack of motivation and goals not being prioritised.

cause for this may be a lack of good leadership, management or HR processes. An apparent need for better sales and marketing may be underpinned by poor customer retention due to an inadequate product, or a failure to offer after sales care.

To raise your confidence, and therefore your focus and motivation, you need to be able to see your business as a system and to be able to see where you are weak or strong.

The 80/20 rule, also known as The Pareto Principle, suggests that 20% of what we do produces 80% of the results that we want, therefore there is a disproportion of effort to achieve a result.

“ If you just pluck a goal out of thin air, or from a list of things you think you ‘should’ do, you may not be convinced that you’re tackling the right challenges first”

80/20 Rule

The core principle being that: • There is an inequality in the results of our efforts • We need to focus on what is most fruitful The key to using this rule is to identify the 20% to improve that will affect 80% of your results.

Cause and Effect Relationships

The Power Of Threes

You need to be able to see the cause and effect interrelations of the main parts of your business and identify where a fix or improvement will have greatest effect.

Now you have confidence in what you need to change, you need to choose your annual priorities, ideally limiting them to three. If you have less than three priorities, insufficient progress is made. More than three, and it becomes hard to focus. In addition, you want to engage your staff in your plans, and most

For example, poor customer service may appear to be a key issue but the underlying

people do not easily remember more than three things. When everyone has your priorities in mind, these act as a focus against which all decisions are made.

Why Peter Failed Although Peter had identified his most important goal, he failed to carve out the time to make that happen. It is important to have real confidence that your strategic goals will actually make a big difference. This confidence - identifying what is essential - creates the motivation and commitment to see those goals through. To help my clients, I use a diagnostic - The Business Jet Engine® model - that shows your business as a system, clearly identifying every area and how each can effect the other. With a focus on the weaker, high priority areas, we build plans around the one, two or three strategic goals that will most effectively develop your business in the year ahead.

Try the diagnostic for free at businessjetengine.co.uk Martin Riley Leadership & Business Development 01424 892200 www.martin-riley.co.uk

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ENTERTAINING AT THE FRINGE

Fringe City

he colour and excitement of Brighton Fringe returns in May to deliver the largest arts festival in England, and the third largest fringe festival in the world. Each year we welcome over half a million people to Brighton & Hove who we hope to stimulate, educate and entertain a wide audience by providing a showcase for diverse art forms in a friendly, supportive environment.

key partners to bring brands, products and services to life in innovative and novel ways. Packages range from Activation Partner (booking a space for a stall, stand or activation) to Headline Sponsor, which includes naming rights and the opportunity for further branding on the Fringe City archway and four performance stages.

A fantastic spot for brand activation, Fringe City takes over pedestrianised New Road in the centre of Brighton every weekend during Fringe. Roaming performers and open air stages showcase the best of Brighton Fringe and offer myriad opportunities for brands to get involved.

Brighton Fringe is completely unfunded and are only able to do all this thanks to corporate support and partnerships. They’re proud of the positive relationships they build with businesses and have a range of exciting ways to work together tailored to individual needs.

Fringe Hub

Social Media

Unique hosted events are available at the Fringe Hub for artists, producers and corporate partners. Everything is provided for a great party: good food and drink, a beautifully designed and comfortable space, interesting people, great music and some impromptu live performances.

Brighton Fringe social media engagement continues to grow at an impressive rate and is an excellent way to capitalise on any ‘on the ground’ brand activations. Boasting over 50,000 Twitter followers and a combined Facebook and Instagram audience of 15,000, Brighton Fringe social media support is a strong way to connect.

The Brighton Fringe team work all year round to nurture fringe arts in the city and beyond. The organisation connects local, national and international artists and organisations to promote their work, to develop professionally and to meet other artists, promoters, venues and businesses. Partners ﬁnd they have new audiences, increased visibility and enhanced awareness as a result of working with us. Fringe work with

Corporate Packages Brighton Fringe corporate packages are designed to be as ﬂexible as possible, from a small number of clients, a large team or whole department. It’s even possible to take over a whole night and be a co-host with the Fringe. All packages are bespoke.

Julian Caddy, Managing Director of Brighton Fringe, commented, “Brighton Fringe is a really unique opportunity for businesses to support the arts and in turn grow their audience in a very organic way. We’re an exciting, growing festival and value these relationships enormously.”

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TOWN PROFILE - Lewes

LEWES With an historic legacy still celebrated today, a hub of creatives and antique lovers at its heart, and a £180m regeneration scheme expected to transform the town, Lewes and its townspeople continue to charm. Words by Kate Morton

t’s small but perfectly formed. The beautiful county town of Lewes in East Sussex - with its pagan goings-on, medieval twittens, old English architecture, Norman Castle, and famous brewery - is an unusual and quirky place, located in the heart of the South Downs, surrounded by chalk cliffs.

Population 17,297 Gender 51% females 49% males

William Morris, one of the 19th century’s most celebrated designers, described it beautifully: ‘You can see Lewes lying like a box of toys under a great amphitheatre of chalk hills ... on the whole it is set down better than any town I have seen in England’.

Age Groups 0-17 years - 3,891 18-64 years - 10,547 65+ years - 3,425 Ref: Census 2011

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Once a market town, Lewes boasts a

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range of small, independent and specialist businesses, from hidden flea markets and antique shops, to the Fifteenth Century Bookshop - a collector’s treasure trove of rare and collectables, all housed in a fifteenth century beamed-building on the High Street - and The Needlemakers, an industrial factory building famed for its past candle production and surgical needle manufacturing during WW1, now a craft emporium housing collectibles, vintage and fair trade goods. Although surrounded by cliffs, Lewes is dominated by the presence of Lewes Castle. Standing at the highest point of Lewes, this

TOWN PROFILE - Lewes Cliffe Bonfire Society still march under the No Popery banner, burning an effigy of Paul V. March, the Pope in 1606. For each society, seven in total, Lewes Bonfire Night is an act of remembrance and a tradition that has stood for over centuries; with a procession through the town and the laying of wreathes at the war memorial.

Lewes Castle

1000 year old Norman Castle, once called Bray Castle, offers stunning panoramic views across the Sussex countryside, accessed via a series of spiral staircases leading to the highest tower, and was built in order to control a critical part of the Sussex coast. Now predominately a ruin, Lewes Castle was one of the first castles in England following the Norman Conquest and Battle of Hastings in 1066.

the reign of Queen Mary, and who were burned at the stake in Lewes in the 1550s. Seven separate bonfire societies parade through the streets of Lewes every year;

For a Lewes Bonfire virgin, shock it most certainly will. For a local, it’s the norm. Effigies are one such tradition that get bigger and better each year; Trump effigies have proven popular in recent years, one of which he, along with Kim Jong-un, were strapped naked to a rocket, and then there was one of Trump on his own, dressed as a clown, riding a donkey. Harvey Weinstein, again proved popular as the one to watch burn in November last year; as well as Vladimir Putin wearing a neon green mankini. Past and current Prime Ministers haven’t managed to escape nor members

The Barbican House next door is home to the Museum of Sussex Archaeology, and houses a mini cinema and artefacts such as animal skulls, Anglo-Saxon clothing, medieval gold rings and fine Roman pottery. Steeped in history, this medieval town is known for having its own independent spirit. Thomas Paine was one such example of this independence. One of the founding fathers of the United States, Paine was an Englishborn American political activist, philosopher, political theorist and revolutionary. In 1768, he was appointed to Lewes, where he lived above the 15th-century Bull House, the tobacco shop of Samuel Ollive and Esther Ollive.

Lewes Bonfire procession

Paine first became involved in civic matters when he was based in Lewes. He appears in the Town Book as a member of the Court Leet, the governing body for the town. He was also a member of the parish vestry, an influential local church group whose responsibilities for parish business would include collecting taxes and tithes to distribute among the poor. With a flair for being different, Lewes’ interesting ancient past is still celebrated today. One such celebration is the famous Lewes Bonfire - the UK’s largest bonfire night festivity. Always held on the 5th November, the event not only marks the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, but also commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs from the town, victims of the relentless persecution of Protestants during

Lewes Bonfire night from the hills above

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The Sussex Disability Charity

“Working 9-5

What a way to start your giving!”

Your support at work can change lives, whether you work 9-5, 7-3 part-time or full-time. Choosing The Bevern Trust as your preferred local charity gives you and your colleagues the opportunity to see firsthand how teamwork through volunteering, or participating in a sponsored challenge together, changes the lives of profoundly disabled people in Sussex for good. Businesses like SGN (above) Harvey’s, W.E Clark & Sons and HRS Creative have all seen first hand, why getting involved with The Bevern Trust is a game-changer.

“Profile-raising, fundraising, morale-boosting events that you and your colleagues will love to be a part of, time and again.” Bringing disability to the forefront is important to us and working with more local businesses helps us spread the message of inclusivity and diversity. You can help. Join us and your place of work can make a positive difference to the lives of profoundly disabled people in your community.

★ Volunteer for a day

Get together, get out of the office and make a huge difference to the lives of profoundly disabled people at our home near Lewes. We provide the lunch, you dedicate your day to improving the lives of vulnerable people.

Visit www.beverntrust.org or call 01273 021241 to get started.

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TOWN PROFILE - Lewes

The Lewes Pound of Parliament - not to everyone’s political stance, but a tradition that no-one seems to have stopped as yet. One national newspaper described it so boldly as “a head-on collision with Halloween and Mardi Gras”. You will also find an effigy of Fawkes himself along with a procession of seventeen burning crosses and amazing firework displays.

multiplying wealth and building resilience in the local economy. By spending money in local outlets, Lewes can strengthen the relationships between local shopkeepers and the community, and supports people finding new ways to make a living. In such an eclectic place to live and work,

there’s no wonder that there is a strong sense of business community in Lewes. One such place is The Hive - a professional community of freelancers, small businesses, charities and social enterprises, offering affordable office space and local networking. With office space, desk space and event space to hire, The Hive is literally a ‘hive’ of creatives and organisations; you’ll also find artists exhibiting their work here during Artwave Festival - Lewes’ annual open house festival of artists and makers. And for the art lovers? A unique new arts venue, Depot, opened last year and is an independent community three-screen cinema and caferestaurant run as a charity - Lewes Community Screen. Taking its name from the site which used to be a depot for Royal Mail, and later for Harvey’s Brewery, Depot screens a variety of new releases, documentaries, classics and family films. With community at its core, Lewes boasts a fairly impressive number of long-established

In Business, the town has been identified as unusually diverse with numerous specialist, independent retailers as opposed to chain retailers and large corporate retail outlets. It’s so diverse that it introduced its own currency in 2008. The Lewes Pound was set up to keep spending local; a creative yet practical way for local people to make money for Lewes. The Lewes Pound is essentially a voucher or token that can be traded locally and used alongside sterling - one Lewes Pound is equal to £1. According to the New Economics Foundation, money spent locally stays within the community and is re-used many times,

The Depot Café

The Depot Arts Venue

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TOWN PROFILE - Lewes and notable companies, that started their life in Lewes and continue to this day. One such firm is Harvey’s Brewery, sitting proud by the River Ouse overlooking Cliffe Bridge. Established in 1790 by John Harvey, this family run business (Harvey & Son Ltd) now in its eighth generation, has been part of the Lewes landscape for over 200 years and boasts the seventh generation of John Harvey’s descendants amongst its directors. With its rustic Neo-Gothic design, it is made up of the Tower and a Brew House, along with a Georgian fermenting room, cellars and Vat House - the Vat House has been converted and expanded over the years and practices the modern bottling process. And with the exception of a few modern changes, the process of brewing the ales continues to remain in the style to that of a brewer a hundred years ago. All of Harvey’s ales are unpasteurised and described by the company themselves, as the ‘champagne of beers’ believed to be achieved by selecting the finest of raw materials with unique local conditions, and brewed within a traditional brewhouse. Harvey’s produce cask-conditioned, kegged, canned and bottled ales which are found all around the South East of England. In 2016, after many years of keg beers being absent from the brewery’s portfolio, a limited range of them was introduced. In the same year, the company made its first entry into the canned beer market with a range that included its flagship Sussex Best Bitter. They also offer premium cigars which are kept within a humidor to endure the right temperature and humidity is maintained.

Harveys Brewery

Other long-standing businesses of interest include Pells Pool. Built in 1860, Pells Pool is the oldest freshwater lido in England and celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2011. Pells Pool is spring-fed and set within tree-lined parkland. And Edward Reeves Photography Studio, established in Lewes The new Lewes skate park development at Malling in 1858, is thought to be the oldest continuously operated new development in the centre of Lewes, North photographic studio in the Street Quarter, designed to regenerate the world. The studio is now run by Edward’s greatarea around North Street and the Phoenix grandson Tom, the fourth generation of Reeves Industrial Estate, reconnecting it to the heart photographers. of Lewes; there really is no stopping this And with planning granted for an exciting vibrant town.

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW • Anne of Cleves’ House (right) is a beautiful medieval timber house, bequeathed to Henry VIII’s fourth wife as part of her divorce settlement. Open to the public, the house takes you back to life in Tudor times. • The Railway Land Nature Reserve is a wild place beside the River Ouse. Used for over fifty years as rail yards, the 20-acre site is an urban wildlife haven and ecological site, home to the award-winning sustainable building, the Linklater Pavilion. • Lewes Community Football Club is 100% owned by its fans and local community. It recently made headlines for being the first club in the world to pay its women’s team the same as its men’s team. • The deadliest avalanche in British History took place in Lewes in 1836. Boulder Row, a row of seven workers’ cottages on South Street, was destroyed by the 20ft deep avalanche. An inn, The Snow Drop, was built in 1840 to commemorate the disaster.

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Don’t just join

join in! The Chamber has four key priorities:

Benefits of membership include:

• Promote local trade and commerce.

• Regular networking opportunities.

• Protect the interests of the local business community.

• A voice to liaise, consult and lobby on matters affecting business in Lewes.

• Support local businesses.

• Opportunities to share news and offers via our email newsletters and social media.

• Engage with the wider community.

Membership starts from £60 per annum or £25 for voluntary and not-for-profit organisations – visit our website for more information.

www.leweschamber.org.uk

LewesChamber

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24-25 Cliffe High St, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2AH eyecare@spectrumeyecare.co.uk

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01273 480303

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TOWN PROFILE - Lewes

LEWES’ NORTH STREET QUARTER DEVELOPMENT

orth Street Quarter is a £180m regeneration scheme to provide Lewes with much needed affordable housing along with employment space, including space for creative businesses, a brand new health hub and public car park. The landowners, North Street Quarter Ltd and Lewes District Council, have taken great care to ensure the development is sympathetically designed to complement the character and heritage of Lewes and its industrial past. Planning permission for the development has been granted by the South Downs National Park Authority, and the land owners are currently working towards discharging the planning conditions before work begins on the site. The development is to be built on a 15-acre brownfield site between North Street and the River Ouse, including the area formerly known as the Phoenix Industrial Estate. Flood defences to protect the North Street Quarter and the Pells area will be constructed as part of the scheme, completing the town’s flood defences. The development will create new public access to the Computer generated image of the new ironworks building in North Street Quarter river with a footbridge and riverside promenade. This will provide Lewes with an attractive riverside leisure area, for residents and visitors to enjoy. North Street Quarter will be developed in three phases over the next few years. The first phase will comprise the health hub, the car park, employment space and 243 of the 416 houses, including the majority of the affordable homes. The scheme has already enabled several local projects in Lewes, including a new skate park at Malling Fields and a state-of-the-art new factory for John Gosnell & Co, the Lewes-based soap and cosmetic manufacturer. Councillor Andy Smith, Leader of the Lewes District Council, said: “North Street Quarter will transform Lewes, not just in terms of the built environment, but also in the opportunities it creates for economic, cultural and social prosperity. The project will see 416 new homes constructed, 40% of these will be affordable, a health hub for 26,000 patients, 140,000 sq. feet of business space, a riverside promenade and underground public car park. This once in a generation development, will change lives for generations to come.”

Left: Computer generated image of North Street Quarter’s riverside access and public square

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Lewes-based design and communications agency delivering innovative and engaging designs for a wide range of clients in the private, public and voluntary sectors

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Lewes Chamber of Commerce

DON’T JUST JOIN – JOIN IN! Lewes Chamber of Commerce promotes Lewes as a place for people to come, work, stay, eat and shop.

ith quirky independent retailers shopping in Lewes is a delight. It’s also the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat or a drink in one of our historic pubs. The High Street runs from the very top of Lewes Town down to the Cliffe precinct area. There are some great shops

Commerce you become part of one of the town’s most effective business groups. You increase the opportunities to do business within Lewes. You can share your knowledge and expertise, and in turn you get access to a new business network. The Chamber is the voice of the Lewes’ business community and

scattered along the way and visitors often miss some of the unique shops situated at the very top. Cliffe High Street is packed with great vintage & antiques shops. There's a regular farmers market in Cliffe Precinct on the 1st Saturday of the month and weekly food market every Friday in the Market Tower.

we use this voice to help our members build successful businesses. Ultimately, we want what’s in the best interest of the town and what helps to bring business and revenue here.

When you join the Lewes Chamber of

As an organisation we are only as good as our members and their involvement. We are a voice to liaise, consult and lobby Town, District and County Councils on matters that

affect business in Lewes. We run regular networking events including breakfasts and lunches, and ad hoc. Through our growing programme of activities and through our close links with relevant organisations, we provide a wide range of benefits and opportunities for members that are unavailable to other businesses.

secretary@leweschamber.org.uk www.leweschamber.org.uk Facebook: /LewesChamber Twitter: @LewesChamber

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Business Awards

THE LEWES DISTRICT BUSINESS AWARDS ARE BACK – WITH A NEW VENUE! Amex Stadium to host prestigious awards night in July www.lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk

he fifth Lewes District Business Awards will be launched on Tuesday 13 March with a new venue announced for awards night.

Thursday 19 July but also a growing list of sponsors and a wide range of categories.

Lewis District Council has revealed the prestigious ceremony, celebrating local business success, excellence and innovation, will be held at the Amex Stadium in Falmer this summer.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for many different types of businesses to come together and celebrate the District’s business talent and achievement.”

The official launch will take place at The Depot in Lewes with all awards free to enter and open to companies of all sizes across all sectors within Lewes district.

To view a full list this year’s categories and to enter visit www. lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk. Businesses can enter up to three categories and the deadline for submissions is 30 April 2018.

David Sheppard, Chairman of Sussex Chamber of Commerce and Chair of Judges, said: “It is fantastic to see the Awards go from strength to strength and we hope as many people as possible will enter.

To be added to the mailing list, book tickets or discuss sponsorship packages email fiona@platinumpublishing.co.uk

“Not only do we have an exciting new venue for finals night on

Last year’s winers

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Guests at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awards ceremony

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Business Profile

W.E. CLARK & SON A Lewes institution

David Clark is the fourth generation of his family to be the Managing Director at the long-established and iconic jewellers W.E. Clark & Son. Next year the jewellers celebrates 200 years in Lewes, but this is a forward-thinking business as David explains to Ian Trevett.

djacent to the Cliffe Bridge and overlooking the River Ouse, W. E. Clark & Son jewellers is just as familiar a sight as the nearby Harveys Brewery. The county town of Lewes is steeped in history and has maintained its character and heritage, and W.E. Clark is a reassuringly stable landmark. However, as traditional as it may seem, this is not an old-fashioned business stuck in the past. The interior is modern and contemporary, the jewellery is on trend and the business embraces the latest technology. It is apparent that this is a jewellers that intends to adapt and innovate into its third century. The current Managing Director, David Clark, had always intended to join the family firm, but it happened sooner than was planned. “I joined in 2000 when I was 19,” says David. “It was a bit earlier than I had anticipated, but I came back to help because of the damage caused by the Lewes Great Flood, when there was about six feet of water in both the shops. It actually gave us an opportunity to strip right back and start again. We didn’t get a great deal back from the insurance and we had to invest a lot of our own money, but we decided to see the silver lining and took the chance to modernise. “I was working at an independent jewellers in Staffordshire and the idea was I’d stay there for two years to learn the trade, but I came

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back after one year as my father needed some assistance after the flood. “We have brought it up to date, for instance the lighting is now much better, and lighting is important when you are looking at jewellery. We also have installed welcoming customer areas with good quality coffee and we can offer clients a complimentary glass of Prosecco. It’s all about making the customer feel welcome.

“We get calls from people who have an old watch just sitting in a drawer for decades, and we get these working again, so they can handed to the next generation.”

“One of the first things we did was extend the main shop and bring everything under one roof.” Although David stepped in at a younger age than expected, it was a move he was happy to make: “I am the youngest and the other two didn’t want to join the business. My dad didn’t put any pressure on me. He told me that if I wasn’t interested he could sell up and enjoy the money! Unfortunately for him I did decide

to carry on the company. “He’s been here for 51 years and he still loves it. He intended to retire last year but he’s still here! It’s in your blood. I’ve loved being in the shop ever since I was seven.” Still only 36, David has been able to bring the changes, especially from a marketing perspective. He says, “In the last four years we have seen change, especially as people think twice about spending their money, and jewellery is effectively a luxury purchase. We have spend a lot of money and time developing our website. “In 2017 we launched an on-site jewellery repair service, with two goldsmiths based in our Lewes site. This brings both our watchmaking and jewellery making is in-house, as well as our engraving service. In the late 1970s we launched our own brand, The Clark Collection, which was forward thinking for the time. With our Computer Aided Design (CAD), a customer can come in with an idea of an item that they want, and we can get on the computer and design with them their own bespoke item of jewellery. “The current trend is for minimalist designs. We stock a brand called Georg Jensen which is very popular at the moment for its classic simplicity.”

Business Profile The other change since David joined is the expansion outside of Lewes: “We have just opened our lovely new shop in Uckfield which has gone down very well. It is a good place to be as it still has a busy High Street with plenty of independents, which is quite unusual. And we have an Eastbourne store which concentrates more on pre-owned jewellery, of which we have about 1,500 pieces.

“It’s in your blood. I’ve loved being in the shop ever since I was seven.” “In 2013 we decided we couldn’t always rely on the external watch repair service we used so we found a master watchmaker and we launched a watch repair service. Now it is promoted online it is a national watch repair service with free no-obligation quotes. We get calls from people who have an old watch just sitting in a drawer for decades, and we get these working again, so they can handed to the next generation. We can repair all watches, but it seems we have developed a speciality for vintage or pocket watches, many of which are pre-1940.” The experience of staff extends beyond the skilled watchmakers as David explains: “All our staff members are professionally trained jewellers who have earned their diplomas, so they do know what they are talking about. They always ensure that customers are made to feel welcome and would never pressure anyone into a sale. Tea and coffees are always available!” As this is the Lewes issue of ACES, the final topic inevitably is the benefits of being associated with the county town. “I have always lived in Lewes,” says David. “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Both myself and my father have been actively involved in the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and we are both past Presidents. Keeping the local business community strong is very important. There is a mantra of independence which runs through Lewes and it is very endearing, and I think this spirit has kept the town prosperous.

W.E CLARK TIMELINE • 1819 - In 1819 Harris Jewellers began trading at 1 Cliffe High Street, Lewes. Later the shop became Harris and Kenwood, Jewellers and Silversmiths. • 1919 - Wilfred Ernest Clark moved from London to Lewes and purchased the business, and W. E. Clark was established. He ran the company for nineteen years and was latterly joined by his son, Jack. The photograph shows Wilfred Ernest playing bowls at Lewes Bowling Club. • 1947 - Jack Clark took over the business. Jack met his future wife Bruna whilst she acted as his translator during his service in Pesaro, Italy, during WWII. They both returned to Lewes where they had one child John Clark. • 1971 - John took over W. E. Clark & Son in 1971 at the age of 21. He married Madeleine in 1974 and they had three children, Simon, Caroline and David. • 1979 - John purchased the premises at 224 High Street. There was now a presence on both the East and West side of Cliffe Bridge. • 2000 - On October 12th, The Great Flood wreaked havoc as several feet of water swept through both premises. David Clark joined his father in the family business the day following the flood. • 2001 - New brands were acquired, advertising was created and events were organised. 'The Clark Experience’ was born. • 2005 W.E. Clark took over Charlwood's Jewellers, Eastbourne's oldest jeweller founded in 1883. • 2012 - 224 High Street, Lewes was redeveloped and extended to become the sole Lewes showroom, with increased floor space spread over two floors. • 2013 - The watch repair and restoration service was expanded. W.E. Clark’s master watchmaker is one of only 10 experts in the UK to hold this title. • 2017 - A new showroom was opened in Uckfield.

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A&R. Business Our Business clients turn to us for advice in all manner of situations. With offices in Lewes and London, no matter the size of your business, we can help with: •

Commercial Property transactions

•

Employment advice

•

Setting up a new business, partnership or trading agreement

•

Growth, merger or divestment of a business

•

Protection of commercial and intellectual property rights

•

Commercial and Property Litigation

Our approach to all of these is practical, commercially grounded and timely. We will ensure you are legally compliant, and provide advice to help grow and develop your business to achieve your goals. Our Corporate Team is highly ranked in Chambers Legal Directory. We are also rated as one of the top private client firms in the South East. We can help with any aspect of financial and tax planning, including making or revising a Will and inheritance tax planning. Call us on the number below or drop in to our office at Trinity House on School Hill in Lewes. We look forward to working with you.

Adams & Remers LLP LEWES 01273 480616 LONDON 020 7024 3600 www.adamsandremers.com

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In terms of their strength and depth, they are absolutely firstclass.

Town Focus - Lewes

RICHARD SOAN ROOFING SERVICES

ichard Soan Roofing Services have been based in Lewes since 1988 and will be celebrating 30 years of trading this year.

trick of business awards, being named ‘Business Personality of the Year’ at three different events;

As an organisation they undertake residential, commercial and industrial roofing, be it pitched or flat roofing. Over numerous years the company has been recognised within its industry for producing quality workmanship and for its attention to health and safety.

• Lewes & District Business Awards

The company is a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, and is also Heritage and Competent Roofer approved.

However, in Richard’s own words: “These awards would not have been achieved without the help of his dedicated team of employees”.

The company’s highest accolade was achieved in 2012 when it achieved the honour of being announced winner in the Roof Slating category at the UK Roofing Awards, for a project undertaken at Folkington Manor. Since these awards have been taking place, numerous projects undertaken by the company (flat and pitched) have been selected down to the final four per category.

Richard is also dedicated to raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust as well as other charity organisations and over the years, since becoming involved with organising these charity events, has raised in excess of £150,000.00.

Other awards have been received from The National Home Improvement Council, Flat Roofing Alliance, Clay Tile Association and Intelligent Membrane Association.

• Seahaven & District Business Awards • East Sussex Business Awards

Should you have a roofing enquiry then please do contact Richard Soan Roofing Services. All advice is free and without obligation.

Health and safety is another very important aspect of the company’s activities and for the past seven consecutive years, it has achieved the Gold Award (the highest award achievable) from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors for its attention to health and safety and low accident record. Richard Soan, the company’s founder and managing director, is very proud of the business that has been created from those very early days to a company that is known nationwide today. This again has been achieved with the help of the very loyal and dedicated staff that he believes is the key to the company’s success story, to the annual investment that is made, regarding training on traditional and new roofing systems as well as health and safety. The company specialises in refurbishment work but also undertakes a lot of new work for main contractors. A considerable amount of business, especially within the ‘general public’ sector, is obtained on recommendation - a wonderful testament to the company’s abilities and competence. As an organisation the company is also approved by numerous local authorities, housing associations, property management companies, building surveying practices, as well as nearly all the leading UK suppliers/manufacturers in the roofing industry. The company is also very proud to have been declared the winner at the Lewes & District Business Awards for ‘Business of the Year’ in 2015, and in the same year, receiving the award for ‘Best Customer Service’ at the Lewes and Wealden Area Business Awards. In 2016 Richard Soan personally received an amazing hat

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Q&A

DESIGNS ON NEXUS CREATE

The publishers of ACES Magazine have a brand new website. The site (www.platinumpublishing.co.uk) was designed by Nexus Create, and it has taken their digital offering to another level. We asked Creative Director, James Morrison, to tell us more about the company who developed the site.

The Nexus Create team (Steve, James, Milly and Ben) with Beth Nash of Smart Monkey (left)

Who are Nexus Create? Nexus Create are a Sussex based Creative Agency specialising in design, web and marketing. Founded by three dedicated and passionate creatives, we have over 50 years experience between us helping brands, businesses and individuals achieve their goals. We believe in close collaboration and in forming strong relationships with our clients. We pride ourselves in listening carefully and truly understanding a brief before putting pen to paper to start the design process. We strive

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to deliver the very best for our clients whatever the project. To create purpose, develop awareness and ultimately, connect brands to people.

You recently designed the new Platinum Publishing website. How did you approach this project? First and foremost we knew the Platinum site needed to be fully responsive in order to allow a viewer to access the content with absolute ease on the move. We didn’t want to simply replicate the print magazine online but offer

a different experience which would fully take advantage of the online platform and engage viewers in a different way. Given the complexity of the Platinum site, we approached the project from a number of angles and made sure we asked lots of questions early on. We needed to consider the site as a subscriber, partner and author. Each of these perspectives needed to be carefully considered and ultimately would help to enhance the overall user experience. The site now offers a clean and simple user

Q&A needs of your business and to deliver a design and UX solution that both achieve results and resonate with your target audience.

“The site now offers a clean and simple user interface which boasts a powerful search function for finding and sharing content, social media feeds, a blogging platform and an archive.”

interface which boasts a powerful search function for finding and sharing content, social media feeds, a blogging platform and an archive. The articles and blogs combine an elegant layout with smart ’context aware’ areas which trigger the relevant media at the correct point in the text. The site is now fully functioning and we are really pleased with the end result. Websites are never truly ‘completed’ as they are constantly evolving with technology, so there are already plans for further enhancements on the horizon (we need to get our new website live first though).

As with Platinum we are definitely seeing a shift away from templated sites back to bespoke solutions which can offer a far more unique and personal experience. Of course, template sites have their place and can serve a purpose, but if you want your site to deliver more than a superficial, off the shelf experience, and to engage your target audience on a personal level, then there is no substitute for collaborating with an agency you trust. Your design team will work together with you to truly understand your brand, brief and objective to deliver a tailor-made solution to fit the brief. Their skill is understanding the

What are the latest trends in digital design? The concept of ‘Responsive Logos’ has been around for a little while now but is certainly gaining momentum. In a modern world where screens come in all shapes and sizes we need logos that can adapt and make best use of the available space. Your logo no longer has to be a one size fits all solution - it can move, evolve scale and engage with the device and even your location like never before. It’s something that can elevate your brand and has huge potential benefits from a creative and marketing perspective.

www.nexuscreate.co.uk

“We are definitely seeing a shift away from templated sites back to bespoke solutions which can offer a far more unique and personal experience.”

What are the advantages of using professional designers rather than doing it yourself using free web building software? With the rise in popularity of ‘DIY’ web site builders, it is very easy to be swayed into exploring this route and to remove designers and developers from the equation.

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Make Chestnut Tree House your charity of the year Chestnut Tree House is the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Mikayla Bernstein: 01323 725095 mikayla.bernstein@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk Registered charity no 256789 ACES 38 ussex

Charity News

ADOPT A CHARITY Suzie Vine, Director at Accountancy firm Watson Associates, talks about the company’s decision to adopt a Charity of the Year and the benefits they hope it will bring.

first heard about Chestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice for Sussex, when I met their corporate fundraiser at a BNI (Business Networking International) meeting. Mikayla talked to me about the inspiring work the charity does across East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire, caring for children with life-shortening conditions and their families, and helping them live life to the full for as long as they have together. We have just celebrated our 60th anniversary as a firm of accountants specialising in corporate and business advisory services. We’ve never adopted a Charity of the Year before and it felt like a good thing to do; to give back to the local community that we have operated in for so long. With nine directors and 60 employees across our Hailsham and Brighton offices there is generally always someone doing something for charity, so this felt like the perfect way to bring all that good work together and unite the team at the same time. Mikayla has been great at providing all the information we need about Chestnut Tree House. They care for around 300 children and their families, including over 60 in East Sussex, and provide respite, emergency and end of life

care. As well as their purpose built hospice near Arundel - where children and families can have all their needs met under one roof - they have a Community Nursing Team who look after children in their own homes. They care for and support families throughout a child’s life and beyond, and as a company that employs a lot of people who have children, it is a cause that resonates strongly with us.

Whatever the year brings I’m sure we will finish it with a real sense of achievement, and hopefully have plenty of fun and make plenty of memories as a company in the process.

We are really excited to see what the coming year brings. There is already an increased sense of unity amongst the team, with everyone coming up with ideas as to how we can support this wonderful local charity. We have sporty-types who are willing to take on swimming, running and mud challenges, those who want to spend time volunteering at Chestnut Tree House itself, and others who want to donate pre-loved clothes or host bake sales.

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Business Funding

WHAT IS EDEAL? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a new green energy deal or a form of online gaming. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing to do with e-commerce or the latest Bitcoin. So what is Edeal and why do you need to know about it? By Christina Ewbank

deal is an Enterprise Agency set up with government funding to provide support to business. It gives funded support to people thinking of starting a new business and also gives independent business advice for established business people to help them develop their business. If you are thinking of down-sizing, expanding, investing in plant, employing more staff, moving location or investigating new markets, Edeal can provide you with expert, independent advice. Sometimes this is important before you talk to your bank, accountant of solicitor; particularly as there is no charge for this valuable service. E.D.E.A.L. originally stood for Eastbourne and District Enterprise Agency Limited but now Edeal covers the whole of East Sussex from Lewes to Rye and from the coast up to Crowborough. Part of the Business East Sussex Growth Hub, Edeal helps promote the economy of the County in many different ways.

ACES Edeal Enterprise Agency manages ACES, the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex on behalf of the Chambers of Commerce and FSB across East Sussex. This facilitates joint chamber events across the County and is a great way of finding new customers, sourcing reliable suppliers and sharing best practice.

Effective Business Advice Edeal employs 15 different business associates who specialise in various areas to provide one to one support for business people. They cover retail, hospitality, franchising, tourism, manufacturing, construction, fashion, leadership, business management, change management, HR and performance management, legal contracts, financial forecasting, social media, marketing and general business planning. The advice available from Edeal is funded by Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden Councils and is free of charge. To access this bespoke business support call Sandra Walker on 01323 641144. Over the last year, Edeal has given business advice and support to over 200 existing businesses and

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Business Funding

almost 150 new start-ups from across East Sussex. Call Edeal to talk about your business.

Retail Experience With the redevelopment of the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne over 500 new jobs are expected to be created in late 2018 and 2019. To help the long term unemployed access these jobs Edeal is working with People Matter to develop the skills and confidence of people who have been unemployed for over six months. Being out of work for a long period of time can really sap your confidence. You can become fearful of interviews and of interacting with customers and other staff. To overcome this Edeal has developed a 13-week programme with McCrudden Training which gives delegates the chance to build up their confidence in a non-threatening environment. They also get the chance to talk to customers in an informal retail environment. Seven people are going through the programme at present and more places are available over the rest of the year.

Start-up Failures

your business activities anywhere else.

In a recent study Natwest found that 8 out of 10 businesses fail in their first twelve months. A horrifying statistic, particularly when you realise that people have sunk their life savings or redundancy money into their exciting new venture.

Imagine selling a hand-made item – it might get into the hands of a toddler who chews it and chokes on it, or cuts themselves on an imperfectly finished edge for example. You cannot contract out of liability for such incidents and so you could be liable to pay compensation for thousands of pounds. Lack of insurance is one of the fastest ways to lose your business – and possibly, your home as awards for injuries are rising all the time.

Edeal turns this statistic on its head. When new business people take advice from an Edeal start-up programme 8 out of 10 new businesses thrive beyond their first year. Without proper advice new business people don’t know what they don’t know and if their businesses survives it’s often on a wing and a prayer. One of the biggest pitfalls is a lack of insurance, or unsuitable insurance. A friend in the pub might tell you that you don’t need insurance as a start-up. Small business owners often say “I’m self-employed, based at home and really small so I don’t need insurance yet.” Others say “I only sell at markets so I don’t need insurance as the market organiser is insured!” or “I don’t have any premises so I cannot have insurance.” WRONG! If you sell any item or provide a service you can be liable to pay compensation (or in more serious cases be fined and/or prosecuted) if it goes wrong or causes injury or damage to someone else or their property. The people who run a retail outlet you sell your product in may be insured for hazards inside their venue but if you bring something in that causes injury or damage in the store you may be liable! Also you would be liable for any injury or damage caused through your negligence and linked to

This can also apply if you sell a service that goes wrong – financial losses following a customer taking your negligent advice can result in a large compensation award. No matter what, make sure you are insured for product liability, public liability and professional indemnity if you provide services. If you form a limited company or a partnership or sole trader and have staff, whether casual, temporary or full time, you will need employer’s liability. Make sure you talk to a local broker insurance is cheaper than you may think and in virtually all cases the initial consultation will be free. There are other legal and financial regulations you need to be aware of which Edeal will share with you. Don’t be fearful of following your dream and starting your new business, with the right knowledge, forward planning and adequate controls your new business can fly!

Call Edeal on 01323 641144 for business support and start-up information.

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Carrot Events

BUSINESS HEROES The awards season is in full swing as Carrot Events gears up to celebrate the best of the best in Sussex.

arrot Events is extremely happy to announce that the Eastbourne and District Community Awards have now been launched. These awards are aimed at highlighting the fantastic achievements of local businesses, charities, role models and community heroes. The awards will shine a spotlight on their achievements and encourage others to become more involved with community groups and projects. The awards have the full support and backing of Eastbourne Borough Council, the town’s MP, Stephen Lloyd, and The Chamber of Commerce, who all recognise the enormous importance of our community heroes.

Sussex Downs College have kindly taken up the Gold Sponsorship role; and The Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, The Enterprise Shopping Centre, Online Ticket Seller and the Borough Council themselves have all recognised the feel-good factor associated with these awards by sponsoring a category. The awards will take place on the 18th May at the Cavendish Hotel, Eastbourne and nominations are now open - you can nominate your local heroes at (www.eastbournedistrictcommunityawards.co.uk). Carrot Events will also be launching three further events in 2018; The Sussex Diversity Awards (a joint venture with Newsquest Publishing and the Argus), year three of the Business Women Excellence Awards Sussex Edition, which will take place in Brighton at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel on the 30th November, and the Southern Economic Forum 2018 Conference which will take place in Brighton at the Hilton

Brighton Metropole Hotel on the 28th and 29th November. There will be more news to follow for both of these events in due course. The Sussex Diversity Awards 2018 are designed to empower individuals, communities, industries and companies who have taken equality and diversity to their core and hearts. The Sussex Diversity Awards will be a prestigious event celebrating the excellent achievements of grassroot businesses and communities that are working hard to tackle the issues of today’s society, giving them recognition for their dedication and hard work. It is time to celebrate and elevate the truly staggering diversity of talent that Sussex has. The Eastbourne & District Community Awards 2018 will be dedicated to recognising and celebrating Eastbourne’s community and business heroes. Those who give up their time to help strengthen and enrich all our lives, ask nothing in return but deserve the recognition and respect as community heroes. For further information please visit: (www.sussexdiversityawards.co.uk) Last year Carrot Events hosted two very successful events, the Sussex Economic Forum 2017 Conference www. sussexeconomicforum.com which will become the Southern Economic Forum in 2018, and the Business Women Excellence Awards 2017 – Sussex edition www. businesswomenexcellenceawards.co.uk/ region/sussex. We are looking forward to extending the Business Women Excellence Awards into Kent, Surrey and Hampshire next year with runners-up and winners from each of the regional heats automatically qualifying for the gala awards final, where the ‘best of the best’ will be announced. As a company, sponsoring awards events is always rewarding in so many ways, offering you great media coverage as well as being part of the celebrations. If you think this is a great way for your company to promote itself, then call Faiza Shafeek on 01323 723325 or email us at fs@carrotevents.co.uk and start the ball rolling towards becoming one of our valued VIP sponsors for 2018.

Carrot Events Ltd Unit 11/13 Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 1BD t 01323 723325 e fs@carrotevents.co.uk | w www.carrotevents.co.uk

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Travel - Buenos Aires

Shake hands in...

BUENOS AIRES

The past 15 years have brought drama for Argentina’s economy, but conditions for international investors may now be ripening. Rose Dykins reports.

ulio Avenue in Buenos Aires, the widest avenue in the world. Here, two steel portraits of the iconic former first lady, Eva Peron (Evita) adorn the city’s Social Development Ministry building, the site where she gave a historic speech in 1951, defending the rights of the city’s poorest people. One portrait faces south, towards the working class neighbourhoods of La Boca and Barracas. Eva smiles warmly, a rose flourishing at her side. By contrast, in the portrait facing the wealthy districts of the north – Palermo, Recoleta and Retiro – Eva is mid-speech, shouting into a microphone, her expression exuding power and intent. Back in the late 19th century, an exodus of affluent families moved from the south to the north of the Argentine capital, seeking

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higher ground to avoid the spread of cholera and yellow fever – the abundance of elegant classical buildings, inspired by Parisian culture, is their legacy. Meanwhile, in the southern quarters of Buenos Aires, things have remained decidedly less glamorous, where in places, several families share densely packed “conventillo” houses made from corrugated iron and wood.

“The flip-flopping between left and right-wing governments has produced dramatic results”

Located roughly in the middle, to the east of the city, is the former industrial district of Puerto Madero. Originally an offloading point for cargo ships, it was made redundant after the opening of a new city port in Retiro in 1911. For some time, Puerto Madero’s sprawling warehouses and shipping equipment were left idling away, but the past decade has seen the industrial district transform into a residential area for high-earners, à la Canary Wharf. Puerto Madero’s long, spacious (slightly soulless) streets are lined with swish skyscrapers, high-end hotels and glass-paned apartment blocks – some of them topped off with mansard roofs and arched windows, subtly mimicking the Parisian aesthetic in the north of the city. Puerto Madero’s transformation coincided with a growth spurt for Argentina’s financial

Travel - Buenos Aires

Evita on the north side of the Social Development Ministry building prospects. Following years of severe economic collapse, the nation’s fortunes u-turned dramatically between 2002 and 2011, the national economy rocketed by a staggering 94 percent – some attribute this to the heavy social spending under President Cristina Kirchner’s populist left-wing government, which rose to 14.2 percent of GDP). Despite the visible inequalities that remain today, poverty fell by over two-thirds between 2001

The murals in Galerias Pacifico Shopping Centre

and 2010 – from almost half of the population in 2001 to approximately one-seventh. And between 2002 and 2011, the country’s middle class population doubled in size, which now accounts for more than half of all households across the country. Initially, regardless of the spending power of these newly affluent citizens, a slew of luxury brands began to abandon Argentina from 2011-2015, due to tight import regulations

and other red tape issues. However, following the shift to the right in government with the election of President Macri in 2015, and the loosening of restrictions to international trade, experts predict we should soon see a renewed vigour for companies to have a presence in Argentina.

“The past decade has seen the Puerto Madero district transform into a residential area for highearners, à la Canary Wharf”

“Argentina’s traditional stance on luxury increases its exposure to foreign consumers, and brands recognise this,” says Paula Goni, research analyst at market research provider, Euromonitor International. “If you look at Puerto Madero, there is plenty of development going on in terms of luxury lodging and residential buildings, and this no doubt connects with the luxury identity of the city. She adds: “Brands that left the country are now coming back, because they know the consumers want to have them here, and they

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Travel - Buenos Aires don’t want to have to leave the country to continuously buy what they want to buy. This will no doubt increase the luxury spend in all aspects of the economy. We just need to be patient, because brands are still cautious about how they do it – they want to do it right, they don’t want to disappoint their domestic customers.” The double-digit inflation of the peso was a pressing issue when Marci came to power in 2015, and another obstacle for international investment. However, shortly after his inauguration, Macri lifted the currency controls that were distorting the market (his predecessor, president Cristina Kirchner, had been using central bank reserves to prop up the peso.) It was a bold move, and one that initially weakened the Argentinian currency further, but Macri’s overall aim was to restore some credibility in the value of the peso. Two years later, inflation has fallen by half, so things appear to be moving in the right direction. Argentina’s turbulent, fascinating economic history is redolent of the nation’s revolutionary heritage. The flip-flopping between left and rightwing governments has produced dramatic results that, even when they are for the better, have created some knock-on effects to be neutralised by the next person to grab the baton. Now that it’s opening up once again for international trade – at a time where populism is on the rise across the world – let’s see what the next 15 years bring.

BUENOS AIRES DISTRICTS: WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE Recoleta Check out: Recoleta Cemetery - where the gigantic ornate tombs of wealthy families are lined up like a mini-village; and Ateneo Grand Splendid, a theatre that has been turned into a book store.

Palermo Check out: The immaculate parks, lakes and gardens – El Rosedal, the Japanese garden, Tres de Febrero – where you’ll witness locals jogging or chatting over a “mate” (caffeine-rich regional drink).

Retiro Check out: The stunning architecture close to Plaza San Martin Square and Galerias Pacifico shopping centre, with its incredible ceiling murals.

San Telmo Check out: Feria de San Telmo is a popular artisan market that takes place every Sunday. During the evenings, the area around Mercardo de San Telmo is where you’ll find hipster bars and restaurants with high quality fare.

Puerto Madero Check out: Stroll along the trails of the 350-hectare ecological reserve that sits between the area’s skyscrapers and Rio de la Plata estuary - great for birdwatching.

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Charity Work Abroad

MAKING A DIFFERENCE At a time when the largest aid agencies are blighted by appalling news about their top executives, Stephen Holt, the Business Development Manager for Eastbourne unLtd Chamber of Commerce, shows that aid is still important and can really make a difference.

he first thing I do when I board a flight is read the in-flight magazine. It was no different when I boarded the night flight from Heathrow to Nairobi on Kenyan Airways for the nine hour flight that would eventually end in Mombasa. In their magazine, the contributors emphasised how Kenya had grown, with their vision for 2025. It stressed the richness of the Africa I was about to visit and how the country was producing a wave of sport, film and political megastars.

“Kenya is ranked the fourth largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa with both Nairobi Airport and Mombasa seaport the second busiest in Africa.” And it’s largely true. Kenya, with its beautiful scenery is a tourism hotspot. Not only that, but it is ranked the fourth largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa with both Nairobi Airport and Mombasa seaport the second busiest in Africa. It has an emerging middle class with the highest rate of internet access on the continent. In fact, it is predicted that over the next 10 years, the number of millionaires in Kenya will grow by 80% - one of the fastest growing in the world. Little wonder then that multinational companies such as Google, Coca-Cola and Heineken are making Kenya their regional base, and why Kenyan Airways has announced the first ever direct flight to JFK International Airport from Nairobi this year. However, as with most developing countries there is gross inequality in the distribution of this wealth which fails to trickle down to the

poorest. According to the beleaguered Oxfam, the richest 10% of people in Kenya earn on average 23 times more than the poorest 10%, and the 2015 State of Mothers Report stated that Kenyan mothers face a 1 in 53 chance of maternal death - compared to the UK’s 1 in 6,900. I had been asked by a trustee of the charity Friends of Mombasa Children to visit Unity School. Set up in September 2007 Unity School provides education for children in the nearby slums of Mombasa – primarily Bombolulu and Frere Town. The school’s location is almost a microcosm of Kenya. A fifteen-minute drive from sandy beaches and luxury hotel resorts, the school finds itself surrounded by wasteland, a rubbish dump and a drug rehabilitation centre.

Mombasa Children

primary education for all children, nearly one million children are out of school, the ninth highest in any country in the world. Whilst education may be free, families struggle to pay for the basic equipment needed such as pens, pencils, exam fees, textbooks and uniforms. Since July 2002, Friends of Mombasa Children has been supporting children living in the slums of Mombasa. Initially the aims of the charity were simple – to get as many pupils sponsored through education as possible. This would mean that the supported school would be more stable as teachers’ salaries could be paid on a regular basis and students could be provided with their basic needs. Within a few years, the charity grew in its ambitions and aims. In 2006 they were able to purchase their first plot of land and construction began on a new school shortly after. Originally, the buildings constructed

Despite the Government pledge of free

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Charity Work Abroad were designed to be temporary – little more than corrugated iron sheds, they have stood for eleven years. The classrooms have dirt floors, no windows or electricity. The school day starts at 6am and concludes twelve hours later. Often temperatures can reach 35 degrees, making the long days very hard on the staff and children. In the yard there is a single tap for all and the school is bordered by a barbed wire fence for protection. Lessons are conducted with around 40 students sat at wooden desks, sharing textbooks and equipment and copying notes from a blackboard. A maths textbook for ten-year olds asks children to calculate the number of people who will visit a HIV clinic in a given month. Children are taught about the threat of terrorism at a young age both in the classroom and in public spaces, and are subjected to security searches before entry. Students are aged between three and fourteen. Whilst some pay a nominal school fee, many continue to be subsidised or supported in full by the charity. The charity also sponsors access to free primary healthcare, helping to prevent the spread of disease and injuries provided by Dr Luke – himself brought up in Mombasa’s slums as a child. I first visited the school in 2011 with a group of friends and helped set up their office administration procedures. This time, I wanted to see for myself how far the school had progressed and what plans they had for the future.

On arrival at the school, I was greeted by Rasheed who I first met as a teaching apprentice seven years ago. As a young boy Rasheed was sleeping in church doorways. He was found by the charity as it was being established and attended the school it first supported. Through the generous support of the charity and individual sponsors, Rasheed finished school, then secondary education and college, and has trained to become a teacher, returning to Unity school to finish his training. Rasheed’s story is one of many of former pupils who have managed to set up their own businesses, been supported into secondary education or who have found good jobs

nearby. Pastoral support continues after the pupils leave with many students keeping a close family link to the school. The children often face unsettled home lives; as a result, in 2011 the charity rented out a nearby house to act as an orphanage. This provides emergency accommodation for up to eleven students rescued from dire circumstances who are cared for by a matron.

“Despite the Government pledge of free primary education for all children, nearly one million children are out of school, the ninth highest in any country in the world.” Nothing goes to waste at the school – pencils are used until the last nib, textbooks shared by the many and chalk closely watched by the teachers. Nothing is thrown out. Leisure equipment is scarce with children often playing football with a plastic bottle filled with dirt whilst discarded rubbish burns close by. By our own standards the conditions are less than ideal. But the charity strives to continually improve the school and its environment whilst day to day management is left to the senior teachers located on site. In 2011 the school was provided with water and electricity. In 2016 the cook house was modernised with gas ovens replacing the smoky open fires. These ovens provide free school meals to all the students and teachers – for many, their only meal of the day.

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Charity Work Abroad Even bigger and better Last year, the charity was left a legacy from a supporter which has allowed it to begin construction of a new concrete school. While construction has been held up by flooding and elections, building is slow as construction is largely by hand. The foundations are deep enough for three storeys and it is expected that the first floor with classrooms, a separate toilet block and office will be open this summer. For many involved in the charity the new building offers renewed optimism and fuels a determination to provide the best chance for children who would otherwise have little hope of a successful life. However, the new building is not yet a school and the charity requires further donations to ensure that it provides enough textbooks, chairs, tables and learning equipment to keep its good work going.

“Nothing goes to waste at the school – pencils are used until the last nib, textbooks shared by the many and chalk closely watched by the teachers.” Children are the same the world over – they have the same interests and they love to play. I spent a surprising amount of time in the yard discussing why Ronaldo was a better player than Messi, why Arsenal needed to get rid of their manager and why Manchester United was better than Chelsea. They would happily share their dreams for the future – their hopes of becoming a pilot, a teacher, an engineer or a doctor. They would speak with pride about their school and loved to play with their school friends so I found myself thinking up games to play in the yard which required no equipment. The sounds of children playing and the smiles on their faces are always on my mind and especially as I write this for ACESussex. Leaving was harder than I expected and I look forward to getting back when I can. I feel deeply honoured to be able to say, “I helped build a school in Africa” and want to be able to help provide equipment and their basic needs like books, paper and pens. If your company produces anything that could be used by this school, please contact me. Stephen Holt works for Eastbourne unLtd Chamber of Commerce, ACES the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex and Edeal Enterprise Agency. Along with providing business support across East Sussex he is now supporting education for over 400 children in a dynamic corner of Kenya. Call 01323 641144 if you would like to help.

If you would like to be involved in the charity or provide any support to the school please visit www.mombasachildren.org.uk. Any support is gratefully received, particularly now as the building works near completion.

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Cricket

TESTIMONIAL YEAR FOR ED Ed Joyce has been awarded a testimonial year in 2018 in recognition of his outstanding service to Sussex Cricket.

d Joyce is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen to play County Cricket in recent years, alongside his successful domestic career he has also been involved with both England and Ireland at international level. Ed’s international career has taken a unique route from playing for his native country, Ireland, before switching to England to try and realise his ambition of playing test cricket. He made the switch back to Ireland for the World Cup in 2011 and has been integral to the side since then. In all Ed has played 74 ODI’s for England and Ireland scoring 2,496 runs at an average of 38.40. He is still playing for Ireland during the 2018 season and with Ireland gaining test status recently, he hopes to be able to finally play a test match after nearly 20 years as a professional cricketer. Ed made his debut in county cricket for Middlesex in 1999 and played 227 games across all formats for the club making over 12,000 runs in the process, before moving to Sussex for the 2009 season. In 8 seasons at Sussex, Ed made 8,348 runs from 113 first class matches and 3,105 runs in 79 list A matches. He also made 529 runs in 20/20 cricket for the club and was part of the squad that won both the 20/20 and NatWest 40 over league in 2009. Ed captained the club with distinction for three seasons from 2012-2015 with a best finish in the first division of the County Championship of 3rd in both 2013 and 2014. Following the announcement of his testimonial year, Ed said:

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Cricket “It is an honour to have been awarded a testimonial year by Sussex in 2018. I had 8 unforgettable seasons at the club and realised a cricketing ambition of mine by captaining Sussex for 3 seasons between 2012-2015. “I definitely played my best cricket at Sussex and am very grateful to all the players, coaches and supporters who firstly welcomed me to the club, and then also helped bring the best out of my game. “While my family and I now live in Dublin, Hove is a second home to us and we love coming down to the south coast to catch up with friends, and of course watch some cricket at The 1st Central County Ground.” Throughout the year Ed will be holding various testimonial events at which he will be hoping to raise as much money as possible for his two chosen charities – Sussex Cricket Foundation and PCA Benevolent Fund. “I have chosen to support the Sussex Cricket Foundation and the PCA Benevolent Fund, which provides vital support networks to help past players prepare for and readjust in the world beyond cricket. Both are brilliant causes and I feel extremely proud to be able to support both during my testimonial.

The Opening Lunch Ed’s opening lunch, sponsored by Oliver & Graimes, will take place at The Grand Hotel, Brighton on Friday 6th April. Places are available from £65 and a table of 10 is £600. The legendary former Sussex captain will be joined by his old team mates and special guests for an event which is not to be missed. Any testimonial launch is an opportunity to entertain, network and support local charities, Ed’s opening lunch is no exception! As usual there will be “Heads and Tails” with one of the current Sussex CCC players providing you an insight into the secrets and rumours of the changing room, an auction and a raffle with fabulous prizes to be won including holidays, golf days and sporting memorabilia. The lunch will be hosted by one of the best UK comedians, Stephen Grant. Stephen will entertain Ed’s guests throughout the afternoon in addition to being joined by cricketing royalty in Jason Gillespie, Eoin Morgan and Ian Gould. Jason Gillespie (right) has recently joined Sussex Cricket as Head Coach and has enjoyed a successful winter down under with Adelaide Strikers, winning the KFC Big Bash for the first time in their history. Jason will provide an insight into what drew him to Sussex Cricket and his hopes and aspirations for the upcoming season when talking with Ed at the opening lunch.

England Captain, fellow Irishman and former Middlesex teammate Eoin Morgan (left) will also be at the opening lunch having a chat with Ed, Jason and Ian. Following missing out on an IPL contract Eoin will be able to talk about what is was like to share a dressing room with Ed and give an insight into his unique route from playing for Ireland to being captain of England’s ODI and T20 sides.

“Thank you to everyone that has helped and supported me in my career at Sussex. I hope to get around to as many of you as possible to say thanks in person at one of the events in the calendar.”

Ed has entertained us for many years with his majestic stroke making at Hove, so let’s make sure we give something back and support his testimonial, helping ensure he can raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities.

Calendar of Events • Friday 6th April - Opening Lunch - The Grand Hotel, Brighton • Thursday 28th June - Dublin Lunch - Guinness Brewery, Dublin* • Monday 6th August - Golf Day - The Dyke Golf Club, Brighton • TBC - Lord’s Dinner - Lord’s Cricket Ground, London • Friday 7th December - Closing Lunch - The Grand Hotel, Brighton

www.edjoyce2018.co.uk

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Motoring

WHAT’S IN A NAME? by Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

he new Range Rover Velar is here and as is their wont, Jaguar Land Rover seem able to shoehorn a new model into every tiny gap in their range. But first, why the name?

Funnily enough, the company have had this name for years as it was the code name for the very first Range Rover back in the 1960’s and as they needed to obfuscate it’s true identity, the Velar name was born. As the word is first-person singular present indicative of the Latin verb velare, which means to hide, it would all seem to make sense.

“Most buttons and switches have gone and you are presented with no less than two screens that are touch sensitive - three if you count the one in the centre dash with heads up display.”

As to how they shoehorn new models in without stealing sales from their own range, l eventually get to see what they are doing. If you don’t want the Evoque, then it is a big jump up to the Range Rover therefore sticking this model in the middle gives an extra step in the range. The Evoque starts at £30,760 and with the RR Sport at £61,315, there is

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quite a jump so popping the Velar in at £44,830, provides that extra step. So what of the car itself. I have to say l was very impressed. It feels like a full fat Range Rover whilst at the same time feeling quite like a standard car rather than a lumbering beast. It uses a new platform sharing it underpinnings with the F-Pace. Outside, it is smooth and svelte with door handles that disappear and a silhouette that looks streamlined and slippery. Its surface begs to be stroked.

Motoring

TECH STUFF MODEL TESTED: Velar First Edition P380 ENGINE: 3.0-litre supercharged POWER: 380bhp PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.3 seconds TOP: 155mph ECONOMY: 30.1mpg combined PRICE FROM: £44,830 AS TESTED: £85,450

The interior is also quite a sight. Most buttons and switches have gone and you are presented with no less than two screens that are touch sensitive - three if you count the one in the centre dash with heads up display. The top screen carries navigation, entertainment and comms with the bottom screen offering climate control, seat controls, off-road functions and a swipe facility that offers a wealth of other options. These can be controlled from the screen or from the knobs on the steering wheel, the display on which changes depending on what you are attempting to do and that confused me for a while as if you look away for a minute, they are changed when you look back but once understood, it is quite intuitive. The system has fast data, serves as wi-fi and has a bunch of apps for travel and commerce. The seats are superb and adjust a million ways, are heated and cooled and will massage you on your way to heaven. All in all, it is very impressive.

“This is not style over substance but that rare combo of style and substance.”

With my disgust at all things diesel and/or slow, l plumped for the 3.0-litre petrol and was thankful l did as it is quick. I mean properly quick if you pop it into sport, giving you 380bhp and a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds which for a big and hefty 4x4 ain’t too shabby. I must say it actually feels quicker than that and l was never bored with the speed

available. It handles beautifully and has superb road manners although, like all tall heavy cars, it is none too pleased with being chucked around corners, although the roll is not as bad as some others in the sector but then pop it into sport and this tightens the damping, lowers the body and shifts more power to the rear. The off-road modes are all there as you would expect, raising it off the ground, changing powertrain calibration and the traction and diff thresholds. It’s got wade sensing so it’ll ford a flood or possibly drive to France at low tide. When you are in those modes, the head-up display shows axle articulation and inclination angles and diff lock status. Power trains come with various options with a 2.0-litre diesel and petrol, then two V6’s with the diesels offering 300bhp, and the supercharged petrol offering 380bhp and they are all from the JLR’s Ingenium family. This is not style over substance but that rare combo of style and substance. It is a bit of a design statement with a mass of glass, smooth lines and very shiny metal but then gets on with the job of being a hugely competent on and off-road car that just about anyone would be proud to have in their drive. I love the full fat Range Rover and would buy it every day of the week but the new Velar would give me pause for thought and l guess this is JLR’s intention as both are their cars and it is yet another reason not to go to Stuttgart.

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Hastings Chamber of Commerce

BREWING HAVEN The growth of the brewing industry in East Sussex and beyond.

ith the nation’s tastes being introduced to more varied beers and spirits, it is not hard to see that consumers seem to have become more discerning in their taste, applying the same amount of thought wine drinkers have had for many years. Not escaping this national trend, the brewing industry has started to grow in earnest as local breweries have decided to establish themselves in East Sussex, a county that has been up to now receptive to this renaissance.

Research recently published by Rangewell, a business finance specialist, suggested that the county has become the most popular place in the UK to start a brewery. However, the question remains why, compared to other places, East Sussex makes the clearest business case?

East Sussex County Council, who are working with inward investment programme, Locate East Sussex, have been at the forefront of this new trend in making the county a leader in this sector, and one of the most popular places to set up a brewing business. “Brewers are brilliant and a priority sector for the county,” commented Vera Gajic, Economic Development Manager at ESCC, “We’d like to

Through its close relationships with the council and brewers, Locate East Sussex has helped a number of breweries to face ongoing concerns, connecting them to funding and enabling them to become well established in the county. With grants and loan funding available up to £100,000, match-funded by banks and personal savings, Locate East Sussex has been able to contribute to the

welcome more. It’s about adding value (to the county), which is exactly what breweries do.”

creation of sixteen full time positions.

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“Brewers are brilliant… a priority sector for the county”

Chris Thomas, Business Manager at Locate

East Sussex, can already spot that it isn’t the funding that helps the businesses, it’s how the funding is applied: “The funding helps companies, but it is the work that is put in by everyone that makes it successful - solid business planning, knowing your product and knowing who to talk to. Locate East Sussex cannot take all the credit, but we’re glad we have been, and continuing to be, a part of their journey.” East Sussex has an established history with brewing, with the likes of Lewes based Harvey’s Brewery proving still to be the most popular local brewer in the county. Since the Investment Fund was launched in 2013, five breweries have been supported, with the likes of Gun Brewery, brewhouse Brewing Brothers, Burning Sky, and Hop Yard Brewing making an impact outside of their immediate market, and fast becoming recognisable to non-aficionados. Ned Braxton, one half of Brewing Brothers, commenting on the climate of the brewing industry said: “The more competition the

Hastings Chamber of Commerce better… without competition there’s no improvement.” Vera continued: “There may be only 500,000 people living in East Sussex but we’re not worried about saturation [in the market]. There are enough people who can still be converted to drinking beer, and from here, businesses can easily serve south London [and onwards].” With the costs of doing business in London and the South East rising, East Sussex seems to be the last haven of affordability, being far enough away from London for a great lifestyle but not far enough from the biggest markets in the world. “It’s a beautiful place to live, still within easy reach of London,” Vera said. “Within that lies a challenge and an opportunity, with much of the canning and processes having to be completed outside of the county, but with this growth, it will lead to other industries rising with it,” she added.

“The brewing industry has started to grow in earnest as local breweries have decided to establish themselves in East Sussex, a county that has been up to now receptive to this renaissance.” “Brewers can have a wider impact on business here too,” Beth King, Marketing Manager of Locate East Sussex said to Brewing Times. “We’d like, for instance, to bring more bottling and canning facilities into East Sussex.” East Sussex strives to be as local as possible, and welcomes companies and their ideas into improving the economy; putting customers first with locally crafted designs and ideas, and of course, beer. East Sussex Investment Fund, currently at its fifth iteration and open to almost all types of business including manufacturing and retail, stipulates a maximum grant of £8,000 per job created, or £16,000 if it’s a loan. Applicants must show they can draw down match-funding of at least 50%, which might come from various sources such as banks or savings. “We are looking to create jobs, not displace jobs,” Vera said. “Whilst we are not focused on retail, we are looking for companies to compete with the big boys rather than each other. As much as East Sussex is competing with bigger counties, it’s new business with export opportunities far beyond our county or national borders that’s needed.”

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Interview

DIRECT MARKETING & GDPR As a direct marketing company, Mailing Expert has to deal with data from a variety of sources. It’s no wonder that the mailing house has taken proactive steps to comply with this year’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) deadline. Ian Trevett asked David Vaughan about the impact of GDPR

What steps has your company taken to ensure compliance? We are very proactive. Every member of staff has taken the IDM (Industry of Direct & Digital Marketing) Award in GDPR, which is equivalent to a Level 4 professional qualification. I am taking the IDM Professional Certificate in GDPR and ePrivacy, which is a year-long course. And, we are members of the DMA (Direct Marketing Association). We are seeing companies really start to wake up recently, and we are getting lots of enquires asking about what it will mean for their company, so we have to be knowledgeable on the subject. People think that the law changes in May but it has actually been in force for 18 months already. May just represents the cut-off period where everyone should be compliant.

What is the most important element of GDPR for marketing? The main idea is ensuring you have consent, though you don’t necessarily have to have consent to send someone a letter or leaflet. It’s all about ‘legitimate interest’. You need to go through an in-depth questionnaire of around 20 questions, to ascertain if the person receiving the mailer could be viewed as being likely to have an interest in the material. It is stricter with email and digital marketing.

Which types of company do you think the government are looking to catch? I don’t think ICO (Information Commissions Office) are ‘after’ anyone in particular. That is a pessimistic view. They just want to ensure there are guidelines in place when people communicate with each other. A lot of it is about the information a company or organisation might hold about an individual. If

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Interview

you start collecting loads of information about a person for no justifiable reason, then you are breaking the law. You need to think about what data I actually require about a person and is it actually relevant - and then do I have the person’s content to have this. You should ask do I really need to know gender, date of birth, address or email or medical history? The ICO has made some public examples. Honda were slapped severely over the knuckles by ICO as they emailed everyone on their list including people who said they didn’t want to hear from them. Honda were asking people if their information they hold was correct, which is fine as this is an exercise in tidying up their lists. But where they went wrong was the subject line said something along the lines of ‘Do you want to hear from Honda’ which was interpreted by the ICO as a marketing message rather than a tidying up process. This broke the law. A charity accidentally sent out an email that included the whole email list in the cc box. It was a medical charity, so the email addresses were strictly confidential. ICO could have severely punished the charity. ICO gave them a small fine and a warning not to do it again.

IS GDPR a good or bad thing? GDPR (or Data Protection 2018) is a positive and sensible thing in my opinion. Just see it as an opportunity to clean your database. It is okay to have a customer list and list of potential leads, but make sure you know who is on the list, and what information you have on them and where you got that information from in the first place. Don’t leave flash disks laying around. Most data breaches come from leaving a memory stick on a bus or train or throwing out paperwork (shred it!). With targeted marketing you need to become more intelligent and you need more information on the potential consumer. For instance, a buying history is important for clothing company. But if the clothing company then send me the data for the mailing, there is absolutely no reason why I need anything other than the names and addresses; I just have enough information to ensure the catalogue goes to the right person.

When is it okay to gather personal information? It is fine if it is relevant and necessary. We work with a nightclub in London and about four-six weeks before someone’s birthday they will send free tickets out for their birthday celebrations. The club see this as a good way to get people in et cetera and the clubbers have a great night. So this is an example where they require a date of birth - or at least the date of the birthday. But when people sign up for the list they will know this. So we will need to know birthdays to ensure we mail at the right time. But on the other hand, we don’t need the phone numbers; it’s all relevant and in most cases it is just common sense.

www.mailingexpert.co.uk

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Seahaven Business Awards

ENTER THE SEAHAVEN AWARDS 2018 to celebrate the best of Seahaven’s businesses

Trophy Sponsors from 2017 and the Seahaven Business Awards designed by Mike Shorer

he Newhaven Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the launch of the 15th Annual Seahaven Business Awards. The 2018 awards are now open for nominations, and are designed to recognise businesses which have shown tremendous commitment, innovation and inspiration. Newhaven Chamber of Commerce President Mike Shorer said: “Last year’s successful event will be matched by our 15th annual awards, with headline sponsors Veolia and Wave Leisure, Elite Industries, the Newhaven Enterprise Centre, Co-op and HM Bookkeeping. We will be welcoming special guests, the new Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Tran Ngoc An, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, David Allam to the gala awards dinner on 11th May at Jerrom Hall, Peacehaven.” There are seven award categories giving local businesses and community organisations the opportunity to enter at least two categories - they are as follows:

• BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Sussex Sign Company • BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR sponsored by Swindells Chartered Accountants • BEST ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS sponsored by Fine Marketing • BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE sponsored by Meeching Estate Agents • BEST NEW BUSINESS sponsored by Excell Design & Marketing • BEST EATERY sponsored by Fundraising Auctions • PRESIDENT'S AWARD ‘BEST BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY’ sponsored by Elite Industries On the judging panel this year will be local MP Maria Caulfield, MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Mayor of Newhaven, and the Presidents of the Newhaven, Peacehaven and Seaford Chambers of Commerce. Any business that is located in, or trades within, the Seahaven area (BN9, BN25 and

Last year’s winners with the Lord Lieutenan

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BN10 postcodes - mainly Newhaven, Seaford and Peacehaven) is eligible to enter, and businesses do not need to be members of a local Chamber of Commerce. The awards are free to enter and businesses can nominate themselves or can be nominated. If you know of a business who you feel deserves to win an award, and takes great pride in being part of the thriving Seahaven community, then please nominate them. Closing date for nominations is Friday 23rd March. The winners will be announced at the gala dinner on Friday 11th May and will be presented with stunning trophies designed by Newhaven President and goldsmith, Mike Shorer. The Seahaven Business Awards are organised by Newhaven Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Peacehaven and Seaford Chambers of Commerce. If you would like to nominate a business or enter your own business, then please visit www. newhavenchamber.co.uk for further details. You can enter online or download an entry form.

Uckfield Chamber News

A BUSY MONTH AHEAD By Ian Noble, Secretary to Uckfield Chamber of Commerce

arch is a busy month for Uckfield Chamber – special ‘one off’ events, our AGM and the introduction of our Chamber Directory as we hurtle towards Easter at the end of the month. We will sponsor and co-host an event led by Wealden MP, Nus Ghani, on Friday March 9th to help local businesses understand the importance of being ‘Disability Confident’ – a range of speakers will help businesses consider this important aspect. Prior to that, on Thursday March 1st, we will be exhibiting at an East Sussex Expo, which will provide a super opportunity to network with many local businesses, and explain the many benefits of Chamber membership. The third and final event in as many weeks at Chamber member, East Sussex National, is our AGM on Thursday March 15th – we will be voting in a new President and Vice Presidents, plus one or two new faces onto our Executive Committee.

If you are a Chamber member and reading this before mid-March and you haven’t yet booked your place at the AGM, what are you waiting for? The Exec. is the engine of the Chamber, driving improvements for Uckfield and made up of more than a dozen local business people, all with busy day jobs, giving a minimum of two hours of their time monthly to support the management decisions that collectively support local business. We are very fortunate to have such a talented group! Allow me, through these pages, to personally thank Bernard Smith, who is stepping down as President and from the Exec., after two and a half years. Bernie has been a super leader and a great help to me personally during my initial six months in the role. He is a guy who has Uckfield at his heart and should be congratulated for all that has been achieved during his tenure.

Looking ahead, we have booked our member meetings at some wonderful rural locations around Uckfield for May and July. With warmer weather approaching, we will be visiting both Bluebell Vineyard and Crockstead Farm Hotel in the summer. At the May meeting, we will also be launching the Uckfield Business Awards 2018 - the glitziest night of the year in TN22 country! We have been busy seeking sponsorship of the various awards categories a big shout out and thanks to CJ Thorne & Co. who are once again our headline sponsor. Did you know that Uckfield’s Thorne group are a third generational family business who employ 130 people locally? We continue to see several new member applications hitting my desk. If you own, manage or work in an Uckfield business that isn’t a Chamber member, we’d love to hear from you. Simply email secretary@uckfieldchamber.co.uk or call 07801 250668 - you’ll be most welcome and in good company!

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Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

WITH A SIDE ORDER OF PLASTIC by Maarten Hoffmann

espite countless warnings over the years, we have finally reached tipping point.

It is thought that by this year, it will be virtually impossible to consume any type of seafood without consuming plastic at the same time as fish consume so much of the eight million tonnes of plastic we dump into the oceans annually. Every single piece of plastic the world has produced since 1950 is still in the ocean today and we just build upon it year after year. Prince Charles has made it his mission to cut the amount we throw away and at a recent meeting in Malta at the Our Ocean Conference, representatives from 100

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Anger Management GLOBAL PRODUCTION OF PLASTIC ROSE FROM TWO MILLION TONNES IN 1950 TO 400 MILLION TONNES IN 2015. BY 2025, THERE IS EXPECTED TO BE ONE TONNE OF PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN FOR EVERY THREE TONNES OF FISH EIGHT MILLION TONNES OF PLASTICS ENTERS THE OCEANS EACH YEAR HUMANS HAVE CREATED 6.3 BILLION TONNES OF PLASTIC SINCE THE 1950’S. SINCE 1950, ONLY 9% OF PLASTICS HAVE BEEN RECYCLED AND 12% INCINERATED THEREFORE 79% IS IN LANDFILL OR THE OCEANS.

being recovered, recycled and reused instead of created, used and thrown away’. He called on world leaders to follow the example of Canada, which took drastic action 25 years ago by banning cod fishing on Newfoundlands Grand Banks, putting 30,000 people out of work overnight. ‘Whilst this was unimaginably painful at the time, it has worked and the cod stocks are slowly increasing and this demonstrates that given the chance, and with some brave decisions, the ocean can recover its health. Surely we must take equally farsighted steps to deal with plastic pollution’.

“Eight million tonnes of plastics enters the oceans each year.”

The Blue Economy Initiative is working with the World Resources Initiative in Washington DC to begin the journey of cleaning up the oceans but this begins with you and l and every company we work with. The media giant Sky pledged to eliminate all single-use plastics from its operations,

PROPORTION OF CATCH FOUND TO CONTAIN PLASTIC PARTICLES: LANGOUSTINE 83% HADDOCK 36% TUNA 18% products and supply chain from 2020. It said it has reduced the use of plastic bottles by more than 300,000 since January by giving each of its 31,000 employees reusable water bottles. It has replaced plastic cups and straws at all its catering outlets with paper alternatives and uses cutlery that is made of corn-starch rather than plastic. We could wait for government to grind into action or we could just get on with it ourselves by cutting plastic waste, refusing to buy cosmetics, toothpaste and cleansers with micro-beads, complaining when purchased items come wrapped in layers of plastic and all the other screamingly obvious actions we could all individually commit to if we just bothered.

countries met to discuss marine conservation, and many made commitments to reduce pollution. Prince Charles pointed out that wherever you swim in the world, you are swimming in tiny particles of plastic and just about all wild caught fish contain plastic. The Prince’s claims were borne out in 2013 when a survey by Plymouth University found that a third of all fish caught off south-west England, including whiting, mackerel, John Dory and red gurnard, were found to have swallowed tiny pieces of plastic. A single plate of Mussels can contain up to 900 tiny pieces of plastic, according to the European Food Safety Authority.

“A single plate of Mussels can contain up to 900 tiny pieces of plastic according to the European Food Safety Authority.”

The Prince said: ‘Political and industrial leaders must adopt the principles of the 'circular economy’ which would result in plastic

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Institute of Directors

GOOD HABITS

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

iven that we are now a couple of months into the year, how many of your New Year’s resolutions have you stuck to? Come to that, how many of them can you still remember? Did you take the chance to promise yourself to start afresh on trying to stick to some of those things that you always meant to do? Or is the whole concept just a bit of post-Christmas “hum-bug” that you have never felt the need to subscribe to? Many of us do still take the chance to use the chimes of midnight to promise ourselves that the slate is wiped clean, and that from now on either we will tackle those boring bits of admin promptly as and when required, or that we will be stricter with ourselves about making sure that we regularly get home from work at a decent hour and/or take a proper break at lunchtime away from our desks. Sometimes the goal is a significant oneoff, this year will be the year that I… climb Kilimanjaro, run the marathon, do a skydive and so on (and our charities are very pleased

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to hear those pledges). I suspect though, that far more often, it is the smaller simpler things that people promise themselves and perhaps those closest to them. It is the smaller habits that we feel we can improve on generally to make our lives (or those of our family) that little bit better or ourselves that little bit healthier. If we do start, how long do we need to be doing something for it to become a habit? Well, if reading is one of your resolutions that is great because there is a wealth of literature on this. Which means of course that there is no one clear answer. Even opinions on what the variables are seem to be plentiful. You can also collect advice through self-help books, tapes, podcasts and any other media that you can think of. In all likelihood, for most of the techniques published, there are examples of people who have found them to be a great help and have used them to achieve what they wanted to. But I suspect that there are many more of us who have tried various approaches at different times, and who are

still inwardly reproaching ourselves for making the same resolutions this year as we have for many years past. For some, making the public commitment on 1st January puts effective “pressure” on us to achieve our goals. But for many it seems to be a false exercise, and almost inevitably doomed to failure well before the clocks spring forward. Perhaps we just need to look at why we want to deal with whatever we are addressing, what we can do about it, and resolve to make those changes whatever the date.

JUST A THOUGHT Which of your habits is your worst, and why?

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